Miscreants and wrongdoers beware, RoboCop is coming to Detroit!
Yes, you heard us correctly. A real life RoboCop is coming to the Michigan city on Tuesday, June 3rd. Okay, we’ll admit, it’s not a walking, talking human cyborg hybrid as depicted in Paul Verhoeven’s classic 1987 sci-fi blockbuster, but there will be a ten-foot bronze statue unveiled on the same day Jose Padilha’s remake is released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Believe us when we tell you that we thought this was a joke article as well, but apparently an idea has been in place to erect the monument since 2011. Seemingly, the statue is the brain child of a Twitter post declaring that:
Philadelphia has a statue of Rocky & Robocop would kick Rocky’s butt. He’s a GREAT ambassador for Detroit.
At first, the idea was quickly swept aside, but it eventually began to pick up steam – in a matter of days the $50,000 necessary for the idea to flourish were raised by the arts organization Imagination Station. If ever the power of the blogosphere and the influence of the internet needed to be exhibited, this would be the first example used – the people have spoken!
As of yet, the RoboCop does not have a long-term home planned, but MLive are reporting a full day of celebration on what is now known as ‘RoboCop Day’. Put it in your diaries, folks!
The festivities will start around noon at the local Detroit Police Department and Public Safety Headquarters, where there will be a special dedication of the bronze statue. From there, a fan meet-and-greet will take place, before the day ends with the iconic character throwing out the first pitch at Comerica Park. Suffice it to say, we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that ball.
What are your views? A gross misuse of money, or a brilliant advertising technique? What are some memorable film characters you’d like to honored in their respective cities? Perhaps a King Kong statue (to scale) atop the Empire State Building? As always, sound off in the comments section below!
Published: Jun 2, 2014 06:38 pm