Neill Blomkamp was the centre (and continues to be the centre) of a lot of debate (a debate I won by the way… damn I can be a snarky bastard can’t I?) when it was announced the he… a guy who has not only never directed a movie before in his life… he had never actually worked on ANY movie in ANY capacity (not an assistant director, not a cinematographer, not a coffee boy) in his life (aside from being an animator on 3000 Miles to Graceland, but even then he was never on set), was being handed the reign to direct Halo. It was just another sign that the Halo project was doomed… and sure enough, it died.
My argument was that Blomkamp should be given the opportunity to direct something a bit smaller first before dumping a huge a major tentpole project like Halo on him. I’m sorry… but the dancing car commercial doesn’t mean he can direct a major blockbuster with… you know… actors and dialog and story. Give he a chance at something else first… THEN maybe hand him something bigger.
Well… with District 9 he’ll have that chance… sort of. The movie is obviously shot in a fake documentary style which I’m VERY curious to see… but even if it turns out well it doesn’t actually give us any indication if he can handle real narrative or not. Whatever, I’m still looking forward to this.
As you know, this trailer came out a few days ago… but now it has a version where you can actually see what the aliens are saying. Check it out:
I don’t get the anti-Blomkamp sentiment. Does John and Rodney think that he doomed the Halo movie or something? Be real. If Jackson had never picked him to direct, and Halo hadn’t died in the water, no one would be hating on the South African right now. This stuff is ridiculous. Blomkamp’s stuff has some of the most original vision and looks to sci-fi in a long time. Stop hating on new blood originality.
Yeah, yeah, I know you guys are making valid criticism, but there seems to me vitriol and snark on every post about the guy. Why is that? Bitter about Halo?
And it seems to me that a lot of the fans loved his stuff even without Jackson’s vouching for him. Can you name a single director involved in sci-fi in recent years who has a better vision than he does? Maybe the layman fans (lay-fans?) are seeing something that your cynical jaundiced eyes aren’t.
No one is hating on him. I just don’t think he deserves to get handed a movie with a $200m budget when he has never directed a feature film before. He is an affects artist that clearly PJ has some faith in, but he seems to be the only one. Maybe this will prove himself.. maybe it will prove our hesitance to be valid.
And I have seen his stuff and this trailer doesn’t impress me at all. Interesting story concept, but the delivery seems cheap. My opinion.
“No one is hating on him.”
From Rodney’s post about Dune:
“Remember Halo? When that nobody hack effects artist Neill Blomkamp was Jackson’s pick for director? The lemmings were all saying Blomkamp was awesome, but we had our doubts. Side note: If Blomkamp is that great of an potential director, why has he still not yet had a Hollywood gig since he is not busy on Halo?? Hmm…?”
Yes, yes, we’ve all heard of the criticisms of Jackson choosing Blomkamp, and those criticisms are definitely deserved and valid. But I don’t understand the negative language. Calling him a hack? That sounds awfully like bashing to me, not reasoned criticism or “hesitance.” If Halo fanboys think that he’s the reason why the film got canned, they should just come out and say it instead of tar and feathering new directors.
And again, what new sci-fi/fantasy directors have appeared in recent years with a bold new style or vision? Kerry Conran? I think not. If Blomkamp’s work isn’t impressive, what other NEW directors are?
Maybe Duncan Jones? I think he’s a great up and coming sci-fi director. He is releasing Moon later this year, and reviews for that have been through the roof.
Or maybe Rian Johnson. His next film, Looper, is set to be a sci-fi thriller about assassins who are sent their victims through time, and I think that he’s a great director.
Honestly, sci-fi is the perfect genre for new directors to get their feet wet. Sure, it may be risky for a no name director to get a huge film like Halo, but I think that I would be more excited to see a young director take the helm.
What about Shane Acker? He’s directing the upcoming animated film 9, and it’s his first real film. Sure, it’s based on a short of his (just like Blomkamp), but I would trust that guy with a lot, based on how that film looks.
What I’m trying to say is that with the right guidance, script, cast, and crew, a good film can be made.
Wow. Final Joe. Congrats, you have officially trumped us all. Well played sir.
Two words: ORSON FUCKING WELLES.
End of debate.
I’ve been enjoying the discussion on Blomkamp but personally I really couldn’t care less who directs “tentpole” projects as in my mind they are generally the most dumb downed mass marketed films out there.
I’m glad that I’m going to get to see District 9 instead of Halo.
But hey, thats just me.
See, I totally agree with you John, 100%, but I don’t know. I kind of like the idea of a young director taking on a franchise. I know it’s not the best idea for a studio, but if you look at his short that he did that District 9 is based on, which I will throw a link to
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1185812222812358837
that along with Peter Jackson’s guidance, I think he could have made a solid film.
That said, I whole heartedly understand where you are coming from, and agree, for the most part.
I think this is a fine film for him to debut with. It is not like it is a tentpole franchise property like Spiderman or Harry Potter. It’s a made up scifi, that I believe HE made up. If it sinks, it doesn’t damage an existing commodity.
I totally agree William. I think this is a perfect project for him to start with. It’s what I’ve been saying all along.
Hey Jay, what about Spike Jonze?
I would say Spike Jonze is a great example. Sure his first film wasn’t a blockbuster franchise film, but I would argue that successfully handling a character piece as a previously ‘unexperienced’ director is much harder than handling an action picture. Especially when you’ve got a crew of hundreds who’ve got your back.
Is Blomkamp the best guy to handle something like Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler? Not at first sight. Halo on the other hand is a perfect match for his strong points.
Hey Jay C.
I’ve got to ask… What strong points? He hasn’t done anything. What solid examples of his strengths are you pointing to specifically? Does the dancing car commercial with no dialog/story/structure show you evidence of his “strong points”? Does that horrendously awful short film he did about the Robot Temp show you something?
What exactly has he actually done and shown that make you think he would have been great for Halo? I know that reads like it’s sarcastic, but I’m honestly inquiring because I’m desperately trying to understand why you keep trying to advocate for him.
“I’ve got to ask… What strong points? He hasn’t done anything.”
Alive in Joburg. The three Halo shorts. Tempbot (which I, among many others, don’t think is horrendously bad) He has an inventive way of telling a story, he has a clearly defined visual style and he handles action with an intense, visceral approach. His grasp on future technology is both fantastic and also grounded in realism and his ability to aggressively yet subtly interweave social commentaries and allegories into his work might just add an interesting second level to what, in the hands of the a typical Hollywood hire, would otherwise be a one note ‘video game’ movie.
It’s not simply about Blomkamp. It’s this idea of slamming young and fresh talent before they’re even out of the gate. I’ve really never seen anything like it before. Passionate film lovers should be embracing new ideas and fresh takes on possibly stale material. Look at Brett Ratner; the guy has a good amount of experience, but it didn’t mean shit to anyone when X Men 3 came out. People still bitched. Same with Sam Raimi and Spider-Man 3. Experience on a film set only goes so far. Vision and a pure knack for filmmaking plays a big role in things.
Look at Quentin Tarantino. Never went to film school. May have been PA here or there. Other than that, tried to shoot his own 16mm film and didn’t even finish. Never directed a film for hire before Reservoir Dogs. In the end, he ended up knocking that film out of the park. A film that is much more of a challenge than the Halo movie would ever be.
In terms of crafting story, there are many people involved in that, and you know that. First and foremost, the writer/writers. Second, the studio. If a big budget blockbuster isn’t going down a road they approve of, they will intervene. So will the producers. There are literally hundreds of people surrounding the director, all working towards making the film a success and keeping him from falling on his ass. Many ‘visionary’ director’s are known for their lack of discussion with actor’s. The Cohen brothers, Ridely Scott (at least in the early days), George Lucas…they simply let the actors do their thing. In a case like that, casting is key.
So in the end, my main point in all of this is Blomkamp’s lack of feature film experience may be true, but it’s a moot point. It doesn’t matter for two reasons, 1. The Halo film was never made, and 2. There have been MANY first time director’s in the past who have taken on challenges and overcome them, sometimes with greater results then the veterans. Most importantly…EXPERIENCED filmmakers also squander big budget blockbusters!!! It means NOTHING. It’s purely an argument created for the sake of having stuff to write about on blogs.
One more thing:
My passion behind this topic is not as a Neill Blomkamp apologist or uber fan. It’s as a film fan and aspiring filmmaker.
To see a new voice attacked for doing nothing other than creating a handful of award winning shorts and commercials and having his name previously attached to a franchise film is insanely frustrating, both from the perspective of a viewer looking for interesting forms of visual storytelling and ideas, and as an aspiring filmmaker watching a young, passionate and successful artist getting the opportunity to take his vision to greater audiences only to be met with unwarranted negativity due to the support of Peter Jackson and the attachment to a video game franchise.
Jay,
You’re confusing crlitisizing a decision with “attacking” a guy.
For me to (rightfully) say that a guy with no feature film experience should not start off with a huge project like Halo (as history vindicates), is not an “attack” or “slam” on him. I would be saying the same thing for ANYONE.
I’ve always said I supported him doing some other smaller project, like District 9, first and then go from there.
how you interpret that as insulting or an “attack” I have no idea.
Defending young talent is one thing, but come on… saying a brand new director (who hasn’t directed anything yet) shouldn’t be taking on quite possibly the year’s biggest blockbuster film as his very first project is just plain common sense. There was nothing harsh or “attacking” about it.
“You’re confusing crlitisizing a decision with “attacking” a guy.”
Comments like saying Peter Jacksons dick was up his ass don’t do much to convince me otherwise. (from first thread)
This site has been viciously attacking anything Peter Jackson related for some years now.
“You’re confusing crlitisizing a decision with “attacking” a guy.”
I’m mainly referring to Rodney’s previous post on this subject. At least you actually shared your thoughts on the trailer rather than simply spewing out comments about Peter Jackson’s dick being up his ass. As I said before, the opportunity to discuss the current state of sci fi, how District 9 will fare among the summer blockbusters or what the trailer actually offers us was squandered in exchange for a few sensational jabs.
“Defending young talent is one thing, but come on… saying a brand new director (who hasn’t directed anything yet) shouldn’t be taking on quite possibly the year’s biggest blockbuster film as his very first project is just plain common sense”
As I already stated, there are many EXPERIENCED director’s that I don’t think should be taking on giant blockbuster’s. I would much rather see Blomkamp’s take on Halo over Woody Allen’s take on Halo.
Again, nothing is black and white.
Hey Mr. Huh,
You mean like how I constantly call Return of the King the single greatest achievement in cinematic history? That kind of attacking? Idiot
You can think someone is great but still generally attack them, and that is what I have seen this site do especially in podcasts (miss the podcasts btw)
Hey Mr. Huh
I just checked the last years worth of posts regarding Peter Jackson. The harshest thing I’ve said about him is that “I have a love/hate thing with Peter Jackson”.
You used this thread to attack me off topic (Peter Jackson), and if you break the rules, I’ll smack back.
I tried to email you to discuss the matter… but it turns out you were too gutless to put in your real email address so it just bounced back to me.
Sorry, this was supposed to be in this thread. You can delete the other one if necessary:
Not that I really want to get in on this, but here are a few interesting quotes from the archives:
Rodney on Blomkamp, taken from a post about DUNE. (Completely unrelated to Halo or Blomkamp):
“Remember Halo? When that nobody hack effects artist Neill Blomkamp was Jackson’s pick for director? The lemmings were all saying Blomkamp was awesome, but we had our doubts. Side note: If Blomkamp is that great of an potential director, why has he still not yet had a Hollywood gig since he is not busy on Halo?? Hmm…?”
This is probably the best example of ‘attacking’ Blomkamp.
And regarding Peter Jackson, again from Rodney but quoting John:
“So a while back we discussed Peter Jackson yanking the fans around as I quote John who said “he’s pretty much proved himself to be a lying weasel who uses and manipulates his fan base as mindless pawns to carry out his private battles in public.””
Hey Jay,
Rodney is entitled to his opinion, just like everyone on here is.
I’m not sure what your point is? I have attacked Peter Jackson before… because he’s deserved it and what I said was 100% true. That quote is from 2 years ago.
The previous statement that I’ve spent the last few years doing nothing but attack Peter Jackson is pure bullshit and fantasy. I give credit where credit is due, and I call bullshit when I see it. Sometimes, Peter Jackson has put himself in both of those categories and I call him on it. Period.
So what was your point other than just being argumentative?
I’m pretty sure I stated my point already a number of times, but I’ll reiterate:
1. Blomkamp’s experience is not the number one defining factor regarding his relevance to Halo. If it were, than Brian Robbins (director of Norbit and Good Burger) would be a better choice for Halo. Just doesn’t make sense.
2. Rodney is entitled to his opinion, but much of what he said wasn’t opinion. It was speculation, misinformation and putting words into the mouths of people he’s never met.
I would hope I’m also entitled to my opinion to disagree with everything he says.
3. The resistance to fresh talent and a new voice is exactly the sort of thing that, as passionate film fans, should be championed and supported. The comments laid out by Rodney were not only short sighted but petty. Especially considering the Halo film hasn’t happened. There seems to be a continual resistance to anything subversive around here, and that’s what I’m discussing.
Just because I’m passionate enough about this subject that I don’t just give in and go away doesn’t mean I’m simply being argumentative.
“I’m not sure what your point is? I have attacked Peter Jackson before… because he’s deserved it and what I said was 100% true. That quote is from 2 years ago.”
Hey, I was simply responding to your other quote:
” The harshest thing I’ve said about him is that “I have a love/hate thing with Peter Jackson”.”
Here, let me break this down to one simple question:
Who would you rather see direct a Halo film:
Neill Blomkamp, fx artis and director of multiple award winning short films and commercials, 0 feature films under his belt.
or
Brian Robbins. Director of Good Burger, Norbit and The Shaggy Dog Among others. 9 feature films under his belt.
If you said Brian Robbins, I will simply conclude that we are on completely different wavelengths here.
If you say Neill Blomkamp, I will restate that not everything is black and white. Experience isn’t everything.
Hey Jay,
Yes, it was Rodney’s opinion. Yes, you are totally free to disagree with it as much as you like and express it.
But this is not about “resisting young talent”. This is about common sense. I think the best way to encourage and develop young talent is to DEVELOP it, not throw it in to something like Halo right off the bat, which I’m sorry, but history has proved is an unwise idea.
And your examples of of citing incompetent directors as justification for hiring Blom is like saying “Well, hiring a 12 year old who has never babysat before to baby sit our 7 kids is bad, but at least it’s better than getting Michael Jackson to watch our kids”.
My argument has ALWAYS been, let him develop with a smaller project (Like District 9) first, let him get his feet wet, grow, make some mistakes, prove himself a little and then jump to something bigger. I think it obviously increase the chances for success for both Halo AND for his career.
And my comment was that the “Harshest thing I’ve said about Peter Jackson” if you read the whole comment was within the context of the last year.
And I’m not sure why you continue to try to debate what Rodney said with me? Debate him.
“Yes, it was Rodney’s opinion. Yes, you are totally free to disagree with it as much as you like and express it.”
Actually I’m not, he deleted my last comment.
“And your examples of of citing incompetent directors as justification for hiring Blom is like saying “Well, hiring a 12 year old who has never babysat before to baby sit our 7 kids is bad, but at least it’s better than getting Michael Jackson to watch our kids”.”
We’re not talking incompetence, we’re talking experience. If you want to talk competence, then Blomkamp’s experience shouldn’t even be an issue. He’s got a very competent body of work behind him that is both award winning and well respected. That’s my whole point.
What is your point Jay???
That experience is not the ONLY thing? Yes, I totally concur with that statement.
However… I also concur that the human heart is not the ONLY thing a human body needs to live.
That arms are not the ONLY thing a boxer needs to fight.
That tires are not the ONLY thing a car needs to drive.
Not the ONLY thing for certain. But vitally important.
I concur that if your only two options in the galaxy for directing Halo is Blom or an incompetent director like Brian Robbins, then go with zero track record than the worst one.
I’ll also agree that I’d rather have Hitler babysit my child than a convicted child rapsit (just an analogy, not calling Blom or Brian Hitler or a rapist).
And we will have to differ on the concept of “experience”. Blom has none. Brilliant effects artist… wonderful dancing car commercial. Horrible piece of shit temp robot short. But nothing, not one ounce of working on a REAL movie.
I personally think Halo getting ditched was the best thing in the world for him. District 9 is exactly what he should be doing right now, and then go from there.
“What is your point Jay???”
My point is I disagree with you! I don’t know why you keep asking what my point is. I’ve stated it multiple times. I DISAGREE with you.
“However… I also concur that the human heart is not the ONLY thing a human body needs to live.
That arms are not the ONLY thing a boxer needs to fight.
That tires are not the ONLY thing a car needs to drive.
Not the ONLY thing for certain. But vitally important.”
Yes, that’s called a film crew.
“I concur that if your only two options in the galaxy for directing Halo is Blom or an incompetent director like Brian Robbins, then go with zero track record than the worst one.”
You say this as though it would never happen. Are you forgetting about Tim Story? The point is there’s no formula that guarantees what is going to make a good movie. The only way to tell is by WATCHING the final product. Halo was never made!! The closest thing we have are Blomkamp’s Halo shorts, and I think they’re great. Otherwise, it’s postulating about a situation that never even occurred.
Hey Jay,
I think if we boil down what we’re both saying, our ultimate difference can be summarized like this:
You believe his commercials and shorts equate experience and justify him getting a blockbuster project like Halo(correct me if I’m wrong)
I believe his commercials and shorts have earned him the right to be given the chance to get experience with a small or mid budget project.
Does that sum it up?
“You believe his commercials and shorts equate experience and justify him getting a blockbuster project like Halo(correct me if I’m wrong)”
I think his commercial and short work equates experience and vision. If he were to be handed a franchise, Halo is a good fit. Would he be a better candidate than Steven Spielberg? No. If he were handed Halo AFTER District 9, would it be better. Possibly. The production itself would probably go much smoother.
I would take Blomkamp over the majority of the directors currently helming comic book and sci fi franchises. He is willing to bring something interesting to the table and I’m willing to see what he does.
“I believe his commercials and shorts have earned him the right to be given the chance to get experience with a small or mid budget project.”
I don’t disagree with this. However, I don’t think it would guarantee success. As I stated, many experienced director’s make terrible films. I wouldn’t guarantee a successful Halo film if it were in the hands of Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Wes Anderson or Francis Ford Coppola, simply due to their experience. It’d certainly be interesting to see what they do with it, but it’s just not a good ‘fit’. Blomkamp has shown an ability to combine realism with fantasy to great effect and he obviously knows his way around FX. This is they type of person I want to see helm this film.
So having said that, Blomkamp WAS the choice. I had no reason to fight it because the choice was inspired and interesting. Certainly not a reason to continuously harp on how wrong Blomkamp was for the project. In my mind anyways.
Hey Jay,
Well with that we just clearly have to disagree. I see nothing interesting or inspired about Blom’s selection, and you do (for the reasons you stated).
I agree nothing guarantees success… but I also believe in positioning yourself for the best chances of success. IMO, Blom’s selection for Halo failed at that, and you disagree. Fair enough.
This trailer looks great, then again so does Van Helsing. but im really looking forward to this tho.
This is based on a short film that Blomkamp did, called Alive in Joberg. It’s available on Google Video/YouTube. He HAS done a film, albeit a short.
The thing I don’t get, is why who directs the inevitable Halo film really matters. The lead character is what will doom this production, if ever made.
Personally, I would take a first time director helming my film than a director like Brett Ratner. I do understand where you are coming from John, but I think that, with the oversight of Peter Jackson, Blomkamp could have made a respectable film. This one looks to be beyond awesome, and hopefully this will boost his cred enough to get that Halo film done.
personally i think it takes more skill to portray a naritive and characters in this style of film then in in a “Character driven” film. here we the viewers are instantantly transported to a situation that we must believe is… well believable. the actors have to portray extreme believeability because even the slightest fault reminds us that its a movie and nothing more. a film like this presents a great many challenges. if Niel can present a movie with beleiveability and emotion in this style i think its safe to say he can do a standard film.
I really like the look and feel of this film. Also those short films he directed are fantastic. especially the live halo short movie. I think this guy is an up and coming success. At least I hope so. I like when people try to do things in a new and intersting way which is what niel seems to be about.
whatever. I’m just glad that I’m watching a summer movie this year that I don’t have any pre-existing knowledge going in
I saw this preview with wolverine. Until they showed the spaceship, I thought it was a teaser for World War Z. South Africa plays a big role in WWZ, so I thought it was part of that story.
This looks really good, but I am looking for any news about WWZ.
um most documentaries have a narrative john.
Alright. Same post as before. Different author. Slightly (very slightly) different trailer.
Let the drama begin.
Debate or no debate regarding Blomkamp, who cares? As long as the movie is good, I’ll go see it. By the looks of the trailer, this looks pretty damn good to me.
I don’t agree, I think this could be great, and to put all the weight of the outcome solely on the director is a big mistake. To say he has NO experience is a bit misleading. Also, as long as it’s satisfying to watch, narrative isn’t *that* important.
Disagree? I said I’m looking forward to it. And no one is more responsible for the success or failure of a film than the director.
Also, you said:
“To say he has NO experience is a bit misleading.”
No it’s not. It’s 100% accurate. My statement was 100% true. He has NEVER worked on any real movie… EVER. Not in any capacity whatsoever. None. Zero. Ziltch. Not as a coffee boy, not as a Production Assistant, not as an A.D. not as anything.
How is that misleading?
What do the following directors have in common?
Zak Snyder – Dawn of the Dead
Garth Jennings – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
David Fincher – Alien 3
Joss Whedon – Serenity
Francis Lawrence – Constantine
J.J. Abrams – Mission Impossible 3
James McTeigue – V for Vendetta
Maybe this film will legitimize him as a feature film director, but considering he hasn’t yet, we don’t know.
Hey Jay C
James McTeigue (before V)
– Second Unit Director or assistant director on:
The Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix Reloaded
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
The Monkey’s Mask
Looking for Alibrandi
The Matrix
The Sugar Factory
Dark City
The Well
Paradise Road
To Have and to Hold
The Beast
Street Fighter
Country Life
Cody: The TipoffThe Girl Who Came Late
Zach Snyder – Perfect example. Dawn of the Dead was a smaller film. MUCH smaller film. A perfect one for a new director to start with. This is exactly what I’m talking about.
Garth Jennings – Dear lord… look how bad Hitchickers turned out.
David Fincher – Alien 3… you mean the one with a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? Another perfect example how he should have done a slightly smaller film first. We see how good he got once he got some experience under his belt
Joss Whedon – Do you REALLY want me to list ALL the experience on real productions as a writer and director and producer he had before Serenity? Are you REALLY trying to compare his to Blompamp’s experience? Really???
Francis Lawrence – Besides the fact that he had a bunch of music video experience (which doesn’t mean too much), once again, this proves my point. Constantine was a critically panned film (42% on RT). Should have started with a slightly smaller film.
J.J. Abrams – Like Whedon… do I really need to list all the real production, directing and writing experience he’s had BEFORE he ever got around to MI3?
So basically, your list of directors strengthens and proves my point.
Not really. The point is there are grey areas for everything. You can’t simply state ‘If PERSON A has more or less than X amount of experience, FILM Y will be bad.’
Also, discounting films from a subjective level doesn’t prove anything. There are many people, including myself, that like Alien 3 a great deal. Same goes with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. If you’re talking box office numbers, well we all know that there are THOUSANDS of films that bomb that are made by experienced director’s. Doesn’t prove anything.
I would much rather take Blomkamp’s experience as a DIRECTOR on his limited number of shorts and commercials over a PA who’s worked on a thousand feature film sets.
Not that I really want to get in on this, but here are a few interesting quotes from the archives:
Rodney on Blomkamp, taken from a post about DUNE. (Completely unrelated to Halo or Blomkamp):
“Remember Halo? When that nobody hack effects artist Neill Blomkamp was Jackson’s pick for director? The lemmings were all saying Blomkamp was awesome, but we had our doubts. Side note: If Blomkamp is that great of an potential director, why has he still not yet had a Hollywood gig since he is not busy on Halo?? Hmm…?”
This is probably the best example of ‘attacking’ Blomkamp.
And regarding Peter Jackson, again from Rodney but quoting John:
“So a while back we discussed Peter Jackson yanking the fans around as I quote John who said “he’s pretty much proved himself to be a lying weasel who uses and manipulates his fan base as mindless pawns to carry out his private battles in public.””
At least this film has ONE similarity to your film, the Anniversary. Both were shot with Red One cameras.
If there’s ever been a guy who should just get a boatload of money and free hands to do a film the way he wants to..it’s this guy. Even if he hasn’t directed any real movies yet the shorts he’s done are absolutely amazing. To me he’s on the same level of genius as Guillermo del Toro or Lucas at the time of the first Star Wars movies.
There is a reason Peter Jackson praises this guy and kept on pushing for him to be the director for Halo. Though I don’t mind if he needs to do a smaller project first for hollywood to see what this guy is about. I have no doubt he will do a great job with District 9.
I have been looking forward to this movie for about two years. I first heard about Multi-National United (the fake UN style force) when I was researching a bit on JJ Abrams monster flick (now I can’t remember the name). There is a tad backstory on the Multi-National United Web site – talking about the company and how they are attempting to protect us. Of course at the anti-MNU site, which I can’t recall off hand either, its all about a blog from one of the aliens, which sets the movie up nicely from both point of views. These trailers don’t really inform you that the movie is about a MNU worker that disagrees with the way that MNU treats the aliens. These trailers set up the idea behind why the aliens are here and how unwelcome they are, but Neil did that nicely in his 10min short film that this movie is based on (I think it might even have some of the same stock footage).
Overall, I am hoping that this movie gets the notice and tv ad airtime to make it movie that reaches the mass audience and not just a few larger markets and then a quick DVD release.
This could also set up a V-style return to aliens, instead of these campy Disney-fied aliens that have been fed to us as of late.
Be Well. Be Well Alienated.
Theocrat Issak
I would have to disagree somewhat with the point about this movie not giving us indication if he can handle real narrative. Most of the more successful documentaries do have a sort of narrative to them. Even before someone goes off to shot the footage, they should have an idea of what they want to get from people, in order to create something that shows the filmmaker’s point of view. For this movie, he would still need to do everything that a director would have to do to tell a story. If this were a real documentary, then I would question whether this would show Blomkamp’s ability to direct dialogue… and possibly the ability to handle crazy special effects would would probably exist in a Halo movie. If anything, a couple of bad performances in this movie would totally take me away from believing that I’m watching a documentary, versus a regular Hollywood blockbuster, when I can ignore some bad performances and still have fun (like Transformers).
I’m very, very interested to see this.
LOL we didn’t mean to land here
i can really care less what this guy hasnt done in the past…this looks like a very interesting, possibly great flick. realy looking forward to this
this movie looks great