If you didn’t want to to slug Casper Van Dien before for just being in the cast of the first Starship Troopers, you’ll change your mind with this quote:
“Ed has a dark, sick sense of humor that is absolutely wonderful and just delicious. If you’re sick,” he continues with a laugh. “I love that sense of humor, I love the way he writes. I love that most people miss stuff when they watch his films or even read them. They go ‘Wait a minute, was that supposed to be like that? Because it’s really pissing me off.’ Starship Troopers had a sense of humor, Robocop had a sense of humor and this new Starship Troopers has the political fascism like the first one – and then some – it also has a religious twist that I think only Ed can do really well.”
Ugh.
I saw this post a long time, more than a month ago, maybe longer, and I didn’t say anything. Comments are hard! But even as a long time fan of the Master, the first Starship Troopers didn’t bother me. It was good to see any of his work made into a movie and idealogical bias was to be expected.
I certainly know people who hated it but they had read Heinlein and expected too much. So what was good about the movie? The special effects. Except of course the end where the bugs ultimate weapon was displayed. I wish I could forget that part.
The Puppet Masters, again, not good but almost true to the book in spots, and for a movie, not bad. I guess I am easy. What I would like to see make it to film is the classic Citizen of the Galaxy! I don’t think even Hollywood could screw that one up much.
Post again, I will keep coming back.
When I went to see the first “Starship Troopers” movie I feared it wouldn’t be that good, but I never dreamed it would be that bad. What can you say about a movie where the best action sequence was ripped directly off of “Zulu?” And the male/female recruits showering together scene? Oh please. I wanted to hide under the chair, but I watched the whole thing, so I could warn others. I now believe it is impossible for Hollywood as presently constituted to do a Heinlein movie right. Or even close to being right.
BTW, I recently had a dream in which a movie had been made out of “Starman Jones.” I won’t go into the details but the dream movie wasn’t that bad. I recall it was okay, an interesting curiosity perhpas — because it bore almost no resemblance to the book whatever. Everything had been changed except for a small aspect of the ending. Maybe that is how they should do future Heinlein movies.
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.
“And the male/female recruits showering together scene? Oh please”
I always thought that was the only part that Heinlein would like, the rest misses the point on the message of the book
On Starman Jones: I agree except I don’t know why you would need to change it much (you would need a different reason you could not directly enter the information into the computer), but I thought it could go to a movie pretty much as written.
I absolutely agree with Starman Jones. And for another, I just reread Double Star for about the seventh time and It would be a natural as well.
Another that would Like to see is Door into Summer. Some day, might take more years than I have left, there will be programs written with enough intelligence to take a novel and make a passable movie out of it with minimal human intervention.
I wonder if that will end the novel as an independent work. I sure hope not.
And I remain convinced that The Puppet Masters would be a miniseries. Not a movie, because it would have to be cut to pieces to fit. I see it set in the near future, but oozing with 1950s ambiance.
I am always amazed at the knee-jerk reaction to Heinlein. I get the impression that they never read a Heinlein book. After seeing the movie, I t also seemed this was the case with Paul Verhoeven, who did a poor remake of Robocop. It’s unfortunate because this is the only work of Heinlein that made it to film. Verhoeven missed the mark on all aspects of the film, particularly the philosophical or political aspects. But he missed such things as the social atmosphere, the wonderful camaraderie among Rico’s gorillas as well as the scale and the technology. You get a much better impression of Heinlein with Sigourney and her troupe in Aliens. Cameron obviously read Starship Troupers but at least he did it justice.
As for the political philosophy, it’s something that permeates the body of Heinlein’s work. The ideas are not always the same but all are firmly anchored in the American dream of a society of civil rights, personal responsibility and a fundamental distrust of both government and populist democracy. The founding fathers believed systemic solutions to limit the power of the group over the individual. Starship Troopers is only one of Heinlein’s social scenarios. It’s a simple idea, Only responsible people can vote and hold office. Giving up your own freedom and possibly your life by enrolling in the civil service proves you are responsible. It’s an Idea. Who knows, it may even work though I doubt we will ever find out. Regardless, I’ts Heinlein’s social experimentation that gives depth to his work and makes it so appealing. Verhoeven is European who already had a knee jerk reaction to American society as portrayed in Robocop. It would have required a director capable of believing in the premise to give it life and credibility. The attitude towards Heinlein’s book is formed in large part by this poor film.
André Roussil