DeniseRichards

Honestly, how has this not been done yet?

Hail and well met! This weekend's foray into science fiction is the Paul Verhoeven-directed Starship Troopers. This is one of those films that I think most people love despite it being ridiculously awful, especially in the realm of acting. Whoever thought Casper Van Dien was a good choice for, well, anything, must have been smoking something incredible; however, its his incredibly overacted performance as military grunt Johnny Rico that makes the film so damned special.

Based on the book by prolific author Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers follows a squad of military grunts as they fight off the "Bugs" from planet Klendathu. It spawned a variety of sequels that sadly lack the magic of the first one, which stars the likes of Denise Richards, Dina Meyer. Neil freaking Patrick Harris, and long-running badasses Clancy Brown and Michael Ironside. It's utterly hilarious and delightfully gory, and though I haven't read the book, I've been told it's a fairly accurate representation of the novel as a whole.

Tune in Monday as we explore the inner workings of this masterpiece of science fiction film-making (hard to say that with a straight face), and answer the question: does the brain bug look like a giant vagina?

I watched Starship Troopers on Blu-ray last week for the first time in probably over a decade, and I'd almost forgotten just how sly and silly that film is. It's the closest director Paul Verhoeven ever came to recapturing the lunacy of his modern classic Robocop, and he's past due for a return to sci-fi action. (You're missed, Mr. Verhoeven!)

The craftsmen at Yamato Toy USA are fans as well -- they're selling a 9" replica of the Starship Rodger Young (the ship where Carmen Ibanez, played in the film by the young, uber-kissable Denise Richards, is stationed). The solid pewter replica (which comes with a base for mounting) is available for order through the Yamato website. It's a no-frills toy, but it's unique and well-sculpted (and nine inches of pewter is quite a heavy duty model). Your very own Rodger Young will set you back $129.99. Your very own Denise Richards is not available for order.