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NFT: Better Paul Verhoeven movie: Robocop or Total Recall?

bwitz : 3/15/2023 10:08 pm
I think they’re both great. Squibs everywhere. If it were back when I first saw Total Recall as a kid, it would be the no brainer decision for me because of a chick with three boobs. But, I have to go with Robocop. Michael Ironside played a good henchman; Kurtwood Smith played a great one.
Robocop is one fucked up movie.  
robbieballs2003 : 3/15/2023 10:09 pm : link
Total Recall is too but Robocop was on another level. I remember renting that when I was like 8. Haha.
Robocop  
Joe Beckwith : 3/15/2023 10:15 pm : link
Is one of my favorite movies.
Robocop, without casting shade at Total Recall.  
81_Great_Dane : 3/15/2023 10:18 pm : link
As said above, Robocop is on another level. It's a legitimately great dystopian story, IMO.

I had a long conversation with Verhoeven once. It was supposed to be an interview but he went off on a lot of stuff I couldn't use. He's a peculiar character, with a strong spiritual bent. That manifests even in his action films, in subtle ways. He's skeptical of temporal power, corporate power, the military and the state.

I believe he went back to Europe and has been making films with Christian themes. That's in character.
Both are good  
djm : 3/15/2023 10:20 pm : link
But robocop had that edge to it. I go Robo.
RE: Robocop, without casting shade at Total Recall.  
DCGMan : 3/15/2023 10:20 pm : link
In comment 16066086 81_Great_Dane said:
Quote:
As said above, Robocop is on another level. It's a legitimately great dystopian story, IMO.

I had a long conversation with Verhoeven once. It was supposed to be an interview but he went off on a lot of stuff I couldn't use. He's a peculiar character, with a strong spiritual bent. That manifests even in his action films, in subtle ways. He's skeptical of temporal power, corporate power, the military and the state.


I believe he went back to Europe and has been making films with Christian themes. That's in character.


I would definitely put Starship Troopers below Robocop and Total Recall, but Verrhoven does a great job expressing his cynicism towards the state and military in that movie
RoboCop was the most prescient of his movies  
MeanBunny : 3/15/2023 10:22 pm : link
The degradation of society, law enforcement and Corp manipulation of crime for profits..total recall had a very young and HOT Sharon Stone
I'm a huge Total Recall fan  
PatersonPlank : 3/15/2023 10:22 pm : link
Great great movie. Arnie's best right there with Running Man. Very cool, still don't know if I think it was his vacation or if he really was a special agent.

Plus if had the first awesome cat fight I can remember, between the hot Rachel Ticotin and the classic babe Sharon Stone.
Robocop by a substantial margin  
BeggarsBanquet : 3/15/2023 10:22 pm : link
The real question is:

Robocop or Starship Troopers

I always thought Robocop but in recent years I lean ST after seeing them both on big screen again in recent years presented by the maestro himself at Lincoln Center.
......  
Route 9 : 3/15/2023 10:23 pm : link
Robocop. Not even close.
Like 'em both  
Spider43 : 3/15/2023 10:25 pm : link
But I'll probably lean Robocop, gun to my head.
Showgirls  
big_blue : 3/15/2023 10:26 pm : link
.
RE: I'm a huge Total Recall fan  
81_Great_Dane : 3/15/2023 10:26 pm : link
In comment 16066098 PatersonPlank said:
Quote:
...the hot Rachel Ticotin...


"Sleazy. And demure."
RE: Robocop by a substantial margin  
81_Great_Dane : 3/15/2023 10:29 pm : link
In comment 16066099 BeggarsBanquet said:
Quote:
The real question is:

Robocop or Starship Troopers

I always thought Robocop but in recent years I lean ST after seeing them both on big screen again in recent years presented by the maestro himself at Lincoln Center.
One of the things about Starship Troopers was that every time the question "Do you want to know more?" came on the screen, the cursor always clicked "No." At the press junket, I asked Verhoeven if he was trying to say something about people's lack of curiosity and willful ignorance. He didn't understand the question, and once he got it, he said no, they just had to get on with the movie.

But I think he made a statement without necessarily thinking about it.

Something that makes me feel old: Casper Von Dien's daughter is a working actress in her 20s.
Robocop  
AG5686 : 3/15/2023 10:35 pm : link
Its been a while but I do remember thinking at the time it was released that it would stand the test of time.
It stood out from all of the other crap action films being made at the time,and even now....
Better Kurtwood Smith charachter,  
Pete in MD : 3/15/2023 10:43 pm : link
Clarence Boddicker or Red Foreman?
Total Recall for this quote alone  
JerseyCityJoe : 3/15/2023 10:51 pm : link
See you at the party Richter!
Total Recall is an excellent movie,  
shockeyisthebest8056 : 3/15/2023 10:53 pm : link
but RoboCop is the far superior film.
Anyone see the Robocop Criterion ‘X-Rated’ version?  
bwitz : 3/15/2023 11:04 pm : link
I owned it years ago on DVD. What they considered super violent back then is just comical now.
RE: Robocop, without casting shade at Total Recall.  
bwitz : 3/15/2023 11:05 pm : link
In comment 16066086 81_Great_Dane said:
Quote:
As said above, Robocop is on another level. It's a legitimately great dystopian story, IMO.

I had a long conversation with Verhoeven once. It was supposed to be an interview but he went off on a lot of stuff I couldn't use. He's a peculiar character, with a strong spiritual bent. That manifests even in his action films, in subtle ways. He's skeptical of temporal power, corporate power, the military and the state.

I believe he went back to Europe and has been making films with Christian themes. That's in character.


This is awesome. Thank you.
RE: Better Kurtwood Smith charachter,  
bwitz : 3/15/2023 11:08 pm : link
In comment 16066150 Pete in MD said:
Quote:
Clarence Boddicker or Red Foreman?


Red.

Clarence had, “Bitches, leave.” But Red made “dumbass” something great.
RE: RoboCop was the most prescient of his movies  
jnoble : 3/15/2023 11:08 pm : link
In comment 16066096 MeanBunny said:
Quote:
The degradation of society, law enforcement and Corp manipulation of crime for profits..total recall had a very young and HOT Sharon Stone

Robo 1 AND part 2 both sadly predicting things that eventually came true: a society easily amused by brainless gutter level garbage entertainment ("I'LL BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!"), Giant cold hearted corporations controlling and influencing way too much ( OCP = Google, Meta, Twitter, Amazon, etc) , panels of out of touch community advisors neutering the police with so many politically correct rules that they can't do their job anymore (the funny scene in RC2 where he is loaded with new directives and instead of arresting a softball team that's ransacking a store he gives them a lecture on being polite and the importance of good nutrition), an early cell phone with GPS navigation was shown in the first movie, big cities like Detroit are crime ridden ungovernable hell holes.
RE: Anyone see the Robocop Criterion ‘X-Rated’ version?  
jnoble : 3/15/2023 11:16 pm : link
In comment 16066184 bwitz said:
Quote:
I owned it years ago on DVD. What they considered super violent back then is just comical now.

"It's just a glitch"
"YOU CALL THIS A GLITCH!?!"

RoboCop 2 was a big disappointment compared to the first one because it's obvious in some parts that whoever wrote the screenplay didn't pay much attention to the first movie. Among a bunch of things, it's explained that Murphy's wife and kids moved away after his funeral because they thought he was dead but in part 2 they are still living in town at the same address.
The CEO of OCP only referred to as "the old man" went from being sort of a neutral character in the first movie to out and out straight up evil in the second for really no reason. Even OCP's banners were red with black & white logo in the middle to evoke the Nazi flag which was as subtle as a kick in the stomach and not necessary.
"Open your mind  
PEEJ : 3/15/2023 11:22 pm : link
Open your mi-i-i-nd "!!!
When I was young  
bwitz : 3/15/2023 11:24 pm : link
Robocop 2 was awesome. Watching it later? Not good. It’s only redeeming qualities is that Peter Weller and Nancy Allen (had a big crush on her) came back.

Robocop 3 was just god awful. The TV series they made was more interesting.
RE: When I was young  
jnoble : 3/15/2023 11:30 pm : link
In comment 16066206 bwitz said:
Quote:
Robocop 2 was awesome. Watching it later? Not good. It’s only redeeming qualities is that Peter Weller and Nancy Allen (had a big crush on her) came back.

Robocop 3 was just god awful. The TV series they made was more interesting.


RC3 isn't a great movie but I have a nice memory of going to see it my senior year of high school with a good friend who I'm still close with. Well the problem was Orion pictures was going through bankruptcy so that movie sat on the shelf for 2 years, Peter Weller was busy filming something else so he couldn't be in it and the director had no experience with doing sci-fi he later apologized saying he did the best he could with the material he was given. And bizarrely for some reason the powers that be insisted that the movie be watered down to PG-13 to be more kid friendly.
I didn't notice until years later that the actor Stephen Root who played Milton in Office Space has a role in RC3
I’ll go Total Recall  
UConn4523 : 3/15/2023 11:35 pm : link
but Starship is my favorite of the 3
RE: RE: When I was young  
bwitz : 3/15/2023 11:41 pm : link
In comment 16066213 jnoble said:
Quote:
In comment 16066206 bwitz said:


Quote:


Robocop 2 was awesome. Watching it later? Not good. It’s only redeeming qualities is that Peter Weller and Nancy Allen (had a big crush on her) came back.

Robocop 3 was just god awful. The TV series they made was more interesting.



RC3 isn't a great movie but I have a nice memory of going to see it my senior year of high school with a good friend who I'm still close with. Well the problem was Orion pictures was going through bankruptcy so that movie sat on the shelf for 2 years, Peter Weller was busy filming something else so he couldn't be in it and the director had no experience with doing sci-fi he later apologized saying he did the best he could with the material he was given. And bizarrely for some reason the powers that be insisted that the movie be watered down to PG-13 to be more kid friendly.
I didn't notice until years later that the actor Stephen Root who played Milton in Office Space has a role in RC3


That is interesting, I had never heard of the backstory. Thanks. As for Root, that’s funny. He’s one of those actors back then like John C. Reilly who, seemingly was in nearly everything, but, didn’t notice until you were older.
OCP = Microsoft  
Ron from Ninerland : 3/16/2023 12:28 am : link
The Old Man = Bill Gates
Dick Jones = Ballmer
ED209 = Most versions of Windows.
The correct answer is Starship Troopers  
sb from NYT Forum : 3/16/2023 1:16 am : link
...followed by Robocop
Starship Troopers, while good  
bwitz : 3/16/2023 1:33 am : link
has a Casper Van Dien problem; he’s a terribly awful actor.

Doesn’t even compare to Robocop.
RE: The correct answer is Starship Troopers  
Scyber : 3/16/2023 8:48 am : link
In comment 16066254 sb from NYT Forum said:
Quote:
...followed by Robocop


+1

Starship troopers ftw
I'd buy that  
pjcas18 : 3/16/2023 9:11 am : link
for a dollar!

I'll vote Total Recall, but both great movies.

Oh man love both movies  
Jim in Forest Hills : 3/16/2023 9:16 am : link
Love the Ed-209 bots in Robocop that constantly malfunctioned. Also Murph was so vicious with criminals. They had that one hot doctor in the beginning when Robocop was being created.

Vs "See you at the party Richter" and the plot twists. Toss up man, I'd watch either any day of the week.
RE: Robocop, without casting shade at Total Recall.  
Gruber : 3/16/2023 9:24 am : link
In comment 16066086 81_Great_Dane said:
Quote:
As said above, Robocop is on another level. It's a legitimately great dystopian story, IMO.

I had a long conversation with Verhoeven once. It was supposed to be an interview but he went off on a lot of stuff I couldn't use. He's a peculiar character, with a strong spiritual bent. That manifests even in his action films, in subtle ways. He's skeptical of temporal power, corporate power, the military and the state.

I believe he went back to Europe and has been making films with Christian themes. That's in character.


Did you ask him about The Fourth Man? I saw it when it came out in '84. Great movie.
Two very different movies.  
Klaatu : 3/16/2023 10:22 am : link
Both were great, but Robocop went heavier on satire, Total Recall was more straight-up action.

Starship Troopers was an insult to Robert Heinlein.
I like them both, but Total Recall is on  
Section331 : 3/16/2023 10:30 am : link
another level. Just fantastic filmmaking.
Starship Trooper is up there  
Spiciest Memelord : 3/16/2023 11:44 am : link
Verhouven's holy movie trinity like Sandler's Billy Madison/Waterboy/Happy Gilmore.
RE: I'm a huge Total Recall fan  
Spiciest Memelord : 3/16/2023 12:09 pm : link
In comment 16066098 PatersonPlank said:
Quote:
Great great movie. Arnie's best right there with Running Man. Very cool, still don't know if I think it was his vacation or if he really was a special agent.

Plus if had the first awesome cat fight I can remember, between the hot Rachel Ticotin and the classic babe Sharon Stone.


Was watching Running Man recently, and the foremost thought on my mind was I don't remember Maria Conchito Alonso looking as hot as she does (also another movie that's eerily like our world today like Robocop).
RE: RE: I'm a huge Total Recall fan  
PatersonPlank : 3/16/2023 12:14 pm : link
In comment 16066708 Spiciest Memelord said:
Quote:
In comment 16066098 PatersonPlank said:


Quote:


Great great movie. Arnie's best right there with Running Man. Very cool, still don't know if I think it was his vacation or if he really was a special agent.

Plus if had the first awesome cat fight I can remember, between the hot Rachel Ticotin and the classic babe Sharon Stone.



Was watching Running Man recently, and the foremost thought on my mind was I don't remember Maria Conchito Alonso looking as hot as she does (also another movie that's eerily like our world today like Robocop).


Yep, that was about the height of both Alonso and Ticotin's hotness, unlike Sharon Stone who just stays hot
RE: The correct answer is Starship Troopers  
Route 9 : 3/16/2023 12:50 pm : link
In comment 16066254 sb from NYT Forum said:
Quote:
...followed by Robocop


Always that one odd bird who has to add their own choices lol
Total Recall  
JOrthman : 3/16/2023 12:51 pm : link
Both fun flicks to watch, but the story in Total Recall was so much better and Robocop was more of a satire aciton flick.
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