Filmonic » District 9

District 10?

Liam — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:47:15 +0000

Over the weekend District 9 made $37 million at the US box office and has earned another $7 overseas. As the film was made for only $30 million it’s safe to say it will make a nice profit, especially as it has yet to open in places such as the UK, France and Germany. Combine the numbers with positive reviews and the words ‘hit’, ’success’ and ’sequel’ start to pop up. Directer Neill Blomkamp spoke to Fangoria about the possibility of a sequel a few days before it’s release, and it looks like he’s up for one.

“I’d love to make a sequel, because it’s so creatively rewarding to me; there’s just something about [the story],” the South African-born Blomkamp told Fango of his debut feature, in which aliens have been living alongside humans for the past 28 years in Johannesburg—albeit confined to a shantytown slum. “It’s my background mixed with the science fiction that I loved. I’d really like to go back to the world of DISTRICT 9—which, without Sharlto’s character, would be a very different kind of movie. So I think automatically the two of us will be reunited again, should the public decide that this film is something they want to see and it’s successful.”

Producer Peter Jackson was also asked about a sequel (pre-release) and he says he’d only want to make a sequel for the right reasons:

“We’re superstitious,” Jackson, who produced the film, told MTV News at the time. “Sitting down and talking about sequels when you haven’t even released the movie is, I think, tempting fate. We’ll get the film released, see how it does.”
“I believe movies should come from the heart, and if there’s any sequel or continuation of ‘District 9,’ it should only be because there’s a good idea involved, not because it’s a money-making venture,” Jackson said.

I have to wait 2 more weeks to see District 9 in the UK so at the moment I can’t give my opinion on the sequel. From what I’ve read there are some people who think District 9 should be a standalone film, where as others think a sequel is inevitable and want to see one. If you have seen District 9, do you want a sequel?

Go See District 9

Dave — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:44:43 +0000

District 9 is the kind of science fiction we deserve. The main character is a spineless racist who is only really concerned with his own well-being and the love of his wife, the plot takes logical steps to elevate the situation towards an action-packed climax, but the whole ordeal grows out of a classic aliens-as-metaphor conceit.

Best of all, the flick doesn’t feel like it’s pulling any punches or taking any leaps of faith to trick you into liking it. It’s a bold debut film and, with the exception of Duncan Jones’ Moon, the only science fiction film that feels like it’s ready to join the family of classics without depending on becoming a box office smash over a few weeks. District 9 might be my favorite movie of the year thus far, and I don’t want to spoil the experience I had by blowing the film’s wad in plot description and details.

That being said…

Decades ago, an alien ship appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. It stopped and hovered until the inhabitants of Earth finally cut through its hull, revealing malnourished and starving aliens living in their own filth. It seems that the leadership of the race had died and the remaining aliens, dubbed “prawns” because of their lobster/grasshopper like appearance, we stranded here.

As part of a seemingly philanthropic gesture, the prawns were moved to District 9 in South Africa where they have lived until present day. District 9 has become a slum and the residents of Johannesburg are less than thrilled with their extraterrestrial neighbors. The aliens have brought weaponry, though it’s mostly been confiscated and cannot be operated by any non-alien due to DNA recognition technology that is beyond our understanding. What weapons are left are quickly gobbled up by Nigerian slum-lords who run District 9’s black market and crime syndicate (including prostitution, which – thank God – we never have to watch).

Finally, public uproar is heard and MNU, a faceless bureaucratic company combined with a Blackwater like militia, is charged with evicting the residents of District 9 and moving them to a new camp with a more organize, concentration camp feel. Put in charge of this operation is Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a character who initially looks better suited to be guest-starring on the British incarnation of The Office than running this sort of large-scale, possibly illegal operation.

Wikus burns prawn babies and finds some illegal caches of weapons…and something else.

What happens to Wikus kicks the story off running and the fauxumentary look of the beginning of the film, complete with expert interviews, melts away so we can follow some amazing action set pieces and CGI aliens with hand-held, in the moment action beats. When everything finally simmers down, we get a coda in the documentary style, bookending an intimate experience with wide-world implications.

This is the debut film from Neill Blomkamp, the fine young gentleman who was all ready to direct the Halo movie before that fell apart (now that responsibility lies with Steven Spielberg), and it shows. The action is frenetic and full of tech, the camera is occasionally mounted to soldiers as they spin around corners, guns ready and some of the alien weaponry looks like a video game made manifest. I’m so sad Blomkamp says he won’t do Halo. His prepping for the movie shows, and his series of three Halo live-action shorts titled “Arms Race” have a lot of similar looking action to District 9.

Although it gets dangerously close to spoilers, I will only say that District 9 does leave room for a sequel, but I really hope no one thinks that’s a good idea. A $30 million dollar debut feature has been executed about as well as anyone could, and – like classic science fiction before it – all of our questions don’t need to be answered, they just need to be asked.

District 9 is amazing and because the joy of discovering it is part of the magic, this review is mediocre. Go see it when you can, then I would suggest THIS All Things Fan Girl article for your post-D9 reading.

New District 9 images

Liam — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:56:32 +0000

io9 have a bunch of new images from District 9 which will be released in a matter of hours in the US. Click here to see all 15 of them!

Early reviews for the film have been positive so far, here are a few snippets from Rotten Tomatoes (which currently has the film at 95% fresh):

A great example of how fresh science fiction can be when it’s not just handed over to the special effects team and then the marketing division. “District 9″ is far from perfect, but every frame in it drips with ambition, energy and vision.

District 9 is a wrenching, riveting, occasionally violent, often heartbreaking, and, above all, socially conscious science-fiction film featuring seamlessly integrated CGI effects alongside flat-out perfect performances.

District 9 is a brave, intelligent and exciting film. Some of its story beats fall into the “unlikely” category, but the central idea, the design, and the acting are so strong that you’ll likely go with it and have a damn good time doing so.

Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic.

Reading the reviews makes me annoyed that I have to wait another 2 weeks to see it. Damn late UK releases!

Here’s the trailer for those who still need convincing:

New District 9 Photo Shows Big Gun

Dave — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:21:48 +0000

District 9 is one of those films that has managed to sharply divide those who pay attention to upcoming releases and the casual movie-goer. So many of my friends that will habitually catch about one film a week just as something to do have no idea why there is a sticker on the bathroom doors that say “Humans Only.”

They laugh and think it’s some sort of joke, they’re not at all aware that it’s District 9 advertising.

On the other hand, the folks I know who voraciously devour movie news on the internet and see summer blockbusters on opening day continue to build the excitement for Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson’s sci-fi summer fare.

After all, Blomkamp and Jackson were the folks who were going to bring us the Halo movie before it imploded in Development Hell. The new previews for the film show some alien fights and crazy alien tech, while G.I. Joe’s Accelerator Suits look like a big-screen version of Spartan warriors. We’re getting pieces, and at least Blomkamp will get to prove his gumption with a late summer alien sci fi film.

USA Today has posted a new image from District 9. It shows Sharlto Copley as on-the-run agent Wikus. Wikus is hiding out in the alien internment camp, and he has a big gun.

CLICK HERE to see the whole thing, and get ready for something interesting when District 9 opens in the US on August 14th.

Full District 9 trailer hits

Liam — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:45:55 +0000

A new trailer for District 9 has appeared online over at Yahoo! We get to see a lot more footage than the teaser revealed and we also get to see some aliens in action. I like the unique style in which it is shot. They could have easily made your usual alien invasion movie but they’ve decided to go down a different route by giving it documentary-style look. Watch the trailer below!

District 9 is directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, and will be released next month in the US and September 4th in the UK.

Second District 9 trailer

Liam — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:13:23 +0000

We have a new trailer for Peter Jackson’s upcoming sci-fi movie District 9. I say it’s Peter Jackson’s but it’s really director Neill Blomkamp’s movie, it’s just Jackson has been a major reason why it got made, and the marketing guys have added a “Peter Jackson presents…” part in the first teaser, and again in this new trailer below.

Peter Jackson will be attending the San Diego Comic Con later this year on behalf of District 9. He’ll no doubt be talking about Tintin and The Hobbit, but helping District 9 out is his aim.

Get The Big Picture have some interesting new posters and billboards for the film, which you can check out by clicking here!

Transformers, District 9 and Gamer posters

Liam — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:16:56 +0000

Three new posters have appeared online today. One is for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, another is for District 9 and the third is for Gerard Butler’s Gamer.

A cool flash version of the Gamer poster can be seen over at UGO. Gamer was originally called ‘Game’ and is set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments.

District 9 teaser trailer

Liam — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:36:38 +0000

District 9 is what Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp decided to focus on when plans to make the movie adaptation of Halo broke down. The film tells the story of an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions in South Africa. They suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. From the trailer it looks very interesting, and the fact that we haven’t really seen anything like this before will just increase peoples interest. Watch the teaser below!

District 9 will be released in August, so we can expect more stuff over the upcoming months.