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[tab title="Movie Review"]

Robocop (1987)

“Dead or alive, you are coming with me.”

When I first heard those words coming out from the lips of RoboCop (Peter Weller), I was hooked.  Instantly.  There was no looking back for this fat kid: RoboCop, making its debut in 1987, would be my summertime jam.  The film might have been a surprise hit, soon flooding shelves with all sorts of merchandise targeted toward kids my age after it was released in theaters, but - thanks to some kickass stop-motion effects from Phil Tippett - that Enforcement Droid Series 209, being the precursor to what would be RoboCop, sent me over the moon and I wanted more.  I was, after all, raised on all things Harryhausen

"Director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall) and writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner explore some very human themes here with this life after death material, sprinkling it with quite a bit of violence and criticism of Reaganomics"


And RoboCop delivered.  From the amped-up violence to the raw attitude of a super-dysfunctional Detroit of the future, the landscape that gave birth to the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products-designed RoboCop instantly lit up my creativity.  The film introduces us to officers Alex Murphy (Weller) and Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) as they attempt to put an end to an armed robbery.  The gang is holed up in an abandoned steel mill and, heavily armed with shotguns, has no plans to turn over the loot anytime soon. {googleads}

It is no secret to announce that this is where Murphy bites it.  He is absolutely gunned down and, as his life passes before his eyes, the OCP steps in and takes his leftover parts for their own use as RoboCop.  This is where the memories of Murphy - one involving his wife and another involving his boy - come into play.  Director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall) and writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner explore some very human themes here with this life after death material, sprinkling it with quite a bit of violence and criticism of Reaganomics.  

Of course, all its satire aimed at the Reagan era was originally lost on me at the time I initially saw the film.  Over time, I began to recognize those themes: the crime, the powerful corporations, the politics, and, yes, the consumer culture that drove those scenes added to the movie to change its X-rating to a solid R.  My father picked up on those, but I just wanted to see RoboCop wipe the filth of the streets time and time again.  Everything - from the suit design (by Rob Bottin) to the heavily modified Beretta 93R - just fell into place to create a movie that no one would ever forget.  Robocop (1987)

Now, thanks to Arrow Video, RoboCop makes a 2-disc limited edition comeback with hours of supplemental content.  It’s a release that contains both the Director’s Cut of the film and the original R-rated version.  The 4K restoration is from the 35mm camera negative and was approved by Verhoeven himself.  The hardcase release also supports newly commissioned artwork from Paul Shipper with both a collector’s booklet and a two-sided poster.

Part man, part machine, all cop.  RoboCop is back on duty.

5/5 stars

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Robocop (1987)

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

RoboCop: Two-Disc Limited Edition (1987)

Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on Blu-ray
- November 26, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Now, thanks to Arrow Video, RoboCop makes a 2-disc limited edition comeback with hours of supplemental content.  It’s a release that contains both the Director’s Cut of the film and the original R-rated version.  The 4K restoration is from the 35mm camera negative and was approved by Verhoeven himself.  The hardcase release also supports newly commissioned artwork from Paul Shipper with both a collector’s booklet and a two-sided poster.

Video:

Offered courtesy of MGM and its new 4K handling thanks to Arrow Video in 1.85:1, the AVC-encoded 1080p transfer of RoboCop is a relative goldmine of previously unseen details and colors.  The details in the diner and the clothing and some of the furnishing items are a reason to appreciate the visual “pop” throughout the high definition transfer.  The atmosphere – especially the cinematography – is especially nice.  The crisp image quality is the best you’re going to get with a film like this and, admittedly, even a bit better than expected.  Some stuff from the same era hasn’t made the HD transition quite as well, but Maximum Overdrive and its glowing red eyes looks better than it ever did.  Colors are perfect. Blacks are solid. Skin tones are detailed and appropriate. 

Audio:

This release contains the lossless original stereo track and the four channel mixes of previous releases.  New to this release is a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound track (on both versions) which arms listeners with sever audio firepower.  RoboCop has never sounded this engaged before.  It makes for a floor-shaking, wall-rattling subversive movie experience on the streets of a very dangerous Detroit.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • See the AWESOME limited edition details!  There are new and archival commentaries included on this release.

Special Features:

This Limited Edition release is loaded with lots of goodies that fans will want to dive right into!  Disc One is loaded with lots of NEW interviews with the cast and crew and Disc Two has all the archival goodies from previous releases.  There are hours of bonus content.  Complete with an 80-page book, a two-sided poster, and the hard case shell for the movie and all the bonus content to fit into, this release makes sure that RoboCop’s return to Detroit is reason to celebrate.

DISC ONE – DIRECTOR’S CUT

  • Archive commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for the Theatrical Cut and re-edited in 2014 for the Director’s Cut)
  • New commentary by film historian Paul M. Sammon
  • New commentary by fans Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart and Eastwood Allen
  • The Future of Law Enforcement: Creating RoboCop, a newly filmed interview with co-writer Michael Miner
  • RoboTalk, a newly filmed conversation between co-writer Ed Neumeier and filmmakers David Birke (writer of Elle) and Nick McCarthy (director of Orion Pictures’ The Prodigy)
  • Truth of Character, a newly filmed interview with star Nancy Allen on her role as Lewis
  • Casting Old Detroit, a newly filmed interview with casting director Julie Selzer on how the film’s ensemble cast was assembled
  • Connecting the Shots, a newly filmed interview with second unit director and frequent Verhoeven collaborator Mark Goldblatt
  • Analog, a new featurette focusing on the special photographic effects, including new interviews with Peter Kuran and Kevin Kutchaver
  • More Man Than Machine: Composing Robocop, a new tribute to composer Basil Poledouris featuring film music experts Jeff Bond, Lukas Kendall, Daniel Schweiger and Robert Townson
  • RoboProps, a newly filmed tour of super-fan Julien Dumont’s collection of original props and memorabilia
  • 2012 Q&A with the Filmmakers, a panel discussion featuring Verhoeven, Davison, Neumeier, Miner, Allen, star Peter Weller and animator Phil Tippett
  • RoboCop: Creating a Legend, Villains of Old Detroit and Special Effects: Then & Now, three archive featurettes from 2007 featuring interviews with cast and crew
  • Paul Verhoeven Easter Egg
  • Four deleted scenes
  • The Boardroom: Storyboard with Commentary by Phil Tippett
  • Director’s Cut Production Footage, raw dailies from the filming of the unrated gore scenesTwo theatrical trailers and three TV spotsExtensive image galleries

DISC TWO – THEATRICAL CUT

  • Archive commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for Theatrical version of the film)
  • Two Isolated Score tracks (Composer’s Original Mix and Final Theatrical Mix) in lossless stereo
  • Edited-for-television version of the film, featuring alternate dubs, takes and edits of several scenes (95 mins, SD only)
  • Split screen comparisons between the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut, and the Theatrical Cut and edited-for-TV version
  • Robocop: Edited For Television, a compilation of alternate scenes from two edited-for-television versions, including outtakes newly transferred in HD from recently-unearthed 35mm elements

Blu-ray Rating:

  Movie 5/5 stars
  Video  5/5 stars
  Audio 5/5 stars
  Extras 5/5 stars

Overall Blu-ray Experience

5/5 stars

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[tab title="Film Details"]

Robocop (1987)

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
102 mins
Director
: Paul Verhoeven
Writer:
Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner
Cast:
Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy
Genre
: Action | Crime
Tagline:
Part man. Part machine. All cop. The future of law enforcement.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law."
Theatrical Distributor:
Orion Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
July 17, 1987
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
November 26, 2019.
Synopsis: In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

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[tab title="Art"]

Robocop (1987)

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