Here's another Alien movie:

http://www.district9movie.com/?hs308=email

oooooooooo.......squeal!!

Just want to STRONGLY recommend this movie, which not only has the best visual effects I've seen in a long time but is also just one of the best MOVIES I've seen in years, period. It ought to receive serious discussion as a best picture nominee even though it's probably too violent to get past enough Academy voters. And yes, it's got some great hardware on display too.

I've been looking forward to seeing this movie for a while now. You're making me even more jazzed to see it w/your recommendation. :)

Lots of good reports on this. At first I was so-so, now I'm jazzed to see it.

Saw it today. Excellent movie. Very unique both in story and execution. Unique is hard to find in Hollywood these days. Don't want to say anymore lest I spoil it for anyone.

Saw it this evening w/The Lady Wife. Great movie! I highly recommend it. I particularly liked that I didn't much care for the main human character in the beginning - and it wasn't because he was poorly acted. Quite to the contrary! He was very well written and the actor did a fantastic job.

This movie really is pretty much a true SciFi movie with action elements, not an action movie w/some kewel CGI and basic story. There are a lot of parallels between what happens in the movie to what happened in South Africa not so very long ago. Excellent morality tale, IMNSHO.
Don't go in expecting "ALIENS" and you won't be disappointed.


Oh, and Chili's has a "2 for $20" promotional right now that let's you choose a "starter" (appetizer), two entrees from a list of about 15 and one dessert. Wife and I had the promo, a Dr. Pepper and Raspberry Margarita for under $30. Neither Wife nor I had seen any commercials, so thought I'd mention it.

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Definitely not the same old same old. Neill Blomkamp has quite a career in front of him. For some reason, I've got a strong hankering for shrimp tonight.

In the wrong hands, this movie could have come off as utterly silly or downright comical. The movie succeeds in no small part due to Sharlto Copley's performance. He straddles a fine line between humor, horror, and heroism. Reminds me just a bit of Jeff Goldblum's performance in Cronenberg's "The Fly" and also Bruce Campbell's performance in "Army of Darkness". Copley has quite a career in front of him too.


http://blog.cleveland.com/sun/intermission_impact/2009/08/large_WE8460813c.jpg
http://movieblog.ugo.com/cm/ugo/images/d-9-3.jpg

Just want to STRONGLY recommend this movie, which not only has the best visual effects I've seen in a long time but is also just one of the best MOVIES I've seen in years, period. It ought to receive serious discussion as a best picture nominee even though it's probably too violent to get past enough Academy voters. And yes, it's got some great hardware on display too.

I agree with you,Jeff.

'District 9' lifts off with No. 1 weekend at $37M
Published - Aug 16 2009 06:04PM EDT

By DAVID GERMAIN - AP Movie Writer

The first-time director and cast of unknowns of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller "District 9 " have given Hollywood a late-summer box-office boost.

The Sony release produced by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson led the weekend with a $37 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"District 9" is the debut feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the tale about extraterrestrials forced by humans to live in squalor in a ghetto in South Africa.

The movie built audience interest with a clever marketing campaign playing up the theme of prejudice against aliens, including posters instructing citizens to report non-humans and ads on bus benches stating that the seats are for humans only.

"Everybody was like, 'What is this?' There was a big question mark in people's minds," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It did really pique their interest and drove them to the Internet and elsewhere to discover what's going on."

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," slipped to second place with $22.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $98.8 million.

Another sci-fi tale, the Warner Bros. romance "The Time Traveler's Wife" starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, opened a solid No. 3 with $19.2 million. The film joined the previous weekend's "Julie & Julia" as a choice for women, with females accounting for 76 percent of its audience.

"District 9" and "Time Traveler's Wife" led a wave of five new wide releases for mid-August, when Hollywood's summer output normally is petering out. The rush continues next weekend with another surge of new releases, led by Quentin Tarantino's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds."

"It's getting very crowded, and it's these films that want to compete in the summer time frame but can't compete in the sweet spot of summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Opening 'District 9' against 'Star Trek,' that would not be a good strategy. But to release it now makes sense. August is the month of opportunity for films that in other months of summer would get slaughtered."

The weekend's other debuts: Paramount Vantage's used-car comedy "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," opening at No. 6 with $5.4 million; Disney's animated adventure "Ponyo" from animation master Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"), coming in at No. 9 with $3.5 million; and Summit Entertainment's teen rock 'n' roll tale "Bandslam," which tanked at No. 13 with just $2.3 million despite a cast that includes Vanessa Hudgens of "High School Musical."

I grew up reading Arthur Clarke, I've always envisioned a huge ship floating over a city/county.

This one looks wonderful..I can't wait to see it.

Steve

I was rather hoping that we'd get a throw away line from one of the characters in those interviews at the end, with someone stating something along the lines of "That was almost three years ago, now..." That'd've been kinda kewel, IMNSHO. Imagine the ramifcations if Chris returned as promised. :cool:

Not sure if I'd want to see a sequel or not - 'cause I'm gettin' tired of them - but think if it were done by the same creative team, it could be excellent. Or even a prequel showing the initial reaction.

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It's interesting, there are definitely people who HATE this movie. It's gotten mostly great reviews but for people who don't like it, they REALLY hate it, including a number of my friends. Seems like you either buy the lead character and performance (I totally did) or you don't and if you don't you spend the rest of the running time picking every nit in the film.

That's what I'm getting, too, tho the majority of folks I know who've seen it liked it a lot. And a lot of them didn't like Wickus, either, for the same reasons I didn't like him for the first... Oh, I dunno... 3/4 of the movie - and again not 'cause the acting was bad or the character was written poorly, but because the acting was that good and the writing that well done.

JMNSHO, anyhow. Take it was you will, as always.

When I first read the premise for the film and watched a promo or two, I immediately wrote this one off. Then, I started seeing more promotional material and gave it a second thought. I have plans to go see it tomorrow afternoon, which I made before the thing made terrific box office over the weekend.

Will I love it, or not? We'll see... I'm rather optimistic about it though.

Bryan

Great movie! I loved the feeling I had rolling through all these different feeling about the main character... definitely not the same old same old... loved it!

I just got back from seeing it. Amazing movie!!!!

sorry, but ive already filled my quota of white male guilt for a lifetime, just by living through the 70s and 80s.

i dont need any more, thanks.

sorry, but ive already filled my quota of white male guilt for a lifetime, just by living through the 70s and 80s.

i dont need any more, thanks.

LOL! See the movie or don't but I can't imagine anybody walking out of this movie feeling guilty about anything. The whole "apartheid" angle is merely a template for telling a story. "District 9" is really just a very good sci -fi/action movie set in a realistic earthly environment.

I'm surprised that nobody has made the connection to this film with that gem of the 70's - LASERBLAST.

I'm surprised that nobody has made the connection to this film with that gem of the 70's - LASERBLAST.

That actually crossed my mind while I was watching it. :p

Somebody please tell me why this movie is not the same as "Alien Nation."

I'm not being hostile in asking this, I honestly want to know if it's worth going to see. :confused:

Somebody please tell me why this movie is not the same as "Alien Nation."
Because it's not. Sure, it has a couple of minor elements in common w/"Alien Nation", but it's also a far different "feel" from that movie and the TV Show.
I'm not being hostile in asking this, I honestly want to know if it's worth going to see. :confused:
Yes, most definitely! At least, IMNSHO.

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Because it's not. Sure, it has a couple of minor elements in common w/"Alien Nation", but it's also a far different "feel" from that movie and the TV Show.

Yes, most definitely! At least, IMNSHO.

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That's good enough for me! :thumbsup:

Thanks, Jeffrey!

I think I will be checking out this film. It's currently playing at my local drive in.

OMG! You've got an actual DRIVE-IN?! :woohoo:

I thought it dragged a bit in the middle, but the last third was fantastic.

And I loved the very end, the last minute of the film. Mind-blowing. I did not see it coming.

It's one of the more poetic endings you're going to see in a movie...

Finally saw it tonight. What a terrific flick! Definitely the most original story to make it onto the big screen in a long time. Helped a lot that it wasn't some big-name actor / Hollywood production, IMHO.
Really ended up sympathizing with the aliens (can't shake the "they looked like the bug from MiB" feeling though) because of how we humans were treating them like flotsam.

I was rather hoping that we'd get a throw away line from one of the characters in those interviews at the end, with someone stating something along the lines of "That was almost three years ago, now..." That'd've been kinda kewel, IMNSHO. Imagine the ramifcations if Chris returned as promised. :cool:
Hey, they did set it up for District 10 ;)

Yeah, but I still would have liked to have heard that line spoken to give me hope that we might actually see a sequel. The more I think about it, the more I'd like to see this crew do a sequel set in this 'Verse w/these technologies, races, etc....

.

We finally went to see it Friday.
Wow.
Outstanding effects (Weta Digital). I agree with comments already made about acting and characterization - highly recommended.

It's interesting, there are definitely people who HATE this movie. It's gotten mostly great reviews but for people who don't like it, they REALLY hate it, including a number of my friends. Seems like you either buy the lead character and performance (I totally did) or you don't and if you don't you spend the rest of the running time picking every nit in the film.

I'm in the "Really hate it" group. I tried to like it. The previews looked great and I was fired-up about seeing it. It's about the only movie I can ever remember wanting to walk out of.

I'm in the "Really hate it" group. I tried to like it. The previews looked great and I was fired-up about seeing it. It's about the only movie I can ever remember wanting to walk out of.

Care to give reasons why? Just for the sake of discussion? What are some Sci-Fi movies you've really liked?

I went and checked this film out today. It's not a bad film, but it's not one of my favorites either. Maybe it was the documentary style of filmmaking, but it seemed to lack a cohesive story to follow. I did like the latter half of the film more than the first, but I found myself rooting for the aliens in this film, but I have a feeling that was just as much the intent of the story as was my own feelings about the characters. Even though the main character had a bit of a turnaround in the last part of the film, I really wanted him to just go away - I swear to god, if I heard him say the word "fook" (or some variation of it), I thought that I would scream.

As I said, it's not a bad film, just not my cup of tea. It's not a film I would see more than once.

Bryan

Interesting. I "hated" Cloverfield - especially the nausea-inducing hand held camera motion. But I was more "comfortable" with it on TV at home, and gained alot of respect for it as I watched the behind-the-scenes documentary. Not my favorite film, but I have a better appreciation for what the director was trying to accomplish. Not the best criteria to judge a film, but hey, my opinion...

I saw this movie last night. I thought ist was a pretty darned good film. Someone had warned me about the documentary -style beginning. I didn't particularly like that aspect. But, I realize that they had to tell a 20 year history quickly to set the stage for the main character/story of the film. The film was sad, funny, and happy at different times. They certainly seem to have left the things open for a sequel film if they choose to make one. :thumbsup:

I didn't care for the heavy handed characterizations. Our hero, Wikis, as the bumbling patsy gung-ho corporate geek, married to the boss's hot daughter. The Vin Diesel like menacing corporate mercenary. The puppy-dog child alien with the Bambi eyes. It was too over-the-top for my tastes.

As metaphor for apartheid I can't attest for its accuracy in portraying roles and emotions, but I hope apartheid wasn't the black and white comic book this movie made it seem. Maybe it was and that's the point I'm missing.

Then there were the plot holes. Actually missing plot. The story of why the aliens were there and why their command craft was
buried under a shanty. And why the seeming commander alien is the
only one with any "decency" would have made a much more
interesting movie.

I'd give it about a 6 out of 10. My son liked it much more than me.

I think it did a pretty good job of depicting the kind of people that would let some of today's world situations happen. Tell me those kind of people don't exist.

The production team had a difficult task in balancing reality and fantasy, given our expectations of how an SF story should be told. Also, there may have been some non-North-American storytelling conventions going on in terms of how the characters were portrayed. If you've seen foreign films you know what I mean.

Anyway, I liked it. It was intense, with a bit of a Children of Men feel at times.

Because it's not. Sure, it has a couple of minor elements in common w/"Alien Nation", but it's also a far different "feel" from that movie and the TV Show.

Yes, most definitely! At least, IMNSHO.

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I saw it tonight.

Good, but definatly not REALLY original.

It borrows so much from other films you can't call it original.
Its like.......
60% Alien Nation.
25% Jeff Goldbloom's "The FLY".
10% Black Hawk Down.
5% Gundam.

I was most impressed by all the shots of the ship hovering in the background.

We'll have to disagree about it's level of "good". ;)

And if you want to talk about movies that "borrow" from other movies or TV Shows - and if that's a deal killer for you - there are a lot of movies out there which you'll prolly never want to watch first time or again. I don't view movies or TV shows to compare them to others. The only time I do comparisons if when something jumps out at me on various issues - like those cheaply made B-Movies that show up on SciFi as "SyFy 'Originals'", many of which were made independently well before SciFi starting buying them up to air for their programming. I've seen several of them when stationed overseas well before they first aired on SciFi.

As an example of your "borrowing" comment, I don't see any real comparisons between The Fly and District 9 beyond a guy is transmorgified in to an alien lifeform. Wikus wasn't an overly bright scientist attempting to better the human race, he doesn't go crazy and try to mate with females, he doesn't try to show his overall dominance by beating up on other men (indeed, he only comes up w/the plan to attack the lab facility so that he can save his own posterior), he doesn't start jumping around/climbing like the aliens do (until he gets the attack armor) and he doesn't have bits falling off of him. So, beyond him transforming in to one of the aliens, where's your comparison? There have been a number of novels, movies and TV shows which deal w/similar transmorgification themes - all which came about long before the version of The Fly w/Jeff Goldblum. .

I see where it's easy to compare to Alien Nation - the initial planet fall of the aliens is right there. I get that, sure, but it's also the main plot point of the movie and w/o it we'd have no movie.

The rest...? It's kind of reaching, to me. Especially since I don't even see a way to correlate between District 9 and Blackhawk Down. And if the attack armor is to Gundam, then Gundam is to the novel "Starship Troopers", IMNSHO.

I mean no insult nor attack against you personally and am simply addressing your comments since you quoted me above. I really don't see where there's any real comparison to be made against any other movie/TV show except for Alien Nation - and w/o "borrowing" that element there'd be no District 9. And even then, it's more an tool used to show how we Humans started treating the aliens as if they were less intelligent, somehow more like animals - basically the racism angle.

.

The one thing I did find refreshing other than the effects was showing what an average person can do when put in extraordinary conditions, his true inner self emerged and grew as needed. You don't see that done well enough in most films...I mean similar character's in other films are tough to begin with or had a reason to show their stuff from a bad thing that happened in the past ect.

Not the best film ever made but not bad :thumbsup:

The one thing I did find refreshing other than the effects was showing what an average person can do when put in extraordinary conditions, his true inner self emerged and grew as needed. You don't see that done well enough in most films...I mean similar character's in other films are tough to begin with or had a reason to show their stuff from a bad thing that happened in the past ect.
Yes, we got to meet Wikus' True Self, per the philosphy of Xiang Yu. :) ("Firefly" reference, anyone...?)

Fire Fly are very welcome here my friend...any time! :thumbsup:

Fire Fly are very welcome here my friend...any time! :thumbsup:

I aim to mis-behave... !!

I think the Fly comparisons come about because of the shot of Wikis pulling his fingernail off in the bathroom--intentional or not it's a pretty direct homage to The Fly. It's also funny how this hand-held doc-style camera style is a real third rail for some people--the thing is I hated this when they started doing it 20 YEARS ago in photocopier commercials on TV. At this point it's just a part of contemporary movie-making, so the question is whether the style is effective in the context of each project. I think some people really do get motion sickness (as in Cloverfield)--that's never bothered me and in fact one of the reasons I thought Cloverfield was so effective was the vertigo I got from the camerawork in the scenes when the characters were climbing over the top of a skyscraper--that really put me in the moment and made me experience what the characters were experiencing. But I constantly see people go ballistic with "this was the worst camerawork I have ever experienced in my 20 years of watching films!" line. Clearly those people haven't been watching many films for the past 20 years.

I think the Fly comparisons come about because of the shot of Wikis pulling his fingernail off in the bathroom--intentional or not it's a pretty direct homage to The Fly. It's also funny how this hand-held doc-style camera style is a real third rail for some people--the thing is I hated this when they started doing it 20 YEARS ago in photocopier commercials on TV. At this point it's just a part of contemporary movie-making, so the question is whether the style is effective in the context of each project. I think some people really do get motion sickness (as in Cloverfield)--that's never bothered me and in fact one of the reasons I thought Cloverfield was so effective was the vertigo I got from the camerawork in the scenes when the characters were climbing over the top of a skyscraper--that really put me in the moment and made me experience what the characters were experiencing. But I constantly see people go ballistic with "this was the worst camerawork I have ever experienced in my 20 years of watching films!" line. Clearly those people haven't been watching many films for the past 20 years.

Like everything else, it has it's place. 50 years from now, that's how they'll tell a movie came from this era easily becuase of it's continued use, though.

Me, I can't stand it much. There was a need for it somewhat in Cloverfield as well as films like Blair Witch and all that, or where there is a earthquake or explosion "rocking" the environment. But I feel it has no place in a calm, say office environment scene. It's just overkill and plain annoying a lot of the time. I've found it takes me more out of the film than a bad spoken line!

But it's all my opinion ...

--Henry