Celebrate Kurtwood Smith’s birthday with ‘Robocop’

Kurtwood Smith turns 77 on July 3!  Happy Birthday, Mr. Smith!  Now, his name may not ring a bell right away, but if someone mentioned Red from “That ‘70s Show” or Clarence Boddicker from the original “Robocop” (1987), it might set off a department store fire alarm, with everyone exiting safely, of course. Since AHFW is a movie site, July 3 is definitely a day to celebrate “Robocop”.  Director Paul Verhoeven’s masterful – also surreal – science fiction picture includes a great story, a multitude of violence, a flawed but…

10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments: ‘RoboCop’

#6 – “RoboCop” (1987) – Clarence and his gang kill Murphy – Lathered with ultraviolence, wild special effects, outright terrific action set pieces, and some humor along the way, Paul Verhoeven’s “RoboCop” proudly holds up 31 years later and still towers over its sequels and one remake. One of the many reasons is the old adage that an action film is only as strong as its villain, and whoa, does this movie have its lion’s share!  A gang, in fact, led by Clarence Boddicker played by the grumpy dad in…