Peter Weller and Kurtwood Smith in Robocop (1987)
Vintage press photo. Photo: Orion Pictures Coporation. Kurtwood Smith and Peter Weller in Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987).
Paul Verhoeven's American breakthrough film, Robocop (1987), is a blend of black comedy, Science Fiction, and crime thriller. The story was written by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit (mostly shot in Dallas), sometime in the near future, the film is about a policeman killed in the line of duty whom the department decides to resurrect as a half-human, half-robot supercop. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer. The camera work is by Jan de Bont and Jost Vacano. The music is by Basil Poledouris. The exceptional mix of explicit violence, humor, and special effects made Robocop a huge success in America.
RoboCop centers on police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) who is murdered by a gang of criminals and subsequently revived by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products as the cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. The Robocop is indestructible, and within a matter of weeks, he has removed crime from the streets of Detroit. However, his human side is tortured by his past, and he wants revenge on the thugs who killed him. The elaboration of the film is full of social criticism of the "Corporate America" of the eighties. The police apparatus has been privatised and is in the hands of the multinational OCP, which also controls just about all other areas of governance in Detroit. Verhoeven's mix of humor and criticism comes into its own in the commercials that are shown. Classic is the spot in which a family plays the "cozy" board game Nuke Them. In this, Dad can, after canceling humanitarian aid when crossing his national borders, proceed to a nuclear attack on his son, after which the whole family laughs and falls in each other's arms.
The film was conceived by Edward Neumeier while working on the set of Blade Runner (1982), and he developed the idea further with Michael Miner. Their script was purchased in early 1985 by producer Jon Davison on behalf of Orion Pictures. Finding a director proved difficult. Paul Verhoeven dismissed the script twice because he did not understand its satirical content until convinced of it by his wife. Filming took place between August and October 1986, mainly in Dallas, Texas. Rob Bottin led the special-effects team in creating practical effects, violent gore, and the RoboCop costume. Verhoeven emphasized violence throughout the film, making it so outlandish it became comical. Even so, censors believed it was too extreme, and several scenes were shortened or modified to secure an acceptable theatrical rating. RoboCop won the Oscars for Best Sound Editing, and for best sound effects. The film was also nominated for the Academy Awards for Film Editing and for Best Sound. The film was later followed by two feature-length sequels and a live-action television series, neither of which were as successful as the original film. Michael Hastings at AllMovie: "The casting is sublime: Weller's creepy, Aryan good looks are a perfect match for the role, and he and love interest Nancy Allen seem aware of the script's more preposterous moments. RoboCop's attempts at social commentary and satirical jabs at corporate authority are, like much of the rest of the film, juvenile but effective. Above all else, the film established Verhoeven as a slick, dark director with an uncanny knack for making ludicrous material compelling."
Sources: Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AllMovie), Wikipedia (English and Dutch), and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Peter Weller and Kurtwood Smith in Robocop (1987)
Vintage press photo. Photo: Orion Pictures Coporation. Kurtwood Smith and Peter Weller in Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987).
Paul Verhoeven's American breakthrough film, Robocop (1987), is a blend of black comedy, Science Fiction, and crime thriller. The story was written by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit (mostly shot in Dallas), sometime in the near future, the film is about a policeman killed in the line of duty whom the department decides to resurrect as a half-human, half-robot supercop. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer. The camera work is by Jan de Bont and Jost Vacano. The music is by Basil Poledouris. The exceptional mix of explicit violence, humor, and special effects made Robocop a huge success in America.
RoboCop centers on police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) who is murdered by a gang of criminals and subsequently revived by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products as the cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. The Robocop is indestructible, and within a matter of weeks, he has removed crime from the streets of Detroit. However, his human side is tortured by his past, and he wants revenge on the thugs who killed him. The elaboration of the film is full of social criticism of the "Corporate America" of the eighties. The police apparatus has been privatised and is in the hands of the multinational OCP, which also controls just about all other areas of governance in Detroit. Verhoeven's mix of humor and criticism comes into its own in the commercials that are shown. Classic is the spot in which a family plays the "cozy" board game Nuke Them. In this, Dad can, after canceling humanitarian aid when crossing his national borders, proceed to a nuclear attack on his son, after which the whole family laughs and falls in each other's arms.
The film was conceived by Edward Neumeier while working on the set of Blade Runner (1982), and he developed the idea further with Michael Miner. Their script was purchased in early 1985 by producer Jon Davison on behalf of Orion Pictures. Finding a director proved difficult. Paul Verhoeven dismissed the script twice because he did not understand its satirical content until convinced of it by his wife. Filming took place between August and October 1986, mainly in Dallas, Texas. Rob Bottin led the special-effects team in creating practical effects, violent gore, and the RoboCop costume. Verhoeven emphasized violence throughout the film, making it so outlandish it became comical. Even so, censors believed it was too extreme, and several scenes were shortened or modified to secure an acceptable theatrical rating. RoboCop won the Oscars for Best Sound Editing, and for best sound effects. The film was also nominated for the Academy Awards for Film Editing and for Best Sound. The film was later followed by two feature-length sequels and a live-action television series, neither of which were as successful as the original film. Michael Hastings at AllMovie: "The casting is sublime: Weller's creepy, Aryan good looks are a perfect match for the role, and he and love interest Nancy Allen seem aware of the script's more preposterous moments. RoboCop's attempts at social commentary and satirical jabs at corporate authority are, like much of the rest of the film, juvenile but effective. Above all else, the film established Verhoeven as a slick, dark director with an uncanny knack for making ludicrous material compelling."
Sources: Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AllMovie), Wikipedia (English and Dutch), and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.