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

Sunday Sinema: Waterworld

I actually went to the premiere of this at The Chinese Theater in Hollywood...

The most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, Waterworld has thrilled audiences through the years with its awe-inspiring action scenes, gargantuan maritime sets and ground-breaking special effects. A definitive post-apocalypse blockbuster, Waterworld stars Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) as The Mariner - a mutant trader, adrift in a dystopian future where Earth is submerged under water and humankind struggles to survive on boats and in ramshackle floating cities. The Mariner becomes embroiled with the Smokers, a gang of pirates who, led by villainous leader Deacon (Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet), are seeking Enola (Tina Majorino, Napoleon Dynamite), a girl with a map to the mythical realm of "Dryland" tattooed on her back. Famous for both its epic scale and the controversy that swirled around its production, Waterworld is a key cult film of the 1990s, and an essential entry into the subgenre of ecologically-minded blockbusters. Presented here in an exclusive new restoration, in three different cuts, and with a wealth of extra material, this high-water mark of high-concept Hollywood can now be enjoyed as never before.

Bonus Materials

• New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative by Arrow Films, presenting the film in three cuts
• Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Six collector's postcards
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Limited edition 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by David J. Moore and Daniel Griffith, archival articles and original reviews
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the original theatrical cut
• Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld, an all-new, feature-length making-of documentary including extensive cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage
• Original archival featurette capturing the film's production
• Global Warnings, film critic Glenn Kenny explores the subgenre of ecologically aware Hollywood blockbusters
• Production and promotional stills gallery
• Visual effects stills gallery
• Original trailers and TV spots
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended US TV cut, which runs over 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended European 'Ulysses' cut, which includes censored shots and dialogue

Press Quotes

To say that this is a massive Blu-ray release, one that will surely give long-time fans reason to celebrate, is an understatement if ever there was one. Arrow Video's presentation exceeds all of my expectations and blows any home video release of the film completely out of the water. Highly recommended!

     —The Digital Bits

Order Here - https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV181