Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Fast and Furious Retrospective Series

Robocop is back! After two theatrical sequels that quickly declined in quality, a syndicated TV series, and a series of TV movies, the cyborg cop is back in theaters with a totally new take on the tale of Alex Murphy. Gone is Verhoeven's ultra-violence and satrical take on 80's business, and instead Robocop is now a state of the art tactical killing machine, dressed in black. Does this new angle on the robot cop work, or should Murphy have stayed dead? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart's review to find out!

Robocop is back! After two theatrical sequels that quickly declined in quality, a syndicated TV series, and a series of TV movies, the cyborg cop is back in theaters with a totally new take on the tale of Alex Murphy. Gone is Verhoeven's ultra-violence and satrical take on 80's business, and instead Robocop is now a state of the art tactical killing machine, dressed in black. Does this new angle on the robot cop work, or should Murphy have stayed dead? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart's review to find out!

It's been a long road but we have reached the climax of the Robocop: Prime Directives series. Kaydick and Robocable have infiltrated OCP, planning to use their SAINT computer system to spread the human and machine killing Legion virus throughout Delta City. Only Robocop, his son James, and Kaydick's former lover Anne can stop him. After three cheaply made films, is there anything in this final movie to redeem the series, or does it Crash and Burn? Listen to find out!

There is a new threat to Delta City, and his name is Kaydick. Having invented Legion, a virus that will destroy both technology and people, Kaydick is ready to annihilate all of humanity, and with RoboCable as his slave bodyguard it may just happen. Can Robocop avoid OCP's Systems Support team, and his own son, long enough to save the city? And can this film give Prime Directives a much-needed Resurrection? Listen to our review of the third Robocop: Prime Directives films to find out!

Robocop, the franchise, was considered obsolete, broken down, and forgotten in the early 21st century. So what better than to make four films in which Robocop, the character, is considered obsolete, broken down, and forgotten? Such is the premise of the Robocop - Prime Directives. Taking place 10 years after the death of Alex Murphy Robocop still patrols the streets of Delta City hunting the mass murderer Bone Machine. Does this R-rated made-for-TV movie bring back the sprit of the original Robocop? Listen to our review of the first Prime Directives film Dark Justice, to find out! Then join us this Friday for the next Prime Directives review, Meltdown!

Clarence Boddicker couldn't kill Officer Alex Murphy--the policeman rose again as the unstoppable Robocop. But what Boddicker started director Fred Dekker finished with Robocop 3. With a new man in the robosuit, a robot ninja, and a jetpack, the third Robocop film was both a critical and box office failure that would end the original franchise, save for some television projects, and doom Murphy to 21 years of obsolescence. But can the film, written by comic cult icon Frank Miller, be as bad as its reputation? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!

When Alex Murphy was killed in the line of duty OCP brought in their best scientists to rebuild him as the bigger, stronger Robocop. When Paul Verhoeven chose to make Total Recall instead of Robocop 2 Orion Pictures also turned to icons of the genre--the Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back, and Frank Miller, writer of the hit Batman comic The Dark Knight Returns. With these big names behind the camera, Peter Weller back in the Robosuit, and a much bigger budget, does Robocop 2 make the original obsolete? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

Robocop has been the star of numerous comic books, TV series, cartoons, video games, and more. His legacy is even worthy of a cinematic remake, hitting theaters in February, 2014. It's quite the achievement for a character that no director wanted to touch until Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven brought his ultra-violent, satirical aesthetic to the character. The film was originally given an X-rating for violence and decried for its gratuitous gore, but it was a box office success and became a cult hit. Now, in preparation for the new Robocop film, Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob look back at the original. Do the film's sci-fi elements and cynical view of corporate America hold up today? Listen to find out!

While the frequency of their collaborations has slowed, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are together again in 2013's Oscar-bating docu-comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio plays real-life Wall Street criminal Jordan Belfort, who lived a sex, drug, and money fueled lifestyle before his short stint in prison. Does Scorsese's style work when showcasing white-collar crime families? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!