Early Word On District 9

John Campea 88 Comments

Yesterday there was a screening for the new Sci-Fi flick “District 9” held at Comic Con (one of the only reasons I almost went this year). The film is directed by Neill Blomkamp who was originally supposed to helm the “Halo” movie project until the plug got pulled.

I’ve now talked to, emailed or texted with 6 friends who were at that screening… and they all seem to have the exact same opinion: It’s great.

A couple of them caution that a SMALL part of it is the normal hysteria people have about a movie they see at a “special exclusive” screening like this and it is NOT the next Sci-Fi masterpiece… BUT… even they said there is no denying it is a truly great film.

Soul Video (who as you know is my regular guest on the podcast) was there and told me it is the best film of the year so far… better than Star Trek and better than UP.

I was already curious to see this film… now I’m flat out dying to see it.

If it really is as good as my friends are saying it is…. get ready for Halo…. unless the film flops financially.

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88 thoughts on “Early Word On District 9”

  1. This has to be the best action to story film all summer. Very well edited and executed production. It deserves four and a half stars because the only problem is I wish it were longer. If they come out with District 10 I just hope they don’t get carried away.

  2. This has to be the best action to story film all summer. Very well edited and executed production. It deserves four and a half stars because the only problem is I wish it were longer. Really hope they come out with District 10 because this could be an excellent series!

  3. Well, D9 is being ladled with praise at this early stage, even if there are some messy plot points floating around, even variety called it “smart and sassy film-making at its very best”, so it seems that maybe the south african guys have done something right after all…

    looking forward to seeing a group of guys that can bring some fresh and welcome talent ot the mix.

    1. Its in my top 5 of the year because apparantly i havent seen too many movies this year, maybe if i had seen some more critically acclaimed movies like Watchmen or Bruno, I might bump Harry Potter outta there.

  6. Looks and sounds like a terrific film, definitely. Best movie of the year, though? S’pose I’ll have to wait and see, as it’ll be pretty damn tough to top any of my top 4 favorite films from this year (those being Star Trek, Harry Potter, Up, and especially, Coraline). Regardless, I’m really lookin’ forward to this.

    2. how is the hangover film of the year…that movie had so many plot holes that it ruined part of the film for me….i will begin with the tiger…no fucking way u can get a tiger in that hotel etc.

      To me they spent so much of the movie revolving around the tiger…which makes no fucking sense in a sane world

    3. i wasnt saying hangover is the best of 09 i was just saying it was one of my favorites, and if you’ve seen the hangover than you would know that they have logical explanations for why there’s tigers and how that ties into mike tyson and how they found the groom

    4. um i seen the fucking movie and i used to live in vegas as a bouncer at a club…what fucking hotel do u stay at that they dont call security when you bring in a tiger…..no sorry they didnt explain it…let alone no security came to that room? sorry dude the hangover was funny but with that many holes it is far from a 10/10 in which half the population of moviegoers just rather laugh at then think about it.

    5. When did I ever say that the Hangover was a 10/10. I don’t think it is. I do see some of the plot holes in it that you’re talking about, but thats what makes it funny, but i will say this about it, HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU HAVE A BABY OVER NIGHT. Thats the only illogical thing I questioned, other than that I loved that movie, sorry that you didn’t.

  7. I wish we could get John to go to all the cool movies early screenings so we can get early reviews. I wanna get this review BEFORE the release date, cuz im seeing it the morning it comes out.

    This will also go for when Thor and Ironman 2 come out. And Avatar.

    Unless the movie gets a sandy vagina and wont let John review it, like ROTF did. That blew chunks lol.

  8. 2 things: Peter Jackson said Fox/universal’s film rights over Halo have expired & are now back with Microsoft. Jackson still seems interested in the franchise, Neil still acts really burned by it when questioned.

    Secondly, try & avoid the 7-minutes of D-9 footage shown at Comic-Con if it gets out on the Internet. Just my advice for a better first experience guys!!

  9. I hope they make the Halo film the right way not like this Animated series that looks like a pile of shit.

    It looks like the guys who did Ghost In Shell did it. That is not the right mix even though Ghost was bad ass.

  11. This movie looks quite good, I can’t wait to see it.

    Does anyone know how they have shot the movie? Is it all digital, and are they using any sweet HD filming (e.g. Dark Knight)?

    1. i want to see this cause u want to see this and i love alfie’s comments cause he is a tmb og …darren is always hard to peg …i would have thought he would be excited to see this….maybe he is busy hating that he beloved comic con is gone hollywood…which i too think is haxzor!

  13. Couple of things…..
    First of all Darren you are the coolest. Seriously.” Yawn “!!How witty and clever! I mean the way you went out of your way to let us know how you don’t care about this. Awesome!!
    You are just so super jaded and hard to impress. Man I wish we could hang
    Secondly the film
    is so low budget at 30 mill that I think it will do fine financially. I don’t think it’s going to be a fifty million dollar opening but at 30 mill
    odds are high it will make back
    it’s money.

    1. Its not an issue of making back its money, as much as suddenly associating a bankable name with Blomkamp.

      If this goes Blair Witch and BURIES its budget, then people will notice.

      It might also prove that you don’t need a $300million budget to do Halo.

    4. I am interested in seeing it, but I am still so far unimpressed. The effects look great, but I expected nothing less from this guy who’s only credits so far are in Special Effects.

      Nothing else in it has me jonesing, but I am curious to see it based entirely on the “this is the guy Peter Jackson wanted to entrust a $300million Halo movie with?”

    5. Um rodney John is the one who said unless it flops financially. All I was pointing out was that with it’s relatively low budget It will at least make back it’s budget and since this is a first film from an unknown director with no stars if it can
      ale money and if it is critically acclaimed blomkamp wi have a ton of offers immediately. The film
      doesn’t have to do Blair witch type money to be noticed. It just has to ok and it will considered a success because aside from no stars etc The film itself isn’t exactly a total mainstream run of the mill summer type moV ie by the sounds of it. An r rated doco style film set in south Africa using aliens as a apartheid metaphor. Not exActly Harry potter 7.

    6. Beat in mind folks that Rodney is not impressed with anything from district 9 yet but recommends you rent st trinians and but first knight. Just keep that in mind when you read anything he says.

    7. Well, I do hope Rodney that you will give us a review of District 9 when you see it.
      It may be the D9 review I’m most looking forward too.

  14. All I can say, is I doubt this movie will open as big as you all are thinking. I live in Ohio, I want to see the flick, but I am a movie geek, when I ask others about the movie, they have never heard of District 9. Especially sitting in August between Inglorious Basterds and the HEAVILY marketed G.I. Joe movie.

    1. who said it was gonna open big? This is gonna sound like a strange foreign idea to you, but we’re actually excited about the quality of the film itself, not the opening weekend numbers.

      I have no doubt that GI Joe will make more money.

    2. haha i bet this movie makes more then gi joe

      first im pretty sure making more money means that they profit more…..gi joe’s aint gonna profit shit cause the movie looks like shit and it cost them im pretty sure atleast double that of D9

      inglorius bastard i can see pwning the Box office but still…if blair witch taught hollywood something…

  15. Hey Soul you think the CGI was absolutely fanstasic in Avatar?

    They do have 4-5 months until the movie comes out. By that time it will be perfect CGI wise.

    District 9 releases in a month so it is final polished copy of movie that you saw.

    1. Yeah the AVATAR footage screened at Comic-Con might not have been fully rendered, that’s a good point. And I was impressed by what I saw… But D-9 just completely blew me away.

      Also, if that “7 minutes of D-9” from CC hits the interwebs, AVOID IT. try and put blinders on until it comes out Aug 14th. Just my advice.

    2. One thing is for sure that Avatar will not be R rated. It is too expensive of a movie for it to be R rated. Total film has learned from Cameron that there is this massive battle at the end of movie.

      You thought Titanic was big? Forget it. Avatar packs a climactic final battle sequence that’ll blow it out of the water, says James Cameron.

      “There’s a couple of battles scenes towards the end, the last of which is kind of the mother of all battles,” revealed Cameron to Total Film.

      How big are we talking? “Biggest thing I’ve ever done, absolutely,” he explains. “It’s got everything. Everything. It’s aerial, it’s ground, it’s cavalry, it’s infantry, it’s mech and infantry, it’s hand-to-hand, it’s gonzo…”

      And it’s in 3D. We’re going lie down for a little while to imagine that. Stick close to TotalFilm.com for all latest Avatar updates…

    3. “No talent”? This is his first feature length movie (correct me if I’m wrong)! How can he have no talent if he has released anything yet?

    4. Dragonslayer, he can have no talent with out making a movie it is just nobody will know. So the real question is, how can he say that he has not talent with out seeing the movie.

    5. “Unproven” is accurate, and my only complaint about him. But to call him a no talent is just presuming something about him has has not proven or disproven yet.

      I still think he only got this attention because Peter Jackson said so, and if Petey didnt tuck him under his wing no one would ever have heard of him.

      At least this gave him a chance to cut his teeth on a modest budget film and show what he is capable of.

    6. my attempt at humor didn’t quite work.

      I was poking fun at John, who was in a frenzy because he didn’t think Blompkamp was qualified to direct the Halo movie because of inexperience etc.

      I’m glad to hear that Dist 9 seems to be a winner.

  20. as i stated b4….and soul kinda touched on it….this movie was made for the kind of people who attend comic con……if any thing in life repeats itself all this movie needs is non biased movie goers and critics knock it and then there will be a free for all on RTomatoes ….like i said i hope its as good as u say but it seems u are ramping it up to be the next big thing…..if it isnt then i would take what u said as idol sci fi geek banter.

    2. Sampson, I am not an intelligent, well-rounded movie critic… the only reason Im on the Movie Blog podcast is Im loud, opinionated, and occasionally funny.

      That being said, I loved Up but D-9 is more my kinda thing. I know it’s not gonna get nominated for anything other than most HOLY FUCK moments made for under 30 mil, but it was a hell of a ride.

    3. WELL then with all the + stuff your saying im gonna have to say then this is gonna have to be the next movie must for me….i mean from what i seen on the trailers i liked what i seen a lot…but im gonna have to take your advice and see this cause i believe it is what i am looking for…and personally for the amount said it cost to make….if it gives me the same reactions (which im pretty sure it will) then im all about giving this movie my own oscar lol.

  21. Who are you kidding Aaron, you wish you were me all the time… Haha jk

    I need to google Delgo.. Never saw the box office bomb, but for some reason the Avatar natives (the Na’vi) reminded me of them.

    1. Hahah. I still wish I saw at Comic Con…

      Hmm…scalp some tickets lol. But I mean I don’t even know why Avatar doesn’t even have a trailer yet?

  22. Yeah, the news footage/CNN stuff is decent setup to the story, but man, when Blomkamp puts his pedal to the metal… Holy expletive fucking expletive. As I told Campea coming out of the film, at least 16 jaw-dropping moments.

    Yes the audience was the prime demo, yes Jackson & Blomkamp introduced it, but I honestly think it’s the best sci-fi Ive seen in a long time. Like Moon, if the Crank guys directed it after an all night acid bender :)

  23. Very cool, glad to hear your friends think so highly of it. Can’t wait for this movie myself. I hope it is the best movie yet this year, gonna take allot to really beat Up, but either way I’m pretty sure I’m gonna love it.

    August 14 can’t come soon enough…

  25. When I first saw the trailer, I didn’t realize it was a trailer, I thought it was a real news report. This movie looks to be done right, almost like how other zombie movies have been done recently. I really want to see this, may be most anticipated movie right now to see. Glad to hear good initial things.

    1. Star trek is one of the best movies of the year so far ? That movie was horrible. Lasers are sooo boring. i’m sure district 9 smashes star trek.

    1. Not sure I would call Halo a disappointing follow up, the guy obviously has some talent, and from what i’ve seen of his short films, he would probably be the one of the few able to successfully transfer a video game plot into a good narrative for the screen.

      Granted, I don’t get why so many people riff on the Halo story line, I don’t think its really that bad at all, and at times I’ve found it to be some pretty well written stuff.

    2. I don’t know what the story behind HALO, so maybe it’s great…

      But I’d just much rather watch an original story than a video game adaptation.

  28. A lot of hype for this movie from your peeps. Did they also make it to the Avatar panel by any chance? I read elsewhere that they showed 25 minutes of the movie. Curious of what your peeps say about that if they saw it since they are saying that District 9 is the best movie of the year so far. Does this mean they did not see the Avatar panel or did they see it and were not as impressed as D9?

    1. The Avatar panel was pretty awesome too. Cameron did show 25+ minutes of 3D footage, and I gotta say… People were pretty blown away.

      The only negative chatter re: avatar, what that the character design for the natives was a little cartoony (Devin from CHUD, Tapley from InContention).

      But D-9 guys? HOLY SHIT. I cannot WAIT to pay for this movie in theaters. Mind-blowing.

    4. Yep, 25+ minutes of footage. I was told by a friend that was at the Con that they are working on renting time at as many theaters with digital 3D projectors as they can to premiere a 15 minute clip of the movie in August some time to wet the public’s appetite even more.

    5. Soul, you saw the Avatar footage? Why didn’t you film it for Youtube you slacker. I was counting on you man :)

      I trust your opinion though. If you tell me to see District 9 then I will.

    1. i agree, up was pretty stinking great.
      but i dont think this movie will flop for the same reason cloverfield didnt. people are interested in seeing whats going on in district 9, and the marketing is really great. ill be in line for it

    2. who are these people…cause its not the masses….as i am all on the internet and on games all day and no one really has heard of this movie except for a good amount of movie fans that scour the internet like are selves….i admit i want to see it…as for marketing…the signs they put up etc are and where in limited area’s and im pretty sure most common people have no clue wtf D9 is….and better then up…sorry this imo has to be over zealous fandom when someone watches something ahead of other people…i hope i am wrong cause personally i would love this film to rock…i just doubt its a mind blowing film that is better then UP.

    3. The movie has gotten good hype in my area. There are commercials for it on nearly every channel I leave on, with one averaging every hour.
      Plus the theater I go to has ads for it all over with the creative MNU warnings and separation of human and non-human signs, like one sign hanging on the rest room doors saying for ‘Humans Only’. They even have an actual hot line number that you can call and report non-human sightings.
      1(866)666-6001

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