Film of the Week #52 - Starship Troopers

Karl Hungus

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/

Giant bugs, lots of shooting, and lots of fun.

constitutionus

loved this film. one of the most subversivly funny films ever made. the only thing funnier was finding out years later that the reason why the americans didnt "get" it was because they actually use ridiculous CGI type adds like the ones in the film to actively recruit people into the army

and hell micheal ironsides in it !

Wacker

Alright! Great to see the winner come out of left-field again. This is a movie packed with actors who could barely get a straight to DVD release these days (Casper Von Dien, Clancy Brown, Gar Busey's son?!?). The story is hardly inspired; guys must kill bugs. The dialogue is ludicrously over the top: "I'm from Buones Ares (sp?) and I say kill them all!" It all fits together perfectly as a military satire that does feature some slick action too.

Wacker

Wacker wrote: »

Alright! Great to see the winner come out of left-field again. This is a movie packed with actors who could barely get a straight to DVD release these days (Casper Von Dien, Clancy Brown, Gar Busey's son?!?). The story is hardly inspired; guys must kill bugs. The dialogue is ludicrously over the top: "I'm from Buones Ares (sp?) and I say kill them all!" It all fits together perfectly as a military satire that does feature some slick action too.

Don't go knocking Clancy Brown. The man is the voice of a certain Mr. Eugen Krabs. He's also been in a number of big enough films, such as Pathfinder and The Guardian as well playing Brother Justin Crowe in the acclaimed Carnivale.
Busey has done some decent work, Wristcutter: A Love Story, being him most recent. As for Van Dien, he's back in Starship Troopers 3, and has a nice sideline in straight to DVD classics going.

As for Starship Troopers. It's one of the most enjoyable over the top action films in existence.

My name is Todd

Delighted to see this film make it! It's overlooked buy so many people - it's outrageously over the top yet the story has some really interesting subliminal messages. The eugenics and nazi allusions are excellent.

The violence is top notch also -

from the bug's spearing the soldiers to the queen bug sucking brains out

.

"Shoot a nuke down a bug hole - you got a lot of dead bugs"

Karl Hungus

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't go knocking Clancy Brown. The man is the voice of a certain Mr. Eugen Krabs. He's also been in a number of big enough films, such as Pathfinder and The Guardian as well playing Brother Justin Crowe in the acclaimed Carnivale.
Busey has done some decent work, Wristcutter: A Love Story, being him most recent. As for Van Dien, he's back in Starship Troopers 3, and has a nice sideline in straight to DVD classics going.

It also had Neil Patrick Harris!

Karl Hungus

Karl Hungus wrote: »

It also had Neil Patrick Harris!

As I wrote that yesterday I remembered that he was in it. The Harold and Kumar 2 poster has been hanging on my wall since I first saw it. And like Constitutionus said, lets not forget the great Michael Ironside, the man I've always seen as being Frank Miller's Batman.

Galvasean

If Michael Ironside turned up at my door tomorrow saying he wanted recruits for Iraq I'd say yes without blinking, and I'm a liberal jokey.

Karl Hungus

Deleted User wrote: »

As I wrote that yesterday I remembered that he was in it. The Harold and Kumar 2 poster has been hanging on my wall since I first saw it. And like Constitutionus said, lets not forget the great Michael Ironside, the man I've always seen as being Frank Miller's Batman.

Yeah, Ironside is brilliant as ever, he was how I pictured Neville when I read I Am Legend. Although him as Batman, that's interesting.

CrazyTalk

Deleted User wrote: »

As I wrote that yesterday I remembered that he was in it. The Harold and Kumar 2 poster has been hanging on my wall since I first saw it. And like Constitutionus said, lets not forget the great Michael Ironside, the man I've always seen as being Frank Miller's Batman.

Considering he voiced Batman in an episode of the New Batman Adventures entitled 'Legends of the Dark Knight', which was a word for word recreation of The Dark Knight Returns.........unless you were already aware of that....

Starship Troopers. When I was a kid I thought it was cool.
Now I see it as being cheesier than a cheese flavoured fondue sandwish with extra cheese...........which makes it all the cooler

CrazyTalk

CrazyTalk wrote: »

Considering he voiced Batman in an episode of the New Batman Adventures entitled 'Legends of the Dark Knight', which was a word for word recreation of The Dark Knight Returns.........unless you were already aware of that....

Starship Troopers. When I was a kid I thought it was cool.
Now I see it as being cheesier than a cheese flavoured fondue sandwish with extra cheese...........which makes it all the cooler

I only found that out during the past week as it happens. I was watching the trailer for The Dark Knight on youtube and saw a video marked Frank Miller's Batman. I couldn't place the voice and had to imdb it. I've argued with other comic fans for years that Ironside would be perfect and they always kept going back to Clint Eastwood in the role. Showed the clip to a few of them and they're coming round to the idea.

constitutionus

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't go knocking Clancy Brown. The man is the voice of a certain Mr. Eugen Krabs. He's also been in a number of big enough films, such as Pathfinder and The Guardian as well playing Brother Justin Crowe in the acclaimed Carnivale..

the man will ALWAYS be the kurgan to me. absolute brilliant villain played magnificently by brown.

Pigman II

He'll always be "Captain Hadley" from Shawshank Redemption for me. You really felt the menace of the guy first time you watch that movie. Like when he kills the fat guy for example. Or when he was hanging Andy off the side of the building. Robbins was the star of the movie but nevertheless you still feared he was going for a short flight when you saw it.

He's great in ST too of course (one of many brilliant supporting roles in the movie Ironside, Meyer in particular). He's like an psychotic version of Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity!

"The enemy cannot push a button if you disable his hand. MEDIC !"

Oh its a fantastic movie. I enjoyed every second and thought the news-style broadcasts were used to great effect! I met this dude as well, when he filmed a cheap movie in my secondary school called Bad Karma.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh its a fantastic movie. I enjoyed every second and thought the news-style broadcasts were used to great effect! I met this dude as well, when he filmed a cheap movie in my secondary school called Bad Karma.

I saw some of that film Bad Karma and it was terrible. Muldoon is in the extremely entertaining Ice Spiders, which is far more fun than it has any right to be. It sits proudly beside Boa vs. Python and Frankenfish as an example of great monster movies of recent years.

senordingdong

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Yeah, Ironside is brilliant as ever, he was how I pictured Neville when I read I Am Legend. Although him as Batman, that's interesting.

I always imagined Neville to look something like Bruce Campbell!

Starship Troopers is excellent.
It's a brilliant Sci Fi take on the whole American war thing.
Great action and very funny too.

constitutionus

constitutionus wrote: »

the man will ALWAYS be the kurgan to me. absolute brilliant villain played magnificently by brown.

One of the great bad guys. I bet his presence in Highlander The Source would have made proceeding more entertaining.

Karl Hungus

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh its a fantastic movie. I enjoyed every second and thought the news-style broadcasts were used to great effect! I met this dude as well, when he filmed a cheap movie in my secondary school called Bad Karma.

God, I remember that being filmed... I met Patsy Kensit at the time.

Never seen it though.

senordingdong wrote: »

I always imagined Neville to look something like Bruce Campbell!

Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing an I Am Legend with Bruce Campbell.

BopNiblets

"It's afraid... IT'S AFRAID!!!"
"WOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Me: Lol it looks like hideous lady parts, I'd be afraid of a public appearance too!

Pigman II

BTW, Robocop is one Sky 1 tonight.

Essentially viewing for all Starship Troopers fans.

"I'd buy that for a dollar"

Karl Hungus

Pigman II wrote: »

BTW, Robocop is one Sky 1 tonight.

Essentially viewing for all Starship Troopers fans.

"I'd buy that for a dollar"

First thing you've said in a long time that I agree with.

Robocop is definitely exceptional viewing.

Karl Hungus

Karl Hungus wrote: »

God, I remember that being filmed... I met Patsy Kensit at the time.

You were in Endas?

Off topic, but yeah.

Karl Hungus

No, but I live close by.

constitutionus

Deleted User wrote: »

One of the great bad guys. I bet his presence in Highlander The Source would have made proceeding more entertaining.

i weep when i think of the highlander sequels. the first one was such a beautifully self contained story. it was on TG4 over christmas and i couldnt pull myself away from it despite the stupid time it was on at . damn thing still bring s a tear to my eye in places (where he spends his life with his wife up untill she dies of old age shot beautifully to the queen song "who wants to live forever", and later when he's still lighting a candle for her on her birthday hundreds of years later)

the others just dont seem to get that level of simple emotional impact. persoanlly i dont think its possible to do a highlander sequel that doesnt involve being a prequel, possibly focusing on the kurgan . the whole point of the first one was he won !


in regards to robocop. i agree. brilliant film. most focus on the gratuitous violence but to me it was a character peice following robos journey back to humanity. the last line says it all

"whats your name son?"

"murphy"

class.:D

constitutionus

Hey my 2000 post.

constitutionus wrote: »

i weep when i think of the highlander sequels. the first one was such a beautifully self contained story. it was on TG4 over christmas and i couldnt pull myself away from it despite the stupid time it was on at . damn thing still bring s a tear to my eye in places (where he spends his life with his wife up untill she dies of old age shot beautifully to the queen song "who wants to live forever", and later when he's still lighting a candle for her on her birthday hundreds of years later)

the others just dont seem to get that level of simple emotional impact. persoanlly i dont think its possible to do a highlander sequel that doesnt involve being a prequel, possibly focusing on the kurgan . the whole point of the first one was he won !

I love Highlander. It's such a perfect film, which delievers on so many levels. I picked up the steel tin special edition for 8 euro recently and adore it immensly. I will admit to getting teary eyed during a few parts and don't feel any less of a man for doing so.

The sequels lacked the emotional aspect which held the first together, though I will admit to loving Highlander: Endgame. I was and remain a massive fan of the TV show watching Lambert and Paul on screen together fighting against people like Donnie Yen gave me a warm felling inside.

You should check out the Anime, Highlander The Search for Vengence. It's easily the best sequel and one is one of the most impressive anime films in recent years.

vasch_ro

Just to let you know this movie will be UK TV Gold this Friday 11th Jan at 22.25hrs and repeated an hour later on the +1 service, so if you feel like killing bugs you know where to be!!!

MagicMarker

vasch_ro wrote: »

Just to let you know this movie will be UK TV Gold this Friday 11th Jan at 22.25hrs and repeated an hour later on the +1 service, so if you feel like killing bugs you know where to be!!!

I watched this movie just before Xmas, it was fantastic when i first saw it and it is still good. But it's hard to get through the whole thing nowadays, it's horribly long, at least it feels like it is.

Plus, Denise Richards is one of the ugliest goodlooking people on the planet.

missingtime

Its just her hair in this movie. Its a whole other character.....

MayoForSam

Saw this again on Bravo (or UK Gold, can't remember which) the other night, was about to hit the sack but got drawn in (again).

Really is a great piece of entertainment, has to be taken with a rather large pinch of salt. The CGI stands up pretty well too after all these years. Even now its a topical film what with the US shenanigans over in Eye-raq.

Denise Richards - yeah, those big gnashers (and all that hair) kinda let her down but what a bod...

TerrorFirmer

One of my favorite films of all time. Patrick Muldoon is probably my favourite actor in the movie, although I'm also one of those people who actually likes Casper Van Dien. Think the first thing I ever saw him in was this, and gods know why I liked it.

What's the deal with Ironside and Van Dien anyway - always appearing in each others movies? The latest one I've seen is The Veteran - good film too. Van Dien is really capable of making better films then he's given credit for.

Roll on Starship Troopers 3 - already filmed and in post production, with SST's own Van Dien in the lead

Unfortunately like SST2 it's a fairly localized story and not remotely as epic as the first one.

HavoK

HavoK wrote: »

One of my favorite films of all time. Patrick Muldoon is probably my favourite actor in the movie, although I'm also one of those people who actually likes Casper Van Dien. Think the first thing I ever saw him in was this, and gods know why I liked it.

What's the deal with Ironside and Van Dien anyway - always appearing in each others movies? The latest one I've seen is The Veteran - good film too. Van Dien is really capable of making better films then he's given credit for.

I too share your fondness for Casper Van Dien. I'll watch anyhting he's in and often go out and buy said film. Recently I've been loving him in The Fallen Ones. A film which is just perfect Friday night or any night entertainment. First time I saw it was on Zonehorror, I bought the DVD the next day and have seen it several times since. I know you'll enjoy it Havok and possibly Galvesen but everyone else should approach with caution.

plastic membrane

Would You Like To Know More?

Stupid but subversive. Violent, gory, action packed with terrible, shallow lead actors backed up by capable charcacter actors like Michael "Richter" Ironside and Clancy "Of course you are" Brown. Doogie Hauser goes nazi. Bugs. Brain sucking. Big spaceships crashing into each other. Paul Verhoeven, who never met a subtlety he liked.

Best. Movie. Ever

galactus

plastic membrane wrote: »

Would You Like To Know More?

Yeah, well, I'm from Buenos Aires, and I say kill 'em all !