Films I Love: RoboCop

[whiteboyskim]

"I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening."

Thought I would start a semi-recurring feature here since I've been overly remiss in updating my blog. Over there I have a series called "Now Playing" wherein I discuss whatever it is I'm watching at the moment. Since I haven't updated since February for a variety of reasons, I figured here would be a good place to kick-start myself. Forthwith, one of the greatest sci-fi films of the 1980's.

Released in 1987, "RoboCop" was made (in)famous for its violence. The thing that surprised me when I first saw it was how blasted funny it was. Personally, I think it remains Paul Verhoeven's best film, though my affinity for "Starship Troopers" makes that a close second. There are so many classic moments in this film it's amazing they're all in the same 103 minute span of time. Kurtwood Smith's quintessential uber-villain Clarence Boddicker, Paul "ER" McCrane's splatterfest death, Murphy's brutal murder, Ronny Cox's slippery Dick Jones, Basil Poledouris' bombasting ass-kicking score, ED-209 trying to walk down stairs, Miguel Ferrer as Bob Morton, and of course the utterly hilarious commercials. The swipes at the excess of the 1980s remain funny, and it's also amusing to see the Dallas skyline substitute for Old Detroit.

I'm watching the Criterion cut right now and it just kicks all kinds of ass.

Also, as a hilarious bit of history, I watched the theatrical trailer for the first time and guess what music they played over it? The score for "The Terminator."

[Hrothgar]

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[FTWalker]

"Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

Or, my personal favorite:

"Can you fly, Bobby?" as only Kurtwood can say it.
I can't watch "That 70's Show" without thinking of him in that role

[whiteboyskim]

"Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

Or, my personal favorite:

"Can you fly, Bobby?" as only Kurtwood can say it.
I can't watch "That 70's Show" without thinking of him in that role

No kidding. When that show debuted I kept expecting him to blow his son's arm off with a shotgun. 

"Well give the man a hand!"

[leo8877]

 

[Teggy]

Oh man, there are some days when I cite this as my favorite movie ever, and I say that seriously.

"Bitches leave."

"Dick, you're fired!"
"Thank you"

"Nice shooting son, what's your name?"
"Murphy."

Plus, how can you not get pumped up listening to the theme? I'm going to have watch this again soon.

[Daehawk]

Was surfing tv a min ago and saw it on as I was passing.

[FTWalker]

Oh man, there are some days when I cite this as my favorite movie ever, and I say that seriously.

"Bitches leave."

"Dick, you're fired!"
"Thank you"

"Nice shooting son, what's your name?"
"Murphy."

Plus, how can you not get pumped up listening to the theme? I'm going to have watch this again soon.

[ED-209 has malfunctioned during a demonstration, killing Kinney in the boardroom]
The Old Man: Dick, I'm very disappointed.
Dick Jones: I'm sure it's only a glitch. A temporary setback.
The Old Man: You call this a GLITCH?
---
"Thank you for your cooperation. Good night."
---
"Come quietly or there will be... trouble"

 

Just finished watching it again on a TV links site....Just as good as I remembered
(Thank you Forum Effect)

An aside:
In the uncut version - didn't the ED-209 blast that guy for like a minuite or two? 

[Knightshade Dragon]

"Bitches leave."

I think that is the quote of the movie.

Robocop is one movie that sees frequent rotation in my movie collection.  I've got the 3 movie collector fold-out version that features the Criterion cut.  Hot damn is that just a little more brutal than what we saw in theaters. 

I've seriously thought about throwing out 2 and 3....

[Knightshade Dragon]

An aside:
In the uncut version - didn't the ED-209 blast that guy for like a minuite or two? 

Yea, the Criterion cut has a bunch more violence.  He pops the guy in the front for a while, then you see it from the back, then he is bounced onto the Delta city model and then pummeled some more.  Same with Murphy getting shot up - you see the hand explode, the shooting goes on for a while longer at the end, and overall it is just damned gory. 

[Teggy]

An aside:
In the uncut version - didn't the ED-209 blast that guy for like a minuite or two? 

Yea, the Criterion cut has a bunch more violence.  He pops the guy in the front for a while, then you see it from the back, then he is bounced onto the Delta city model and then pummeled some more.  Same with Murphy getting shot up - you see the hand explode, the shooting goes on for a while longer at the end, and overall it is just damned gory. 

Although they also make the point that the shorter version is actually more brutal because the longer version just becomes comical.

[YellowKing]

My mom took me and my brother to see this when it came out. In 1987 I was 13 years old, my brother was 10.

She was absolutely *horrified* at the violence and tried to get us to walk out, but of course we were having none of that. So she relented and kept her eyes shut through most of the movie, and berated herself all the way home for being a terrible parent. To my young eyes it was definitely shocking, but it opened the doors for my love of horror movies. After seeing Robocop I got over my fear of slasher flicks and ended up devouring movies like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc.

To this day you can't mention "Robocop" around my mom without her going off on a tirade about what a sick movie it is. 

[Beer Goggles]

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[Kevin Grey]

I saw it in the theater when I was 12 (IIRC my aunt and uncle took me).  The violence didn't phaze me but I was much less sensitive to it at that age (when I had already seen a huge number of slasher flicks and the like) than I am now. 

Man, I miss Basil Poledouris. 

[rickfc]

My friends call me Murphy.  You may call me, Robocop.

[Eightball]

Personally, I think it remains Paul Verhoeven's best film, though my affinity for "Starship Troopers" makes that a close second.

I love RoboCop, but Total Recall is his best movie.

[whiteboyskim]

Personally, I think it remains Paul Verhoeven's best film, though my affinity for "Starship Troopers" makes that a close second.

I love RoboCop, but Total Recall is his best movie.

I only like sections of Total Recall, not the whole. The action was better, true, but the movie just didn't "click" for me as much as it does for others.

[rickfc]

Personally, I think it remains Paul Verhoeven's best film, though my affinity for "Starship Troopers" makes that a close second.

I love RoboCop, but Total Recall is his best movie.

Speaking of Total Recall, some of my coworkers sweded it for a contest at a local theater in town and won.

Total Recall Sweded

[kathode]

"Please put down your weapon.  You have 20 seconds to comply."

Spoiler for Hiden:

[rickfc]

"Please put down your weapon.  You have 20 seconds to comply."

Spoiler for Hiden:

COOLEST.GIF.EVAH

[Teggy]

You know, the only problem with Robocop is that the sequel was total crap and the third one was hardly good enough for direct to video.  I kind of wish those sequels were never made.  The tv show wasn't too bad for what it was.

[Kevin Grey]

You know, the only problem with Robocop is that the sequel was total crap and the third one was hardly good enough for direct to video.  I kind of wish those sequels were never made.  The tv show wasn't too bad for what it was.

Man, I was so pumped for Robocop 2.  I mean it was by the director of Empire Strikes Back!  How could it suck?  But suck it did.  So disappointing.

It's also the first movie I could ever recall seeing that didn't have a title screen.  Really threw me off- even 30 minutes in I was waiting for "Robocop 2" to flash up on the screen. 

[whiteboyskim]

You know, the only problem with Robocop is that the sequel was total crap and the third one was hardly good enough for direct to video.  I kind of wish those sequels were never made.  The tv show wasn't too bad for what it was.

Man, I was so pumped for Robocop 2.  I mean it was by the director of Empire Strikes Back!  How could it suck?  But suck it did.  So disappointing.

It's also the first movie I could ever recall seeing that didn't have a title screen.  Really threw me off- even 30 minutes in I was waiting for "Robocop 2" to flash up on the screen. 

I recall hating that film tremendously. It started well with a brilliant commercial, then the brilliance was replaced by mass suck. I almost fell asleep at the ending where 10 minutes are devoted to cops shooting the Robocop 2 with literally no effect. The thing stands there getting shot for 10 minutes and nothing else happens. Zzzzzz......

[rickfc]

I recall hating that film tremendously. It started well with a brilliant commercial, then the brilliance was replaced by mass suck. I almost fell asleep at the ending where 10 minutes are devoted to cops shooting the Robocop 2 with literally no effect. The thing stands there getting shot for 10 minutes and nothing else happens. Zzzzzz......

I think the only redeeming part of that movie was when Robocop gets Taken apart and then thrown in pieces in front of the police station.

[hitbyambulance]

The movie should have had no sequels, spinoffs, etc made. Same with Starship Troopers... but there should have been a Showgirls 2...

[TK-421]

The movie should have had no sequels, spinoffs, etc made. Same with Starship Troopers... but there should have been a Showgirls 2...

Highlander.

[Suitably Ironic Moniker]

The movie should have had no sequels, spinoffs, etc made. Same with Starship Troopers... but there should have been a Showgirls 2...

Highlander.

I guess that a case could be made that Highlander is a conceptual and thematic sequel for Showgirls, despite the former predating the latter by over a decade. That's a very interesting point. Thanks, TK-421.

[TK-421]

 


Highlander taught me that the quickest way to get a chick moist was to tell her that you were immortal and then stab yourself in the heart.

I tried that once.   

The sex must have been great because the next thing I remember was waking up in the ER.

[Eel Snave]

Man, remember the part in Showgirls where Elizabeth Berkeley cuts off the guys head while screaming, "There can be only one!"  That part was the best.

[CrayolaSmoker]

Man, remember the part in Showgirls where Elizabeth Berkeley cuts off the guys head while screaming, "There can be only one!"  That part was the best.

That was right after the seizure sex in the pool, right?

[whiteboyskim]

Man, remember the part in Showgirls where Elizabeth Berkeley cuts off the guys head while screaming, "There can be only one!"  That part was the best.

That was right after the seizure sex in the pool, right?

No. During.

[Blackjack]

This seemed like a good excuse to revive this thread...

Hero Complex Film Festival May 18-21
https://herocomplexfilmfest2012.eventbrite.com/?nomo=1

Saturday, May 19. Noon. - RoboCop - Rated R
Ticket for "RoboCop", plus discussion with star Peter Weller.
$20.00    $0.00   

Hero Complex Film Festival
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/05/11/hero-complex-film-festival-a-weekend-guide-with-wax-pack-fun/#/3
Apparently it's a new print of Robocop to celebrate its 25th anniversary. They're also screening Serenity, and Nathan Fillion will be on hand.

[Harkonis]

watching robocop with weller then serenity with fillion would be way too cool.

[Laner]

My mom took me and my brother to see this when it came out. In 1987 I was 13 years old, my brother was 10.

She was absolutely *horrified* at the violence and tried to get us to walk out, but of course we were having none of that. So she relented and kept her eyes shut through most of the movie, and berated herself all the way home for being a terrible parent. To my young eyes it was definitely shocking, but it opened the doors for my love of horror movies. After seeing Robocop I got over my fear of slasher flicks and ended up devouring movies like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc.

To this day you can't mention "Robocop" around my mom without her going off on a tirade about what a sick movie it is. 

Heh... my aunt dragged me and my cousin out of Gremlins (we were both 12 at the time).  She probably would have had a heart attack on the spot if she took us to Robocop.

[whiteboyskim]

Recently found out that RoboCop was screened a few weeks ago at the Dallas International Film Festival with Peter Weller in attendance. I did not sleep well that night, so great was my fury. Must pay closer attention to events in my town...

[Blackjack]

watching robocop with weller then serenity with fillion would be way too cool.

Yeah, the whole festival line up sounds pretty amazing (OK, I guess "Super" seems a bit out of its league here  )

Friday, May 18. 10 P..M. Shaun of the Dead - Rated R
Ticket to "Shaun of the Dead", preceded by discussion with writer/director Edgar Wright
   $20.00    $0.00    
Saturday, May 19. Noon. - RoboCop - Rated R
Ticket for "RoboCop", plus discussion with star Peter Weller.
   $20.00    $0.00    
Saturday, May 19. 4 P.M. - A Clockwork Orange - Rated R
Ticket for "A Clockwork Orange", preceded by discussion with star Malcolm McDowell.
   $20.00    $0.00    
Saturday, May 19. 8:30 P.M.- SUPER - Rated R
Ticket for "SUPER", plus discussion with star Rainn Wilson.
   $20.00    $0.00    
Sunday, May 20 2 P.M. - WALL-E - Rated G
Ticket for "WALL-E", plus discussion with director Andrew Stanton. Includes special preview of Disney/Pixar's "Brave"
   $20.00    $0.00    
Sunday, May 20. 6 P.M. - Serenity - Rated PG-13
Ticket for "Serenity", plus discussion with star Nathan Fillion
   $20.00    $0.00    Sold Out
Monday, May 21. 7:30 PM - An Evening with Stan Lee, featuring "X-Men"
Ticket for live Q & A with Stan Lee, followed by screening TBA.

If I lived in the area and could take Friday-Monday off, I'd  pay $105 (the "all access" ticket price) to sit through all that in a heartbeat.