RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop (2023) blows away other making-of documentaries.

As a massive fan of RoboCop, I watched this on Screambox and I was astounded at how in-depth it went. It was a dream come true to have this classic explored in such incredible detail. I'm sorry if I sound like a madman ranting but I love behind the scenes and this takes it to a whole new level. I loved their previous documentary on Hellraiser I & II, which is also fantastic, but this feels like they raised the bar. I know they're not the team behind the new Aliens documentary but I really hope that is on par with this. All the anecdotes are just so interesting and real. It really feels like they fully explored every scene. I'm so glad they got Peter Weller to participate but also so many of the crew we've never heard from before. I'm definitely going to pick up the Blu-ray although I think I'll get the UK version just to make sure it has all the bonus features because apparently there was some manufacturing problem with the US one (these poor guys can't catch a break).

Review: Men in Suits (2012)

This is a fantastic documentary about a little-known and underappreciated aspect of practical effects: suit performers aka the poor bastards suffering miserably inside those wonderful monster costumes for your entertainment. I especially love hearing about the guys who wore the Godzilla suit. Holy freakin cow... one guy had his groin burned AND he kept filming! Can you imagine? Talk about dedication to your craft. That's pretty much inhuman and cruel beyond words but you can't have anything except admiration and respect for the man. Sadly, it seems this documentary came and went without much fanfare. It got funded on Kickstarter then a DVD release but now their website is gone and you can't find the DVD anymore except for some jackass selling it for $100 on Amazon (unless it's the maker of the documentary and then hey you can sell it for however much you want! you rule!). Anyway, luckily, there is an alternative for folks without an endless supply of greenbacks. You can get a digital download of it here for only $8.99. It's only standard def (not even 720p) but still it's an amazing documentary. I love things like this. I just love practical effects and everything related to them. FX guys, particularly those you never heard of doing the grunt work under famous ones like Stan Winston, are the unsung heroes of the film industry (along with screenwriters who get shit on more than anybody).