Avatar, asymmetric warfare, and US contribution to WW2

I would also like to point out that Starship Troopers alone isn't enough to understand all of Heinlein's views. For example: The early Beyond This Horizon promoted a kind of socialism (not Marxism). The juvenile Between Planets is negative about military dictatorships. Double Star uses Martians as an allegory for the Civil Rights movement during the 1950's, and has a politician based on FDR who is one of the "good guys".

Heinlein also tended to be subtle, for example he often doesn't mention straight away what ethnicity the main character has, and when he do he often only hints at it, as in Orphans of the Sky, Starship Troopers, and Friday. A superficial reading of Sixth Column makes it look like a typical yellow peril novel, but reading between the lines it's actually critical against racism (though it still isn't "politically correct").
 
Hammer Birchgrove said:
I would also like to point out that Starship Troopers alone isn't enough to understand all of Heinlein's views. For example: The early Beyond This Horizon promoted a kind of socialism (not Marxism). The juvenile Between Planets is negative about military dictatorships. Double Star uses Martians as an allegory for the Civil Rights movement during the 1950's, and has a politician based on FDR who is one of the "good guys".

Heinlein also tended to be subtle, for example he often doesn't mention straight away what ethnicity the main character has, and when he do he often only hints at it, as in Orphans of the Sky, Starship Troopers, and Friday. A superficial reading of Sixth Column makes it look like a typical yellow peril novel, but reading between the lines it's actually critical against racism (though it still isn't "politically correct").
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And lest we forget like all of us, Heinlein was human and many of his "early" attitudes changed over the decades.

Hammer: I'd suggest viewing the other two Starship Troopers films, at least so you can know the badness :)
The second movie is SST-2:Hero of the Federation where the humans have invaded bug space and Klandethu and are getting their butts kicked. The focus on a small group that manages to "hide-out" in an abandoned fort suddenly has the bugs finding a way to "take-over" humans and the "hero" ends up killing a "general" taken over by the bugs and is last seen, duel-rifles blazing away at hordes of bugs as his "girlfriend" flys away in the R&R shuttle. (Rescue-and-Retrieval) The last scene is her and her new baby looking in on a group listening to a Federation propaganda film on the Hero and how the "Federation needs YOU!"
Meanwhile the "disabled" vet in charge (Hmmm, same arm prosthetic from the first film) plays with the baby and says "Grow up quick little one... We need you" then smiles at her and says "More meat for the grinder" and smiles as she grabs the baby and runs away. (Smart woman)

The third film brings back "Colonel" Johnny Rico who is in charge of the defense on a planet where we have the bugs "stalled" in trench warfare. The defense fails, Johnny gets the blame and is schduled for exicution but gets diverted to a secret project called the "Marauder" program. Which turns out to be Power Armor! (Ok they look more like mini-Mech exoskeletons but we get the point since "Marauder" was a class of armor from the book)
Overall it didn't really "do" anything for the series, too much focus on religion and over-the-top characters and not enough on development and follow-up. (Come on! The "Skymarshal" is a ROCKSTAR??? Google or YouTube "It's a Good Day to Die" :) )

I just can't see ANY movie being able to carry over the many layers that the book has, though I still hope someone takes another shot at it.

Randy
 
RanulfC said:
I just can't see ANY movie being able to carry over the many layers that the book has, though I still hope someone takes another shot at it.

Randy
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There are other books which would be (and would have been) better on their own without trying to make a movie or mini-series. Frank Herbert's Dune and James White's The Silent Stars Go By are two that come to mind.
 
The Artist said:
There are other books which would be (and would have been) better on their own without trying to make a movie or mini-series. Frank Herbert's Dune and James White's The Silent Stars Go By are two that come to mind.
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Lets no forget Avatar in this list... (wow the thread is On Topic!)
 
Noticed these "How it should end" shorts about a month ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXraSkgssFk
 
Avatarism in the real world...

BP morons turned down my offer, says James Cameron

June 4, 2010 - 10:09AM

Acclaimed director James Cameron says "morons" at BP turned down his offer to help stem the leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well.

Cameron told The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital conference he offered to lend his expertise in undersea filming to the oil giant, which "graciously" turned him down, NBC Miami reported.

"Over the last few weeks I've watched, as we all have, with growing horror and heartache, watching what's happening in the Gulf and thinking those morons don't know what they're doing," he said.

The director of Titanic and Avatar made the comments a day after taking part in a brainstorming session called by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Cameron, who is considered an expert in undersea filming, told the conference he believed he could help BP stop the flow of oil, considering his experience with directing robots at great depths.

"I know really, really, really smart people that work typically at depths much greater than what that well is at," he said.

Cameron acknowledged his experience did not extend to deep-sea drilling but said experts he knew were adept at operating underwater vehicles and electronic optical-fibre systems, NBC Miami reported.

"Most importantly, they know the engineering that it requires to get something done at that depth," he said.

The disaster is entering its 44th day, with few signs of a final solution.

The US government has given BP until July 1 to pay a $79 million bill related to the oil spill, an administration official said.

The $79 million figure represents 75 per cent of government costs to date, the official said.

Georgina Robinson and Reuters
 
Abraham Gubler said:
BP morons turned down my offer, says James Cameron
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Another example of Hollywood thinking they are actually relevant to the real world.

Well, fine. Let's put his experience to work: lets take one massively armed bomber and a fleet of gunships and blow the "Rachel Corrie" straight to hell. THAT, at least, would probably work.
 
I wouldn't mind having Cameron work for NASA (he has interesting ideas for Mars landers) but if he don't have personal experience in oil drilling etc he has as much reason to work for BP as I.
 
Man in the High Castle
 

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