[rescue] replacing an Ultra2

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 @ 13:34 +0300, Geoffrey S. Mendelson said:

> On Sun, Apr 29, 2007 at 10:24:30AM +0100, Mike Meredith wrote:
> > The difference is that Blade Runner is a *really* good film, and
> > Starship Troopers is just mindless drivel. Enjoyable mindless drivel
> > mind. Book? WhatB4s that ?
> 
> Noty really. Starship troopers (the one with the woman who later
> played in a James Bond film as Christmas something, I think there
> were two), was pretty darn good at duplicating the "feel" of the novel.

Denise Richards.  That ranks as one of the worst character assignments
in Hollywood's history.  

> It did kind of stink, there was too much T&A for my kids to watch it, and
> not enough to keep me interested. :-) (Just kidding).

Personally, I think T&A at the expense of the story ruins far too many
movies as it is.

Besides, go outside now and then and you can see the real thing.

I got tired of fake Hollywood women when I was about 14. Honestly, only
a few of them are real women.

> But if you understood the U.S. in the 1950's and 1960's you could see
> the world view it portrayed. Military service in exchange for citizenship,
> public excutions (murder in the move, rape and murder in the book),
> and propaganda films on TV and in the movies, and so on.

I understand the world view in the book. The movie got a lot of the
visuals right, and I thought that was good.  

But the story was butchered, with huge chunks just left out with no
explanation.

> I think it really did have the heart and soul of Heinlein, just a
> different one that you see. Remember the kid who became a colonel in
> the intelligence corps? That was he. 

Understood, but you know that because you've read the books. The movie
never gave enough back story to let you know any of that.

A huge back story was the battle against the skinnies, without which a
lot of the story makes no sense at all, and the movie completely left
that out. Not only left it out, but didn't even account for it.

I suppose some of that was the time, but then... if you don't have time,
please, please, please don't do it.

I mean, I can't believe they left out back story to show the over
dramatic scene where the brain bug makes his B-movie kills. That wasn't
even remotely important, so make it take 5 seconds and be done with it.

> > > 	- I would make war movies that did *NOT* cover WWII and
> > > Vietnam.  In particular I'd cover WWI, the Hundred Years War, and
> > > focus on some of the important ancient battles.
> 
> Like the 300? 

No, something realistic. 300 was fun though, and they got enough right
to make it worthwhile.

> Have you read Brideshead Revisited?   

Not sure.  Sounds familiar, but I don't recognize the title.


-- 
shannon           |    Tara is grass, and behold how Troy lieth 
                  |    low--And even the English, perchance their 
                  |    hour will come!