Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1990s
    Movies - 1990s Movies - S 3 Mins Read

    Starship Troopers (1997)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Dutch director Paul Verhoeven (Robocop and Total Recall) cast this film with a diligent eye for tits, ass, gleaming teeth, toned muscles, bulging crotches and brows unlined by thought.

    He then sampled more shamelessly than Coolio, lifting chunks ofΒ Star WarsΒ (1977),Β AlienΒ (1979),Β The TerminatorΒ (1984), assorted war movies, westerns, Nazi propaganda films and his own fuck-bunny flop,Β ShowgirlsΒ (1995), in an unstinting effort to distance the viewer from originality and feeling.

    Casper Van Dien plays the studly hero, Johnny Rico, a high school graduate in Argentina who joins the federal army not so much to blow bugs to hell but to get laid.

    The object of his lust is Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has already signed up for aviator school.

    Johnny’s maths score isn’t good enough for him to make the cut as a starship pilot so he’s shipped off to the mobile infantry camp for bug mop-up, leaving Carmen to the drooling attentions of flyboy Zander Barcalow (Patrick Muldoon) and Johnny to work out his sexual frustration with infantry recruit Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), a babe who enjoys ripping off her shirt, and Johnny’s, for mutual chest licking and nipple biting.

    You might call these four actors graduates of the Aaron Spelling School of Dramatic Arts. Van Dien, Richards, and Meyer all won credits onΒ Beverly Hills 90210, while Muldoon matriculated atΒ Melrose Place.

    To cast the role of Carl Jenkins, who, as the brains of the group, rises to the top of military intelligence, the filmmakers had to venture beyond the stud muffins and Muffys of the Spelling stable to find Neil Patrick Harris, late ofΒ Doogie Howser MD.

    As you might have guessed, none of the acting requires any heavy lifting.

    starshiptroopers_001

    What is disturbing is the sadistic pleasure that Verhoeven seems to take in showing these pretty young things getting bruised, maimed, pierced and penetrated by insect tentacles.

    Johnny’s leg is severed and sewn back on, Zander gets his brain sucked out by a jumbo bug that resembles Marlon Brando inΒ Apocalypse NowΒ (1979), and Dizzy chokes up blood while speaking her last words to Johnny: “if I die, it’s OKΒ because I got to have you”.

    The film accelerates relentlessly like a video game. Verhoeven’s style of no foreplay and all orgasms is gold for pop culture junkies with attention-deficit disorder.

    But the main emphasis is all on squashing bugs.

    Visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett and his team work miracles with the creepy crawlies.

    Earning an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, Starship TroopersΒ delivered some of the coolest giant bugs ever put on screen.Β They buzz, they swarm, heave and attack with such lifelike menace that you want to reach for the Raid.

    The actors are no match for these digitised demons, and that’s the trouble. All the wonders inΒ Starship TroopersΒ are computer generated – the rest feels untouched by human hands.

    Verhoeven has eliminated such pesky matters as character, emotion and substance, and reduces the plot to a video game face-off between aliens and weapons, with his itchy hand revving the joystick.

    Johnny Rico
    Casper Van Dien
    Dizzy Flores
    Dina Meyer
    Carmen Ibanez
    Denise Richards
    Ace Levy
    Jake Busey
    Carl Jenkins
    Neil Patrick Harris
    Sergeant Zim
    Clancy Brown
    Sugar Watkins
    Seth Gilliam
    Zander Barcalow
    Patrick Muldoon
    General Owen
    Marshall Bell
    Breckinridge
    Eric Bruskotter
    Kitten Smith
    Matt Levin
    Katrina
    Blake Lindsley
    Shujimi
    Anthony Ruivivar
    Captain Deladier
    Brenda Strong
    Jean Rasczak
    Michael Ironside
    Mr Rico
    Christopher Curry
    Mrs Rico
    Lenore Kasdorf
    Djana’D
    Tami-Adrian George
    Corporal Bronski
    Teo
    Lieutenant Willy
    Steven Ford
    Corporal Birdie
    Ungela Brockman
    Sergeant Gillespie
    Curnal Aulisio
    Sky Marshall Dienes
    Bruce Gray
    Sky Marshall Meru
    Denise Dowse

    Director
    Paul Verhoeven

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Spaceballs (1987)
      Spaceballs (1987)
      When Mel Brooks created this typically uneven parody of Star WarsΒ (1977) and other space adventures, he went to extreme lengths…
    • Saturn 3 (1980)
      Saturn 3 (1980)
      Research workers Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett) live an idyllic Adam and Eve existence in a synthetic food-making…
    • Robocop 2 (1990)
      Robocop 2 (1990)
      The original movie was a smart comic strip pastiche. This one is just a comic book, full stop and seems…
    • Smokey & The Bandit (1977)
      Smokey & The Bandit (1977)
      By the mid-1970s it seemed like Burt Reynolds could do no wrong at the box office. With films likeΒ White LightningΒ andΒ The…
    • Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
      Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
      Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic, drives to Las Vegas after being fired from his film production job with the intention of…
    • Showgirls (1995)
      Showgirls (1995)
      Erotic drama from the writer and director of Basic InstinctΒ (1992), starring Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi Malone, a "dancing" hopeful who…
    • Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1991)
      Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1991)
      An alien called Secundus (Danish bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen) arrives on Earth with a laser gun and asks a woman called…
    • Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
      Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
      Below-par Walt Disney musical about a good-natured witch, played by Lansbury, and some children who help the British war effort…

    Disney
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleSpeed (1994)
    Next Article Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Most Likely Girl, The
      1 9 5 7Β (UK) 4 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived comedy […]
    • Silverchair
      Formed when all three members were 12-year-old students at […]
    • “King of Sexploitation” dies aged 78
      13 September 2012 Film-maker Stanley Long – dubbed the β€œKing of […]
    • Music Machine, The
      The Music Machine rode the songwriting genius of Sean Bonniwell, […]
    • Dynamints
      “They look so little but they refresh so big” Made […]
    • Ken Dodd’s Showbiz
      1 9 8 2 (UK) 6 x 35 minute episodes Debuting on BBC1 on 13 March […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    1 day ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.