The check... 
is in the mail!
Re Lee’sGhost #1: I believe the Kidman film will be the fourth movie version of the “pod people” story.
At the End of the Universe notes “ If you were to plot the quality of the four versions of this story I think you’d see a definite downward trend which makes you wonder why someone would want to remake this movie so many times.” However, they do not name the four...
Let’see... 
As I';ve always believed the original was Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and the 1st remake was Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and the 2nd remake was The Invasion (2007). What was the missing one?
Well... after some googling, I found the missing one is Body Snatchers (1993) which I never heard of. At the flick’s IMDb page, I find there are only two things to recommend it: Gabrielle Anwar plays the lead and I’ve always thought she was pretty hot and speaking of hot, old sex-on-a-stick (Well, as me old Mom always claimed!) R. Lee Ermey plays General Platt.
So, I stand corrected, sir.
Re Lee’sGhost #2: I thought John Carpenter’s The Thing in was excellent. Much better than the one where James Arness runs around in suit looking like a giant carrot.
and EDINVA’s #1: Don’t even MENTION “The Thing” ... when I was a kid and the original was in the theaters it was shown as part of a double-header. My parents expressly forbade my brother and me from staying to see it. We did anyway (at his insistence). I got physically sick and was in bed for a couple of days afterwards. Kept waking up with nightmares. Don’t think I’ve been to a single sci-fi movie since.
Bite your tongue, Lee! Rewatch the original The Thing from Another World (1951) and find some of the best scf-fi dialog ever!
My personal favorite is:
Lt. Ken McPherson: What if he can read our minds?
Eddie: He’ll be real mad when he gets to me.
Arness’ ‘Thing’ actually has little screen time and it is what happened off screen and in our mind’s eye that really give the chills and thrills. Isn’t that right, EDINVA?
Re Lee’sGhost #3: Yes, they did butcher Heinlein’s story. If — and granted it is difficult to consider — if the movie had been made without Heinlein’s story being around as a reference to compare to, the movie would have been pretty good.
Yep, had they named it Starship Stormtroopers or Fascists in Space and never mentioned the work it was based upon, it would have been worth picking up from the dollar bin... But when they evoke Bob Heinlein’s name, they set at high threshold to cross. Which, of course, they did even come close!
Re Lee’sGhost #4: ...the biggest flaw was having Johnny Rico go for Carmen rather than Dizzy. Dina Meyer — what an absolute babe. Sure, Denise Richards is pretty, but there’s no there there. Plus, the fact that she cohabitated with Charlie “the human std petri dish” Sheen pretty much cancels out the good stuff.
And Rb ver. 2.0 #1: I took my 11 year old to see that in the movies. He was particularly impressed with the shower scene.
I’ve never had a problem with Dizzy being a hot showering babe nor Denise either, but I do agree with your points, Lee, Dizzy was the better love interest and I would not sleep with Denise unless I was really, really, really, really, REALLY drunk. Now, if we went to bed sober, that’s another thing. Ya know what they say: “A stiff XXXXX has no conscience.”
Forgive me, Millee, but I must plead guilty... 
on that count several times over the years. It was back when I was young and stupid before I turned 60 last Sunday. Now, I am on the straight and narrow. I've even closed in my stance when I go into an airport Men's Room!
BTW In the novel, Dizzy “...died on the way up.” on page 20 and Carmen 'Dear Johned' each and every time she wrote to Rico...
And while still on sexy, do not forget Brenda Strong's Captain Deladier as I stated on another Heinlein thread: "That was the only character that even came close to what I saw in my mind's eye when I read the novel."
Well... 
onward and upward!