20 years before Guillermo del Toro brought giant fighting robots to American multiplexes with Pacific Rim, Stuart Gordon tried something similar on a shoestring budget with a thoroughly B-movie aesthetic. Set in a dystopian future where traditional warfare has been abolished and replaced by one-on-one battles between giant fighting robots, the film follows veteran ‘Robot Jox’ (short for “Robot Jockey”) Achilles as he fights Russian rival Alexander for Western control of Alaska. It’s very silly, bites off way more than it can chew, and has one of the least likable protagonists in movie history – but it’s also kind of fascinating and weirdly compelling. And as a B-movie ‘rough draft’ of Hollywood’s current run of Giant Robot mega-blockbusters, it’s an entertaining historical nugget that’s definitely worth a watch. As a special bonus, we’ll also be screening the 1933 Disney cartoon “Mickey’s Mechanical Man” before the main feature!
Film Club: ROBOT JOX (1990)
Becker Communication Studies Building
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101
25 South Madison Street, Iowa City, IA 52245
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Jonathan Lack in advance at 3033582695 or jonathan-lack@uiowa.edu.