Director Neill Blomkamp in an interview with Scifimoviepage shed some light on what ideas he’s working on to capitalize on his well deserved success. With the ending of this summer’s hit District 9 setting up perfectly for a follow-up, Blomkamp suggested that he might be interested in a prequel as well as a sequel. Read the rest of this entry »
We here at Geek on Film are still reeling from how terrific District 9 really was (check out our review here) and to celebrate, we have dug up the Neill Blomkamp short film “Alive in Joburg” which provided the base for District 9‘s story about aliens landing in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 6:25 short film, in its documentary style, is similar to the first 15 minutes of District 9, and those concerned about spoilers need not be. While the graphics are not nearly as sharp (Blomkamp didn’t have $30 million to make the short) , “Alive in Joburg” has the same basic story and even an appearance from the film’s star, Sharto Copley, as a sniper. It is certainly worth a look whether you have seen District 9 or not, and if you haven’t, it may even provide a nice introduction to the world. Check it out after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
There are four progressions through which every genre must go.
First, there is building stage. This is where something new is introduced to the audience that they have never seen before. There are still some issues and kinks that need to be worked out, but a base audience is created that is hungry for more.
The second stage is the classics stage. Directors and writers take on material from the building stage and, using original stories and deep characters, morph it to their own vision. It is during this stage that most of the best material is made.
The third stage is a depression stage. Attempting to capture the same successes that were done during the classics period, there becomes a lack of creativity that stunts the genre and prevents it from moving forward. Be it through exhausted series, overuse of underdeveloped technologies or simply a lack of creativity, the material cannot surpass that which was made before it and audiences begin to feel exhausted by the genre and demand begins to fade.
But then there is the fourth stage: resurrection. A director or writer steps forward with a new idea as to how to treat material that people grew tired of and make it new again. New stories to tell are discovered and ideas begin to be mined, allowing the cycle to begin again.
Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 is the resurrection of the science fiction genre. Read the rest of this entry »
The secrets of District 9 can finally be revealed after months and months of secrecy. Expect a review on Monday. With that, your new releases this weekend are after the jump:
Obed told you last week that a live-action Halo movie was far from dead, and according to sources reported by IESB, none other than Steven Spielberg is in negotiations to produce the reincarnated film version of Master Chief. Read the rest of this entry »
Avid video gamers, such as yours truly here at Geek on Film, have been long awaiting for the film adaptation of video game developer Bungie’s brainchild franchise Halo. In what seems reminiscent of your typical high school relationship, Halo’s fan base has endured issues ranging from the constant breaking up and making up between Microsoft and major studios to the uncertainty of a script with several rewrites in recent years. Read the rest of this entry »
District 9, which is set for a August 14 release date, looks like it is going to be a completely new vision of the science fiction film. Much like my feelings regarding James Cameron’s Avatar, each new video and promotion gets me more and more exited and intrigued. What has been most interesting about the coverage of District 9 so far, though, is that, while the audience knows about the apartheid parable and the aliens, not much is known about the plot of the film and its main characters. That said, the studio has just released this promotional trailer which shows some new clips from the film as well as commentary from director Neill Blomkamp, producer Peter Jackson, and star Sharlto Copley. How do you come down on the issue of plot secrecy? Does it hype the film through curiosity? Is it just confusing and vauge? Let us know what you think.
Just in case you want to keep everything a secret and not ruin any of the suspense, I’ve put the trailer after the jump:
While promoting Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 which he is producing, (and looks very promising) Peter Jackson talked to Sci-Fi Wire and answered a few questions about The Hobbit (prequel to the Lord of the Rings) on which he will also serve as producer. Read the rest of this entry »
Eric Eisenberg
Amani
Geek on Film 