More Guy Entertainment

Recent additions to my DVD collection include, of course, Trek, but also Shaun of the Dead and Robocop's 20th anniversary edition. The latter film is perhaps the first, and most ultimaely "guy" movie of my personal repertoire. I had to be dragged to it, and I really did have a hard time with it; even by current standards, it's a pretty violent and wildly bloody flick. But I enjoyed it, too. Looking at it now, there really are things about it I find brilliant; and not least of these are the little side trips into the world-building: the "NIWS" features with a woman I remember actually did Entertainment Tonight, back in the day, the ads, the horrifically offensive television content. Weller's great, and I'm particularly interested at how relatively diverse and progressive the various characters are; Nancy Allen gets to play a genuine kind of woman, and, though the core roles are still pretty white, the presence of other ethnicities isn't too preciously chosen. I think in some ways, movies actually got *less* inclusive after this film - which is very sobering, when you think of it.

Anyway, it's a great entertainment. I love Miguel Ferrer, of course, and Kurtwood Smith is one of my favorite parts of the movie. Ray Wise. I mean, casting alone, this thing is a gas. It's funny to watch the extras and hear from Ronny Cox that apparently, up until this role, he'd always played good guys, and apparently pretty hapless ones. From Robocop and Total Recall, this is hardly my own experience of the guy, of course. The rogues' gallery here is fantastic, but fortunately doesn't completely overmatch the good guys, which sometimes tends to happen unfortunately.

The story is still compelling (even if certain artifacts are amusing twenty-three years on; though, I think, in kind of good ways ... and they still play for good laughs, maybe even better now), and builds really well. The connections to comic geekery are good (hi, Stan Lee), but the thing itself stands alone (well, given the sequels, I suppose we could *wish* it had ...), and the years haven't damaged it, really. I think it was deserving of a steelcase deluxe edition, and I'm enjoying going through mine now.

Next up, Shaun OTD again. Hee. Simon Pegg's so nifty.