District 9

Zapranoth · August 18, 2009, 02:21:06 AM

Enjoyed the film a lot, and highly recommend it.

And everyone on this board is gonna watch Zombieland I dare say. I laughed my fool head off watching that preview -- totally with ya, Ghouck. Love that role for Harrelson.

Trevor · August 18, 2009, 04:15:07 AM

I believe this film was made in South Africa ~ Johannesburg specifically and I also believe that this means that South African aliens have taken over the USA box-office.

I was at a cinema a few weeks ago and saw this poster of a giant UFO hovering over Johannesburg and I thought "WTF is that?" Now me know better.

The story is actually set in South Africa, circa 1982 and reflects the mindset of the people in that time and what they do to and how they treated minorities.

It should be released here next week and I will go see it.

jimmybob · August 18, 2009, 08:12:05 AM

Pro, I'm seeing it this afternoon.

-Jimmybob

Jim H · August 18, 2009, 12:09:12 PM

Quote from: Trevor on August 18, 2009, 04:15:07 AM
I believe this film was made in South Africa ~ Johannesburg specifically and I also believe that this means that South African aliens have taken over the USA box-office. I was at a cinema a few weeks ago and saw this poster of a giant UFO hovering over Johannesburg and I thought "WTF is that?" Now me know better.

The story is actually set in South Africa, circa 1982 and reflects the mindset of the people in that time and what they do to and how they treated minorities.

It should be released here next week and I will go see it.

It actually starts out around 1982ish, which is when the aliens arrive, but then it jumps ahead 20+ years to around current day (exact dates are unclear, IIRC). From what I know of South African history, there are apartheid parallels (the title is a reference to it, I believe?) in the movie, but the aliens are mostly used as universal refugees/minorities and it is largely treated as a picture of the way humans treat those figures in general.

**minor spoilers**

To this end, for example, the primary oppressors in the film (MNU) are actually part of a global corporate manufacturing company, not a part of the South African government. Aside from MNU, those who treat the aliens the worst are probably Nigerian gangsters who run crime in District 9.

**end spoilers**

You'll have to let us know how it plays in South Africa! I'm pretty curious actually.

ghouck · August 18, 2009, 02:07:53 PM

For anyone interested, there are two trailers on www.zombieland.com

Love the "Zombie kill of the week", and no, not Harelston's kill, but rather the little old lady's kill.

jimmybob · August 18, 2009, 07:38:45 PM

Yeah I'm pumped for Zombieland.

Anyways my socks got a good stoning from this movie.

-Jimmybob

ghouck · August 19, 2009, 07:31:50 PM

Quote from: jimmybob on August 18, 2009, 07:38:45 PM

Anyways my socks got a good stoning from this movie.

I have no idea what that means. . .

Trevor · August 20, 2009, 01:57:45 AM

Quote from: Jim H on August 18, 2009, 12:09:12 PM
From what I know of South African history, there are apartheid parallels (the title is a reference to it, I believe?)

The title refers to a slum area of Cape Town known as District Six which was knocked down in the 1960's / 1970's to make way for developments there ~ almost all the inhabitants were moved to an area known as Mitchell's Plain.

If the SA public feels that District 9 is yet another faint reminder of their supposedly unique past, this film will bomb at the local box-office. Many anti-South African films such as A Dry White Season and Catch A Fire among others, crashed, burned and slid right down the crapper here.

But filmmakers insist on making them: I don't know why. Look at Skin, The World Unseen and Disgrace. These are wastes of film and all they do is make me is

lester1/2jr · August 20, 2009, 09:48:22 AM

http://www.takimag.com/article/alien_nation/

^article about real political issues involved in the movie

dean · August 20, 2009, 10:08:17 AM

Loved the film. The balance between doco and traditional narrative was well done, and allowed the director to bang out some key plot points in a short sharp way without too much time.

Effects were fantastic and the weapon design was a hell of a lot of fun too.

Personally, as much as I'd like a sequel [because I want to know more about what happens] I think that this is one best left untouched.

On a side note though:

Did anyone else think that this would be a good format/style to make an adaptation of World War Z. [Someone mentioned Zombieland earlier but since I don't know anything about it you'll have to forgive me if it is like this too]

jimmybob · August 20, 2009, 06:46:09 PM

Quote from: ghouck on August 19, 2009, 07:31:50 PM
Quote from: jimmybob on August 18, 2009, 07:38:45 PM

Anyways my socks got a good stoning from this movie.

I have no idea what that means. . .

My socks got rocked?

-Jimmybob

WingedSerpent · August 23, 2009, 10:34:33 AM

I treated myself to a double feature a couple days ago. I saw this and G.I. Joe.

Great movie. I was thinking about all the litlle things I noticed. Some great action at the end.

Minor Spoiler/Discussion.
.
.
.
The idea is that the aliens-called Prawns in the movies- where like worker ants. There didn't have a leader which is whythey really weren't organized. I kind of got the notion that the main alien and his child, where high ranking and possibly new leader being born. They seemed smarter, more organized, and driven then the others.
.
.

End/Spoilers

Monster Jungle X-Ray · August 23, 2009, 05:39:22 PM

Quote from: dean on August 20, 2009, 10:08:17 AM
On a side note though:

Did anyone else think that this would be a good format/style to make an adaptation of World War Z. [Someone mentioned Zombieland earlier but since I don't know anything about it you'll have to forgive me if it is like this too]

I think this style will probably be somewhat the road Word War Z takes as the book is basically interviews after the war is over. J. Michael Straczynski is writing the script on that one I believe around a central interviewer so it may be a little more like on the ground combat footage. Either way that was a good read, if a little repetitive at times, so I am very looking forward to that.

It reminds me of Worst Case Scenario, a nazi zombie film that is unfortunately shelved forever due to lack of funding

This should have been a no brainer with the stuff that does get made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTpmQwVbFWk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQ-kM3TBKc

My best friend worked on Zombieland painting around 1200 clay pots and various set props over a long weekend a few months back while it was shooting here. Her handiwork can be seen decorating the cigar store indian/outpost in the trailer.

2xSlick · August 24, 2009, 01:09:31 AM

Quote from: The Burgomaster on August 17, 2009, 02:21:31 PM
When I originally saw the trailers for this, I had no interest in seeing it. I've seen the trailers several times and it still doesn't look like my cup of tea. However, I've read some good things about this movie, so maybe I'll see it. Although, comments I've read about the "shaky cam" work still bother me. A little shaky cam is okay . . . but too much is . . . well . . . TOO MUCH!

The only time the shaky cam is noticeable is whenever a character has a sit-down interview. When that happens, the camera zooms and focuses all over the place. I'm talking Battle Star Galactica level. However, during the action scenes the technique switches to Saving Private Ryan mode and the camera is always centered on the action.

As for my spoilerific take on the movie: it's a Robocop remake. Both films feature a protagonist who, through science, is turned into something not exactly human. Both take place in a bleak future where corporations are the big baddies. Both feature insanely comical levels of violence. The only difference is that Robocop was a bit more subtle with its message.

Bmeansgood · December 25, 2009, 11:55:16 PM

Watched this today on DVD and I really liked it.

It was fun to see an original plot for a sci-fi movie. I went in with almost zero knowledge about the movie and almost zero knowlege about South Africa's history. It clubbed you over the head with its message, but it made its point. It isn't a perfect movie, but it was a fun blood and guts film that made you think.