Robocop: The Criterion Collection
05-23-00, 02:14 AM
#1
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 2,331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can someone filled me in on what was so X rated about this film? I didn't get it.
Thanks.
------------------
The Decline
Thanks.
------------------
The Decline
05-23-00, 02:58 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: |-|@><0r L@n|)
Posts: 17,214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I watched the original a lot as a kid, back when that kind of violence was cutting-edge. I watched the Criterion re-release two weeks ago, and there were two changes I noticed:
1) I'm certain about this one: There's a scene where the VP is demonstrating the ED-2000 to the executive board. He asks an exec to point a gun at ED, which responds threateningly; the exec drops the gun, but the ED malfunctions and blows him away. In the re-release, the exec falls back onto a table, and there's about a one-second clip where the ED continues to riddle him with bullets.
2) I'm not so certain about this one. In the beginning, when Murphy is being tortured and killed by the thugs, the thugs blow away Murphy's hand. The re-release shows his hand exploding, and I don't think this was so graphic in the theatrical release - but it may have been.
As for the overall rating: Starship Troopers and Saving Private Ryan both showed violence far in excess of Robocop. The uncut version would definitely get an R rating today.
- David Stein
1) I'm certain about this one: There's a scene where the VP is demonstrating the ED-2000 to the executive board. He asks an exec to point a gun at ED, which responds threateningly; the exec drops the gun, but the ED malfunctions and blows him away. In the re-release, the exec falls back onto a table, and there's about a one-second clip where the ED continues to riddle him with bullets.
2) I'm not so certain about this one. In the beginning, when Murphy is being tortured and killed by the thugs, the thugs blow away Murphy's hand. The re-release shows his hand exploding, and I don't think this was so graphic in the theatrical release - but it may have been.
As for the overall rating: Starship Troopers and Saving Private Ryan both showed violence far in excess of Robocop. The uncut version would definitely get an R rating today.
- David Stein
05-24-00, 05:28 AM
#4
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 1,609
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, here's what IMDB says:
- In order to release "RoboCop" in the U.S. with an R-rating, director Paul Verhoeven had to make extensive cuts to what the MPAA referred to as scenes with "excessively violence."
- The first cuts appear in the scene where ED-209 goes beserk during the business meeting and shoots one of the young executives. The director's cut last several seconds longer and lingers over the dead body being riddled with bullets on top of the model of Detroit. The scene played out in this manner achieves almost ludicrous comic effect.
- The most extensively cut sequences involves the murder of Peter Weller's character, Murphy. The director's cut is almost a full minute longer. It shows Murphy's arm being shot off (cut completely from the R-rated version) and also includes an elaborate tracking shot that shows the back of his head exploding into the camera when he is finally shot by Clarence Boddicker. This shot is especially missed because it made use of a fully-mechanical prosthetic Murphy built by make-up special effect artist Rob Bottin.
- Several seconds were also added to the scene where RoboCop finally kills Clarenece by stabbing him the neck.
------------------
"I've done some...questionable things, but nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for."
- Blade Runner
- In order to release "RoboCop" in the U.S. with an R-rating, director Paul Verhoeven had to make extensive cuts to what the MPAA referred to as scenes with "excessively violence."
- The first cuts appear in the scene where ED-209 goes beserk during the business meeting and shoots one of the young executives. The director's cut last several seconds longer and lingers over the dead body being riddled with bullets on top of the model of Detroit. The scene played out in this manner achieves almost ludicrous comic effect.
- The most extensively cut sequences involves the murder of Peter Weller's character, Murphy. The director's cut is almost a full minute longer. It shows Murphy's arm being shot off (cut completely from the R-rated version) and also includes an elaborate tracking shot that shows the back of his head exploding into the camera when he is finally shot by Clarence Boddicker. This shot is especially missed because it made use of a fully-mechanical prosthetic Murphy built by make-up special effect artist Rob Bottin.
- Several seconds were also added to the scene where RoboCop finally kills Clarenece by stabbing him the neck.
------------------
"I've done some...questionable things, but nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for."
- Blade Runner
