Wassup, Robocop

I revisited the film RoboCop the other day and enjoyed what it had to say about media manipulation, resurrection, gentrification and corruption-in-high-places this time as much as I did when I first saw the film almost a quarter of a century ago. Of course I also enjoyed seeing all the Dallas locations, especially Dallas City Hall which matte painters made appear to be taller than 100 stories (as well as City Hall's labyrinthine underground parking garage) , although recognizing that our skyline was completed that long ago came as somewhat of a shock. The movie takes place in Detroit but was filmed here because location scouts decided our downtown buildings looked more "futuristic."

But the real shock came at the end, during the roll of the final credits. The word "Dallas" never appeared. It is a courtesy, especially when municipal government buildings are used (the old City Hall, which was city's Criminal Courts building when the film was shot, was used as Detroit's City Hall) to recognize the cooperation of the city "in the making of this picture."

I asked a current high-ranking city official (who shall remain respectfully anonymous) who was working for then Mayor Starke Taylor when filming was going on here if some kind of dispute developed during filming between the city and the filmmakers which resulted in the latter, out of spite, deciding not to give Dallas any credit. The city official said she didn't know about any possible rift.

Still, in my mind it was wrong for the credits not to include any mention of the city that appeared to give director Paul Verhoeven carte blanche to film wherever he needed to shoot in the city.