THE (ALMOST) UNDELETED

Guess I missed a cinematic tour de force in Starship Troopers II, huh? Anywho, part III is coming soon. Here is an annoying blogger's take on the next installment. Enjoy Jolene Blaylock seething inside but putting on a nice face about her fate! I'm always so surprised at how stupid some actors actually are.

The first film's only redeeming quality was the satire and interesting special effects. Other than that, I hated it. I'm not sure I was aware they made a sequel. I'm trying to remember something, anything, about it but I'm coming up blank. I know I didn't see it, but I don't seem to recall even hearing anything about it. It must have been direct to video kind of thing.

I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

Freakzilla wrote:I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

I think it was the boobies.

Omphalos wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

I think it was the boobies.

Dina Myer was hot, but it would have been better if we could have seen Denise Richards'.

I think it was the "only veterans get to vote" thing. I like that idea.

Just going to ignore that....

I saw ST II...I think. Pretty stupid and a real disappointment after the romp that was the first movie. I think maybe the writers/director had seen the first season of the new BG...but maybe not (can't be bothered to check the relevant dates).

Baaaaaaasically, the bugs develop a parasite version that can invade and control a human body for a limited time. The body dies and begins to decay rather rapidly, so they have to find new hosts. The goal is to get one or more infected troops rescued from a last, lonely outpost on a bug-infested planet.... Tries but fails to achieve the satirical humor of the first.

YAWN. Gore, sex, nudity, violence. Did I yawn already? WTF are they making a third one for?

The first film was the only sane response to Heinlein's novel. The second film was a straight-video cash-in, which managed to miss the whole point of the first one.

I suspect the third one will be exactly the same.

Omphalos wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

I think it was the boobies.

that sure as shit doesn't hurt a flick but I think it was all the killin' too

Tleilax Master B wrote:

Omphalos wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

I think it was the boobies.

that sure as shit doesn't hurt a flick but I think it was all the killin' too

Yeah, the scene with the reporter getting ripped in two at the begining was great.

SandChigger wrote:Just going to ignore that....

I'm sure I wouldn't feel that way if I wasn't a veteran.

Freakzilla wrote:
I think it was the "only veterans get to vote" thing. I like that idea.

Well in the book being a military vet was the fastest way to earn the vote, Heinlein expanded a bit on this in Grumbles from the Grave in correspondence with his agent, government service was the only way to earn the vote but only military service earned it quickly. Also people forget that if you were on active duty you could not exercise your franchise.

Rob

Freakzilla wrote:

Tleilax Master B wrote:

Omphalos wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:I liked the first one, there was something about it I can't quite put my finger on. I don't think I saw II, I may have rented it but it was obviously unmemorable. Not having seen that, I can't really say if another sequel is warranted. I'm guessing not though.

I think it was the boobies.

that sure as shit doesn't hurt a flick but I think it was all the killin' too

Yeah, the scene with the reporter getting ripped in two at the begining was great.

I liked it when they shoved that thing into the brain-bug's orifice at the end. I wish they had not edited that out. Perhaps in the unrated version? It kind of reminded me of "The Box."

Freakzilla wrote:

SandChigger wrote:Just going to ignore that....

I'm sure I wouldn't feel that way if I wasn't a veteran.

Don't misunderstand me, Freak. Even though I'm dead set against big government and socialism, I actually support the idea of a year or two national service requirement for everyone except those absolutely unable to participate because of physical or mental disability. I just don't think it would have to be in the military.

Of course, I also think that people should be required to vote and take part in political decisions, and that the biggest mistake the Founding Fathers made was not including a Bill of Responsibilities to balance the Bill of Rights. (In their defense, they probably never imagined a populace stupid enough to not realize that one doesn't come without the other.)

I'm a kook, in other words, I know.

I'm willing to bet a large percentage of the veteran population votes. Who the president is means a lot more to you when your life depends on his decisions.

I'd like to see mandator military/civil service too. If anything, it would teach people what they're capable of.

You want everyone to vote? Im sorry; maybe Im going off in left field here from the popular view, but that last thing I want is every stupid moron in this country to Get Out The Vote! I mean, why do we have to encourage people who know nothing and could care less to get out and fuck up the choices that other people who have a clue are making? IMHO someone should tell Puff Daddy to shove Vote Or Die right up his ass, and let the dipshits be lazy.

Omphalos wrote:You want everyone to vote? Im sorry; maybe Im going off in left field here from the popular view, but that last thing I want is every stupid moron in this country to Get Out The Vote! I mean, why do we have to encourage people who know nothing and could care less to get out and fuck up the choices that other people who have a clue are making? IMHO someone should tell Puff Daddy to shove Vote Or Die right up his ass, and let the dipshits be lazy.

Man, I hate to say it, but I kinda agree with you Omph. If you are too freaking lazy to get your slacker ass off the couch and vote, I'm not really sure I care to have your opinion counted.

That being said, I've chosen not to vote before because I refused to pick between the "lesser of two evils." That wasn't from laziness; it was a choice I exercised and knew I had to live with....

Tleilax Master B wrote:I've chosen not to vote before because I refused to pick between the "lesser of two evils."

Phaedrus wrote:

Tleilax Master B wrote:I've chosen not to vote before because I refused to pick between the "lesser of two evils."

Hehe, love it.

Brilliant

Omphalos wrote:You want everyone to vote? Im sorry; maybe Im going off in left field here from the popular view, but that last thing I want is every stupid moron in this country to Get Out The Vote! I mean, why do we have to encourage people who know nothing and could care less to get out and fuck up the choices that other people who have a clue are making? IMHO someone should tell Puff Daddy to shove Vote Or Die right up his ass, and let the dipshits be lazy.

Running on the "white-male-landowner" ticket, huh?



I'm with you, before you know it the damned liberals will have the illegal immigrants voting.

I think you should at least have a job and pay taxes to vote.

I really can't understand how anyone in their right mind could think illegal residents voting is a good thing.

I also couldn't understand why the NY governor (that was the guy, right?) thought giving them drivers licenses was cool.



They're not citizens and don't have the same rights as citizens. Or shouldn't, at any rate.

(Mind you, I don't believe someone injured or sick should be denied medical care, but they should be sent packing as soon as they're well enough.)

Is there anyone who really thinks illegals should vote? I just pulled that out of my ass. It was an extrapolation of the drivers license thing.

Freakzilla wrote:

Omphalos wrote:You want everyone to vote? Im sorry; maybe Im going off in left field here from the popular view, but that last thing I want is every stupid moron in this country to Get Out The Vote! I mean, why do we have to encourage people who know nothing and could care less to get out and fuck up the choices that other people who have a clue are making? IMHO someone should tell Puff Daddy to shove Vote Or Die right up his ass, and let the dipshits be lazy.

Running on the "white-male-landowner" ticket, huh?

No actually. I acknowledge that there is a valid debate going on, I just don't feel like having the morons enter it. IOW, if you are stupid, don't care who runs the country, or haven't got a clue how to decide and important issue, keep your vote to yourself, I say. Every time a numbskull votes it changes the percentages of opinion among those who have a valid and well thought opinion. Shit, just look what that phenomenon did in the last two presidential elections around here!

Freakzilla wrote:I'm with you, before you know it the damned liberals will have the illegal immigrants voting.

I think you should at least have a job and pay taxes to vote.

Now, now, lets not get all silly with the true power of liberal thought. We are much wiser than you think, even if there are some idiots in the ranks. We keep said idiots around to make wacky proposals so you conservatives are more likely to accept our more moderate and sensible proposals (e.g., the ones we want to get through the legislature).

Why are you Americans complaining about who gets to vote? It doesn't make any difference anyway. Bush bought his presidency. And you let him.

No, no, no, Tanz. You have it wrong. The Presidency was given to him by the Supreme Court. Then Bush spent his money buying Blair's ass.

Omphalos wrote:No, no, no, Tanz. You have it wrong. The Presidency was given to him by the Supreme Court. Then Bush spent his money buying Blair's ass.

Ouch! Here goes another Revolutionary War......

Sounds more "Revisionary" to me.

I voted for Jefferson Davis.

Freakzilla wrote:I voted for Jefferson Davis.

I voted for Lex Luthor and every election wear my Vote for Lex! button!

Rob

He wasted his money then. He didn't need to buy him. Blair was quite happy to stick his head up Bush's arse of his own free will.

The world would be a much nicer place if we got rid of all the politicians...

I think political positions should be given to those that want it the least.

Freakzilla wrote:I think political positions should be given to those that want it the least but are the most capable.

Agree, with addendum

GamePlayer wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:I think political positions should be given to those that want it the least but are the most capable.

Agree, with addendum

Well, yeah... I didn't mean just any bum.

You could make it like jury duty.

The price of liberty.

I think we need to experiment with some different forms of government, starting small, at the local level and working up, slowly, seeing if there aren't better ways of doing things. America began as a "grand experiment" after all, right?

In the city where I live over here, we're organized into residential blocks (kumi), which belong to han (as in "honcho"), then wards (ku) and so on up to the city level. Every year, one family on each block has to serve as "blockhead" (kumi-chou) and last year it was my turn. We met about once a month and discussed problems in the area, organized several community events, went on security patrols on Saturday nights, etc. The biggest part of my duties was passing around a folder every week or two containing notices and newsletters from the city government, announcements of cultural stuff, etc. Was a bit of a PITA, but it gave me a whole new perspective on how things work over here. (And it showed me that Japanese people really can hold a meaningful meeting and end it on time. At the uni and other schools I've worked at, the meetings drone on and on and never get anywhere...mainly because the faculty uses them as an excuse not to be doing something else.)

Over the year, I often thought about what I know of the workings of government back in my home village in Ohio and compared the two. The system wouldn't translate well in whole or probably even in part, mainly because of what I perceive as endemic political apathy back there. But I think we need to do something to get more people involved.

Of course, as Omph has pointed out, maybe we don't want everyone involved?

(This thing certainly has wandered away from the subject of a potentially crap movie, huh? Some people would find that very disturbing. Even call it "spam"! )

SandChigger wrote:Of course, I also think that people should be required to vote and take part in political decisions, and that the biggest mistake the Founding Fathers made was not including a Bill of Responsibilities to balance the Bill of Rights. (In their defense, they probably never imagined a populace stupid enough to not realize that one doesn't come without the other.)

That rings a bell.

Didn't the French originally have something similiar to a Bill of Responsibilities to balance their version of the Bill of Rights?

SandChigger wrote:The price of liberty.

I think we need to experiment with some different forms of government, starting small, at the local level and working up, slowly, seeing if there aren't better ways of doing things. America began as a "grand experiment" after all, right?

In the city where I live over here, we're organized into residential blocks (kumi), which belong to han (as in "honcho"), then wards (ku) and so on up to the city level. Every year, one family on each block has to serve as "blockhead" (kumi-chou) and last year it was my turn. We met about once a month and discussed problems in the area, organized several community events, went on security patrols on Saturday nights, etc. The biggest part of my duties was passing around a folder every week or two containing notices and newsletters from the city government, announcements of cultural stuff, etc. Was a bit of a PITA, but it gave me a whole new perspective on how things work over here. (And it showed me that Japanese people really can hold a meaningful meeting and end it on time. At the uni and other schools I've worked at, the meetings drone on and on and never get anywhere...mainly because the faculty uses them as an excuse not to be doing something else.)

Over the year, I often thought about what I know of the workings of government back in my home village in Ohio and compared the two. The system wouldn't translate well in whole or probably even in part, mainly because of what I perceive as endemic political apathy back there. But I think we need to do something to get more people involved.

Of course, as Omph has pointed out, maybe we don't want everyone involved?

(This thing certainly has wandered away from the subject of a potentially crap movie, huh? Some people would find that very disturbing. Even call it "spam"! )

My turn as the blockhead doesn't come up for 10 years based on when we moved into our house.

Nevertheless, they definitely take this very seriously! As far as I am aware, there isn't any law that outlines your duties as a homeowner, but I can't imagine anyone ditching their "obligations" (not that they don't piss and moan like anyone else around the world). An continuation of their training starting from kindergarten.

Starship Troopers is part of the reading list (not sure if required) for the Marines as part of their ethics and values training under their new Close-Quarter Combat Program.

Blockhead... that's funny!

We've got a lot of those in our government!

I blogged it that way myself before some commenter could lob it at me. (At one time I had a REAL PITA gun-totin' Xian wingnut woman in Pennsylvania stalking my blog—not the current one, of course. She had this obsession with the image of me abusing myself with a little furry glove, or something like that. )

GamePlayer wrote:The first film's only redeeming quality was the satire and interesting special effects. Other than that, I hated it. I'm not sure I was aware they made a sequel. I'm trying to remember something, anything, about it but I'm coming up blank. I know I didn't see it, but I don't seem to recall even hearing anything about it. It must have been direct to video kind of thing.

I can't be the only one who liked shouting "SIEG HEIL" when the sky marshall came on the screen.

I don't remember doing that myself, but I could understand the urge I actually enjoyed the satire and irony very much and thought it was well done, something rarely seen in most film today.

GamePlayer wrote:I don't remember doing that myself, but I could understand the urge I actually enjoyed the satire and irony very much and thought it was well done, something rarely seen in most film today.

Most of the audiences didn't either


Rob