The Bugs Whacked Me! *Starship Troopers* First Time Watching

[@holddowna]

Ya’ll! I had no idea this was a satire going in and I was so sassy that day! Started to realize it by the end! But wow I loved this movie!

[@mgass1354]

The book, written by Heinlein, was satire and that carried over into the movie. In addition, the movie added a lot of satire towards the military. The whole "do you want to know more" was taken from AFRTS where servicemembers overseas got to watch "commercials" for the Library of Congress and would ask family members back in the states to record commercials for them. The drill instructor harming recruits without blinking an eye, just yelling, "MEDIC", and walking away. The, "I'm doing my part", again from AFRTS with FOD announcements. The wartime field promotion system (I need a new corporal, you're it). All taking jabs at the military.

[@shanenolan5625]

There is a great video about this , the politics of star ship troopers, ( sargon of akkad) fascism, communism,

[@OctaBech]

@@mgass1354 The book was not satire

[@JamesVigue]

Thanks for the content! New subscriber here.

[@tommydecastro2047]

Think you are absolutely gorgeous , love the channel

[@TheGundamsword]

Some people say the bugs are the villains. Some people say the propaganda is the villain. But we all know the real villain is Carmen.

[@D.A.B-w7n]

😂

[@philrob1978]

Absolutely - I remember watching this with my parents (they love a good bit of gory sci-fi bless them) and every time she shows up on screen with that god awful grin my mother was tutting and sighing, and at one point cheering out loud when she thought Carmen was going to die.

[@yesnickcarter]

i saw a meme along the lines of “growing up is realizing Rico should have chosen Dizz”.

[@busfare5660]

"Goddamn bugs whacked us Johnny " with tears in her eyes, Oscar worthy. I wouldn't be able to be serious and say that lines lol

[@holddowna]

Right she’s soo good but it killed me!

[@alucard624]

Apparently that's Neil Patrick's favorite line. The commentary with him, Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyers, and Paul Verhoeven is hilarious throughout.

[@welcometothemovies9157]

Makes me think of Ewan McGregor in Episode 3 Star Wars. Him covering his mouth saying younglings cause he was laughing

[@Take_Me_Back_To_The_1980s]

Never pass up a good thing, Rico

[@gwaratron]

Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown are amazing in this movie. Well, pretty much everything they're in is amazing.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

They definitely killed it. :D

[@kirkistief]

To be honest, Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown are amazing in everything they do.

[@TheChickenlittle11]

Darkseid and Lex Luthor

[@Dystopia1111]

Both had voice roles in 'Transformers : Prime' (2013-15) as well. Ironside as Ultra Magnus is basically Lt. Raczak in robot form, perfect casting.

[@claudegrenier3180]

Tbf, Micheal Ironside was in about 90% of movies between 85 and 2k lol when i was younger, there was a movie trivia game that we played and when asked "Name an actor from this movie?" 9 out of 10 you could say Micheal Ironside and youd be right lol points!

[@JDMC13]

Movie: *horrific scenes of the destruction of a city* Ames: *laughing maniacally* Yeah, that tracks.

[@holddowna]

It was BECAUSE off the way the line was said “bugs whacked us” lmao

[@angusmcculloch6653]

@@holddowna That's one of the greatest lines ever delivered by a secondary character in US cinema. She committed so much to it, I buy it. For that line alone, I think this movie should be preserved by the Library of Congress. The only greater line ever delivered (this one by an extra) is "Johnny, you're a creampuff!" in the first Karate Kid.

[@davidperkins6752]

@@angusmcculloch6653 🤣🤣🤣

[@chimpinaneckbrace]

“You tryin’ to be a hero, Watkins?!”

[@zmani4379]

@@holddowna you're surprisingly adept at seeing past the deceptively "straight" delivery in these films, and picking up on the underlying tone, the true heart of the film

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

"Make it twenty minutes" One of the best lines ever.

[@holddowna]

Lol

[@infinitelybi2064]

Hey, if y'all know how to use it, 20 minutes is just enough time 😅😂😂❤❤🎉

[@robertmartin2936]

@@infinitelybi2064 These characters for sure are asking "what do we do with the other 18 minutes?"

[@SSand4]

Lt. Rasczak bein' a bro.

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

‘She fucked his brains out’ 😮

[@Lue_Jonin]

The kids stomping the bugs while thier mother laughs hysterically was my favorite part 😂 🐛 hahahaha "THEY'RE DOING THEIR PART"

[@claytonpaul4259]

that lady was unhinged lol

[@AceMoonshot]

Diz is best girl...

[@angusmcculloch6653]

She took getting George Floyd-ed by Zim like a champ.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

Damn right.

[@SwordsmanRyan]

Team Diz

[@thegroundhurts]

A podcast was talking about this recently and they said “Boys think the first GF is the best, men know the second one is the best.”

[@renzero9206]

100%. Carmen is a piece of sh.. I would take Diz every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[@Cayden1988]

I'll forever hold a grudge against Rico for pulling out that Arachnid limb out of Dizzy's torso. It was probably keeping her alive as long as it was in there. Basic medical procedure states this in the real world. Leave the object in to slow blood loss until you're transported to hospital for surgery. Ripping out is basically a death sentence by further damaging organs and flesh and causing irreversible damage. Let's not also forget this is the future with advanced medical technology. So I'd bet to say there was something back at the fleet that could of healed her up.

[@angusmcculloch6653]

It's not Johnny's fault. Carmen taught him to always pull out.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

@@angusmcculloch6653 You don't pull punches. I like you.

[@vilefly]

He's mobile infantry. Everyone else is just a medic and knows how to deal with it. lol. Seriously though, the characters are supposed to be young and dumb until they gain some experience. Nailed it.

[@PodreyJenkin138]

Yeah it's a shame, they should have kept it in her and have her die anyway, doesn't ruin your suspension of disbelief, but it's also a movie and having a big prop like that doesn't always work

[@adamndirtyape]

People do this sort of thing in movies all the time. Pulling out objects that have pierced someone is something you do not do unless the patient is going to die immediately if you don't. If Dizzy had been pinned to the ground and couldn't be evacuated without pulling the limb out then that would have made more sense.

[@durangojoe1123]

I wish Mister Crabs would yell "MEDIC!!!" when SpongeBob gets hurt.

[@P-M-869]

The Veterans took over the government. So, serving makes you a Citizen. When it started serving didn't have to be in the military. When you go for Federal Service, you would be tested for where you would best fit. This is based on the Robert A Heinlein book - Starship Troopers.

[@flatebo1]

And, you could quit at ANY time. And, Federal Service was entirely voluntary - no conscription at all. A god part of the justification of Federal Service being necessary to ear voting rights is so that the people voting for government policy know what enforcing government policy entails. If you aren't willing to personally risk your skin to enforce a law, if you object to people being harmed in the enforcement of the law, then you shouldn't have any say in what is the law. None of this "X should be illegal, but the police should be nicer to people they arrest" nonsense.

[@charleslatora5750]

​@@flatebo1 Amen. Truth.

[@EShelby2127]

Fascism in Sci-Fi: "Mobilizing Passions" in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers Author Alton C. Ayers, Virginia Commonwealth University "Abstract This thesis responds to criticism of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959) as a “fascist” novel by further investigating the claim through a close reading of the novel that applies political theory scholarship on fascism. Chapters I and II introduce the novel along with its general reception and controversy. These chapters consider the accusations of “fascism” given to the novel while at the same time understanding that a clear, exact definition of “fascism” has long been grappled with by scholars since the rise of the regimes in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Chapters III and IV apply political theory to examine Starship Troopers’s characters, language, and plot to find if the novel’s narrative expresses the “mobilizing passions” of fascism identified by Robert Paxton in The Anatomy of Fascism (2004). In addition to Paxton, the political theory analysis will also be aided by Roger Griffin’s The Nature of Fascism (1991) and Umberto Eco’s 1995 essay “Ur-Fascism.” The focus will be on “checking off” each mobilizing passion listed by Paxton, but consideration will also be given to how Starship Troopers buys into the “national rebirth” myth in Griffin’s definition of palingenetic populist ultranationalism as well as how it expresses certain fascist features observed by Eco. Chapters III and IV ultimately find that Starship Troopers’s narrative expresses all of the mobilizing passions listed. Chapter VI concludes the analysis by denouncing fascism and Starship Troopers’s vision of a false-utopia, pointing to the inherent ineffectuality and destructiveness of fascism. The concluding chapter closes with final remarks reflecting on applying current scholarship on fascism to the reading of a novel." Robert A Heinlein - www.brainyquote.com/authors/robert-a-heinlein-quotes

[@carstentripscha4609]

@@flatebo1 It also was a matter of being willing to make sacrifices for the good of society as a whole. By putting society's needs ahead of your own, you demonstrated that you were responsible and mature enough to make decisions that would further society as a whole.

[@BlackIce3190]

No, they didn’t. The veterans rebuilt the government after the democracies of the world collapsed and criminal gangs took over.

[@jasonbeatty831]

I saw this opening night and had such a blast, I was shocked to find out a couple years later that this was a box office failure.

[@AsymptoteInverse]

Oh man... This must have been FANTASTIC on the big screen...

[@NefariousKoel]

Being around at the time, I don't recall it having much marketing at all. I didn't know it existed when it was in theaters. It became popular after it hit video rental stores though.

[@christophero1969]

@@AsymptoteInverse Yes it was! Me and my brother had to see this movie twice!

[@robbob5302]

I remember there was a lot of controversy when this movie came out. The propaganda vids were too similar to Nazi news reels.

[@jasonbeatty831]

@ which was the point

[@danmcdonald3723]

"Luck didn't have anything to do with it. We have a hell of a flight team..." WHO WAS BUSY MAKING GOOGLY EYES AT EACH OTHER and lost the friggin' conn tower off the ship. That part always makes me literally laugh when re-watching this movie.

[@LordVolkov]

They were on course to witness the false flag meteor, but Carmen's change of flight plan put them in its path 🤣🤣🤣

[@holddowna]

Right lmaoooooo

[@woeshaling6421]

@@LordVolkov yeah. It also never made sense that the bugs would send meteors lightyears from the other side of the galaxy, and on target. Just blame any rogue meteor on an enemy, easy demagoguery

[@notreallydaedalus]

I always thought that exchange was to further highlight the difference in culture and experience between the grunts and the fleet. A satire of army/marines vs air force/navy. When MI screws up they get torn apart. When fleet screws up, they get a pat on the back.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

"That vagina bug just Capri Sunned that man!" - Emily, Just SUMM Reactions

[@shanenolan5625]

I'm doing my part

[@Rob-eo5ql]

Haha

[@theevilbeard]

Clancy Brown - Shawshank Redemption Jake Busey - notably Gary Busey's son, he's in Contact and Stranger Things) Michael Ironside - Top Gun, Total Recall All the actors in and around this movie have roles you'll know!

[@holddowna]

AHHHHH!!

[@megafan2000]

Sir yes sir Mr. Krabs sir! - I don't think I knew Clancy Brown was Mr. Krabs til I started watching reactions to this. My favorite thing I've learned is that guy who got shot in the head in training married the girl who shot him. Kids be like mommy how did you meet daddy?

[@kmill5009]

When I think of Jake Busey I always think of the movie Tomcats.

[@MrDarkwing78]

@@kmill5009 When I think of Jake Busey I think of The Frighteners with Michael J Fox, personally.

[@BlackCountrySoul1]

Clancy Brown is also the Kurgan in Highlander.

[@jacfalle27]

If you like ferrets, I highly suggest the sword & fantasy movie Beastmaster. 😂

[@TrickyDicky2006]

odd ferret trivia. ferrets have been used to run cabling through small enclosed space in aeroplanes and buildings for decades by fitting special harnesses to attach the cable to. The broadcasting of some of the largest events in history were only possible due to them 😁

[@ben2741]

That film traumatized me as a kid. Still haven’t yo e back as an adult

[@scottlette]

Good call.

[@Hammster69official]

@@ben2741 It's okay - I have similar issues with the original Salem's Lot (1976). Why Dad ever thought it was okay to let a seven year old watch that... 😶

[@LordVolkov]

"Listen to Rizz!" Dizz has the rizz 😍 Dina Meyer is a great mix of badass and hotness. Her look at the dance in the backless silver dress is 🤌 Check out Bats, with Lou Diamond Phillips for a fun creature feature with Dina.

[@holddowna]

SHES RAD

[@3rdOption-l9t]

@@holddowna I was also disgusted with "Johnny" for simping over that C-word Carmen, whilst overlooking the sincere (albeit stalkery) hotness that was Diz. Then I remembered that it was a BS luv triangle jammed into this story, which WAS NOT IN THE FREAKIN' BOOK! 🤬 Pant. Pant. Breathe, just breathe. Ok. But "Johnny" was JUAN, a freakin' Filipino in the book godddammm it!!!! ok, I'll stop... But they had _fighting_ _suits_ in the book, so it didn't matter if they could breathe the atmosphere, and and and 🤯 💀

[@Mackampackam]

Dina Meyer plays a big role in Johnny Mnemonic, a 90's cyberpunk SF with Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren and Ice-T. It is a fun watch and sadly almost forgotten today. I think it's better than its rating.

[@briannaamore1383]

@@Mackampackam I really wanted to love that movie but I felt it missed in so many ways. It did, however, pave the way for The Matrix.

[@colormedubious4747]

@@3rdOption-l9t And Dizzy was a DUDE in the book.

[@FeaturingRob]

There are a lot of differences between the film and the original novel by Robert A. Heinlein... 1) The Troopers wear power armor, like an army wearing Iron Man armor. 2) Carman Ibannez is not in the story, only mentioned. Zander is entirely made-up. Dizzy Flores was a man on one page in the novel, dead. Raszcek is an amalgamation of two different characters. 3) The bugs were basically human-sized, not nearly as wild, and more technologically advanced. There is an entire other alien species in the story. 4) Rico's dad survived and joined the Mobile Infantry under Jonny's command. 5) Because of Heinlein's background (he was an Annapolis graduate and a naval veteran), the novel is pro-military and borders on everything the film satirizes. Interesting castings you may have missed: - The guy who processes Carmen, Carl, and Jonny without legs is actor Robert David Hall, best known for playing Las Vegas coroner Dr. Albert Robbins on CSI. - The psychic with the third eye is Timothy Omundson, known for his TV series Galavant and Psych. Most recently, he played Haephestus, God of the Forge, in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He survived a stroke in 2017. He had to relearn how to walk, talk, and everything else, but he is still a working actor, even though he still deals with the aftermath. - The biology teacher during the bug dissection scene is Rue McClanahan, best known as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. - Jake Busey, who played Ace, is the son of Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story, Lethal Weapon) - Lt. Willy, who leads Rico and Dizzy during the Klendathu drop, is played by Steven Ford, son of former United States President Gerald R. Ford. - The General who asks Cark what the brain bug is thinking is Dale Dye, who trains actors who are playing military roles and serves as a technical advisor on the same films. Among the movies and TV series he has worked on are Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Platoon, and Casualties of War. He also is an actor in many more films and TV shows. Eric Bruskotter (Breckinridge) and Tami-Adrian George (D'janaD), the big guy shot in the head during the live-fire exercise, and the girl who shot him fell in love in real life and married.

[@Ken_G.]

Carmen shows up when he's in training and takes him out to lunch. She's mentioned as being like 5 foot tall and shaved bald like most female pilots. I love Heinlein, probably my favorite author. This is a fun movie, but should not be confused with the original source from which the writers cribbed the names of people and places.

[@GlebNerzhin]

Also one of the infantrymen (the black guy) is Carver on The Wire.

[@dupersuper1938]

@@GlebNerzhin I haven't seen The Wire yet; is that the priest from Walking Dead?

[@bozzi1118]

@@dupersuper1938 Yep, thats him

[@NessOnett8]

It strikes me that most people who say this must not have actually read the book. And just repeated what they heard. Heinlein, despite his early career, was extremely anti-military. And the book is as much a satire as the movie. But just like droves of viewers (and professional reviewers) completely missed the movie being a satire, people did the same thing with the book. Which, having come out decades earlier, needed to be even more subtle with the satire to get to print. But people see the characters that Carl was based on (ie Nazi/SS analogues), and think because the book has them, that it's advocating for them.

[@angusmcculloch6653]

Ames doing Starship Troopers? Why, yes, I do have time to watch.

[@holddowna]

😂

[@qq_02]

You mean, you would like to know more. Also remember there are three ST movies with the last one having the best soundtrack.

[@michaelwoods3651]

Carmen is a walking red flag. Toxic tease! Dizz is the 💩

[@holddowna]

Lololo

[@Take_Me_Back_To_The_1980s]

Mobile Infantry and Fleet don't mix!

[@tvdroid22]

Chocolate yogurt?

[@stich21]

Carmen over diz every day

[@tvdroid22]

Just watched Deadpool again. Couldn't resist.

[@stephenmiller2544]

the cgi on the bugs is so good. it doesnt just hold up, but exceeds todays effects.

[@philrob1978]

I think so too - when you compare it to other big effects movies even in that year (1997) - there's no contest. It still looks great today.

[@shuboy05]

That’s because the Bugs are a blend of CG and practical effects. They had the legendary Phil Tippett (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Robocop) working on this movie.

[@rollmops7948]

Carmen took the ship sideway out of the space station, like little Tommy Webber tried to do it in "Galaxy Quest"

[@stevenvicijan4338]

[Nerdue ue te... ]

[@mattburgess5697]

Don't exceed port speed. "Why?" Because I'll fail you and have you jailed for insubordination..

[@ph1shstyx]

The only way the cast would agree to be completely naked for the shower scene in boot was if the director was also naked. I believe it ended up being everyone involved in the direct filming of this scene was completely naked (cast and crew)

[@holddowna]

Lmao

[@poop_knife]

Now THAT'S how you shoot a movie!

[@ericc8705]

The story... as I've heard it.... The cast kept having trouble getting that scene right ... blowing their lines ... not staying in character ... etc. Finally, Deena Meyer (aka Dizzy) shouted out, "If you think this is so easy why don't YOU try being naked for this?" ... and so, the director Paul Verhoven (who was from Europe where they're much less embarrassed by nudity) and one of the Directors of Photography (I believe) -- the D.P. actually grew up in a nudist colony, so he had no issues with public nudity -- both stripped naked. Casper van Diem and several of the other cast members ALL replied, "Oh gawd, Deena... WHY??!!" - because honestly... nobody wanted to see Verhoven naked. (*LOL*)

[@philrob1978]

@@ericc8705 I have no issue believing that's precisely what Verhoeven did (plus any of the crew he could cajole into doing also). Would have certainly focussed some minds. Must have made a great calendar shoot though.

[@billparrish4385]

I remember when this came out, a fellow IT geek at work was constantly and randomly working in 'Do you want to know more' into conversations. 🤓 But Ames, you totally got the thing that most reactors miss, about how it was all Carmen's fault, trying to 'lick Zander's navs' by re-plotting their course, that caused them to lose their comm array to the bug meteor and prevented their warning Earth defenses, which could have saved Buenos Aires, the loss of which kickstarted the war. When they were all in basic training, Zim was talking about disabling the enemy's hand to prevent him pushing a button. Their live fire exercise's enemy silhouettes were all human soldiers firing at them. In other words, they were training for human-on-human combat. The Arachnids were just these weird aliens they had encountered. Then Buenos Aires was lost, and suddenly it was war. And all because Carmen thought she was so smart! 🤣

[@NWguy83]

There was a short lived CGI animated series in the late 90s or maybe 2000. Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles

[@davidmeir9348]

To get an idea of what Verhoeven tried to say with the movie two things you should know. 1 - As a kid he witnessed the nazis invade his country (Holland). 2 - The uniforms of the high officers of the human army look exactly like the uniforms of Gestapo and Nazi SS officers.

[@gawkthimm6030]

also the Book its based on is very different, soldiers in huge power armor, written by an American more than 3 decades before the film.. very much not satirical.

[@AaronPaulIbarrola]

He also didn't read the book which is about militaristic meritocratic liberal utopia but all he saw was "Military. Ew Military = Bad"

[@Sgt_Glory]

@@AaronPaulIbarrola I read the book and yeah, that's a fair assertion hah. Helldivers is closer to this movie than the actual book 😂

[@gawkthimm6030]

@@AaronPaulIbarrola also deeply steeped in American ultra-patriotic militarist fetishist.. the whole 'thank you for your service' mantra the US civilian public has for former military service men, while not giving them proper healthcare and PTSD mental health care. school children swearing allegiance oaths etc. its practically cliche for a former successful General to leverage his popularity into a presidential term. That is practically unknown in most other democracies.

[@charlize1253]

Director Paul Verhoeven was surprised that so many people missed the social satire in "Robocop," so he went even more over the top in this movie by making the heroes into literal imperial fascists with Nazi-like uniforms. And yet some people still missed the point.

[@d4mdcykey]

_"Goddamn bugs whacked us, Johnny."_ That is also my favorite line, I've used at random just to see if anyone catches it.

[@fred__lang]

My favorite part of any Ames reaction: [Something awful happens]: "Awwww, buddy."

[@holddowna]

Im so Canadian 😂😂😂😂 gotta make my shirt for merch

[@WessyD123]

That teacher during the scene when they were dissecting the bug was Blanch from the Golden Girls.

[@GrumpyOldGuy534]

You laughed more than anyone I've seen watch this movie.

[@holddowna]

I have a habit of loving comedies lol

[@paulanerruhrpott6188]

Yeah, this reaction is unique. Most reactors seem to be shocked by the violence.

[@AlaskanGlitch]

@@holddowna : Anyone who considers a story about fascism and genocide to be a comedy has to be seriously psychotic.

[@zzDarkwingDuck]

@@AlaskanGlitch anyone who considers this a story about fascism thinks HOAs are good.

[@AlaskanGlitch]

@@zzDarkwingDuck : You clearly missed the numerous Hitler and Mussolini references throughout the movie, but that isn't surprising for someone who lacks the education to even know anything about the subject.

[@shinrapresident7010]

As someone with a degree in entomology, I approve of this movie! 🥾 🪳

[@Osprey850]

It's good to know your enemy.

[@billparrish4385]

You're doing your part! 😎

[@mikeabberton]

Would you like to know more?

[@lennyvalentin6485]

You must also cackle hysterically while stomping the bugs as well.

[@Darkswordz]

"Goddam bugs whacked us, Johnny!" 😋

[@famousmcfly80]

Saw this in the theater opening weekend. Theater was cram-packed with people. Everyone was having a great time. It was a fun experience. I feel like this movie is infinitely watchable. Good dumb fun!

[@Bar-Lord]

I saw this flick when it came out. I was still in middle school, so a lot of the satire went way over my head. I was still fairly new to seeing R rated flicks in theaters, so I was just excited to get the action and sci-fi. It’s always fun the revisit this one.

[@TheDrag0nSlayer]

The boobs were also good.

[@artisticstefan]

I love how ready you were to watch the brain bug suck some brains! Love how much you get invested in the stories, happy, sad, gross or scary. Really enjoy your enthusiasm.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

This movie has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Lol

[@holddowna]

Mine now too

[@ryank5424]

"the enemy cannot push a button!....if you disable his hand" 😆

[@willcool713]

Surprisingly, the digital effects actually hold up better on bigger screens. There's a ton of detail that looks bad in compression algorithms, because this was made for the big screen without much thought to home screens, which were still analog trash by comparison then. They designed the Bugs to be as easy to consistently render as possible without looking cheesy. And since the main bugs weren't flexible, they were easy to render and skin en masse. The squishy bugs were the difficult parts that took the most time or they had to rely upon practical effects. You can see some sliding in the Bugs' ground placement when you study carefully, but they did a pretty good job with most all of that, too. The scenes in space, like where the ship is blown in half, are amazingly detailed. If you pause it on a big 4K or 8K screen, there are literally dozens of scenes of things happening to people in that one single shot, for instance. About the time that this movie came out, my buddy and I had a fractal t-shirt enterprise. We would zoom and render through variations of Lyapunovian space and the Mandelbrot set to find unique images to sell. Each of us had decent computers for the time, but a single image could still take days to render (where nothing else could be done with your computer). I can only imagine how long it took to render this movie back then, even on big iron. But that was the roadblock, not the imagery itself. They set up the intended imagery to give themselves as good a chance of realism as they possibly could. It might hold up better than you realize. Most people completely missed the satire when this came out, even critics, and focused on how well the effects worked. I believe the consensus then was that the practical effects and dialog were the parts that let the movie down, but that the digital effects were largely seamless. Many gung-ho, rah-rah types who loved this movie, specifically loved it for all the detail and "realism."

[@Shaun_J]

“Goddamn bugs whacked us johnny” I’ve never laughed at that line till now 😂😂

[@cassidywest5539]

Carmen is the worst thing ever.

[@holddowna]

Lol I was really hard on Carmen lol

[@NefariousKoel]

I'd say Jenny from Forrest Gump has her beat. Apparently that's a controversial statement for some, but it's pretty obvious.

[@johndb1860]

​@@NefariousKoelI thought jennay what's cool when I first watched it as a young teen. Now with a little more experience it's pretty obvious just how many red flags she has

[@thefearhawk8805]

@@NefariousKoel no. Its pretty obvious that Forrest Gump is just a really bad movie. Like...really bad to a point where its almost propaganda.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@NefariousKoel Cinema Therapy did an episode on FG recently and whether or not Jenny was Toxic. I'm on the fence myself. I think both sides of the argument have merit.

[@stephenmiller2544]

knowing this is a paul verhoven movie based on a book written in the 60s is a must going in. I say that but when I saw this in theaters when I was 13 I didnt know any of that and I loved it so much. so I guess what im saying is that knowing the background as an adult makes it seem less weird, but it was always cool. just like Robocop, and Total Recall.

[@MichaelDugan-b5v]

Nothing like watching this in the theatre while doing tequila shots. Good times.

[@holddowna]

😂😂😂

[@athanatic]

Better than sitting there a faithful adaptations instead of another thinly-veiled metaphor for his homeland's takeover by the Nazis. Watch Robocop or any of the others to see him hammering suspicion of propaganda!

[@dirrrtydawg9772]

Literally made me just want to rewatch this cult classic. Great job

[@JS-wp4gs]

and its all downhill from here. the sequels aren't really worth watching and the third one is embarrassingly bad. At least 2 kinda has an interesting idea for a plot even if the movie itself is garbage and doesn't really make any sense

[@jamespetkwitz8737]

2 isn't garbage... it is simply a super low budget Scifi movie that basically takes place in one location. I actually quite like it as it's own movie...but it really isn't a sequel or connected to this at all

[@MickeyStartraveller]

the animated one is not that bad

[@andreas956]

I love that you acknowledges something I have never paid attention to or made a big deal out of: 16:40 - The buzzing on the door. Woman really do have superpowers when it comes to being attentative and reading between the lines, when it comes to social surroundings.

[@OneArmedRetroGamer]

I believe it's the same guy who did Total Recall and Robocop

[@holddowna]

Yes I learnt this after - I have seen TR as a kid it’s been forever but never seen Robocop!

[@k5sss]

@@holddownaYou really need to do Robocop!

[@CoastalNomad]

@@holddowna He also did "Basic Instinct"........

[@clarkness77]

Robocop for next reaction! Great film

[@Dystopia1111]

​@@holddownaSecond what the last guy said - RoboCop is a must.

[@logankerlee]

Really happy that you watched and enjoyed this! I first watched this when I was a kid, back in '98 or so, when I was 10 years old. Obviously over the top violence but it's good stuff! Glad you had a good time. :)

[@Ken_G.]

I still regret not going to be an extra in this. I was living in Boulder when they filmed this and the Klandathu battle scenes were shot up in Wyoming. There was no pay but you got to keep your M.I. gear.

[@Bohica369]

It's easy to forget because of how the movie starts, but in boot camp they were training to be soldiers. They had no idea who or what they would be fighting.

[@UnclePengy]

I never noticed all the double entendre lines that Xander drops in this film. "I heard about a crazy girl who's wild on the stick"... "You think you can lick my navs?"

[@holddowna]

LMAOO it was so funny

[@alistairsmith6126]

I'm old as hell so did see this in the cinema in 1997. It was insane and awesome then and still holds up now. The early scenes were shot like a 90s soap opera in the vein of Beverley Hills 90210 which made it all the more joyous when the young and beautiful cast were ripped apart by massive space insects!

[@sean_b_drummer]

I think you'd really love, Time Bandits! Directed by Terry Gilliam (Monty Python member) and includes other Monty Python alum.

[@holddowna]

Prob sounds great!

[@zmani4379]

@@holddowna See Brazil from the same director - incidentally, Gilliam is the Bridgekeeper who asked "WHUT is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow", and also the guy clacking the coconuts - he also did their animation, and then later became a major director in his own right, known for the surreal and often satirical humor of his films, but IMO Brazil is his masterpiece - Monty Python meets 1984

[@athanatic]

Gilliam generally...

[@ecthelion1735]

It absolutely blows my mind that this was from 1997, and we still haven't surpassed it in visual effects, from the bugs to the starships. The death of the Rodger Young is probably the most beautiful (and horrifying) starship destruction ever filmed.

[@insrtcowjoke]

Okay, I subscribed for citizenship! I've made it my personal responsibility!

[@holddowna]

UVE DONE UR PART

[@insrtcowjoke]

@@holddowna o7

[@drunkenmonkey28]

7:55 “😊Yaaay-*sees he has no legs*- ohh, buddy😟” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@generic_sauce]

Welcome to the Roughnecks, Ames!

[@holddowna]

heheheh

[@jorgelmao4992]

everyone fights, no one quits

[@JamailvanWestering]

Hoo-Ha!!

[@Cayden1988]

RAZCACKS ROUGHNECKS!

[@brentaughe7539]

Rico’s roughnecks!!!

[@hamishsmith2685]

I loved Ames reaction, I loved Ames predicting all the love triangles and love trajectories! This film is F'ing timeless!

[@JeffClark-l7s]

Watch this reaction and the Popcorn in Bed for two completely reactions 😂

[@jamescox2822]

Yes, maybe it's pretty dad gum silly But it is excellent satire on what happens to a society that blindly follows any government ..... The book was of course ten times better

[@Argumemnon]

The book isn't satire, though. It actually buys into this stuff.

[@dallassukerkin6878]

@@Argumemnon It's just the stuff in the book is not the same stuff movie is on about. [Edit out an overly excited "Not" :)} Verhoeven almost accidentally made a satirical masterpiece of a movie whilst trying to work through his real life issues from his memories of what the Nazi's did in Holland - not that that there is anything the slightest wrong with being anti-Nazi of course ... but, as noted, that isn't what the book is about. By all accounts, Verhoeven never read beyond the first chapter, so that's why the great film and the great book don't match up.

[@JeffClark-l7s]

The book plays it straight

[@angusmcculloch6653]

As others have said, the book isn't satire, but the political system in the book also isn't the one that's represented in the movie. But, yeah, the book is almost just straight political theory in places.

[@anonymes2884]

@@dallassukerkin6878 I mean, it wasn't "almost accidentally". Verhoeven knew exactly what he was doing and was very deliberately creating a satire from the off (in the same style as e.g. "Robocop", just with a different target).

[@dclore]

Wow - I've watched this movie so many time but I've never noticed that someone came to Carmen's door which is why it cut from her being happy and then somber before! Well caught!

[@BanjoChewy]

I had this movie on VHS in the 90s. Watched it numerous times.

[@char_lizard8440]

Fun fact: The drill sergeant is the voice of Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob lol

[@abinadvd]

Because it is him.

[@grigorione7824]

Animated Starship Troopers movies are great . Excellent art style , voice acting and story too .

[@hissatsu4937]

Me and my friends went to see this when it first came out. Damn that was a long time ago now, but the movie holds up amazingly to this day. Unlike the sequel.

[@holddowna]

Ahh dang the did a sequel this movie doesn’t need that!

[@AsymptoteInverse]

Lucky! Though I had the good fortune of having this movie etched into my late-childhood nostalgia.

[@ryanroff3976]

I was just happy to hear someone call him Doogie Howser and not Barney from How I Met Your Mother.

[@holddowna]

I’ve actually never seen doogie howser just know he’s in it and he’s an incredible talent !

[@RikWlz]

"It's afraid!"

[@jorgelmao4992]

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH 👏👏👏👏

[@skrounst]

DUDE!!!! I dunno how you consistently react to my all time favorite movies, do you do like patreon polls? Or do you just happen to pick amazing cult following movies? anyways... MWAH! *Chefs kiss* No notes, keep it up!

[@holddowna]

Both but also POLLS always on patreon! Great crew over there.. this came in 2nd to Close Encounters so I watched Both because I wanted to see this forever!!

[@LolliPop2000]

Dougie Howser is now Dougie Himmler.

[@yodieyuh]

Because he made a ferret go up his mom's leg and ran tests on bugs that were never humanized? You've killed bugs before, so you must be a natsoc too.

[@holddowna]

Ha!

[@ghettoprince187]

Herr Dougie to you!

[@blubberbernd2347]

​@@yodieyuhits because of his uniform mate.

[@yodieyuh]

@@blubberbernd2347 Neil Patrick Harris the real life actor is wearing it, therefore Neil Patrick Harris is a confirmed fascist? That's all it takes?

[@ericswanson411]

I saw this in theaters when I was 12 years old, and I loved it. To this day I still love it. Ironically my family planned to do spaghetti for dinner the night we saw this in theaters and my dad, brother and I were the only ones that ate that night LoL. Good times.

[@Cauldronb0rn]

I always wonder if Carmen bumping her ship into that asteroid sent it on a path to Earth and she was directly responsible for Buenos Ares being destroyed or if it was a different asteroid that just coincidentally happened to hit after the ship incident took place.

[@jamespetkwitz8737]

that is a long talked about theory. and parts of the theory hold up parts don't. I think it is just another layer to the whole story for sure

[@rincemind8369]

It seemed obvious to me on my first watch of the movie, already. The dialogue of that scene makes it clear that the asteroird was set off course. It's also logical that the fascist propaganda blames the aliens for what was the catastrophic result of the military staff's (Carmen's) misjudgment. A welcome pretext for war. There's lot of subtext to be found in this movie. It's cleverly obfuscated by all the emotional stuff that's going on, meanwhile.

[@BlackIce3190]

Nah, the bugs launched it, even that hack commie Veerhoven said that. They didn’t care what city they hit as long as they hit us.

[@Dan_dan281]

36:05 “I don’t think the plot matters” 😂

[@TheJereld]

The interesting thing I have discovered about this movie. Too young to get at the time it was released. Is that the bugs never attacked earth. It was a false flag to invade the bug planet.

[@holddowna]

!

[@asmrhead1560]

Alright Alex Jones, settle down!

[@ivantot506]

@@asmrhead1560 He aint wrong

[@thescrambler692]

@@ivantot506 He is wrong.

[@ivantot506]

@@thescrambler692 Considering they are on opposite side of the galaxy they would have to send that asteroid towards Earth hundreds years ago. And even if we disregard that fact you just need to see where that war is fought. If they attacked Earth that war wouldn't be fought on their planet. Its just logical

[@blakewalker84120]

I agree! The gore is fun, the satire is fun, the hammy acting is even fun. And the CGI holds up pretty well. All in all, a fun and funny movie.

[@charlize1253]

At least you realized it was a satire by the end! Director Paul Verhoeven was surprised that so many people missed the social satire in "Robocop," so he went even more over the top in this movie by making the heroes into literal imperial fascists with Nazi-like uniforms. And yet some people still missed the point entirely.

[@Whiskey0880]

How many times are you going to cut and paste the same thing?

[@MoldyOog]

You're laughing, the bugs freaking whacked us, and you're laughing.

[@atrus3823]

“It’s like a dead dog and then the funniest lines I’ve ever heard.” I think this sums up Verhoeven perfectly.

[@holddowna]

LMAOOOOO

[@dunringill1747]

This is the last of Paul Verhoeven's Sci Fi Trifecta - (RoboCop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers). All of them have Dark Satire, Campy Dialogue, Over-The-Top Violence, and some Deeper Social Commentary underneath it all. How can anyone not love this?

[@flippert0]

I'm doing my part: subscribed!

[@dritzzdarkwood4727]

Diz was the real catch, both in looks and most certainly in personality. Rico was a fool in school.

[@eatgreencrayons]

I don't think you can dehumanize something that isn't human to begin with.

[@holddowna]

Lmaooooo

[@RasMix1]

the paul verhoven trillogy of robocop, total recal and starship troopers is a great way to spend an evening.

[@polhokustaa4989]

I just rewatched a Stallone movie called Cliffhanger, you should check it out too!

[@truckerduck85]

Watching it in 1997 was off the chain. Instant classic. Watching it today is very thought-provoking.

[@johnpoling805]

It was considered a box office bomb back in the day when it came out because back then, most people thought it was a pro-war propaganda film, but didn't recognize the satire laced throughout the film. As a veteran of the US Army, it was obviously sarcasm, and if you look the the director, he was a child in Sweden during the invasion by Nazi Germany back in the early 40s. I love this film so much and was so happy to see that you, too, recognize the satire, and to be fair, most people do now.

[@Snaakie83]

Paul Verhoeven is very much Dutch... He also did Showgirls, Robocop, Basic Instinct and Total Recall in the 90s'.

[@JoshMainka]

Sweden was neutral in WW2 and never invaded by the Nazis. Verhoeven is Dutch.

[@charlize1253]

Director Paul Verhoeven was surprised that so many people missed the social satire in "Robocop," so he went even more over the top in this movie by making the heroes into literal imperial fascists with Nazi-like uniforms. And yet some people still missed the point.

[@GerritDeSmedt]

that "what !?!!?' around the ferret & humans.. proved your a decent human being ^^

[@Mortismors]

In the book the bugs have lasers.

[@stvdagger8074]

and starships.

[@Kaylakaze]

I did see it in 1997. Opening night. It opened on the same day as Bean. My friends and I went and watched Bean and then, after, watched this. We had completely forgotten that we watched Bean earlier.

[@roguetheoutlander8800]

Who's doing their part as well?

[@accordgolfer]

I'm doing my part!

[@jessehamm3573]

I'm doing my part, too!

[@jasonscottjenkins]

I liked and subscribed! I'm doing my part!

[@okami36]

I saw this in the theater at Ft Knox when it came out. Also seeing it were a bunch of new guys on a night out from basic training. During the shower scene, some scrawny kid jumped up on his seat, pointing at the screen and yelling, "Sarge! Sarge! Why don't we get that?"

[@tanizaki]

1:46 You know her from her being my Hollywood girlfriend since BH 90210. 🥰

[@holddowna]

Ooooooo!!!

[@jeffreyphipps1507]

During WWI, the 82nd infantry group was called "82nd All the Way". When that group became a paratroop group (I think in WWII) the slogan was changed to "Death from Above" where it remains to this day.

[@Gandalf1232]

"We will meet this challenge with our valor, indeed with our very lives. To ensure that human civilization, not insect, dominates this galaxy now and ALWAYS!" They may be space nazis, but i love that line from the Skymarshal! Best delivery in the whole movie 😄

[@louremington6975]

I've seen this movie at least 6 times. I never realized how many double entendre's their are until now. Too funny. I never caught the "so you think you can lick my navs. Ha ha

[@jeromedeparis]

If you like science fiction, I recommend two great films about the future of man. “Idiocracy” and "Soylent green".

[@k5sss]

+1 for Idiocracy!

[@MrDarkwing78]

I know this! Soylent Green is… 😂 I’m not gonna do it, though I had someone ruin the movie for me that way! 😢

[@blatherama]

"I'm getting smarter." slurp slurp slurp. Ames giving off serious liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti vibes.

[@holddowna]

Lmaooooo

[@WisdomoftheSphynx]

Ames, please read or listen to the audiobook. While we love this movie it is a hatchet job on the book. The director by his own admission didn’t bother reading more than one chapter of the source material.

[@samgradyfilm]

Ames, do *not* bother reading the book.

[@tyrone7635]

This was such a fun rewatch for me cause I saw it when it came out and this reaction reminds me of what a silly campy ride this was then😂

[@holddowna]

Yay!!

[@CapitalExpression]

The director Paul Verhoeven grew up in Nazi occupied Netherlands in fact his house near a military base. This imparted a deep dislike of militarism, fascism, and conservatism. When offered the script for the film, he tried to read the original Robert Heinlein book but found it to be a militaristic, chauvinistic, and fascist book that he didn't care for in the slightest. So he decided that in adapting the book, he would parody and skewer its world view. Which I think is for the best. The book might be all those things but its also just boring and Verohoeven's approach makes it both prescient and pretty timeless

[@anonymes2884]

Hah, really fun reaction - it's just icing on the cake that you didn't initially know it was a satire but still absolutely "got" the humour :).

[@holddowna]

Lol! I loved it!