#robodoc

RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop will be released on Blu-ray on October 17 via Cineverse. Walmart will exclusively carry a Steelbook edition ($23.84). The 2023 docuseries premieres on SCREAMBOX today.

Directed by Chris Griffiths Christopher Griffiths (Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, Pennywise: The Story of It) and Eastwood Allen craft, the four-episode series is a comprehensive, scene-by-scene breakdown of the 1987 action classic.

Actors Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Ray Wise, and Kurtwood Smith, director Paul Verhoeven, writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, and visual effects legend Phil Tippett are among the dozens of interviewees.

Special features are listed below, where you can also see the Steelbook artwork by Creepy Duck Design.

My biggest takeaway is that the sound design oscar was well deserved, the suit does not work without the clever sound effects and constant droning. The stunts and practical effects teams deserve way more credit, I really hope they were able to take that portfolio reel and demand much more money in later jobs. The dude who was animating and editing "robovision" with no computer assistance at all (the "thermal imagery" was done by painting folks in bodysuits to look like thermal imagery and compositing it onto the scene frame by frame) and the guy who made the robo-face deserve the world.

There were also so many ways it nearly went wrong:

The mime instructor was brought in when Peter Weller couldn't move in the robot suit and shut down production because he'd trained to move like a fast robot in hockey gear. The mime guy goes "Well, suit team: you need to cut articulation into this thing and Peter you need to move like a very heavy trapped animal". Saved the film with a single day on set.

Verhoeven was unknown and barely spoke english: he would act out every role, demand more gore, screamed at everyone, didn't explain his vision, told pretty much every cast and crew member they were personally responsible for messing up the film on the regular, ignored safety protocols. About 80% forgave him when they saw the film: suddenly all that made sense (and the royalty cheques started rolling in). I think the other 20% would punch him on sight. I hope one day one of them does.

Makeup had to go on strike so their demands about shooting close-up shots first, action scenes later because the appliances would get damaged were actually heard.

Peter Weller's acting is brilliant but he went full method (robo and murphy only) and he was at work getting into the suit for up to ten hours before anyone else arrived. so he'd be cranky and perfectionist once 'work' started for everyone else (and his own weirdo trumpet playing, zen but inflexible, not partying with the rest but getting lots of ladies) which alienated a bunch of the cast, at least during filming when tensions were high.

Every single actor on set gave it their best. There is so much that would not work if they weren't invested in making their own characters unique, working in teams and actually selling these absurd situations.

The editing and pacing. There is such a fine line to walk to make the cheesiness work with the ultraviolence along with the comedy. You get that wrong, you get Showgirls. (yes I like Showgirls, minus *that* scene and viewed as unintentional camp, but it is undeniably cringy because it doesn't pull away to fake adverts at just the right time). The MPAA forced them to cut OTT violence scenes - again, this makes the film much better. When you see what was cut, you understand how it could have been a stupid slasher or too silly.

Stunt guy nearly got maimed so many times. I really hope they have better work conditions now.