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PeterScott
Heinlein Nexus
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am Posts: 2236 Location: Pacific NorthWest
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Heinlein action scenes
So in the Reviewing Forum we were just talking about favorite action scenes in Cameron movies, and I thought, let's take that back into RAH-land. Heinlein always strikes me as a master of the written medium, i.e., using techniques that work best or only in the literary form. For example: The unwritten ambiguity of the identity of J.S. Bach when recovering from the operation: impossible to do in a movie. There are other, better, examples that I don't have to hand of Heinlein really leveraging the written word.
But... Heinlein's strength with that form means that he doesn't have (IMHO) a lot of visually dramatic action scenes. Not, I hasten to add, anything I perceive as lacking. Still, in the spirit of the question in the other forum, what would you peg as the greatest action scene in a Heinlein book... the kind of thing that gets your blood racing, would be the most riveting on the big screen, etc?
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Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:07 pm |
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JamesGifford
PITA Bred
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:17 pm Posts: 2402 Location: The Quiet Earth
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Sam turning to face the attacking centaurs. (Starman Jones.)
Joe Straczynski said that the greatest story in human history is Horatius, and no one ever tires of the retelling. I'd concur. This is Heinlein's take.
Second choice: Kip throwing the malted in Ace Quiggle's face. Best closing line in any of his stories.
_________________ "Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders." - Luther In the end, I found Heinlein is finite. Thus, finite analysis is needed.
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Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:49 pm |
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PeterScott
Heinlein Nexus
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am Posts: 2236 Location: Pacific NorthWest
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Yep. Along those lines, then, I submit: the last stand of Joe and Gail Greene. Also Friday's flight from the colony ship.
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:55 pm |
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BillPatterson
Heinlein Biographer
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:33 pm Posts: 1024
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:12 pm |
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JackKelly
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:57 am Posts: 669 Location: DC Metro
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Mike making the cops disappear from the bottom of Jubal's pool
The Warden's proctors' raid on the insurrectionist meeting
Thorby burning the raider ship
Petronius Arbiter going postal on Belle and Miles
Lorenzo Smythe grimly slicing up the body in the bathtub
Jim and Frank skating thousands of miles on the frozen Martian canals
Lummox consumes the neighbor's dog
_________________ "Being right too soon is socially unacceptable." - Heinlein, Expanded Universe
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:25 pm |
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PeterScott
Heinlein Nexus
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am Posts: 2236 Location: Pacific NorthWest
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:08 pm |
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KeithJones923
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:33 pm Posts: 54 Location: Wolverhampton, England
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Definately good Ole Pete mashing Miles and Bele!
The escape from the "centaurs" in Starman Jones
The Starship Troopers deploying from the capsule tubes
Most of Gay Deceiver's attack runs!
The attack upon and defence of Time HQ in TCWWTW
Have a great New Year everyone!
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Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:38 am |
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NickDoten
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:05 am Posts: 238
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
For me it's the sword dual Oscar has with with Cyrano in the tower (Glory Road)
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Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:37 pm |
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sergeial
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:33 pm Posts: 14 Location: Wherever the Army sends me
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ Logic is a feeble reed, friend. -- Glory Road
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Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:06 am |
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NickDoten
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:05 am Posts: 238
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
it may take a couple of army vets to appreciate a good sword fight !
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Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:37 am |
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JamesGifford
PITA Bred
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:17 pm Posts: 2402 Location: The Quiet Earth
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ "Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders." - Luther In the end, I found Heinlein is finite. Thus, finite analysis is needed.
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Fri Jan 01, 2010 1:20 pm |
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scottwilliamson
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:27 pm Posts: 2
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
TEFL. Lazarus and his wife (forgive me, it's been a few years, I forget her name; Dora, short for adorable?) on their remote homestead. An all male family of four show up and finally make their play. Lazarus and Dora reverse the situation and get the drop on them. This scene is the first that came to mind. It's not as physically active as most of the above, but emotionally, it was extremely satisfying. Even when I know how it turns out, I go from, "Uh-oh, they're screwed," to delicious frontier justice. We've seen it before in many westerns. I love that RAH could render it so well in words.
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Fri Jan 01, 2010 5:07 pm |
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NickDoten
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:05 am Posts: 238
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
which one would you like? a vet respects his opponents capabilities
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:55 am |
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DanHenderson
Centennial Attendee
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:21 am Posts: 786 Location: Sunnyvale, CA
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet.” –Abraham Lincoln
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Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:55 am |
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RobertWFranson
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:57 pm Posts: 152
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ http://www.Troynovant.com/ - recurrent inspiration
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Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:43 pm |
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JamesGifford
PITA Bred
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:17 pm Posts: 2402 Location: The Quiet Earth
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ "Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders." - Luther In the end, I found Heinlein is finite. Thus, finite analysis is needed.
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Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:14 am |
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PeterScott
Heinlein Nexus
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am Posts: 2236 Location: Pacific NorthWest
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
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Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:31 am |
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RobertWFranson
NitroForum Oldster
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:57 pm Posts: 152
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
_________________ http://www.Troynovant.com/ - recurrent inspiration
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Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:36 pm |
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holmesiv
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:53 am Posts: 555
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
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Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:00 pm |
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BillPatterson
Heinlein Biographer
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:33 pm Posts: 1024
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Not quite on this point but maybe interesting enough . . .
I noticed recently how often Heinlein has his action sequences in the middle and then the ends become talking heads. The observation came up with regard to Have Space Suit, but darned if Citizen of the Galaxy isn't exactly the same.
Typically the action grows throughout and climaxes near the end. Heinlein's books are not typical.
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Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:30 pm |
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RobertJames
Heinlein Nexus
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:05 am Posts: 375
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Because Heinlein's books are what what things mean, not about what things happen.
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Tue May 03, 2011 8:54 am |
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mostlyclassics
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 5:33 pm Posts: 131 Location: Evanston, IL
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Re: Heinlein action scenes
Finally, given the maturing of CGI, this has become cinematically possible. I'd love to see Oscar, Star and Rufo force-feed Igli to himself.
_________________ Tom Kendall www.mostlyclassics.net tom.kendall@mostlyclassics.net
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Sat Jan 10, 2015 7:28 pm |
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