Film Buff Friday: Robocop

I caught this again recently on HBO, still hold up, still a great film.

PART MAN, PART MACHINE, ALL COP. RoboCop, from Orion Pictures, marked director Paul Verhoeven's (Flesh + Blood) Hollywood debut and instantly became an enduring sci-fi/action classic when it landed in theaters in the summer of 1987. Verhoeven's peerlessly exciting and kinetic visuals were matched by a sharp script, iconic cast and exceptional special effects by Rob Bottin (The Thing) and Phil Tippett (The Empire Strikes Back). The film takes place in Detroit in the not-too-distant future. Heroic cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai) is gunned down in the line of duty, only to be resurrected as RoboCop - a cybernetic mix of spare human parts and Motor City steel, and the latest defense against crime designed by the all-powerful OCP Corporation. As RoboCop's memories of his former life as Murphy resurface, only his ex-partner (Nancy Allen, Dressed To Kill) stands beside him to fight against the vicious thugs responsible for his death, as well as a nefarious top-level OCP executive orchestrating the chaos from above. Unsurpassably thrilling, unexpectedly moving and unforgettably hilarious in equal measure, the future of law enforcement is back in a definitive Blu-ray™ presentation packed with hours of brand new bonus features.

Bonus Materials

• 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul Verhoeven
• Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film on two High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ discs
• Original lossless stereo and four-channel mixes plus DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound option on both cuts
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
• Limited edition collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Omar Ahmed, Christopher Griffiths and Henry Blyth
• 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
• 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 scenes
• Two theatrical trailers and three TV spots
• Extensive image galleries
• 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 comparison of Theatrical and Director’s Cuts
• Robocop: Edited For Television, a compilation of alternate scenes from two edited-for-television versions, newly transferred in HD from recently-unearthed 35mm elements

Order Here: https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV218