Chas Blankenship

35 Years ago today, one of the greatest movies ever made was released.
Conceived by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner and under the direction of Paul Verhoeven, ROBOCOP is an absolute tour de force.
So much about it may not have worked...so much about it perhaps shouldn't have worked...and yet ALL of it WORKS. As an action film, as a commentary, as an emotional journey, as a satire, as a slice of genre kitsch, as a poignant meditation on the world's efforts to grind up our humanity and the importance of reclaiming it, preserving it and its power to motivate us through even the most unthinkable of circumstances.
As with others, it resonates with me so profoundly because it's about someone paying the ultimate price for nothing more than trying to do the right thing...and his odyssey of taking what was stolen from him back while still doing what he knows is right.
That is so incredibly satisfying to see and reassuring to live with.
The cast is a knockout, headed by Peter Weller's soulful, heartbreaking performance as Alex Murphy...and everyone's technical efforts from Rob Bottin to Phil Tippett to Basil Poledouris to Jost Vacano are just phenomenal.
It's one of the seminal cinematic experiences of an entire decade. But for all its mayhem and violence, it's humor and wit...it's the heart underneath that takes it to another level.
Happy Birthday, Robo!