RoboCop

RoboCop is an American science fiction movie of the cyborg/action subgenres. It was directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier based on a story by Michael Miner. The film was produced by Orion Pictures and released theatrically in the United States on July 17th, 1987. The movie spawned two feature film sequels, a live-action television series, a 2000 television miniseries and two animated spin-off programs.

The movie stars Peter Weller as police officer Alex J. Murphy, Nancy Allen as police officer Anne Lewis, Daniel O'Herlihy as the president of Omni Consumer Products (referred to colloquially as the "Old Man"), Ronny Cox as antagonist Dick Jones and Kurtwood Smith as psycho-villain Clarence Boddicker. Other stars included Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise, Felton Perry and Paul McCrane.

The film takes place in Detroit, Michigan of the near future, which has fallen into near economic ruin and has become a demilitarized haven for psychotic criminals packing hi-tech hardware. The mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products enters into a contract with the Detroit Police Department to provide them with state-of-the-art peacekeeping technology. After their attempts to create robotic sentries meets with failure, they turn towards the world of cybernetics, converting dying police officer Alex Murphy into the one-man law enforceer, RoboCop.

Production & Release

 * Production on RoboCop began on August 6th, 1986. Principal photography concluded on October 23rd, 1986 with additional reshoots done in January, 1987.


 * The majority of the film was shot in areas in Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg, Monessen and Pittsburgh.


 * Skyline scenes were filmed on location in Detroit, Michigan.


 * Other exterior shots were filmed in Dallas, Texas, including the Dallas City Hall, the Dalls Public Library and the Plaza of the Americas.


 * Due to the hyper-violence displayed in the film, RoboCop received an X-rating by the Motion Picture Associaten of America.

Cast & Crew

 * This is director Paul Verhoeven' first major US release. He will go on to direct Total Recall in 1990 with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct in 1992 (again with Sharon Stone), Starship Troopers in 1997 and Hollow Man'' in 2000 starring Kevin Bacon.


 * This is the first film work for writer Edward Neumeier, who is also associate producer on this film. He will go on to write episodes of the RoboCop television series in 1994 as well as the RoboCop: Prime Directives miniseries in 2000.


 * Michael Miner developed the story for this movie and it is his first professional film work. He will go on to write episodes of the RoboCop television series in 1994 as well as provide the story treatment for the 1996 film Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyperspace.


 * Actor Dan O'Herlihy is credited as Daniel O'Herlihy in this film.


 * Actor Jesse D. Goins is credited as Jesse Goins in this film.


 * Actor Lee de Broux is credited as Lee DeBroux in this film.


 * Actor Kevin Page is credited as Ken Page in this film.


 * Actor Tyrees Allen is credited as Tyress Allen in this film.

Home Video

 * RoboCop is included on The RoboCop Trilogy DVD and Blu-ray collections. The DVD was released by MGM Home Video on June 8th, 2004. The Blu-ray edition was released on October 5th, 2010.


 * RoboCop was released in special Criterion Collection collector's tin DVD by Orion Pictures on September 30th, 1998.


 * The standard R-rated edition of the film was released to DVD in Region 1 format on October 2nd, 2001.


 * The 20th Anniversary Collection edition was released by MGM on August 21st, 2007.

Keywords
Cyborg | Detroit | Disfigurement | Gunshot victims | Hospital | Impalement | Michigan | Police department | Police officer | Severed limb | Smoking | Superhuman strength