Material planned for Half-Assed Internet Research is moved up because the Shane Black subject had come up.
Superstar screenwriting arrived with Shane Black and then Joe Esther House with Basic Instinct in 92, after Hollywood began treating books and articles as IP, as when Robert Stigwood bought the New York magazine article that became Saturday Night Fever.
Shane Black wrote the Lethal Weapon 2 script, in which Riggs dies at the end, and has called it his best piece of writing.
The script, called Play Dirty, is not available online; its described version is a pretty different movie and outcome that would have been the perfect endpoint for Riggs, though probably not a popular sensation.
Not killing Riggs was a brilliant decision that allowed at least two more sequels, with a fifth possibly coming.
Black's version was reportedly really dark and bloody, with Riggs sacrificing his life for Murtaugh after a fight in a forest fire; two endings were filmed, and test audiences rejected the one where Riggs dies in Glover's arms.
Allegedly Play Dirty included a scene where a plane full of cocaine explodes over Los Angeles, dusting the city.
The only new research item: Grand Theft Auto 5 pays homage, with a protagonist pulling a house down off stilts after finding his wife cheating with a tennis coach.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:32:54Read transcript

Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars.
Ebert is quoted calling it that rarity, a sequel with most of the same qualities as the original; the reply agrees and says it had better qualities than the original.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:06Read transcript

The original choice for Leo was Joey Pants, who had a conflict with The Last of the Finest; he would have been great.
DeVito was apparently also considered, but that doesn't work: too lovable.

Leave it mostly alone; an 80s wrestler such as the Ultimate Warrior as a South African henchman

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:34Read transcript

The movie may not need touching; one South African bad guy could be someone recognisable, like an 80s wrestler such as the Ultimate Warrior.

Helicopter shooting; not killing Riggs; 1989 condom ads; taking the girlfriend home; deep-sea fishing magazine; neglected dog

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:14:26Read transcript

In the opening helicopter scene the cops should just shoot at the blades.
For cops who break every rule, they weirdly respect diplomatic immunity.
Why not simply kill Riggs instead of a longer, escapable death; Taken does it too.
Answer: the boss wanted it done quietly because guests upstairs would hear shots, and they wanted to learn what he knew; it is half-explained, since a silencer was available.
Condom ads in 1989 are doubted and flagged.
Riggs takes his girlfriend back to her apartment after the shootout even though the South Africans know where she lives.
Riggs recognising the deep-sea fishing magazine issue makes no sense; Roger owns the boat and Riggs lives in a trailer watching the Three Stooges.
The dog is poorly cared for while Riggs lives at the Murtaughs', a trope discussed before; a pet-hotel vacation anecdote contrasts with 80s attitudes where a kid was paid $2 a day to feed the dog.

Is diplomatic immunity real?; Could a truck pull down a house on stilts?

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:19:17Read transcript

Is diplomatic immunity a real thing or a movie device? A bit of online searching suggests it is not really, and extradition stories like a diplomat's wife's car accident in England are recalled.
Tangent: diplomatic immunity did not help Leangelo Ball in China, then third brothers such as the third Hemsworth, Daniel Baldwin and a third Franco.
Could a truck really pull down a house on stilts? Probably not, or earthquakes would destroy those homes.