The Rewatchables: ‘RoboCop’ (1987) With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

Published 2025-08-05; 1:54:15 by the feed.

Awards and segments (86)

Double feature

  1. pick The Terminator: Run it right before RoboCop for a double robot night.
    “I mean, you could go Terminator and go right into Robocop right after and double robot it.”
    unknown · 1:47:08
  2. pick Starship Troopers: Another Verhoeven movie to pair with this one.
    “You could go Verhoven and do this with Star ship troopers or total recall.”
    unknown · 1:47:08
  3. pick Total Recall: Another Verhoeven movie to pair with this one.
    “You could go Verhoven and do this with Star ship troopers or total recall.”
    unknown · 1:47:08

Most rewatchable scene

  1. pick Murphy's first day at the 80s police station (welcome to hell, perps getting pushed through, the silk shirt).
    “Murphy, I listen, this probably isn't even in the running, but I love when Murphy shows up for his 1st day.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:27:58
  2. pick The Ed 209 boardroom demo where Mr. Kinney is shot 40 times.
    “Listen, I'm just telling you right now, that's my that's my number one.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:32:30
  3. pick Bob Morton's apartment, start to finish (sex, drugs, rock and roll).
    “Listen, the the Bob Morton's apartment from start to finish is a perfect scene, the sex, drugs, rock and roll, and Verehoven was just cooking.”
    unknown · 0:45:40
  4. pick All the boardroom and office scenes, including the that's life in the big city guy.
    “It's honestly, I love all the boardroom scenes.”
    Craig Horlbeck · 0:46:15
  5. floated The car chase and Clarence Boddicker's lair, where Murphy is killed.
    “This next one, I mean, this is just ripping off rewatchable scenes coming out of the gate.”
    unknown · 0:32:42
  6. floated RoboCop shoots the rapist through the woman's legs in the alley.
    “one of the great shooting scenes for, uh, for our good guy hero in any movie, like aiming it through.”
    unknown · 0:38:47
  7. floated RoboCop crashes the cocaine party and the cocaine factory.
    “Robocop crashes the Clarence cocaine party, and then the cocaine factory.”
    unknown · 0:41:20
  8. floated The big steel mill shootout and Emil's toxic waste death.
    “Let's talk about toxic waste a meal.”
    unknown · 0:44:40

Apex Mountain · Where a person, place or thing sits on the career or cultural mountain.

  1. pick Detroit as 1987 sports and culture peak, with early 90s Bad Boy Pistons and Barry Sanders named as the real apex: Floated early (87 peak) and settled later on the early 90s.
    “Early 90s, Bad Boy Pistons, Barry Sanders, Lions.”
    unknown · 1:29:31
  2. pick Lisa Gibbons as TV anchor in the film: Not yet; getting her own daytime talk show for seven years is probably the apex.
    “No, I think getting your own daytime talk shows, probably Apex.”
    unknown · 1:29:19
  3. pick Peter Weller as Murphy / RoboCop: This is his apex.
    “I love Weller, but this is all I got.”
    unknown · 1:29:42
  4. pick Paul Verhoeven: Basic Instinct, five years later, is his peak.
    “But I think it's basic instinct for him.”
    unknown · 1:29:47
  5. pick Ronny Cox as Dick Jones' rival at OCP: RoboCop plus Beverly Hills Cop 2 in the same year.
    “This is this is this is Ronnie Cox Apex Mountain.”
    unknown · 1:30:50
  6. pick Kurtwood Smith as Clarence Boddicker: Probably That 70s Show.
    “Probably that 70s show.”
    unknown · 1:31:13
  7. pick Blade Runner as futuristic cop movies: Still the apex of futuristic cop movies.
    “I think it's Blade Runner still.”
    unknown · 1:31:45
  8. pick Characters named Dick: The 80s and 90s were the heyday for dicks.
    “This was the heyday for dicks.”
    unknown · 0:54:06
  9. pick Ford Taurus as the film's police cars: The 86 Tauruses are probably the peak for the Taurus.
    “Probably the peak from Fort Taurus, I guess we'll cover an apex ball.”
    unknown · 1:28:05
  10. pick Murphy's execution as a hard-to-watch violent scene: Offered a list of comparison scenes (Casino, Saving Private Ryan, True Romance, American History X, Irreversible).
    “For violent scenes that are hard to watch.”
    unknown · 1:34:15
  11. pick Worst new technology rollout ever as Ed 209: Asked whether Ed 209 is the apex of bad tech rollouts, alongside Google Glass and Quibi.
    “Is that 209 Apex Mountain for worst new technology rollout ever?”
    unknown · 1:39:34

Most 1987 Thing · The most 1987 thing about the movie.

  1. winner Lisa Gibbons as the TV anchor: Named the winner and talked through the Mary Hart comparison.
    “But your winner is Lisa Gibbons.”
    unknown · 0:47:59
  2. nominee Stop-motion robot effects: Charming, and better than the CGI that would replace it.
    “The stop motion robot special effects, which were very, do you like them?”
    unknown · 0:46:47
  3. nominee Someone watching 8 TVs through a store window
    “Somebody watching 8 TVs through a window on the street is very 80s.”
    unknown · 0:47:23
  4. nominee Murphy's silk patterned button-up shirt
    “I almost thought about picking it for the most 1987 thing.”
    unknown · 0:28:41
  5. nominee News break saying rebels have taken over Acapulco: Acapulco was the St. Bart's of the mid 80s; it would read as plausible today.
    “But now I guess that could have been for most 1987 thing about this movie.”
    unknown · 0:46:07

What Aged the Best · What about the movie has held up or become more true.

  1. winner Having two villains as Dick Jones and Boddicker: Two villains means killing one still leaves business to do.
    “Yeah, I'm passionate about 2 villains in a movie is awesome.”
    Kyle Brandt · 0:50:25
  2. pick Gas costing $5.79 at the Emil gas station
    “So a meal stops to get gas for his motorcycle.”
    unknown · 0:51:21
  3. pick Media Break, the futuristic news show: Reads like a YouTube channel; Verhoeven loved the American two-anchor news style.
    “Media Break as a futuristic news show.”
    unknown · 0:51:39
  4. pick The 6000 SUX commercial: Satire of the arrival of SUVs: this car sucks, but bigger is better.
    “The 6000 SUX is fucking hilarious.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:52:31
  5. pick A villain named Dick: The pause before saying dick works every time.
    “Anytime a movie character is named Dick, which we don't really have anymore because nobody would name their kid Dick, but in the 80s and 90s, we had a lot of dicks.”
    unknown · 0:53:06
  6. pick The RadioShack Valley 4plex marquee photo as Lost Boys, RoboCop, Predator, Full Metal Jacket: A photo of one weekend's lineup at a four-screen theater.
    “The caption is take me back.”
    Kyle Brandt · 0:56:22

What Aged the Worst · What about the movie, or its aftermath, has aged badly.

  1. pick RoboCop (2014 remake) and the sequels: Against remaking movies when the original is still on Prime.
    “Don't rewake make movies when I can watch the original movie and it's still really good.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:08:41
  2. pick Police strikes: None in America since the 1910s; it did not go great.
    “We haven't had one in America since the 1910s.”
    unknown · 1:09:22
  3. pick RoboCop costume appearing at WCW with Sting: Possibly meant as an aged-best joke; a wall comes off the cell in the clip.
    “Robocop joining staying in 1990 for WCW.”
    unknown · 1:09:31

Best Music Moment · Best needle drop, or the song the movie missed.

  1. pick Nightclub scene where the henchman kicks RoboCop in the balls as missed song choice: No best needle drop; instead lists songs they should have used (Rockwell, Peter Murphy, XTC, Def Leppard, Duran Duran).
    “I feel like they've really missed a great song choice possibility for that scene.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:57:44

Big Kahuna Burger Award · Best use of food and drink.

  1. winner The organic food paste RoboCop eats: Tastes like baby food; reportedly parsnip, tomato puree and crushed Butterfingers.
    “Well, the organic food paste that Robocop eats.”
    unknown · 0:56:39

Great Shot Gordo Award · Most cinematic shot.

  1. winner RoboCop's shadow growing on the wall in the alley: The actor walked backward so the shadow would get bigger.
    “I have when the 2 hooligans are with the woman in the alley and he shoots between the legs when Robo gets out and the shadow is projected against the wall behind them and he looks huge and it keeps getting bigger.”
    unknown · 0:56:57

Best Character Name · Best character name.

  1. winner Dick Jones: Name your villain Dick; the name is dying out.
    “It's obviously Dick Jones.”
    unknown · 0:58:48

Fortune 3 Clap Award (most giffable moments) · The most giffable moment in the movie.

  1. winner New RoboCop in the factory chair having dreams, mouth open: Used as a reaction GIF whenever something terrible happens, like the Red Sox trade deadline.
    “Um, all right, no, my real flex category is, uh, I'm actually going to go with the Fortune 3 clap award for most giffable moments.”
    Kyle Brandt · 1:00:53

Did this movie need a sports scene · A random sports scene the movie should have had.

  1. pick Clarence's gang playing pickup 3-on-3 in the warehouse: A half-court game or shooting contest; in a remake, pickleball.
    “I think it's Clarence's whole extended gang, little pickup 3 and 3 hoops.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:01:51

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

  1. winner The movie is too short as 102 minutes: Wants a chase scene with the big guns and a cemetery scene where he sees his own grave.
    “The week link of this film is that this movie is too short.”
    Kyle Brandt · 1:05:35
  2. winner No scene where Murphy's wife finds out he is RoboCop: Wants the wife to confront him at the police station.
    “How is there not a scene where Murphy's wife finds out that Murphy is not robocop and she shows up at the police station?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:07:02
  3. pick Murphy as underdeveloped family life: Agrees the movie doesn't develop Murphy enough; theorizes the wife moved on fast because the marriage was bad.
    “However, you make a you make a compelling case, I thought the movie is so tight, I think they literally don't even develop Murphy enough.”
    Craig Horlbeck · 1:06:27

Overacting Award · Who overacts in the movie.

  1. nominee Miguel Ferrer as Bob Morton
    “Miguel Ferrer kind of dows it up a few times as Bob Morton.”
    unknown · 1:12:40
  2. winner Ed 209 as falling down the stairs: Followed by a Freudian read of Ed 209 as Dick Jones' penis substitute.
    “You know who overacts?”
    unknown · 1:12:46

Hottest Take · A hot take about the movie.

  1. pick The Dick Jones puppet falling out of the window as last shot: The movie chokes at the goal line with the bad puppet effect; likely cost it an effects nomination.
    “My hottest take is that this movie chokes.”
    Kyle Brandt · 1:14:15
  2. pick Kyle Brandt as would have made a great RoboCop: Out of every movie they have done, this is the one Kyle's acting career could have fit.
    “I think you would have been a great robocop.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:16:06
  3. pick RoboCop as not that impressive an invention: Slow, one handgun, can barely turn, never seen getting in a car.
    “Is that RoboCop, not that impressive of an invention.”
    Craig Horlbeck · 1:24:08

Casting What Ifs · Almost-castings and recasts, including Recasting Couch and Director City.

  1. pick Actors considered to play Murphy as Schwarzenegger, Ironside, Rutger Hauer, Tom Berenger, Armand Assante, Keith Carradine, James Remar: Spent six to eight months searching; Weller won partly on his chin. Also notes Michael Ironside turned down Boddicker and Stephanie Zimbalist was cast as Lewis but had a Remington Steele conflict.
    “They, speaking of Kyle Brant, they spend 6 to 8 months searching for an actor to play Alex Murphy, you were too young.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:17:28
  2. winner Steven Seagal as RoboCop: Seagal would never be shot, so the movie would be funnier.
    “It's just a better movie.”
    unknown · 1:18:37
  3. pick Wes Anderson as director of a RoboCop remake
    “I would love to see a Wes Anderson version of Robocop where he's in like a corduroy suit and he goes into the Grand Budapest Hotel and beats people up with ironic banjos and typewriters.”
    unknown · 1:23:00
  4. pick Tom Cruise as RoboCop (over Tom Hanks): Cruise getting shot and the bald cap would be funnier than Hanks.
    “I think it's probably cruise.”
    unknown · 1:32:20
  5. pick Martin Scorsese as director (over Spielberg): The hard R and the cocaine scenes make it Scorsese.
    “Scorsese has to do it.”
    unknown · 1:32:56
  6. pick Philip Seymour Hoffman as a lab tech with two lines: A scene-stealing young Hoffman as one of the people who works on RoboCop, or as Kenny.
    “Like, one of the, like, people in the lab.”
    unknown · 1:33:31
  7. pick Brad Pitt as RoboCop 10 years later (also floated Channing Tatum, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe)
    “Good chin, like he would have fit it.”
    unknown · 1:50:27

Best That Guy · The best that guy in the movie.

  1. winner Ray Wise as the henchman who kicks RoboCop in the balls: Spent 40 years thinking he was Sosa from Scarface.
    “But I think the winner is Ray Wise, who is the one of the other bad guys, the guy who kicks Robocop in the balls.”
    unknown · 1:21:00
  2. nominee Paul McCrane as Emil, who ends up in toxic waste
    “So we already mentioned Paul McCrane, who is Toxic waste a meal.”
    unknown · 1:20:53
  3. nominee Alan Graff as background guy in everything: A shout-out to the most legendary background guy.
    “Our guy, Alan Graff.”
    unknown · 1:21:43

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

  1. winner Ed 209: Three scenes and he takes it away.
    “To me, and I'm just like, I got to go back to my guy, Ed 209.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:22:08
  2. nominee The I'd buy that for a dollar guy
    “I had buy that for a dollar guy, but you could go either.”
    unknown · 1:22:20

Okay Motherfucker Award · The exact moment the movie goes up a notch.

  1. winner Murphy's execution, starting with the hand being shot off: Argues it beats the Ed 209 demo, which is still fun and comic.
    “I think this is the okay motherfucker award for the exact moment when this movie goes up a notch.”
    unknown · 0:35:20
  2. nominee Toxic waste guy hit by the car: One of four or five such moments in the film.
    “Jesus, they just did it again.”
    unknown · 0:35:50
  3. nominee RoboCop shoots through the woman's legs
    “See, to me, that's another okay motherfucker.”
    unknown · 0:39:03

Marion Cobretti Cutting Pizza With Scissors Award · A moment where someone should have stepped in on set and said this would never happen.

  1. winner The drug lord with an estate cabernet at the coke house who keeps drinking after Clarence puts his fingers through the glass: Invented on the spot as a new award.
    “It's the, uh, Marion Cobretti cutting pizza with scissors award for someone has to step in and say this would never happen.”
    unknown · 0:43:09

Roger Ebert Review · The reading of Roger Ebert's review.

  1. pick RoboCop: Ebert gave three stars; the reader thinks it could have been 3.5.
    “The Roger Ebert 3 stars.”
    unknown · 0:26:33

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a movie they love.

  1. pick Ed 209 demo uses real bullets
    “Whose idea was it to give Ed 209 um, actual bullets for the boardroom demonstration?”
    unknown · 1:35:58
  2. pick Murphy and Lewis going into the warehouse without backup: Asks whether Murphy deserved to die.
    “Did Murphy deserve to die?”
    unknown · 1:36:31
  3. pick Lewis as doesn't figure out RoboCop is Murphy for 30 minutes
    “How do you feel about Nancy Allen's character not figuring out that robocops Murphy for like 30 minutes?”
    unknown · 1:37:11
  4. pick Murphy's idyllic family flashback: No family is that nice; the wife in a robe on a Tuesday saying she loves him.
    “Like, that when he goes in that flashback, that is such a bullstit demonstration of what a family is like.”
    unknown · 1:37:51
  5. pick The RoboCop costume leaving the mouth and jaw exposed
    “So why do you have the mouth and the jaw exposed?”
    unknown · 1:38:47
  6. pick Ed 209 as can't go downstairs
    “Ed 209 not being able to go downstairs.”
    unknown · 1:39:24
  7. pick Clarence Boddicker as wanted criminal who strolls into Dick Jones' office
    “Was he wanted criminal or not?”
    unknown · 1:39:54

Bonus: Steven Seagal Shitting on Himself Award (most unbelievable anecdote) · The most unbelievable anecdote from the actual film shoot.

  1. winner Peter Weller only responding to Verhoeven when addressed as Robo
    “Just Weller, um, only responding to Verehoven when he was addressed as robo when he was in the robocop.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:25:21

Craig's Flex Category: Dr. Tyler shout-out · A shout-out to a character the movie underused.

  1. pick Sage Parker as Dr. Tyler: Wished there was more of her in the second half.
    “I want to use a little bit of my time to shout out Dr. Tyler, played by a woman named Sage Parker.”
    Craig Horlbeck · 1:23:34

Sequel, Prequel, Prestige TV · The sequel, prequel or prestige TV show they would make.

  1. pick RoboCop video games as the arcade game where you fight Ed 209: Dismissed a Murphy prequel and an all-Black-cast version; the real answer is the games.
    “The real answer to this category is none of it's video game and they made a shitload of video games and they're pretty cool.”
    unknown · 1:40:56

Unanswered Questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

  1. pick What year the movie is set in: A home video ad said 1991; guesses of 2005 to 2011.
    “So we have no idea what year this movie is in.”
    unknown · 1:43:31
  2. pick Bob Morton as scouting cops to transfer into rough districts: Concludes it was likely masterminded and Murphy fit the profile.
    “Yeah. Like he's almost like scouting combine it.”
    unknown · 1:44:45

Oscar · Who should have won or been nominated.

  1. pick RoboCop as visual effects: Won for sound effects but was not nominated for special effects.
    “Well, the sound effects actually won.”
    unknown · 1:43:22

Memorabilia · A prop or piece of memorabilia they would own.

  1. pick The RoboCop mask
    “Um, I probably want the mask.”
    unknown · 1:46:22
  2. pick Nuke 'Em, the home game
    “I want Nukem, the home game, the best.”
    unknown · 1:45:38

Best Life Lesson · Best life lesson from the movie.

  1. pick You can kill somebody, but you can't take their humanity
    “You can kill somebody, but you can't take their humanity.”
    unknown · 1:46:36
  2. pick Put blanks in Ed 209 the next time you demo
    “Or put blanks in Ed 209 the next time.”
    unknown · 1:46:42

Who Won the Movie · Who won the movie.

  1. winner Paul Verhoeven
    “We need the horny blood soaked Dutchman, Paul Verhoven.”
    unknown · 1:48:30
  2. pick The villains as Dick Jones and Boddicker: Says they are genuinely terrible people and take the personality of the movie; the leads he could take or leave.
    “I think the villains in this movie are awesome and they seem like genuinely terrible people and you really want them to die.”
    Craig Horlbeck · 1:49:41

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