Now THAT is what I call a fireball!

Three frames from the South African CCTV footage.
Three frames from the South African CCTV footage.





District 9… Could Happen


Occasionally, out of the CGI’d dust of orgasmic fight sequences of Transformers 2 and the predicted lack of plot in the forthcoming 2012, the movie industry churns up a gem of a sci-fi flick.

I suspect Moon is one of those rare movies (I am still trying to find time to get my bum down the cinema to watch it) that combines plot, effects and scientific accuracy (just about) to arrive at a genuinely good film.

And then there’s District 9, due for release in August. At first look of the trailer, you’ll see why I’m getting a little excited:

I was expecting the same old aliens invade, world on fire, Will Smith punches alien, USA saves the world storyline at first, but if you read the IMDB plot summary (spoilers!), you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Damn, I have to share the plot… stop reading now if you want to be totally vague about the story of District 9.

That's what those posters are all about! The movie viral campaign poster from District 9.
That's what those posters are all about! The movie viral campaign from District 9.

[Micro-spoiler below]

Basically, rather than invading Earth, these alien dudes have landed on our planet seeking refuge after their home world died. Their spaceship arrives over South Africa and thirty years later, these once-advanced alien beings have been turned into social outcasts, restricted to an alien slum called District 9. People have lost patience with looking after these creatures, but agencies hold onto these aliens against their will to learn about their technologies. Then, it would appear the aliens start to fight back…

It’s set in a gritty Johannesburg location, the CGI looks subtle, plus Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings director, say no more) is involved, so there’s some hope this might be a unique and thrilling sci-fi. I get the feeling there is a lot of play on alien rights, the welfare of ET integrated in society (or not), with a healthy dose of alien-racism (alienation?) thrown in.

Us humans will be the bad guys! Awesome! Filthy aliens…

Source: SlashFilm via @StuartForsyth