KILLER HORROR CRITIC
  • Reviews/News
  • Podcast
  • Book Club
  • Contact
  • Meet the Writer

[Blu-ray Review] When it Comes to the 'Robocop' Limited Edition from Arrow Video, I'd Buy that for A Dollar!

12/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
In 1987, one of the most delicious gems of the 80s was let out into the world: Robocop. Peter Weller’s portrayal of the one-liner touting, emotionally confused do-gooder cyborg is an all-time classic, and has been brought to fans in a new and improved version from Arrow Video with the release of a limited-edition Blu-ray that would make the hulking tin-can himself weep…

…Written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner and directed by the legendary Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Starship Troopers), Robocop hit the streets during a time when action films were big and bloody, but audiences had never seen anything like this. Set in a near-future world where crime has become rampant, we find ourselves in, of course, Detroit (though shot in Texas). Murphy (Weller), has just been transferred to a new station, and is partnered with the rough and tough Lewis (Nancy Allen playing against her usual type). Turns out, Murphy has shit luck, as he ends up with about a dozen bullets in him and a few missing limbs by the end of the day. Seeking a promotion at OCP, Morton (Miguel Ferrer) turns Murphy into a crime-fighting cyborg…a cyborg who happens to remember the men that killed him, and is on a mission to bring them in, dead or alive. Preferably, dead.
 
Opening on a bunch of guy butt in the showers at police headquarters, you immediately know Robocop is going to be different. Verhoeven has always gone against the grain when it comes to mainstream media, and so while other action films were giving audiences rippling muscle men and sexy babes, Robocop presents a refreshingly lanky Peter Weller as our hero, and Nancy Allen as his partner, an actress who had typically played the “hot girl”, most memorably perhaps as Chris in Carrie. We’re not distracted by the usual “will they or won’t they” budding romance. In fact, Lewis doesn’t even seem to like Murphy all that much. Verhoeven doesn’t worry about typical Hollywood tropes, and it shows.
 
Robocop says you can shove that forced romance trope up his shiny metal butt, because this film doesn’t need a romance subplot where it’s going. Eventually, the sexually tensionless duo ends up in a gunfight with That 70’s Show’s Eric Forman’s dad, Kurtwood Smith (Clarence) and his goons. In one of the most over-the-top and epically bloody executions on film, Clarence and his cronies treat Murphy to a death by a thousand bullets and leave him for dead. The blood in moments like this is as rich and bright as ever on this new disc, completely uncut and extending what is already an excessive moment. But that’s why we love this film. 

In fact, if you’ve never seen the director’s cut of Robocop, I can safely say watching it on this disc is like experiencing a whole new, gloriously gory film. If you thought the early moment where Robocop’s robotic foil, ED-209, malfunctions and blasts an exec full of lead was tasteless, just wait until you see the extended version, where you can practically taste each bullet wound as it sprays a small geyser of bright red blood. The squib market was king in the 80s, and Verhoeven used their services to the fullest effect.
 
Every aspect of the film has been updated by Arrow to an impressive quality. Some would say the digital effects are dated, whereas I would say they have character, and everything, down to Robocop’s grid-like vision, is as crisp as ever. You can see every inch of detail on ED-209’s wobbly frame, and every drop of sweat on Kurtwood Smith’s dome. 
Picture
​Mixing a comic-book sense of humor with a heavy dose of violence and a hero facing an existential crisis in determining whether he’s even human or just a machine with the face of a man, Robocop is the gold standard when it comes to entertaining action films of the 80s. Dead or alive, this film takes you on an unforgettable adventure with a commentative eye towards the soullessness of technology. So, if you’ve never experienced this tongue-in-cheek, ultra-badass action flick, now’s the time, thanks to Arrow.
 
As for the special features on the new disc, Arrow has gone above and beyond in gathering content that will make it worth purchasing Robocop one last time. They have made Robocop bigger. Faster. Stronger. Shinier. The disc features two new commentaries, both great, but my favorite being with fans Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart, and Eastwood Allen. All three seem to know just about everything about the film, including Kurtwood Smith’s apprehension towards the blood on set. Their energy and love of the film is infectious, and listening to them feels like being in a dive bar with a few shots of whiskey and talking the bloody ole days of 80s action movies.
 
Other extras like “RoboTalk”, a new roundtable discussion with co-writer Ed Neumeier and filmmakers David Birke and Nick McCarthy, is a fun chat detailing how Robocop came to have its comic book style. “Truth of Character”, an intimate conversation with star Nancy Allen, brought me a whole new appreciation, both for her character and for her as an actress. She discusses getting the part and her desire to approach it not like the “sexy” girl that’s described in the script, but as a down and dirty cop with an attitude. Hearing her talk about that damn haircut and her willingness to go along with it proves she’s a trooper who just wanted to make a great film, and that’s exactly what she did.
 
As if these and a bounty of other extras weren’t enough, the two disc-set even allows you to watch split-screen comparisons of the Director’s Cut vs the Theatrical Cut, as well as the Theatrical Cut vs the Edited for TV version. Did I just hear the obsessive nerd in you gasp over the opportunity to see every last difference of the cuts side by side? I know mine did.
 
If you’re a fan of Robocop, there should be nothing stopping you from buying this disc for a dollar (or a few more, in this case). You’re move, creep.
 
The two-disc, limited edition of Robocop is now available from Arrow Video. 

Full Blu-ray Specs:

​
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
  • 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul Verhoeven
  • Newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper
  • 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
  • Six collector’s postcards (Limited Edition exclusive)
  • Double-sided, fold-out poster (Limited Edition exclusive)
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork (Limited Edition exclusive)
  • 80-page Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Omar Ahmed, Christopher Griffiths and Henry Blyth, a 1987 Fangoria interview with Rob Bottin, and archive publicity materials (some contents exclusive to Limited Edition)
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 scenes
  • Two theatrical trailers and three TV spots
  • Extensive 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
Picture
By Matt Konopka
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Reviews/News
  • Podcast
  • Book Club
  • Contact
  • Meet the Writer