‘RoboCop’ (1987) With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt
August 5, 2025 · RoboCop (1987) · Action · Crime · Sci-Fi · 1:54:15 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsPaul Verhoeven — Paul Verhoeven - his six year run of RoboCop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct, calling it a nice 15 year run overall▶ 15:44
Kyle BrandtJerome Bettis — Detroit in 1987 - cites Jerome Bettis as best high school football player, young Eminem, Barry Sanders coming in 1989 draft, says it's tough to beat until Jared Goff Lions win a Super Bowl▶ 14:11
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Kyle BrandtDo you think anywhere there is ever a police officer who's tried that move because they were inspired by RoboCop? I fucking hope not.▶ 38:38
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Bill SimmonsThe organic food paste that Robocop eats - tastes like baby food, made out of parsnip, tomato puree and crushed Butterfingers bars▶ 56:09
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsThe 2014 RoboCop remake - says don't remake movies when the original is still really good and it creates confusion▶ 1:07:38
Craig HorlbeckAgrees the movie could use more scenes but thinks it's tight as is - specifically mentions wanting a scene of Murphy with his family at the beginning and a scene where Murphy's wife finds out he's RoboCop▶ 1:05:27
Kyle BrandtThe movie is too short at 102 minutes - wants 5-10 more minutes and two more scenes (a chase scene with the big guns and a scene where RoboCop visits his own grave as Murphy)▶ 1:04:39
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsKyle Brandt would have been a great RoboCop and could have had this role in his acting career▶ 1:15:10
Kyle BrandtThe movie chokes at the end with the terrible Dick Jones monster puppet fall shot out of the window, which ruins the entire film's craftsmanship▶ 1:13:17
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJames Remar — Discussed alternate casting for Alex Murphy (Schwarzenegger, Ironside, Rutger Hauer, Tom Berenger, Armand Assante, Keith Carradine, James Remar) with James Remar as favorite choice, and Steven Seagal as RoboCop for recasting couch▶ 1:16:32
Kyle BrandtSteven Seagal — Steven Seagal as RoboCop (enthusiastically embraced Bill's suggestion with detailed improvisation about metal ponytail and Seagal dialogue)▶ 1:18:01
Hanks or Cruise
Bill SimmonsTom Cruise — Cruise - says Cruise is way funnier and would be better in the role▶ 1:30:58
Kyle BrandtTom Cruise — Cruise - agrees with Bill that it's probably Cruise despite Hanks having more cop experience▶ 1:31:24
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsMike Breen — Mike Breen calling the ED-209 killing Kenny scene with his signature 'Bang!' calls▶ 1:41:19
Kyle BrandtGus Johnson — Gus Johnson calling the RoboCop shooting through the woman's legs scene▶ 1:40:50
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsThe Terminator — Suggests multiple pairings: Terminator with RoboCop ('double robot it'), or RoboCop with other Verhoeven films like Starship Troopers or Total Recall▶ 1:46:11
Kyle BrandtDiscusses the Terminator/RoboCop pairing extensively, focusing on alleged copying between Cameron and Verhoeven films, but doesn't give a clear final pick▶ 1:46:24
Who Won the Movie
Craig HorlbeckPraised the movie's layered messaging and villains but didn't give a specific 'who won' pick - focused on Verhoeven's direction and villain performances▶ 1:47:51
Kyle BrandtPaul Verhoeven — Paul Verhoeven - 'the horny, blood-soaked Dutchman' who 'absolutely cooked in every single sense'▶ 1:47:34
Movies Referenced (65)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starship Troopers (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | ▶ 16:54 |
| Total Recall (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 15:44 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 15:44 |
| Blade Runner (1982) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | ▶ 15:09 |
| Predator (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:28 |
| Beverly Hills Cop (1984) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 13:34 |
| True Romance (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Kyle Brandt | ▶ 1:10:35 |
| Batman (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Kyle Brandt | ▶ 1:39:23 |
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Kyle Brandt | ▶ 1:20:57 |
| Dead Poets Society (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:29 |
| Falling Down (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Kyle Brandt | ▶ 42:26 |
| Full Metal Jacket (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 18:46 |
Directors Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Verhoeven | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt, Craig Horlbeck | RoboCop | ▶ 2:58 |
| Wes Anderson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs | ▶ 1:22:04 |
| John Carpenter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Craig Horlbeck | Halloween | ▶ 1:48:27 |
| Jonathan Kaplan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:16:10 | |
| Phil Tippett | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Kyle Brandt | Starship Troopers, Jurassic Park, RoboCop | ▶ 46:35 |
Actors Referenced (72)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Weller | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt, Craig Horlbeck | RoboCop | ▶ 24:43 |
| Edie Lehmann Boddicker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 20 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | Wicked | ▶ 20:38 |
| Steven Seagal | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | Under Siege 2: Dark Territory | ▶ 1:17:21 |
| Mary Hart | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 43:28 | |
| Kurtwood Smith | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | Broken Arrow, RoboCop | ▶ 19:57 |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator | ▶ 6:34 |
| Miguel Ferrer | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 19:57 | |
| Nancy Allen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck | Dressed to Kill, RoboCop | ▶ 22:16 |
| Neil Patrick Harris | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | Gone Girl | ▶ 17:12 |
| Kyle Pitts | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | Killers of the Flower Moon | ▶ 1:53:17 |
| Harrison Ford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive | ▶ 1:13:09 |
| Joel Kinnaman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt, Craig Horlbeck | Suicide Squad | ▶ 25:23 |
Writers Referenced (7)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Nixon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons | ▶ 54:55 | |
| Edward Neumeier | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | RoboCop, Starship Troopers | ▶ 10:06 |
| James Cameron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Kyle Brandt | Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day | ▶ 1:46:30 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt | ▶ 26:01 | |
| Michael Miner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | RoboCop | ▶ 1:25:18 |
| Ricky Gervais | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Kyle Brandt | ▶ 37:16 | |
| Taylor Worst | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:11:39 |