ROBOCOP 4K UHD REVIEW + SUPER 8 FEATURE COPY
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Arrow Flms special edition 4K UHD Blu-ray release of the 1987 Paul Verhoeven science fiction Robocop reviewed in detail including a comparison to the Super 8 film release from Derann Films in 1991. One possible error is that this was an Orion film and nothing to do with MGM at the time. Sorry about that.
Last Night In Soho UK quad poster is now framed in an interchangeable frame that was purchased from Art Of The Movies on eBay, the link for which may still be valid when this video is first uploaded: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1246749004... 
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Gosh, Dolby Pro-Logic takes me back to excitedly watching my first films that were beyond mono or stereo. Love your videos John. I'm always amazed that people have an issue with grain on 4K discs. Like music systems, I just want the disc to represent the original as closely as possible. Thanks as always. Rob
Evening Rob... or 'afternoon' where you are! Yes, Dolby ProLogic was so exciting to have 30 odd years ago. Far more exciting than anything that succeeds it today but that's one of the reasons why I'm not quite so fastidious about sound any longer because I've been there and done it. Everything sounds good on my system so 4K is really all about the picture quality now. This Robocop release is excessively grainy in parts but I expect it was deliberate to help generate a gritty, dystopian look to the future Detroit.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I cannot tell you how much fun I had with my $300 Yamaha Dolby Pro Logic processor. It was a revelation. I have 12 speakers in my system and a well mixed Atmos (rare) is insane fun. When you're eventually over here I hope we can get together, cook you and Sue some dinner and enjoy the system!
@@Celestialrob way back in the late 80s I only had a stereo receiver with double speaker outputs and a Hi-fi VHS player. I out-of-phased my rear speakers and used my TV speaker for the "center channel"
Bingo; a poor highschool kids surround sound!
@@Dis-Emboweled That's awesome.
If you want to see the original directors cut of this film, try to find the Criterion collectors edition.
I have it on Laserdisc and it is by far the best one i have seen.
I don't know if it has been released on other formats, but this 4K release is probably as good as you will find
if can stand the grainy picture, the Laerdisc limits this to a degree but the grain is still there.
RoboCop brings back all kinds of memories. From the cheesy title to the absolute madness within, RoboCop became my teenage all-time ass kicking hero. Thank you for that x
I didn't appreciate it when I saw the first VHS rental release but this fabulous Arrow 4K special package has completely changed my opinion of the film. It's a classic! John.
Great transfer of a great film. This is my fifth purchase of this film, in various formats!
Edit: Ronny Cox doesn't just play a similar character in Total Recall - his office is the same set in both films!
I hadn't notice his office was the same. Now I'll have to watch both films again! John.
LoL! They should have kept the gag for Stargate. :)
Great video as always.
That framed Last Night in Soho poster really is something special, it looks amazing.
Thank you Bumper. The poster is beautiful with the lightbox on but possibly best on the 25% light setting. I had it on full for the video as that seemed to look best down the camera. The poster itself looks like a neon sign when it's on and the room is dimly lit. John.
One of my favorite syfy movies of all time! It's a shame Paul Verhoeven has stopped making movies like this.... Great review as always!
Thank you Fabian. Probably the only way to improve on this 4K disc is to track down a good 35mm theatrical print. They are out there but finding a premiere master print would be the ultimate and likely impossible. John.
Great review as always. I watched the new 4K a few weeks back and loved it. I didn’t have any issues with vocals on my Soundbar while listening to the Atmos, however it may just be I was being swept up in the film and didn’t notice it. I agree the grain haters will be unhappy here but it shouldn’t be bypassed as it’s a fantastic transfer overall.
Arrow have done a stellar job with the whole package and very happy to have this in my collection.
A good summary Martin. I expect the grain is exacerbated by the scanning process but it still looks beautiful as far as I'm concerned. What a package and what a treat to have a 1980s favourite in such a special overall 4K release. Arrow deserve all the plaudits they get for sure.
John.
Thank you for this review John! This is now a sealed deal with me! I’ll pick it up next week!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Charles. I even fancy watching the television version of it now so maybe I'll find an excuse to watch that little extra on the theatrical disc soon. John.
Great review. RoboCop is one of my all-time favourite films and I pre-ordered this box set from Arrow as soon as they announced it. It is a fantastic collection and the movie has never looked better. And the edited-for-TV version is hilarious!
I rather like the television and airline versions of films. I have a Super 8 airline print of Lethal Weapon and I think it's better than the original version. John.
Love this film and delighted to have the new 4k steelbook from Arrow. As always, it’s brilliant to have your perspective John!
Brilliant to have you commenting Rich - as always!
Great review as usual John! I ordered the steelbook version from Zavvi but haven't got round to watching it yet. I love all those 80's action films like this, Terminator, Aliens, Commando, Blade Runner, Indiana Jones, etc, etc, such a great decade for film!
Your Last Night In Soho poster looks fantastic framed and hung, it really sets the neon design off in the light-box I think :)
One regret I have had for a long time Nick is not purchasing the Super 8 feature of Commando. It was one of the best quality prints ever released but it was one of the few I didn't invest in. I did get the Terminator films, Aliens and two of the Indiana Jones films though so I've been enjoying all those on a big screen for up to 30 years or more.
The Soho poster looks like a neon sign when it's light up which is a real surprise. I thought it would look good but not quite this good.
John.
John, Thank you so much for this review. Love this review and I will try the 2.0 audio.
Thank you Gurdip. Always remember to turn the volume up for the matrixed four channel Dolby Stereo tracks as it's usually lower than the later soundtracks. John.
Couldn't help pausing at the beginning just to browse your excellent collection. I see you have First Man which only watched last week for the first time. Absolutely loved it.
Just got my 4K Robocop too and I was blown away, Arrow do a smashing job, even menus are so neat and tidy.
Evening Mr. Braddock. I have actually done a 4K review video of First Man. Wonderful film. As for Robocop, the special Arrow pack would make it worth having even if the film wasn't so terrific. John.
Great video John.
I've decided to stick with my Blu-ray set of RoboCop. It's a lovely package, I can't justify the upgrade just for the 4k disc.
Wow! That poster looks epic in that light box a real treat and sets off the cinema room, great purchase pal.
Thank you Lee. We're rather pleased with the Soho poster in the lightbox. Amazing what can be had for comparatively little outlay now when you consider that years ago these items were practically unique to cinemas. As for the new Robocop pack, if you've got the same pack with the Blu-ray discs, I'd stick with that too. John.
Hi John great review as usual I Watched my 4k copy recently the transfer looks great on my set up it's a film I always come back to and it gets better everytime
I didn't particularly care for the film when I saw it on VHS and so only ever had the opening reel on Super 8 which was so cheap I couldn't resist it. Having really enjoyed Robocop this time around I really wish I'd purchased the whole Super 8 feature all those years ago. John.
Thanks for the review John always well done. I had pre-ordered the 4K Arrow version but canceled after watching comparison reviews and your review. I think I’ll stick with my original 2013 4K scan MGM Blu-ray version. Keep up the great reviews always look forward to them.
It's not the best looking film ever made Tony but I expect it was a deliberate attempt to generate a gritty, dystopian look and it certainly does that. I only really fancied buying this one now because the Arrow package is so special so that might be a consideration if you want me to help you change your mind! John.
As a child of the 80s I can honestly say I had nightmares with this film however I must have watched it on VHS dozens of times back then so I couldn't have been that scared.
Great review John
The violence was too much for me too Andy and I would have been 23 or 24 when I saw it so you weren't alone. Today I see the film for what it is and I think it's pretty terrific. John.
@@moviecollector5920 yeah totally agree it's a great film they don't make them like it anymore unfortunately
New to your channel. I really enjoy your thorough reviews and knowledge about movie-making tech. Very informative. Thanks!
Thank you Scott. Glad to have you here. The new Spidey film is next but it isn't exactly brilliant. John.
So glad I discovered your channel! Keep up the great content!
Glad to have you here Scott. The new Spidey film will be the next review. It's not exactly brilliant but I think it probably is as far as youngsters are concerned. John.
Good review saw this film when I was pretty young and definitely remembered it as a very violent film, but it would cool to see it again
I had avoided it all these years for that reason Methuselah (apart from that first reel that I have on Super 8) but now I think it's pretty terrific. Just like me, it's got better with age! John.
Great review John :)
RoboCop is an 80s classic with great performances by Peter Weller, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer and Ronny Cox. I don't know how many times I've seen it over the years but I never get tired of this film. I also enjoy the sequels, tv shows (from 1994 and 2001) and the 2014 remake even though it's not as good as the original.
I'd completely missed that there was a remake in 2014 but a few people have mentioned it now. I liked Robocop 2 but I don't think I ever saw the third film and certainly didn't see the television series. Maybe I'll purchase that if I ever see it on the shelves. John.
Good day john from Canada! 🇨🇦 I was 3 years old when this movie came out. My parents spoiled me when I was 5yrs old by being able to watch it. Mainly due to my 7 year year old brother protesting that he wanted to watch it. Bless his defiant soul! Haha I spent so many sleep overs with friends watching movies like Robocop, Total Recall, Robot Jox, etc. a huge part of my childhood dreaming. Especially ED209 in my nightmares lol.
Great format in the video john! Love seeing the cut to screen grabs and the usual particulars in audio and video formatting. You keep me coming back for more every time!
Enjoy Spider-Man! Amazon delayed my shipment to April 12th…the initial deliver was supposed to be March 15 (ish). I’ve held off on watching it so far!
Greetings from Sunny Wiltshire in England Jeremy (where it's currently dull and rainy!). I didn't like the violence in this film when I saw it on VHS but now I'm a bit older - although you wouldn't know it to look at me!!! - I can fully appreciate what the film makers were doing and I think it's rather hilarious in places.
The new Spidey film arrived today so we plan to watch that this evening. Having said that, I wasn't expecting this video to do so well so quickly so I may not be able to get away from the keyboard!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I’m in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Massive wind/rain storm last night. Possessions all over the yard today. Maybe I should have watched Twister 🌪 last night!
@@jeremyj. Gawd. I hope you've get everything straightened out okay. Twister is a great film but I'd rather never go through anything quite like that thank you very much! After you've finished watching Twister give Into The Storm a try if you haven't seen that one. John.
I'm very excited to watch this. My favorite film by Verhoeven (although I've yet to see Benedetta, which I was interested in but it never screened where I live.) I'm glad to know that this version of the film is good, I pre-ordered mine from Arrow a few months back, and I've been eager to watch it since. But the US release got delayed and now I'm gonna have to wait a whole other month. Just my luck!
Great video again. Your Soho poster looks great in that light box frame.
It's going to be worth the wait Tyler. Just be prepared for the gritty, dystopian look provided by the film stock used because the scanning process ensures you see every detail of the grain structure in the dark sequences. It's a fabulous package though and the book is really interesting and good to simply look at. Just a shame the poster doesn't fold out into a complete double sided UK quad poster so I could put it in that new lightbox on occasion.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'm very happy that the grain is intact. I really don't like noise reduction, and I'm glad this looks like it'll be close to how the film was intended to be seen. Besides, excessive grain in dark sequences doesn't bother me nearly as much as all that blocking and banding you get on blurays and dvds. So I'm glad to be able to see this film presented in a much higher quality than I've ever been able to see it.
I enjoyed watching the movie when it originally came out in the theater. I continue to enjoy your reviews and your explanations on video and audio. Of course every time I watch one of your videos I want to purchase a 4K TV and player.
Sorry about that Derek... but don't limit yourself to a television as you'll be much better served with a 4K video projector!!! John.
I already had the TV and player, so John just makes me buy movies 😅😅
@@Kings_Gambit Yes, sorry about that. But they are jolly nice little items to keep and enjoy for years into the future and this one is particularly so because of that amazing special Arrow pack. John.
Great review, as always.
I bought the 4K steelbook from Zavvi, which comes with a thinner booklet by the way, because I already owned the previous 4K BD Collector's Edition with the thicker booklet and extras. I thought the BD looked great, considering the age of the movie, but I admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by the 4K disc. I don't think it is that much of an update over the previous BD personally and the opening 5 minutes give a really bad impression due to the horrible low-res news footage before the movie clears up. The VHS quality and abundance of CRT TVs do date the movie more than it would otherwise have (plus there's a copy of Bananarama's 1986 True Confession CD in the shop window of a later scene if you watch closely). It's not that it looks worse than the BD version, it's just that the improvement in resolution is really is not that noticeable on my 55" OLED TV and the HDR is very subtle compared with other movies. I've maybe been spoilt somewhat from watching more recent 4K movies though such as Dune, which obviously look so much cleaner and sharper.
If you don't already own Robocop on disc then I would recommend the 4K version as this is the best the movie has ever looked and is certainly a huge upgrade over the original MPEG-2 encoded BD release from 2007.
Quite a few fans of this film have gone for the steelbook because they already have the Arrow BD release Darren so you made the right choice. Robocop isn't the best looking film ever made but short of finding a 35mm print that's not completely knackered by now, it's the best option. I just wish I'd known there was a steelbook before I did the review cos' I'd have mentioned it! John.
Great review John, I already have the Arrow Bluray boxset so will prbably be grabbing the 4k steelbook of this .
That sounds like a good plan to me! John.
You’ve made me need to see this film again now John, probably haven’t watched it since 1990.
I hadn't seen it since I saw it on a VHS rental John so it was nice to re-visit it having had more than 30 years to get over the violence! As you know only too well, I'm now a little older but so much wiser and I thoroughly enjoyed the film this time around probably because I am now able to fully understand it. John.
Thanks again, John.
Absolutely love this film and will definitely be buying this on disc. Already owned it on VHS, DVD and 2 blu-rays.
The Theatrical version, although edited, actually seems nastier than the over the top directors cut.
I agree with you Doug and that's why I prefer the so-called 'Director's Cut'. But wait a minute, you didn't have the film on Super 8?!? And there I was thinking your were a true fan! Actually, I wish I'd now invested in the complete Super 8 feature as it would be a wonderful souvenir nowadays.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Glad you like it
One of my top five films of all time…I got the 4K version last week and I think it looks great..it retains the grain and gritty look of the original whilst adding much more detail than before…fantastic
I really like the way it looks Barrie. I wish I had the whole of the film on Super 8 now - I'd have been able to do a more thorough comparison because the grain doesn't seem to be so evident on film as on the 4K disc. It could be the modern scanning process exacerbating the grain again. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I believe Robocop was not shot on a fine film grain stock. It has always looked that way since DVD era.
@@ark9515 With regard to the grainy film stock, I expect that was a deliberate choice to give the film a gritty look to suit the dystopian Detroit of the future. John.
Great review John, this is in my top 5 of favourite movies. It’s aged like a fine wine. I find your knowledge and insight on the filming side really interesting. Original camera negative stuff etc. Would love to learn more about that side of home video, can u recommend any websites or books I could look up? Cheers Oh and i better get saving for one of those light boxes 👌👌
The lightbox really is good. The front sides of the frame snap open so that the perspex cover and poster can be easily taken out, the poster changed and then snapped together again without taking it off the wall. As for where to learn about all the nuances of how the films were made I really don't know. I've been into film that long that I think I've learned it all as I've gone along. Much of the time things didn't really make sense but in the end I seem to have comprehended most of it. A good web site to trawl through and pick up bits and pieces is www.in70mm.com/ and a good magazine to subscribe to is Cinema Retro (cinemaretro.com/index.php) which I've shown in the videos a few times. It comes out three times a year and although it doesn't exactly tell you every detail you'd ever want to know I think I've gleaned much information from it over the years without really thinking about it. The old chief projectionist of The Empire, Leicester Square has many videos up that feature all manner of film and projectors in top cinema booths so he's worth taking a look at: ruclips.net/user/fp30ecinemavideos
But if you ever have any questions, you know where I am.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Excellent info, that gives me a great start! I’ll definitely check those out 👍Thanks for taking the time to reply with all that, especially as u get a fair few comments on here so it’s much appreciated! Lol Anyway keep the videos comin’, always look forward to urs popping up 😃 Thanks again, Andy
I saw RoboCop at the cinema when it came out,loved it,I've got the Arrow Blu-ray but will definitely upgrade to the 4k, Another great Review John 👍🏻
Apparently there's a steelbook available too Gary so that might make it a little different if you can track it down. John.
Hi John, I already have the arrow blu ray box set, which I'm quite happy with and I don't think I'll be upgrading. In what appears to be a loud over the top action film there's actually a really good story buried underneath, like when he's discovering who he used to be.
I agree entirely Clive. You really do feel for Murphy and want him to have his revenge but at the same time, you also like the villains. It's a successful film that I didn't appreciate in 1988 on VHS simply because the violence was so extreme and culminated with the melting man which I hated back then but now I think is rather amusing. John.
I find the blu ray to be an equal if not better looking transfer. No need to upgrade.
Absolutely love this set - I think the film must be up there in my top 20 most viewed of all time. Congratulations on the success of your Top 10 4K blu-rays video,John!
PS No issues to report with the WB discs in my collection. They all played fine.
I didn't particularly like the film back in the VHS days so only ever saw it all the way through once until now (I only have the first reel on Super 8). Now I love it.
Good news that you haven't found any 4K potential laser rot issues Dan. I really need to go through all of mine and I''ll start this evening with Spider-Man No Way Home!
Thank you with regards to that last video I did. One of the easiest I've ever made and look what happened. It still seems to be getting shared around as it's getting views.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 It's a film that absolutely repays repeat viewings and as you alluded to, Kurtwood Smith's Clarence Boddicker really is one of the all time great screen villains. I hope you don't get too many grumpy comments about the "No Way Home" spoilers at the end there!
@@danhardcastle I don't think there's anyone who doesn't know there are three Spideys swinging around in the latest film Dan so I can't say I'm expecting any adverse comments to that. I just hope I enjoy this one more than the previous four Spidey films. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I didn't, John. But as I've given up on the MCU it doesn't bother me at all.
Another really entertaining video. Love what you did with the poster - it looks fantastic.
Thanks Andrew. I can't get through a day without putting the lightbox on for a while Andrew. The novelty is going to take a while to wear off. John.
Great review as always John. I'm ashamed to say I've never seen this movie all the way through but I'm going to have to add it to the ever growing list.
And that movie poster light box.... Wow! I didn't expect that and it looks amazing.
I didn't like Robocop before owing to the violence but now I see what the film makers were doing and my opinion of the film has completely changed.
We can't quite believe how good the Soho poster looks in that lightbox. And it is really easy to swap posters, particularly if there's two of you to do it. A good investment I think.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 there's just something brilliant about movies from the 80's that I just love. For me they feel like memories from my childhood.
I think I might need to purchase one John. There's just something about a lit poster that makes me feel like I'm at a theatre. I've seen movies of people making these too but I doubt they're the same quality as the one you brought
Such a classic flick -- have my steelbook on pre-order hope it arrives soon!
If it doesn't turn up you can always pop round here and I'll put my 4K copy on for you!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 ahh yes, watching movies with friends is always nice - haven't been to the cinema since the pandemic started!
From Zavvi? You should have it already. I got mine last week, with the Spidey movie weirdly
@@CoinOpTV We've both had Omicron now so that's the end of the pandemic for us. Cinema, here we come! No need for any more dangerous vaccines for us either. Getting infected certainly isn't the solution for everyone but we took the decision about two months ago that it was the best time; still had a bit of protection from the vaccines against serious illness to a certain extent and the fact that Omicron was not adversely affecting people of our age in general. If you're over 75 though then it's a different matter entirely. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'll feel more inclined to return once Hollywood starts making some quality movies again in frequency.
Hey John I hope you're doing well my friend, I have the Arrow RoboCop release on Blu-ray and it's a great transfer, I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago and it's such a fun, over the top film. It's villains are some of the best in the business that you really do hate, it's violence is over the top but comes off quite cartoonish at times and the lashing of humour help to make it such a memorable time.
I find Arrow 4K releases a bit interesting considering its the Blu-ray edition with a 4K disc, it's great for those who haven't got the Blu-ray but for Arrow Collectors it can be a hard sell. But there's no denying Arrow Video does the best limited editions in the business.
Absolutely love the poster for Last night in Soho and with the light box it really does look incredible and the light does help the artwork really pop.
Great to see you're reviewing Spider-man looking forward to seeing what you think about it. It's such a huge love letter of 20 years of Spider-man movies and I think you'll enjoy it. My Blu-ray copy arrived today and like most Sony releases it looks great so I expect the 4K will certainly be a show off for 4K.
Take care John and look forward to the next video
Hello Pete! I didn't care for the violence in Robocop when I saw it on VHS and have managed to avoid seeing the complete film until this 4K release so it was a real pleasure and a nice surprise to see the film so differently with older eyes today. "I'm sure it's just a glitch!" Hilarious. As for Arrow releasing the Blu-ray a few years ago and now a 4K I expect that's down to the increasing market within which to sell 4K discs which wasn't there a few years back. I think we're going to get a plethora of new titles now that 4K seems to be a mass market so that bodes well for the near future. But Blu-ray is so good anyway that a 4K and a Blu-ray taken from the same video master is usually difficult to discern other than slightly better colour and density.
I'm rather pleased with how the Last Night In Soho poster has turned out. It's just like having a neon light on in the room.
Spidey is coming up this evening if all goes to plan but I wasn't expecting this Robocop video to be so popular so I may be tied to the keyboard a while yet.
John.
Excellent, Was hoping you would cover this John. looking forward to watching this. One of my all time favs.
I really like the film now but I really hadn't seen the whole film since VHS in 1988 or 89. This Arrow package is a bit special which adds to the excitement of it all. John.
Robocop is such a great movie, i have my copy coming from Zaavi in the UK, can not wait for it to get it here as i have not watched this movie for quite a few years so really looking forward to watching it again, great video as always John
I don't think I'd seen it since 1988 Paul and glad I hadn't as I really enjoyed it this time around. I couldn't even find that odd reel on Super 8 when I went to pull it off the shelves as I hadn't run it in probably six years and couldn't remember which case it was in. I wish I'd bought a complete Super 8 feature now but I didn't particularly care for Robocop in the past so £300 seemed like a lot of money. Older and wiser now though. John.
Robocop holds a place in my heart with other 80s sci-fi such as Lynch’s Dune and Aliens. My pops was fine dragging me to this movie when I was probably no more than 6 years old. Many scenes from this movie are etched into my mind but not just due to the graphic nature of this film. The story of a good man trying to make the world a better place, dying for his beliefs, only to be reborn out of corporate greed and ascend humanity becoming justice robotized and undoing said corporations plans.
Funnily enough I was looking for the 1984 Dune at the same time as purchasing Robocop but it had sold out. If you really study Murphy's story in this it's a sort of violent re-telling of the story of Jesus with the resurrection, saving his fellow man from greed and evil and then apparently walking on water during the end battle when he confronts Kurtwood Smith. But I didn't think it would be wise to go into that sort of thing in a video as I expect a few people would get a little annoyed with me if I had. But it must have been something in the script writers and film makers minds at the time. John.
Robocop is in my section of top favorites on the top shelf of my movies. I have about 20 sitting up there. My 4K copy wont arrive until April 12th, but that's okay because I'm the process of finally hooking up my bass shakers to the bottom of my theater chairs. I hadn't got around to doing it since I moved, but having them hooked up at my last place while watching the movie, I knew I had to have it again. Its like ED-209 is shaking the ground beneath me with each step. I have a 15" sub which does a decent job, but its just not the same. I'm stoked! To say the least. Thanks again for your great incite behind this masterful classic!
We have our THX subwoofer at the back alongside us now James and at times we're almost shaken out of our seats so I can imagine what it would be like to have something like that under your backside! Robocop does rock the room so you're going to have a great time. I don't know how good the new Dolby Atmos track really is but I hope it's going to be good even if it's probably not going to be one of the best having come from the original 4.0 tracks. A great film that I never fully appreciated until now. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Glad to hear you enjoyed watching it again. I think I watch my copy at least once or twice a year. Definitely show it to people when I hear they've never seen it. Best way to describe the bass shakers is they're more of a sharper feel. Kinda like being in the room when a real gun is fired. You can feel the percussion VS the bullet actually striking the seat you're sitting in. Not that I've ever had that happen, but I can imagine its similar, lol.
@@innerlightfilms A few years ago I was watching Band of Brothers on DVD and the subwoofer was pumping so much air around the room during the explosions that it really did feel like you were in the battle. I've had the volume on it down ever since after that as i thought we were at risk of bringing the house down. The wind really did hit me in the face a few times which was quite alarming as the subwoofer was the other side of the room.
I tend to go for six to ten years between repeat screenings of films now. When Super 8 was all that was possible for home cinema I could watch the best feature prints over and over again. Super 8 meant we could play at being a real cinema so it really was special.
@@moviecollector5920 so many great movies I wish I had more time to rewatch a lot of favorites. I tend to keep the bass down on mine too. I only use it for the ultra low end HZ. My front tower speakers are full range. So they get the job done pretty good on their own.
Great Movie, and Great Video! Cant wait for my copy to arrive to me in Australia!
Thank you GASH. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when it does finally arrive. John.
One of the best. I saw this flick when I was 12 in the theater! I'll never forget it.
I bet the brutal shooting of Murphy made an impact on you at the age of 12 g t. It's still horrific today but vital to the successful revenge story that this film is. I think the film plays better today than it ever did. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Indeed. I must say years later as a young adult, I saw Verhoevens other masterpiece, "Starship Troopers" and it was advertised in the States in such a way, that many parents took their young kids to watch. I never heard so many children crying during the battle scenes.
@@arolfghhfc Funny thing is that I thought Starship Troopers was awful at the time but today I expect I'd rather enjoy it. Alien invasion type films had been rather too frequent back then and I was rather fed up with them so that probably didn't help. Paul Verhoeven certainly made some very good films and Robocop must be up there as one of his best, if not, the best. John.
That's another great, all-encompassing review, John. The BBC should pay you to do this on TV. You're _that_ good.
Erik.
And you can be the lead researcher Erik!
So far I've turned down every television offer that's come through... but as I've not had any it's all rather academic!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'd be honoured.
Erik.
I think I just found my new favorite film collector youtube channel!
I think I've just seen my favourite comment! Thank you Joshua.
John.
Great review John. Haven’t seen Robocop since the late 80’s. Keep meaning to treat myself to one of those Arrow Limited edition’s, I’ll probably go for An American Werewolf in London.
I looked for that one in the Newbury HMV when I bought Robocop Danny but they didn't have a copy in stock. These type of releases do make the film a feel a little bit more special. Second Sight are doing similar work and their recent Blu-ray of Censor is pretty fabulous. John.
Another excellent review.
Thank you John.
No this Robocop video is an example of a successful Movie Collector video because it keeps getting views all these months later. Not all achieve that but a few do and this one has done better than most. I've noticed because it has done even better than the Spider-Man film that I reviewed about the same time and that's fallen behind. John.
Great review John, never got to see this on the big screen back in the day, bought this Arrow 4K release, exceptional box set, pleased it's getting a limited re-release at cinemas this coming Friday the 20th of May.
I didn't know Robocop was getting a cinema re-release. That is amazing! A rare honour for any film these days. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It's to celebrate the 35th Anniversary, 4K restoration "Director's Cut", from what I've read it's just one screening, I've booked up at my local cinema, should be a fantastic experience, James
@@jamessiddle7389 It would have been even more special if a new film print had have been struck just for the occasion but that's a bit too much to ask these days. It's the 60th anniversary of the James Bond films this year but even for that I think they're just going to project video when the last film was mainly shot in genuine IMAX so what an opportunity to create something special that could be. But I doubt they'll do it as it costs to produce a film on film.
Great video John, very interesting details about video and audio on Robocop 👌I've given the disc a quick scan and i agree with what you say about the heavier grain/noise but I don't think it detracts too much 🤔😀 that frame looks so good John!! Much better than I expected mate!! A great investment if you can switch out that quickly!! I think you will enjoy Spiderman 🤩🤩👍👍
Greetings John. I expect Robocop was deliberately shot on grainy film stock to give it the gritty look and graded to make the Detroit of the future look dystopian except when you're in the executive offices. A bit like Rollerball in that regard perhaps. By the way, I have the Rollerball in the other snap frame I told you about so take a look at the item on eBay - it needs to be 30 inches by 40 and I got the silver frame: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265084892499?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D065e2d6fb9db427485daf3276c2060e4%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D124674900418%26itm%3D265084892499%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A76b95498-b43b-11ec-9896-765eccad32e3%7Cparentrq%3Af597395317f0a120a88d1e19fff7d982%7Ciid%3A1
Great review of Robocop. 😄 I've been loving this release. My set up is an Optoma UHD51A projector and audio running through a Denon AVR-X4400H in 7.1.4 config. Have not had the low dialogue issues you mentioned, on the surround tracks. I do love being able to listen to the Original 2.0 mix though. I wish more releases had this kind of care and attention.
It's just that the dialogue is low Paul so I was switching from one to the other on the Pop-Up menu I think to scoot from one to the other in situ. The dialogue was still just about discernible during that final controntation scene but much better on the Dolby Stereo tracks.
I'll be coming round to see this one on your system next time as it sounds pretty terrific.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 you're welcome any time buddy.
@@paulj5336 See you tomorrow then!
Thanks for a very comprehensive review of RoboCop. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4k transfer, having not seen the blu ray version ( Arrow version) so can't pass comment on that. I felt the the picture quality improved as the movie went on. 👍
You're right John. It's the dark scenes that show the most film grain but that's usual. It was a bit coarse on this one which is not only due to scanning a film which exacerbates grain but also I expect a deliberate attempt to get a more gritty look for a future, dystopian Detroit. John.
Entertaining review. I had the previous bluray from arrow so sceptical I bought the steelbook. I now have both so I think I got the better deal. Spidey 4k steelbook arrived last week for me so I'm watching that tonight. Great to see you again. Excelsior :-)
Thank you delboy. We'll be watching the new Spidey this evening as well so we should all have a great Monday night at the cinema. John.
It looks like my reply last night may not have come through to you Delboy so if not, I've typed this in just in case. Please ignore if you saw my previous reply. John.
If this release is basically the same as Arrows blu-ray 4k restoration then ill prob pass this one for now in favor of other movies i want. Thanks for the review good sir!
@@slave_to_cinema I think that's a sensible decision. Some will see the new one has a Dolby Atmos and spend the money on that basis alone but apparently there's no other difference except for HDR. John.
My understanding..... bluray arrow previous boxset and arrow 4k new boxset.... differences are 1 sticker. 2 pages in the book and the differences on the disks which is the 4k release picture and sound changes. That's why I kept my bluray arrow release and bought the newer 4k release as a steelbook. That's my understanding on differences anyway :-)
Good review John. Packaging on that Arrow Robocop is spot on! On a side note can i come round your house and watch a movie on that screen please. Best to u sir.
That would be fun Adam. I'm hopeful of resurrecting the British Film Collectors Conventions and if we manage to do that, that is pretty much what we can all do. Super 8, 16mm, 35mm, Blu-ray and 4K on our 24 foot wide screen. We'll need to get plenty of dealers too though. It's just got to be done now that so many of us are connected on here.
John.
Very excited to receive my pre-order soon! Big fan of this movie since first buying the Criterion DVD and, even though it was irritating that Arrow didn't offer it on 4K alongside the Blu-ray back in 2019 (when I bought the Steelbook), I'm getting the Limited Edition Digipak this time so I'll have both.
I expect Arrow held off on some 4K releases until now Randy as the market wasn't big enough. It seems that all of a sudden we're getting a plethora of new releases so I suspect the 4K disc market is now a mass market and we can expect many more titles in the coming months. John.
Robocop is one of my favourite cyber punk western films out there. Was waiting for this review.
Good Stuff John!
It's a better film than I ever appreciated ARK. I didn't like the violence when I saw it in 1988 but now I think it's all rather funny. "I'm sure it's just a glitch!" Hilarious! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Also just a moment ago when a co-worker says to a random board member "Somebody call an ambulance!", everytime when I listen to that line it cracks me up with laughter. There are so many tongue-in-cheek moments like those adverts "You pick the right heart!" Indicating the consumerism and commercialism in a rather decaying Detroit City which is rampant with crime..This such an influential film that Jon Favreau had Robocop in mind when he was making the first Iron Man movie. You can see some obvious design cues taken from the Robocop suit and applied to the Iron Man suit from the first film. Obviously the suit changed and evolved quite drastically in subsequent sequels.
As for some of those rather soft-looking shots where optical compositing is involved they should have gone for Vista Vision for all SFX shots. But I guess since it was a modestly budgeted film with 3 Robocop suits the most expensive asset of the film's budget ( a million per suit from what I was told or the other way round not sure) they had no choice. The Robocop "scanline" first person look was cool for it's time and for me personally holds surprisingly well. I hate when they over clutter these modern day Heads Up Displays with so much thrown at the screen. Again maybe I like old school stuff more....
@@ark9515 Simple is always better on film. Another simple film to think of in this regard is Alien with the archaic computer displays. Because it's so archaic it doesn't look out of date today. Films of today with so much thrown at you are dated almost immediately. I have had a simple adage for years: never show a computer in a film!
I've avoided the Iron Man films. I only ever really liked a few of the comic superheroes - Superman, Batman and Spider-Man - so I haven't seen too many of the recent plethora of comics brought to the screen films.
There was some VistaVision in Robocop but I struggled to see where it was used so I decided against mentioning it.
@@moviecollector5920 John I strongly suggest you to take a look at the first Iron Man movie. Thematically it is similar to Robocop and it does not have a plethora of stuff that the modern day comic have i.e lots of cameos of other characters on screen, huge scope involving the entire city, and leaving the movie on a supposed "cliffhanger" just to setup a sequel there is none of that in it. There is a post-credit scene but that hints setting up of the Avengers sometime in the future but that can be taken for a grain of salt (considering when the movie came out). Along with Batman Begins the first Iron Man movie is one of my favourite modern day origin story for a super hero. I love origin stories when they are done well and Iron Man is no exception in this regard. The movie was shot on Super 35mm and looks filmic/gritty in the dark shots yet modern at the same time and has a superb audio transfer. Do yourself a favour go and watch it, wind up the time inside your head and go back to 2008 before watching the movie and ignore that MCU even exists. I am sure and hoping you will like it.
I pre-ordered the steelbook version that uses the original poster art. Can't wait to watch this in 4K. I'm also excited that Lawrence of Arabia gets finally a standalone release on 4K Blu-Ray in June. It has only been available in the Columbia Classics box set before this.
Lawrence of Arabia is sure to be among the best 4K releases so far as it was a 65mm shoot for 70mm release so I suspect I'll be getting that one too. Robocop picture quality probably doesn't look anywhere near as good as the Lawrence of Arabia disc owing to the different film formats used. 35mm has something like 40% of the image area of 65mm and that's why. John.
Thank you for a great video, i saw Robocop 1988 , I was 9 years old, and asked my Mom to rent it for me, my Mom looked at the cover and the Title and thought it was a movie for kids, man o man i was surprised and chocked by the violence, But i loved it, and I still regard it to be one of the best action films of all times.
I would have been 24 when I rented the VHS in 1988 Tom and I too was horrified by the violence. Apart from having that first reel on Super 8 since about 1991 I hadn't seen the film in all these intervening years. I'm glad I hadn't as it gave me the opportunity to see it anew and I now think it's pretty terrific. John.
That happened with me and Robocop 2....I was around the same age too LOL
@@TheBanwait8 It's amazing we weren't all permanently affected and ended up insane... wibble!
I hope to God Arrow bring us Runaway Train on 4K Disc this year, I'd love a package similar to the excellent RoboCop package I've got here.. The Blu-ray from a few years ago was outstanding. Please Arrow...! Great video as always John.
I don't think I've ever even seen Runaway Train so you can put my name down for that one too! John.
Excellent review. Subscribed. Look forward to more.
Good to have you here Charlie. I've uploaded about 150 videos so far with the next one due this evening. If you like real film then you should enjoy it as it's 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm at the Prince Charles Cinema. John.
Thankyou for this and all of your informative and interesting reviews. The end of March saw the Blu Ray release of 'The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm' and this will be the final release of all of the main Cinerama films - one that so many of us thought was lost forever. Thanks to Dave Strohmeir all 5 three strip 'travelogues' the 2 MGM feature films plus 'Windjammer', 'Russian Adventure', and 'Best of Cinerama' have been fully and lovingly restored. I know that you have an understanding of Cinerama and so how about a Cinerama Special prog? Maybe focussing on Grimm but perhaps touching on West too. I would be very interested to hear what you think. With my very best wishes. David Page.
A friend showed me a couple of extracts from the new Brothers Grimm Blu-ray release on the Warner Archive label and apparently it's also available from WOWHD so I expect that's where I'll get it from soon. I missed out on the double disc of How The West Was Won so I don't have the Smilebox disc in my Blu-ray of that but the main disc is fantastic on its own. There is no replacement for shooting on the biggest film formats and Cinerama has to have been among the best ever formats, if not, THE BEST. I'm not sure I'll be able to do a dedicated Cinerama video but it's something I'll keep in mind so thank you for suggesting it David. Enjoy The Wonderful World if you haven't watched the disc already.
John.
the light frame really make that poster pop congratulations
Thank you Boss Hogg. I'm rather pleased with it, to say the least. John.
Thanks for sharing John,that’s some collection you have there of Blu Ray,I myself have only around 75-80 a lot of Hammer among them.
Greetings Paul. You can't have enough Blu-rays in your life! Another one has arrived today but it's the new Spidey film so that one was expected. Guess what I'll be doing this evening? John.
@@moviecollector5920 John I must check my lists I know I have a Spider-Man somewhere but can’t remember which though.
I was late to the RoboCop party about 20 years ago, found it by accident but enjoyed it ever since. I occasionally come back to this film because it really is brilliant, the action and satire is top notch, there’s multiple storylines in the film (it’s not just about Murphy rediscovering his identity, but about ruthless businessmen trying to outdo each other to impress their boss and peers, etc.) I’d definitely say it’s a one of a kind film.
Speaking of Robo, I’m not sure if you’ve seen the sequels, personally speaking I know RoboCop 2 isn’t anywhere as good as the first but it did have an interesting story, some nice special effects and a few funny gags. Although RoboCop 3 is the one to avoid, it’s a disservice to the series.
Robocop is a much better film than I remembered it. I always liked the second one but haven't seen if for years. I should have shown my VHS of the sequel in this video but I forgot. John.
I enjoyed this review- hadn’t seen this film since I purchased the Laser Disc decades ago.
I now wish I'd invested in the complete Super 8 feature David. What a mistak-a-to-make. John.
Great review of an excellent film. Just received my copy of spidey no way home this morning directly from HMV, not seen it yet but will await your review with anticipation. The film was excellent as it pandered to what the fans wanted and exceeded their expectations hence the amount of money it made!! Both my sons went to see it 3 times at the cinema!!
i've just watched the new Spidey but am going to have to process it before I can start to think about what to say. It's certainly not a Sam Raimi film but I did enjoy it. I felt Spider-Man 3 was a bit too over the top but that was an indication of the direction these big comic action blockbusters were going. This one is something else in that regard. Great to see Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker again. He was the secret weapon in those first films and if I was behind the present films I'd switch back to him for the next sequel. But it's all about what youngsters want to see and not middle-aged fans who no longer go to the cinema so much these days. John.
@@moviecollector5920 To be honest, its not just middle aged fans that liked Tobey Maguire, my two are in their early and mid 20's respectively and they are into all 3 iterations of the character and this film took them back to their childhoods as they grew up watching Tobey Maguire's Spidey!
very lovely review, John! seems you got this early, or maybe HMV accidentally put it on the shelf before release date.
I may have to pick this up, because it looks like a very nice set.
can't wait to hear your thoughts on the new spiderman, personally, I wasn't a fan of it, but the 4K disc does look very very good at some points
Greetings young Clark. This is a very nice, special release by Arrow. It's the same as the 2019 Blu-ray release except they're added a Dolby Atmos soundtrack which will make many 4K collectors happy. It was the actual release day last Monday when I purchased it but didn't watch it until Wednesday evening and then spent three days putting the whole video together. I wasn't working on it the whole time of course but I went through most of the extras, read the book, shot the Super 8 bit and also the 'Soho' poster before sitting down to blather on in front of the camera. I had about an A5 sheet of notes too so that I didn't forget anything when it came to it.
As for the new Spidey film, we watched it last night and I'm still trying to take in what I saw. It's not the Spider-Man I grew up reading but there are flashes of him when Tobey Maguire appears. If I were in charge I'd use him for the next sequel to see if the previous audience could be enticed back to the cinema along with the new, younger audience... but I'd probably be wrong and it would be a financial disaster. The image quality is nice and colourful but the definition isn't up to 35mm standards so I can't comprehend how they got away with this on IMAX sized screens. Maybe it was wholly 3D in any IMAX theatre because that would disguise it. I may watch it again before a review as I don't want to say anything too negative which would alienate the audience.
John.
Superb review, Robocop is one of my childhood favourites but I think I’ll stick with my blu ray copy at least until this new edition is cheaper.
I have a Sony AVR which does not support Pro Logic but includes the new “Dolby Surround” technology which is similar in nature and upmixes audio to Atmos.
Hope you enjoy No Way Home, it was a treat to see in my towns recently refurbed IMAX. Death on the Nile is out soon on 4K so I hope it is as good of a transfer as it’s predecessor
You probably won't be too surprised to know that I have Death on the Nile on pre-order with HMV so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that's it's a close quality match to its predecessor. Orient Express used giant LED walls to simulate the moving train but I think Nile used back projection to represent the Egyptian locations just like in the old days. I suppose we'll see which method is superior but an LED wall for Egypt couldn't have been big enough to do the job so it's not like there were too many options.
Interesting that a new receiver really hasn't come with ProLogic decoding built in. I expect the later version they have included is pretty much the same but puts the rear sound out to all the rears in an Atmos setup. Most people probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference but on this occasion my perception is that Dolby Stereo gives better sound reproduction simply because the dialogue is more easily discernible. And let's face it, we all want to hear Robocop tell us as distinctly as possible "Your move creep!"
John.
This was a great release, with nice packaging and even included an original movie poster. The grain was a bit heavy, at times distracting even, but this is the best robocop had ever looked. This film has a special place of nostalgia for me because even though it’s set in Detroit, it was filmed on my hometown of Dallas, Tx. It’s surreal recognizing some of the streets in the movie.
Robocop was shot to look a bit gritty if I remember correctly Khalif and that's why a slightly more coarse grain stock was used. it probably wouldn't have appeared quite like it when projected on 35mm because it's not so apparent on the Super 8. I'd never enjoyed Robocop as much before seeing it this time around on the Arrow Films 4K disc. John.
@@moviecollector5920 thanks for the feedback! I do like this edition a lot, it has great rewatch value. Once again, your reviews are so informative and entertaining. I’m really starting to look forward to them.
@@darealestwon Assuming I think the Criterion 4K of Blow Out is worth reviewing after I watch it tomorrow evening then that should be the next video Khalif.
Having my late afternoon TEA watching and enjoying your Robocop Review.
Morning Bob. The new Spidey will be next. Might need to watch it a second time though as it's a little over-the-top to fully appreciate in one sitting. A bit light on characterization perhaps but that won't bother younger viewers. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Can't wait to hear your review, loved "No Way Home".
-Just pure fun entertainment.
@@moviecollector5920 Funny Thing...I left out the word TEA in my Statement.
Tea and Movie Review from England, now that is relaxing.
@@bobswanson8464 You need some chocolate biscuits to go with it Bob!
Enjoyed the new Spidey but I can't believe they actually projected that image quality onto IMAX screens. Must have been 3D only in those theatres to disguise it perhaps. It's not bad but I don't think it's up to 35mm quality and 35mm doesn't stand up to IMAX sized screens. About to have a look at the extras on the Blu-ray disc to see what I can learn above it being a 4.5K live action shoot but all scaled down to 2K presumably to match the special effects resolution. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Wow, thanks for your knowledgeable update. Always learn something from you.
Sorry you saw the the movie in "Poor IMAX" quality, that is disappointing.
My wife LOVES "English Biscuits" and I LOVE the chocolate biscuits. I will go to an English Pub that is near me to get some and some Shepard's Pie...this is is the place I get my English Tea from.
Great video! May I ask which Blu-Ray player you are using?
I have a standard Panasonic Blu-ray player from years ago and a pair of Panny 4K players - a 300 series and a 400. John.
Excellent review! Thank you
Excellent comment. Thank you!
Another great review John. I bought the Blu-ray edition from Arrow not too long ago, maybe I'll get the 4K when or if a standard 4K is released. It only feels like 5 minutes since Arrow put out Robocop and An American Werewolf In London on Blu-ray. Surely Arrow knew they were going to put out a 4K when they did the Blu-ray's? Still nobody made me buy them suppose but it feels like a ploy by Arrow to encourage collectors to buy yet another edition. I remember when the Criterion edition, either laserdisc or DVD (I had the DVD), was the best and only way to see the Director's cut. On holiday in Florida a few years ago and picked all three Robocop films in a set for $9.99, 2&3 are terrible films aren't they. We're you never tempted to get the Criterion set? Nice one John.
To be fair to Arrow Films it's possible they didn't intend to issue these films in 4K. We seem to be getting a whole plethora of new releases on 4K now so is that because distributors now find there is a big enough market in order to justify the sizable investment in time and money it takes to issue a 4K disc? I think so because when they issued Robocop from a 4K master on Blu-ray in 2019 the market certainly wasn't big enough to warrant a 4K release. They could have done it but it would have been a big risk and may not have recovered the costs of doing it.
I didn't care for the film when I saw it on VHS in 1988 or 89 so it was a great surprise this time around. I suppose we had a lot of violent films back in the 80s and I didn't pick up on the tongue in cheek, black comedy nature of this one. But that was a good thing because I had such a great time with it this time and after all the intervening years it was just like watching it for the first time.
John.
John, great honest review, thanks.
Thanks Boss! John.
I remember sitting on Venice Beach in California way back in October 1988 discussing Laurel and Hardy pictures and Robocop with the late great John Wright (Movie Maker Magazine) we talked about a winner of the 10 best…. remember that competition, it was a stop motion super 8 film ‘The Loch Ness Monster Movie’ and how well the stop motion stood up against Robocop, a film I found shocking and amazing when I first saw it at the pictures.
Well well - John Wright is a name I've not heard in a number of years. Fancy meeting and talking to him all the way over on Venice Beach. I do remember the ten best competition and it carried on for so long. I think the Tadley Big Screen Time held the diminishing competition in the end. I'm also pretty sure we've got details of that Loch Ness Monster winner in an old edition of Movie Maker, possibly with John Wright writing about it.
John.
Legit cinema review. Good job ! thank you
Thank you Aetemuss. John.
Think I’ll pick this one up…again. Lost count how many times I’ve bought this film over the years. The book has swayed me. The making of older films are nearly as interesting as the films themselves i feel. So interesting. Still waiting for the Robodoc documentary to come out.
The Blu-ray package is the same other than not having an Atmos soundtrack apparently. It might be worthwhile getting that package as it's being snapped up at knock down prices right now. But I wouldn't be able to resist the new 4K pack... and I didn't! John.
I think Robocop was owned by Orion Pictures back at the time of its release date.
It was only purchased by MGM later when Orion went bankrupt.
I've just discovered your channel and it's great Sir. Keep up the good work.
That's right. Just the MGM distribution perhaps but it's probably just that they got the Orion catalogue when Orion went bust. John.
I’m in two minds which to buy. The 4K is £20 on Amazon but the blu ray is only 9. Great video as always John. The one thing I dislike about arrow is they don’t include a blu ray with the 4K like other companies do.
4K is more like a film print owing to HDR. That's what we're paying for really. Sometimes people claim a film has been transferred too dark but that's because they've gotten used to looking at previous video formats taken from low contrast prints or overly brightened up masters. Film has always had superior density properties to video but HDR has made the gap all but non-existent. I suspect that if you opt for the Blu-ray you'll always have that 4K option nagging at you.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 thanks John I got the 4K. It looks amazing. My favourite scene was always the toxic waste scene. Love Murphys revenge on Emil!
Outstanding review as always
Thank you Darth. It took about three days to get this one prepared, shot and edited together but I think it was worth all the time. John.
Love your channel 😍 keep up the good work.
Thank you Chris. We'll be watching the new Spider-man this evening so that should be the next video... unless it's complete crap but I doubt that. John.
If you like the Marvel Spiderman films as well and the old Sony ones, it's definitely for me the best in the series.
@@chriscottingham2003 I liked the three Sam Raimi films with Tobey Maguire. The young chap playing Spider-man now is very good but he just ain't the Spider-man I grew up reading. As Mr. Maguire is in this latest one I think I'm going to like it. Maybe I'll let you know later this evening!!!
@@chriscottingham2003 Just finished the new Spidey Chris. It certainly ain't a Raimi film but I enjoyed it. I don't really know what to make of it all yet but I'll process it over the next couple of days. It should make for an interesting review video. John.
Seems like the Atmos and the other mixes might have the center turned down quite a bit, did you try adjusting the center channel volume up?
Thanks Darren but dialogue is not the only audio coming out of the centre channel so it's not a solution. A lot of the time now the dialogue is too low to the rest of a soundtrack. I think it's just the way cinema soundtracks are mastered since the first 5.1 systems came about. John.
Excellent review. Would be great to get hold of the old Pearl and Dean adverts in high def if available. Keep up the good work.
If you have Super 8 the reel to look out for is Derann's issue of 'Cinema Adverts 12' which comes with the Pa-Pa-Pa Pa Pearl and Dean opening and closing in the best quality I've seen outside of a cinema. And that's because it was a reduction from a 35mm print.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I had to get rid of my Noris Norisound 410 super 8 projector many years back.
I do remember back then there was a trailer reel for sale containing the Pearl and Dean advert start and end along with the Rutger Hauer Guinness adverts. I ended up buying the 3 x 400ft reels of Once Upon A Time In The West which I managed to squeeze onto a 800ft reel. My only full feature was 6 x 400ft Reels of King Kong 1933 version. (Still the best version)
I now project these two films onto a 120 inch screen from blu ray but it's just not the same.
There is a copy on youtube of the Pearl and Dean adverts but the quality is very poor. I just thought someone may have transferred the adverts in higher def for the sake of preserving nostalgia. I'll keep looking out.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
Keep flying the flag!
@@liammartin8606 I have the advert reel with the Rutger Hauer Guinness ad in it. I'll have to go through some of them to see if it is the other one with the Pearl & Dean top and tail but that second reel wasn't as good quality as Derann's Advert Reel 12. The second one was issued by Independent 8 as I recall. I hope to record a new video today as we picked up our 35mm projector yesterday because I need it for the upcoming BFCC in two weekends time. I thought it would be a good opportunity to show 35mm along with some genuine IMAX frames and other film gauges to give people a better idea of why some disc releases look much better than others.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks John. I look forward to your new content. Full steam ahead my friend,
My top 10 film of all time with grain in tack, Atmos, and 4k resolution. Wow
I'm not sure how real the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is Mike. I think it's a bit of a re-working of the original 4.0 sound used to create the Dolby Stereo matrixed four channel and that may be why the Dolby Stereo still seems to sound best. John.
As usual, a great review! I dont own this movie neighter on dvd or bd. But i had a vhs copy once that ended up as "tape salad". Now i know witch film to get next, so thanks for the tip. Got to have Paul Verhoevens best movie, right??
Now you've started something Morten because that could be a big debate about which title is Verhoeven's best film. Some will say it's Basic Instinct but I think I prefer Total Recall. Robocop may well be the best now that you've got me thinking but one thing is for certain, all three I've mentioned are better than Starship Troopers. Then of course, there's Showgirls!
John.
You're right that Arrow released same exact set and packaging, but with Blu-rays, a couple of years ago. I bought both, the box fullslip, and the steelbook, so not buying either version for now. It wasn't very nice of them doing that - could've either put out a UHD version then, or postponed it till they had it, either way it feels like a premeditated money grabbing scheme. They used the same exact master/transfer, just encoded at a higher resolution, so I'm sure it's one of those cases, where there's no difference.
That poster looks awesome with the lighting, its neon light theme lends itself very nicely to that presentation!
Yes, that Soho poster looks just like a neon light Lenny. We've just been playing with it having finished the new Spidey film this evening. Don't know what I think about that one yet but I can see why people think a lot of it.
With regards to Arrow and the Blu-ray being identical about three years ago, to be fair they probably couldn't justify a 4K disc release then as the market was so much smaller. Today it's really taken off and a lot more titles seem to be coming out all of a sudden. These companies have to release titles to stay in business and I suppose they hedged their bets on Robocop in 2019 and now there's a decent 4K market it's worth giving the full 4K film transfer a go.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 You're probably right, I'm just bitter, mostly because I buy too many editions in the first place.
Looking forward to your review of a third third Spider-Man movie with three Spider-Men. 😄
@@LennyNero2019 I'm going to start trying to take in what I saw in that new Spidey film Lenny. It's still not Spider-Man as I know the character but Tobey Maguire's appearance has shown that there is life in the old dog yet. I'd scrap this latest series and return to the original cast for the next sequel. It would be interesting to see how Peter Parker continues in middle age but I doubt the younger audience essential to cinema would turn out for a film like that in the same way that they do for these over-the-top extravaganzas.
I know you said you framed the Last Night in Soho poster, but when you get posters in Arrow versions or other special editions, like this Robocop blu ray, do you also hang those up or keep them in the box how they came?
I haven't ever put anything up from a disc release so they just sit in the box. They're nice souvenirs but a bit of a waste of time really as I don't make any use of them. I suppose I tend only to ever display original cinema posters. Got plenty of front of house sets though and the cards that come with these special editions are miniature versions of those so perhaps we should all be making better use of them. John.
Love Robocop, I bought the bluray version. & was grainy. Great review.
I expect the film makers went for a grainy film stock to help give the film a gritty, dystopian look. But I do think the modern process of scanning a film has exacerbated the grain as it usually does. John.
Love this film, got this edition earlier in the week
It's a rather special package and it took me quite a while to get through all the content. I hope you enjoy it all as much as I did. John.
Of course Robocop should be in any movie fan's collection.
I even liked Robocop 2.
I skipped a couple of your videos due to lack of time, but it's nice to see your Home Theater got a nice upgrade :)
Maybe the dialog issue can be addressed by raising the center channel volume.
I'm sure most Dolby Atmos receivers have this feature. My Sony STR-DN1080 does have it.
I only recently purchased a center channel speaker because of some dialog issues.
Before with my old receiver I just completely turned off center channel in the receiver options using only 4.0. Dialog sounded great.
But since I have the STR-DN1080 (couple of months), also using 4.0, the dialog seemed muffled and very low in volume through the front speakers with no way to up dialog volume. Even the dynamic range options did not help.
Since purchasing the center speaker and switching to 5.0, dialog sounds much better + the center volume can be adjusted.
I don't use 5.1 since I don't use a sub woofer.The front speakers handle all the low frequencies just fine.
I know, long story, but who knows somebody will read along and find this helpful :)
A few people have suggested turning up the centre volume which would work in terms of getting the dialogue to the correct level but there's a problem because you would also be raising the level of everything else though the centre channel. I have done it before and when something goes across the front of the sound stage there is a distracting extra loud sequence as it goes across the middle. I can't be sure how good the Dolby Atmos surround effects are but on my 5.1 THX system the original Dolby Stereo (ProLogic) was so much better overall that it was obvious immediately.
The new home cinema should only be a temporary solution - well, that's the plan anyway - but it all depends on the affordability of knocking the house around to make a longer room so I can fit all the projection equipment in to get an image size of around ten feet wide but perhaps even wider than that. Currently it's just over eight and a half feet but because we're sitting closer to it, it gives an appearance of a bigger image than it really is.
By the way, a lot of big, main speakers can handle deep bass better than budget subwoofers so I don't think you'll be missing out on anything. But if you do decide to go down the subwoofer route hold out for the biggest, meanest box you can because that really will make a difference. You'll probably fall out with your neighbours though!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thank you for answer.
I can see how raising the center channel might create some issues, as a lot of movies don't exclusively use the center only for dialog.
Indeed, a sub is not so handy when having neighbours.
My big front speakers handle the bass just fine as you said.
In fact, I must dial the bass down quite a bit on my receiver 🙂
Good luck on remodeling the home cinema hopefuly one day 👍🏽
All films use the centre channel for sound other than dialogue Scorpion. A lot of the time we're not aware of this in the home because our rooms aren't big enough and we therefore muddy the three stereo channels a bit at the front because the speakers are too close together. Sit closer to the front channels and you can hear all sorts of things travelling from left to right and they go through the centre channel (and the same thing right to left of course).
@@moviecollector5920 I stand corrected.
Great Review John! I've been a fan of Robocop since I first watched it and I've got the Arrow video Blu-ray of Robocop and the picture is better than the the other Blu-ray releases and it was worth the price and even HMV reduced the price of the Limited Edition but haven't reduced the price of other limited Editions e.g An American Werewolf in London.
I looked for American Werewolf in the Newbury HMV last week Andrew but they didn't have it. I only found Robocop because I suspected someone might have put it in the Blu-ray Arrow section rather than the 4K section and they had. So that was them sold out of the new release!
John.
I think Arrow Video and HMV probably thought that Robocop would sell better but Robocop only came out on Blu-ray a few year's earlier with a lot of bonus material and the picture was quite good and HMV had quite a few Limited Edition Blu-ray's of Robocop on sale a few months later. And you're right about the Director's cut its easily better than the Theatrical cut and I can't understand why Arrow Video put the TV version with the boxset plus they also did it with WATERWORLD as well along with the ULYSSES cut and Theatrical cut.
@@andrewstagg4395 I didn't watch the television version and I doubt many people will. But what is interesting is the extracts they've included in that Robocop Edited For Television sequence which are transferred from a 35mm television master print. Those extracts look fabulous and if the whole TV version had have been taken from them, I'd have bloody well watched it! John.
So did you ever watch the TV censored version of HALLOWEEN? I got it on dvd 20 year's ago but I've never seen it on Blu-ray plus they added more scenes to extend the movie.
@@andrewstagg4395 That was the first time I ever saw Halloween Andrew so yes I did see it and that television version was what made me love the film so much. But it was even better when I got the Super 8 'Scope feature. That was always very special to have and be able to watch on our ten foot wide screen. John.
I thought the Tv version looked really nice and great to see it in the 4:3 full frame aspect ratio as well (open matte?) I always thought the opening sequence looked wrong cropped to 16:9 especially the bit where you can see a grid of 16 TV screens all at once, looks perfect 4:3 but gets chopped off top and bottom in 16:9.
I think the whole frame is on the Super 8 release Gary so the 35mm prints were presumably the same and matted down in the projectors. John.
Nice one John. Been looking forward to this video. I think you got it spot on about the violence. I think Verhoeven has a way of making the violence secondary to the plot so it doesnt revolve around it. Seems to make it more acceptable somehow.
I didnt mind the grain but it did make things almost a bit murky. I liked the colouring though. I hadnt really noticed the tinge of colour to Robocops suit before or at least it didnt stand out as much perhaps.
Chris
Robocop's suit is actually more colourful in the 35mm 'Robocop Edited For Television' extra feature but it looked the same as the 4K on the Super 8 feature so I reckon the people who graded this for Arrow Films got it pretty much spot on. The original camera negative obviously isn't graded so transferring that means you have to start all over again.
The violence is actually rather amusing and laugh out loud funny at times which is not how I reacted back in 1988. Older and wiser now I suppose.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I can remember being quite young when it came out and was horrified when they shot Murphys hand off.
I forgot to say regarding Spiderman, I dont find the previous 2 very rewatchable but I really enjoyed the new one. I bet it will look and sound great on disc
@@chrissyboy7047 The Murphy murder scene is probably what put me off the film when I first saw it and then the melting man towards the end ensured I didn't watch it again until now. Good job too because I enjoyed it so much more having not seen it in all that time. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I was intrigued when you mentioned it possibly being a soundbar issue as I use an LG Atmos soundbar with rear surrounds. I was surprised to find it supports all version of pro logic including I think lx and lz?
@@chrissyboy7047 I was hoping I would get many responses telling me their equipment could or couldn't handle it Chris but only a few have come in so far. At least we know one soundbar isn't a complete dose of rubbish thanks to you. i suspect most of them can handle ProLogic but I doubt many people have ever looked to find out. To be fair, why would you these days when we're brainwashed into thinking all the later surround systems are superior... which they usually are but not always. John.
*_Just curious, why do you not have a top of the line 4K player, like an oppo?_*
The ones I have do the job. But I do plan to get the top of the line Panny when I have to get another one. As long as they've still got all the hifi outputs on them by then and not just poxy HDMI's. John.
Got this version on release day … the Atmos track was fine on my setup
Agreed not as clean as other 4k’s but classic movie and a must own
Give the Dolby Stereo tracks a listen next time Andrew and see if you get the same impression with the dialogue being louder and clearer. I think the film was mainly screened mono back in 1987 so any cinema showing it with Dolby sound might have been a rarity. Great to have it as it really was in those cinemas though.
John.
Ah, nice! Robocop is a special one for me -- a top ten movie. I walked into the theater in 1987 expecting the worst (with such a dumb name and all) and came out with my jaw on the floor. I find it curious that censors couldn't see the point of the violence back then. Scaling it back for an R-rating actually has the reverse effect. Especially in the demo scene when that poor junior executive gets shot to hell. The R -rated version of that scene comes across as a lot more grim whereas the uncut version allows the black comedy to shine through. When someone in the background says "Call the paramedics!", you can't help but laugh because that dude is beyond dead. Either way, I'll be picking up the steelbook since I already have the Limited Edition from a few years ago. Best of both worlds. Great review!
You've made me laugh out loud all over again by saying "that dude is beyond dead"! That really sums it up well. Black comedy - should have used that description and probably will in the future for something similar. As for the certification ratings there were probably all sorts of rules that had to be followed when rating a film that we know nothing about. The film makers knew what needed to be done to get the R rating in America and they deserve credit for that. I agree though, the so-called 'Director's Cut' is somehow less violent because it's so over the top.
John.
As usual, top notch review.
Thank you Flyguy. Death on the Nile 4K next and it's one of the best I've seen. John.
Great review as usual.
Thank you velly muchly. John.
Great review
Thank you Master. John.
Great review 👍....in my top 3 fav film's of all time....IV the 4k masterd blu ray..... wondering how much of an upgrade this is....did ya notice the bit rate on the 4k by any chance??
I never take any notice of nits or bits Roy as it's only the human eye that matters. I don't expect any reissue of Robocop is going to be significantly better than the Blu-ray as it's not exactly the best looking film ever made. But if you can hold of for a while you may be able to snap up a copy of this at a bargain price... if they don't sell out. John.
@@moviecollector5920 think when ya hit the status button on your Panasonic remote it gives all the details....yea never gonna look perfect........
@@RoyMurphy1 I used to look at the transfer rate quite often in the DVD days but slowly realized that the numbers and the human perception didn't entirely match up. I used to do Super 8 film reviews for a couple of mags and the only way to discern how good a particular release was, was to blow the image up as big as possible and study it. That's how I do it with these video reviews. John.
Great film, l have the 4k steelbook. I love the scene when the ED-209 is first presented and there’s a rather unfortunate person selected to point a gun at it. Malfunction and it’s goodbye Mr gun holder. The follow up conversation when the inventor says to the boss « it’s just a glitch »😅
Spot on Simon. That "glitch" conversation sets the tone for the whole film and it sucked me in this time around. I didn't really spot it back in 1988 and simply saw unnecessary violence. It's good to be wiser... just a shame about the older part of it!
John.
Is the made for TV version I'm wide-screen or is it cropped?
It may be the full height 35mm frame, I should have checked that. The Super 8 is the full frame so I expect this film was masked off in the projectors when screened in cinemas. But that TV version is standard definition although it's come direct from the Beta master video tapes. Might be an interesting watch one day. John.