Synopsis

Free admission!

Detroit cop Alex Murphy is killed in the line of duty but revived as RoboCop by OCP, the mega-corporation running the Detroit Police Department. Paul Verhoeven’s 1980s action sci-fi classic is a blend of ultra-violence and social satire, made at a time when technology and big business were redefining American life.

This screening is part of SCREEN TO SCREEN, shown in conjunction with the exhibition Digital Capture: Southern California and the Pixel-Based Image World

“Screen” can be defined as a flat surface, a verb, a barrier, a pseudonym, a cover, or a tool. The films in this series are, in general, unified by their inventive and prescient explorations of technology, and by the screen in particular. These films examine and imagine what changes in human relationships are a result of technology’s position within them. The screen is now where life often takes place—films that explore this condition constitute their own genre. Each screening will be introduced by organizer and PhD candidate Sarah Grace Faulk, and a discussion will be moderated afterward for select screenings. This screening is supported by UC Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Science (CHASS) Dean’s Office and the Center for Ideas and Society. Additional support is provided by Department of the History of Art at UC Riverside.

Trailer

Film Details

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Running Time: 102 minutes
Country: USA
Release Year: 1987
Rated: R

Reviews

“A sardonic but perfectly-realised depiction of a mayhem-fuelled near future.” – Clark Collis, Empire Magazine