"Starship Troopers" failed to land when it opened in November 1997. Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards were not bankable leads, and audiences expecting a conventional sci-fi epic were thrown off by the film's curious style, which is a mix of televisual soap operas and satirical militarism. Consequently, "Troopers" received a mediocre "C+" from CinemaScore and grossed just $121 million against a $100 million budget (via The Numbers).
Critics were not best pleased, either, especially Stephen Hunter, who attacked "Troopers" as a film that "presupposes" Nazism. Such literal-mindedness misses that Paul Verhoven's film is satirical meta-propaganda, not a cosmic fascist fantasy. The numerous propaganda bulletins make this clear, but the propaganda does not stop there. These bulletins are propaganda within propaganda because "Starship Troopers" can be viewed as one big propaganda piece vetted by the United Citizen Federation, the film's dystopian one-world government.
Johnny Rico (Casper van Dien) and Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) are model recruits,...
Critics were not best pleased, either, especially Stephen Hunter, who attacked "Troopers" as a film that "presupposes" Nazism. Such literal-mindedness misses that Paul Verhoven's film is satirical meta-propaganda, not a cosmic fascist fantasy. The numerous propaganda bulletins make this clear, but the propaganda does not stop there. These bulletins are propaganda within propaganda because "Starship Troopers" can be viewed as one big propaganda piece vetted by the United Citizen Federation, the film's dystopian one-world government.
Johnny Rico (Casper van Dien) and Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) are model recruits,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Jack Hawkins
- Slash Film
While discussing the current drama surrounding “The Real Housewives of Potomac” star Robyn Dixon, former “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Nene Leakes told “The Breakfast Club” the entire current “Real Housewives” franchise is “star-less.” Leakes, who departed “Rhoa” after Season 12 in 2020, added that she has no idea who Eboni K. Williams (“The Real Housewives of New York”) is.
Leakes went on to say that “there’s a difference between being famous and being known,” and even though she labled Kandi Burruss the “star” title, her words have since sparked a conversation about which housewives truly can be considered famous.
Whether you think of them as being true celebs or just “Bravolebrities,” here’s a list of the ladies who were notable before they given a peach, a diamond, a flute of champagne or an apple.
1. Kandi Burruss (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) Kandi Burruss (Quantrell Colbert/Bravo)
Kandi...
Leakes went on to say that “there’s a difference between being famous and being known,” and even though she labled Kandi Burruss the “star” title, her words have since sparked a conversation about which housewives truly can be considered famous.
Whether you think of them as being true celebs or just “Bravolebrities,” here’s a list of the ladies who were notable before they given a peach, a diamond, a flute of champagne or an apple.
1. Kandi Burruss (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) Kandi Burruss (Quantrell Colbert/Bravo)
Kandi...
- 2/8/2023
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
There is an old sketch from British comedians Mitchell and Webb; if you didn't see the show, you've probably seen the meme. As they await the approach of Russian troops, an SS officer consults his colleague regarding the skull-and-crossbones insignia on their caps. Hesitantly he asks, "Are we the baddies?"
It's a question that never crosses the minds of the protagonists in "Starship Troopers," Paul Verhoeven's violent satire of military excess and jingoism that drips with the same kind of fashion sense and iconography as the Third Reich. The director said he wanted to "make a film about fascists who aren't aware of their fascism" (via The Guardian) and to make his point he convinced Hollywood to give him 100 million to create a splattery sci-fi epic about teens fighting giant bugs on a distant planet.
It was a trashy premise that perhaps masked Verhoeven's satirical intentions at the time...
It's a question that never crosses the minds of the protagonists in "Starship Troopers," Paul Verhoeven's violent satire of military excess and jingoism that drips with the same kind of fashion sense and iconography as the Third Reich. The director said he wanted to "make a film about fascists who aren't aware of their fascism" (via The Guardian) and to make his point he convinced Hollywood to give him 100 million to create a splattery sci-fi epic about teens fighting giant bugs on a distant planet.
It was a trashy premise that perhaps masked Verhoeven's satirical intentions at the time...
- 12/26/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
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