Cool News
Johnny Rico & The Federation Want You To Help Stomp Out Child Abuse!! Would You Like To Know More??
Merrick here...
...with a look at an odd series of spots involving STARSHIP TROOPERS.
Casper Van Dien returns as Johnny Rico role (from STARSHIP TROOPERS #s 1 & 3) for a campaign aimed towards the awareness and prevention of child abuse.
The following press release will tell you more:
Actor Casper Van Dien suits up as “Johnny Rico”
to tackle child abuse in series of PSAs for Childhelp
Starship Troopers star urges people to join him in fighting back against child abuse
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 28, 2009) – Johnny Rico, lead character in the hit movie Starship Troopers, is suiting up once again to fight back against the evils of the galaxy. Hollywood actor Casper Van Dien has reprised the combat savvy character for Childhelp to talk about fighting a different war – the war against child abuse. Two new public service announcements (PSAs) were filmed for Childhelp, one of the leading organizations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse, and recently made their debut online.
The PSAs were put together by an all star team including Academy Award winning visual effects directors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, with the assistance of their brother Jeffrey Skotak who is now also working in visual effects. Robert and Dennis Skotak won Oscars for their visual effects work in the movies Terminator 2, Aliens and The Abyss. The filming was done by John Murlowski, who filmed Starship Troopers 3, and the editing by Kevin VanHook, who has worked on many blockbusters including I, Robot and Daredevil.
“Everyone jumped at the chance to come together and support such a great cause,” said Casper Van Dien. “Four children die every day in this country because of child abuse and neglect, and we all need to do whatever we can to help children in need.”
The PSAs can be viewed on the Childhelp website at http://www.childhelp.org/troopers/video
About Childhelp
In 2009, Childhelp commemorates 50 years of bringing the light of hope and healing into the lives of countless children. CEO and Co-Founder Sara O’Meara and President and Co-Founder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp in 1959 , establishing it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp’s approach focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services; children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the Childhelp National Day of Hope®, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, that mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.
Here are the Rico vids:
Actor Casper Van Dien suits up as “Johnny Rico”
to tackle child abuse in series of PSAs for Childhelp
Starship Troopers star urges people to join him in fighting back against child abuse
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 28, 2009) – Johnny Rico, lead character in the hit movie Starship Troopers, is suiting up once again to fight back against the evils of the galaxy. Hollywood actor Casper Van Dien has reprised the combat savvy character for Childhelp to talk about fighting a different war – the war against child abuse. Two new public service announcements (PSAs) were filmed for Childhelp, one of the leading organizations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse, and recently made their debut online.
The PSAs were put together by an all star team including Academy Award winning visual effects directors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, with the assistance of their brother Jeffrey Skotak who is now also working in visual effects. Robert and Dennis Skotak won Oscars for their visual effects work in the movies Terminator 2, Aliens and The Abyss. The filming was done by John Murlowski, who filmed Starship Troopers 3, and the editing by Kevin VanHook, who has worked on many blockbusters including I, Robot and Daredevil.
“Everyone jumped at the chance to come together and support such a great cause,” said Casper Van Dien. “Four children die every day in this country because of child abuse and neglect, and we all need to do whatever we can to help children in need.”
The PSAs can be viewed on the Childhelp website at http://www.childhelp.org/troopers/video
About Childhelp
In 2009, Childhelp commemorates 50 years of bringing the light of hope and healing into the lives of countless children. CEO and Co-Founder Sara O’Meara and President and Co-Founder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp in 1959 , establishing it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp’s approach focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services; children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the Childhelp National Day of Hope®, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, that mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.
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The cause may be noble, but I can't help but laugh all the way through them. I now want PSA's with Robocop telling kids to stay in school and don't do drugs.
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Kinda makes me want to neglect a kid now. way to not even attempt to act on behalf of children, good job van dien!
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My thoughts exactly. I've seen more expressive slabs of plywood.
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it was really bizarre. Especially the second one. Was he promoting a DTV movie while helping a charity?
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...and right after viewing, I reached over and backhanded my kid for jumping on the couch.
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Why is this organization using Casper Van Dien for it's PSA's? Why is it having him dress up as Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers? It makes no sense on so many different levels. I really don't think this will help to reduce child abuse.
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So wrong but omg how funny.
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The original Starship Troopers was amazing. The second two were unwatchable. Sucks.
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From the first one where dizzy kicks johnny and ace in the mud.This way caspier could come out of the mud and talk about child abuse,that would of rocked ..GO RICO!
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that was surreal, robocop would've been better casting
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"They fucked out his brains"
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because that's all that he can do. Another thing, why are they taking an ultra violent themed film and advertising against violence??? Are they on crack? It's true abusers should be addressed with violence,but how does this campaign work? Bizarre. I'm done with typing this post and ending all of my sentences with question marks!!!
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Quoth the Conchords: "The humans are dead."
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... and help kill paedos!
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I'm fairly liberal, socially and politically, but the first ST was so hyper violent and hyper graphic (never saw the dtv sequels) I'd almost consider it child abuse letting a young child watch it. There's a "Roughneck" st cartoon, right? dtv movies or a series? Hopefully something more appropriate for kids to watch? If so, hopefully that's how kids know ST, because otherwise most kids* shouldn't know who Jonny Rico is any more than they should know who Leatherface or Jenna Jameson is.
* I know, I know, YOUR kids are cool enough/kids you know are cool enough/kids you're related to are cool enough/when YOU were a kid YOU were cool enough to handle the hard coregenre stuff. Whoopdeshit. Tons of kids can't and their nightmares are bound to seem more realistic if they've seen something as nightmare-inducing as a giant bug ripping a soldier in half. -
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!?!
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is a dead kid!
(somebody had to say it...) -
with her shirt halfway off and her arms held high...
Casper Van Dinny... Dude your pissing all over your Cred. Was he court ordered to do this shit? I appreciate the message, but how can you take it seriously when use actors holding a big fake gun in vacuum formed armor with a bluescreen war screensaver going on behind them.
Those abused and neglected animal commercials work.. Why not follow suit and mirror the same style. Show a roll off of documented photographs containing images abused and bruised children. Then show a bunch of child porn suspects getting arrested and their houses being rummaged through. You want to get the message out and protect the kids. Show the brutal truth, and don't be hookey about it. -
Was Tom Berringer busy or something?
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This was a girl who joined the army, kicked her way through boot and fought a war against giant killer bugs for one guy. She has sex with him once (for 10 minutes yet!) then buys the farm REGRETTING NOTHING! I need a girl like that...
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Can you say "New RickRoll"? because I can.
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What in the hell universe am I in? Just surreal and bewildering on several levels. I agree with the above - Robocop would be cool.
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ROBOCOP: Little boy or girl. You have suffered an emotional shock. I will notify a child counseling center.
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to get me to stop abusing children.
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would this work on any level? It's like they're making fun of the idea of PSAs. I feel sorry for the charity that got roped into doing this, because they've very likely hurt their credibility.
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"KILL 'EM ALL!" Really? Johnny Rico? I mean, sure, it's well-intentioned and I can't really disagree with the message but this is like using Freddy Kruger for an anti-drug PSA.
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DYNOMITE! We must blow up child abusers! LOL!
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Can you imagine the sheer amount of narcotic ingestion it takes to think something like this up?
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Or how about Brad Dourif voicing Chucky, telling kids to "say nope to dope and ugh to drugs." Nice sentiment by Casper and crew, but dayum, that's an odd way to send the message.
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Seriously there are sooo many reasons NPH should have done this over Casper "Johnny Rico Killed My Career" Van Douchebag.
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helped to build its database, and manned the phone lines really was a good gig and it was a very good org then the founders chose to move it to arizona and started staffing it with lower waged non professionals not sure where it is holding today
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seriously...turns the whole issue into a joke
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The guy acts like he's working off some community service sentence. He reads cue cards as bad as I do... and that's pretty BAD!Next time, Casper, DON'T be yourself... ACT! You're far more engaging as Rico. It's sad when FAKE spots encouraging citizens to fight against Bugs are more convincing and rousing than REAL spots against child abuse.
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good idea o lord!!!! OF COURSE IT IS!!!!
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i couldnt get past the part where he says "there's a real battle raging" or something...lol too funny.
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Did you see?
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More Rico PSAs please.
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Jan 28, 2009 9:17:11 PM CST
It would have worked better if he were wearing the power armor.
by ironhelix
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That's the funniest fucking thing I've read all week. Well done. :)
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Jan 28, 2009 10:48:49 PM CST
Since STARSHIP TROOPERS was sort of a satire, are they saying...
by bob cryptonight
...they really want more child abuse? WTF????
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That was, indeed, odd - mainly because Van Dien wasn't acting as Rico but still dressed up as him - but I think they're still cool for doing this, it's an important issue. Thanks for linking to it.
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Bring back Verhoven and do it! I want to know more!
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I thoguht SST3: Marauder" was great. 2 sucked though, apart from the ending.
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What the frack?
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Reprising his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: "If you maggots know anyone who is fingerbanging a child thru their purty pink panties, you WILL fuck them up!"
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"Lets Punch things up a notch by getting a Celebrity sponsor" "Gee, who can we get for $15 and a Sandwhich?" "Hey, How about Casper Van Dien" "Thats a great idea, we can rip off those satellite commercials and put him in Starship Troopers to promote child abuse!"
the way Casper read his lines you would have thought someone programmed him. -
*Child Abuse Foundations
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Jan 29, 2009 2:16:26 AM CST
Those ads actually make me want to go out and abuse children.
by mr. p. lant
Or at least punch him in the face.
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Jan 29, 2009 2:33:04 AM CST
I am going to go and punch my GF's kid right in the face now.
by ironhelix
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What's next, Clarence boddicker telling you not to beat your wife?
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It's a shame such a worthy cause is being scuppered by marketing morons who obviously don't understand the news clips in the original film. On the positive side, it confirms once and for all that NOBODY in Verhoeven's young ensemble knew they were being cast as fascist poster boys/girls. You mad, Dutch genius, you.
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...if you recognize me or if a grown-up ever shows you me on TV, you know what to do!"
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But it's a good cause, and I congratulate him for it. Very well done, sir.
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you don't have a GF
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are underestimating the potential of these informative videos. Seriously, any child molester would be shaking in there boots seeing this shit! God damn Johnny Rico's gonna make bugs meat of dem sickos!!
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Jan 29, 2009 7:00:37 AM CST
This is the strangest thing I've seen in a while
by i_am_not_the_droid_you_are_looking_for
He should've done one ad as Rico and the other as Tarzan. Or as the torso of the dude from Sleepy Hollow.
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Jan 29, 2009 7:02:48 AM CST
And he should've signed out of the ad yelling...
by i_am_not_the_droid_you_are_looking_for
KILL 'EM! KILL 'EM ALL!
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It's time to go out and punch a kid and kick a little puppy, that's what this ad makes me want to do
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...and I played the role of Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers. Today, I have found a new role that is even more exciting. I am the new spokesperson for the International Gay-Lesbian Society (IGLAS). We are promoting acceptance of alternative lifestyles all across the world, including my own.
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As a concerned parent, I have previously been abusing my imaginary son, Frank Jnr, on a daily basis, but now that a fictional character has set me straight I will not be doing it again.I thank you, Johnny Rico; and, more importantly, Frank Jnr thanks you. No longer will he be spending the weekends locked under the stairs with a bunch of sandwiches and a phone with Tetris on it.
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God... Wiping away tears. Not from from the sheer gales of laughter, but because Johnny Rico broke down walls. Maybe Neil Patrick Harris can be on an episode of "Lock-Up" telling us how nail a dead beat dad right between the eyes. How about "To Catch A Predator?" While Chris Hansen is interrogating some douchebag, asking "Why are you here?", Mr. Harris can just sneak up from behind, place his hands on the guy's head, and scream, "HE'S AFRAID! HE'S AFRAID!"--Wow. Good Job Kreskin!--Seriously though, this is what scares the shit out of me about living in suburbia: millions of people coming home to 24 cable news and "American Idol." Paranoia+Pop Poison=Every house is now the "Last One on the Left." (Because, let's be honest here, Simon Cowell is just the new Lawrence Welk.) And THIS is the result. A movie parodying the propagandizing of ultra-violent solutions to universal problems becomes a self-parody. It's actually a parody of a parody. It's all so confusing. It's like a David Lynch flick. Now, I'm all for catching bad guys; but this is exactly why every single moron in this country with a penchant for procreation needs to see OTIS at least once.
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ST3 officially beat out Doomsday at bad movie night.
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Here is the contradiction - I would dearly love to see what the great Robert Heinlein would write about the cultural implications of this PSA...I am sure it would be witty, insightful and profound. And yet, it is good that he is dead, for if he was still alive he would most likely blow his brains out after writing his reaction...his last words being, "what have I created?"
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...But this changed my mind!
Okay, I'm playing BIOSHOCK the second time on "Hard" and I was going to "Harvest" some Little Sisters, but instead I'll just "Save" again.
Thanks, Mr. Rico! -
because the films are MAKING FUN OF HIM.
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Tetris.......on a phone. You sir, are indeed a monster. For shame. I can't believe I had to find my password for this but it was too hard to pass up. Good job everyone. Bad ads all around and Casper should have known better. Wait, his name is Casper. Nevermind.
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So I'm going to keep my mouth shut and just say Casper's heart is in the right place, good job.
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Jan 29, 2009 3:04:19 PM CST
NEWS: Casper Van Dien is up for the role of BIBLEMAN!!!
by bob cryptonight
They're making three new videos--on VHS only, sorry DVD fans--with a budget of over $1200 each! Casper was born for this role!!!! AWESOME!
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Ahhh... Go ahead, BSB, bash it. You'll feel better. :D
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I refuse to believe this is real. Must be for a new US version of BrassEye. Chris Morris duping "celebrities" again.
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"Stop diddling the child or there will be... trouble."
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Jan 29, 2009 6:09:38 PM CST
They're obviously marketing this to the direct-to-DVD crowd--
by bob cryptonight
---because those families have more child abuse. I mean, if you consistently watch all those crappy movies and ENJOY them...! Vern, don't have kids, I beg you!!!
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The anime is more faithful to Heinlein's book than any of these 3 films(the first film came close, save for the 90210-type acting).
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what? resort to vigilantiism? (is that word?)
terrible, terrible ads -
he's a family man happily raising a whole brood of kids
Oh and his wife is a princess heir to some obscure French county.
He never has to work a five minute shift again unless he wants to. -
bizarre
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