Robocop Unrated/NC17-only on Criterion? (1 Viewer)

[Chris Bardon]

Is there any way to get the unrated version of Robocop without tracking down (and shelling out for) the OOP criterion? I remember hearing about an unrated MGM release, but haven't seen it around. Any information?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

MGM has released it in the UK, this along with about 5 or 6 other great SEs are languishing in limbo for the US, including The Great Escape, Misery and more.

 

[Jon Smith]

except the R2 features integrated branching instead of seamless, so its big time pause there !!

to be honest i dont think the extra scenes add much to the movie, sure theres more violence, but you its pretty violent anyway.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Jon, actually it has a sincere change to the film. The additional violence changes it from just being an ultra-violent film to a vicious self-parody

 

[Joseph Young]

The additional violence changes it from just being an ultra-violent film to a vicious self-parody

Agreed. Although on paper it's not much extra footage, it really does skew the subtext toward satire, which was the original intention of the film.

Also, with MGM's Region 1 offering, viewers miss out on the animatronic Murphy built for the final shot in the torture sequence.

~j

 

[dan fritzen]

i counted less than 10 seconds of additional footage, but I do think it is good to have this version, I have the LD and need to now get the DVD unrated version.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Jon, actually it has a sincere change to the film. The additional violence changes it from just being an ultra-violent film to a vicious self-parody

I agree with Jeff. There is a fair bit of irony that in reducing the amount of violence (as measured by time), the film is actually, in the larger sense, more violent.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

I also much prefer the unrated cut. I have the Criterion disc, but I would gladly buy a new SE from MGM if they ever get around to releasing it over here, as long as they fix the branching.

 

[James Reader]

as long as they fix the branching

Really there's nothing wrong with the branching. On my player you can hardly notice it (I only know the branching points as my display shows "search" for a fraction of a second). Each branching point is less disruptive than a typical layer change. Do you want all layer changes fixed?

Why can people only complain? They're giving you two versions of the movie, plus special features.

 

[JonZ]

I absolutely prefer the Criterion version of Robocop.

 

[Daniel*T]

The Criterion version is still pretty easy to find -- about as easy to find as the Criterion "Silence of the Lambs." In fact, one online retailer (DVD Empire, maybe?) had a batch for sale just a few weeks ago.

 

[Declan]

MGM has released it in the UK, this along with about 5 or 6 other great SEs are languishing in limbo for the US, including The Great Escape, Misery and more.

Jeff, Misery is'nt out on r2 in the UK at all.

As for Robocop, have my Criterion CAV LD, think that'll do me. Have borrowed the R2 SpEd, and the extended scenes actually look like they have been taken from a work print. The LD however has te scenes in great condition.

 

[Matt Pelham]

The "Murphy killing/torture" scene has at least double that alone. The other changes are only a few seconds, though.

From the IMDB:

"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."

 

[Nicholas Iacano]

The director version of RoboCop is wonderful.

There's no 'added violence' -that's how the film was shot and the censors thought we shouldn't see it.

The Criterion disc is the definitve version as the UK and Australian discs are faulty. The 'seamless' branching is not very seamless seamless.

MGM will no doubt get around to releasing it in the USA since they now own most of the Orion rights.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Another vote for the minor cuts making a big difference to the tone of the film. Imagine if the beheadings had been removed from Starship Troopers: would it have been as ridiculous? (I mean that in a good way.)

The sequence near the opening with ED-209 where it just keeps shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting is so overkill that it really does become gruesomely funny.

And that animatronic Weller is great.

 

[Nick Graham]

I may be the only one, but I actually prefer the theatrical cut. I would love to own the Criterion cut (my brother sold his long ago...before that all I had to do was borrow it when I was in the mood), but I honestly think Verhoeven went overkill on the gore. The theatrical cut always came across to me as a parody anyways. It'a a brilliant film no matter which cut, but I don't really think the gore adds anything except a little more black humor to a movie already full of it.

What has become of Verhoeven's brilliance anyways? I just caught Hollow Man last week, and while the FX were great, it was so average I was amazed when I remembered he was the director.

Anybody ever had an explanation as to why all these flicks (Robocop, Raging Bull, Great Escape, etc) are still in R2 only limbo?

 

[Julian Lalor]

Jeff, Misery is'nt out on r2 in the UK at all.

No, but the Se is out in R4. It has 2 audio commentaries and a 30 min documentary.

 

[Nicholas Iacano]

Misery is out in Region 2 in France and a few other Region 2 countries (both in plain and SE versions).

For those on a tight budget the same SE release is available in Denmark at a great price (it is anamorphic -it's listed incorrectly).

 

[Andy Sheets]

I don't have any problem with the theatrical cut, but I do prefer the director's cut because when I first watched it I found that the additions made the editing go a bit smoother.

What has become of Verhoeven's brilliance anyways?

I think he seems pretty up and down in general. I haven't gotten around to seeing his older European work, but of his Hollywood movies I like Robocop best, followed by Starship Troopers and Total Recall, but I don't have much use for Basic Instinct, Showgirls, or Hollow Man. Hopefully he'll come up with something good for his next movie, whatever it is.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

he sequence near the opening with ED-209 where it just keeps shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting is so overkill that it really does become gruesomely funny.

My brother knows the guy who played "Kenny", the doomed recipient of ED-209's firepower. He told my bro that filming that scene REALLY did hurt.