24/11/2024
On this date in 1987, "Robocop" was released.
Marketing the film was considered difficult. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Jack Mathews described "RoboCop" as a "terrible title for a movie that anyone would expect an adult to enjoy." Orion head of marketing Charles Glenn said it had a "certain liability... it sounds like 'Robby the Robot' or 'Gobots' or something else. It's nothing like that."
The campaign began three months before the film's release. 5,000 adult-oriented and family-friendly trailers were sent to theaters. Orion promotions director Jan Kean said children and adults responded positively to the RoboCop character. Miguel Ferrer recalled a theater audience unfavorably laughing at the trailer, which he found disheartening. Models and actors in fiberglass RoboCop costumes made appearances in cities throughout North America. The character appeared at a motor racing event in Florida, a laser show in Boston, a subway in New York City, and children could take their picture with him at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles.
An incomplete version of the unrated film was screened early for critics, which was outside the norm for an action film. Glenn reasoned that critics who favored Verhoeven's earlier work would appreciate "RoboCop". The feedback was generally positive, providing positive quotes for promotional material and making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year up to that point. Director Paul Verhoeven recalled how one reviewer was confused by the jarring in-film ad breaks and complained the projectionist had used the wrong film reel. The week before release saw the introduction of television advertisements and limited theatrical screenings for the public.
"RoboCop" is considered a groundbreaking entry in the science fiction genre. Unlike many films of its time, the central character is not a robotic-like human who is stoic and invincible, but a human-like robot who is openly affected by his lost humanity. Its impact was not limited to North America: Co-writer Edward Neumeier recalled finding unlicensed RoboCop dolls on sale near the Colosseum in Rome. In a 2013 interview, following Detroit's real-life bankruptcy and being labeled as the most dangerous place in America, Neumeier spoke about the prescience of the film. He said, "We are now living in the world that I was proposing in 'RoboCop'... how big corporations will take care of us and... how they won't." Neumeier has also stated how many robotics labs use a "Robo-" prefix for projects because of the film. (Wikipedia)
