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DISTRICT 9 Dedicated Talkback - Is it Great or Just Hype?
SPOILER ALERT !!
Hey folks, Harry here... been getting a lot of requests to put up a dedicated Talkback for DISTRICT 9. Most seem to be rabid lovers of the film (like me) - and there's still others that just are not quite into it. Well - I know about 2000 of you readers have just seen the film courtesy of AICN & Fantastic Fest... and I'd like to welcome all of you to give your thoughts here! Oh... and the rest of ya? Well, tons are seeing it at the Midnight screenings nationwide...
I'm really hoping this movie does tremendous business. For one... if it's ginormous... maybe Legendary will set this alleged GODZILLA remake in Japan. Which would just be natural.
Ok, that's reaching. But seriously - this is a truly fantastic film. But enough of my thoughts, what did you think?
And remember dear reader... Be prepared for spoilers in the below talkback, this is for people that have seen the film and there's no way they're not going to chat all about it. Because, that's what this talkback is all about!!!
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Copy and pasted from Harry's District 9 review talkback:
Just got back from the Seattle show. Me and my girl were chattering like little kids the entire ride back. District 9 is incredible, BELIEVE the hype.
Thanks so much for the free movie AICN and Harry. I had a blast. Great crowd to see it with, too.
Except for a few people that laughed, LOUDLY, at parts that I kinda felt that didn't quite GET, maybe? I really don't want to sound like a pretentious douche here, but things like the aliens being addicted to cat food, and humans calling the aliens 'prawns', were really depressing things to me. They lived in poverty and were being called racial slurs. Other people thought that shit was hilarious. I don't know. To each their own.
It definitely was not a big deal. I'm not trying to be a grumpy goof. The movie was absolutely incredible.
Doggystyle with the demon. -
Let my imagination work things out!
Also, Christopher Johnson is my best friend. -
It was really cool!
It had that neat "The Fly" transformations with the HALO concept of weapons only working with alien DNA.
So much better than Transforminators.
Maybe Hollywood will start making more original movies like this and Avatar instead of destroying old 80's Cartoons and comics. -
I just saw it in San Francisco-and with the exception of the fucking retarded projectionist who for some reason couldn't see that the picture was out of frame-this was a once in a lifetime movie. It was like seeing something fresh at the movies-the feeling I used to get from Speilberg movies and the feeling I got seeing Lord of the Rings for the first time. Fucking top notch in every respect.
But again-that fucking Projectionist needs to be shot. -
..I've been watching alot of older Cronenberg lately, and some of the shit in the movie totally felt like a throwback to his old 'body horror' stuff. Which is ALWAYS a plus.
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certainly not just hype.
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A tip of the cap to Mr. Knowles for calling this one. This was a great, albeit grim film. There were some laughs at the showing I attended, but only at the beginning. I think it takes a few minutes for the suspension of disbelief to fully set in. But once the audience was hooked, they were HOOKED. Pure movie magic!
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there was practically no one at the midnight showing. I think it was me and like 20 other people
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...was the best ending to a movie all year. During the Q&A, Neil was talking about a sequel, and how he hadn't thought about one before the movie was screened.
Now that people are asking about one, he is clearly open to the idea, at least from what he said in Chicago. This movie can seriously stand alone and be remembered like Blade Runner, and will only be hurt by sequelitis. -
I was expecting a bit more in the way of the social commentary, but then I kinda forgot about that because this is the most badass, brutal, and imaginative piece of scifi action filmmaking that I've seen in a looooong time. VFX weren't the best ever done, but it's films like this that show it's not the size of the budget, but the quality of the ideas that make for a great movie. Absolutely stunning.
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The horror from the way the aliens were treated is gripping by the end. I can't imagine watching the first scenes from their view. I was hugely disappointed at the end simply because it was over--it's liek the first issue of a cool, new comic book.
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At how good it was. Just got back from a preview screening. I went in expecting a big-budget ALIEN NATION ripoff, but while the initial premise (and its metaphors of racism) are indeed almost identical, this film almost immediately veers into a whole other level of brutality and ugliness--on the human side, of course. The resolved but open ending could certainly lend itself to a sequel, but artistically, it's a complete work that doesn't really need one and probably stands better leaving what happens after to the viewers' imaginations (such as they may be). In short, well worth your time and money, and if like me you are worried about the ALIEN NATION thing...don't. This movie is its own thing.
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Do you think after Steven Speilberg sees this movie he will try offer Blomkamp large sums of cash and royalties to do the HALO: Fall of Reach movie?
Blomkamp has certainly proven himself.
But now HALO might be below him.
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... made me sick to my stomach. It was incredibly sad in a very, very real way. It seemed like the sort of thing you can imagine really happening, and probably does.
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Just wonderful.
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and mdavis1016 I was at the SF screening too. Damn that projectionist and the fuzzy picture.
LOVED the movie. Anyone here play Half-Life 2 notice that he had a full fledged GRAVITY GUN!?!?! (on the Mech) -
Aug 14, 2009 1:51:43 AM CDT
That last shot made this whole movie like a modern fairytale
by ironic_name
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Really liked it. I am currently writing my review which you can check out here: www.osnspodcast.com also got some footage from some of the theater goers that we'll post here soon. Thanks agian Harry for the show!
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but it's soooo damn satisfying. This fooker's gonna have broad appeal. It just hit's that sweet spot that lets you forgive it for its shortcomings, and start begging for District 10. There is so much potential here.
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Aug 14, 2009 2:02:41 AM CDT
saw it in Seattle tonight, thanks to AICN (spoilers and question
by badmrwonka
I thought visually it was amazing. it was very well paced and engaging. I think what's most amazing about it is that it's not REALLY amazing in and of itself, it's just that so many movies that are similar to this are terrible. it took Peter Jackson's help, working a bit more outside the hollywood system, shooting in South Africa, etc. to make a movie as good as the promise of the premise. lots of movies have a great premise, but the end result s too watered down, too bland, too middle of the road. this movie had the guts to really delve into it, to leave a lot of the story off screen. to just follow one character wherever he went. it's amazing that the main character is in virtually every scene. it's sort of like a Law and Order episode, where you really don't learn much about the plot (except for the talking heads giving the backstory) unless you learn it through the main character's eyes.I was floored at how well the transition from mockumentary (which isn't really an appropriate term here, it's more a faux-documentary, or a fictional documentary) to "real" footage worked. it was really seamless. I think because that between the first and second acts, they started to sort of go back and forth between the two styles, using a lot of "security cam" footage, etc, newscasts, etc. to sort of ease in to the more narrative camerawork.the ending was great, I thought. I didn't feel like it really needs a sequel, because it would be a very different story. how could the aliens come back and try to save the rest of the species on earth, etc. and have it be a personal story? you couldn't do that, and it would spoil the lightning in a bottle that this film captured. a few things that logically I didn't really follow...
-the aliens could understand english, the humans could understand the alien dialect. OK, fine. but you need to explain how that would be the case. for the nigerians inside district 9, I get it, they're around it all the time. but how do the soldiers, the MNU staff, etc understand perfectly the clicks and burps of the aliens? give me a little explanation there.-if the ship was large enough to hold all the aliens in the first place (which it clearly was) why not just clean it up and put the aliens back in it? they just needed some damn food.-I assume the module that "fell off" the ship was the module that eventually comes out of the ground and flies back to it. but how on earth did they not find something that large?
-I get that the majority of the aliens are "workers" and don't necessarily understand all the technology of their species, but come on...they acted like raving lunatics, or animals...murdering, stealing...they were completely retarded. if an alien race is sufficiently evolved to where they've mastered space flight, how could so many of them be about as intelligent as dogs? even in insect colonies where they are workers and soldiers, etc, the difference between the workers and the higher ups is not intelligence, it's just their physical makeup. I really didn't buy that at all.
-Christopher, the alien that escapes, is clearly intelligent enough to work alot of these things, he's MUCH more advanced than any of the rest of them. in the beginning, why didn't he attempt to communicate with humans? why didn't he say, "look, ignore my retarded brethren. I can get us up and out of here in a jiffy. I just need a little of this liquid, you help me get it, I fly us back up there, and we're gone."
and I understand that maybe he was one of the "smarter" aliens, but he was also much more compassionate, familial, loving, understanding...if the race was really like that, then why were NONE of the other aliens like that? not a single one. that just didn't work for me at all.logical quibbles aside, I really enjoyed it. I hope it does big business this weekend. -
is the best thing to happen to cinema this year.
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Aug 14, 2009 2:11:05 AM CDT
HYPE. S. Africa would never be put in charge of handling this si
by lightwork3r
defintely some cool parts/ideas in the movie but the huge plot hole of South Africa being in charge of handling alien contact is BS. I'm no American 'hurrrah!' guy but we all know america would come in and take over.
**SPOILER**
also would have been better if the movie followed the trailer aspect of us 'keeping' the prawns' ship. In this version there was no viable reason to why they came to earth, parked, waited for us to cut our way in, etc.
Again some cool moments for sure but two HUGE plot holes that kind of ruined it for me..
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Aug 14, 2009 2:12:02 AM CDT
The disease made them stupid. Plus how many of you can fix a NA
by chaos123x
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I'm seeing this tomorrow, as I have a free ticket, and I'm hoping it's as good as certain untrustworthy ginger haired people claim. Anyway, the reviews have been almost universally good, apart from Armond White who is a stupid cunt, and I’d like to know if any of you, who have already seen the movie, think that it would be a good idea for Blomkamp to do World War Z?
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So you're saying then that in the US, right now, some dude in Ohio is going to be able to understand the technical nature of a weapon someone is creating and testing at a military base? Or that a grocery clerk understands nuclear physics? C'mon. That's a simple answer to why the aliens found are not capable. They are the lower class.
It's been 20 years since the aliens landed. The MNU task force is studied in the language as would an envoy going into Africa today. Their only job is to understand and interact with the prawns.
They could not open the rest of the ship, and as shown, it's obvious that one area was not suitable to store them. According to Blomkamp, there was a whole side story of the MNU opening the rest of the ship that never made it past screenplay stage.
You talk about picking stuff up within a story such as in "L&O" episodes, but you couldn't pick this stuff up? It's all in there. As far as I could tell, very little was not explained one way or another, whether you choose to accept those explanations are up to you. -
The lucky bastard a row in front of me won a cool piece of concept art signed by Peter Jackson. The movie kicked ass and I still can't believe the quality and quantity of the effects that they milked out of 30 mil for this. I can't believe we missed out on a big budget Halo flick from this guy! Fuck you Microsoft!
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-I think that came to be simply for how long the aliens had been there. It had been TWENTY YEARS. Of course a handful of people who've been working around them the whole time are going to pick up the language.
-Besides food, the ship didn't have sunlight water, electricity, nothing to sustain them. I'm guessing their homeworld is similar to Earth, it'd be like cramming thousands of people in a dark warehouse for a long period of time.
- I guess the aliens quickly hid it, knowing how essential it was to the mothership.
- I just saw Christopher as one of the sane, rational ones, out of hundreds or thousands of quick-tempered and scared ones. Kinda like us, what do you know. And we weren't really introduced to every single alien living in District 9, there may have been a handful of ones like Christopher. The elite of their society. They did show plenty of aliens going about their business at times, without being confrontational and shit, maybe they were some of the smarter ones too.
I think he hadn't tried to speak to the MNU because they clearly DIDN'T want the aliens to leave (as opposed to the citizens) because they had so much to gain from their technology and their weaponry. -
..I don't feel comfortable calling the aliens 'prawns'.
I actually feel sensitive toward a made-up creature in a movie. THAT is a fucking FILM right there, friends! -
To answer the question, i'm halfway through the book right now and I think he could certainly do a badass World War Z. The gritty handheld style of this movie would translate perfectly.
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I know it looks like flamebait, but I honestly feel it is better than TDK. And seeing one of the prawns wearing shutter shades was just hilarious.
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Why did they leave it empty for Christopher to fly away.
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and the more i think about it the more i want to watch it again. there were moments where my brain tickled i loved it so much.
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This was shot on Red One and I'd like to know. How would you compare it to Public Enemies?
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A diamond in the dog dirt this summer. A lighter tone than I was expecting from the trailers but great. By the way, avoid the 2nd trailer if you haven't seen the film. It gives far too much away.
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I have heard so much hype for this film, that I was ready to hate on it. But now I have to say that it is the best film out this summer....PERIOD. And I put that shit on the HURT LOCKER.
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There is so much to say about this film I dont know where to start... I just got out of a midnight screening in Atlanta ( that was all but sold out) and everyone loved it... except my girlfriend; granted she wasn't totally aware of what movie I was dragging her to this time and thought this was going to be more like Starship Troopers or something. She did say that she appreciated it's message and thought that it was a very well made film... she just wasn't quite ready to have her compassion bone bonked. Its been a while since I've seen a satisfying sci-fi film that is violent, action packed, clever and has something to say. It feels like we haven't had a quality original film in this style since the late 80's. Hopefully Blomkamp can keep it up.
... and on a side note...
Dear Hollywood,
I will hunt all of you down, cut out your lungs and feed them to your weeping children if you commission Blomkamp to do a remake, re-imagining, video-game to film adaption, or comic to film adaption. This man knows what he's doing. Let's keep his shit original! You've already destroyed enough blossoming careers with such tripe... let's not dump our pop-culture leftover's in this auteur's mind garden. That is all. -
I only found out it was shot on Red after watching. It never occurred while watching that the movie might have been shot digitally. Recalling back, maybe there were 2 or 3 scenes that looked "digital".
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Amazing. This is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
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Total. Brilliance. I'll see D9 this weekend, though.
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Aug 14, 2009 2:45:18 AM CDT
Finally, a film that doesn't treat us like reh-tards
by the_warrior_poet
Thank you Harry! Next time you're in Seattle, let us know what bar/restaurant you'll be at. I guarantee you won't pay for a thing. You're awesome. Tell us, what goes into assembling a screening like this? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I wonder about the economics of it. We didn't fill out surveys, there were no trailers to promote other films... we're free riders. I love it. This movie was so good, I feel like I owe it something. I want everyone who's the least bit curious about it to just go see it. You won't be disappointed. Next, give Neill Blomkamp whatever project he wants and full creative control. This guy is a studio's license to print money.Oh, and by the way, Neill Blomkamp eats pussy better than Guillermo Del Toro. Fact.
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at the girl who won the artwork at the SF showing. My hand was up like....third..
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I actually think it was a testimate of the film maker's skill that this didn't "look digital". I think they added a lot of the grit in post, which probably did a lot to blend the CG with the live action.
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"So you're saying then that in the US, right now, some dude in Ohio is going to be able to understand the technical nature of a weapon someone is creating and testing at a military base? Or that a grocery clerk understands nuclear physics? C'mon. That's a simple answer to why the aliens found are not capable. They are the lower class."you've completely misunderstood what I wrote. as I pointed out, I completely understand that they don't understand how to use the technology, run the ship, etc. if they're the lower class, but it's a far cry from that to acting like rabid dogs. imagine a group of humans on a spaceship, even people that work in the cafeteria or whatever, they're not going to start acting like chimps as soon as they're off the ship, are they? if Christopher's character is one of the smart ones, it still doesn't explain why there is so obvious a disconnect between him and the other million aliens. as for the language, (again, as I said) I don't mind the way they shot it, I just would have liked a couple lines explaining it. it wasn't a select few, it seemed like EVERY HUMAN understood EVERY WORD they said, and that's a little surprising. it's not pidgin english, or even Japanese, it's a totally alien language, it would take a LOT of study to become fluent in it, unless you were around it 24/7...which none of the humans besides the Nigerians were.I understand not putting them back in the ship, I just really didn't get how quickly the humans just sort of avoided it. they're digging through trash heaps in a shanty town for weopanry to test out, and they have this enormous ship floating above they're heads and...and...they cut it open, take out the starving aliens, and then just ignore it? as for the ship not having water, light, etc. well, it housed all of the liens successfully through interstellar travel, so it must have SOME amenities. why not work to get it up and running, rather than just sticking the aliens in a shanty town and forgetting about it?I get that the government didn't want the aliens to leave because they wanted their technology. but in the first place, when the ship first arrived, wouldn't Christopher or any of the other "smart" aliens talk to the government and explain to them what was wrong with the ship so that they could work together to fix it? was there no communication? they learned their language, evidently, without any difficulty, why didn't anyone TALK to the smarter aliens? why didn't the smarter aliens talk to any of the humans.the main character was a part of MNU, a group that presumably knows as much about the aliens as anyone, and he's repeatedly surprised when any of them do ANYTHING intelligent. he thinks they're all slobbering animals. part of this is just...not racism but..species-ism? but part of it is that most of them DO act like violent morons. it seems like the status of the aliens and the humans was clearly designed to be a metaphor, and I like that, but you have to explain to me validly WHY that's the case, and I think there were a lot of gaps in the story that could have been better explained. and VWantsRevenge, don't talk down to me, kiddo. I have studied film for a long time. I liked the film, but I have legitimate questions about the logic and backstory. that doesn't mean I missed it or I wasn't paying attention. pull your head out.
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Absolutely great. Anyone who claims it's bad is just being a hater. What's not to like? It's exciting and innovative and is equipped with both a heart and a brain. A rare thing in a summer filled with Hasbro fluff.
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besides the ones already mentioned, *SPOILERS* such as the cat food addiction (similar to spoiled milk in Alien Nation), manipulation of a holographic HUD a la Minority Report, Robotech/Macross-style swarming missile trails, The Fly transformation, and probably many more I missed on first view.I'm wondering if they intended for the taurine in cat food as the ingredient that gave them a high? As dog food isn't that dissimilar. If so, you'd think they'd just give them taurine. Unless it was merely a set-up so we get to see the cheap joke of him slamming cat food down?Whatever, it was a blast getting to see something for free. I had a girlfriend back in the early 90's who worked at a theatre so I saw a lot for free, but movies really sucked hard at that time.
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Go see it.
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for those of you claiming the film had a digital look, or at least one that can be compared to Public Enemy. District 9, on the other hand couldn't be further in terms of looking digital. Other then shots deliberately looking like security cameras and such they all looked amazing. The RED camera unlike other digital cameras still holds depth of field which Public Enemy did not have any of,the cinematography in Mann's film looked like someone wiped shit all over the lens. District 9, looked amazing and is I honestly cannot wait to see it again. This film is one of the best examples of using CGI in film properly next to the Curious Case of Benjamin Button that is. Whether you enjoyed that film or not it is an enormous achievement in Visual FX
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I agree this film looked AMAZING, the digital footage looked fine. Public Enemies is an example of truly HORRENDOUS digital filmmaking. the night shots especially in that film were painfully bad. there wasn't ONE MOMENT of this film where the footage didn't look great.
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After years of following the site, I signed up just to say: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU HARRY for bringing this to Seattle. Yeah I could have seen it a few hours later anywhere, but the energy in that theater was amazing. And the movie... it still gives me goosebumps. Pure win.
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Really surprised me. Everything in this film I expected and was very by that. But that last shot surprised me because I cried like a little bitch.
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As I said above I **loved** D9, and I just read a very good quote that there are WORSE things to be than an ALIEN NATION ripoff. Having said that, and not in any way taking away from what an awesome movie D9 is, I offer the following, taken from http://tinyurl.com/ls68cz :
Too Close To Call: 10 Ways District 9 Is An Alien Nation Knockoff
By Josh Tyler: 2009-08-10 22:44:24
I feel like I should apologize for everything I’m about to write here in advance. The thing is I saw District 9 last week and I liked it, I really did. It’s a solid science fiction movie with sharp special effects and a brain rattling around somewhere in its CGI noggin. When you see it, you’ll go nuts for it. It’s likely to engender the kind of broad-based adoration not seen since Star Trek appeared earlier this summer, warped across all walks of life, and became one of those rare movies that everyone agreed was, wow, pretty good. And District 9 is indeed pretty good. In fact District 9 is a lot of things, most of them very positive. One thing it isn’t, though, is original.
Yet if you read some of the early reviews posted for the film, that’s the praise you’ll hear most frequently launched in its direction. The words “fresh”, “original”, “unique”, and “groundbreaking” have been used liberally in describing it and in particular its story. So I guess I’m the only one who’s seen Alien Nation?
The year is 1988 and in theaters is a movie about a near future where alien refugees have landed and humanity is forced to deal with the consequences of their presence. Sound familiar? Hey, that’s the plot of District 9! It’s also the plot of the movie Alien Nation, starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, and the acclaimed television series it went on to spawn a year later in 1989. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. District 9 is a great movie. Make sure you’re there, ticket in hand, to see it opening weekend. It’s a fantastic experience and writer/director Neill Blomkamp deserves praise for what he’s accomplished. But it’s not fresh. It’s not original. In fact, whether intentional or by accident, it’s kind of an Alien Nation knockoff.
Want proof? Here it is. Below I break down the similarities but be warned, in doing so I’ll be forced to hack through heavy District 9 spoiler foliage. If you want to see D9 unspoiled then read no further, unless of course you’ve seen Alien Nation, in which case you’re spoiled already.
”District
Saucer Separation
In Alien Nation: When the movie begins Alien Nation’s aliens, called Newcomers, have been on the ground for many years. We never actually see their landing, except in brief flashbacks and stories told by present day characters who were there. Through those flashbacks and stories we learn that the Newcomers descended out of nowhere, with no communication, to hover above the ground near Los Angles, California in a single, massive, saucer-shaped spaceship.
In District 9: When the movie begins District 9‘s aliens, called Prawns, have been on the ground for many years. We never actually see their landing, except in brief flashbacks and stories told by present day characters who were there. Through those flashbacks and stories we learn that the Prawns descended out of nowhere, with no communication, to hover above the ground near Johannesburg, South Africa in a single, massive, saucer-shaped spaceship.
Slave Labor
In District 9: Prawns were bred as workers meant to carry out manual labor. When discovered aboard their ship they appear to be of limited intelligence, almost unable to take care of themselves, though they’re very good at taking orders. Once taken off the ship and brought to Earth things begin to change and there are hints that not only are they intelligent, they may be far smarter than us.
In Alien Nation: Newcomers were bred as workers and slaves meant to carry out manual labor. When discovered aboard their ship they’d been drugged to dull their intelligence and make them obedient, almost to the point that they’re unable to take care of themselves. Once taken off the ship and brought to Earth things begin to change and there are hints that not only are they intelligent, they may be far smarter than us.
Missing Overlords
In Alien Nation: Since Newcomers are basically obedient workers being shuttled around on a transport ship, no one is entirely sure how they got to Earth in the first place. Investigators never discover a ship’s pilot or crew, nor does there seem to be anyone giving orders… at first. Eventually the Newcomers in charge are revealed as a subplot in the film’s subsequent spin-off TV series.
In District 9: Since Prawns are basically obedient workers being shuttled around on a transport ship, no one is entirely sure how they got to Earth in the first place. Investigators never discover a ship’s pilot or crew, nor does there seem to be anyone giving orders… at first. Eventually the Prawns hidden leaders reveal themselves and by the end of the movie we know where the Prawn leader has been hiding.
Name Recognition
In District 9: Prawns are often referred to by a variety of other names, most of which, like Prawn, are really just bigoted slurs. Prawn is not their proper species name. In fact they are and prefer to be called… a complicated name which I’ve forgotten. Hey give me a break. In addition to being given English substitutes for their species name, Prawns are also given human personal names to use in their daily life. For instance, Christopher Johnson is the name of the Prawn lead in District 9.
In Alien Nation: Newcomers are often referred to as Slags, which is regarded as a bigoted slur. Neither Slag nor Newcomer is their proper species name. In fact they are and prefer to be called the Tenctonese. In addition to being given English substitutes for their species name, Newcomers are also given human personal names to use in their daily life. For instance, George Francisco is the name of the Newcomer lead in Alien Nation.
Alien Muscle
In Alien Nation: Aliens look pretty much like bald versions of us, except with spots, but they possess physical strength far beyond that of normal human beings.
In District 9: Aliens look like giant bugs, or prawns as their name suggests, and they possess physical strength far beyond that of normal human beings.
Internment Camps: An Alien Staycation
In District 9: When they first land Prawns are held in internment camps to protect a nervous human population from them.
In Alien Nation: When they first land Newcomers are held for several years in interment camps as they’re processed and certified safe enough to be allowed out in public.
Outer Spacial Descrimination
In District 9: Prawns are used as a stand-in for discriminated against minorities, in particular South Africa’s struggle with Apartheid which was a political and social policy of segregating blacks from whites.
In Alien Nation: Newcomers are used as a stand-in for discriminated against minorities, in particular they symbolize the struggle of black Americans against discrimination during the civil rights movement.
Hater With A Heart Of Gold
In Alien Nation: A bigoted homicide detective is forced to team up with a Newcomer by a government integration program. As they work together to solve crime, the Newcomer begins to win over his human partner who eventually abandons his bigoted views.
In District 9: A bigoted civil servant is forced to team up with a Prawn when circumstances beyond his control force him to take desperate measures. As they work together on a common cause, the bigoted human and wary alien develop a begrudging respect for one another.
Addicted To Gross
In District 9: Prawns are addicted to cat food which affects them like catnip. Though it disgusts humans, they’ll do almost anything to get it.
In Alien Nation: Newcomers are addicted to sour milk which affects them like alcohol. Though it disgusts humans, some aliens will do almost anything to get it.
Something’s Growing On Timmy
In Alien Nation: Two of the major subplots of the spin-off television series and the film involved both a strange substance which has unexpected effects on Newcomers and a dangerous disease which may have been brought to Earth along with the aliens. Newcomers will do anything to hide the truth of both.
In District 9: A strange substance brought to Earth by the Prawns has an unexpected and dangerous affect on humans. Both the Prawns and South Africa’s mega-corporation controlled government will do or say anything to hide the truth of what’s happening.
There you have it. If it were made by Quentin Tarantino District 9 would be an homage. With luck, Blomkamp can get some sort of special QT dispensation.
So maybe it’s not entirely original and maybe it’s not completely unique, at least for anyone born before 1989. That doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. Whether knowingly or by accident, what Blomkamp has done is take an old idea and give it his own twist, his own flavor, and done it up in his own style. In some ways he’s made it even better. So to be fair, as long as we’re picking this thing apart here’s a few examples of District 9 going its own way.
Aliens Are Aliens, Not Fleshy-Headed Humans
In District 9: Prawns are nothing like humans. In fact at times, their motivations are almost incomprehensible. They’re not reasonable creatures who want to fit in and get along, often they’re violent, they’re dangerous, they’re flat out gross and maybe it’s not such a bad idea penning them up like cattle and keeping them away from human populations. They just might want to eat us.
In Alien Nation: Though the movie and the television show spend a lot of time telling us how different humans and Newcomers are, when it comes right down to it the aliens are basically bald humans with spots. Sometimes that works to Alien Nation’s advantage. Sexually promiscuous, ultra-sexy alien females are never a bad thing, but mostly it’s the result of what happens when you don’t have the budget necessary to pull something grander off.
Mockument This Christopher Guest
In District 9: The entire film is shot documentary style and put together with cutting edge special effects. Every frame of it feels like something that could happen at any moment, and most of the movie absolutely lives on the edge. Danger lurks around every corner and the tension is frightening and palpable. District 9 is brutal and unflinching, bringing a high-tech horror movie aesthetic to smart science fiction.
In Alien Nation: Both the movie and the television show are shot and scripted like a generic television drama. It never really takes full advantage of its alien premise, again in large part because of budget constraints, but maybe also because it simply lacks the imagination to go there. Whatever the reason, Alien Nation never feels real. It never feels like something that could be happening just outside of town. It never feels dangerous.
James Caan Can’t Compete With Sharlto Copley
In District 9: Neill Blomkamp goes with a complete unknown for the lead in his film, a long time friend named Sharlto Copley. Write that name down, you’ll be hearing a lot more of it. He’s a character actor and a brilliant one. As Wikus Van De Merwe, a somewhat dim-witted civil servant completely out of his depth and in over his head, he’s utterly real. You’ve known people exactly like Wikus, he’s the idiot boss who smiles while announcing layoffs, or the middle manager sucking up to the boss. He’s all at one loathsome and lovable. It’s one of the best performances of the year.
In Alien Nation: In the movie version the human lead is played by James Caan who, doesn’t really seem to understand the script. Caan’s given great performances in his career, but what he gives in Alien Nation is not one of them. It’s as if he doesn’t believe most of what’s going on around him is real, or for that matter even comprehend the words coming out of his mouth, making it pretty difficult for the rest of us to buy into it if he doesn’t.
Greed Isn’t Good
In District 9: The film is indeed a loose allegory for Apartheid but it’s not content with tackling just one social issue. D9 also takes on rampant corporate corruption and if there’s a villain in the movie it’s not a bigoted, fearful populace as much as it is an out of control, evil corporation which will stop and nothing to screw over the human race in order to make a tidy profit. Racism and capitalist greed get crammed, successfully, all into one movie.
In Alien Nation: The film’s fairly standard storyline is easily bogged down and quickly becomes a fairly standard buddy cop movie, even if one of the buddy cops happens to be an alien. The film and the television show do tackle racial issues through discrimination against the Alien newcomers, but it’s usually straightforward without layers other than “hey remember when this used to happen if you were black?” -
Best. Mech Battle. Ever. Also, I wanted to cheer when the Nigerian Warlord got his head blown apart. Awesomeness.
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Just seen it here in the UK - Loved it, stands heads and tails above most sci-fi, especially against what has come out so far this year.
Also looked great, hope to see more films rapidly employing use of the Red camera – amazing what they can do with (allegedly) $30 million.
Great trailer for 2012 too in our screening.
I’ve done a review for it here.
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/reviews/district-9.html
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the Vrusk, from the old Star Frontiers rpg.
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This movie was fucking awesome, and many thanks to Harry and co for setting up all the screenings! This movie needs to make a lot of money so Neill can continue making amazing movies!
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Shoot the pig!!!
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What a surprise - I'm a naysayer. I had the "privilege" of seeing DISTRICT 9 for free (I want my money back, *rimshot*) at the midnight screening here. W-O-W ... to quote Bill Murray, "did THAT suck."First off, couching the film in realism was a HUGE mistake (like the laugh-inducing blurred faces for the aliens in the initial ad campaign - a tactic that produced such guffaws everywhere that they abandoned it almost immediately. There's absolutely NOTHING realistic or even based-in-reality going on here in this story. Instead, we're getting knee-jerk liberalism and slams against human nature where it doesn't belong.Fact is, if real aliens actually did crash-land on Earth, you wouldn't hear about it, first of all, no matter how high-profile their landing turned out to be. The whole thing would be covered up, the witnesses "dealt with," the aliens immediately contained and put into special holding facilities in bunkers that don't exist. The idea that they'd be allowed to free-float around in a town (!) is MONSTROUSLY laughable, especially considering that people flip-right-the-fuck-out over mere viruses, let alone the idea of a whole alien species that threatens everything from notions of God creating man in his image to the sanctity of the human body to concepts of health personal health. That this spaceship wouldn't be completely destroyed and the pieces put into storage for later study is likewise LAUGHABLE. That the aliens wouldn't be vivisected one by one is likewise LAUGHABLE. So, to put this story into the real world, you have to tell it by real world rules - which this film doesn't. Thre result makes it seem about as plausible as BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and about as genuine as CLOVERFIELD.Then there are the performances - uniformly flat and without inflection, except when peole scream. The ALIENS are more expressive than their human counterparts, which is sort of the point sinc this whole thing is a sad indictment on man for protecting himself from an obvious threat that turns out to be just as threatening as it seems. The thing is - here, the xenophobics are RIGHT! Mixing man and these aliens results in disaster. Guess what? We came first on the planet, and as a result why is it is a crime for people to defend the human way of life?The apartheid metaphor was HEAVY-HANDED, POKEY AND CHEESY. We got just about everything short of a character saying "People - PLEEZ! If we don't stop now, we're gonna do soemthing we're gonna regret for the rest of our LIVES!" The whole thing felt like DO THE RIGHT THING, but the sucky 2nd half of that movie as opposed to the wildly inventive and creative pre-racism sequences. WOW, was this a horrible film, done on the cheap (and looks it - you guys talking about digital effects boggle my mind, as the rubbery-bodied aliens often displayred randomized physics from scene to scene, moving one way in one moment and another way in a later moment). They are likewise not beings of our physical space - because they're as limber or plodding or light or heavy as the story demands in any given moment, going from big worker-carrier bugs to spritely Peter Pan flying Lost Boys in the next and jumping around like mad sentient crickets in-between.The way the humans understood the aliens made me choke on my own vomit, because it felt so SCOOBY-DOO. "RELLLP!" "Scooby needs help!" Furthermore, the aliens - far from seeming to be sympathetic - are so unwilling to share their purpose or existence that they end up INVITING the treatment they receive from the humans. I've got not much more to say about this movie, except that I'm kinda disappointed people are enjoying it, because I found it just as much of a screed on a vulgar topic as I presupposed.
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everything you're saying is nonsense, but I did want to pick one particular turd out of the pile...do you think if a ship the size of a city was hovering over Johannesburg, it could be covered up? people have cameras on their cell phone, kiddo.flat performances? "knee-jerk liberalism"? jesus, no matter how well-made a movie is, there's still someone so in need of attention that they'll bend over backwards to try to find a way to shit on it.
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It's startling and slightly uncomfortable at first, but after 10 minutes in you'll feel like a king.
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You mean that cell phone footage of the aliens that they proved was fake? And how all those pranksters in Nigeria who do the emails were responsible for it as a scheme to get people to a central location to pick their pockets? Or how that one village plotted out the whole thing as a tourist attempt to get people to travel there to mug and rob them? And the cell phone footage that was to tie in with the newest cell phone release? And that one sci-fi movie that was being filmed there where they used the holograms?
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in Korea. I ve seen nothing for it here. I still cant believe someone made not only a good South African film, but a good fucking sci-fi film. To those that have seen it, is there much action? And if so, how would you rate Blomkamp's ability to shoot and frame action?
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Yes, there WERE flat performances, almost uniformly. Although the mannerisms do shift back and forth between almost comical overacting and moments of emotionless line-reading. "I KNOW THEIR SECRETS! I SAW IT ALL!" sort of things followed by "Ok, well, I'll be off now to fight for the aliens' rights," ... we get not one EVEN REMOTE hint at the motivations BEHIND the behavior, except the reason "knee-jerk liberalism" gives ... which is that humans are inherently bad and filled with evil and therefore can only hurt eachother. This guy basically endangers the entire fucking planet to help a foreign body and that's noble. Yes, right. And when the aliens come back and conquer us, they'll be greeted as fucking liberators. I felt -very- strongly (negative) about this movie.
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He liked it, but he wasn't gushing all over it. In fact his review makes it sound silly, like the name of the alien and talk of growing a lobster hand. Now I'm not as excited to see it as I once was, Harry get me excited again.
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Yeah, knee-jerk liberalism. That variety that wants to have it both ways - they'll attack people like the ones in the movie for being so "cruel" and "opressive" to the aliens harboring planet-destroying capabilities but withholding the facts about them ... and then when the shit hits the fan these are the same ones standing behind the military man and shaking his shoulders saying "DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS - YOU'RE IN THE ARMY, RIGHT?"
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Oh, believe Ebert, man - it's silly as hell, right down to the Toy Robot Fight in which they block missiles as compellingly as THE TRANSPOTER and as emotionally-involving as when CGI King Kong grabbed a CGI girl with his CGI feet while fighting CGI dinosaurs - in other words, not very. All the gushing you're hearing about the effects work is really a big surprise, as it's not much better movement-wise than a lot of TV movies. Hell, MERLIN - the old one with Sam Neil - had more convincing caharacter monsters than some of the shots in this!
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Seth Brundle's final form as The Fly, in Cronenberg's movie. Great flick, though.
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Because fictional stories born of the creative imagination are absolutely beholden to adhere to THE REAL WORLD as we understand it. Gee, I can't believe I've been so misguided about what FICTION is supposed to mean. Oh, and by "pokey", did you mean "hokey"? And as for knee-jerk liberalism, I didn't see it. But as a radical moderate independent who despises abusers of authority, I was counting the seconds till (spoiler alert!) the gung ho asshole military captain got **exactly** what he fucking deserved. Oh and by the way, fuck you.
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and i took my mother to an early screening. she had a hard time with the awesome amount of gore and said the whole experience was "overwhelming." Me, I can't wait to see it again on the weekend. Unfortunately no-one here has ever heard of it. What struck me most was how much fun action there was, i thought it would be more of a drama from the trailer, which i would have been perfectly happy with too, but the awesome battle stuff was great, like a big F.U. to microsoft for pulling halo.
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Going today at 12:30 in the afternoon at my local crappy theater.I hope it lives up to half the hype I've read on here and I'll be happy.
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so just how gory is it?Just asking cause my 13 year old is asking to see it.Aliens bursting out of a chest gory or girl exploding behind a shower curtain ala clovefield gory?.
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Bodies and heads explode. They say fuck a lot.
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The best anti-Apartheid aline movie ever and an amazing looking $30 million movie. The gore is mostly bodies exploding, nothing that awful. Hollywood budgets are such massive wastes of money when a movie like this can be made for so little. Also I think Sharlto Copley should get serious Oscar consideration. Of course that won't happen, but he is really fantastic in this and give the movie a depth of emotion pictures like this seldom have. I for one am glad the Halo movie got put in turnaround -- I can't imagine it being any better than District 9.
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before you had even seen it. nah....couldn't be
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Wow. Interesting story and incredible action and f/x once it started rolling. I don't think it's preachy at all. The best sci-fi has always commented on the human condition in some capacity. Honestly, as paranoid, ignorant, and selfish as some people are in this world, I wouldn't be surprised if we would treat helpless aliens in this manner, especially if it can be done discreetly. What I didn't get is why the aliens didn’t just use their own weapons and mechs to defend themselves.
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AICN should have done screeneings in Canada. Though I don't leave in a large city like Toronto, I am only about 125 miles out and would have gladly gone in to see it. As it is I am going to try and go soon. Hope the hype is not bigger then the movie.
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The language the aliens speak sounds very similar to bushman languages, with the clicking sounds and all, and given the fact that the aliens have been there for 28 years it's not outlandish to believe that the people who deal with the aliens on a regular basis have learned their language. Well, to some of you learning a second language in 28 years might seem like an impossible feat, but that says more about you than the movie.
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learn the alien language, during apartheid, many Afrikaaner policemen learnt to speak Xhosa or Zulu "know thy enemy" comes to mind...
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conspiracy theories? Is this guy sane? He went on for months that there would be no guns or shooting of any kind in Avatar, despite the old scriptment as evidence to the contrary, as well now as images from the game/concept art of the mech armour that that do exactly the same. Except now he just changes tact (instead if admitting he was wrong) and claims there will be no deaths arising from any shooting, or whatever, cant say I remember his theories too well. And now he hates D9 because it has a social concience, and has something negative to say about human beings? Does he realize that to a large degree this movie is an analogy of how the NP government used black people as a cheap and compliant labour force to keep the economy going and give white people in SA a first world standard of living, while keeping said black people living in shithole townships with almost no facilities or utilities? So why the hell is he going on as if this is some kind of personal insult to him or his beliefs? Did he support the NP governemnt? Dude should be an Afrikaaner with the way he carries on.....
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Public Enemys was OK, but this is movie was a better fit.
Not as gory as I thought it would be, and much more character driven. I found myself cheering at certain parts, which hasn't happened in a long time.
I want this movie to succeed so we get more movies from this director. I also want FOX to go back and grovel begging for a Halo movie. With a D9 world created, I don't know if we need Halo.
Great film of the summer. -
An all-time great film. No fanboy shit. No shit. Period.
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....dressed up in sci-fi trimmings that turns out to be offensively racist, ironically? I'm white by the way, but that's how it seems to me, no matter how cool it looks visually....
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First, thanks to AICN for putting this together in Minneapolis. There was a lot of energy in that crowd, and Windy was both a hoot and a gracious host.
I'd been watching the hype for D9 building for the last several weeks, so I'd been trying to temper my expectations to avoid disappointment. I didn't need to. This isn't a perfect film, but it's some of the best fun I've had at a movie for a long time. It's brutal, sad, uplifting, funny -- sometimes simultaneously.
I understand some of thusspake's issues with the film, although I disagree with their severity and the drama-queen conclusions. ("Stunningly Awful"? Seriously.) If you can buy into the world that Blomkamp has set up for you -- which I think is an easy thing to do -- you'll be in for a treat. -
"blurred faces for the aliens in the initial ad campaign - a tactic that produced such guffaws everywhere" I'll bet your the kinda person that thinks all foreigners look the same too.
"Slams against human nature where it doesn't belong" So you're all for murder and torture then? Part of many folks divine 'human nature'.
"The whole thing would be covered up, the aliens immediately contained" Maybe you have too much faith in governments. Looks to me like most of them couldn't organise a fuck in a brothel.
"Alien species that threatens everything from notions of God creating man in his image to the sanctity of the human body" I just knew you had to be a god-squadder - you can always count on the bible bashers to hate the new stuff "take me back to the dark ages, everybody stop evolving I can't keep up!!!".
"Protecting himself from an obvious threat" and a Fox watching Republican too right?
"Mixing man and these aliens results in disaster. Guess what? We came first on the planet, and as a result why is it is a crime for people to defend the human way of life? The way the humans understood the aliens made me choke on my own vomit" That's just beautiful . . . and a not so closet racist too, great qualities.
"INVITING the treatment they receive from the humans." and all women secretly want to be raped right?
People like you are the reason we MANY need more films like this. -
Doesn´t open here until end of october..Curses!
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You know some people really depress the fuck out of me. I always hoped by now we'd have moved a little nearer a SF Utopia, flying cars and what have you. But no, we've still got a world fill of religious judgemental cruel cunts. I guess the problem is we don't live for long enough to all catch on.
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what I was thinking, just ay better. Hats off to you dude....
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Aug 14, 2009 7:25:30 AM CDT
It is neither "great" nor "just hype"- it is good but flawed
by yackbacker
And while it's a little frustrating that it could have been better, I'm still glad (and grateful for the opportunity) to have seen it. Thank you, AICN.
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So how was D9 dude? I live in Korea, so im not sure when Im going to get to see it....
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going? Im looking so forward to this. Would be interested in your review buddy. What would you compare it to? How was the action etc...
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Thanks man, right back at ya. You just restored my faith in humanity ;) - Some folks really don't get the concept of 'empathy' do they?
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I actually enjoyed your initial take BUT the one thing you said which is complete and utter nonsense is that it could be covered up. Did you not see footage of the woman bleeding out during the protests in Iran? The one thing that has been proven ad nauseum lately is that 'covering things up' requires a virtually impossible level of effort due to the omni-presence of cellphones, cameras, cctv, and eye witness testimony. It doesn't matter if its a protest, abuse of prisoners or an alien landing, if something of that magnitude happens, it's going to be public. OK with that said...go back and liberal bash some more (it's fun to watch people on this board crawl up your ass).
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I had trouble buying the premise. I'm sorry, but if aliens reached earth, the super power countries of the world would not just let them rot in some slum in South Africa. And if you have trouble buying that, well, then the movie misses the mark.
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Lol - Very funny. You just made me notice something else courtesy of your "crawl up your ass" remark. . . "Slams against human nature where it doesn't belong" And he's a homo-phobe too! :)
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and knowing is half of something
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I do give the movie props for being original. Thank God for that. I also thought Christopher Johnson was one of the leaders who survived. Didn't one of the guys in an interview shot say that they thought the intelligent prawns or leaders must have died of a disease or something? I figured that CJ survived, but needed time to get everything up and running since he was by himself. Like I said, I thought it was good overall, but that there were some gaps in logic as BadMrWonka pointed out. And I saw it at midnight in Cleveland. Only 15 people there if that.
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Everyone loves it, one guy hates on it. Why listen to that one guy? He's probably still upset because he didn't start a movie website back in 1996.
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Papillon, Outlaw Josey Wales, Every Which Way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, and more 80s tv appearances than you can shake a stick at. Get on it before the Black Widows come for you. Hit it LordofHell.
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I loved it.
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Too many movies, even good movies, ruined by hype. AICN, i'm affraid to say, does feed too much the hype machine. It's, for me, this site's worst flaws. That and supporting mediocre filmmakers no sane person should ever mistake for anything even resembling a talent. I have good hopes for District 9, but i fear the hype. I wouldn't like to see this movie ruined by hype.
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Maybe even worse, as none of TS's criticisms are remotely valid.
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Not shitting you. This movie rocked on all levels.
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First, thanks for getting a screening going in Mpls. That said, both my wife and I really enjoyed the movie. The effects were staggering, the acting was great, and best of all -- it was original, and not another damn remake of [previously done TV/Film] with [current rising star].
It didn't feel the need to spoon-feed the answers to us, and that may have been the most refreshing part about it. I'd give it at least 8/10, maybe 9/10. -
I'm good. I don't want to ruin anything for you, I think it's important to go into this cold, but I will say that 2 things bothered me throughout this movie: 1) the premise of how an advanced, intelligent alien species would be treated so poorly (this was done to force a political allegory, but at the expense the story) and 2) Sharlto Copley- I didn't really dig his performance or his character for that matter. No, we're supposed to like him for a majority of the film, but I felt it was manipulative of Blomkamp to make Wikus so much of an asshole. It sounds like I'm trashing the movie, but don't get me wrong, it's good pop-entertainment. But people need to relax a little- D-9 owes its action cues to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and its "mockumentary" feel to THE OFFICE. It's a neat film, with some great standout moments, but... overhyped for certain.
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Saw this at Miami screening...
Felt the Verhoeven vibe throughout D9. Not doing any favors for S.A. tourism, though.. Jesus, what a shithole. -
I saw Ozymandias' screening here in Miami (THANKS OZY!) and met Neill and Sharlto after the show for the Q&A. This is very fun, very good science fiction and you will definitely enjoy it! SEE DISTRICT 9!
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He said:
Because fictional stories born of the creative imagination are absolutely beholden to adhere to THE REAL WORLD as we understand it.
There's a key difference, and if you look at my post you can see I'm talking about a sci-fi movie that ATTEMPTS TO RESEMBLE A DOCUMENTARY. It SETS ITSELF IN THE REAL WORLD, and then refuses to play by real-world rules. That is my biggest problem with it. When I watch a Gojira movie, I don't lambast the flick for its unrealistic approach - it's a movie. When CLOVERFIELD attempts the same thing and coms off HORRIBLY phony, I lambast it - because it's trying to tell me this is how the real world works, that how the characters act and behave fit in with a real-world setting. Just like I wouldn't criticize the characters in AIRPLANE! for not behaving like real people would in a disaster crisis, I WOULD criticize a fake documentary that featured the same dialogue and scenes as AIRPLANE! with a real-world setting ... because it's nonsensical. Are we clear on that? -
You know, it doesn't make you smart to be that extremely cynical and presume the worst will always undoubtedly happen.
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I'm still in awe of this movie. It did so many things 'right' and has a real emotional weight in certain scenes (the gun testing sequence is heart wrenching). More than any science fiction movie I've seen theatrically in a long, long time, this film has the guts to live up to the strength of it's concept.I think the contrast of cinematic styles enhanced the themes of the movie in ways I can't fully appreciate on my first viewing. The performances were very difficult to categorize, but 'flat' isn't accurate to say the least; Blomkamp's film walks a tightrope between satire and seriousness and for me, I left the cinema feeling like I did at the end of Gilliam's 'Brazil' during my first viewing.The photography was excellent, using the full capacity of the RED Camera and that makes me wonder about their post-production workflow. I didn't see any odd digital artifacts, nor strange colour shifts. The visual effects were believable and weren't simply eye-candy for it's own sake, they added texture and placed the viewer firmly in the world presented. Same for the make-up effects. Great work all around. This was a fine film and I think in time it will be seen as a classic.
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Once again, you miss the entire point about AVATAR. "No Weapons of Any Kind," is the name of my own personal pet peeve with flicks. It's not a tactic change. I said it then and I'll say it now - you can fill the screen with guns and shooting and still make a "no weapons of any kind" movie. I've explained it so many times it's tiresome. The name comes from a line of dialogue from ALIEN 3, wherein Ripley says "You mean we have no weapons of any kind?!" I call it that because it's a direct reaction to the release of the ORIGINAL teaser for ALIEN 3 that went like this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYS_XmPOYucAnd then sackless Hollywood gave us this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAmWZSewLyAYou can hear the line of dialogue in the trailer, you nit. I zlso used the example of the REIGN OF FIRE poster which featured gunship helicopters fighting dragons over the skies of London, which is never even shown once in the actual movie. Sackless Hollywood, once again, pays more attention to budget and knee-jerk "anti-gun" activism by featuring a single line to cover the poster that says something to the effect of "We fought the dragons over the skies of London - the battle took 3 days and we lost" and then moves on to a gunless world of running away. That will be the PG-13 AVATAR's fate - even if there are guns, we are looking at an AVATAR who in the 80s would act like this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0moGWVGhgM... but in the Sackless Hollywood of Today will, in fact, based on the scriptment, be acting more like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpXM9bj-WPU
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Just finished watching it. I'm seriously blown away but what i saw. The best sci-fi movie to come out in a very longtime! Not only that, but the best movie so far this year. Seriously, go and watch it!!!
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If you wanna tell me you honestly think AVATAR is going to resemble the action sequences from the first clip more than the second, then ...
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And as for the movie having "something to say" about humanity, it creates an ultimate straw man and works on the same liberal bias as many Hollywood pictures. Its central message is a "Don't you SEE?" message. I refer to that in reference to all those movies that insist "Don't you SEE? The truth is REALLY ..." etc. In this one, a hostile and destructive alien species of beweaponed creatures that run rampant and destroy and injure and threaten is suddenly and abruptly excused for its crimes because "it's not really their fault ... they just can't help acting that way." And that's supposed to be an analogy to South Africa? I find that racist and disrespectful. So, what you're saying is, if aliens burst into your township, tore up the place, owned giant battle suits and alien tech ... you'd be perfectly ok with treating them as humane visitors to our world and wouldn't bat an eye at full integration, without the CDC taking a look to see if they were dangerous. Uh-huh. I'll believe that about you. Of course.
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Only if you guys enjoyed it though :)
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Lincoln freed the slaves in less words than your post. Ok we get it, it has shades of ALIEN NATION. We didn't really need a WAR AND PEACE length rant about it. Sheesh!
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I'm a Native American. I'm not a upporter of apartheid. But I'm also not an apologist for Mandela. Under his watch, the instances of crimes like rape and violence exploded, making South Africa one of the most violent and dangerous places in Africa. Not to mention the guy pals around with dictators and thugs as his best friends. He was/is a Socialist, through an through, and routinely said America should be more like Castro's Cuba. Plus, he was originally imprisoned for violent acts of sabotage, but is now considered a peaceful protestor. WTF? I'm NOT voicing support for apartheid - under any circumstances, nor am I suggesting any racial implications with these statements. It has NOTHING to do with race and everything to do with social class, education and civil self-and-other respect. However, sometimes you have to look deeper to find the real truth. I want to stress again that I'm a Naive American - I know what oppressed-people Syndrome tastes like and how easy it is to want to believe in saviors being saints ... but it's not always the case, and DISTRICT 9 is an obvious screed suggesting the whole thing is just a big misunderstanding and humans are JUST AWFUL for feeling threatened by a violent gang with powerful weapons.
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This is a just the best dang movie of 2009.Possible even 2008(sorry dark knight).It fires on every goddamned cylinder.The acting, the effects, the story/allegory, the whole damned thing.It reeks orignality, and sure as fuck will enterain the shit out of you.Great job AICN for promoting a damn fine film.And thansk GOD Harry finally ponied up and brought us OZY to represent miami,florida.
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You sound alot like one of my housemates - he really can't handle things that are close to reality. For him it either has to be doco or clearly separated from the real.
Mind you, he's extreme - can't cope with Spinal Tap for that reason. -
Talk about beating a dead horse... STFU, already. Basta ya!
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I don't agree about the film betraying it's attempt at real-world allegory by being manipulative. The deep, vicious history of xenophobia that runs in both government and corporate decision-making is well documented.The real-world rules you describe seems to imply a monolithic viewpoint, as if 'reality' is completely objective and government or corporate bodies only behave with pollyanna-like motives.I think that's little naive.
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"Because fictional stories born of the creative imagination are absolutely beholden to adhere to THE REAL WORLD as we understand it" Huh? How so? You mean like the Bible adheres to the rules of the real world? This is ENTERTAINMENT. ThusSpakeSpymunk's ultimate horror movie: Gay, liberal, anti government, atheist, immigrants attack our freedom to leave our women unsatisfied and torture the 'abnormal'. Wait - that's the world he's living in! Oh well too bad. Personally I'd rather hang with the aliens, at the very least they probably hate country and western music as much as I do - we'd have more in common. Amazed you're Native American, absolutely amazed, you should know better.
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Now that we have a dedicated talk back I will AGAIN post my mini review from the LA Screening....................... Thanks for the screening of this effin great film. My thoughts were provoked, my sensibilities were revolted, my teeth were clenched and my ass was on the edge of my seat! Is this the messiah of sci fi films? I think not. Is it perfect, again, I think not. Some plot holes and a second act that falls prey to the action hero complex keep it from being a truly upper echelon film. However, I think Neil dug deep and swung for the fence, and he hit a SOLID home run, just not quite a grand slam. But a first time feature length director hitting the sweet spot with a sci fi / action film on a $30 million budget is an AMAZING feat. If I was Spielberg, I’d have two names on my short list for directing Halo, Neil (there is do doubt after seeing D-9 why Peter Jackson selected Neil in his ill fated Halo try) or Carl Erik Rinsch (whom Ridley Scott had in mind to help the upcoming Alien prequel, check out his commercial’s here… http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/ 05/27/the-commercials-of-carl- erik-rinsch/ ). Come on Steve, don’t let anyone else touch Halo, for the love of GOD! And, I would be remiss not to mention Sharlto Copley, who’s OUTSTANDING performance took what could have been a good, fun sci fi film and turned it into a riveting, great sci fi film. Go see it. It’s not perfect, but it’s head and shoulders above the normal sci fi stuff hitting the screens as of late.
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that's a big deal. didn't some romantic comedy like the ugly truth cost that much. i thought this would be my favorite movie of the year so far, and i was right. it's not perfect, but had a lot i loved, its a 9 of 10. ok so my review, first, the big plot holes. i also agree, that if aliens showed up, more would happen than a slum created in south africa. i can kind of imagine a little side story where major govts and officials interviewed them and they all seemed so stupid and the smart ones lied (for some reason, maybe they justly don't trust humans) they would think they were useless and not want to have to deal with them, and leave them there. still, maybe something like that could have been included. the one thing that really got me, was how the special liquid, that's so rare and important, can somehow activate advanced technology....and also turns humans into prawns. that seems like a stretch anyway i look at it. what kind of liquid would do that? how the fuck?? whatever...the whole turning into prawn thing? wasn't expecting it, and at first i thought there might be some overall idea behind it, like, the aliens were plotting on turning people into prawns, or something, and it got out of control. but no, christopher just mentions once how yeah that crazy techno liquid also happens to turn people into prawns. since it was almost the main struggle for the movie, sometimes i kept thinking it was weird, like, so...the techno liquid for some crazy reason turns him into a prawn and now he wants to go back...is that all? but mostly, i was lost in the story. i loved the beginning and the danger and excitement and realism going into the alien slums and seeing what they were like. i remember the first scene with chris, and noticing the red shirt, and thinking, if there's going to be an alien character, it's going to be him. and sure enough, we get to see things through their eyes, which was awesome. the part where he starts transforming and they take him away and start using him on tests, was a little scary because it's realistic. i like how this movie is like that, like, the humans always think of the weapons first. which reminds me, THE BIG SCENE OF THE TRAILER IS NOT IN THE MOVIE. the one in the old trailer, where they interrogate the alien, ask him about the weapons, he says they just want to go. that's the one scene i always think of when i think district 9. not anymore though. it just strikes me as odd, that they must have still not had the vision down as little as like 4 months ago. i like that the main character was kind of like a simple guy, although i didn't understand why he knocked out christopher. the action was pretty cool, i just wanted more of it! i still am impressed and excited that this was made for only 30 million. i could probably say a lot more. the way it panned out in the end wasn't as much i thought it would be, but the opening scene, where u know something happens to him but u dont know what, and u go into the alien slum and it's all crazy, and you're trying to figure out what the aliens are like and what they're hiding, and there's like that drawing of one alien and 3 human corpses, man, that was just so awesome and exciting and cool, probably the most fun i'll have in a theater this year. im glad it was at the beginning too, because that's when im most stoned, since i can't smoke once the movies started. best movie of the year so far, the only ones i might like better are inglorious basterds and avatar. looking forward to your basterds review harry i agreed with your d9 review. and also i saw gijoe and thought, yeah it's sort of directed at kids and a broad dumb audience, but it does have some sweet action, snake eyes is cool. better than transformers, i can see what harry was saying, id give it a 7 of 10. seeing basterds friday, maybe d9 again too. this is really like the best week for movies this year.
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The short review: I give it a C. It has some logicaly inconsistencies, some heavy handed moral lessons that is felt comfortable mocking subtly, and humanized an alien race shile simultaenously making it clear that there were only a few smart members of an otherwise nearly mindless race. My wife and I went to see it - I gave it a C, she gave it an F.
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Ha! I'm not trying to bust your balls but I'm smiling a bit as I see you try to dampen expectations and go against the grain of others who have seen D9. I've seen you be far more lenient on other films that turned out to be much, much worse!I'm doing my best to avoid any & all spoilers - really looking forward to checking this out ASAP.
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>I'll bet your the kinda person that thinks all foreigners look the same too.I certainly don't think all foreign films look the same, but I do think there's a particular variety of foreign film that studios attempt again and again to shove down the throats of the United States audience ... who again and again says they don't want movies like that - films such as EL TOPO illusrate this variety of "foreign film." Love EL TOPO or hate EL TOPO, it's films like that where studios lied about what the audience was getting that created the anti-foreign backlash in the modern audience. "I don't mean to cause you any harm ... and I won't!">So you're all for murder and torture then? Part of many folks divine 'human nature'.I'm not for "murder and torture," but I am for self-defense, individual liberty and war as a last but difinitive resort in dealing with a threat against the nation/people about whom I care so much. It's not like people should go looking for war, but ar we surprised when a heavily-armed group destroys property and threatens lives that we would want to mount some defense against it? The suggestion that in this magic world where the film takes place there is some kind of moment that should have happened of "Oh, darn - we didn't realize your incredibly violent behavior was just masking an addiction to cat food! HAHAHAHAHA!" *handshake* once again flies in the face of the realism the movie is supposedly working to convey. In a deliberate fiction, that wouldn't fly - so it's going to fly in a "documentary?"I'm going to ignore the "cover up" part. I've said my piece on that.I just knew you had to be a god-squadder - you can always count on the bible bashers to hate the new stuff "take me back to the dark ages, everybody stop evolving I can't keep up!!!".You nit. I'm an atheist. Ask anyone who knows me. I'm also totally gay. What I was saying there was that HUMANS would feel that these aliens threatened their way of life, their belief in God, their stability in every way. NOT that _I_ felt that way. The movie asks us to believe in a world where aliens that threaten ALL of those things would just be announced and interred without a massive outcry for their immediate destruction by BILLIONS of people. Yhe idea that the aliens could survive such an onslaught from ignorant humans bent on proving God's worth by killing them is OUTRAGEOUS. And yet, since that's not what this story is "about," the director sets it in a real world but won't play by real world rules - basically ignoring the waves of neaer-daily hugely organized attacks that would sureley happen if the aliens were in a public location even distanced from the main cities. District 9, if it existed in the real world, would be a target point for jihad, for holy war, for crusade, etc. And yet the movie ignores this because it's not convenient for the story - or at the least, doesn't make it a focus of the narrative ... that the powder-keg of violence would be both the aliens' past and the humans' present. I mean, I picture it being more like a thing where District 9 is under constant siege from various war weapons and you can't get in or out without enduring insane gunfire and missile attacks by humans trying to get rid of the aliens.
>That's just beautiful . . . and a not so closet racist too, great qualities.I'm not a racist, again ... I'm a Native American who believes, like a lolcat, that the idea to follow here would be REALISTIC FILM IS HIGHLY REALISTIC. -
>I'll bet your the kinda person that thinks all foreigners look the same too.I certainly don't think all foreign films look the same, but I do think there's a particular variety of foreign film that studios attempt again and again to shove down the throats of the United States audience ... who again and again says they don't want movies like that - films such as EL TOPO illusrate this variety of "foreign film." Love EL TOPO or hate EL TOPO, it's films like that where studios lied about what the audience was getting that created the anti-foreign backlash in the modern audience. "I don't mean to cause you any harm ... and I won't!">So you're all for murder and torture then? Part of many folks divine 'human nature'.I'm not for "murder and torture," but I am for self-defense, individual liberty and war as a last but difinitive resort in dealing with a threat against the nation/people about whom I care so much. It's not like people should go looking for war, but ar we surprised when a heavily-armed group destroys property and threatens lives that we would want to mount some defense against it? The suggestion that in this magic world where the film takes place there is some kind of moment that should have happened of "Oh, darn - we didn't realize your incredibly violent behavior was just masking an addiction to cat food! HAHAHAHAHA!" *handshake* once again flies in the face of the realism the movie is supposedly working to convey. In a deliberate fiction, that wouldn't fly - so it's going to fly in a "documentary?"I'm going to ignore the "cover up" part. I've said my piece on that.I just knew you had to be a god-squadder - you can always count on the bible bashers to hate the new stuff "take me back to the dark ages, everybody stop evolving I can't keep up!!!".You nit. I'm an atheist. Ask anyone who knows me. I'm also totally gay. What I was saying there was that HUMANS would feel that these aliens threatened their way of life, their belief in God, their stability in every way. NOT that _I_ felt that way. The movie asks us to believe in a world where aliens that threaten ALL of those things would just be announced and interred without a massive outcry for their immediate destruction by BILLIONS of people. Yhe idea that the aliens could survive such an onslaught from ignorant humans bent on proving God's worth by killing them is OUTRAGEOUS. And yet, since that's not what this story is "about," the director sets it in a real world but won't play by real world rules - basically ignoring the waves of neaer-daily hugely organized attacks that would sureley happen if the aliens were in a public location even distanced from the main cities. District 9, if it existed in the real world, would be a target point for jihad, for holy war, for crusade, etc. And yet the movie ignores this because it's not convenient for the story - or at the least, doesn't make it a focus of the narrative ... that the powder-keg of violence would be both the aliens' past and the humans' present. I mean, I picture it being more like a thing where District 9 is under constant siege from various war weapons and you can't get in or out without enduring insane gunfire and missile attacks by humans trying to get rid of the aliens.
>That's just beautiful . . . and a not so closet racist too, great qualities.I'm not a racist, again ... I'm a Native American who believes, like a lolcat, that the idea to follow here would be REALISTIC FILM IS HIGHLY REALISTIC. -
>I'll bet your the kinda person that thinks all foreigners look the same too.I certainly don't think all foreign films look the same, but I do think there's a particular variety of foreign film that studios attempt again and again to shove down the throats of the United States audience ... who again and again says they don't want movies like that - films such as EL TOPO illusrate this variety of "foreign film." Love EL TOPO or hate EL TOPO, it's films like that where studios lied about what the audience was getting that created the anti-foreign backlash in the modern audience. "I don't mean to cause you any harm ... and I won't!">So you're all for murder and torture then? Part of many folks divine 'human nature'.I'm not for "murder and torture," but I am for self-defense, individual liberty and war as a last but difinitive resort in dealing with a threat against the nation/people about whom I care so much. It's not like people should go looking for war, but ar we surprised when a heavily-armed group destroys property and threatens lives that we would want to mount some defense against it? The suggestion that in this magic world where the film takes place there is some kind of moment that should have happened of "Oh, darn - we didn't realize your incredibly violent behavior was just masking an addiction to cat food! HAHAHAHAHA!" *handshake* once again flies in the face of the realism the movie is supposedly working to convey. In a deliberate fiction, that wouldn't fly - so it's going to fly in a "documentary?"I'm going to ignore the "cover up" part. I've said my piece on that.I just knew you had to be a god-squadder - you can always count on the bible bashers to hate the new stuff "take me back to the dark ages, everybody stop evolving I can't keep up!!!".You nit. I'm an atheist. Ask anyone who knows me. I'm also totally gay. What I was saying there was that HUMANS would feel that these aliens threatened their way of life, their belief in God, their stability in every way. NOT that _I_ felt that way. The movie asks us to believe in a world where aliens that threaten ALL of those things would just be announced and interred without a massive outcry for their immediate destruction by BILLIONS of people. Yhe idea that the aliens could survive such an onslaught from ignorant humans bent on proving God's worth by killing them is OUTRAGEOUS. And yet, since that's not what this story is "about," the director sets it in a real world but won't play by real world rules - basically ignoring the waves of neaer-daily hugely organized attacks that would sureley happen if the aliens were in a public location even distanced from the main cities. District 9, if it existed in the real world, would be a target point for jihad, for holy war, for crusade, etc. And yet the movie ignores this because it's not convenient for the story - or at the least, doesn't make it a focus of the narrative ... that the powder-keg of violence would be both the aliens' past and the humans' present. I mean, I picture it being more like a thing where District 9 is under constant siege from various war weapons and you can't get in or out without enduring insane gunfire and missile attacks by humans trying to get rid of the aliens.
>That's just beautiful . . . and a not so closet racist too, great qualities.I'm not a racist, again ... I'm a Native American who believes, like a lolcat, that the idea to follow here would be REALISTIC FILM IS HIGHLY REALISTIC. -
In response to a question about my mini review I posted this................... I must say I wouldn't change a whole lot. I loved the first act and the third act kicked absolute ass, but I felt the second act had a couple rough patches. As with your attempt to avoid spoilers it's hard to point out specifics, but I feel comfortable saying that some of the events that happened seemed to be a tad TOO easy. They erred on the side of action flick conventions that I would expect from the Die Hard franchise. To me it just felt like those small shortcomings (but shortcomings non the less) prevented the film from hitting the perfect pitch the entire way through. That being said, the vast majority of the film did it for me. And the more I think about it, the more I want to see it again. Besides, I got the free screening from here, now I need to pay for it to support one of the best original sci fi movies in years. Now I’ve got to get all my friends to come out and see it with me as well!
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REPOST FROM THE MPLS THREAD: Thank you AICN for the opportunity to see this movie. I was very much blown away by how much of a true "film" District 9 is. Although it was very heavy in special effects, the great story and characters were the heart of this intense and emotional experience. I know I'm going to sound like a gushing fan-boy when I say this, but I think it is an instant classic in the genre. It is in stark contrast to the Hollywood block buster FX films we get each summer. By the way, I was lucky enough to snag one of the rad T-shirts. :)
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Aug 14, 2009 10:06:10 AM CDT
StonedWriter88 was the lone TROLL of the John Hughes RIP TB
by zombieheathledger
While everyone else was paying their respects this douchebag, StonedWriter88 took it upon himself to take a big dump on John Hughes IN the John Hughes RIP talkback. Treat this asshole like the shitstain cunt he is.
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The statement you "Huh?" wasn't said by me. I responded to it. I don't think entertainment needs to be realistic. I do, however, think that if you go in to make a "fake documentary" designed to show the "real world" then you ARE aying your movie is going to be realistic by definition. That's the rule YOU set, not me. SPINAL TAP, previously mentioned, sets a bunch of buffoons in the real world, and as a result they ultimately fail before finding a niche. Imagine if SPINAL TAP had portrayed them as total failures and at the same time nobody ever noticed their poor decisions or choices, audiences went along with everything they said or did, etc. Wouldn't be nearly as funny nor effective - the humor CAME OUT of the realistic setting.
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One of the great things about this movie is that it allows the viewer to fill in some details. I assumed that the prawns are like insects in the sense that some of genetic variants are more intelligent than others. Example: worker bees vs drone bees.
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I didn't get the sense that creative team of the movie was trying to say "this is how people REALLY are." It seemed to me at least to be more like a modern morality play where certain aspects of human nature were intentionally exaggerated to allow you to think about human nature rather than to hand you a conclusion about human nature.
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Believe the hype! Saw the SF screening last night and I am still geeking out over how visually stunning, graphically brutal and action intense the movie was. Thanks Harry to helping bring this to our attention.
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Definitely worth your duckets. I was shocked at the quality o several things: the performance the lead actor gave, how much we cared for these characters in the end, the special effects - $30 million budget???? - Amazing film. Must be seen.
I can’t wait to see what this director does next.
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Too bad you actually didn't. Douche.
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I wasn't surprised at how the aliens ended up being treated all because of one scene: the initial opening of the mothership. I'm sure humanity had some grand expectations for what they would find inside and instead found a bunch of basically mindless workers without their leadership. No one to explain how the technology worked, no one to give any great insights into what else the universe had to offer, just a bunch of helpless, barely sentient animals that needed help.And since the eyes of the world were all on SA they really had no choice but to "do the right thing" and attempt to offer some kind of aid. Since it no doubt got expensive and there was really no payoff (I didn't get the sense the aliens were ever going to become productive members of society) I didn't find it surprising that care of District 9 was turned over to a private company.
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Dude, thanks for the patient and thoughtful reply. But you just blew my mind - a gay atheist native American with your political stance? WTF? Your first post is unbelievable, you do realise you sound like a nationalist redneck? How confusing. What next black-skinheads?
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Foreheads were occasionally split, and nobody said a damn word. The movie was that engrossing!
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My wife had a problem w/ Cloverfield and is worried that the handheld-style camera work is going to cause motion sickness. Anyone experience this in their viewings?
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MNG- dude, bust away! I'm speaking out not to go against the grain for that sake alone- I still maintain this is a good movie. I've praised far lesser movies because they weren't hailed as the "game-changer" of all-time, etc. I would be pumping this movie if nobody knew about it, which AICN has been doing. But I wouldn't be overhyping it, that's where I throw on the brakes.
KillDozer- I like your analysis- it fits well. While I personally think the science community of our planet wouldn't give up so easily, at least your explanation is plausible. Thanks for your thoughts, excellent stuff. -
It's a movie about apartheid in a sci-fi setting. To say this movie is just a "ZOMG humans are so evil!" flick oversimplifies it. What I got out of it was that it was more about the theme that if we take the time to communicate and learn about each other (or are forced to) we will inevitably find that we can get along.
Yes, there are "bad people" in the film, but I really don't think it's meant to be a critique on humanity as a whole. -
But about District 9....I still don't get Spymunk's assertion that it could have been covered up; but it looks like he's done debating that (understandable..it was an indefensible statement). However, I do agree the parallels with apartheid-era South Africa may be a touch overdone. But that is the nature of all films; very few are subtle anymore...most assume the viewers won't get the bigger picture unless beaten over the head with it.
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Loved the movie. As for the disparity between Christopher and the other aliens I attributed that to the "drug" addiction of the cat food. A couple of questions: Any thoughts on why the liquid sprayed in his face caused his injured arm to change? Also, do you think more of the "aliens" are actually changed humans? I agree with one of the other talkbakers. I really can't call them "prawns." And sorry, I want the sequel. Three years, people.
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"we was being nice to the dead guy but he said something not nice! he mean!" thats bad enough, but when it's coming from someone who's handle is 'ZOMBIE HEATH LEDGER' it's even more of a joke. see, if i was like you i would be insulted by the way you joke about a respected artist's untimely demise. but i'm not a sensitive vagina.
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Understood. Although, I've not seen (unless I missed it) where it has been said that D9 is a "game changer". (That's supposed to be AVATAR's job.) But I have heard that it's a kick to the balls and one of the year's best films.
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As far as 2009 goes, I still prefer MOON, CORALINE, and THE HURT LOCKER, but DISTRICT 9 is definitely the best "action thrill ride"-type film of the summer. (Full review up at http://bit.ly/1901lE)
Props to Blomkamp for showing such invention here. But, as someone else said above, I think it's not that this movie is really great so much as so much of the drek they try to feed us lately is really terrible. -
is kind of ridiculous. If a giant, city-sized spaceship starts hovering over a major population center, no government is going to waste time trying to cover that shit up. Everyone with a brain in their head would be running around doing their best to figure out where it came from, what it wants, how it's armed and how it can be blown up if necessary. By the time anyone realized this ship was basically inert (3 months according to the movie) there'd be no way to cover anything up. Imagine the twitter feeds from SA alone... :)
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After about 20 minutes (I think, I didn't keep time), they ditched the the shaky cam and it only returned at the very end. Try getting a back row seat. Plus, if you're lucky, you get to see horny couples doing nasty things at those back rows.
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I'm not going to even hint at it, but I fucking loved the hell out that scene, and pretty much everything else. MY GF is his not big on Sci-Fi/Action flicks AT ALL really enjoyed the movie as well...she said it was very well made and wasn't the typical brainless Hollywood drivel that gives the genre a bad name. Thanks again Harry for the hook-up.
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Some reviews I read on RT used the phrase, which I found kind of strange (like people are reading others' reviews before writing their own, maybe?). But Harry's review, without using the phrase per se, makes D-9 sound like some religious experience. Hey, if this thing pushes your buttons, Mazel Tov! I'm all for people loving things. But I look at D-9 as a flawed but otherwise well-made movie for a first-time director. The WETA work alone is worth your ticket price. But my balls have not been grazed by this movie, let alone kicked.
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Yeah, but I'm being funny in a good-natured tribute kinda way with my name, you weren't even trying to be humorous you were just being the LONE shit talker in a thread about John Hughes who had just died, in short, being a shitstained cunt TROLL. Now go fuck your mother. You can have my sloppy seconds, douchebag.
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I'd love to see Wikus as a prawn for three years.
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any hints? Guess I need to see this one again.
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Thanks AICN once again for hosting,I thought the beginning was really unfocused but right when Wickus (Vickus?) got sprayed in the face the movie treaded masterpiece territory. I can't stop thinking about this movie and am completely saddened that Neil wasn't given the keys to the Halo kingdom....Maybe i'm reading to far into this but did anyone find "halo" an interesting choice of word use by Vickus (sic?) when speaking about his wife at the end of the movie?....OH and whoever that girl was with the glasses on I was standing next to in the crowd to get my phone was fucking beautiful period dot dot dot.
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I had the opportunity to check it out at the midnight viewing of movie. Coming from someone who is not at all a fan of Sci-Fi I thought the movie was OUTSTANDING, INNOVATIVE and GUT WRENCHING. Its been a long time since a movie had my attention from start to end.
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Parts of it were dare I say "beautiful" and "original" but there were a few inexplicable moments that left me scratching my head (in a bad way). I enjoyed it, there were moments of greatness, loved the relationship between the 2 mains (and the son) and that final shot is as lovely as they say, but I don't think I'm in the raving camp on this one. Just the "pretty good" camp.
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?? haha .. Is this a joke post?
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Documentary style for the middle chunk of the film, hurt it. The first 20 minutes is brisk and enthralling, you feel like you're watching something real and the way information is presented to the viewer is pretty fantastic. When it moves into traditional territory, it loses steam.
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Harry says he saw it three times and wants it to do well at the box office. It would be pretty hypocritical of him if he went and saw it for free all three times.
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We get it, you’re a brainless, conservative, Fake News watching, Limbaugh listening, Coulter reading right wing fuckstick and a sociopathic like all bible thumping morons. You’re uncaring, filled with nothing but greed and stupidity and you believe that everything is justified as might equals right. I haven’t seen D9 yet but from what I understand is that the movie is an allegory for racism and apartheid and, like the best sci-fi, it says something about the human condition. You must hate The Twilight Zone too since that dealt with such issues as the nature of humanity. No doubt you don’t “get” a show like that as it requires a level of compassion and intelligence to understand that it, like D9, isn’t about dumping on the human race but showing that we can move towards being better while striving for progress and equality despite the setbacks posed by scum like you who would turn the world into a graveyard.
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We're all just floating.
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We all float down here.
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Aug 14, 2009 11:56:49 AM CDT
ThusSpakeSpymunk & Stonedwriter88 = TROLLS
by nerd_rage_retard_strength
shut the fuck up and go away.
you guys are boring -
and when your down here, you'll float too!
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How can anyone really be complaining about the reality of how aliens landing on Earth was handled? We have ZERO basis for even guessing how the government, military or press would handle such a major event. When Sept 11th rocked NYC we all scrambled like the planet itself was blowing up. We were aware of terrorists and knew we were already engaged in conflict. Even with all the NYPD and FDNY training and drills, still we were not prepared for that. So to complain that the movie portrays an alien contact in an un-realistic way is just ridiculous. We could never anticipate what would happen if that was actually going on. So to use it as basis to hate what is truly a spectacular movie is insane..........And before anyone starts to bitch about comparing aliens to 9/11 -- I am a native New Yorker and was personally affected by the tragedy that day. So do not interpret that as me demeaning it in any way. I am simply comparing it for scale of being a life changing effect, and one which no one could truly anticipate the reaction to.
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Aug 14, 2009 12:18:55 PM CDT
Fuckin' Great, Michael Bay has got some 'splaining to do
by soylentmean
Seriously, how did this movie cost $170 million less to make than Transformers 2, yet the FX are ten times better? I love this movie!
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saw the miami screener on the 11th and LOVED THE HELL OUT OF IT!
thought the "gazpacho" gun would be gorier, but luckily it was, so i didn't get flack from the wife... so in 3 years will the prawn return and destroy the earth? -
I can be critical of how a private defense contractor somehow gets sole control over extraterrestrial, intelligent beings. Dude, relax. I'm a NYer too, I don't know who's throwing out the 9/11 comparisons here. I simply found D-9's premise a little tough to buy in certain aspects. Even the "eviction" scenario seems kind of silly. But whatever, it's a movie, I'm not losing sleep over any of this.
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so far im the only one who's pointed out, including harry, how ridiculous it was that the techno liquid also turns humans into prawns. and that the main scene from the trailer was cut. nerd rage and zombie haven't even talked about what they thought of district 9, i checked. so, uh...i was just wondering...why are you even here at this talkback?? oh yeah...lol, how could i forget. you dont care about district 9. this is your social life. lol. who bets they're overweight? i'm not. ha ha ha.
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if you are a "stoned writer" then you are guaranteed over-weight and you have large floppy bitch tits as a result of your excessive pot smoking. i loved district 9. i saw it thursday night and i have no complaints against it. best movie of the summer! yeah, you and harry are one and the same. this is a scifi movie. ever heard of suspention of disbelief? aren't writers supposed to know these things? your name should probably be shittywriter88. i've seen your posts before and you never have anything interesting or relevent to say. maybe you should actually change your name to boringwriter88. ha ha ha. loser.
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use the weaponry is that they are the laborer/worker type of their species. It seems as if their warrior type who use the weapons are absent for some unknown reason that may be answered if there were a sequel. I gather this from the fact that the more scientific-minded/possibly leader type Christopher seems to be a pacifist (though his son did use the weapons to protect Wikus, so I could be wrong about the delineations).
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species before they were turned into prawns by the liquid.
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so, when u see the best movie of the summer, you come to a talkback about it and...insult people? no, but wait, if they remind u how lame that is u can mention u saw it and liked it and then go back to...insulting people. you really aren't good for this site.
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believe what u want, but im 5'11 and 150 pounds and smoke pot all day ever day. smoking pot doesn't make you fat. u should try it, u need to chill out.
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not to insult people. to insult you. a troll. ive seen many of your posts before and all you do is talk shit. "not good for this site"? bwahahaha! p.s. based on that last post, you truly are a bad writer. does using "U" instead of "you" really save you that much time?
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If you're in a room with three friends (who are construction workers), each of whom is armed with a pistol, and you're surrounded by 3,000 people with knives, how long before they overpower you?
Also, I'd say this movie deals with classism at least as much as it deals with racism. -
snoop dog is played out and irrelevant. he might have been cool once, but not anymore.
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thats the first theory at all about the liquid i've heard. not too bad. i still would've liked more explanation about it though. it was kind of the core of the movie, him turning into a prawn, and yet there was basically no reason given for it.
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We know the weapons use DNA to allow them to function, so it's not much of a leap to assume their vehicles would be similar in nature. The controls of the jumpship consist a gelatinous substance, and even the Robotech style exoskeleton "bleeds" when it gets shot. The liquid is genetic material, and who knows how alien genetic material would react to human genetic material if it were inhaled or otherwise ingested? Mutations could be a very possible side effect of mixing these genetic structures.
If they had been a different species before being exposed to the fluid themselves, why wouldn't the prawns just use the tech they have to change themselves back? Christopher tells Wikus that he can fix him, so does it not follow that they have that technology available to themselves? -
i already made this point, but i'll make it once again before i just ignore you permanently. when district 9 came out, we saw it and thought it was the best movie of the summer. i came here and posted a review of it. you came here and insulted people. i mean, if you see the best movie of the summer and you're not even gonna review it before resuming your daily childish insults, i wonder if you even care about anything that much. i mean, you're a nerd coming to a movie site the day after seeing the best movie of the summer and you bicker instead of jumping into a discussion about the movie? do u even like movies? i think that reveals enough of our characters and how we go about this site to end this argument once and for all.
see y'all in the basterds talkback. where i'll actually be discussing the movie instead of talking about what other talkbackers are doing. -
perhaps if they did mutate into prawns they didn't want to go back even if they could. however i like the idea that maybe there's genetic material in the liquid, like they figured out how to manipulate their own dna and stuff for science. but still, its not like if a prawns insides got splattered on a human they would change into a prawn, right? so, still not good enough for me. i wonder what neil's explanation is.
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Aug 14, 2009 1:34:01 PM CDT
I thought he was more David Brent then Michael Scott.
by irrelevntelefant
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Christopher tells his dopey friend that they have to have alien technology to acquire the fluid, and the set-up he had in his shack was a apparently a system of refining the fluid into a useable fuel source. Blood would have genetic material, but not in a refined, concentrated way, so it wouldn't have the same effect. Unrefined petrolium is not the same thing as oil.
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I just saw your post at the beginning of this talkback. I think Beavis and Butthead who were laughing at everything were sitting right behind me.
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had a wife so far out of his league. it ruined the entire movie for me, I couldn't suspend my belief
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I haven't been this excited to see a movie in some time.
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"Naive American" (gotta watch them typos Hemingway) describes you to a T. lol - From your cold dead hands, the USA is the most 'awesomist', foreigners are SCARY, and we're all going to hell if we don't accept Jeebus and repent. Eh bro? Kindly take your clueless hate and thinly veiled bigotry elsewhere. And please stop trumpeting that you're Native American, you're embarrassing us bro. Shall I sum-up so that you'll get it nice and crystal clear (if that's even possible for creep like you)? Spymunky = Bible thumpingm, gun loving, xenophobic ass-wipe.
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Not a minute of D9 is original or mind-blowing. It's all stuff you've seen before, over and over again.
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More of that same old "Oh we hate aliens/people" bullshit.
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Aug 14, 2009 1:56:54 PM CDT
the best video game movie based ona video game that doesnt exist
by saint seiya
There are some things i liked and disliked about D9. Let me start with the good: The FX and the action, very well pulled and for its budget the FX team made a damn good job not only with the prawns but with the action scenes.
The bad: The main character and the love story. I thought the main character was not very good, he wasnt well liked at all by anybody in the audience that i saw it with (SF Screening, Thnx Harry!) and you get sick of him in the first 20 mins into the film. The love story was pretty weak and didnt seem believable. The last 30 min of the movie are the shit though! -
1000 internets to you sir…best post since…since…petergrifin's wonderful essays
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so, are you saying you believe it was gentetic material strictly or partially, then refined? im curious cause this was the biggest problem i had with the movie. i have a scientific mind and i cant imagine how any kind of body could just transform into a completely different body. i mean how would chris know that, what kind of creatures transformed into prawns before? other intelligent creatures? or maybe dumb creatures, would they then rapidly gain a high level of intelligence? it just seems like such a strain to believe. and that's ok sometimes, but part of the allure was this felt realistic too. like the scene where they test him as a weapon, that was really affecting to me, and realistic. i guess i kept hoping there would be more explanation as i watched but it didn't come. like maybe if they designed it to do that, maybe, but it's still a stretch to think that could happen even if advanced scientists wanted it to. so, if it's like a random side effect... no way! whatever, still an awesome movie. i cant believe chris dropped his gun and got all sad during the mission. first of all, that gun was so important. second, his own people he lived with seemed very savage in nature, more so than humans, towards each other and humans. why would chris be so surprised and shaken that some humans do that too?
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You're not supposed to like Wikus at the beginning of the movie. He's a dick.
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Kirk and Spock even give Nero a chance to surrender, but he doesn't.
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That way lies madness…
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Just stating a general feeling, wasn't directing that at you specifically
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Near the end after Wikes gets into the suit, I swore I saw him at one point use one of the weposons to pick up a Pig and F-up one of the MNU soldiers with it gravity gun style.
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have you seen the first Spider-Man movie?
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When you can shoot a movie like this for a budget of 30 million dollars, you have really set the bar for movie makers everywhere, the scale and scope of this movie were so vast and dense it would have led you to believe this was an undertaking many times more expensive, but they did it small, shot it with an actor who had never been on the big screen, and with a director of shorts, I was so emeresed in this movie the whole time when the lights came up and the Q&A started my heart was running 90 to nothing, these guys were incredible, and they deserve all the respect to continue on making amazing films. LONG LIVE BLOMKAMP!
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I know he wasnt supposed to be liked. I meant his acting. He just wasnt very good.
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However, i think Thusspake is a fool and a redneck neocon idiot of the kind i would never agree with not ina 1000 years. You see, it's you who are the fool for thinking i share anythign with that gu. And let me gues,s you are also one of thsoe who drank the kool-aid and mistakes Jar Jar Abrams's horrendous Crap Trek piece of shit movie as if it's anythign that could be mistaken as good, and you feel insulted by my coments. Well, as the poet once said, though shit!By the way, i have high hopes for District 9 and i feel that all those who are praising this movie are right on the money. so, agian, you fucking fail. Try thinking with a brain next time when you decide to make a coment about me, instead of the complete failure you had done so far.
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I saw the Chicago screening and was worried I'd have to leave. Fortunatly it was no where near as bad as Cloverfeild (which I left after maybe 10 minutes) and if you can hold out till about the half hour 45 min mark you're gold. As for the movier it's self I liked it alot. It's not the second coming that eveerone says it is but it's definitly better than a lot of crap out there.
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Aug 14, 2009 2:29:31 PM CDT
District 9 will put Jar Jar Abrams's Crap Trek in it's proper pl
by asimovlives
The trash bin. And Moon will put a lid on it. And the geeks shall remmeber again how good science fiction movies really look like.
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I thought you meant the character, not the acting.
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You wrote a brillant post which i think answers, once and for all, all those nagging compalisn about why the humans are so harsh on the aliens and why their caretaking was put into the hands of a private company. Brillant, brillant intelligent post, friend. Keep them coming. I love when a movie invites such intelligent people.
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Europe gets screwed again,what a pisser...
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loved it and I'll see it again
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I didn't have a problem with the fluid changing Wikus. The movie states that humans can't get the alien technolgy to work becuse it works with their DNA. So this fluid is the basis for their technoloiy and it has to link with their genetic structue. So this stuff not only has genetic tracers, since its also a fuel maybe its radio active or something (it's sci fi how specific do we need.) I can think of a lot of reasons why it would mutate him.
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I'm saying their biotechnology ran on that fluid, so what Christopher was doing was refining the remaining useable fluid out of the salvageable Prawn Tech (good school, by the way. great football program) as a fuel source. That source has refined genetic material in it (remember how the fluid reacted when he dropped it through that filter? It actually made a sound, implying that it was organic) that is introduced into Wikus' system, and the reaction is a fusing of the alien DNA with his own. Lots of things on earth can cause DNA to mutate- radiation, chemicals, even sunlight.
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Saw it courtesy of Capone in Chicago, (thanks, brother!). Just wanted to say that for all those *coughharrycough* saying that this is the new 2001 as far as scientifically sound sci-fi and intelligent sci-fi. That movie is Moon, not this one. This movie is just flat-out one the greatest movies of the last twenty years regardless of specifics in any genre. A lot of you are seeing this today and I imagine the excitement level is going to boil over real soon. I just wanted to throw my two cents in and try to persuade everyone on the fence to go see this fucking movie!!! Fuck what Harry says, we all know that his endorsement of a movie can be questionable and misguided. This time the hype doesn;t live up to the movie. By time the credits roll, you will be blown the fuck away.
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Overexcited fanboys make me sick. This movie was like watching Schindler's List. Sure it's good, but very unpleasant to watch. It was not "mindblowing" as so many people have claiimed. Pfft.
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Hey I agree. I saw it, and I was pretty bored with it. Yeah, it had nice ideas, but wow, can I at least care about SOMEONE in the story?
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Aug 14, 2009 3:05:45 PM CDT
Who Wants To Bet This Turd Won't Break $50 mill At The Box Offic
by the_first_rule_of_fight_club
puh-leez. fucking "alien nation" and "starship troopers" have a baby starring old what's his name. seriously, what is his name, sharlton something? no-one on this talkback will be talking about this crap after two weeks.
"prawns", huh? read what the ny post review has to say about that. it's funnier than anything you black homo liberals have put up.
and, p.s., apartheid needs to come back in a big way. especially in the white house um, sorry, the black house.
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This movie is the real deal. Just amazing. Great heart, great story, amazing fx. You notice the order I put those in? There's a reason. Browncoat_Jedi, in a season with Transformers 2 and where GIJoe can make upwards of $50mil, this movie is manna from the heavens, so blow it out your blowgun, chief.
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Yackbacker - I didn't think science gave up on the aliens, just that not enough time had passed. IMO, 28 years seems like a pretty short amount of time in which to figure out multiple pieces of advanced technology, especially if (in the case of the mothership) the batteries aren't included or (in the case of the alien tech) they won't turn on unless some sort of exchange with completely alien DNA occurs. Figuring out that the DNA was even part of the key must have taken a hell of a long time.Asimov - Thanks for the kind words. It's nice to have a sci-fi movie to intelligently discuss this summer... (haven't seen Moon yet)
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Is there anything you aren't bored with? Aside from TRANSFORMERS...
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Reminded me very much of "Children of Men" - smart, visceral, amazingly visual, emotional and unpredictable. Loved the fact that it was done in South Africa with no recognizable actors - made you buy into the whole premise that much better. And YES YES YES, add my voice to those calling out for Blomkamp to helm "World War Z" - and do it with NO MOVIE STARS!!! All unknowns, just like this!!!
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You know, we were set to inherit the earth, but shit like this just divides us. We're letting them divide us when we should be rising up. Maybe we should organize a mass meeting, all of us get together in person. That would be interesting.
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More like kneejerk reality. I thought conservatives pretty much accepted the fact that most human beings were greedy assh*les? I can see this reaction from the tin hat brigade if the movie was set in the USA ('Murka's always right!), but what's up with all the South Africa love?
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didn't mean to make you cry.
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so go figure that they would read parallels into any movie that has anything remotely political in it. fucking lemmings.
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We the geeks got divided and are not easy to be ruled over the moment then the geekdom started to accept pudrid stupid produced stupid bullshit like Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek and mistake it for a "good" or "entertaining" movie. The Geekdom soul their soults very cheaply, and for the cheappest of prices. And now the powers that be can do anything they want with us, because we have been proved too willing to be sold with trinkets. What has happened with the geedom with Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek popularity this summer is the same when the Dutch bought the whole of Manhanjthan form the indians with trinckets worth less then 10 dollars all added. The geekdom was bought cheap and played for fools and be made the studio's bitch.
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Post more intelligent and interesting psots likeyou did above, and there's more praises where it came from. It's me who has to say thank, not you. It was my pleasure.
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Haven't read through the whole talkback yet, but awepittance nails it with the 'Mac & Me' quip. Spent the whole movie fighting off the flashbacks. Back to reading...
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Maybe the weakest and least intelligent memebers of the species were rounded up and blasted into space as a sort of Darwinian cleansing of the gene pool. The command module disconnecting from the ship may have been a way of assuring the mothership never made it back. A few intellgent aliens made it on the ship by accident or knew what was happening and snuck on board. just a thought
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Mind you, I'm not saying it's anywhere as good as the Matrix, but it's easily the best sci-fi flick since it. It did have some flaws, but I found it gripping nonetheless.
***SPOILER WARNING *** I gotta say, I thought the miracle fluid was pretty stupid. It powers spaceships AND transforms you into one of them. The whole notion of rapid transformations is the worst repeating sci-fi idea there is. I think this movie could have been just as good without it. I also thought they were a little heavy handed on the sequel baiting, but for only $30 million, why not? -
Aug 14, 2009 3:39:45 PM CDT
a thought regarding the seemingly low intelligence of the aliens
by tenenbaum
Maybe the weakest and least intelligent members of the population were rounded up and blasted into space as a cleansing of the gene pool type effort. The command module disconnecting from the ship may have been pre-planned to insure the mothership never made it back. Perhaps a few intelligent aliens like Christopher Johnson were on the ship accidentally or knew what was going on and stowed on board. just an idea.
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damn
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...just stop mentioning Star Trek. Please. We ALL know how you feel about it by now, but when you bring it up in EVERY SINGLE TALKBACK, it becomes intolerable. Please. Just see how long you can go without mentioning JJ Abrams and Star Trek. Do it for me. I'm using your proper nickname and being as respectful as I can. Just, please, for the love of all that is holy, let it fucking go. -
At this point, you are just trolling, Asimov. And trolling hurts all of us.
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and laughed and winced in all the right places...And in the end when I asked his opinion of the film, he said, "Waste of my time. Just weak." WTF do people want from a movie these days anyway? This was a great time and also great Sci-fi. I just wish Moon was showing in the great desert I live in.
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Aug 14, 2009 4:04:20 PM CDT
Why immediately assume aliens are supposed to be brilliant?
by karmakitten13
I've heard several complaints about the lack of detailed back story, but I find that to be a good thing. It allows for some creative hole filling, which for me makes the story continually more interesting..... We always assume that aliens are immediately of higher intelligence and posess all this universal knowledge. What if this group of aliens was, for the most part, of lower intellect because they are not experts at space travel? Lets say for arguement sake that we send a space shuttle to another planet and find life there, and they assumed the same about us. Yes, our astronauts by default have to be of exceptional skill and intelligence, but if roles were reversed would they be expected to know all the things we expect aliens to just because they flew a ship to another planet? ....... What if this particular trip was their first attempt? It would explain the lower class of aliens (like us putting a chimp on a shuttle) and would also explain why it broke down.
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if you want this boy's hole.
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Interesting. Again, I like that we didnt get a full explanation because theories like this make the story even more unique.
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The fact that we know nothing about the history of these aliens means anything is possible in their culture. What if the ship is sort of like a floating prison of some sort. And the inhabitants were all of the lower class aliens that have been banished from their society. Christopher could have been the guard of some sort. That is why he was smarter than the rest. And would explain why the society acted the way they did when they were released fom the ship.
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Talking to a mate of mine who saw the film with me was interesting. He's a Coloured South African and he has clear memories of being evicted more or less exactly like that, and he wasn't living in a slum. The slum dwellers have it worse. Mush worse.
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People are reacting, for the most part,extremely positively it the film.That's all. The studio haven't been hyping it really. Blomkampf or whateer his name is And Jackson haven't been saying it's gonna change the world and is the greatest film of all time. People are seeing it an loving it. Can't hate on the film for that.
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because they have been living in slums for 20 years. When in Rome...
But didn't they mention that he aliens in the ship were malnourished and aimless? They likly weren't striking out like that until they realized their lot was not going to be improved. -
Am I the only person in the states who didn't get a complimentary ticket to this?
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i can't believe that people on this talkback saw that shit! you should be ashamed!
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A little old man who rambled and shat himself and I was still riveted by the film. Believe me, I had plenty of reasons to get the fuck out of there.
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As if any of you care here's my take. Excellent film, easily a million times better than any Halo film could ever be and yet...Despite absolutely phenomenal first and second acts in the third act it all kind of becomes unhinged. Surprisingly, it's very conventional and dare I say it pretty predictable. The effects of the final battle were great to be sure but it's nothing you haven't seen before. The third act prevents it from being scored any higher than an B but it's a really damned high B++. Everyone should see it.
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Saw District 9 last night at a sneak preview in Syracuse NY. I have been a huge fan of "reality" feature films, the term I like to give to the hand held camera features that have been sprung on us since Blair Witch. I loved Blair Witch . . . I thought Cloverfield was neat, Quarentine scared the shit out of me and now we have District 9 - and I am speechless in regards to this movie. Must see it again and again . . .
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Aug 14, 2009 4:53:00 PM CDT
THIS. MOVIE. WAS. ABSOLUTELY. FUCKING. TERRIBLE....AVOID!!!
by carlthormark1978
I would go further into dissecting why this movie is soo fucking horrible but I have to lay down because I developed a splitting fucking migraine that started 5 minutes into this fucking trash because of the goddamn hand held bullshit not to mention that I could barely understand a fucking word coming out of any of the actors mouths as South African’s have one of the shittiest accents on the fucking planet only surpassed by New Zealanders and Australian’s. Fuck this sinking piece of shit disguised as a movie.
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I agree the lack of background makes for some interesting discussion.
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While this is a phenomenal film it is not the best sci-fi film in a decade. Moon is the far superior movie, and I'd even hesitate to say it's the best sci-fi movie of the last decade. Hard to say with things like this.
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you lose all credibility.Come home and holla at your boy!
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I didn't read what everyone else was saying before I saw it so I had no idea it was getting such a great response. But at one point I thought to myself "this must be what it was like to watch 2001, or Close Encounters in the theater back in the day". I felt like I was watching the future of moviemaking. No lie. I was blown away. 11/10. Really really awesome movie. Can't say enough. Everyone go see it right now.
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Geeks wanting something to be something, so they're just gonna say it's something, damn the evidence.Wait a week or two and watch the disappointment start to flood.
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but after that...Fucking Awesome!!! I can't wait for District 10! Great movie!
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Too true, sir. We have our disagreements but I'm glad I'm not the only one who realizes how bad off we are compared to how it could be. How it could be=awesome How it is=Cynical Bastards Ruin Awesomeness While Idiots Support Brain-Killing Garbage.
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what evidence are people who like this movie supposedly damning?
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Aug 14, 2009 5:06:49 PM CDT
I'M SAD TO SAY THAT STAR TREK IS THIS SUMMERS BEST MOVIE....
by carlthormark1978
The script was shit but the acting and Direction put it above every other fucking awful movie that has came out this summer.
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It worked for me. Perfect film? No. But a smart thrill ride. Better than most genre films, easily.
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Maybe you should change your nick to Subtitles_On, because the accents aren't that hard to decipher.
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I really liked Dingbatty's theory of the fluid mutating the alien species. Perhaps the fuel and gooey interface was extracted/taken from a third unseen alien species?
There was obviously an accident onboard the ship or the ship was damaged somehow, and Chris and his species were exposed to a more radioactive, mutating form of the fluid. Their food storage could’ve been contaminated as well. Perhaps the mutation also has the effect of dumbing down everyone to their more primal instincts, and only the most intelligent of them would retain some semblance of sophistication. This may explain why when they were first discovered, they were not only weak and helpless, but unable to really establish civilized relations with humankind. This would also explain why a lot of them behave more like animals rather than advanced beings (capable of interstellar space flight), and why they were unable to cooperate and defend themselves using their advanced tech. Remember when Chris asked his assistant to simply be polite when answering the door and he couldn’t even do that? POP, POP, dead. You can’t believe that was “normal” behavior. Not that one can really know what normal is for them, but I’m using Chris as the benchmark. :P
What I am unsure about is why the humans didn’t strip down and establish a lab on board the ship. They can fly up to it, punch a hole into it, and confiscated a bunch of their tech, but I’m surprised there wasn’t an ant line coming in and out of that thing during that 20+ years. C’mon, all that tech and they don’t want to dismantle it and figure out how it ticks? Perhaps farm all that alien metal off the thing?
Oh, and to the troubled talkbacker who thinks the governments of the world can cover up the existence of that alien ship. Are you f-ing kidding me? How can you cover up a huge floating ship hovering above a large populace for 20+ years? Oh and the 2+ million bug like aliens running around? THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY. Thank you.
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zzzzzzzzz
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"Geeks wanting something to be something, so they're just gonna say it's something, damn the evidence."
what? that was incoherent babble. oh, and your not a geek of course. your probably really cool, like fonzi -
Aw, you don't know the name of the lead actor-it must be a bad movie, right? You people might wanna see a chiropractor and get your head screwed on straight.
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but anyone who critiques a moved based on having to read subtitles probably has some domestic issues to work out. Shouldn't you be holding a poorly spelled protest sign at a town hall somewhere?
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Whoooo hooo!!! Yeah
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Story feels more real to me, less like acting
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On the one hand, some people hate it. On the other, some love it. On yet another many like it. What gives?
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you know how when you see some things in the early part of a movie and think, "Boy, I wish this would happen later on!" Well, when it Does happen...it's awesome. I think this is the kind of movie Chris Farley would have talked about to his guest star in 'The Chris Farley Show.
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it tried to be the Office but Micheal Scott was mean and I couldn't unnerstand him but he could talk to the bugs but not me so that sucked and my head hurts so fuck this moovie in its moovie ass. fuckers
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If you can't handle hand-held camera shots or decipher the South American accent then, to quote Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "sounds like your problem is you."
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Courtesy of Bruno.
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This was a big budget Sci-Fi movie with HARD R rating that was made outside of the studio system! This. Was. Made. For. Us. What do you want?
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But since that won't happen they'll just hate everything.
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That movie will sweep Oscars next year.
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$37 mil is not big budget these days. It just looked like $100 mil. And I don't see why people have a (pardon the pun) hard-on for a hard-R. I don't think movies are "improved" by adding more gore or sex. In any case, it was a great movie, lots of fun, made me think a bit, let's leave it at that.
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$37 mil is not big budget these days. It just looked like $100 mil. And I don't see why people have a (pardon the pun) hard-on for a hard-R. I don't think movies are "improved" by adding more gore or sex. In any case, it was a great movie, lots of fun, made me think a bit, let's leave it at that.
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shakey shakey.
At least they speak American all proper-like in the Hurt Locker!! -
But definitely the best sci-fi film of the Summer. I really liked it.
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Doesn't everybody know that it's the motion of the ocean? I mean, that's Sex Ed 101 right there.
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Enough of that "Hollywood hates guns" bullshit. As Jon Stewart pointed out, we have movies where frickin' Guinea Pigs are armed to the teeth.
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but really, the movie that it borrows the most from is E.T. Just like Up is a cartoon version of Gran Torino.
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but really, the movie that it borrows the most from is E.T. Just like Up is a cartoon version of Gran Torino.
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Holy Shit! That makes it even better! Still, that's a lotta money for an independent movie, you gotta agree.
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Not that the movie was complete without it, because it was, but a sequel will be made nonetheless. Why? First of all, this movie will make a gazillion dollars, and the PTB will see those dollar signs spinning in their sleep. However, chances are the sequel will not be as good as the original and will be more formulaic. Why? Because they will green light it for $120 million in production costs while ignoring the story, characters, and background. There have only been about three sequels that have been better than the original, "The Empire Strikes Back", "Godfather II" and "Terminator II". I may be missing some but you get the point. I hope that doesn't happen of course, because I think there are many places this alternate reality could go, showing the reasons behind the first contact, for leaving the home world of the "prawns", the "black oil", and any one of a thousand other sections of the film that weren't fully explained this time around. Gritty, realistic, believable, but not for the squeamish, and it is better if you go to see it without knowing much about it.
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Anyone who tells you different is some contrary tool with shitty taste in movies. They probably thought that Robocop is masterful or some shit.
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Shakey cam and lots of zooming and panning. Funny it didn't make me dizzy at all. Felt like I was watching a journalist accompanying this crew.
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It's about time! intellegent, engaging, funny and brutally kick ass at times. It's very unique and incorporates some ideas from Alien nation, the fly,MIB, Half life, and others and weaves them together in a refreshing way. It doesn't feel cookie-cutter hollywood at all, and what it accomplishes on such a small budget has raised the bar. It is never slow, and you want to cheer when the shit hits the fan. It does this without the retarded shaky-cam or graininess, and it doesn't skimp on the action or scope. This movie hits it into the stratosphere!
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Anyone who tells you different is some contrary tool with shitty taste in movies. They probably thought that Robocop is masterful or some shit.
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Guns appear in 72% of all Hollywood films according to some survey I read recently. And the gun companies pay handsomely for it, too.
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Spymunk will freak out again about the liberal conspiracies. And although he probably hasn't seen The Hurt Locker, he will have to stand up against the "Hollywood intelligentsia" that created such a scathing indictment of our fine troops. Or some such nonsense.
Anyways, how bout them Bug Guns??? -
over this movie? Really? I'm literally pulling my jaw off of the floor. I'm really surprised you didn't like it. Can you break down what you felt was so distasteful (and I mean story structure, not the South African accents or that kind of thing, eh)?
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Encapsulates the 1980's America better than most Academy movies from the same year.
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Uh, Robocop IS masterfully made. Pretty biting satire there, chief. I mean, it's not 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They', but still-masterful. Don't freak out on me or anything. We're in agreement on the D9 business, which is why we're here, so...let's be cool.
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this flick doesn't disappoint in any way. there's so much going on and it all makes sense as one big story. of all the comments in the beginning about wikus and what he did, the one that rings most true was from a male coworker who said that wikus made the best choices from limited options. that was really the truest statement on the whole thing. i thought this movie was truly gripping. it had the flavor of that scene at the end of "boys don't cry" when the two guys murder the two women: there's all this mayhem and screaming, and then the gun goes off and there's a body on the floor. and that's it. the violence is just that immediate and final. once wikus is taken to the MNU lab, it was like that: surreal events that are all too present and all too real. the weapons test was awful. if the movie leaves me wondering anything, it's about MNU's genetic hybrid experiments. we see the alien corpses, but what about the humans they must have been using too? dear god. how gruesome is that prospect?
christopher johnson's role is also deeply intriguing. i enjoy the mystery but a little story on him would be okay, as long as it isn't a sequel. why did the command module detach from the ship? my understanding is that it detached and he couldn't get back up to the ship.
this story stands superbly as it is. the closing shot of wikus fully transformed - and yet still wikus - allows the point of the story to stand. it took a human being treated like a prawn to both expose the problem of their treatment on earth, and also to provide the means of their salvation. b/c christopher was going to round them up and leave, without ever learning about the weapons experiments. which changes everything. i love that for a little while wikus freaks out and behaves very selfishly (understandably) but ultimately puts his crisis aside in favor of the aliens' larger tragedy. at the beginning he seems like a total nothing of a person and he turns out to be stronger than his friends and enemies alike.
a bit of a laugh went up when the commando kernel koobus venter was called in. i wondered if this was a parody of that south african mercenary cobus classens, who pops on tv. in any event, i quite liked his demise (although somehow to not realize until it was over - there was so much going on).
favorite line: "don't make me go through all this and not make it."
or maybe: "three years. i promise." -
Aug 14, 2009 5:48:23 PM CDT
Behind The Hurt Locker, best movie this summer.
by billypilgrimisunstuck
After all the ridiculous bullshit that we've been forced fed this season, we finally get a great true to form, sci-fi thriller, and it hits all the marks. GO SEE THIS NOW.
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District 9 is much better. I mean there's no point in comparing. And I really liked The Hurt Locker, but this is a whole different thing. You shouldn't even compare District 9 to other movies in the same genre. I feel like it's ahead of it's time. I mean you know how you get impressed by effects or whatever? This is different. I can't really explain it, but I wasn't expecting to see something like this. It's firing on all cylinders. If I had to strain for a complaint, it might be the some occasional iffy acting. But the acting doesn't even matter. Yes, I said that. It's so immense. That's what I'm calling it "immense".
If the academy had any brains, and they don't, something like this would win Best Picture. WIN. Kinda like Children of Men. How you knew it was really good, but there was no way in hell it'd get nominated. But District 9 would make Children of Men it's bitch. Yup, I said that too. -
I think it was a prison ship or something like that. The citizens of their planet wanted to get rid of their criminals/or other undesirables, drove them to Earth, and dumped them and thought they wouldn't find a way to get back. Because they said the command module detached. Why would they do that? And if it was a matter or getting help, they could have done that in 20 years. So I think their people didn't want them. Just my guess.
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"I'll send you home in a jar!" And he fucking meant it too. Those weapons were fucking awesome. I want one of those lightning throwers.
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Christopher Johnson said to his son that they could not go to their homeworld. They had to go to another destination. Could be fuel, could be some other reason like mission failure, they all escaped something, who knows.
Fun to think about. -
It's what's for dinner!
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I thought that's what was said at Comic-Con - that the prawns' queen was dead, which was why they were left stranded.
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'They're' what's for dinner. Sorry for the speciesism there.
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Although the Prawn lobby will apply much pressure to call it H1N2P5 or the like.
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So they have a biological technology that involves a mutagen. Fine--that's the "hook" that opens an entire level of the movie, and it happens early enough that the rest of the film simply rides out that assumption. Standard SF tactic, and perfectly acceptable. Best SF I've ever seen dealing with race/class issues. Why didn't the aliens use the weapons? Well, if they had they would have been exterminated. Haven't been that happy with a movie for a very long time. Look at the debates it has already triggered--a clear sign of a superior film.
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Besides, the mutagen doesn't work like that on them, presumably. It's fuel for them but a biohazard for us. It's just a coincidence, at least in my mind. But that's what I loved about the movie: it lets you fill in the blanks yourself. Yet another reason why this is a great film for geeks of all types.
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That dude Gordan Freeman'd the crap out of that pig.
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I think they sacrifice too much character development to establish the sequel. Sort of the same reaction I had to watching Ironman.
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when did they say that? the only chat i recall was when Christopher thought they couldn't get the liquid back and he and his son would have to move to Sanctuary Park.
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That movie will be epic. I mean if this is what Bloomkamp can do with 30 million... Imagine what he could do with 100.
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In "The Playwright's Guidebook", playwright and instructor Stuart Spencer writes that it's not the writer's job to make the audience member "believe" -- the playwright lays out the story, and the audience member is free to come along for the ride or reject it entirely. If you spent the whole of the movie worrying about the inconsistencies, that's your lookout. I, for one, enjoyed it thoroughly and can't wait to see it again.
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It's the perfect film for dumb people to fall in love with and feel smarter for liking it. I assume that is why a small film is getting so much hype. Look, it was pretty good, sometimes great, but it falls off when Douche Van Soon-to-be-prawn steals the ship with the kid locked inside. It's not THAT per se, it just fell off a bit after that. Sure the final fight was nice, but the narrative never picked up again for me.
It's good, but the hype is unwarranted. -
Dumb people are gonna have a hard time understanding this movie at all. I mean, there is reading involved.
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They were speaking English.
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You should read first and assume later.
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I was wondering that too. At first I thought it was because of their heavy accents, but everyone in the movie had har-to-unnerstand accents. I think that they were just slightly harder to understand than everyone else; hence, the subtitles.
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Good, smart science-fiction films are few and far between. "Children of Men" is the last one that comes to mind, and "D9" certainly is of that caliber. If you can accept the film's premise, just like any other work of sci-fi, then you'll have a blast. What's great about "D9" is the story itself is done on a small scale, without all the usual exposition for dumb people, and the special effects are not the focus. For the most part, they're background. The only criticism I would have is maybe the final act is a tad broad action-wise, but only maybe. As for a sequel, part of me wants to see it, but part of me doesn't see how it could be done as well as this was.
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after reading your post again, i do see you liked it. so then you ARE one of us dumb people who feel smarter for liking it.
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I guess so.
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It would just be Matrix Reloaded all over again.
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About thirty minutes in I stopped thinking of the Prawns as FX and accepted them as characters, extras,etc. It really helped.
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Because this isn't a studio film. I don't know why people don't understand this. Anybody else noticed that it was distributed by Tri-Star? I didn't think they existed anymore. Plus I was kinda disappointed that they didn't stick the old peagasus logo up front.
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and everyone already said what I said. hee hee. And karmakitten13 said about the prison ship first. I didn't read that before I posted. Sorry.
I'm so exited that most everyone loved it. I feel like we just found Atlantis or something. *hugs everyone* -
and there most certainly will be a sequel. anyone who doesn't think one is planned is a fool. a damned fool
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There will be a prequel detailing Wikus Van De Merwe's meteoric rise through the ranks of the MNU. Thrilling stuff, to be sure.
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D9: The Rise of Wikus. Of course. BendersShinyAss-I AM a fool. But this movie was just a favor from Jackson to Blomkamp. A 'Sorry Halo Fell Thru' kinda deal. If there is a sequel, I will kiss your shiny metal ass in hell.
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—just like Screen Gems.
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He shows her total devotion and dependence, same way Michael Scott got Jan.
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I can understand people thinking it won't be as good or they'll mess it up but if they got it THAT right the first time, maybe not. I'm in. In fact, the minute (MONDO SPOILERS OF DOOM...SERIOUSLY IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND YOU READ THIS YOU'LL DIE OF SCURVY....)Johnson and his son took off, knowing the running time, I was thinking "there better be a sequel!"
I LOVE CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON!!*ehem* -
... and holy shit it's awesome!
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There Will Be Blood was $25 mil. My guess is that the difference btween this and, say, Terminator Salvation is that all $37 mil went on the screen.
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But they only distributed it. They have no say in whether or not a sequel is made. This is but one more reason this movie is so unique and special and happy-making.
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I'll return that hug. I know exactly how you feel.
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There has to be a sequel. The ending of this movie left very fertile ground for and ass kicking sequel. Christopher went back to his home world to get "help" for the rest of his marooned people. He promised to be back in 3 years. He saw the atrocities MMU perpetrated with the alien autopsies. Will he bring back a war or a rescue? The transformed dude may be the only guy that saves earth from total annihilation. That's just one take on the story I have. There are many directions you can go with this. Many. One thing for sure is this...for a "shit" movie, alot of people are talking about it on this site! Great movie, and great payoff in the 3rd act. About time we have a smart movie this year.
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I haven't seen it yet, but...Overrated!
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Using hand held doc style cinematography is fine if you are trying to convey that it is an event being documented in a random manner but they make the mistake of continuing to use it throughout most of the movie even when there isn’t supposed to be some imaginary person videotaping it. It’s just another example of lazy Directing, ala Paul Greengrass, where the Director can’t be bothered to use traditional camera techniques, dollies, steadicam, cranes etc…and instead decides that shooting everything handheld makes it seem more “real”. It doesn’t. It’s fucking annoying and gives me a fucking headache. Rod Serling is my favorite screenwriter and when he used Sci-fi, he tried to say something about the human condition and tried to have people figure their way out of situations by using their minds and intellect nor do I remember many episodes of The Twilight Zone turning into gun battles at the end. The so called “character arc” of Wikus Van De Merwe is complete fucking bullshit. People have been creaming that this guy is “flawed” and that makes him some sort of everyman that we are supposed to identify with because he is thrown into unusual circumstances. The problem is that Wikus is a little fucking rat bastard company man who doesn’t give one shit about the “prawns” and only does, what he eventually does, not out of some realization that what is being done to these creatures is wrong but purely out of self preservation once he has been infected and is now himself in danger of being killed by the BIG EVIL CORPORATION that he was more then happy to work for when their soldiers were killing prawns or when he was cheerfully describing the popping sounds that prawn fetus’ make when they are being burnt alive by his company. So I couldn’t care less about this fucking asshole. Also, in relation to the documentary technique, did Blomkamp really think that having Wikus’ wife blabber on would somehow generate sympathy because I didn’t believe for one second that this was a loving couple when she was basically telling him to get to fuck over the phone (within 24 hours of hearing that he had been fucking Prawns) not to mention that the stupid bastard never even took the time to explain to her what had happened, that he had been infected, his arm had changed or that her Father ordered him to be chopped up into little piece’s. Furthermore, from my understanding it was three days from when he was first infected to the Mech shootout and the end. So, once Wikus escaped, MNU somehow managed to engineer a disinformation campaign that he had been infected from having sex with aliens in, what, 24 hours? That brings me to the next issue. MNU is supposed to be some sort of super powerful multi-national conglomerate that is basically running the show and yet they can’t even manage to apprehend one man who has escaped and has a giant fucking lobster hand that represents BILLIONS of dollars in weapons technology? They have a team of what appears to be, not hundreds of, but a dozen tooled up morons looking for Wikus and, yet, can’t find him never mind that they somehow manage to get fist fucked by a bunch of Nigerian gangsters when they have state of the art weapons, vehicles and air support?!? This isn’t black Hawk Down where you had a small force in the middle of hostile territory and no immediate backup. This was a fucking shanty town that could have been leveled with the firepower that MNU had at their diposal. The even had a fucking computer guided surface to air missile system. Why the fuck were there people even allowed to live in that area in the first place? The worst part was when Wikus got a hold of the mech suit and didn’t just lay waste to the dozen or so MNU dipshits in the area. He could have obliterated every last one of them and yet he doesn’t only so that the main bad guy could get ripped apart by Prawns. Then there is a whole fuck load of questions about the aliens themselves and their ship and we don’t get any sort of satisfying answers about anything. The ship just appears and positions itself over JH. It sits there. Government agencies eventually bust into the ship to find that the creatures are fucking retards who can barely fend for themselves. The ship doesn’t have the energy to leave but it can hover on it’s own power for 28 years until one of the Prawns creates some liquid that could fit into a pop can that is somehow able to power the ship sufficiently to travel across the stars. They have all these devastating weapons and yet never think to use them against the human who brutalize and murder them at every opportunity. They have a GIANT FUCKING MECH SUIT that MNU doesn’t seem to have a clue about nor are we given any explanation as to how or why these retarded creatures came into possession of it or WHY THEY DON’T USE IT AGAINST THEIR OPPRESSORS!!! 28 years and MNU can’t figure out how to reverse engineer the alien technology in any way shape or form for it to be used by humans? That ship would have been fucking stripped of every last piece of information not to mention that we learn nothing about the global impact of the alien’s arrival. You’re telling me that they wouldn’t have had the world top scientists studying that thing every fucking second since it landed? Could you imagine the scientific advancements that the human race could achieve if such a ship just landed on this planet tomorrow? Then there is the completely fucking ridiculous about face that Wikus makes, after clobbering Christopher Johnson, where he just tells him to take his child and leave. This character has shown throughout the movie that he is a self centered asswipe and yet decides to make a totally uncharacteristic last minute sacrifice for creatures that he couldn’t give a shit about 72 hours earlier when he was grinning as infant Prawns were roasting alive. Luckily he got infected with that stuff otherwise he might not have learned to become so noble and selfless. The biggest problem I have is that if Christopher Johnson was clever enough to create the biofuel that was needed to power the mothership, why didn’t he command the other Prawns to take up arms and take over JH when they initially arrived? Instead he spent 20 years scrounging through scrap yards to make the stuff and yet he never thought to take any sort of command over his people, who he claimed to care about so much, and maybe trade with the humans for what he needed to make the liquid rather then living in a fucking ghetto for two decades? These are the bulk of the inconsistencies and massive plot holes that ruined District 9 for me.
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I got back from seeing this about an hour ago. I really, really liked it. I would love to see it another time in the theater, but my current budget isn't gonna allow that.
In regard to the supposed "low intelligence" of most of the aliens, was it ever really stated that they were of lower intelligence? As far as I'm concerned, the extreme poverty and living conditions leading to a breakdown in culture along with the catnip addiction and poor nutrition could possibly help explain their behavior. This would also definitely fit in with the social commentary of the film. -
the alien language being understood by english speakers and vice versa. the alien language could have been spoken in hard to understand english thus still requiring subtitles. it was spose to be handy cam doco style... yet it kept cutting in and out of this. the actualy 'movie' portions could have been a wider screen or something. just my opinion
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Some responses to your comments:
1. I didn't like the "shaky cam" either.
2. Wikus is/was a rat company bastard, but that was the point to bring on the redemption aspect when he saves the alien kid and his father.
3. The wife appeared to be a trophy wife. He loves her, but she's doesn't have a clue about what was really going on with her husband. Why? Dad is the president of the evil empire.
4. One bad digital scene only. We the small ship was crash landing. That look like bad CGI. They must have run out of money. -
if you read what I wrote above, even though I loved the movie, I thought there were a lot of logical leaps that left a little to be desired for me. but logic holes, plot inconsistencies, those are things that can actually be debated in a meaningful way. if someone can explain a theory to me, or convince me I misunderstood something, etc. it's useful to talk about it. you're just giving your opinion about things in the movie, and most of the time, you are VASTLY in the minority, and much of the time, I think your opinions betray a serious lack of understanding about the movie.first off, you comment about the gritty, documentary style. if it doesn't work for you, fine, so be it. my grandparents don't like it either. "stop shaking the camera!!" but that doesn't mean "it doesn't work" as you write. YOU don't care for it. YOU. and not for nothing, but this is a tremendous movie for costing only $30 mil, and part of the reason that's doable is because of the unusual camera work, faux documentary, handheld, etc. it's a cost saving device as well as a stylistic one. not everyone can get $100 mil for a movie.your analysis of the main character is WAY off. he IS a bastard. but he's not some jingoistic asshole, he's just ignorant, like many of the people, about the prawns. and you're right, he only starts to care about their well being when it helps HIM. and just when you think he's developing some empathy and patience, WHAM he hits Christopher over the head to steal the ship. for me, this was a VERY unusual take on a main character. this late in the story, and you're basically saying he HASN'T grown, he HASN'T learned, he's still as selfish as before. but far from "not caring about him" like you said, I was fascinated as to how the filmmaker was going to wrap up the story. you can't let the asshole win, can you? he's our protagonist, but are we still rooting for him? that complexity, which you seem to think is a detriment, was fascinating to me, and everyone I saw it with. again, it's YOUR opinion. and in my mind, he never REALLY changes, the metamorphosis changes him. once he gets the yellow eyes, and is truly on the verge of changing entirely, only then does he sacrifice himself to save Christopher and his son. the final shot of him looking up at the ship with his dual nature finally physically evident, that's some powerful stuff. it could have been really cheesy if they hadn't earned it."Then there is a whole fuck load of questions about the aliens themselves and their ship and we don’t get any sort of satisfying answers about anything."well, yeah, and look at us all here debating it, throwing out theories, fantasizing about what else there is to the story. some people LIKE ambiguity, some people LIKE not having every little thing wrapped up perfectly and forced down their throat. you seem to be upset that this movie doesn't have a traditional character arc, traditional cinematography, tradition plot summation and setup...so if that's the case, this clearly isn't a movie for you. you need to watch some mainstream movie that gives you all of the traditional shit you want. but some of us like something OUTSIDE of the ordinary and traditional, and that's why this film is so exciting.
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You actually contradicted yourself over the course of your diatribe. AND answered some of your own questions. Some of your concerns are valid, but not grounds for dismissal of the film outright.
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One other thing I forgot that I wanted to mention. The fact that there are so many unanswered questions is one of the things that make it sooooo cool. It makes you use your imagination and make your on conclusions. I like that. Lucas fucked up when he felt it necessary to explain the "force". It was better when the "force" was whatever YOU believed it to be. Also, this leaves room for a potentially great sequel. Lots of directions to go with.
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Aug 14, 2009 8:14:19 PM CDT
Again I invite anyone who wishes to hate on this masterpiece of
by jacklucas
Kill yourself before you meet some poor pigfaced gremlin whore and possibly infect humanity even more with your polluted seed. Please die. You are a troll. Constructive criticisms I can tolerate. But anyone coming in and just hating with no good or valid arguments (pretty much all of you cocksuckers hating) just need to crawl into a hole and let the final sleep take you.
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I'll reach out later to discuss, but you do make a good argument for logic gaps in the movie. I'm not sure I agree but I need to dwell on those points.
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That whole thing about Wikus being a rat bastard is totally right. And I didn't care about him either except that he was necessary for Johnson's success. So we had to root for him in that respect and he wasn't completely racist, because he did protest when he found out about the experiments. But then like the TZ episode where Dean Stockwell turned Japanese, he did the right thing because he became one of them. Maybe his sudden change was because at that point he became 51% alien? It's totally understandable and makes sense. He didn't have to be a good guy for the movie to be good but I can understand if it was difficult to be on his side in the beginning.
As for why CJ didn't command his people. I mean, I'm a wonderful person, but I can't just walk outside and tell mankind "I'm in charge now. Follow me!" That so wouldn't go over well.
btw, we need to think up something else to call them besides "pr*wns". That's racist. And Prawn-Americans doesn't sound any better. -
Trading the mech suit for 100 cat food cans was pretty weak.
With all that tech, it wasn't logical that they would trade it all for cat food. Even if they were addicted to it. Provoked or not, they showed that the Prawns could be violent and would fight back. Why do nothing for 28 years? Even if they were thought they were over matched, they obviously had balls. They rarely showed signs of being cowards. They often fought back.
I didn't think I'd like the social commentary. That's exactly what I thought would turn me off, but it turned that was the hook that is exactly what reeled me in. (Bork, never end a sentence in a preposition). I overlooked the plot holes and focused more on the message. Something I never do. -
The alien language gap. Here's my take on it. THey have been marooned on our planet since 1985. Wikus was an MMU "ambassador" to the aliens. It would be his job to learn their language. As for the aliens knowing ours, they are a technologically advanced race that can travel through space. Apparently on a galactic level too. Our language would be primitive to them, and easy to pick up in 29 years time. (Think illegal Mexicans as an example with English) By that I mean, spend time in a foreign land (Planet) for a long time, you will pick up the language.
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That could only be used by them and how much shit do you think they'd take from the Nazi's?
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Maybe the "Prawns" are a warrior race. Maybe that was what they were. They are certainly built for that with their weapons and all. Maybe they have killed so much, that they don't want to kill anymore. Maybe that is why they are so passive. Maybe they feel guilty for what their lives once were and exiled themselves to this existence. Do you see where I'm going with this? Lot's of possibilities. Lots.
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When they were making them, did you really think they thought, oh we will trade them for catfood?
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Maybe the "Prawns" are a warrior race. Maybe that was what they were. They are certainly built for that with their weapons and all. Maybe they have killed so much, that they don't want to kill anymore. Maybe that is why they are so passive. Maybe they feel guilty for what their lives once were and exiled themselves to this existence. Do you see where I'm going with this? Lot's of possibilities. Lots.
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This looks like a stellar film, but I have grown so very weary of that particular piety thrown at me.Since I still love my country, will I still love this film?And, no, I am mercifully free from the ravages of knowing what the flick is about, apart from the trailers, so pardon me for attempting to remain ignorant.
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You might hate being an Earthling though.
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what are you talking about? there isn't a single American in the entire film.
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if you didn't read my response to your last post, you really need to. you are woefully misguided, brother.
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Only if the Warsaw Jews are mentally deficient does that metaphor apply. You see, they were all clearly very confused and/or 'retarded'(too rushed to find a more pc word), and lacking leadership. It's not explained why they are all so 'aimless', and I can see that troubles you. But since so much else was left unsaid I simply decided that there was a good reason for it and moved on. Some people like it when shit is not spoon-fed to them as if they were unable to think for themselves. Some people.
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Aug 14, 2009 8:38:14 PM CDT
INSTEAD OF PRAWNS, LET'S CALLED THEM ROCK LOBSTERS!!!
by carlthormark1978
We can assume they come from Planet Claire!!! The B-52's kick fucking ass!!!
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They didn't make them on Earth. They brought them with on the ship. Friggin maroon. That's it, I'm tired of arguing with people who are clearly idiots and/or trolls. Have fun being closed-minded troglodytes.
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First, I'm not trying to be a hater, but I agree with everything Carl said. This is not the second coming of Christ like people would have you believe. The lead actor was weak, the wife was totally unbelievable, and there were more plot holes than I can count.
Also, I almost puked when I saw yet another giant robot. I can't believe how bad it drug at the end, I was praying for it to get over. It was pretty cool in some places, but it was ultimately just an exact mix of Aliens, V, and Alien Nation. We've seen it all before.
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Ever wonder why Doogie Howser looked like a Gestapo at the end of Starship Troopers? You are aware of what an "allegory" is, yes?
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Like I mentioned earlier. Christopher could have "drugged" his people to make them docile for all we know. They seem very capable of violence. Hence my "warrior" race suggestions. They have serious weapons too. CJ knows they don't have enough fuel to make it home. He lands on earth, but knows his people will kill the indiginous inhabitants (us), so he drugs their food or water supply, or implant or whatever to make the "retards" as you call them. Otherwise, they would kill us all. See? That's what makes this movie great. I can use my imagination. I don't need all the answers.
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in Africa.
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I generally liked the film. I guess if someone brings up a problem they perceive, they are morons.
Have fun living the rest of your lives in your parents basement. -
When the child fixes the hologram of their world and asks Christopher how many moons it has, Christopher answers 7. The child then asks if they can go back there, Christopher says "No, not there. We have to go here..." or something to that end.
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I understand what an allegory is? I never said one thing about the message. You're a real piece of shit. Read the posts before you drag me into something.
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Naw, I'd say they were criminals, convicts, outcasts and thugs. But neither explanation would make sense that they would have those kinds of weapons and never use them. Not even when humans were breaking into their ship? Come on. This was not poor direction. It was poor writing.
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Aug 14, 2009 8:58:05 PM CDT
I Just Read The Story Outline For District 9...And It Sucks!!!
by media messiah
The story is essentially "Alien Nation" set in South Africa...but rather, the thrust of the story is set in slums, ala "City of God", the latter, as some have accurately compared. The first half of the story is interesting...though as I said, it is simply Alien Nation all dressed up in slums...and also, with an apartheid theme...or that of illegal workers from Mexico, and the many injustices they suffer at the hands of the hypocritical masses who employ them, and exploit them, for profit. Next, the story just turns into "The Transformers", mixed with Anime style post modern story telling. This movie is a waste of your time, and mine...as far as I can tell from the story arc in total--and trust me, outlines never lie. Lastly, there is no big spoiler twist ending, as we have been led to believe by the media. It is just a film about xenophobia, using aliens as a metaphor, for the exploitation of any minority group (you take your pick), to do it. As I said in another District 9 Talkback, I have an alien invasion script outline, which I wrote, that really does change the game, with a twist ending that really will blow your mind--one, that you have never seen before. As for District 9, don't believe the hype.
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The only thing I dragged you into is your reply to my post.Me: "Well this film urge me to hate being an American? (sic)"You: "There are no Americans in the film. You might hate being an Earthling though."Or, more simply... You're a piece of shit too. I can play it that way too.
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When screenwriters don’t explain things, it’s not because they’re clever and that people are stupid for having questions, it’s that the screenwriters didn’t bother to put enough thought into his own concepts which leaves questions for which they have no answer. There’s just little or no consistent internal logic to the Rock Lobsters. If they were all living in deplorable conditions on the ship then who the fuck was actually flying the goddamn thing? The movie portrays all of the Lobsters as mentally degenerate with the exception of Christopher Johnson. Is he a different class of Lobster? What’s the social structure of the Lobsters? What planet did they come from? What’s the history of this species? What made them leave? Why did CJ say that they couldn’t go back to their homeworld? When he gets the mothership up and running, why doesn’t he try to load his fellow Lobsters on board? Were the Lobsters refugee’s or maybe it was a prison ship? A ship of that size can’t possibly be run by one Lobster so where are all of the scientists, engineers, repairmen? All of these questions could have made for a fascinating pseudo documentary about an alien species arriving on this planet but, instead, Blomkamp only sees it as a way to create a sci-fi action flick that he tries to give some sort of half-assed element of social commentary by setting it in JH while never taking the time to really ponder some of the bigger issues and ideas because it’s time for another gun battle with alien tech.
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Here to pimp yet another one of his genius ideas. This Talkback is now officially fucked.
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it's a good film. better than nearly anything that's out there. there was a near capacity show at the 1:30 matinee at the neighborhood theater i went to and some dick raced me for the ticket line. there was competition to GET IN LINE. the show actually started late because they were still selling tickets. frankly, i don't trust most of the opinions of the "reviewers" on this site, but i'll have to admit, i found the movie to be very enjoyable, violent, and filled with lots of gore. it was so much that it disturbed my movie partner and they had to leave. now, i just have to go back to the theater tomorrow to see the second half. i find some of the criticisms on here backassward and petty. it's a good flick and likely to score the box office crown for this week, if the gore doesn't put people off. but it's got the geek vote for sure.
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BadMrWonka and matthooper8
by Immortal_Fish Aug 14th, 2009
08:45:52 PM
Ever wonder why Doogie Howser looked like a Gestapo at the end of Starship Troopers? You are aware of what an "allegory" is, yes? -
there was a corporate honcho, a black man perhaps best known for playing the father on the sitcom "Moesha." he briefly appears near the beginning and end. he is the one who stated the aliens are here to stay.
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Maybe they were sent to Earth to destroy it in the first place. CJ and his 2nd in command (who got killed in the movie) decided to stop the massacre. By drugging or whatever his people. Lots of directions this can go. I just hope we all find out in a couple of years with District 10.
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This is very much a South African film, highlighting the issues facing that country. It truly is NOT a declaration of "evil corporate America".
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the movie is an allegory...but not about americans.not sure what your panties are in a twist about. you asked a seemingly nonsensical question about a film, I answered. end of transaction.and not for nothing, but if you're afraid of seeing a film because it will make you hate america...that's pretty ridiculous. because that's not really what you're saying, is it? you're really saying, "I hate anything that's not pro-america and I don't want to watch it." and that's fine, that's your right. but don't bait people into a fight in a talkback cause you're bored and irritable. at least not me, fair enough?
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message contained in subject line
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Thanks for the recap. Now that we're all on the same page... Is this flick an allegory for alleged "American imperialism" or does it paint all of humanity with the broad brush? We have a new hopey changey president, so I'd like to think it's the latter, rather than the former.I'm trying my best to remain ignorant to the flick, so I can't take your advice and read the entirety of the TB.
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You haven't seen this, so your opinion doesn't count. So much of film is EXECUTION. But you already knew that, right genius???
For example, your magnum opus might be the best thing ever put to paper, but in the hands of Uwe Boll would wind up as complete shit. Reading an outline and seeing a completed film are apples and oranges. Admit that much, as least. -
Because robots and alien races are a pretty standard SF idea.Why did you find the lead weak? Was it the performance or the character?
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I was referencing Bruno. I know they were in Africa.
On to other things. I don't see how Rock Lobsters is any better, but here goes it. In the film didn't they say that some kind of command module, like the cockpit part, detached from the ship for some unknown reason? Anyhoo, I think that the point is all these questions will be answered in District 11. So let's all just hope that whole 2012 thing is a hoax. -
There are no Americans in this film. American isn't even alluded to other then a quick reference to a couple American cities. There is absolutely nothing conceivably "anti-American" in the film.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:07:48 PM CDT
NoQuarter: Every Non Believer Wants To Martyr A Messiah
by media messiah
Still, I'm right, "District 9" sucks!!! Martyr me all you want. The Messiah will rise from death, always. The story for District 9 cannot be defended. It's weak, and a thrown together knock-off remake of "Alien Nation"...with an intentional independent film look.
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Please spare us your drama.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:11:52 PM CDT
It's A Nerdesque Movie The Average Viewer Wont Care For It
by adiehardfanwithalethalweapon
I'd say I ride the fence between nerdy viewer and the average one. Was it a good film? Sure, but it did have a few problems. Most of which are brought up in this disscusion.
The one that gets me is how they made a big deal out of getting the shuttle to the mothership when for twenty damned years they could have piloted it via the shuttle? Then move that bitch over your shack Chris and climb up one of those mechanical protrusions. lol
And did they ever drop any details about why the prawns were starving upon arrival? -
And I am correct.
Huzzah for me! -
What's this Alien Nation shit? Did you see Alien Nation or did you just read the outline? It's a fucking buddy cop movie dressed up in science fiction mufti.
http://bit.ly/15M03
Are you retarded? -
Gosh, COBRA has those funky, angled helmets just like the Nazis did. BUt their costumes are blue, not black!! Am I reading way too much into that too?No, I am not baiting anyone here. I got a major pro-Palestinian vibe off the trailers to the point where I had to ask the aforementioned question. Honestly, I was *suprised* this is an apartheid allegory.Sorry for having grown jaded after a decade of anti-American crap out of Hollowood. We went from being okay with assassinating the sitting president to not questioning anything the sitting president says in one year. Yet I'm getting my panties in a twist?Oh, shit... did I just "bait" the TB? Kinda hard to explain where you're coming from otherwise when called into question...
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of something else sucks. You call a film weak that you've never seen. I have a real problem with that.
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The film has nothing to do with "America" or "Corporate America". It's about HUMAN greed and poor ethics. The point of the film is meant to point at the HUMAN flaws of decency, morals and principles. The shit depicted in the film are things we do to our own people on this planet. (and worse) Get off the anti-American kick. It has nothing to do with it. The "evil" company is called MMU. Multi-National United. As in "many" nations.
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...on another web site. This movie sucks. You can't get around a bad story. For years I have read outlines for scripts, and or, full scripts themselves, and seen the films they were made from, and they never improve on the product. Actually, I read the "Revenge Of The Sith" script, in total, and the script was better than the resulting film, but other than that...when I have read a script or story outline, I have found that the resulting movies are always just as bad as the written material that they are based upon.
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Seriously, enough with the questions about possible 'anti-American' bias in the movie. This film is not directed by an American, the cast is not American and the producer is not American. Why do you seem to be obsessed with the idea that somehow this movie attacks Americans, when it was produced on a different continent and concerns ideas that while universal are specific to that continent. The world is not the USA; rather the USA is one amazing country IN the world. Please get over your rampant nationalism.
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...plenty of people on this Talkback are saying that the movie sucks, and they have seen it. I can't be too far off, based upon that, alone?
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You formed an opinion and voiced a criticism about something you admit you knew little or nothing about, and are amazed you got the subject matter wrong? Really?
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MM, you're an ignorant fool. I posted (to some people's exasperation) a lengthy list of the similarities between D9 and AN. Both myself and the person who created the list (acknowledged by link at the head of my post) LOVED D9 and are bringing up the similarities for reference, not condemnation. The fact is while the two share an almost identical premise and a lot of other similarities, D9 goes off in an entirely different direction. It's brutal, visceral, funny, and it has a heart, dare I say. You sound like a sad, pathetic wannabe who's upset because YOU have a better idea than the one that got made. Well, fine, maybe you DO--so rather than bitch sour grapes, go get funding and get your own fucking movie made!
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Okay, fine. Nothing is explicitly said about America in this film. Nothing to see here. These are not the droids I am looking for.I GET IT.So is the film saying anything adverse about America in general in an analogous sense?Cripes... Have we become this conditioned?
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Immortal Fish, seriously? A Pro Palestinian what? Please spare us your republican tinged world view or stop trolling.
How about we talk about the movie? -
lol Immortal_Fish, just go see it.
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What the fuck kind of criteria is that? If Godfather part II were to come out today, there would be a minority of people in the TB saying it was the worst shit since Uwe Boll last visited the toilet. Besides, the vast majority of people here have said positive things about the movie.
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And I'm not one of them. Besides, most of the criticisms of the film that I have seen here are from folks that either haven't seen the film or haven't liked any film in recent memory. You can't please some people, so fuck those people. That is what Ghandi used to say.
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Damn those fucking trailers. The devil's handbook, I tell you. A FUCKING SHAME I feebly attempted to maintain my purity before daring to enter the cinema. BLASPHEMY!!!
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saw it today...weak script 10,000 plot holes...too bad
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Your continued insistence on belaboring this total non-issue leaves me no choice but to conclude that you are intentionally trolling. Sorry, but I'm not going to take the bait anymore.
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...and I have to say that it was pretty awesome. For the budget they had to play with I can only imagine what they can do with 200 million on a District 10 sequel! I really enjoyed the movies effects and details - there was a lot to take in visually for sure. But my aftertaste wasn't as ecstatic as after watching Star Trek for the first time. I think that this movie warrants additional viewings and right now Star Trek still holds the Best of 2009 for me so far. District 9 is a very close second if not a darn close tie for best movie this summer. At the end of the movie I REALLY wanted to see what happens next. I was left high and dry at the end of D9 but with Star Trek I felt satisfied. - Two different reactions for me that determined best of summer so far...
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The only criticism I have of you is that you opened up both barrels on a film you THOUGHT was made, rather than the one in theaters.
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I smack down one mole and three pop up.Look. Assholes. Trailers are fodder for subjective interpretation. I thought I was misinterpreting. So I came here (stupidly) for education. Asked the question. Betrayed my ignorance. And was met with the typical knee-jerk LIBERAL crap. Whatever.Now the flick doesn't get my family's money. Happy now?
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I apologize for trying to talk with you like a normal human being. I can barely follow the gibberish you're saying about presidential assassinations...suffice to say, you won't be hearing from me any more. I'm happy to argue with anyone, I love a good debate. but you can't waste time on the nutters.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:29:29 PM CDT
"I'll say this great movie sucks, then ppl will pay attention to
by ironic_name
fuck off spyspunk, poopee88, carthorstain, media messiah, and anyone else who thinks that anyone takes your opinion seriously.
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I don't care what your political stripe, is chum. You have been nothing but argumentative since the get-go. So don't go, but stop making shit up about things you know nothing about.
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Classic. Great. Long. Would I see it again? Maybeye on DVD. It's not a 'Spectacle' movie. Its more of a well written drama. The FX were seamless. And I mean SEAMLESS! The fact that we can be made to feel empathy for something that looks like an insect is a credit to the writers and actors. The people in this movie are assholes by and large-even the main guy. The battles are like real gunplay. Weakest actor was the guys wife-thank god she had little screen time. Great movie, but not a Sci-Fi spectacle. More of a thought provoking Sci Fi take on race.
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Immortal_Fish needs to know.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:33:12 PM CDT
the south african accents didn't give it away, immortal fish?
by ironic_name
ok, dude. your missing out on a fun movie.
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So, I get what you're saying about the unlikelihood of all of the aliens being complete idiots except for Christopher Johnson, but rather thank thinking about them all as cafeteria workers or some kind of less intelligent (at least in the eye of most people) human type, think of them like insects. Imagine a bee hive or ant hill populated with workers that suddenly loses its queen. They aren't just the lower thinkers on the totem pole, they just don't have the capacity to think and reason like we would assume stupid humans would. They simply can't function without leadership.
I see 2 possible explanations here - either Christopher was the only surviving member of the leading class and tried his best to find the "liquid" and it took 20 years, or like in some insect and fish colonies, once the leaders are gone, another individual instinctively matures to become the leader to fill the void.
I agree that on the surface it seems like there are a lot of potential plot holes, but once you think about them further, everything falls together quite nicely.
Also in case it wasn't clear already, I fucking LOVED this movie. I didn't get into the LA AICN screening, so I saw it midnight thursday, and again friday afternoon. Awesome shit. -
Just for the record...I'm a Conservative Independent.
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Watchmen?
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I didnt ready all the talkbacks, but if I understand you, somebody thinks this movie is anti-american? If so, I didnt see it. If anything, it's anti south-african or at least plays with some of the race problems they have. Some people are threatened by anything that doesnt have John Wayne, a big flag, and some Toby Keith soundtrack in the background.
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Do a "find" on my name in this TB to see some of my theories. You might get a kick out of them.
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The point is to bring out people's own prejudices. Like holding up a mirror to them. Bruno gets into an argument with black people on some talk show because they called his baby, that he got in Africa, "African". He told them that's racist and that you're supposed to say "African-American". Everything is fine until he says he hopes to find a man to raise his baby with. And then the audience flips out because of their own problems with gays. Those people had no idea they were being hypocrites just then.
In Roger Ebert's review of District 9, I found it interesting that he was glad to not see the "spectacle" of a human & rock lobster sex scene. I found that interesting because I'm sure there were people back in the early days of interracial relationships who would have thought of a sex scene between a white person and a black person as a spectacle. So I found it peculiar coming from him since he's been in an interracial marriage for like ever. His whole last paragraph is anti-rock lobster. -
Carl, if you're not Comfort_Girl posting under a different name, then you guys should meet and see if you were separated at birth cause you sound exactly the same.Comparing subject at hand to the works of Rod Serling? Check.Angrily nitpicking irrelevant details? Check. Whining that the director left some things ambiguous? Check. Completely mis-analyzing the motivations of main characters? Check.I'm glad to see you've stopped using the word "frak" every other sentence at least.
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Apple.com just posted "Avatar" trailer exclusive in less than 5 days. Can't wait to see what that looks like.
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—you can still read it.
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Your post was everything I was looking for and should serve as testimony to the kneejerk cult that permeates this place. Unfortunately, I didn't see your post in reply to mine earlier because, as mentioned, I've been selectively monitoring this TB for "safe" posts as to remain pure aka ignorant to the film.And, just for the record, I'm a small c conservative leaning large libertarian who last voted for someone with a letter after their name (D FWIW)in 2002 only because it was my HS guidance counselor that helped me out big time. I wrote in Steve Rogers for the last presidential election.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:45:47 PM CDT
ironic_name, HEY, ASSHOLE, I WAS GIVING MY HONEST OPINION.....
by carlthormark1978
I was soo looking forward to this movie, as this summer has been a total washout, and the idea of a nice R-Rated sci-fi action flick was just what I needed and if it had some quality social commentary, theme’s and idea’s then all the better. But what I got was a movie that I didn’t enjoy and I have stated as such while also explaining the reasons for my displeasure in detail. So please don’t label me as one of these fucking retards who just comes here to say “THIS LEIK TOTALLY FUCKING SUXXORS111”.
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Jaws just rips of Moby Dick. Star Wars is just Flash Gordon. Blader Runner is just Phillip Marlowe in the future. etc. etc.
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check out what Blomkamp has to say to the Onion: "The idea is that—this gets really geeky and insane, but going back to their hive-structure thing—their queen has died, and the elite population of their society has died, which are really the decision-makers. You’re left with a bunch of drones that aren’t directed on their own goal-setting basis. I like the idea that after 20 or 30 years, that their ESP kind of hive-mind will begin to almost elect members of its population to start—their fundamental brain architecture could actually change, and they start forming leadership roles.So I think when they’re on their ship, and they’re all destitute, when you see them at the beginning of the film starving, it’s that there is no one thinking on that level. They simply take orders. So it’s taken 20 years for that hive to start realigning itself. And so as Christopher has gone through these years, his mind has started to be honed into forming a plan. So that’s where it came from. And this nano-fluid that he had to collect, which he would have had access to on the ship back then, it’s just simply that the drive didn’t exist. The hive is just trying to restart itself."You can read the whole thing here: http://tinyurl.com/lvlkck
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I wrote in Frodo Baggins two elections ago. I wanted the democrat/republican ring of power destroyed. But then I found out they count that as a "spoiled ballot". *shrug*
Has District 10 been greenlit yet? *waits* -
again, asking about an allegory should cover my speculation.Damn. I feel like I'm at a Town Hall convention for Arlen Spector.
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Aug 14, 2009 9:50:36 PM CDT
KillDozer, I AM NOT Comfort_Girl, BUT SHE SOUNDS INTERESTING....
by carlthormark1978
What threads has this person posted?
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He wanted to know if the South African movie painted the US in a negative light, so if by seeing this he might question his own patriotism.
He's also participating in a talkback that has a huge spoiler warning on it that says "this is for reactions of those who have seen it" but wants to stay spoiler-free. -
isn't honest. Usually, his points are well worth considering, even if you don't agree with him (and I don't agree in this case).
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Thanks for posting that. It seems like a pretty reasonable explanation (though it kills my pet theory, oh well!).
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Why do alien races always have to insect like with "hives" like bees or ants? Personally, I don't care for that. The did the same thing with "Aliens". I hate the whole "mindless drone" concept. If Blomkamp is really going in that direction, I would be disappointed for sure.
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that's a good point. the insect analogy that was alluded to in the movie is an interesting premise, but it still leaves a lot of gaps.
realistically, the idea that one of the "worker" class of the aliens evolved from violent muggings and cat food to being able to program and pilot a spaceship is a little far fetched.the notion that christopher was the only one left of a superior, more intelligent class holds a little more water. but if that's the case, then he was as smart and capable 20 years ago when they landed. why wouldn't he communicate with humans and negotiate the circumstances of the relocation? or better yet, explain to them what was needed to repair their command module and escape.the idea that this was a prison ship, although there are absolutely no explicit hints to it in the film, seems to be maybe the only viable explanation. it also explains why Christopher seemed to be more interested in just LEAVING until he saw the atrocious experiments being done on the aliens, then he expressed interest in coming back and saving them. sort of like a prison guard wouldn't care too much about the prisoners until he found out they were being tortured and murdered, then he'd be more inclined to help them.I loved the movie, but the disconnect between Christopher's ability, intelligence, and compassion, and the rest of the nameless million violent, ignorant animalistic aliens was a big bug up my ass, from a logical standpoint. (no pun intended) -
So now it's legit to call into question to TB monitoring habits of AICN readers?.........Fucking REALLY!?! Are you listening to yourself?
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thanks for that link.I guess my last post and, well, like 40 of the ones above, are now rendered moot.
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Keep in mind how upset Christopher Johnson was when the vial was lost - "20 years to get this" he said, meaning it took him that long to procure it, not that long to evolve to the level of being able to procure it.
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It's starts shaky, then jumps up to good and outstanding then back to good. And the end well it could have been better. It was Enemy Mine 2009. And we all know how that ended.
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I think 2009 is going to go down in history as the summer of the giant fucking robots... and nothing else.
Good question. I think I disliked the actor because he was blandish, but the character was alright. I just failed to have the same emotional reaction from his arc as others. The final shot that was supposed to be clever and haunting just made me think "Thank Christ, we can leave now." -
on their hypocrisy.
And have you read your own posts? You are a jackass. -
Saw the Seattle screening last night, and those in this talkback that brought up WWZ are right, THIS GUY should direct it! The style fits perfectly! World War Z should go back and forth between a "documentary" and movie footage (fake re-enactments, perhaps). District 9 was awesome, and better than I expected honestly. Thanks Harry!
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except by Sunday, D9 will have been seen by double that audience.
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damn good point!!!!that doesn't gel too well with what Blomkamp aid to the Onion...although I guess he COULD be referring to the 20 year evolution of himself and/or the rest of the species.Vic, no joke, I LOVE these talkbacks for the very reason of that last point you made. just when you think things have come to a conclusion, unsatisfying as it might be, someone umps in with a new idea, and it's on again!seriously, you're awesome.
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Thanks AICN for the free screening.
Saw it in Seattle last night & was blown away, better than expected. Even my wife (non Sci-Fi fan) loved it. I'm glad I drove 80 miles from Bellingham to see it. Nice crowd, nice to meet some of you. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more people getting into it - laughing & cheering. Yes I did laugh out loud about the cat food & believe it or not, I "got it" (Traumnovelle). Lighten up!
Watching it I couldn’t believe this movie only cost $30 million to make – seamless, natural CGI. Visceral. I was completely involved in the story, no distractions like a well known actors, & (studio) forced love themes. It all fit. Did I want to see more? Hell yes! Do I want to see a sequel? Hell no! The problem w/ a sequel is that the studios will fuck it up, I’m sure of it. Obviously this was an unfettered vision of a talented director - that hardly ever happens twice to a 'flash in the pan' director when Hollywood gets involved. This movie & UP are the saving graces of the summer for me.
After the movie we had to go to Ivar's & have prawns. Good times! -
I think of the mothership as the "pilgrims" from another planet. Maybe they were persecuted and left, then got lost or ran out of supplies before reaching their destination.
The point about the prawns being stupid is not true. The whole point is that the prawns are just like us, except that they've lived in that enclosed ship for who knows how long then they are rescued only to become second (or third) class citizens thrown into another densely packed environment. They digress, their survival instincts kick in and that's all they can focus on. They can't move to a hire level of development until they satisfy the need for shelter, protection, nourishment. This paralells what happens in slums today, to humans. Do you think that people in slums are born uninteligent and violent? They are forced to be that way because of their surrondings, it's a survival mechanism. What if the person who has the intelligence to cure cancer is born in the slums? Why christopher is different I don't know.
Bottom line...What I took from the movie was; until we realize that those people in the slums of the world have the same wants, needs, and emotions that we have; nothing will prosper. We are more concerned with making the rich richer then taking care of the impoverished.
(I realize I probably sound like a douche, but the movie really made me think....and thats what they're supposed to do.) -
Aug 14, 2009 10:08:10 PM CDT
Vic Twenty: Every Film Is A Derivative Of Other Films...
by media messiah
...you just have to figure-out which one's they are ripping-off.
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CJ knew what he was doing all along. Because he wouldn't have started collecting that liquid if he didn't know he could fly the ship with it. And his friend was smart too. I didn't think they evolved until reading it here. What I actually thought was that they built that ship under the shack over the 20 years too. I didn't think it was a buried ship. But maybe that's a bit too much.
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I got a little distracted there...
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I'm glad to see that you agree with me!!! You are very smart.
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It seemed as though a large part of your criticism was that D9 was derivative of Alien Nation - which it is - but that most any film can be criticized on that front. D9 is vastly superior to Alien Nation in execution if not concept.
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I enjoyed it a lot. There is a lot of backstory that you kind of want fleshed out.... if there was ever a movie that set up a prequel, this would be it....
As for some of the plot holes aboud Christopher not making contact and getting help... We'd have to assume that their culture is significantly different from human culture. Maybe the aliens don't ask for assistance, as it is taboo or a sign of weakness. Maybe they're as xenophobic as we are.
Another possibility is that the aliens immediately saw us as a threat, including christopher. Afterall it was the 9th district that they're living in... the movie alludes that the 10th district was a concentration camp that wasn't very comfortable. If your captors are assholes to you like we were to the aliens in the movie who want to just exploit them for their technology, why would Christopher have any reason to belive that we would be helpful to him? -
Relevance?
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Just accept the fact that I am right, after all, I'm a Messiah.
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Vic Twenty just called you out. So what do you think?Of course, it would be irrational to speculate the Vic Twenty was calling you guys out. Yet I can only speculate that s/he was calling me out.You owe me for the detective work, Vic Twenty.Bottom line -- Yes, I have read my own posts. All of them are ignorant and betray a hunger for knowledge. On the other hand, your replies betray a cult like, knee jerk response that evidences a need to smear on a personal level while obfuscating a larger perception. Hey, ends up my larger perception was wrong. My earlier posts were accepting of that possibility, which ended up being spot on.So, ultimately, the end result is that there is no shame in thinking this flick will be anti-American. Only you took the long route in making me question why I think it is, only it ultimately isn't, subjectively, of course, were i to see it myself, which is why I asked the question in the first place...
Ugh. -
I'm broke anyways, I'm going to save my recession/depression cash for something important...like Hot Pockets.
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...things we know nothing about? Or is that not the acceptable way anymore?Should AICN hire script speed readers any time soon?
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I wouldn't say that the movie was anti-american... rather that it was simply bringing to light the worst of the human race to light. If anything its anti-South African.
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At the beginning of this talkback, before I saw D9, I asked if he should Direct an adaptation of WWZ. Now I don’t want him anywhere near it as I couldn’t handle another two hour movie that looks like it was shot by Michael J. Fox during an earthquake. Over the last few hours I’ve checked out some of documentaries that I like and I’ve noticed that they don’t have all that much shaky cam as you would imagine. Most professional documentarians make an effort to use some sort of small stedicam rig or hold the camera steady and it makes the cinematography of District 9 all the more obvious as it seemed as though there was a deliberate effort to shake the camera around in order to make it look more “documentary like” which it doesn’t. It seems as though this whole obsession with “hand held” cinematography started with Saving Private Ryan, The Blair Witch Project and now with Paul Greengrass, although the technique is nothing new as it’s been used practically since the beginning of cinema. I think that hand held is being used WAY to much these days just like how I got burnt out with every movie having tons of slow motion because everyone was copying John Woo in the 90’s.
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Actually I only called you out. And I did it because your earlier comments have you looking for and finding hidden meaning where it does not exist. That is not a smear, but it is personal.
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Okay. It's a prison ship. They got dumped with no way to navigate that ship out of here. Their people didn't want them back. So they took away the control part of the ship. CJ was a criminal mastermind. That's why he was on the ship. He was in prison too. He's been hiding out not only from the earthlings but also from his own people because he's smart. They'd probably want too much from him. So over time he and his friend build a ship that they can use to navigate the mothership. And they know that they need to collect enough liquid to do it. Their plan is to get off of Earth and go somewhere else. But once he finds out what they're doing to his people (the experiments) he has to go get help even if they're not wanted back home because humans using them/their technology will be bad for all of his kind. Maybe. I dunno.
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What can I write here to convince you that I am a concerned parent instead of a Larouche asshole?
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But talking out of your ass about things you know nothing about only makes you a fool. If that is acceptable for you, carry on.
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I get the concerned parent thing, that is fine. My only problem was with you *at all* was in your criticizing the film you thought they made, not the one that was made. Let's put this baby to bed.
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Trailers suggest otherwise, yadda yadda, stuff you already know, I wrote it earlier, thanks for not willfully maintaining party over principle...No, really, I've grown frustrated... but THANK YOU personally for answering the question organically instead of the typical kneejerk responses so far/
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People who took the time to read my posts noticed I pointed out being an atheist, gay Native American. I think it's hilarious I'm being accused of being a Bible-thumper on every other post, a lover of Rush and Anne Coulter (I hate them both - they're monsters who use lies and deception on the side of arguments I'd rather see represented with facts and truth - they hurt their causes more than help them and make spurious kinds of accusations about people).
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*pats herself on the back*
btw, I read too fast and instead of "Larouche asshole" I read "Lasso". I really have to calm down. -
My one and only love!!! Why don't you just admit your homosexuality and get it out in the open? Then people would be much kinder to you! You can't hide in the closet forever!
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"But talking out of your ass about things you know nothing about only makes you a fool. If that is acceptable for you, carry on."At what point did you fail to realize that I came here, in unabashed ignorance, looking for clarification? ASSHOLE!!
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That is almost guaranteed to be shot in the shaky-cam style, like Hurt Locker, sort of filmed by war correspondents. That film will shake all over. I love the book, but fear the movie will come off campy.
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Immortal_Fish has gone off the deep end...anyone else think he's just having a laugh? he's like a parody of conservative talkbackers...
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"Alien Nation" was a light weight buddy cop film, and so much fluff at that, but "District 9",as you have pointed-out, takes the subject matter in a more mature way, centering more on the xenophobia theme--still, I think it is ultimately, vacuous. In my view, many of the critics are right, they, the filmmakers, should have kept the down to Earth tone of the first half of the film...instead, they went all "Tranformers" meets anime cyber punk in the second half of the movie, and it just doesn't work, as soon as the film stops being grounded, and turns action film.I would have rewritten it--the ending, that is. My take, goes like this: We first assume that the aliens are attempting an escape, but in reality, they are building a super nuke bomb, designed to take themselves out, and all of District 9, to prevent the humans from learning how to use their tech, which may ultimately be a threat to their home world, that of the Prawns, and the entire human race. The final shot of the movie should have been, District 9 being blown to bits in one big nuclear mushroom cloud. No more aliens, no more alien tech...just the aftermath to ponder. No one having anything to fight over, accept the dust.
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Aug 14, 2009 10:30:46 PM CDT
If You REALLY Want to Know (*Major Spoilers Not in the Movie*)
by thusspakespymunk
I read an interview with the writer/director and he explains the backstory of the aliens. He says that they are colonists/miners who are looking for new worlds to colonize and collect ore and other samples for (this is why, he says, there are big ore collectors on the ship). They are insectoid and as such have different aliens for different jobs (worker, etc.) and a disease ravaged their ranks - killing the Queen of this particular group. Aimless and confused and without a Queen, they basically fell apart mentally and then the ship located the nearest planet with the kind of stuff that could be a colonist location and an ore supply (Earth) and landed the ship. The survivors are workers who are bigger and stronger than the others so they were not ravaged by the disease, but they're less mentally formidable and less able to make decisions for themselves and are more suitable to being led. That's from the director and writer, and you can find it in this month's FANGORIA Magazine.
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I LOVE your idea, but the fact remains that the ship underneath CJ's hut was the original command module. it has to be. why would they mention it earlier in the film, if not for that reveal?
but I love your theory, please to modify it to incorporate new information... -
...but just like Him, I like one special woman.
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The terrorists won. :(
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That's me, all around, blowing minds. I am NOT a conservative or a liberal or anything else - I'm just me. I make my opinions based on what I see in the world, and one of my biggest gripes with Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general is the anti-humanism that prevails in so much entertainment. I'm not entertained by nasty, pessimistic views of humanity being worthless scum who kill eachother for fun. It's one of the reasons I loved THE DARK KNIGHT - finally, after so many years, we got an action movie that insisted as its central theme that a hero can be truly incorruptible without being unrealistic and that people will do the right thing given the chance. I don't believe for a minute these things are real in our current America - but the message needs to be sent, and its treatment of the vile nature of terrorism was first-rate.
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Interesting stuff there.
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Read that interview Blomkamp gave on avclub.com. Someone posted the link on this talkback. He gives some in site on the aliens backstory.
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Just look. LOOK. Immortal_Fish begs you to do it. And YOU WILL. Because liberal BadMrWonka tells you do do so. DO IT! Do it now... What are you waiting for? AaaAAaargh!!
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I'm not sure if the film is appropriate for pre-teens, because of the violence and lots of rough language. People and aliens are splattered apart and if that is a concern for bringing the kids, than I'd say don't.
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There was a lot of info in the beginning. Are you sure that's the same command module? I thought they mentioned it to explain why CJ's people couldn't leave. If it had just fallen down wouldn't they (the humans) have found it? Like a car and a trailer I thought someone drove them out here in the car, and then just unhooked the trailer (mothership) and left it. The other thing is the humans didn't want them to leave. Not the governments anyway, because they wanted their weaponry. So they would have definitely kept the module if they'd seen it.
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The ship underneath CJ's shack IS the command module. In the beginning of the film, they have a "news" shot of the command module descending to the ground shortly after the motherships arrival. The news anchor says, "The ship disappeared and was never found".
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What about the doc "The Control Room"? That got pretty shakey.
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It is just a movie. I forgive you for your insults, however.
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Yeah. That's a stupid comment. Please see this movie even if you love America. Despite what you read here from, well, anyone.What's a shame is whether we can ask whether or not this flick calls into question our love for America. I, personally, love America. I would continue to love America despite this movie. Yet it exists all the same.And I still love America. All the same. Sorry.
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I was just sayin'
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thanks, I didn't see that. I just remember them saying it disappeared. Okay, then. They're bugs. lol
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And for some inexplicable reason saw something I should have loved but ending up not loving. It was all there, but, I wasn't connecting for some reason. The good news is I want to watch it again. I'm hoping it's the same way with this flick as it was with Jacob's Ladder when i first saw it. Really disliked it on the first viewing but grew to love it as one of my favorite films.
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Just to let you know.Damn. I feel kinda violated. I didn't say those things. Yet it looks like I did. Sorry.Look, all I wanted was to ask if this flick was Anti-American. Sorry if this offended you. Can't believe I wrote that, but I guess I just did. Wow. Wow.
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Aug 14, 2009 10:51:54 PM CDT
Vic Twenty, HAVE YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE, SEEN 84 CHARLIE MOPIC?
by carlthormark1978
Released in 89, 84CM is a fake documentary set during the Vietnam war and is one of my favorite films on the subject. I would highly encourage anyone here to watch it and see how you properly make a fictional “documentary style” movie. Another good example of the genre is the M.A.S.H. episode called “The Interview” as a news correspondent questions the members of the 4077. I love the fake documentary genre as it allows you to present a fictional narrative in a realistic manner and doesn’t need to be structured like a regular movie. World War Z could be fantastic if done properly and I’m worried that it will end up as two hours of shaky cam.
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...what on Earth were they mining for 20 years to procure the fuel they needed? How was it being mined? Was it just some substance being gathered from the trash? Does anyone know the specifics of this fuel and how exactly it is being utilized to power a huge mother ship? Man- like the Star Wars / Star Trek lore there are so many things to look at and question or theorize about in D9. This is a good new beginning for some potential branching out of some neat material and story lines. Anyhow – any ideas about my question above?
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Let it go. It's just a movie. A good one too. Go see it. Or don't. It's that simple.
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You Bitch!!! You promised me last night that you would tell the world about our relationship in the talkbacks tonight!! You said you loved me!
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You didn't offend me, man. It's not really Anti-American per se, but it's yet another one of those anti-corporate, anti-business, anti-capitalism, anti-human-survival movies, like WALL-E.
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I was kind of disappointed, but I think that was more the fault of my own overhyping it in my mind. That didn't mean I thought it was bad, far from it! I'm no massive film buff, I couldn't tell you what exactly disappointed me. Just a general feeling after it was over. The ending was just altogether fantastic though. And I pray there's no sequel, I don't want anything to potentially ruin that last shot.
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remember when they were extracting the essence from the Gelflings? It's probably like that. If they needed it to work the ship maybe it was in the weapons too. Because it looked like weapon parts they were getting it from.
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...my favorite prison bitch, you!!!
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It's a movie, not a religious experience. Basically what you get is Starship Troopers (sans boobs) meets an episode of COPS set in Johannesburg thirty years ago. You'll see it, you'll forget about it, you'll move on with your life.
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But if you ask me that was at the most in the background and should not be a reason to avoid seeing it.
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www.mnuspreadslies.c om
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NO sequel?! Dude this movie screams sequel with a hearty budget. I left this movie thinking that the story just got moving along and then it fracking over! Come on - I DEMAND a sequel just for the very fact that the Prawn and his son could come back and do some sort of awesomeness. I want to see their home world I want to see more alien technology and I want to see our douche bag human turned prawn take the South African population to the Alien world to live in their alien squalor and have to rise up! (or something like that --ok maybe not) but I want a sequel damnit!
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1. Up, 2. D9, 3. Star Trek.
My only issue was the shakey-cam, use of handheld as if one of the characters is holding it. That's so overplayed and annoying now....BUT for this movie it was integrated in very well. I was just waiting for them to finally get to traditional movie shots, and they finally did eventually.
GI Joe can learn from this, with regards to the integration of sci-fi weaponry in a "realistic" military style environment. -
It might have to do with the size of the screen I see it on because I watch a lot of documentaries on my monitor and I never get headaches. But I do remember getting a severe headache while watching The Bourne Ultimatum back in 2007.
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from the Aug. 14 Entertainment Weekly, "There have been other auspicious indications as well--like talk of a District 9 sequel. Jackson's plate is pretty full these days, but he isn't counting out the possibility...As for Blomkamp, he's clearly up for another. 'I would do anything to go back to the world of District 9 again,' he says. 'Or District 10.'" Sounds like there will be a sequel if this makes any money, which I'm sure it will.
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I'll try again. The fuel stuff had to be biological because it turned Wikus into one of them. The weapons they used had to be fired by one of them. It was a DNA matching thing. So maybe the fuel stuff was like superconcentrated DNA. And all the weapons had a little bit. So they went around collecting the diluted stuff that was in the weapons then got it back to their shack and made it like DNA crack in the lab so it was superconcentrated and could fly the ship.
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As others have pointed out, there isn't even an American in the whole damn thing. Actually, it's anti apartheid. Oh and... of course there's going to be a sequel.
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It seemed they were extracting the DNA from the biotech debris left around.
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People don't need this kind of thing right now.
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Thanks for the explanation - that makes more sense to me now in how the alien tech is only workable with Alien DNA ect...
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god, you're dumb...people don't need a smart, well-made sci-fi movie?what happened in your life that you are in this desperate need for attention?
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Not a lot of mainstreamers even know what this is. We hearty band who inhabit a geek site like this will turn out, but most folks haven't a clue. This is a small, foreign independant film after all.
Also, the intensity of the violence had a few folks walking out of the screening I attended. Food for thought. -
As far as D9 making money, I wouldn't be surprised if it made 37 million today alone.
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It doesn't need to make a mint to turn a profit.
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You are on the right track. The alien kid and CJ were rummaging around for alien tech debris. The kid picked up something and CJ told him, "No, that's not what we need, that's human technology". Later, the kid brings him something else and he states, "That's it." Then we follow them to the shack for the final fuel sequence.
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Thank you both for your honest and genuine explanations that actually answered the question I asked. Your words were what I was looking for all along, sans vitriol. Imagine that!I have decided that I will not be seeing this film in the theater and will wait for cable. I may pick it up on DVD if the mood strikes, yet I doubt it will.
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Go to "d-9.com", select "human", type "target" in the access code field, print out a target and bring it to the shooting range. That should help you to get some aggression out. It would also look cool in your cubical at work come Monday too. ; )
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People always need good film. At least I do. District 9 was Alien Nation meets Kafka. Loved it. Also just because there is an evil corporation in the film does not mean that it was anti-corporation. If a film has an African-American antagonist, that doesn't mean the film is racist. You are reading waaay too much into it.
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Forget Halo, Blomkamp is perfect for a "HalfLife" movie, just got back from a screening, This movie is so much better then all the crap that was released this summer, I want to know more on the Aliens back story.
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That's good business for a movie like this- it was never positioned to be a blockbuster. If it makes $100 million (which is still a stretch) it will be have "done damage." But make no mistake, this is a straight genre pic, it will never appeal to a large moviegoing audience (they're too busy watching TF2...).
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Deadline Hollywood Daily.
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...that Neill Blomkamp didn't film Halo? I love new movie IP's that totally rock that feature unknown actors. I have always thought it was foolish for a studio to always recycle actors into various movies because it just doesn't feel authentic - and then these actors demand bigger paychecks taking the creative budget out of the film. I understand a ton of money is made for featuring star actors like Denzel Washington but I think walking into a movie that features Denzel we already know how he will act --just like Jack Black ect.. they all have a shtick that already gives half the movie away. Whereas a movie like District 9 we have no idea how these people will act and so it just comes across as VERY refreshing with no preconceived thoughts about how a person will "act". Movie studios should take the unknown actor approach more often in my opinion. (But again people go to see movies because Denzel’s names on it… not that he’s a bad actor or anything.)
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A bit surprising, too. Hopefully positive word-of-mouth and positive reviews will prompt the uninitiated to give it a shot.
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We don't even fully understand the behavior of animals we've studied for yrs (like sharks)...why speculate? Those prawns are there as-is, and that's the way they are. For some reason, CJ seems more "clever" than others (as the movie directly acknowledged with dialogue)...and for some reason he has quietly, to himself, gathered fuel to get the little ship operational...a ship that only he knows there whereabouts to and has access to, for some reason.
Thats just the way it is...thats the behavior of CJ, a non-human whom we dont know the background of. These are not plotholes imo. -
Mark my words, it starts here, AICN needs to champion a Halflife movie with Blomkamp in charge. I command it.
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It's the top trending topic on Twitter with most posts using the same words as us "amazing", "incredible", etc. Other people tweeting that hearing everyone talk about it is making them want to see it. The Oscar websites I go to are full of people being shocked at how awesome it is saying things like 'wouldn't it be funny if PJ got an Oscar nod for this instead of Lovely Bones'. (Since he's the producer a Best Pic nod would be his.) This movie is going to be a phenomenon by next Friday. Watch the box office go up instead of down. My bet is Saturday or Sunday will have the higher take, not Friday. That's insane guess, but I'm making it.
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This movie has no message and that might be the biggest travesty. I thought it was going to be a thoughtful commentary on....SOMETHING. But, sadly no. most of the movie doesn't focus on the plight of the aliens at all, but the plight of a human who is a real asshat. This movie is the 2nd act in a 3 act story. Here's a tip: If you can't figure out an ending to your story, don't try to pass it off as finished. That's just fuckin' lazy. this film is also really cliche. Not a single element is original. the only really good part of this film is the art design. Whoever did that did a superb job. Other than that it's just a lot of missed opportunities.
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Is when that whoever person speculated something to the effect of "will he return on a rescue mission...or will he return to declare war..."...that got the whole theater audience buzzing...the whole possibility of CJ coming back with an air force of aliens to fight.
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what's wrong with me? I meant that the box office could keep going up. Like Saturday would be abnormally high and Sunday might not drop that much.
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Rage virus+prawns equals sequel insanity.
Greatest movie ever. -
The 53rd time Wickes yelled "Fook!" - it just seemed like he really meant it.
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prawntastic.
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"We go home now?" The last time CJ, Jr. asked.
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Seems like wacky fun. Woody Harrelson is playing against type as a none-too-bright hillbilly..uh, wait..
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Born smart???
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hilarious! Woody has the bet range ever...hilbilly retard romantic.....hillbilly retard architect....hillbilly retard bartender...hilbilly retard pot smoker...such range!
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Was the TV scroll: "Man wanted for having sex with Aliens" or something like that.
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Hands down. Just Awesome.
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www.district9gam e.com
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The only hype District 9 had originated in the past week or two when people finally had a chance to preview the movie. Word of mouth will ultimately give this movie a long stay at the box office (unless people can't handle a smart sci-fi for the summer)
This movie is destined to go toe to toe for best sci-fi (of the year) against avatar and it WILL come out on top. The hype for avatar is just too strong for it to exceed people's expectations. -
Woody Harrelson vs. Billy Bob Thornton in a moonshine brewin contest. Will feature pickin AND grinnin. Jerry Reed would have been Woody's diddy, but Harry Dean Stanton can stand in.
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Discuss!
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one guy said "that was strange" then everyone walked out like it was a funeral. Personally, I loved it.
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Now that you have seen this for the eight time by now, how does it stand up to multiple viewings?
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the documentry style is uniqie and all but the second time it was old, the jerky camera made my stomoch upset. The story is good and all but the second time was quite frankly boring. But on both occasions when the action starts and his control of the camera when the action is going on is what sets him apart from his peer.
He's only 29, give this man another project cause you know he just made someone some bank. Peace -
Consider me impressed. I can't wait to see the sequel. The entire 3rd act was setting up the sequel. I'm sure everyone knows what's going to happen in the next installment. I'm sure Christopher is coming back to settle a few scores.
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Aug 15, 2009 12:36:17 AM CDT
Yeah this movie was awesome, but IMO a one time viewer.
by gibsonusa returns
I cant imagine buying a ticket and sitting through all those early "interviews" and alien evictions again...its one of those movies for me that is watched once, greatly appreciated, but no urge to watch again...just waitin for the sequel.
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so did my not-so-into-sci-fi girlfriend. the main guy--whatever the fuck his name is--is a spectacular fucking actor...........also, i didn't read a single talkback in this post. i don't care about anyone's opinion save my own. i think i'll just go see it again instead of wasting my time on aicn :)
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My girl got a little motion sickness but nothing too distracting for her. She got very sick during Cloverfield as your wife did. Just to let you know, there's some shaky cam but you and her should be fine. Have a good time.
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Just got back, had a great time. Had a few issues with the plot, but it really is a must see if you like Sci-Fi at all.
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OK, so I'm pretty certain the whole THREE YEARS, and DISTRICT 10 talk is the perfect vehicle for a sequel. But this film works so beautifully as a standalone project, I'd hate to see it ruined by the meddling of executives who are looking to milk this unique film.
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The "Geek Audience" makes up $30m; I've said it before and again. And what did DISTRICT 9 make? $30m, with some analysts suggesting as low as $20m being more like the reality. This proves once again that the Geek Dollar doesn't matter ... and it also proves how irrelevant social networking sites like twitter.com really are. WOW - IT IS #1 ON TWITTER AND ... IT STILL DIDN'T MAKE MUCH MONEY! GTG L8R GRRLZ!
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... NOTHING happened to me. I just really can't stand people living a deluded existence. "Sci-Fi will be accepted by the maintream!" "Twitter matters!" "The effects on this movie are INSANE!" Delusions, all.
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First sci-fi movie I've seen in years worth vomiting praise over - that was the most satisfying sci-fi romp in years. I don't know if the audience was dead, or just in awe, but they were dead silent... all except me and the two to my right. The thing definitly has sequel/prequel potential, but lets leave it alone. I'll see it again... and I believe it will prompt my purchase of a BR player. Fan-fuckin-tastic!
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i saw the midnight show for d9 last night. two trailers before it were legion and zombieland. i had just seen those two trailers on the internet, red band clips. then i saw them again in the theater. it felt like the kids version. even though we're about to see people exploding. i feel like soon we should start seeing the r trailers for r movies. but probably not thats extra work.
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i felt like this movie was pretty good but a sequel would be lame. if neil's really good he probably has more ideas and will move on. and of course no one else should do a sequel but him.
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Aug 15, 2009 1:07:14 AM CDT
Spymunk, this will turn a profit, and most who see it like it.
by vic twenty
That is about all you can ask. Like I posted earlier, this is a foreign, independant low-to-mid budget film that mainstream folks are by-and-large unaware of. I'd like as many people to see a good film as possible. That might prompt studios into making more of them. Then everybody wins.
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They're coming in the goddamn windows! Poor attention starved little blighters. Look folks, if you must troll, you could at least attempt to be original, and dare I suggest at least a little 'funny' or entertaining? Instead of pounding the same tired old schtick into the ground in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TB YOU POST TO! You guys know who are, so I won't stroke your pathetic mysanthropic little egos by mentioning your TB handles, except for one: SpunkMunky - I don't believe single thing you say. Native American Atheist my ass.
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They're coming in the goddamn windows! Poor attention starved little blighters. Look folks, if you must troll, you could at least attempt to be original, and dare I suggest at least a little 'funny' or entertaining? Instead of pounding the same tired old schtick into the ground in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TB YOU POST TO! You guys know who are, so I won't stroke your pathetic mysanthropic little egos by mentioning your TB handles, except for one: SpunkMunky - I don't believe single thing you say. Native American Atheist my ass.
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was clearly the one that fell from the ship in the first place. and CJ was clearly the pilot. he knew what he needed and spent 20 years looking for it. his gang member/friend was not as smart as he was: that guy didn't understand what they were doing and had to be continually reminded that they were looking for their own technology, not human technology. the son was smarter than that guy.
CJ was also the one alien who exhibited compassion. the others fought amongst themselves and with humans. he was the only one brought up short by violence (in the lab).
as for the desperate state of the other aliens, they were on that ship starving for three months before humans came in and took them out. hunger does incredible things to people in way less time than that. usually it's a trauma people never get over. -
Here is a little bridge for the trolls to play under. Funny little things.
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You're insane or delusional or both. "And what did DISTRICT 9 make? $30m, with some analysts suggesting as low as $20m being more like the reality."
It will crack that in the opening weekend, which ISN'T EVEN OVER YET. It's Friday night in the states right now, how could you possibly know the box office results 48 hours into the future? It will make many multiples of it's budget. You fail again. -
Instant classic.
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...obviously brain cell deficient.
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"Did you wear a condom?" when reading about his alleged Prawn love.
Obviously not, as the aliens eat rubber. -
What a perfect movie to watch after District 9.
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From reading this thread a bit, I think there's some confusion due to the overwhelming nature of the film. It's brutal, rapid-fire, and in-your-face so it's easy to miss stuff and even close yourself off a little to it as an emotional protection mechanism.
If you close yourself emotionally off you begin thinking about the logic as an escape or the larger real-world issues in South Africa.
I don't think Neil Blamkomp has a simple view of the situation there, and I don't think this film is offering a simple view either.
I do find some of the statements made by people here a bit shocking (not looking at you ThusSpakeSpymunk). The answer to many of the "logical" questions brought up is often SO easy to answer if you just pretend the aliens are people. I'm particularly interested in why some people are categorizing the aliens as idiots or exhibiting unexplained animal-like behavior. Seriously? Armed military brigade convoys onto your street banging on doors, forcing you sign papers you don't understand, and shooting people and you'd act how? Unsure of where your next meal is coming from and no visible way to make your life better? How do you act and feel?
Once ThusSpakeSpymunk reigned it in a little he had some interesting stuff to say. He like everyone is not easily categorized and shoved in a box like so many of you want to do. I don't think the movie is so easily categorized and shoved away as he might want it to be, either.
Personally, I really loved this movie, but I'm still digesting it. I think a second viewing will be pretty great. I know that personally I was a bit tired and I naturally just shut myself off to some of the horrible stuff happening. By the middle I was hooked and good. By the end I was a happy camper that something so unsettling could also exciting and even fun.Best yet, it would lead to much discussion afterward. -
Or any of those other movies you nerds wet the bed about.
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Aug 15, 2009 1:39:15 AM CDT
I think the main (human) character wasn't that bad...
by gibsonusa returns
He was just desensitized.
Seeing the prawns getting punched and kicked was probably an everyday occurance. Still he showed some compassion, continuously telling the soldiers to hold fire (even if it was playing for the cameras).
In that scene where his men were "aborting" those young aliens/eggs/whatever while he giggled and smiled, I dont think he felt he was doing anything remotely bad/immoral.
He was just desensitized.
Yet, when he was forced to fire on a helpless alien with his own hand, there was a realization as to what he was doing and he protested. -
EAT IT BITCHES!!
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Aug 15, 2009 1:50:04 AM CDT
Vic Twenty, TAKE 8=====D AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR (O) :)
by carlthormark1978
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I've made good on none of them. But that lobster I cooked up for dinner was askin for some man-on-prawn lovin.
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Sharlto Copley, you just became my hero you lucky, talented, Son of a Bitch!
I should turn this into an open letter. For FUCK SAKE! Stay sincere! You're about to have the world handed to you on a Platinum Platter. PLEASE stay genuine. Stay Sincere. Realize that being YOU, got you where you are. I want to be able to tell my children, "I remember seeing his first movie in a AICN screening back in 'aught nine', and the bastard NEVER bent over for Hollywood. He NEVER compromised...not for petty reasons at least. He stuck to his ideals, and he became one of the most SURPRISING actors of our generation."----STAY SANE, and Keep it up, you LUCKY FUCKER! -
No disrespect meant. I'm just tired. Plenty of other mistakes in post...
Did I actually read a post that said this movie wasn't gory? It seems I've misplaced my score scale here somewhere, but, uh--
And, hey, can't we all just get along?
'night -
I like the idea of it, though.
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an old man pooped his pants right behind me during the screening and had to leave. I think it had more to do with the fact that he was 700 years old and not so much the gore. Though the weapons testing was more than some could take.
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Hey man, I know what you're trying to say. But remember, in most movies, people change. Hopefully, it inspires us to better ourselves, too, sometimes. He was doing bad, desensitized or not, doing it for the camera or to keep his job -- doesn't matter -- he was doing something terrible.
Okay, 'night for real this time. -
IT REALLY IS THAT GOOD!
I've already made plans to see it again and I may well entertain the idea of a third visit to the multiplex!
even though you know where the story if going and really you're not much surprised by anything per se, the suspense is expertly ramped up from scene to scene and it really is a thrill!
that teaser/trailer is sneaky tho - I kept waiting for them (or at least Christopher) to get captured so we'd have that interrogation scene...
most importantly, WHO SAID you can't have non-human(oid) aliens be main characters because the audience won't be able to connect with them on an emotional level? this movie PROVES that is utter BULLSHIT!
yes I know WETA already did Gollum but for a start he was only a SUPPORTING character and really he's pretty much human anyway - the CLOSEST Christopher Johnson (or any Prauns) gets to human is on the eyes (which yes I did notice a lot of gratuitous close-ups thereof)
Seems all you really need is the eyes (Chew from Bladerunner would be pleased) -
Would over think the film some more
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Aug 15, 2009 2:24:37 AM CDT
Vic Twenty, CHECK OUT THE BBQ PIT BOYS ON YOUTUBE.....
by carlthormark1978
They do a whole shitload of videos for cooking on the BBQ and there's this one for Lobster, Clam, Shrimp & Fish Seafood that will make your mouth water. Here's the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH4oF3dMYYw&feature=channel
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I just got out of DISTRICT 9. I work at Vancouver Film School and they
are promoting this movie all over the place. It's incredible. The
theatre was even handing out cards with information about a VFS
contest tie-in for the movie. The advertising here in Vancouver is off
the charts. I read some reviews earlier in the day praising this movie
as quite possibly the best of the year and a sci-fi classic landmark
film. I wanted to love this movie. I wanted to walk out and tell
everyone I'd seen something extraordinary. I wanted to, but I can't.
DISTRICT 9 doesn't quite hit the mark for me for a few reasons. The
journey of the main character is mostly believible and you want to see
him succeed, to overcome the insurmountable odds and reclaim his life.
He's an ordinary, very real guy thrown into a extraordinary situation
where essentially the whole world is against him. All critical
elements in a film like this, and they're pulled off adequately.
Switching from a post-events documentary and the actual events is
handeled properly most of the time, what isn't, however, is the choice
in camera styles. At first you're 'in' the camera, following the
action first hand, but then when you're not 'in' the camera it's shot
in the exact same way. There's nothing to distinguish one from the
other to the point where you might think the whole thing is supposed
to be from the cameras prespective and it's not. You could draw
comparisons from CLOVERFIELD, which I think has a large influence on
the style of this movie. The aliens themselves are visually
interesting for a while, but as characters they seem more like
standins for a political statement than anything else. This film has a
vert strong political and social commentary agenda and isn't shy about
it, it has the confidence to stand up for a message and that's
respectible. The issue is that it comes off as forced, there's
absolutely no nods or winks, its shoved down your throat. Its the
standard 'government and big business are the enemy' movie mixed in
with a 'we need to change our violent ways' message, but with aliens.
Ultimately the movie turns into a fairly standard run, hide, and shoot
the daylights out of anything movie and it's here where I finally lost
my investment. I suppose I expected more of an element of mystery or
conspiracy, something you had to discover and not a shoot-em-up with
soldiers and bug-aliens. All of the other side-story narrative
elements seem brushed over or are set up to be anticipated. I also
didnt buy that anyone would stand a chance against the robot suit(the
ultimate man-machine-animal hybrid?), yet he gets beat up most of the
time hes inside. Finally, I couldn't help but feel the last 20 minutes
or so was essentially an elaborate HALO test. Watch it again and tell
me they weren't running some concept tests for what they had planned
to do in HALO. The POV shots of the people and guns, and all of the
action were so obviously meant for a different movie It totally pulled
me out of this experience. Even the look of the soldiers and the
weapons, everything evoked HALO imagery. The initial concept of this
movie was a short mockumentary, and while the director shows a skilled
hand here I can't help but feel he was only allowed to expand his
short to gain some additional, and very specific, developmental tools
for, what would have been his next big project. For a while anyway,
this is as close to HALO as we get. Please don't get me wrong, this is
a fine sci-fi movie and one of the better movies of the year but I am
skeptical of how much shelf life it will have. I do reccomend it, but
it's certainly not the 'event-film' experience it's made out to be,
and with that said I do look forward to his followup because for a
first big effort it's an amazing achievement and he will only build
and grow from here. -
He SHOT a FUCKING PIG at a dude, dude died by a FUCKING PIG being SHOT at him. Why are we not discussing how fucking awesome a PIG GUN is!?!!?
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I've seen it twice, maybe going again tomorrow. Pig gun.
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After some of these other summer movies, I started not caring about movie release dates anymore.
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While I commend what Neil did with the budget constraints I still feel that audiences are so hungry for great sci-fi that we overlook some blatant shortcomings with this film. It was a great film for the budget with some great ideas but somewhere between a great film and a great film for 30 million is what this film really is.
There have been so many lack luster films this year that some respectable reviewers gave G.I. Joe a descent review. I don’t blame them.
References to Cronenberg, Verhoeven, Half Life and Halo for District 9 are all accurate, but this film is not Alien or Aliens, its not The Fly or Robocop. It’s not Blade Runner.
Is it the best Sci-Fi film of the past couple years, probably, that’s not saying much. I don’t remember people reviewing the previous films and saying, “Well, with the budget, blah blah blah”. They simply liked it or they didn’t. Is it worth seeing in the theater, Yes.
The biggest problem with this film is that it alternate’s from documentary to security camera footage, to an actual movie for the A.D.D. generation. A watermark for half the film to depict realism?
This film touches on some brilliant concepts such as the racism in JoBerg that persists today, Global Military Involvement in foreign countries, scapegoats and media manipulation.
The way this film was marketed drew a diverse group of people to the theater this evening, most not knowing what to expect. The film is marketed for the middle and it will succeed with its buck shot campaigns.
Unfortunately this site has veered from its original direction. Unbiased reviews. I recently re-read Harry’s book that I bought so many years ago and I still love. He remains a voice of reason in a technical industry that we will probably only ever begin to know about and a consistent movie critic who’s reputation speaks for itself.
Somewhere along the line though this site has turned into a geek only movie site instead of a film critic’s site. Gone are the consistent reviews of ANY movie that premiered any given week, no matter how bad they are. Heck, this site used to be a warning label weeks before any of these films released. Example, The Time Travelers Wife, etc.
Even Capone’s interview with Jeremy Piven about The Goods touched on a personal lawsuit with Broadway and David Mamet, which to my recollection, this site has steered clear of Hollywood gossip for as long as I can remember.
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There are some great voices from this site, I have been an avid reader for ten plus years and it is still one of the best barometers for film anywhere; the internet, print, TV, etc. That being said, does objective journalism still exist or did we drink the koolaid here?
~Pork Shop Express -
drones via the fluid forced upon other alien species, and Christopher was opposed to returning slaves back to their homeworld? That might work for a sequel, though a sequel would be unnecessary as it would take the story away from it's allegorical stance.
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by Wikus's transformation, and asserted they had the tech to undo his, as if he'd seen it before.
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And, yes, CJ Jr. kicks ass! :)
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Aug 15, 2009 3:33:40 AM CDT
so, essentially this movie was too smart for alot of tbers
by ironic_name
the rest of us can bask in our smartness.
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(And thats why they didnt even bother to ask the humans for help? Cause they knew it would be useless?)
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the fluid took twenty years to make, they knew the star system and alien tech, they know how far away thier home planet is, and from a practicl standpoint,why not make the movie about christopher becoming an alien then? they were alien.
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Could CJ be a former human?
- He acts the must "human" of all the prawns. He even wears a shirt. He is more clever than the rest, and seems to communicate better with the humans than anyone else.
-When he sees the human with the prawn arm, he seems to react quickly to act to hide him.
- Now that I think about it, CJ Jr. couldnt be a former human. He doesnt seem to know what the prawn planet is like, yet keeps refering to it as "home" and wants to be there. He probably grew up in the slums a prawn, but has CJs level of intelligence.
-CJs house has human computers and wiring everywhere. He seems to have figured out how to use a keyboard and such...even his little chemistry set looked like a human version. -
and the mech grabbing the missile.
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Could CJ have been a human like...a looong time ago is what I meant....like this was his return to earth or something...i dunno, time to go to bed lol.
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Aug 15, 2009 4:04:03 AM CDT
gibson, for the last few months there has been a MNU backstory
by ironic_name
on the web about Chistopher and how thanks to having found an internet cable he was able to become smarter, or should I say, more savvy. http://tinyurl.com/qyo82j
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Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek the best piece of shit of 2009, absolutly!Do you even know what a good movie really looks like? Why I am even asking this when i already know the answer?
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Aug 15, 2009 4:08:46 AM CDT
I wonder if hot toys or mezco will make wikus, Chris & mech
by ironic_name
toys?
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I'm remind of that other south frican movie called Stander. The fact it was set in south Africa in the midle of the apartheid gave that movie, which set in some other country would be a conventional thriller, a special added dimention to it that made it better.Two years ago i saw the pilot episode of a south african Sf TV show called Charlie Jade. While it had some filmamking dramatic nonsense and the lead actor was quite awful, the ideas presented were brillant and it had a very special south african flavour to it that made it looks somewhat unique. In fact, i'm starting ot believe that South Africa has an enourmous potential to be the basis for a lot of cool SF. Their past and recent history is a goldmine to inspire SF stories.
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Yeah, I hate when they spoil the best bits in trailers. I was actively avoiding spoilers, but that scene of the missile catch in the last trailer popped up immediately following the break during a show I was watching.
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I'm digging this notion that the aliens might be dejects from their own race. It makes them as if they are like those very poor cloths ontheir backs refugees. most countries, despite trying to do the humanitary right thing, end up resenting having to endure such refugees in their own territory. The aliens in this movie seemto be such a case, dumb rejects who do not seem to bring anything good to the country that harboured and welcomed them. And thus resentment. The movie is jsut using soemthing that we find too often in reality, the drama of penniless refugees who are totally dependent on the care of another country, and the resentment of those who received them and who find them to be nothing but an embaracement and a waste of resources.And frankly, i don't recall any other SF movie or story which had evenr done this type of approach to an alien visitors story. For that alone, the movie already ranks highly.
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was it like 20?
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Talking about his script ideas and calling himself a martyr and comparing himself to Jesus. Also, his idea for the ending is that the aliens would nuke themselves in some sort of mass suicide. I think he should submit his script outline to his psychiatrist.
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Like the "District 9" ending is better than mine? Now, mine may be different than the real ending of the film, but it certainly isn't worse.
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is it just me or did he interpret the movie in a really weird way?
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yeah that was awesome. i also really liked the head esploder.
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Aug 15, 2009 6:57:00 AM CDT
I actually lol'd at the nigerian leader's head expanding slightl
by ironic_name
then exploding. just cuz he was an asshole.
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And they got it, in spades here in DistrictClover9-via the pig Gun(TM). I like that idea, actually. Hamming it up for the fans. Shakey cam galore, Apartheid themes and BugHunt type aliens. Sounds-Peachy. I'll check this out-maybe. Harold has a bad habit of spooging Allll over the place for things-and as a fan of Big Robots Hitting Each Other(Once Again), Trek Too Many and Up-of course you gotta know that I will wanna watch this, too.
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I wasn't agreeing, really. I was playing devil's advocate. And you should *see* a movie before you review it.
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Nobody gives a rat's ass about your politics.
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There is no real allegory in this - it's more a slice of life in SA with aliens added. At least that's what my SA mates tell me.
Another reason not to want to visit then. -
Bugs again as aliens! Recharging a ship thats the size of a small town, with a canister of alien jizz. (Sharlto Copley) an actor that looks like (Hitler) throughout the first 1/2 of the movie. The only reason his acting looks good is because of the documentary style filming. That is one of the best ways to make it cheap and coverup bad acting. Filming that way even makes the native africans look like actors. Im glad you all like crap in the eyes and ears.
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http://tinyurl.com/lrwgnu
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So was D9 good. Yes. Was it “see it 3 it three times in a row” good or “near perfect 10
good as some other pro critics claim. (Come’on Harry, Please) No, not even close. Its a B- to C+. or 3 stars.
D9 is not a complete film but rather a segment or act that leaves more questions then it answers. And by the way, how come the interrogation scene with alien in trailer wasn’t in the film? Bummer.
Sorry but as much as I liked it, this was a lot like “Enemy Mine” meets “The Fly” meet “Alien Nation” wrapped in Cloverfield wallpaper. The Prawns even looked like the brundlefly. The movies shortfall wasn’t due to what was there, but rather what wasn’t.
I agree with much of BadMrWonka’s criticism with some additional critiques:
There would be no way over a million aliens would allow themselves to be treated like caged animals or 3rd world prisoners especially with there advanced technology, understand and comprehension. They would demand more rights –by force if need be.
So they sit in a spacecraft with no food for 3 months and don’t try to communicate with earth for any help? Yet, they explorers of the galaxy.
How come the aliens didn’t fight back on a large scale? They were physically stronger than an average person and have more advanced weaponry. I was disappointed that there really wasn’t any massive revolt by the aliens. The prawns pretty much acted aimless and way to complacent about their situation throughout. As BadMrWonka’s why are they all so brain-dead?
Christopher just takes off without trying to rescue any of his people?
There are no weapons on the mothership to protect itself once powered?
One tube of black liquid is enough to fuel for an entire spacecraft miles across in diameter?
A far better ending to the movie would have been Christopher (are you kidding me? That’s his name???) gathers up as many aliens that survived a massive revolt at the end (which there should have been), van der Merwe decided to go with them at the last min. who chooses to stay in alien form because he realizes he is more “human” now. He has evolved to a higher intellect and emotion than what the humans currently are and has more in common and friendship with the prawns.
The aliens leave in disgust to never return to such an ugly and uncompassionate species. I would have loved a big grand riveting scene where Christopher broadcasts this message to all of earth leaving the human race to evaluate itself in shame.
Instead, the movie asks the audience permission for a sequel before it even closes its own curtain and story. Phooey!
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Great fun if you went in with the right expectations. Not the best film ever, but much better then most of this summer's films.
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But the super smart Humans can't even send a manned vessel to it's sister planet Mars.
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for me that was a much bigger statement about racism than anything else - and very interesting that nobody seems to have touched on it here, or at least apparently didn't see any problem...
living in a country that actually HAS camps like D9 for PEOPLE and knowing what REAL reactions to those camps and those people have been, I did not for one minute think the behaviour of the Prauns was "unrealistic" or inconsistent.
forget aliens, or even insects, HUMANS would also regress under such circumstances to what would seem to the casual observer to be "mindless" violence and "idiotic" behaviour - if you don't believe me, do yourself a favour: go to YouTube and search for "soccer hooligan" - it's not quite the same thing, but it's Humanity and it's REAL
someone asked why they didn't keep all the Prauns on their ship? POP POP POP! At the start of the movie, when they first arrived there was "as many as (implying less than) a million" of them. 20 years later D9 was overrun with 1.8 million of them and they needed to be moved (presumably somewhere bigger). At the end of the film there were 2.5 million of them...
Also, speaking of the ship - at the start when they cut their way into the ship and exposed the Prauns for the first time to a live global audience, was anyone else thinking "HEY! Don't open that! It's an alien planet! Is there air? You don't know!"
no? just me? -
pronounced as "Vikus" as the w in Afrikaans is always pronounced as a v.....
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Can't wait to see that!
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Great special effects. LOVED the mech fight. Time for a Battletech movie, boys and girls.
But there were plot holes in this thing big enough to drive a prawn mothership through.
The landing craft that fell 20 years ago couldn't go back up until it collected fluid from Prawn junk that'd been scattered over 20 years? Why not just collect the fluid 20 years ago on the ship itself when it was all collected in one place?
And then when if finally gets the fluid it gets shot down but then the mothership can suddenly move on its own and has enough power to use a tractor beam? Huh?
I know the "buzz" is sort of all-consuming right now but this is going to be one of those movies we look back on 20 years from now ourselves and say "what were we thinking?" Bad foreign film with sweet special effects.
But a sweet mech fight. -
Aug 15, 2009 9:46:34 AM CDT
IMMORTAL FISH BROUGHT UP THE PRAWN/PALESTINIAN CONNECTION
by bringingsexyback
Not me.
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Aug 15, 2009 9:50:47 AM CDT
CAN LIFE IN A REFUGEE CAMP, UNDER CONSTANT BOMBARDMENT
by bringingsexyback
really be called 'living'? At least Fish lives in a basement by choice and is fed.
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Everyone is getting on the D9 bandwagon.
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Anyone else catch a very Dead Alive feel when the Nigerians were about to sever Wikus' arm?
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Thats the main thing. Had a blast at the theater but left a little underwhelmed, mostly because of the hype. But I cant get this flick out of my head. Now I think its like a Coen bros where you just cant process it all in one show. I will see this 3 times at least. And you're gonna get a lot of shit when you do something original like this. The aliens shoulda woulda coulda. Whatever write your own show where everything happens like youd expect even though nobody ever met an alien so who knows if theyre addicted to cat food. What sealed the deal for me was when he got in the mech suit, stood up like a bad ass neo vs agent smith ready to hand out the spank, and then just...
ran away
like a scared piece of shit he was. Fuckin BALLS OUT writing. Very refreshing and I cant wait to see it again. Oh and if any pissy little wankers need to know bullshit details like why the drones werent as smart and why a little tube a goo can power a spaceship ill come up with some bs so you can sleep at night. This will be nominated for best pic. Guarantee. An there will be no sequel by the original producers so get used to it. They aint sellin out and everything you need to is in this so fuck a sequel. -
Get off the couch and go make a movie then. Hope its not a big steamin pile of mediocrity. I'll pay to watch even!
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while thinking they're making sense and speaking the truth...then signing their name: The_Pork_Chop_Expressyou couldn't make this shit up, I swear...
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Why spend 20 fucking years gathering fluid to fly the ship up when EVEN A CHILD KNOWS how to power up the ship and use a tractor beam to pull you up?here is lots of stupid horseshit like that in the movie that blind fanboys don't want to hear because they are so desperate for something special.Overall I liked the movie but it is mostly a collection of sci fi cliches that don't add up. For example, prawns are bigger, stronger, and have lots of advanced technology that explodes humans and buildings and tanks witha single shot.....yet they fine with begging for goat heads and getting the shit beat out of them and having their children and citizens murdered on a regular basis? Raise your hand if that makes ZERO fucking sense!
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So, you fuckers all showed up this time, eh? No SNAKES ON A PLANE to be had here.
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the tractor beam only worked once the command module was powered up and flying...which only happened once the fuel was introduced.you can complain all you want, but at least pay attention.
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It never outright states that it is a command module. The media guesses that's what it is. We have no idea why it dropped in the first place, how it got buried or why it lost power.Try to think through these series of events logically. Someone must have been aboard the mothership to fly the ship down. What was their thinking if they knew they didn't have power to come back? Was it Christopher? Since his whole end game is to fly off in the ship....why come down first and get marooned for 20 years?And let us not forget that the main character is a fucking ASSHOLE! That's why I don't give a shit when he is in danger. Even when he stands to fight, he knows his ONLY chance of becoming normal again is Chris getting to his ship. So it's not like he's making some grand sacrifice because even if he gets killed fighting at least he won't turn into a 6 foot fucking cockroach!
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District 9 is nothing short of a masterpiece. A taught, original and superbly paced story that maximizes it's modest budget and demonstrates that action/SciFi movies can be so much more than just explosions and the destruction of landmarks. The achievement is all the more impressive when you realize this film was really made by novices. Sharlto Copley stars in his first film role (literally FIRST) and gives a solid performance showing range, depth and authenticity that you'd expect from a veteran of stage and screen. Even more impressively Neil Blomkamp is directing his first feature film (he also cowrote the screenplay) as well and it's simply hard to fathom that fact when you see how well structured, paced and shot this film is. Despite having a small $30mil budget the effects in this film are superb. The film flies through exposition at breakneck speed that's a little dizzying at first and you wonder why they are going so fast -- until you get to the unforgettable third act of this film that is absolutely thrilling, edge of your seat excitement. The action is not just for action sake either. The film does a great job of getting you emotionally connected and invested in the well being of the characters.
The film is presented in a documentary style format that utilizes handheld camera shots augmented by cable newscast type coverage that helps the viewer get immersed in the unfolding drama. There are political undertones of segregation, immigration, police brutality, genocide and human rights but the movie handles them subtly and this does not come across in a heavy handed or preachy way. At it's core this is a sci fi action film anchored by a dramatic story that will have your head spinning and your hands clenched as the third act unfolds.
I saw this movie at a crowded opening night showing and was struck by how quiet the audience was during the movie. It was the quietest, most intensely focused audience I've been a member of in years. I credit that to the pacing of the film and the efficiency with which the story is told. There are no wasted moments of this film. No scenes that could have been cut. No special effects just for the sake of special effects (yeah, I'm talking to you Michael Bay). I believe that District 9 will become a classic film in the genre that generations from now will hold up and be a must see -
...are the same guys that said, "AvP sucked because it took place in the arctic. Predators would never go to the arctic!" But aliens fighting predators in an underground pyramid? Sure, that's believable. It's science FICTION. (Please note: this post is in no way an endorsement for AvP)
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"It never outright states that it is a command module. The media guesses that's what it is."
the media? jesus christ man, what are you talking about? the evil liberal media? you mean a few talkbackers? holy hell...
"We have no idea why it dropped in the first place, how it got buried or why it lost power." oh no!!! we have to use our imagination for a few seconds!! why oh why won't Blomkamp force feed use every little detail like every other Hollywood movie does!!
the trolls are really stretching for reasons to dislike this film now..."the main character is an asshole!!"yeah, and he's turned into the very thing he despises...thank god it's just a movie...I would never want to turn into a whiny talkback troll. -
If the alien dna/fuel completely turns a human into a prawn all the prawns may be other races turned into this race of workers. Christopher Johnson may have been converted from a race that is more highly evolved than the race used to create most of the other prawns. His three year time frame to cure dude may actually be a quest to cure all converted races. There are many cool directions this story can head.
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the mothership seems to suddenly work fine. any ideas?
would christopher give his twenty years of work to his friend to hide?
was there no real reaction by the prawns to their ship leaving? (i don't remember one)
these are minor nagging questions i have for any otherwise awesome movie. i just feel there is a tighter solution to these issues than what they settled with.
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It looks like it's been granted classic status in several reviews. Hype or no, I for one am lookin' forward to it.
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Did your parents ever have any kids who lived?
For all else: The supposed inconsistencies in this movie can all be resolved with a little creative imagination. So put down the ding dong and try to imagine an alien culture that doesnt fit what you EXPECT and the rest will be easy. Fuckin RETARDS!! WHY do I look at this SHIT!?
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This movie will mark a paradigm shift in film. On location + bad ass effects + good script = box office kaching. The hard part is the good script thing tho.
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open up.
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Take Raskolnikov from "Crime and Punishment," for example.I'd rather we didn't get the standard wHollyweird shining hero lead character, without any flaws.
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I agree, and the haters can get bent. How many fanboyz jizzed in thier pants for the USELESS POS called Transformers 2? The unfunny "funny people?" Peoples tastes are so jaded, backwards and fucked up that they can't tell REAL sci-fi awesomeness like district 9 from the other useless over hyped shit. I can't wait for D9 on blu ray.
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No - I'm the sort of person who said "AvP sucks because it's ALIENS versus PREDATORS." It doesn't need to get any more complicated than that.Make no mistake - I'm a fan of SOME hard sci-fi ... when it's good. At the same time, I despise 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY because it's one of the most tedious movies I've ever had the displeasure to sit through; "Float this way - no, float that way - no, float this way - now, BREATHE FOR A HALF HOUR!" No, thank you. I loved A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, too, because it actually had things to say - and wasn't really all that violent at al, for those people who criticize me for complaining about AVATAR's upcoming lack of hard Cameronized violence.Thanks to others for their compliments. And if anyone thinks I give a care about whether or not someone I won't even bother calling by name (he's too much of a tool to care) doubts there can be such a thing as a Native American atheist, well ... TSIA, right?As for the "everybody wins" argument, it's not like that in Hollywood any more. Any more, a movie needs to make hundreds of millions of dollars to warrant more movies of the same type being made. Consider that a studio held on to a completed movie, TRICK'R'TREAT, for no other reason than the fact that they were afraid it might make a dollar less than a SAW movie if it came out in October - no matter HOW good it was - and decided ultimately NOT TO EVEN BOTHER RELEASING IT because it MIGHT make LESS than a SAW movie. Consider that, by the standard of Hollywood, TRICK'R'TREAT was better if it went UNSEEN FOREVER than to release it. Same thing is going on with a kid's movie called THE PERFECT GAME I had the pleasure of seeing in preview form. The studio has nixed it AND CURRENTLY HAS NO PLANS, ACCORDING TO EMAIL THEY SENT ME, TO -EVER- RELEASE IT. That includes Blu-Ray or DVD, too. Why? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT A TIME TO RELEASE IT TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS. So, thy're not going to let ANYONE see it - ever, as far as it looks.Honestly, I don't think the idiots out there deserve good movies. I honestly believe the best thing for the intelligent public would be to simply walk away from Hollywood, stop going to movies, stop making them for Hollywood, internalize, retrench, share good stories secretly with eachother and give the general public SPLOJINZ: THE MOVIE and THE FATTIES: Fart 2. I long ago gave in to despair about the intellect of the general public, and I think it's staggeringly low - Homer Simpson is a genius by comparison because he can string whole sentences together. The average person has reached a point where their dialogue is something like: "Huh. Uh? Y'wan' ... wha? Man, SHUT DA FUKK UP!"
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I was conveniently using your sarcasm against you. Don't worry, no one here assumed that you were agreeing with me, the least of all me.
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http://newsblaze.com/story/20090807123235mill.nb/topstory.html
I emailed her this.
Dear Prairie Miller,
I write to you in response to your grossly inaccurate and seemingly biased review of District 9. To start off with, it seems you did not pick up on certain things from the movie.
1. "Sharlto Copley is Wilkus van der Merwe, the public face of private mercenaries contracted by the South African government to evict and relocate to a concentration camp."
In fact, Wilkus was the field agent for the MNU which are a branch of the South African government newly minted to deal with the new alien problem. They aren't mercenaries, but acting with the complete complicity of the government.
2. "Real South African blacks express relief on camera about alien removal and extinction. The distasteful joke here being perpetrated by director Neill Blomkamp, is that he fooled his subjects into talking about their aversion to the swelling immigrant population from other African countries, particularly Nigeria."
The purpose of this was to be ironic about the face of racism. It is the norm that the whites in South Africa are racist about blacks, but here Blomkamp is having it said by the blacks themselves. This is meant to be a dig at Racism in general, to imply that racism has no boundaries of color. You can be black an still be racist. You can be white and be racist. You can be latino and still be racist. You can be asian and still be racist.
3. "At the same time, the Nigerians are depicted as despicable when not depraved bottom feeder hustlers and homicidal gangs financially exploiting the aliens, when not forcing the females into cross-species sex for sale. This, while the white dominated government is simply perplexed."
Look at Darfur, or any unstable third world country and you will find Warlords who prey on the weak and perpetuate crimes against humanity. Black people are the majority in Africa. Africa is full of third world countries. Ergo, there are black warlords who take advantage of the poor. Get it? District 9 also makes a point of showing the crimes committed in this movie by whites, as you can see from their callous decision to vivisect Wilkus, perpetuate him to the media as a cross-species pervert, and their secret experiments on the prawn species.
Perhaps you would have been pleased if the roles were reversed and the white people were shown as depraved bottom feeder hustlers and the blacks were shown as ultra self-interested business suit wearing corporate bastards? Somehow, that doesn't sound realistic. -
D9, let me count the ways
1. Great portrayal of racism and how humans treat others. I hope that raises a few questions for a few people.
2. Realistic science fiction, not "pew pew" or "teleport me outta here!"
3. The diversity of the aliens and their attitudes, the attitude of humans and the MNU towards the aliens were all very believable.
4. The weapons and tech were used just enough to make them mysterious while showing them off (love the suit).
5. The ending was great.
6. For me, the really sad part was how I honestly felt for the aliens and their living condition...then an hour after the movie I realized people actually live like and it really hit me again.
7. I could go on and on and on. I think little kids should watch this movie and learn about how to treat others.
As for the supposed inconsistencies:
-Why didn't we cut into the ship? I presume we couldn't or it was secured, possibly with force fields. Remember, the humans couldn't even get the guns to work after 20 years.
-Why didnt the aliens fight us with their weapons? Theres only a million or so aliens, with weapons, and endless humans and weapons. We have our whole stockpile with us. Would you fight a ton of natives with a gun even if they just had bows and arrows?
-Why didn't we shoot the drop ship down?
I dont know that one, I assume the situation happened too fast to get air support, the ship knocked down the choppers (?), MNU had no jets or air to air missles
-how did we communicate? you can learn a language in 20 years. Plus, the understanding for the characters may have been basic, while we read the whole deal. There were times of miscommunication, unmistakable replies, and basic sentences (3 years)
-Why were the aliens behaving so primitively?
drop off an airplane full of people in the jungle and I wouldn't be surprised to see it go the same way from another cultures point of view. Poverty, survival, anger, and violence make it hard to organize.
-why didnt the aliens fly away, live on the ship etc etc? they weren't allowed back on..they could have access to many weapons etc.
-Why didnt the smarter aliens talk to the humans? If I was in their situation, I would not be talking to humans and just try to get the hell out of there.
-How could the kid program it all? He seemed to be pretty adept at electronics, I'll give him a by. Plus I have no idea how the alien ship computer system works
-Whyd it take them so long to leave, and how could they with so little fuel? Humans clearly would not let them leave, and the fuel..like I said, I have no idea how alien technology works. Maybe some reactors shut down and they needed that juice to jump start them. -
Id also like to add its the first movie Ive seen in about 10 years where I literally had no fucking idea what was going to happen next or how it was going to end. Would they succeed or fail? who would live, who would die? The movie continually blew my mind yet was believable the whole time. Kudos!
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Why is it your the only person bashing Trek?
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The story says it all--it is a pointless effort. This film is a starting concept in search of a meaningful middle act, and ending third act. "District 9" is "Alien Nation" meets "Blade Runner" (you'll note, you can't feel sorry for the lead--who, in the intended original story, that never reached the screens, discovers that he too is an android--after hatefully hunting down and killing androids) with "The Transformers" and "E.T." mixed in for its third act, but the story goes nowhere with the ultimate concept--which is about alien apartheid at the hands of humans. Okay, but where is the part in the script where we say this movie had a good reason to be made? The ending never justifies the creation of this film in the first place, as there is no big revelation, one that would justify the climax--therefore, absent of that, there is no justification for the beginning act of the film...or anything that follows. There always must be an ultimate point to a film...or story. What did we learn here??? Human beings can be assholes??? Well, we already knew that prior to being introduced to District 9. It is kind of like stating that the moon exists; You are only stating the obvious when you say that, so why make a movie about stating the obvious...unless you have something of import to add to the conversation that isn't to the obvious that we already know(?)--and District 9, from the story outline that I read, doesn't do that.Most of the people on the Talkback got duped by the makers of this movie, and their ad, and media campaigns...and thusly, are unwilling to admit it. Hello, "The Emperor Has No Clothes (People!!!)" They stole your 10 bucks plus...for a ticket, and your snack bar money, just to tell you something that you already know, that human beings are still racists and unfair assholes, all you had to do is watch Fox News or listen to Rush Limbaugh (broadcasted KKK) to come to that conclusion. Again, we know that already--why pay to be told the obvious???
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Future Spock could have simply travelled back to the future, or to the past, to stop Nero and crew, before they had their chance to change the timeline...and that one fact, negates the entire movie. It was an awful film!!!
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Yes, a guy get's shot with a pig. This film is amazing a huge relief from the G.I Joes and Hairy Pooters.
I haven't been made to feel such an array of emotions and sensations in a theater in a long time. Excited, sad, pissed, HOLY SHIT DID YOU SEE THAT, and just plain mesmerized. Plus, I've been to South Africa a few times and...jesus so damn accurate. -
Just wanted to say: fuck you.It's cool if you didn't like the movie, but don't go insulting all of us who did by insinuating we're all morons who got duped somehow.Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but if the only way you can feel good about yours is to insult everyone who feels different then you really are a pathetic human being.
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I just want to say that I have been a sci-fi fan for quite a long time since I was a kid. My dad was a hardcore trekkie which was always my forte (star wars was never my thing after i got past 16)
I forsaked show for a deeper story which i always felt Trek was better at instead of focusing on one character (Anakin) it focused on a whole universe of characters. I went into District 9 expecting a lot. Harry had been pumping it up constanly since Comic-Con and he has never led me astray and I was excited. I wasn't even close to expecting what was delivered. A wonderfully crafted story around aliens, sociology, and how we would deal with them as humans. This movie not only delievers as a great sci fi film with bad ass robot suits and guns that make people explode which are totally amazing, but it touches to the deepest emotional human senses. It shows how fucked up we are as a race and what would end up happening if we ever made contact with a peaceful alien race that meant us no harm we would treat them like shit and take advantage of them just to get their stuff. I have never seen a movie like District 9 on film before. When I saw the newest Star Trek I was blown away and every movie this summer that I have seen after has had to live up to its expectations. District 9 raise above them to a point where i think nothing else will ever pass it. -
yeah, but what DO you like? You hate everything.
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I think District 9 is good but not as great as the Hype here. The apartheid metaphor was bit strained, more like Nazis with the experimentation.
In genre, I think Moon is a better scifi movie this year. -
Judging from his history of commenting here, Media Messiah likes the sound of his own voice, the look of his own written words, and the feel of his own raw, bloody palms on his cock.
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Yeah, I agree. He always shoots me down for liking movies, but then he goes and sees the movie, and writes a bad review of it. I don't get it. Does he think he's a critic?
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Aug 15, 2009 3:07:54 PM CDT
Media Messiah I will never read any of your posts again.
by ganymede3010
Seriously dude. I can understand you bitching about Revenge of the Fallen but to brush District 9 to the side like it's some kind of dirty sock is incredibly revealing about your judgment.
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Aug 15, 2009 3:11:57 PM CDT
Asimov, give up Trek already, do yo have Turrets Syndrome!
by ganymede3010
How many fucking times do we have to read how much you like Star Trek. I got the point after the 1000th time you raised it. I swear it's getting really fucking old seeing you 30+ year old cry babies perpetually complaining about your inability to connect to a feature film.
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could not time travel. Spock's ship was created to launch the red matter into the black hole. When the accident back in time happened, Romulas was destroyed in the regular Trek timeline, and Nero and Spock were thrown into a the past. Nero CHANGED the past by destroying George Kirk.
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I think we are all still burned by The Matrix sequels and their complete failure versus our imaginations. Thus, the talkback about not doing a sequel. I still have unresolved issues with Wikus. I still want the aliens to be rescued. And, I want to see what angle Neil pursues in this. We'll definitely get a mixture of every element that makes this film so fucking brilliant, engaging, exhausting and badass! I must admit, I could go for more, much more, of the third act of this tiny film. Wow! I might even try cat food! WTF?! Let's do this people! Neil? Are you getting this?! Go for it! Opening shot of the sequel: The Prawn homeworld...
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Aug 15, 2009 3:23:32 PM CDT
Can you imagine how "evil" the humans could get in a sequel?
by gibsonusa returns
Let's say CJ comes back with tons of friends on a rescue mission. Imagine the confrontation. Imagine the prawns stuck on earth getting caught in between...and being put in concentration camps, made the scapegoats...forced into fighting against their own, etc.
Think about the possibilities for a sequel... -
Aug 15, 2009 3:29:50 PM CDT
I don't want to see the prawn homeworld or anything in SPACE.
by gibsonusa returns
Takes away the mystery. Besides, this movie seems to be about people. Relations between people on this planet. Not some outerworld.
A sequel should begin showing how the remaining prawns have been treated since, and what is going on in that area. Prawns should be shown smuggled out of the country by traffickers to people who want pets/slaves/etc. Now the population is getting scattered...they are still treated like less-than-animals.
Then, out of the sky, comes help... -
I am sure a backlash is about to begin but it is nice to see a film getting love more then hate for a change. and a deserving film at that
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The new Star Trek was good, but D9 is better. This coming from a no trekkie and someone that had to be convinced to go see D9.
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Just got back from seeing the movie... enjoyed the first half immensely but felt that the second half was pretty typical of an action/sci-fi thing... no real surprises of ANY kind. I am especially thankful that the 2nd version of the trailer managed to obliterate what few action surprises there were: prawn-mech, prawn-mech catching missle, command module vessel rising up out of the dirt, etc. etc. What in the name of FUCK is wrong with these marketing people who INSIST on selling you on a movie by giving you a 90-second synopsis of the whole thing - including the end?
Jeebus...
One minor nit in the story: why would a worker-bee ship be filled to the gills with death devices? And if "christopher" was a sharp prawn, why hadn't he mobilized the other, lower-caste prawns into doing SOMETHING with their vastly superior weaponry that they'd been sitting on all this time? Anyhow... at least this thing wasn't a HUGE disappointment. -
Here's the only issue I have with a sequel: If one is greenlit, it will have a massive budget. That tends to force the story away from character and towards SFX and big dumb action. Don't get me wrong, I love SFX and big dumb action, but that would be the wrong tone for this movie.
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why, oh why, would anyone go see or not go see a movie based on a Roger Ebert opinion anyways?
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Is it just me or can anybody else see that in this movie?
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This was horrible. It was dirt-level humor, very "Brain Dead" in many ways. Utterly Saturday Morning cartoonish, in it's utter refusal to deal with ANY scientific problems involving aliens ... like the ability of aliens to digest earth protein ... This was Saturday Morning Cheapo science fiction, and I think it was more cheapo Horror than sci fie, what with our hero wandering around crying about his Disease, and his retarded gross out attempts to deal with it. This was sub-sub-basement moviemaking. The 30 million dollar budget apparently went almost entirely into the CGI aliens and the CGI mech, for the sole purpose of having the prance around, making this film a mere demo reel for WETA. And like porn, when the point is the money shot, the plot is perfunctory to non-existent. Did they actually find a real slum to film in, to avoid location costs? This is SO SO not worth raving about. I can't believe that so many drank the cool-aid, but that's to be expected when Harry throws a big Geek event. People are geeking on eachother's excitement and practically ignoring the film. This was utter shite. I only smiled once, when the Mech blows one or two people to bloody chunks. But really ... this was retarded, ugly retarded. It's the sort of thing we've come to expect from anything Peter Jackson's got his paws on, of course.
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Pull your head out of your own rectum for five minutes. Claiming this film is pointless simply because it doesn't say something astoundingly new or fails to provide an epiphany about ourselves is an incredibly pointless argument in itself. Most movies that have any kind of 'message' or that touch on real world problems aren't saying anything new, but if they entertain at least then of course there was a point to them being made. That so many people so far seem to have enjoyed this movie on any level destroys your ridiculous statement. Whether or not it said something new about human affairs or not is neither here nor there, and your comment leaves me wondering if you can watch any film at all without hating it.
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The effects are fucking awesome, through and through, it has plenty of balls out action, and it makes you think. Oh yeah and it cost ALOT less to make then trek or 'formers. Studio execs will care quite a bit about that.
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Top notch effort all the way around. I actually LIKED the fact that the protagonist wasn't a pure souled human with everyone's best intentions at heart, because, lets be serious, in that situation, if that had happened to you, how would you react?
CJ Jr was amazing. I gives extra points to Blomkampp for doing whatever he did to make me care so much about his welfare. That's stellar work right there.
Oh yes, and the last frame? I want it. As a steno, a screep cap or something. Heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. -
you just confused me. I'll quote. "The 30 million dollar budget apparently went almost entirely into the CGI aliens and the CGI mech, for the sole purpose of having the prance around, making this film a mere demo reel for WETA." Then you go on to say, "I only smiled once, when the Mech blows one or two people to bloody chunks." And yes, they did find a real slum to film in, not to cut location costs, but to force the viewer to realize this simple fact: PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD LIVE LIKE THIS. In filth and squalor, fighting for scraps. Cat food isn't far off the mark. That's cool. Maybe social commentary isn't your thing. Hopefully the sequel will be full of thrill-a-minute explanations of how the aliens can eat protein.
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And even as an unabashed Pixar fanboy, and as much as I loved Up, D9 is still the best movie I've seen this year.
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I'm saying that the CGI was not put to good storytelling use, because the only cool thing the CGI did was blow one or two people to bloody chunks. The rest was the stupid aliens puking and occasionally looking sad.
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... there's no POINT to this movie. It has NO ENDING, not because of a sequel, but because, unlike when Rod Serling made his metaphoric points about humanity, it refuses to discuss what CAN be done or what the eventual RESULT will be. The apparent answer to race relations in the world is to ... repair your spacepod and escape? Huh?
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I agree, my theories don't solve all the potential issues and there are still some gaps left, but I think there's enough there to satisfy most people. Maybe Christopher isn't enough like a queen to rally/command all of the prawns, but is clearly smart enough to know how to get their ship back up and running. And that knowledge might also have made him cautious of the humans in the fist place (and rightly so), so he opted to try to get out of there without them potentially interfering. He knows they confiscate all their weapons and want to use them, so I wouldn't be surprised if was weary of letting humans snoop around on a working ship, especially given that he knew they had medical equipment that would allow humans to alter their DNA to be able to use the weapons. Not a perfect theory, but it's fun to speculate on these things. Part of the reason I love the movie.
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From reading the reviews, I was expecting the movie to take its premise seriously, to have a serious human protagonist, not a goofy buffoon. This film started out with "Hey, look at the cartoonish Buffoon! He doesn't like aliens! Lets turn him into one ... heee heee hee!" And then there was the patented Jackson sadism when he chops off one of his own (alienized) fingres. Utterly childish sadistic impulse on the part of the film-makers. Fuck this movie.
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Aug 15, 2009 4:04:07 PM CDT
Michel Bey has the highest grossing movie this summer
by lockesbrokenleg
despite the "haters". I don't think this 10 mil movie is gonna scare him.
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WHY? It's just a container containing the fuel source they need. Why would it spray anyone and turn them into an alien? What kind of defense mechanism is that? It makes NO FUCKING SENSE. Just Jackson and Blokamp giggling like retarded little boys about how much fun it will be to have the guy chop off his own finger later.
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Time travel is standard in the Star Trek universe. The Enterprise and its crews, past, present, and future, have all, at one time, or another, used time travel to go backwards, or fowards, in time--this is Star Trek canon, from the original tv show, to Next Generation, to the movie franchise(s). The point is, future Spock could have time travelled back to the future (his present), or to the past, before Nero altered the timeline, and stopped him. It didn't matter what starship he was using, time travel is commonly known technology in the Star Trek universe...and easy to engage in--you'll recall and episode from the origial series when Kirk and crew used a sling shot around the sun to time travel? They also used the same manuever in a Star Trek movie--i believe it was "Star Trek 4: Voyage Home"? Hence, with this being a fact, the new Star Trek movie, and its plotline...are null and void, as it didn't obey the roles of its own established universe. It is an awful, and lazily written movie, by two hack writers who don't understand science fiction, and sit around piecing together sci-fi cliches which they later turn in as scripts.
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Woan you stole my thunder because I was going to say the exact same thing. Moon fucking OWNS District 9.
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They explain pretty clearly why the container turns him into a prawn.
Their fuel sources seem to be a synthesis of their DNA, thats implied HEAVILY in several places in the film.
How much of a stretch is it, then, to have the human tamper with it, get contaminated with it, like a mutagen, and start slow transformation?
In a sci-fi setting, that makes perfect sense. -
Aug 15, 2009 4:15:48 PM CDT
Hint_of_Smegma: You Are The Reason Choclate Woman Should...
by media messiah
...be still posting here, because although she would go on her intentional comical rants, they were clever...yes, always very smart, and ultimately she would make great technical points, and observations about film, and its structure, from story, to flow, and editing...but most of you guys just say a lot of silly nonsense. Your postings are immature and unintelligent. Somebody please bring Choclate Woman back!!! Please!!! I did say please...3 times now!!!
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This was awesome. It was top notch humor, very Brilliant in many ways. Nothing like Saturday Morning cartoons at all, in it's utter mastery of dealing with ALL scientific problems involving aliens ... like the ability of aliens to digest earth protein... This was superb science fiction, and I think it was more Horror than sci-fi, what with our hero wandering around with his pending transformation, and his cool gross out gags to deal with it. This was superlative movie making. The 30 million dollar budget apparently went almost entirely into the story and excellent CGI, for the sole purpose of making this film a aweseome demo reel for the power of WETA. And like porn, when the point is the money shot, the plot is paramount and supportive. They actually found a real slum to film in, to avoid location costs. Brillinat again! This is SO SO worth raving about! I can't believe that so many haven't seen it yet, but that's to be expected when Harry throws a big Geek event. People are geeking on each other's excitement and practically praising the film. This was utter greatness! I smiled many times,especially when the Mech blows one or two people to bloody chunks. But really ... this was intelligent, really brilliant. It's the sort of thing we've come to expect from anything Peter Jackson's: the best movie for your money, of course.
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I don't think you understand tech in Star Trek. Time travel is RISKY in Trek. McCoy even says that in Trek 4. You can't just time travel anywhere. Besides, in DS9, the Temporal Police chastised Sisko for meeting Kirk and Spock.
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I loved it, but have a question about the movie...why didn't the aliens use their superior weaponry and agility/strength whenever the humans used violence against them? I know the humans confiscated the weapons, but why did the aliens even let them take them?
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i just posted a commint and have no idea where it is, first time poster, but theres so much story line left to this movie and lets not forget the questions that the fist movie leaves, damn where did i post that sh.t
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Seriously dude. Give it a fucking rest. Its SCIENCE FICTION. That is what makes this movie so cool. Who cares why the canister turns him into a prawn its a new fresh approach to science fiction. They did film this in a real slum in J-burg as well to catch that nasty gross smelly shit feel. It was a great new sci fi idea while keeping that realistic setting
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You are fucking retarded no part of this movie is anti-american in anyway if anything its anti-human race cause it shows deep down we are pieces of shit.
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Aug 15, 2009 5:01:54 PM CDT
Clover, if they shot it in a real slum in Johannesburg ...
by ringwearer9
It's because 1. It's cheap to shoot in South Africa anyway (Starship Troopers 3 was shot there for that reason) and shooting in a real slum would be even cheaper, I expect.
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Dood they had Peter Jackson backing them it didn't need to be cheap in the first place. They wanted to make a good old fashioned movie realisticly to catch a unique feeling that only comes every once in awhile when you see a movie that is really special. They didn't spend a bunch of money on purpose because they didn't want the focus of the movie to be on special effects and the so called "filler" that movies like Transformers use to discract the stupid audience from realising there is no real point to what they are watching. Eye candy used to keep us entertained. This movie was made to make us use or brains while at the same time give us some really really fucking cool eye candy but it takes a back seat to the story
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oh yeah and they shouldn't make a sequel. They should leave it how it is. The mystery of this movie is part of what makes it special.
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I mean really. First of all, everyone needs to quit patting themselves on the back for getting the completely obvious and heavy-handed apartheid allegory. It was set in South Africa for fuck's sake -- you didn't "get" anything. And yeah yeah, I'm impressed that they made this with 30 million or whatever, but -- the space ship fuel turned that guy into an alien? Huh? And why couldn't (or rather, didn't) the prawns use their own weapons on the humans? Couldn't any of thme figure SOMETHING out? They're a MOTHERFUCKING SPACEFARING CIVILIZATION, and they were all reduced to the cognitive level of a bunch of inbred dirt necks at a Nascar track. Except for that one alien, of course, and his son, who might as well been named Wicket W. Warrick. How TOTALLY FUCKING CONVENIENT. And how easy.
I understand why people might have enjoyed this movie -- guns, explosions, an hell, even I admit that the pacing was pretty good. But for fuck's sake. It's all kind of silly, what with the conveniently retarded aliens in Kanye glasses and space ship gas that turned the guy's hand into a lobster claw. WHICH IS FINE. But people are talking like this is ALIENS or Blade Runner or something. Good grief.
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Just because they have advanced technology doesn't mean their entire species would be highly intelligent. We have some smart folks working at NASA, but if we were to send a space vessel full of construction workers to go do some work on a space station and they get stranded on an alien planet, those fuckers would be behaving like they were dumber than dirt.
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the fanboys actually showed up this time!!
http://tinyurl.com/n8wlhu
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you don't understand much about DNA - which is cool, most people don't...
but I BET you've heard of GENE THERAPY - and maybe you don't understand how THAT works either?
you're ALREADY on the internet so why don't you find yourself a search engine and do some RESEARCH- while you're at it, maybe try plugging in STEM CELLS into that search engine...
also, it's been said by someone else (redkamel?) but I've been meaning to mention it so I'm just gonna chime in at this point - CJ's KID was a GENIUS! possibly my FAVOURITE character! OBVIOUSLY head and shoulders above the other Prauns in intelligence - maybe even smarter than his own father!
LOVED IT! really really... I mean.. it's just SO GOOD to see some SciFi on the Big Screen you DON'T have to turn off your brain for! in fact, I daresay some of the haters on here didn't quite GET everything in this film - maybe because they DID turn off their brains - I don't blame you, it's easy to get into the HABIT with films these days... -
which goes to show how fucking amateur that site really is.
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to see some people pay attention to the obvious (Maniaq). But people like hippie_killer are just too fucking stupid to realize something for what it is. This movie is easily as good as Aliens and Blade Runner its not better by no means but I would be willing to bet money that in 20 years down the road this movie will be talked about like we talk about those ones now. Give it time this one will be placed alongside all the classics if you can't admit that then you are a poser and not a real sci-fi fan.
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...was the Captain of the ship and flew the command module down and hid it, no?
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It's fucking produced by Peter Jackson and it's in over 3,000 theaters.
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that makes total sense i didn't even think about that.
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"SPLOOGE"!! That was my nerdgasm pummeling the movie screen. EXCELLENT!!
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I've read a lot of speculation by people trying to explain D9's many lapses in logic. Sorry, I don't buy any of it. Alien fuel/DNA is not going to convert a living man into a living prawn. No way. But it sure is convenient to the plot that the first limb to convert is his trigger finger. Yeah, sure. And why weren't humans crawling all over the mothership (obviously they would have been)? And c'mon, NO ONE noticed where the control module buried itself? Ridiculous. And even though we see some prawns with signs on there homes bragging that they had bagged 3 humans the prawns don't defend themselves, rise up in revolt, and use their weapons to take over the whole area? And what city on earth has a cozy little area right in the middle just waiting to accommodate 1.8 million newcomers? And, gee, us humans are so smart we have all the answers to explaining away all the dumb ideas in each new week's dumb as shit movie but we as a species could never figure out how to manipulate alien DNA in order to utilize their weapons (even though it appears - once again - that acquiring new weapons technology is our species' ultimate obsession). Are we back to Aliens now, or Robocop? Can someone please come up with a new plot?
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No self-respecting science fiction fan uses the term sci-fi. It's SF, get a fucking clue.
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Felt like a kid again.... The oos and ahhs were there :) typj
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One with plot holes the size of the sun but still a decent sci-fi flick compared to recent hollywood trash. Despite everyones exasperated love of D9 it does have a number of flaws. I think a second home viewing will really reveal to everyone the problems it has. Yet it still remains a likable film. I will eventualy buy a used copy cheap and be happy to have it in my collection. I just think some of the "haters" have as many credible issues as the "lovers."
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Aug 15, 2009 7:12:06 PM CDT
There definitely is a Palestinian theme to this
by smoke monster loves kate
The Palestinian refugee camps the size of cities in Gaza (or in southern Lebanon) which Israel sends military convoys into in order to root out terrorists? That's exactly what they were doing in this movie. All the controversial new information being released about Israel's treatment of Palestinian civilians during the offensive in Gaza (Rabbis preaching that Palestinians are subhuman, etc)... all similar. There were several articles posted on the Guardian.co.uk and other non-American sites about how Israeli soldiers literally used Palestinian civilians for target practice. If no one else got the parallel, then I don't know what to tell you. I don't think any parallel fits better at this point in time. Apartheid wasn't about herding blacks into camps, though there were several nods to apartheid in the form of those 'HUMANS ONLY!' signs littered about the city.I'm still curious as to what kind of biofuel the aliens used.I don't think the aliens are going to come back to destroy us. Christopher is coming back to fulfill a promise to Wikus and rescue his people. He knows there are good humans out there, they're not going to annihilate us or enslave us, maybe get into a bit of a skirmish as they evacuate their people.This guy needs to make a Halo movie.
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That's exactly what I was thinking the whole movie as well. I could tell from the trailers that the spray would somehow give him the ability to use their technology but didnt see the transforming bit coming. Definitely didnt see it coming from they're only possible source of fuel either.
I can forgive it all though cause it was super mad cool tight fun. Loved when the mech magnatized all the bullets coming at it....rad. -
OPPS! Just spotted this dedicated thread on the film, so am also putting my post on Capone's here as well...Just returned from a packed house showing D9 at the biggest screen in Albuquerque. Gritty, touching, just plain awesome! Peter Jackson makes everything special! Let's hope that we don't have to wait "three years" to see what happens when Christopher keeps his promise...and returns to Earth!
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Yeah, he sure made King Kong special.
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CJ didn't say how long it'd take to return to their planet, did he?
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he did. he told Wikus to wait three years because he was going home first. that's when Wikus knocked him out.
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"Give it time this one will be placed alongside all the classics if you can't admit that then you are a poser and not a real sci-fi fan."
I'll take that action. And for the record, all I ask of SF or fantasy is for it to make a little bit of fucking sense, and for it not to cut big corners in logic just so the plot can be pushed along in an orderly couple of hours.
But please. Tell me what was so new and fresh and innovative about this flick? What, exactly, makes it stand alongside something like Blade Runner? Certainly not the cheesy shakycam digital "cinamatography," I'll tell you that.
D9 is a motherfucking popcorn movie. It's Starship Troopers with decent CGI. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But that's ALL it is. -
We all know real alien fuel crossed with DNA wouldn't turn a human into an alien but this was movie alien fuel. So it did.
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So many questions left for us to ponder amongst one another. Which makes it all the more entertaining in my opinon. As for them being stuck well it's said that the smarter Aliens are nowhere to be seen and the scientists have figured out that they're drones of their society. Here's a couple hypotheses' I have
-They're drones and basically bugs so maybe their intelligence is handled by a missing "hive mind"
-SOmebody before posted a theory that they're basically Space Monkey's sent out to see if they could travel FTL. It would make sense to try and jump for a nearby habitable planet in case things go wrong (which they did)
-They were slaves being sent to another Alien Civ.
-They somehow got separated from the Armada that was fleeing their planet and this was a transport ship for worker drones.
-They lost a Civil War, or are fleeing turmoil at home.
Let's talk about Christopher Johnson (This debunks a few of the above theories)
-He's eager to get home and happens to know they will be welcomed when they get back and they will be motivated to come and get the others.
-He's no "smarter" than the other Aliens, He's just not content to die on this rock, Even so he could just be a pilot and that's it.
-The movie didn't explore it but much but there are a lot of decent Aliens just hanging around not causing trouble. That's why MNU can actually knock on doors rather than shoot and arrest every Alien on sight.
-Christopher Johnson was "breaking" the law by having old computer parts and such (which he used to repair the command module assuming he didn't build it), so we can assume despite being emotionally backward the alien's possessed on average some sort of technological know-how.
-MAYBE THE ALIENS WERE A LOWER FORM OF LIFE ON THE HOME PLANET LIKE MONKEYS DOGS OR SUCH AND THEY WERE ARTIFICIALLY EVOLVED BY THE OIL, PERHAPS THIS HAS TO DO WITH BASE INTELLIGENCE UPON FULL MATURATION. ALSO PERHAPS COLOUR HAS TO DO WITH WHAT SPECIES THEY CAME FROM AS SOME WERE YELLOW OTHERS GREEN BLACK RED ETC.
-Perhaps colour indicated caste? -
I dont know what's more pathetic. Your boring predictable anti Jackson rants or the fact that you make sure to catch every film he is involved with opening weekend even though you supposedly hate his work.
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I hope this becomes a franchise. Personally this film will always stand alone but frankly Neil Blokamp is entitled to his money and deserves whatever hundreds of millions in royalties this well-rounded world this will net him. Does anyone else think he said three years cause that about the turnaround time for a sequel. I don't know about you guys but WHAT WILL CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON DO??? And what will we do with the Aliens?
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I loved it. The death scenes were spectacular and the weapons, tech and choreography of the firefights seemed very Halo-esque to me. Very well put together movie and IMO the best of the year thus far. I agree that it doesn't need a sequel, but if the same production team does do one, I'm sure they could do a worthy follow-up.
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Your post is too funny. I didn't mention the pig being shot at the guy because I wanted everyone to have a chance to see it for themselves. But the phenomenon is a day old, so if you haven't seen it by now, tough noogies. You're gettin' spoiled. My favorite touch at the end is that they ripped the guy's head off. I've wanted to rip people's heads off my whole life. And everyone has always talked about it but you never see it. And that asshole was the perfect guy for it to happen to too. XD
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seriously were you watching the same movie? And seriously come on Blade Runner has had how many versions come out to explain itself? I am not bagging on Blade Runner at all the whole reason why I like it so much is because there is mystery to it and it doesn't explain itself. And tell me what isn't original about D-9? It combines elements that have not been combined before. It takes a great SF story (9000rpm you little fuck) involving aliens and weird technology and mixes it with a very real human political story about how so called "superior" races see themselves and take advantage of a peaceful alien race that didn't want to be there anyways.
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the liquid turns him into a prawn. That is what makes SF so great is because you can make things up from scratch with your imagination. It doesn't have to make complete sense because its not real. Its completely imaginary.
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And perhaps your dad got fucked in the ass by a retard and then he passed out and shat the bed your coke addled mom was squirming all over on and then 9 months later you their little miracle emerged, the retard who likes to speculate: "What if...". Who gives a fuck.
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This movie cost $30 million. How in god's name can GI JOE run up a budget of $175 million. Ditto for Transformers 2. Some execs need to be fired for greenlighting overbudget crap like those two. Oh and whichever Exec said they didn't want Blomkamp doing a $100 million budgeted Halo movie and caused that to flop, start clearing out your desk cause you'll be out of a job by the time the PA's print up the weekly Studio Gross report and put it on your bosses desk.
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That means it should easily break its production costs on opening weekend. I'm thinking word of mouth on this should stay strong for awhile as well, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if this has a bigger weekend next week.
District 9 is awesome! -
Feel free to insult me all you like while-you're hidden safely behind your computer. Here's a note on class and civility for you, children use this site too and perhaps language or behaviour like that isn't really appropriate for the setting. We're here to dicuss movies not insult one another.
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with greater staying power. I also think this might do well in the overseas market. Hopefully it will, but hopefully it will also be on DVD just in time for Xmas.
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Sounds likely. I kinda like the premise-though I ALSO like the premise of a Big Robot climbing up the Cheops Pyramid and being nailed by a Rail Gun. That was fun, too(And This is in Every Way an ENDORSEMENT for Transformers Too-yes it is and you know you liked it as much as I did)ya know? almost as much as watching One CGI Bot say 'We don't do much readin' and the Other one talking about an ass-whoopin'. Huey and Dewey never had it so bad. As for CloverNine here-sure I'll give it a lookee-though the premise of having the Big Bugs stage a revolt was a better one than what you actually get here. Is Jeff Goldblum in this thing, and if not, WHY NOT?! Fly Air Nambibia, you'll find your flying alien bugs right THERE, along w/ your friends in SWAPO. Yes. Ringy it's good to see ya keeping up the good fight young man.
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There I said it.
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You're right. I apologize.
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Okay, the people of their planet want to invade Earth. But they wanna do it cheap. So they ship their thugs here, knowing what we'll do to them (the camps and whatnot). Then they multiply in those camps and after a while revolt kicking all our asses but getting decimated in the process and then reinforcements come in and take over Earth. :D
I like GibsonUSA's idea that CJ could have been a human too. We don't know what happened to CJ's mom. Maybe she was a human and that's why CJ, Jr. is so smart. Okay that's racist again, but still.
People who don't get the aliens behavior aren't thinking about it as if they were humans. That quick shot of them in the ship showed what looked like aliens living in squalor. That's why I thought it was a prison ship. Because it looked like those old prison conditions where they chained you to a wall and your toilet was some straw. If they were living like that for long enough it could have totally fucked them up. Besides didn't you guys see 'Blindness'? Humans were acting like that and they were blind for what, like a week? Some of you guys just wanna be hatin' and are purposely not thinking it through. -
that's what I meant
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IM SPEECHLESS GUYS... AFTER YEARS OF HOPING FOR SOMETHING TO BLOW ME AWAY... THIS FILM WAS SO MEASURED... SO EMOTIONAL... THE EFFECTS, THE POWER OF THE ALIEN PERFORMANCES...I LOST SIGHT OF THEM BEING COMPOSITES. CINEMATICALLY SEAMLESS. TREMENDOUS. DESERVES PICTURE OF THE YEAR. THE ARC OF THE LEAD CHARACTER WAS UTTERLY BELIEVABLE. ORGANIC. MAN!!!!!!!!!
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My votes would be:
Inglourious Basterds
9
Jennifer's Body
Shutter Island
Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3D
Zombieland
The Road
Where the Wild Things Are
2012
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Avatar
and...
Sherlock Holmes
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Avatar and The Imaginarium of Dr parnassus.
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I want District 10!!!
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D( "combines elements that have not been combined before?" Aliens and "weird technology?" Wow, nice to finally welcome those plot elements to science fiction. But here's one you forgot: The Evil Corporation! If only movies like Alien, Aliens, Blade Runner, Robocop, Terminator, Terminator 2, Moon and Wall-E had introduced that concept. Think about where the genre would be all these years later! Yeah brah, we're really through the looking glass now...
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Ranks with the best in the genre.
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Right on... im thinking number 1 or 2 because of the balance in story elements...
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Money (not gobs of it because I don't want a sequel), nominations in the right places: effects, cinematography (acting?). Sharlto Copley is here to stay after this. He proved here that he can be funny, serious and an action hero all at once. His bumbling at first had me laughing/cringing and it made his transformation all the more wrenching, and for studios to finally realize that taking chances on original ideas (instead of remaking everything). This might be a bit much but I have high hopes after seeing this.
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... but it's not something the film constantly hits you over the head with. This allows it to be a hard-hitting, sometimes brutal sci-fi actioner. Movies like this are why blu-ray was invented. I look forward to adding this film to my collection
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just like harry and other critics said, one of the best sci fi movies children of men. Some said people say it doesn't need a sequel. Actually I think their may be one in three years. hopefully people will know what i am referencing to. Great movie. Anybody who likes science fiction should shell out the money to watch this movie.
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guys this film is so deftly executed on all levels we need to stop handicapping by limiting it to a genre... it masterful and should be spoken of with the same reverence as the much less deserving oscar winners... i dont want to see something brilliant reduced to an oscar for sfx.... it was absolutely a gut wrencher...ive got a son and those scenes of the alien son and father had me to tears.... id though because it was so brutal that at any moment they could kill the father or son... OMG... it was raw... it resonated just as intensely if not with mccarthys the road. thanks for your supportive comments.
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It makes me sick to read reviews by people who shit on this film (though it's fairly rare) and either compare it to GI Joe and Transformers or say those films are better. Holy shit how can anyone even say that?
Yes opinions on film are subjective, but that goes without saying. -
Except without the extremely annoying and grainy shaky cam gimmick. This movie was much more enjoyable for me than Cloverfield. It is an amazing achievement for $30M. Funny, that's probably what it costs just to hire some of the cast of Trans 2.
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the shaky cam i believe it is meant to take us away from the overwrought studiostyle direction in that we suspend disbelief and subconsciously dont feel like we are watching either mcdonalds or some swank 5 courser... it's abit like a great home cooked meal or a bbq we throw together... i felt like i was watching something real and mythological... hope that makes sense.
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best movie of the summer. fuck, great movie!
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Just got back from District 9. And my God - what an incredible work of art.
I know we have chatted about the anticipation for Avatar, but right now I feel like I don't need to see Avatar anymore. D9 was it.
I think James Cameron is going to have to pull out all the stops for Avatar, and I'm sure that D9 has him somewhat perplexed - an incredible, epic sci fi for a fraction (1/10th?) of the cost of Avatar?
Don't get me wrong - I want Avatar to succeed immensely, and I love Cameron's track record. But dude - wait until you experience District 9.
The irony is you're from South Africa, but can't see it because you're in Korea. What's up with that!
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I listened to the hype, and for the love of god I'm glad I didn't watch Funny People or Fucking GI Joe.
Not a bad movie, but the human characters were fucking preposterous.
Boo Hoo- third world is grim and gritty and, apparently, drawn out and boring.
Fuck this website-aicn can suck my dick-all of your fucking reviews really are a joke. -
Ok I hoped for the best. But as it went along I got more and more uneasy. I hate inconsistencies! First, South Africa is in charge of all the aliens. No UN presence? The command module leaves the ship and no 'thorough' search for it? The peacenik guy in charge accepts random violence to keep everything nice? What's with Nigerians being the bad guys, is that some SOuth African thing? No one associates the black liquid with his transformation and starts an immediate high secure study? Just because he grows a claw he can immediately understand alien machinery? The evil security guys who persecute the saintly aliens?
There was more like this, but I was losing patience. Sorry, but all I saw, was 2 million violent cockroaches. Too me it was sand in the grains (or shorts if you like) which made the experience painful. I wanted a good memorable experience. I didn't get it. In the end I was hoping that everyone was dead, so it would be all over. -
This film was great. Cloverfield was far from that!
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Give it 8.5 / 10, up there with the sci-fi classics. Wow, it's nice to see an original film again, takes me back to childhood when everything was fresh! Loved all the nods to other greats too!
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This film had the best character arc in a long time - especially for a SF (sorry about the prior 'sci-fi' abbreviation, 9000!) film.
You start with a total asshole, one-dimensional fall-guy as a main character...then see his frustration and contamination...
...then his world flips when his employer - his FAMILY - turns on him in a sickening, shocking revelation. Those weapons testing facility scenes were horrific.
But when he escapes, then returns with Christopher, and you see the two of them seamlessly working together wielding alien weaponry in the basement of the MNU facility to get back at their oppressors...I just cheered inside.
Then that epic mech battle, from the weapons warlord to the emotional ending...unbelievably badass.
Total kick-ass and cathartic character evolution. That main actor will go far. -
Uh, yeah, it was most every other Human VS Alien movie. The Human always hates the aliens at first, but soon grows to care about them. Trek has done this MANY times already.
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Just wondering if anyone remembers the BRAND of cat food shown in the film. It had a distinct name if I remember correctly. Thanks in advance!
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Enemy Mine comes to mind as an example of SF 'character arc'.
But there was something just so real about this transformation of character in D9 that I haven't seen in other films/shows. It seems like the incentive for the main character to change was much more convincing. Even when they get the fluid back to D9, the main character knocks the alien out in his selfishness. So there are flaws in his character that are still apparent even late in the game.
Although I thought that the 72 hour frame (from infection) for those changes was somewhat quick. But damn, good reasons to change! -
I agree 100%. I fucking *hated* cloverfield, but it wasn't made on a huge budget, and it got a huge (and controversial) following. It had that retarded shakycam gimmick and it was impossible for some people to watch. This movie stomps cloverfields nutsack!
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In your admonishment of the film you say "all I saw, was 2 million violent cockroaches." That's what the Botha government saw too. Exactly the world view the movie was trying to shed light on. Try reading up on South African history esp recent problems there with immigrants from Zimbabwe and Nigerian gangs then watch the film again- I bet it'll be much more statisfying.
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Really enjoyed it, not as violent as i had hoped or been led to believe but very enjoyable.
Glad this is a hit hopefully Jackson will make more cheap films under his Wingnut banner. -
... and I thought it was pretty good, not the next messiah of sci-fi, but better than most of the trash this summer
I didn't think it was that violent (AA in canada 14 and above) although when the mech goes apeshit their are some pretty decent gore, I didn't think the fx were mind blowing (another blow to faraci) but for the budget they are functional and at times awesome
anyone else notice that some of the sound effects seem reused from the game Halflife? -
Cat food brand name was Puddi I believe.
Brilliant film -
changes it. but Trek even did that too. And Rod Serling before that. Roddenberry and Serling were two visionaries.
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what i meant is it combined the alien stuff with the emotional human stuff and yes i know EVIL corporations have been used over and over again well you know its no use arguing with someone who has there mind made up. I'm sorry you couldn't see this movie from a different point of view and had to judge as a regular popcorn movie. Regular popcorn movies don't have emotion behind them. Popcorn movies have tons of useless effects that keep audiences distracted to the fact that the movie has no real plot or story. This movie had a plot and a story driving the CG and the effects and actually made you care about some of the CG characters. So once again I am sorry you can't appreciate this movie for what it is. A SF work of art.
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Aug 15, 2009 11:22:49 PM CDT
District 9 is great! The characters are MEMORABLE.
by stereotypical evil archer
Powerful use of violence, used to tell a powerful story which is really about how two characters change and become better people under the harshest of circumstances.
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Aug 15, 2009 11:29:15 PM CDT
Shocked by character arc = confused about where the sun goes at
by hippie_killer
Yeah man, WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED that the lead character who hated the aliens would end up being the BFF of an alien by the end? OMG! It's so new and fresh! It's never happened in any story, let alone science fiction!
It's like this entire board is made up of 12 year old boys whose gold standard of character and story development begins with Halo 1 and ends with Halo 3. Jesus tittyfucking Christ, calm down and give your testicles a chance to descend. Your world was just rocked by a silly little popcorn movie that had logic holes big enough to turn a battle ship around in AND YOUR BRAGGING ABOUT IT. If D9 rocked your world, perhaps you need to experience more of the world. -
Total visionaries. D9 just takes the concepts to a different level. Nothing wrong with that.
And Evil Archer, who is the second character who changes? The main human character I can see - but are you referring to the alien Chris as well? I totally concur with you regarding the story/characters, by the way. -
who like to spoil every single detail of every major part of the film please find the strength to move your fingers at the keys to type *SPOILER*? Too much to ask, no? Thnks!
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mommy didn't drive us ALL to the cineplex the nanosecond it came out.
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...agreed.
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...my mommy wanted to let you know that's what the 'SPOILER' flag is for on the very link that you clicked to get to this talkback.
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Aug 15, 2009 11:53:05 PM CDT
This is the greatest goddamn movie of the year. KNEEL!!!!!
by tall_boy66
Recognize, fuckers! how can AICN pimp Funny People and GI Joe when this is out here?
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It says at the top of the talk back that this talkback will be full of spoilers... learn to read.
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and it sold out. Ushers were pointing flash lights at the few single empty seats for late comers. I loved this movie. I was so caught up in the story and plot that it wasn't until after the movie was over that I realized it was non-stop action! Beautiful, exciting, FUCKED MY EYEBALLS IN EXACTLY THE WAY AVATAR WON"T! I've spent years of my life wondering how to revive the Alien franchise, and this is the answer. DON'T!! Just find something new to do and get someone with some talent to do it and get someone like Peter Jackson to be in charge and just say, "YES!" to whatever the guy with talent asks! This movie rocks because it is a big "FUCK YOU" to folks like Michael Bay and Jim Cameron, and yes, even Peter Jackson... I stand by my statements, but I apologize to PJ and JC for putting them in a sentence with Michael Bay... They probably didn't deserve that.
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and it sold out. Ushers were pointing flash lights at the few single empty seats for late comers. I loved this movie. I was so caught up in the story and plot that it wasn't until after the movie was over that I realized it was non-stop action! Beautiful, exciting, FUCKED MY EYEBALLS IN EXACTLY THE WAY AVATAR WON"T! I've spent years of my life wondering how to revive the Alien franchise, and this is the answer. DON'T!! Just find something new to do and get someone with some talent to do it and get someone like Peter Jackson to be in charge and just say, "YES!" to whatever the guy with talent asks! This movie rocks because it is a big "FUCK YOU" to folks like Michael Bay and Jim Cameron, and yes, even Peter Jackson... I stand by my statements, but I apologize to PJ and JC for putting them in a sentence with Michael Bay... They probably didn't deserve that.
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I still don't know which I prefer. Both so masterfully executed. I have never sympathized with a cgi character as much as the father/son aliens. For something so alien looking their faces were unbelievably expressive.
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Sorry, that rant probably didn't even deserve a single post. Still loved D9 though, been a while since a movie made my body buzz.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parktown_prawn -- Thought it was pretty cool that the infamous ghetto bug of Joburg was transmogrified into the actual ghetto dwelling alien species. You can see some design flourishes in that plated back carapace that the D9 prawns share. A funny connection to Peter Jackson, too, since in NZ they are called "Wetas." A great film, a great time all around.
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If bug junior could call the mother ship to come and tractor beam them up, then why wait so long to do it? (oh because then there would be no movie at all........)
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because they don't have to think at all the motivations of the characters or symbolism or what's going on beneath the surface because it's all right there. The surface is all there is. No one with a pulse left the theater wondering what the director was trying to say or asking big questions. No one, and I mean NO ONE was challenged by this movie. Yes, I freely admit that D9 had emotion, action, sorrow, violence, drama, story and charters -- funny, moving characters! -- but so does Monday Night Football. And I expect great science fiction to deliver more than Monday Night Football. Period.
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They had no fuel for 20 years, and then once they did the kid was trying to get his daddy back on the ship with him.
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"And remember dear reader... Be prepared for spoilers in the below talkback, this is for people that have seen the film and there's no way they're not going to chat all about it. Because, that's what this talkback is all about!!!" Shush.
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So I was in the middle of this instant Sci-Fi legend (ah, I'll be able to tell my grandkids that Paw was one of the 1st to see D-9 way back when we had our 1st black president) and it was the part where Wikus was falling apart at the sight of his own morphing body. There was a...gentleman with his wife and 2 kids to my left. A burly, army dude with too much to prove, you know the type. Anyways, I was enraptured in the dynamic performance when he says loudly enough for the row to hear: "Is he crying? He needs to stop crying." This told me the actor did his work. He reacted the way a real person would react who was insecure, facing bodily trauma alone and scared. The way I would. The way I have. I felt bitter at the 'self-assured' viewer. As if he could actually go through this transformation stoically had it been him. "He'd by crying like a little bitch and he knows it...damn it i'm so pissed off at that jerk...doesn't he have any compassion?". The fact that 2 strongly opposed reactions occurred during this scene underscores for me why D-9 will be one of the greats. The damn aliens had more human, compassionate reactions than Mr. Tough Guy in real life. Brilliant CGI acting and the way Wikus almost runs away but comes back to save Christopher, so in character...so what a coward would do in real life. The way he tells Christopher that the new place "is NOT better" and the disappointment on the alien's face and the hopeful posture of the alien child is HEARTBREAKING. Then the fact that he doesn't so much becomes a hero as much as he resigns to his inevitable fate and doesn't care what the world thinks of him anymore...this movie oozes humanity from every celluloid pore. The reactions were so dead on: the shock, the despair, the dumb-bravery. I BELIEVED Christopher when he said "I will be back in 3 years." My skin got goosebumps when the mothership came to life. If you can sit through that much emotional pull and come away with logical inconsistencies and not a mind-fucking revelation of the human condition...I question your genome.
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I didn't think it was BAD, mind you, just nothing that was especially noteworthy, either. Certainly no better in either substance or gimmick than "Cloverfield".
I will say that the lead actor was very good. Nice to see a lead that actually seems like a real person. -
Why am I not hearing hardly anyone scream about the blatant Kafka ripoff? I thought the point of AICN talkback nowadays was to compare everything to everything else?
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Prawns = Arab Insurgents. Documentary more like Clovefield and Quarentine and not an action movie like the trailer suggests. Don't pay full price. mininova.org
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...what is riskier is to leave the timeline broken, which would included the deaths of Kirk's father, Spock's mother, and most of the populace of Vulcan...and who knows what else that may have been affected by Nero and his men, directly, and indirectly??? Now, does that make any sense for future Spock to do nothing, knowing those stakes, as it regards the broken timeline? Even the Temporal Police may not exist anymore because of it--who knows the side-effects in the aftermath of such an event? Time alteration is the ultimate weapon, aside from being God Himself--one that would make a thousand nuclear wars look like a joke--or even a thousand planet destroying Deathstars, or even millions or billions of them.The only logical move for future Spock to make, would have been to take his ship, or the Enterprise, and crew, backwards, or forwards, in time, to attack, capture, and or, kill, Nero and his cronies, before they could change the timeline.
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I think the obvious metaphor you're looking for is the apartheid in South Africa. This didn't have anything to do with Arab Insurgents by way of either allusion or metaphor.
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It is overrated. It's a good film up there with Children of Men. But it did lack depth. I was pretty impressed with it's 30 million budget. This goes to show that Hollywood doesn't need to spend that much money on a quality film. One thing I never understood about 'alien' films, is that you have these insect-crustacean species that have more evolved technology than the humans. You would think a more intelligent being would eventually progress into a more metaphysical state and eventually turn into moving energy, or moving light.. but we have aliens with physically underdeveloped bodies with functions meant for underwater and deep forest living that are able to harvest metal, build circuit boards that can map solar systems via holograms, build smooth surface mech suits that resemble humans more than their own species/race/whatever, etc. I would have rather that created the aliens to 'fit' their technology more. Maybe somebody can help me accept this.
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I could understand taking 20 years to make fuel for their shuttle, but just to send a communication to be picked up? It doesnt seem it would take near that long to send a signal.
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Blomkamp has done an amazing job. This breathes a whole new life into sci-fi. Simply put, this movie isn't overrated at all.
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And the time traveling thieves always go back in time when their targets are grown up and are able to thwart the villains' plans. Go back to day one; before the mom or dad knew each other. But that would make too much sense.
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I'm not sure I agree with your assesment of technology vs. biology (I believe it was mentioned that the prawns were a 'worker' class of alien). Not to mention, the idea of the moving energy or light is your own conjecture, no real basis in reality either way. I got the feeling that there were smarter prawns capable of higher intellectual feats hidden away among the others.
However, I completely agree with your opinion of this movie. -
Those over thinking the sci fi/alien tech shit are missing the point. This film kicked ass because of many things, awesome fx on 30 mil budget, amazing acting from first time actors, new spin on alien/human contact. But the real kicks in the ass are the apartide analogies, this is South Africa people, and it has a fucked up history captured perfectly in this film. And of course the love story. The scene in the film when he's talking to his wife on the phone are so heartbreaking, and the flowers he sculpts out of metal at the end, I had a lump in my throat. Any time a film makes me think about it for 3 straight days is a good sign. Purists who don't want a District 10 need to think about just how fucking epic a sequel would and could be as long as hollywood doesn't taint it with cheese and soullessness.
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I guess that would make sense if the prawns were a working class alien sub-group under a caste system form another planet. It's just that you would thing the alien designs would look more like them if that makes any sense. Like having the spaceships look more crustacean, or more insect-like. The weapons should have looked more crustacean, too. Although, it would be cool if our soldiers from planet earth had guns that looked crustacean haha.
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yeah buddy, no depth in this movie.
idiot.
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I agree with you assessment, but I'm not sure why would categorize D9 with Children of Men. To me, Children of Men could be held up as a definitive example of the kind of depth and nuance that D9 lacked.
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Just my opinion.
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BEFORE CHRISTOPHER COMES BACK AND KILLS US ALL!
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Just saw it with a friend and overall I enjoyed it as a new SF flick...loved the production standards and effects work...Blomkamp did a great job directing, so I'm sure his phone is already ringing off the hook regardless of how this does at the box office. So for the time I was actually sitting in the theater, it was fun.But, come on, give me a break otherwise. Once the lights come up, you just CANNOT deny that this script had logic holes SO fucking huge you could drive Optimus Prime sized rigs right through them. So not a bad movie to see, had some fun watching the action bits, but I can't agree with Harry that this is some kind of all-new, high water benchmark in sci fi movie history. It was good, but it wasn't THAT good.
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Well, if I had to pick between the two, I'd choose Children of Men. I agree with you that COD does have more going for it in the details story-wise. Again, I enjoyed D9 and it had some very cool moments (great live-action mech scene), but they could have gone a little further with the story like one talkbacker mentioned.
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Me and my lady saw the movie and loved it. Others have mentioned Roger Ebert's review; I read it before I saw the movie and remembered his line "[c]uriously, none of these weapons seem superior to those of the humans". I'm not sure where he gets his intel, but I'm pretty sure we don't have bullet-catching battle droids and disintegrator rays.
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As you can see, I had Call of Duty on my mind. I meant COM, not COD.
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In the ass. Great, but not perfect flick. Right up there with Sunshine as the most original and entertaining sci-fi of this decade.
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Plot holes? Sure. Whatfuckingever. This is the most fun I've had at a movie theatre in years.
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The Israelies have a device that can shoot down a shoulder launched grenade, from any vehicle being attacked, within feet of the actual launch. It is stunning to see, but real. And yes, we have particle beam weapons that can disintegrate things. There is said to be a weapon that the U.S. government has that can destroy anything within a 40 mile range. Here is the irony, though--one of the places it is based, is rumored to be Area 51. And be assured, they have space based weapons that can do that, or worse, far worse. One last thing, I have heard of a weapon a high ranking U.S. politician talked about us having before. He threatened some of our enemies with it--the name of the politician, I don't recall, but he called the weapon "Thor's Hammer"...and people who seem to have inside knowledge of whatever this is...seemed to be in great fear of what this thing can do. What it is, or what its capabilities are, I have no idea...but the folks that were talking about it, seemed to have reason to be in great awe???
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Looking for answers to race relations in this movie eh? No big world solution conveniently dropped in your lap for your $10 and 2 hours of sitting on your ass?
My what a narrow parameter you set for this film. Perhaps it was enough to hold up a mirror to how we treat others by using an alien race in a sci fi context.
You are a lazy thinker and have a pre-determined template of the movie going in and if the film does not meet your narrow parameters of metaphor, context, resolution etc then 'it sucks".
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No - because this movie doesn't SELL itself as "pure entertainment." It sells itself as a "fake documentary that uses aliens as a metaphor about race relations." Well, you damn well are going to show me that kind of metaphor, you'd BETTER have something to ACTUALLY SAY. Which it did not.
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" to take its premise seriously, to have a serious human protagonist, not a goofy buffoon"
Can't you see how effective it is to make him the enemy? He's a perfect example of how real-life rotten people act. Petty fools in positions of power. Ignorant people with a title, following orders believing they are doing the "right thing". Everyday, ordinary, average Joe, bureaucrat, tool with a clip board, a badge and trained firepower to back him up. That's your worst fucking nightmare.
You looking for Darth Vader? Ming the Merciless? Or how about someone straight out of central casting like Willem Dafoe or Alan Rickman to chew up scenery and spit out one liners? Ya that would have rocked dude!
And about the fluid in the cannister turning him into an alien? You figure it out. I suggest a second viewing. I'm sure you will. Peter thanks you for seeing ALL of his films...multiple times.
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I admit you raise a good point re: "Petty fools in positions of power. Ignorant people with a title, following orders believing they are doing the "right thing". Everyday, ordinary, average Joe, bureaucrat, tool with a clip board, a badge and trained firepower to back him up. That's your worst fucking nightmare." Indeed.
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I would have thought the incredible arc of the main character was a blatantly obvious message.
You think people are disappointed they got some fun sci fi action, special FX and excitement...when instead they were misled by a trailer thinking they were going to see a serious, dialogue driven faux documentary probing race relations and our bitter, clinging ways?
Way to read into that trailer. -
What if we don't really know the alien's real form--? Maybe on their planet they're more human-like but using that technology transformed them into their current form.
My group instantly thought of Robotech after the mech went into action. -
hey sorry for pointing out the BLEEDINGLY OBVIOuS but some people around here seem to NEED it spelled out for them
I keep hearing "oh but for those plotholes" or "yeah it had such huge plotholes in it man!" yadayadayada... - but no ACTUAL description of the problem!
said it before, others have said it, I'll say it again, more people will keep saying it - some people just come to this site TO BITCH
"oh but it's flawed - it will never be a CLASSIC like Bladerunner"
let me tell you something about Bladerunner - IT IS FULL OF FUCKING FLAWS - they just RESHOT an infamous scene for the new new new cut because it was too OBVIOUSLY a man in a wig crashing through the fucking glass, man!
give me a "classic" you hold in such esteem and I will point out some fucking FLAWS with it - SO WHAT?? A "classic" is not classic because it's "perfect" - no film is or ever has been or likely ever WILL BE perfect
having said that NOTHING I've seen posted on here even REMOTELY resembles a "plot hole" - so again I ask...
what
fucking
plotholes
all I'm hearing so far is stuff that people just DIDN'T GET - and I'm happy to point out what might have been missed or theorise about the psychological/epistemological motivations of the make believe aliens or their technology or whatever -
but don't just bitch for the sake of being able to read back your own drivel under your wonderfully clever pen name... -
I'm so sick of all you nerds who think you're so FUCKING entitled to complain about the hard work of other people. If you think you can do it better, fucking prove it. Get a job in the industry and make shit happen. Don't sit on your ass and whine because someone made something you didn't love 100%. THEY DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOU. THEY DID IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE MONEY AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
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*Needs more sparkles*
The humans were preposterous and this flick was alien nation but more boring.
Shoulda nuked D-9 from orbit.
Maybe you can all get racial awareness badges since you watched this flick to learn how things work in imaginary Africa.
Now you're racially sensitive.
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The symbol means lesser than.
10010101 01010001 0101010 01010110 010101010 0101010 -
It was great, but I didn't watch it as a really serious sci-fi but as an action sci-fi, which is what it was. Peter Jackson was the producer for fuck's sake. It was however very intelligent, emotional,enagaging, funny, surprising etc
The film was not marketed as a faux documentary social commentary. My housemate asked me "Was it like Independence Day?" The person I saw it with said "That was great. It wasn't anything like what I expected." -
also, why is everyone saying that the movie took the aliens' side? I felt that the aliens were portrayed as really miserable creatures, who didn't deserve help from the humans. The protagonist was also pretty unlikable, obviously, as well as all the other human characters. All you haters can take your political bullshit and shove it. If that's all you got out of the film, then i feel sorry for you.
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The Buffy TV series is brilliant. If you want Romeo and Juliet meets vampires...one with tremendous allegories about life, love, May/December romance, and the hypocrisy of society, Buffy makes you think, Twilight however, is just all the frosting, and no cake!!!
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For putting so eloquently the frustration that so many of us feel about these retards like Spymonk. Jesus Christ, if you think something is a plot hole, how about using your own fucking imagination to fill in the gaps??
"Wah, it doesn't say anything about race." WTF??? It was making a statement, not asking a question then answering it.
Can't believe people are complaining about the best sci-fi movie of the year. Some talkbackers will officially NEVER be happy. -
No others really spring to mind.
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some of these miserable talkbackers will never be happy with a film no matter what. sure not everyone as to like everything but some of these guys are the same guys who bitch and moan every single time a film comes out.
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The black fluid that causes Wikus to begin transforming into a prawn, it seems strange that ANY substance could transform one species into another alien species. At first I took this as sort of a deus ex machina move, meaning the story required it so it happened.
But what if there are other "prawns" who used to be some other species? And let's take that another step further. What if ALL THE PRAWNS used to be another species?
Think about that for a few minutes.
What if they all became the way they are because of their contact with that technology? Just like Wikus?
If they actually do make a sequel, I hope this is addressed... -
Both the wife and I liked it. Makes me sad to see so many comments with wives and girlfriends not enjoying good sci-fi. You guys have my empathy.
Where The Wild Things Are will have to be pretty damn good to beat this for my favorite movie of 09. -
nice visuals and designs, but badly constucted and derivative story with huge plotholes...in other words another dumb scifi film
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nice visuals and designs, but badly constucted and derivative story with huge plotholes...in other words another dumb scifi film
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A bit like your review then robamenta.
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what
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Aug 16, 2009 8:07:45 AM CDT
IT FUCKED MY EYEBALLS LIKE A NIGERIAN PROSTITUTE!!!!!!
by bringingsexyback
That was insane. The effects were so damned seamless it had me wondering "how did they fucking do that?" the entire time. This put every EFX movie before it to shame. This really was virtual reality.
And that lead actor ... he never acted before? Are you KIDDING me? He's totally brilliant.
I would love to see a sequel (and to see the aliens (don't call them prawns) freed but if they can't come up with a script that just rivals this, I don't want it. I don't want anything to ruin this great movie's legacy. The characters Wigas, Christopher and the kid ... packed such an emotional punch.
And did y'all catch the Halo reference when Wigas said his wife is an angel and has a halo? Nice wink, Jackson and Blomkamp.
I don't know about you but this summer's been a great one for movies for me. I put D9 way the fuck up there. Brilliant! -
The smartest sci-fi (that doesn't treat it's audience like retards) we've had in years and you people still find a way to claim it sucks. There really is no pleasing people primed to hate something, is there? I mean, really, you need to stop watching movies. Because, seriously, you're always going to be disappointed and then yell about how shitty the movie was because it didn't live up to your unrealistic expectations. And then there's the idiots complaining because the movie didn't lay out every bit of detail for them. "Why didn't it explain this and this and this and this..." Why do you NEED everything explained to you in crayon? I mean, really, can you just not accept that maybe this alien substance that we don't fully know the properties of has a sort of chemical that if ingested fucks with your DNA? Do you really need to know how every fucking thing works down to the god damn atomic level? And the characters. The transformation of Wikus is stunning and the performance of the Prawn were outstanding. The movie felt so very un-hollywood. It had a child alien that didn't do slap stick comedy or some silly shit like that. And the reactions between Christopher and wikus with the child felt very real. It asked questions a child might ask, it behaved the way a child might. I appreciated this movie for respecting it's audience so much it didn't need to spoonfeed us everything. Shame some of you can't.
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"Why am I not hearing hardly anyone scream about the blatant Kafka ripoff? I thought the point of AICN talkback nowadays was to compare everything to everything else?"
That's like complaining that a movie is ripping off the bible because a guy sacrifices himself. -
...I just finished watching Gran Torino. That Korean kid can't act, but the ending has me all teary eyed.
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are addresses by Blomkamp in his interview in the Onion's AV Club. Sharlto Copley also has an interview there that answers some questions. Basically, they had a world of background knowledge in their heads but the STORY didn't demand that every little mystery be spelled out for the audience. I think Blomkamp said something about not wanting to spoon feed people. Still he was nice enough to answer some questions the interviewer had. Haters can wrap their gums around Devestator;s balls.
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It's like the N word!!!! And Chak, that kid is Hmong, not Korean. D9 rules!
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It was totally satiusfying!
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"everything explained to you in crayon" = LOL
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This totally makes up for KK.
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Aug 16, 2009 9:23:09 AM CDT
While I liked it, not loved it, I am stoked by the box office
by yackbacker
$36 million opening for a movie that cost $30 to shoot? Ah, there's something glorious about that fact. Fuck the $200 million Sommers/Bay splooge fests. They really are the end of the film industry if they continue to dominate the studios' slates. Jackson and Blomkamp have proven that you can execute a fully legit genre pic on a very modest budget. This means we could be getting more movies that matter to us geeks. Shit, they could shoot a Batman movie for this amount of money- make it a real DETECTIVE COMICS tale- why not? At the very least, though, you can do DAREDEVIL, DR. STRANGE, a Ron Moore BSG Movie, etc. all for a budget of this range. If I'm a producer, I'm looking at D-9 as a model for production. Sure, licensing rights make things expensive, as do cast salaries for some of these pics, but even if you could get a movie that usually costs $200 down to $100, you're making your profits that much more attainable. D-9 proves you don't need to blow the wad to make a professional movie.
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I thought this movie was a lot of fun and it was pretty smart filmmaking to boot. A nice oasis in a summer overpopulated with shit.
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jon--- i feel you man... i had the same intense emotional arc! the father wiku father son relationship was heartbreaking as was the eventual reveal of this imperfect hero and how much he loved his wife and family... which does exist out there. i havent been so complexly and emotionally engaged by any film... it layered the the shit out of the arc and character entaglements. i was just stunned. BTW all this commentary on plot holes and the political landscape of South Africa being some moralistic tale... because SA has such a conflcited past and has townships its a natural backdrop for the internment of the aliens... its so interesting to see the very people who were under apartheid suggesting that is what they want for the wikus... also SA was a target of cold war strategies... my father delivered nuclear capabilities to SA in the late 50's... I have stories that would blow your mind... im south african and american and unless you live there and really know the intense underlying history and i mean the real stuff that went down and not the pand not the journalistic bullshit then no one can comprehend the forces at play working against the country.
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If you're going to complain this movie sucked because of some "huge fucking plot holes", then try mentioning at least one.
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Dear JediWuddayaknow!!!
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!
SO tired of these whiny bitches on this site... what have they ever done?
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Sure, I'll give more criticism. How about the jokey, cheesy BRAIN DEAD moments of humor? How about the way the film portrays the white characters as mean-spirited and the black characters as ignorant fools? How about how the white characters are cruel and the black characters are savages? I personally felt the film, in trying to "shed light" on racial insensitivity, was pretty damn insensitive to the aces it DID portray from the real world. It was near a misntrel show at some points.
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human barbarism laid bare.
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No doubt D9 is the finest science fiction film in 20 years, fresh and unigue and yes it drug a little at some points but I was totally pleased and very impressed and was near tears at the end, and it was a full house at my theatre..
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it was totally not that good. the effects were phenomenal. some good action. but once the dude knocked chris out and got shot down - to me all credibility was lost. did he think he could heal himself? why would fuel turn you into an alien? were other humans turned to aliens? is chris going to actually come back in 3 years? i understand the allusion to racial strife but it was far to heavy handed. the aliens could have kicked the humans ass easily. and cat food is a drug, give me a friggin break....
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I'm right there with you. Here are my issues with the movie (warning many spoilers):
1. The movie jumps in and out of documentary style whenever it's convenient. It apparently too hard a challenge to tell the story strictly using documentary style so the director cheats. For instance, how would you know that Christopher is working on an underground spaceship? So the director turns those scenes into straight ahead action shots insulting the audience's intelligence in the process.
2. The lead is unsympathetic and really so over the top that at times you might as well be watching a Terry Gilliam movie. Fortunately we have two aliens we can care about but their weight is not enough to offset the campy acting of the lead.
3. The antagonists are the typical cookie cutter villains. No overarching motivation is provided for the alien experiments they are conducting other than possible profiteering. The villains would be much more interesting if they had a cause they believed in such as gearing up for a second alien invasion.
4. Spaceship fuel turns humans into aliens? WTF!!!???
5. If the only substance the aliens needed to fuel their ship is found in alien artifacts, why didn't the aliens create the fuel while their asses were parked in the mothership for so long?
6. Weapons from the spaceship are actually in the hands of the aliens in the concentration camp. Wouldn't this be dangerous? Well the aliens don't have the initiative to use themselves. Oh OK, so they must just be there to allow the lead easy access to them for the final battle.
There are others but I've gone on long enough. I'm sure this movie will find a fan base but for me this is just another tally on the over-hyped movie scoreboard. -
This movie is one of the most genuine efforts out of hollywood science fiction in years. It's not designed around selling toys and action figures. It's not hyper pretentious in a way they assume CGI or one specific gimmick will sell it. It's fresh, and not squeezed from the same play-doh fun factory as Trans 2 or GI blow. It has a lot more going for it than crap exploding every 5 minutes. Yet there seems to be a vocal faction that wants to bitch slap it because it's not the movie they would have made. So many fucking genius critics, yet none of them seem to be making great movies themselves. D9 was a joy...period. Give me more like it and less like GI blow and trashformers.
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If this is the best science-fiction movie of the past 20 years, then that doesn't say much for the past 20 years. Most of you seem perfectly willing to suck down whatever slop is placed in front of your faces.
Kudos to Neil for making a paltry budget "look" fantastic. But that isn't enough for me. Excellence must deliver on all fronts, from acting to plot to cinematography and everything in-between.
Simply put, the so-called plot of District 9 is hackneyed. Packed with goofy moments and tired cliches.
Wow, a mech being brought to its knees after sustaining relentless firepower...haven't seen that done a thousand times.
Corny cell-phones conversations that laughably try to spotlight the ridiculous relationship of the main character....I'm turning into an alien, but I want do be with you! Please.
A bald bad guy who grimaces and and mugs, issuing forth cliche's like "He'll never know what him him...", etc.
Neil said in an interview that 90% of the dialog was improvised. Yeah, after watching this train-wreck, I can believe it.
Whatever hope the movie has for the first 30-45 mins quickly devolves into a pretty lame chase sequence that seemingly never ends.
It's obvious Neil comes from the commercial world, just like his hack brethren Michael Bay. All style, no substance.
District 9 the best sci-fi of the past 20 years? LOL. "Moon" blows this tripe away in every regard.
But hey, jokes on me. You all enjoyed it and your life is the better for it. I'm the one who wasted money on a ticket.
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That Peter Jackson's films ALWAYS portray blacks as psychotic, blood-thirsty savages? Check Dead Alive, King Kong and now District 9. I'm seeing a pattern here folks, and it's not a racially sensative one.
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was pretty laughable. in case you're wondering, insects on our own planet don't have penises and vaginas, but somehow giant space crickets do?
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"Don't point your tentacles at me"?......Tentacles?
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with razor wire and armed guards, yet all over town are signs that say "humans only"? Hmmmm. Is it just accepted that prawns break out constantly and want a cup of coffee? And the way to handle this isn't to get the army to come and take them away, but to politely remind them that their kind isn't served there?So when we talk about plot holes, this is the type of thing we are referring to.
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The story is just lacking. What we have here is aliens in camp, guy gets infected, helps alien break out cylinder (which they magically are able to find, not even knowing it was in that building), alien fires up ship and leaves.There is no emotional journey. The main character is a prick. The only reason he is upset is because something happened to him. It's all EXTERNAL conflict, not INTERNAL conflict.We never see him accept that he ever did anything wrong and that he is now working to stop what he was a part of. To get on his side, we NEED THAT! Otherwise he's just Wormtongue begging not to get killed by the King. Was anyone feeling sorry for Wormtongue at that point? NO, of course not! So this guy shooting back at people who are trying to kill him doesn't get me on his side. That's just "you reap what you sow".Also since we don't know ANYTHING about the aliens, it's hard to root for them. This is particularly so since a lot of them act like idiot assholes too. Now I'm sure this was done on purpose to hint that we are all to blame for our divides but you can have copmplexity without blandness and the conflict in this film is too bland. It's assholes vs. assholes. No matter who wins, I as the viewer loses. Spartacus took a side, V took a side, and that's why those pieces are classics.Remember how much you hated Matrix Revolutions because they had a hippy dippy peacenik ending? This is why you hated it, because it took away your "side".
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budget back! Hopefully good word of mouth will give this movie staying power. All in all, a good sign of things to come for Neil Blomkamp, and for movie goers especially!
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... reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Homer goes to college and starts hanging out with nerds, and they arguing on the Internet with nerds from MIT about why Captain Kirk is better than Captain Picard. That's what this is like.
Not everyone is expected to like every movie that some people consider good, but if you had a horrible time at this movie, a movie about aliens, because of some flaws in logic, then I really feel sorry for you and I wouldn't want to hang out with you. It's a movie. Enjoy it. One of my favorite movies is Tremors and I would hate to watch it with one of you joyless fuckers as you pick at the logic of it. -
I can't stand Owen in ANYTHING. Why? Because in every movie he is in, he is just playing CLIVE OWEN. Seriously. From Sin City to Children of Men, it's just Clive Owen being Clive Owen. The man cannot act. (Well, he can act...but only like Clive Owen.) So, for me, D9 actually HAD acting in it. Compared to Children of Men. Which had Clive Owen.
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its not that good. its an ok flick. this is not even in the top 20 sci fi flicks all time. i dont hate the fact that people like it. i just feel that they are buying into the hype and defending it. if you like it, and accept it with its flaws, good for you. i dont. its not worthy of such praise. i would rather have seen robotech put thru the WETA paces. not some overly hyped social commentary that fails under its own weight.
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The aliens are walled in because humans are afraid of them. But the aliens are allowed to create super-weapons? how are they even getting the materials to make these things? When they were digging around in the trash heap looking for alien technology I kept thinking "WHAT alien technology? How did it get on Earth? Were the aliens allowed to bring their fuckin' iPods? What exactly was the check-in process for these aliens the humans are so afraid of that they were able to bring in alien technology? It's not like they even had pockets to hide stuff in.I'm not even clear how the fuck we were able to hover next to the ship and cut into it. is this a future world where we have some sort of ship that can hover in place and accommodate a team of welders to cut a massive hole into the side of a floating spaceship, you know, just in case?And assumedly this vehicle can accommodate what, 100 alien passengers at a time? Otherwise it would take forever to bring them all down.And then there's the question of how in THE FUCK these things lasted at least 3 months without any food or water.Now let's just take the premise that has been put forth that these are just idiot drones. First of all, CJ is not like any of the others. let's just assume that he's some sort of overseeer. If he's so fuckin' brilliant....one has to wonder why he decided to just let the ship hover over Earth for 3 months while his people starved to death without so much as a "hello Earth" message. Ask youself if that makes a cunt hair's bit of sense.Then imagine him hiding while his people are unloaded into a concentration camp, waiting for some period of time, then dropping down in the command module knowing it didn't have the power to return to the ship, magically burying it without anyone seeing, and start collecting juice from the iPods his people brought down with them. Sound logical?STILL think it's the best sci fi film of the year beating out Moon?
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.... And wonder what the fuck they were thinking. It's just plain awful disguised as awesome. This is "The Office" meets "Alien Nation" but annoying instead of funny because the director clearly didn't know what film he was making. This should have been a ten-minute skit, not two hours of convoluted docu-style horseshit bashing us over the head with all the things we know and love about prejudice and authority (while still only portraying Nigerians as filthy drug dealers and whores. What?) I'll give you an example of why this movie fails: Ostensibly, the documentary is a propaganda piece being made to win public support of alien concentration camps. We're supposed to believe they are better than the alien slums and that no rights are being violated. So why is the mouthpiece for this program standing in front of an alien shack, explaining to the camera how the alien children go up like popcorn and that's why we hear the popping sounds coming from inside the shack, while the military burns it and everyone inside to ash? Are you fucking kidding me?! Why did that same guy inhale an unknown alien substance and not immediately report himself to their version of the CDC? Or if not him, the camera crew who watched it happen? No one thought when he started vomiting and dripping black liquid from his nose that perhaps a disease control center should be notified? Oi frikkin vey. This was a boring fail all around. All of that said, if they make the sequel as a straight-up sci fi flick sans docu-style device and with no convoluted message crammed down our throats, it would probably be worth checking out in spite of this stink-fest. Then again, they'll probably fuck it up by making the alien kid a lovable Ewok.
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Of course there were a few nitpicks, but the only thing that really annoyed me was how long/often the main character used the cellphone. He's smarter than that. The storytelling was smarter than that. I know he was alone and trying to stay connected to the most "human" part of himself, but he acted as he had no ideal he could be tracked by that phone.Once again, I LOVED the movie. The best SciFi I've seen in the theater in years. (Still need to see MOON.) And the father/child relationship was great. It showed that aliens were bright, nurturing, hopeful and forward looking when not beaten down. This sort of thing made old Star Trek great at times. IMHO YMMV.
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Aug 16, 2009 12:18:45 PM CDT
REVENGE_of_FETT, I'll see your post and raise you....
by www.valiens.com
How is it possible that humans are shocked to find out these beings are smart and sensitive? They arrived here on a ship with a propulsion system far in advance of ours and have weapons we can't even figure out. We are the inferior species by far but because they look and, on the surface, act like roaches we're supposed to ignore the fact that their science is light years ahead of ours? Oh, they like cat food and don't understand money. They must be dumb. Psst...buddy. What's that huge robot behind you doing there? Who built that?
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i think they should consider a sequel because CJ said he would come back in 3 years. ditch the bs docucrap and shoot it straight up aliens coming back for retribution. that could work. i think all the critics and the poeple that made this flick owe the movie going public an apology for mis representing this crap.
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Remember, these are idiot drones. The only know how to mine or whatever. There are no teachers, no alien doctors that can heal them. It's clear that the humans know fuck-all about their biology. I think Blomkamp said in an interview someone cited that their Queen was killed by this mystery virus...yet these apparently all-male drones are able to reproduce without her.The point I'm getting at is, how THE FUCK are we able to understand them? It's just pops and clicks, how can we translate that if they have no teachers?The rabid defenders will say "given enough time we can decode it ourselves". yeah? Well we know dolphins talk to each other with clicks and pops and we have no fuckin' idea what they're saying and dolphins are supposed to be just as smart as we are.
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In 20 years we could figure out their language. One assumes this happened because the aliens taught it to humans and learned our languages. In that time of peace and community we never learned that they were also smart or emotional, so we threw them in slums to rot and ignored the fact that their species conquered space/time... What?
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The aliens are either brilliant because they can build weapons and robots, or they're too stupid to feed themselves or communicate with the planet they're hovering over. You can't have it both ways.
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Little CJ would be a great talk show host.
JENNIFER ANISTON: So, yeah my new movie is going to be coming out this Friday and I'm really proud of it.
LITTLE CJ:
JENNIFER: Uhhh, you're kinda cute. Sure. -
Little CJ would be a great talk show host.
JENNIFER ANISTON: So, yeah my new movie is going to be coming out this Friday and I'm really proud of it.
LITTLE CJ: [Can we go home now?]
JENNIFER: Uhhh, you're kinda cute. Sure. -
and dolphins have been around humans for a lot longer than 20 years.
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Here's another annoying convenience:
Hey, the biofuel necessary to power the ship...! The one thing the prawns need to get home and start again... What??? It also happens to turn human beings into aliens??? How cool is that? The MacGuffin fuels both plotlines! Man, you better get ahold of that freakin' fuel cannister!
Like someone said above -- I liked the movie, but thought it had problems -- but I"m ecstatic that a $30 million movie gonna do big box office. Yes, I'll be in line for District 10. -
They have very large brains because one half of their brain is redundant ... it's a backup brain, that duplicates the functions of the other half. While one half of their brain sleeps, the other half stays wide awake. Why? So they can maximize their fish catching, and avoid sharks and other predators. It doesn't make them intelligent. As for whether or not humans and aliens could teach eachother their languages ... I think it's possible over 20 years ... but I don't think the filmmakers gave it a second thought. I just read that most of the script was improvised by the lead actor, who is a part-time comedian. Wow. Improvised.
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But regardless of their intelligence level, we know they are engaging in some sort of dolphin speak that we can't decode. That's really the point I was trying to make.And yes, the thing about the guy getting sprayed in the face, vomiting, black shit dripping out of his nose and nobody thinking anything about it struck me as odd too. I remember the very next shot was him going home and I was thinking "What the fuck is he doing GOING HOME?" Jesus Christ! Surely he knows he's contracted something from the alien shit, why not go to the "alien shit" specialists on the base? Somehow it's a better idea to go home and expose his family to it?So hopefully some of the hype is waning down for you people thinking it's the best film EVAH and you can start to see the seams the rest of us saw immediately.Again, I LIKE the movie, but it seems like a wasted opportunity because there are so many mistakes and doesn't have a very pointed story.
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...Big Trouble in Little China, right? All the plotholes like having to find a girl with green eyes, and how it took Lo Pan hundreds of years to find a green-eyed girl despite his supernatural powers, and that flying eyeball thing, and etc etc...joyless fuckers.
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Everyone on a movie site should know this, but the money expended on this film is not only the $30M production budget, but also at least a $50M budget for striking prints, shipping them all over the world and advertising. So it's at least $80M we're talking about. And since studios only make 50% of the alloted ticket sales so far this film has only made around $15M towards it's total expenditure of $80M. I'm not attacking the film on this front, I'm sure it will do fine. I'm just pointing out that it is far from recovering it's total cost just yet.
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I don't know how smart dolphins are, but from my interactions with them (on 4 separate occasions at Dolphins Plus in Key Largo) I figure that they are about as self-aware as wolves, which is considerably better than dogs.
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The black stuff that acted as a mutagen in D9 I never thought of as fuel--more as a key that triggered some aspect of their biotechnology. Since that technology was keyed to their genetics, that opens the door to it also having a genetic influence.
As for the guy not going to the hospital for the infection...YES, that would have made sense. But the fact is that he thought admitting he'd made a mistake might cost him his job. He waited too long, but since nothing like this had happened in the 28 years the aliens had been here, I've seen people make much stupider mistakes, letting minor infections turn into major health problems because they couldn't admit they were in serious straits. Hell, I've had friends die from making very similar errors. While stupid, how many people do you know who ignored physical ailments because of emotional issues? Pretty human behavior, and not a plot hole at all. -
The social commentary in D9 is well-done, but it could have gone much farther. I would have rather have seen more development of that theme then seeing the umpteenth person explode. It was good, though. I really liked it. I'll watch it again when it hits dvd, maybe buy it.
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Particularly when it is shot in a docu style. Big Trouble in Little China is a COMEDY GOOFBALL FANTASY. Trying to compare District 9 to it is pretty fuckin' laughable.But compare it to Moon. Moon is 100% airtight.Let me explain why it is important. Science fiction films are ultimately about us. they are a reflection of our value systems and how those systems are challenged by new technology. Watch any sci fi film, they all have that element in common (quite unlike BTiLC by the way).The whole point is to get us involved in a story and get us thinking about the way humanity is evolving to make sure we continue to ask moral questions. When I see characters on the screen acting stupidly or see huge leaps in logic, that takes me as a viewer out of that process. instead of weighing the moral consequences of alien-human relations, I'm stuck wondering about the things I've been listing. I don't WANT to be distracted by these things but as a thinking viewer I can't help to do so. If the filmmaker wants me to immerse myself in that world so I can get emotionally invested in the plot, he should try to make things progress logically so that can occur.
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Which I only bring up because D9 did the whole documentary style thing right. You know what, the more I think about it the technique of it, the more I like it. They did alot with a very modest budget. I just wish the social commentary were a little stronger; it almost felt more like window dressing then the driving theme of the film.
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While we can all argue back and forth this is a classic or a POS (5 of the 6 of us who saw it didn't like it at all) I think this is clear: D9, whatever its merits, is an example of bad storytelling. Making a film is about telling a story, one that other people understand, and there are far too, too, many people just not willing to overlook the enormous plot holes. It's not my role as the viewer to have to ignore question mark after question mark and resort to making up my own utterly baseless speculation. I didn't pay $10 to improv my way through lazy and amateurish storytelling.
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I agree with most of what you said, Fett, but I don't think sci-fi is limited to being challenged by "new technology." Theres also post-apoc, which are about the subtraction of technology and reversion to a kind of Dark Ages state. I'd argue that The Road is very much a sci-fi story, but what drives it is the emotion underneath. Anyways, my two cents.
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That an alien spaceship invades our airspace....and nobody does SHIT for THREE FUCKING MONTHS! That's a LONG-ASSED time to have the planet wondering if we're all going to get vaporized. Can you imagine that happening in the real world?Why even make it 3 months? 3 weeks seems much more plausible, if even that long. Remember, the world economy would be TANKING at this point as people would stop paying bills, start hording food and move off to the fuckin' mountains or whatever. How long do you think the world's governments would let that go on before doing more than twiddle their thumbs?
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In the case of The Road Warrior, it is the introduction of the technology nuclear war and it's consequences that makes that film so special, and one of my all-time favorites. that films is ALL ABOUT the consequences of advanced technology. It's saying "this is what happens if you ever touch that button".
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An alien saucer lands, with honest to god aliens on it, and the geeks and science fiction nerds and just plain curious wouldn't flock to South Africa, flooding it with Tourist dollars, for CENTURIES? That this film imagines humanity being bored with aliens a mere 20 years after contact is ludicrous. Aliens living in slums would be IMPOSSIBLE due to international bleeding hearts and alien lovers interfering.
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You got it exactly right. Storytelling isn't about tying up every single loose end, but it's got to have a strong through-line. This film DOESN'T HAVE THAT. this whole thing with the guy getting infected just feels like a detour to what the film is supposed to be about. It just doesn't feel connected enough to the main story.The strong central element of this film is.. we've got fucking aliens in a concentration camp! It's not "guy turns into bug". So the whole time we're following him whining about his fly hand I'm thinking "First off, you're an asshat so you deserve it. Secondly...what about all those aliens in the fucking concentration camp!?".
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Characters in the movie had some of the same questions that talkbackers here have asked - and some answers.
The small craft at the end of the film was shown dropping from the mothership, and the pundits speculated that it contained the group leaders. It was never found.
CJ may have been one of the leaders in that ship, and of a higher intellectual level than the mass of prawns.
He had to scavenge the fluid from the alien technology brought down to the ship by humans, as the shuttlecraft was non-op without it.
The movie doesn't have plot holes, it simply chooses not to explain everything to chuckleheads.
Pay attention next time, chuckleheads. Not everything will be explained. -
Of course. But the difference is that none of us are hailing Big Trouble in Little China as that new high water mark in SF.
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You said (quote): "I'm so sick of all you nerds who think you're so FUCKING entitled to complain about the hard work of other people. If you think you can do it better, fucking prove it. Get a job in the industry and make shit happen. Don't sit on your ass and whine because someone made something you didn't love 100%. THEY DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOU. THEY DID IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE MONEY AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES."Seriously, are you shitting us? That's the oldest, most tired, most limp dicked and sorry assed excuse you could have POSSIBLY put up here.First of all, last I checked in a free society, OF COURSE we're "entitled" to our opinions. Gee, I don't know what happened at YOUR theater, but I don't recall arriving at mine and having the girl at the ticket window pushing a clipboard at me with a legal document on it that said "you will NOT criticize this movie in any way, shape or form", and then the girl saying "You have to sign this or you can't have a ticket." So, yeah, we ARE "entitled" to speak our own minds, thank you very much.Second, you then fall back on the lamest excuse of all -- if you think you can do better, then do it yourself. Hey, I don't have to ACTUALLY work in Detroit and ON the assembly line to go car shopping, and when a dealer shows me a new car on the lot to be able to say "Hey, the paint job is faulty" or "This wasn't mounted or installed right." I don't have to ACTUALLY work on a farm to go into a grocery store and pick up some food and be able to say "Holy shit, this is rotten and rancid. Why is this even out on the shelf for sale?"In short, the old and tired and lame defense that if you don't work in the movie industry, you have NO right to bitch about the final product is just that -- an old, tired and totally lame defense. If anything, it's the lowest and stupidest fallback for those who realize they CAN'T defend or back something up, so they want to instantly create a bullshit artificial wall for self-defense.And finally, you said "they did it to express themselves." That's fine...I have no problems with that. After all, that's what basically what ALL creative ventures are about, whether they succeed in the end or not. So I can respect THAT. I have no problem AT ALL respecting someone who "created" something and who put it out there. As a creative type myself who has put things out and into the commercial arena myself, I know FULL WELL about the personal and emotional creative investment that goes into something AS WELL as the financial investment that has to be put on the line too, to try and bring your "vision" to life. Trust me, I've been there and done that many times.However, that does bring us to the core point at hand. The second you say they did it to make money...the second it did become a commercial venture...then OF COURSE the buying public at large has the right to state their opinions, which can come in the form of ticket sales OR by simply going online to share your thoughts after, to tell people to EITHER support a particular project OR to avoid it like the plague -- depending on HOW you felt about it. And THAT is what you're seeing in motion here, in this talkback.So, seriously, give me a fucking break. I can't believe you even tried to pull out the utterly bullshit excuse of "If you're not making movies, you have no right to bitch about them" argument. By this point in time, I thought ALL talkbackers were smart enough to realize THAT argument is totally valueless.
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We covered that AGES ago, and no, it has not been resolved. It still makes no sense.If all the ship needs is fluid from their technology to fly and CJ was there on the ship and knew what to do....WHAY THE FUCK DIDN'T HE DO IT BEFORE COMING TO EARTH?No, it's FAR BETTER to hang out over Earth and starve for 3 months, not making any contact whatsoever, then send all the needed fluid down to the surface where it will need to be gathered up over 20 years to get back to where you started BEFORE YOU EVEN GOT TO EARTH! See how that makes ZERO sense? that, my friend, IS A PLOT HOLE!
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... but not the best sci-fi movie in 20 years, Solaris, Gattaca, Chidlren of Men, and of course Moon are much better than D-9 IMO
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District 9 is Laserblast with better effects and more socio-political allegory. The only actual science fiction in it, strictly-speaking, is the part about the operation of the alien weaponry, which is lifted straight out of that Science Fiction Classic: LASERBLAST.
HAHA HHAHAHAH AHA HA HAH AH AHA HHAHHA HAHAH AHA HAHHA HA HA HAH AHAHAHHA AH HAHA AHHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAH AHAHHAHA HAHAHAH AHA HAH -
Gattaca especially. And I'd say the first Matrix towers. Children of Men though was a pretty standard smuggle/rescue story. Get the pregnant lady to the place on time, kinda story. I loved it, but "great sci fi", it too, like D9, was just decent sci fi done really well.
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You said: "I have heard of a weapon a high ranking U.S. politician talked about us having before. He threatened some of our enemies with it. The name of the politician, I don't recall, but he called the weapon "Thor's Hammer" and people who seem to have inside knowledge of whatever this is seemed to be in great fear of what this thing can do. What it is, or what its capabilities are, I have no idea...but the folks that were talking about it, seemed to have reason to be in great awe???"The weapon you're talking about is also known as "Rods From God." Here's a quick description for you by combining two online bits...Among the weapons the Air Force might deploy are the "Rods From God." The rods are currently a concept -- and have been since the early 1980s -- but, if the myriad technical and political hurdles to deployment could be overcome, the system could represent a tremendous leap in the military's ability to destroy underground, hardened facilities of the type that have allowed Iran and other rogue states to violate the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty with impunity.The system would be comprised of tandem satellites, one serving as a communications platform, the other carrying an indeterminate number of tungsten rods, each up to 20 feet in length and 1 foot in diameter. These rods, which could be dropped on a target with as little as 15 minutes notice, would enter the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 36,000 feet per second -- about as fast as a meteor. Upon impact, the rod would be capable of producing all the effects of an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon, without any of the radioactive fallout.This type of weapon relies on kinetic energy, rather than high-explosives, to generate destructive force.The weapon would be very hard to defend against. It has a very high closing velocity and small radar cross-section. Launch is difficult, if not nearly impossible to detect. Any infra-red launch signature would occur in orbit, at no fixed position. The infra-red launch signature also has a small magnitude compared to a ballistic missile launch.
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...you WIN at talkback today.
Probably even for the week, while SlaughterStorm should hang his head in shame at his lame "if you don't make movies, you can't criticize them" argument. -
I (myself) wasn't actually comparing "D9" to "Metamorphosis". It was a jab to people that can't differentiate between two similar stories. It was a reference to a talkback last week where a guy was saying "Lovely Bones" was a ripoff of "What Dreams May Come".
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That's pretty amazing.Talk about a moral morass! One of the big drawbacks for nuclear weapons from a military standpoint is the radiation. Not only does it make the land unusable for decades, but it can actually blow back on us and our allies. Taking that risk out of the equation makes them more likley to use a weapon like that so that's pretty scary. Talk about a great science fiction film waiting to be made!
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I would disagree vehemently that this is the smartest Sci-fi we've had in years. I thought "Moon" was a smarter movie than this. I think you're confusing a film that takes itself seriously with intelligence. Which is good, it just doesn't mean it's particularly smart, either.
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Aug 16, 2009 2:12:59 PM CDT
there really are some joyless nitpicky sons of bitches out there
by slappy jones
thats for sure. after gi joe, wolverine, transformers 2 and all the SHIT we have suffered through even this film isn't enough for some of you. dear me....
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So having some clunkers earlier this summer means we should embrace this movie without criticism? I thought it was good, just hardly a masterpiece.
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and he thinks that D9 is rather empty and that effects are all it really has going for it. so we can have an awesome Moon vs D9 fan off....
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I will turn it around on the ones ssaying this film is tha shiznit by asking "What's so smart about District 9?" can you answer that seemingly simple question? I and others have put forth many examples of the film making dumb mistakes or leaps in logic, what did it do that makes it "the smartest sci fi film in 20 years" exactly?
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nor do I think it is. criticism is absolutely fine but are you trying to
deny there are some people on here that if this was the 70s and we were discussing the release of the godfather they wouldn't be on here complaining about its length and how over rated it is?not saying this films is godfather level but you know what I mean. There was one guy who complained that alien fuel could never turn someone into an alien. as if there are some sort of alien fuel laws the film should have stuck to. if that isn't pointless pathetic nit picking I don't know what is. jesus christ..... -
Very pretty box with nothing inside. Moon SO OWNS every second of District 9. I can only assume those saying it's the best sci fi of the last 20 years haven't seen Moon yet. Go see it to learn what REAL science fiction can do.
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D9 is a VERY thinly veiled movie about apartheid. Science Fiction in general is ALL ABOUT disguising and confronting touchy social issues. Nothing new in D9. See: "Planet of the Apes" for more information about dealing with racism vs. civil rights in science fiction films. :-D
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...pretty good but not the Second Coming of sci-fi cinema? Cool, I haven't seen yet, but looking forward to it. I'm not looking for it to be mind blowing brilliant, just that it doesn't ask me to "leave my brain at the door".
After a summer of shitty movies, my brain is getting pretty annoyed with me being left at the door quite a bit. -
You're right, obviously. It's amazing how the dumber the movie the dumber the apologists' arguments (hmmm, maybe that makes sense).
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I concede the part about the nitpicking. Don't forget this IS a discussion forum after all. I haven't seen anyone degrade into calling someone else "moronic douchebag", so I'm actually rather refreshed about how intelligent this talkback has remained.
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Have yet to see Moon as it's fucking impossible to find a theater playing it around here. Which, from the trailer I saw, is a travesty. But I'm gonna agree to disagree. When the past few years have been showing us crap like Transformers, Terminator Salvation, the popcorn fun Star Trek, and The Riddick Series...Children of Men is a bit of stand out, but still. Compared to most of the shit that we've been given, it is some of the most intelligent sci-fi we've had in years.
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The same way people stopped thinking about the olympics the sec after it ended, and how nobody thinks about Cloverfield anymore. This is one of those movies.
What I am trying to say, is that this is not the type of movie where you can wait forever to make a sequel. If you're gonna make one, it's got to start filming quickly. -
They re totally different movies people. Man, people amaze me.
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If you wanted to know more about where the aliens came from, how their technology works, how we communicated with them, etc, that's fine, but asking the audience to accept some things while using their imagination is not the same as a plothole. Jeez, some of you guys are why the Star Wars EU is so awful: you just gotz to know everything. Nothing kills good sci-fi like spoon-feeding an audience too much. No, I don't want to know what a female Predator looks like, and no, I don't want to see the alien or space jockey home planet. My God.
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Aug 16, 2009 3:03:50 PM CDT
I jest saw it, and agree(pretty much) w/ Noted_Sage YackBacker.
by sal_bando
It's GOOD. It's NOT 'Great' or 'genre redefining' or whatever the fuck hyped up overkill the droolers are claiming for it. I enjoyed the heckoutta it, I thought that they made this a damned sight better than it hadda right to be, and it was WAY better than Cloverfield, thank you. This guy can, you know, actually DIRECT a movie, which was something that seemed to evade the Other shakey-cam flick in question. The lead guy--I kept watching him and thinking-he's channelling Basil Fawlty. He had the same snidely whiplash mustache, same manic hyped up manner, same sideys and a Fookin' accent. John Cleese never ran around from a pack of wild Nigerians (that I'm aware of) but there ya be. What else did I like? The nod to Ed-209 was great. Loved that. Christopher, best clicking bugalien you'll ever see. Liked his cute kid too. The CNN type bookend format wasn't bad, keeps your interest. Liked the shootouts. Liked the Zapguns. Liked seeing the nazi type guy wind up getting the Braveheart treatment. All of that's good. What's NOT so good? Well---the over-obvious Fugitive plotline, that got old quick. Not having the 1.8M Prawns escape on the ship (beam me up Chris) was Not expected, instead it was just dad and Jr. You DO expect an Alien-nation revolt, instead you just have the Professor from Gilligan and his kid escaping w/ the help of Basil Fawlty Jr. there. That's kinda it. I liked it, please understand, but you DO need to dial back yer expectations somewhat. I take it Nigerians are treated over in Africa like, hmmmm, Mexicans are by the Lou Dobbs types here and Turks in Europe. Not good. Well handled, though. Kudos for putting it in JoBerg too--friends of mine over there have said it's (more or less) kinda like that. Sans the Bugs, of course.
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Great way to end this crappy summer.
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Children of Men still takes the place as my favorite sci-fi movie of the new century. I think that movie possessed a subtlety that District 9 lacks.
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Truly outstanding flick. I was not chuffed at the first 15 minutes, and it took a while for me to warm up to the Steve Carrel impersonator, but damn did it take off! Amazing special effects, engrossing story. And three heroes, Wikus. The alien and his son. I highly recommend this movie. I will see it again.
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It is not a game changer or groundbreaking, it is just damn good! The best movie of summer.
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This is how you make a fucking movie. A great fucking movie that entertains and doesn't insult its audience. You Holywood executives are just a bunch of washed-out, idea-less faggots. Go burn and die in your Beverly Hills palaces, brainless cunts. And FUCK YOU too, Michael Bay.
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Stopped coming here almost a year ago. After wasting 15 minutes of my life reading through the first 100 or so posts, I now remember why. What a bunch of absolute fucktards some of you are. The hubris of some of you geeks is fucking astonishing. I am looking at you, ThusSpake. This is a really enjoyable movie. Of course it isn't perfect, nothing created by the hand of man ever is. But is it the best fucking $30 million scifi film I have ever seen? Yeah, it probably is. Makes you wonder where the fuck the money actually goes on so many other films. In closing, you kids stay smug and self-important and above all, go fuck yourselves...
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.....a lot of the issues you've been raising were addressed in the movie, through the docu-style interviews at the beginning via the speculations of the eggheads and experts - not all of them but certainly enough for a human being with more than Room temperature IQ to get. Blompkamp just didn't feel lay everything out and spoonfeed every single moron (that would be you) with a crayon and dumbed down story bogged down in silly exposition.
But for your sake I'll take a crack at some of your inane issues.
REVENGE_of_FETT said:-
".....The aliens are walled in because humans are afraid of them. But the aliens are allowed to create super-weapons? how are they even getting the materials to make these things?"
First off, the aliens DIDN'T create the weapons in District 9 you stupid douchebag, did you see any Factories were they were rolling those things off the supply line? They brought them with them on their mothership and then down to the surface. And before you raise the inevitable silly questions as to why they didn't use them to begin with, it was already pointed out the they were a stratified (class-based) society divided by intelligence level, and separated by their DNA. So most of those savage violent ones you kept seeing were not only not smart enough to operate their technology and ships, but also like humans, did not have the genetic capacity to. Christopher obviously could, as was shown at the end. The ones selling the weapons to the Nigerians at the beginning obviously couldn't (use the weapons) otherwise they would have to get the catfood by force). It honestly doesn't take a genius to figure that out, nor does it have to be laid out so idiot-style in idiot-speak for everyone like you to understand. Furthermore, as to why they were ALLOWED to bring them down:- again, not paying attention to the fact that the organization handling all this was the MNU - the world's second-largest WEAPON'S producer. Do I need to explain that point further,...... really?
And as to the intelligent class of the species like Christopher, as was ALSO speculated and pointed out in the beginning (when you clearly weren't paying attention), most of them were likely killed off by some kind of a disease that affected more of the smarter ones than it did the drones/worker-types - again this was very clear at the beginning.
REVENGE_of_FETT said:-
"....I'm not even clear how the fuck we were able to hover next to the ship and cut into it. is this a future world where we have some sort of ship that can hover in place and accommodate a team of welders to cut a massive hole into the side of a floating spaceship, you know, just in case?"
......and then for some rather ludicrously incomprehensible reason you decide to ask how humans were able to get into the ship when they clearly showed at the beginning the South Africans using Helicopters (you know what those are, right?) to get up there, and welding/arclight-cutting tools to cut through. Is it so inconceivable to imagine that a ship shaped like that would have some, oh I don't know, FLAT areas like at the top where a HELICOPTER could land? Or is that just a ludicrously outlandish concept. (Notice my use of caps to emphasize points and features int he movie you should have been paying attention to to answer have your silly questions - that's also known as ham-handed explanation, which Blomfkamp didn't want to have to resort to).
REVENGE_of_FETT said:-
"...And assumedly this vehicle can accommodate what, 100 alien passengers at a time? Otherwise it would take forever to bring them all down."
......by vehicle you mean HELICOPTER, or rather, HelicopterS, as in fleets of them, and considering the fact that they had the better part of 20 years to bring them down (I've seen helicopter evacuations that take way less time if done right), I don't really think the time it took them to airlift the aliens out of the ship even becomes an issue, at all - just a silly point to try to make some faux-plothole out of, where none exists.
And then there's the issue of the black liquid which seems to be a major rallying point for you haters and cynics. At NO POINT, in the movie did they intimate that this fluid was the ship's fuel nor was there a reason to believe so. This is the part were SCI-FI geeks (such as you would presume yourself to be) should have to be able to fill in the gap, or at least come up with a reasonable facsimile of an explanation for what that was (and FUEL, it was definitely NOT). It was hinted over and over and over and over and OOOOOOOVER again, in the movie that this alien species has they technology based on a bio-genetic, bio-organic fusion of genetic technology (the liquids, and the control interface/mehcanism) and the advanced hard-tech (the weapons, the ship, the mecha etc etc). The use of bio-organic media (fluids and such) as a substitute or complete replacement for what we as a backwater human species of the galaxy, call electronic circuit boards and integrated chips, is not a new or even foreign concept to Sci-Fi Lore. It's been around for as long as Asimov and Heinlein novels have been around and it's not surprise that the latest research in our own computer technology is headed in this direction. So was it so difficult to imagine that the black fluid was the equivalent of a very advanced circuit chip needed in a critical minimal amount necessary to to run all of the mothership's system's effeciently enough to help them return home. And before you ask why they didn't harvest this liquid before they came down to the surface, again I'll point you out to the point raised at the beginning - RAVAGED BY MYSTERIOUS DISEASE. And as to why it was so ubiquitous in some of the other technologies brought by the other worker drones, the point would be that this liquid was the basis of their technological civilization and powering their technology akin to how the electrinc chip is to ours. You can find chips in IPods, Calculators, remote controls, Ironing boxes, Blenders, and just about any eletrical device with a control mechanism. Likewise I'm pretty certain that there are geeks smart enough to take enough of this simple chips, and given the right supplementary tools (ala the human computers that Christopher had accumulated) combine them together in some rudimentary fashion to create a much more advanced "computer". It's certainly been done many times in the real world, so how come it's outlandish to imagine that an equivalent smart alien could do the same with their own technology.
REVENGE_of_FETT said:
"And then there's the question of how in THE FUCK these things lasted at least 3 months without any food or water."
They did not have NO food or water, they had diminishing supplies, hence the reason they probably stopped at a backwater planet like earth. At no point in the movie did they say that they had no food or water in that ship, they certainly pointed out that the aliens were suffering from disease and MALNUTRITION - which typically tends to indicate a limited supply or food otherwise it's referred to as STARVATION!!
REVENGE_of_FETT said,:-
".....one has to wonder why he decided to just let the ship hover over Earth for 3 months while his people starved to death without so much as a "hello Earth" message. Ask youself if that makes a cunt hair's bit of sense."
.....yes, because as we all know, be that point in time when they had barely arrived on earth, Christopher already knew how to speak and understand English and communicate with humans, as opposed to the 20-or-so year span the movie showed us, that it actually took the humans and the aliens to develop a degree of bilateral linguistic comprehensibility. There's the possibility that the Aliens did send out some kind of greeting or call for help and that the humans simply didn't understand it at that point in time - but I'm fairly certain that you didn't let that particular likelyhood trouble your small little mind.
REVENGE_of_FETT said:
"Then imagine him hiding while his people are unloaded into a concentration camp, waiting for some period of time, then dropping down in the command module knowing it didn't have the power to return to the ship, magically burying it without anyone seeing, and start collecting juice from the iPods his people brought down with them. Sound logical?"
.....um, yes it does - at least if you consider that the Command module dropped long before they started unloading the other drones from the ship and while everyone else's attention was distracted back up to the ship, and also if you consider that it didn't just drop but that there was some minimal control that allowed them to direct it to somewhere where they could conceal it (I'm of course assuming he wasn't working alone as there were likely other smart alien with him who hadn't died yet at that point - not a stretch of plausibility).
Bottom-line, the film isn't perfect (and for $30 million I don't even come close to expecting to to be) but all these so-called plotholes, being raised are clearly just code for "I'm so stupid I need to have everything explained to me like a five year old" or "I have the attention-span of a gnat, and can't follow all those big-words (or read those subtitles) that those smart people in the documentary are saying", or more likely, "I'm a douchebag, and just want to seem smarter than I really am by raising issues where none exist at all."
A lot of the stuff that wasn't explained was left with enough supporting material to allow the audience to fill in the blanks themselves, and you guys are obviously too lazy, or too stupid. Me (and clearly majority others here) I like a movie that treats me smarter than that and doesn't waster unnecessary screening time on useless exposition to explain basic plotpoints to the other group. -
Please stop the comparisons.
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that some people would put Peter Jackson and Jim Cameron in the same sentance as Michael Bay, oh shit i just did ha ha. seriously though PJ and JC make way better movies as far as story and depth are concerned. Terminator series anyone? LOTR? Can you really compare them to the turds that Bay has let loose on society? The Island? piece of garbage...i'll admit the first Transformers got me going a little bit but the 2nd one was a pile of rubbish. You seriously can't compare any of Bays work the other two more superior directors its not fair to them.
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far better. Besides, he just produced this.
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children of men was not boring it was just a different kind of SF and it still is not comparable to D9 in any way or form.
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Just kidding but, you know, I would KILL to see a sequel to D9 that shows the aliens integrating into North American society and playing the whole thing as a satire. I want to see Rock Lobsters at strip joints getting a lap dance. It would be funny as fuck to show Neo-Nazi’s, African American’s, gays and lesbians marching hand in hand while chanting for the Lobsters to go home so they could go back to hating each other.
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yeah he did just produce it and he has found probably one of the greatest minds of our time in NB the guy is a genius.
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Ha ha ha that would be hilarious but at the same time a sequel is dangerous because there is a chance it will divert from the original source material. Shit they could have made a sequel to Blade Runner but they didn't and its still a classic to this day. D9 deserves the respect to be left untouched and preserved the way it is.
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yes i love district 9. and lots of movies with even bigger plots holes. but they still bug me, and keep me from thinking a movie as perfect. cant a good one be made without huge plots holes? yeah. im trying to make my own. and children of men, the whole story is like 'for some reason women cant give birth' wtf?!? thats ridiculous. u cant just make up something ridiculous to make a movie. they could have at least said, like, terrorists released a sterilization virus. see? now instead of a huge plot hole its actually science fiction.
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That sounds just like Slash Maraud, a six issue DC miniseries from the mid-80s. Would love to see it!!!
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Peter Jackson must have ass raped you with a rolling pin or something cause you cannot let it go. 10 years man. 10 years. Let it go already. You didn't like the LOTR movies. Now you gotta trash anything Peter Jackson is involved in. Peter could make a documentary to support a cure for breast cancer and you'd still show up and trash him. I'll bet you can't help yourself right now from thinking of a putdown to it already. Admit it. You started thinking about how to take a piss on a documentary about curing breast cancer just then. You need help man. Seriously. Obsessions are not healthy. For fucks sake you are arguing about tourism. You have a problem.
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It was an action picture. There were barely any sci fi things in it at all.
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Aug 16, 2009 4:26:38 PM CDT
A SCANNER DARKLY IS THE BEST SCI-FI MOVIE OF THE DECADE!!!FACT!!
by carlthormark1978
Now that was a truly mind expanding Sci-fi movie.
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Alphaville, and A Clockwork Orange are 'different' kinds of Sci-Fi, and I love both of them. CoM is not a bad movie, it was ambitious and I liked that. But it was slow moving. It was a pacing issue. Had nothing to do with the 'different' type of sci fi, it was just that the director let the movie get away from him at times, and it bogged down.
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Aug 16, 2009 4:32:59 PM CDT
ALL SCI-FI IS SPECULATIVE FICTION IN RELATION TO HUMANITY…..
by carlthormark1978
People seem to think that Sci-fi only applies to things such as aliens, robots, time travel, spaceships etc….But these things on their own are meaningless as the best Sci-fi deals with the human condition and how those fantastical things impact on us as individuals and as a species.
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It's a romance story with some sci fi elements.
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I won't bother going over all that same shit again, but let me take on something that almost seems like you have a point.helicopters, even military ones, have a ceiling hieght of 3-4 miles. I'm not an expert at logorythms, but the top of that ship looks a lot higher than that.But let's just say for the sake of argument that the choppers can get up there and evacuate the aliens that way. At 8 aliens per chopper, that's 125,000 trips. If you had 24 Blackhawk helicopters with nothing better to do but transport aliens all day, there would be over 5,000 trips for that fleet. Let's say each trip is conservatively estimated at 1/2 an hour and the choppers run night and day. It would still take almost 4 FUCKING MONTHS to get them all down here!And the point of all this taking aliens out of a secure location? To put them in an unsecure location. Hmmmm.Tyhere is apparently no interest whatsoever in the fucking ALIEN SPACESHIP FLOATING ABOVE THE CITY which explains why there is absolutely no human presence on the ship when CJ leaves.For 28 fucking years, this potential atom bomb floating over a densely populated area....is apparently just abandoned to fate by human beings.No plot holes there! *eyeroll*
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was FOOKIN GARBAGE!!! Way to take a very unique premise and piss it away with needless repetitive harsh language and gore. Seriously, this was one of the most persistently foul-mouthed and graphic films I've seen since Reservoir Dogs. UGH! To think what this could have been! Instead it ends up as B-grade trash cinema. Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Disgusting
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"Fuck you!" was screamed about a record 150 times in this movie. What an accomplishment.
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Ringy doesn't show for 8 months at a stretch, but sure enough, if Sir Petey Jax makes or breaks or directs or produces a movie or is involved in something in any way, shape or form--there's Ringy, back at it and ready to rock. I think it's somewhat self-defeating myself, because whilst Sir Petey gets a free ride on this site ala Cokey, RR and Roth(gag), he at least Deserves much of it. He's made some really good movies. This one I enjoyed alot. I also preferred Big Robots Hitting Each Other Once Again--so you know where I'm coming from on That score, too. I like Mikey Bay. Ah yeah FOOK you too-
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The Rods From God (Thor's Hammer)??? It is very interesting that the miilitary is using such terminology for a weapons system--almost as if it is indeed Biblical somehow? I recall listening to Coast To Coast Live once, and a man called up claiming to be a menber of the military. He said people are always saying ominous things about Area 51. He went onto say that they are dong good things there having to do with the manipulation of atoms and reality, somehow. He actually indicated it had something to do with biblical matters, and said that people must act responsibly...and that life is a test...and if most people knew, they would act responsibly only to insure that they get into Heaven, not because they actually mean it, or deserve it. He said this is the reason why the government won't publically disclose this information. The only reason he called in, he said, because he was tired of hearing about Area 51 and its good works defamed. Again, he said they are doing things to help us--having to do, by implication, with the stuff of the Bible...and God, literally. I am paraphrazing his words at it has been years since I heard that phone call, but it stuck with me. He sounded like a young man, but he was very smart, knew his subject matter, and was very serious in tone--and he seemed to really care--as if there was some integrity there. Of course, I also heard a similar call, a few years before. From another man, who claimed that he was an Area 51 employee, a scientist (also a young man). He was in tears...and scared out of his mind. He was in hysteria in manner and very intelligent, and huffing fast--it sounded like he was trying to gather his breath. He said, they came to us claiming to be extraterrestrial, but they are not what they claimed, they are something else??? He said that they are planning major disasters all over the world that will destroy much of the populace--and there was no one to stop them--indicating that the government had been fully compromised. He said that he had to speak fast before they could triangulate his position. That word triangulate was not of common use back then in the public, so I assume this guy was at least military. Suddenly, I heard a piercing electronic sound, like a particle weapon discharge, or that of a rail gun...and an accompanying awful scream like nothing I have heard before...and the line went dead. Art Bell, who was hosting the show at the time and questioning the caller, was really shocked and freaked out, as were the other callers who heard that phone call. I have since heard it replayed twice, and it sounds like whomever the caller was, that he at least, believed that he was telling the truth, or a truth. This was really scary stuff, and just about the freakiest thing I have ever heard before.
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A great original scifi movie? Oh yeah, not made in Hollywood. Thats why!! There's always 1-3 foreign gems a year and shit load of Transformers type garbage. Oh well, that's why I put the pen down. Good job Peter. Now James Cameron please deliver.
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Because the idea that a fat, hairy Jewish guy could hook up with women that look like Katherine Heigl or Elizabeth Banks is less plausible then discovering that Harry Knowles’ asshole is a time vortex powered by Twinkies.
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As the ship was flying into space that CJ only had a few moments left to live since the military had cut a GINORMOUS FUCKING HOLE IN THE HULL! And realistically, probably several others as well to accommodate a mass exodus of aliens to the surface.
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cuz that is the vibe that i got
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I appreciate the respect. If I was a mafia don, I'd let you bang my best girl tonight.
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Aug 16, 2009 5:00:13 PM CDT
Amended--Big Dumb Ape: Wow--That Is Incredible! (About Area 51)
by media messiah
The Rods From God (Thor's Hammer)??? It is very interesting that the military is using such terminology for a weapons system--almost as if it is indeed Biblical somehow? I recall listening to Coast To Coast Live once, and a man called up claiming to be a member of the military. He said people are always saying ominous things about Area 51. He went on to say that they are doing good things there...having to do with the manipulation of atoms and reality, somehow. He actually indicated it had something to do with Biblical matters, and said that people must act responsibly...and that life is a test...and if most people knew, they would act responsibly only to insure that they get into Heaven, not because they actually mean it, or deserve it, which would ruin the purpose of the test. He said this is the reason why the government won't publicly disclose this information. The only reason he called in, he said, was because he was tired of hearing about Area 51 and its good works being defamed. Again, he said they are doing things to help us--having to do, by implication, with the stuff of the Bible...and God, literally. I am paraphrazing his words, as it has been years since I heard that phone call, but it stuck with me. He sounded like a young man, but he was very smart, knew his subject matter, and was very serious in tone--and he seemed to really care--as if there was some integrity there. Of course, I also heard a similar call, a few years before. From another man, who claimed that he was an Area 51 employee, a scientist (also a young man, BTW). He was in tears (sobbing)...and scared out of his mind. He was in complete hysteria in manner, and very intelligent, and huffing fast--it sounded like he was trying to gather his breath, as he struggled to focus his thoughts. He said, they came to us claiming to be extraterrestrials, but they are not what they claimed, they are something else??? He said that they are planning major disasters all over the world that will destroy much of the populace--and there was no one to stop them--indicating that the government had been fully compromised. He said that he had to speak fast before they could triangulate his position. That word, "triangulate", was not of common use back then in the public, so I assume this guy was at least, military. Suddenly, I heard a piercing electronic sound, like a particle weapon discharge, or that of a rail gun...and an accompanying awful scream like nothing I have heard before...and the line went dead. Art Bell, who was hosting the show at the time and questioning the caller, was really shocked and freaked-out, as were the other callers who heard that phone call. I have since heard it replayed twice, and it sounds like whomever the caller was, that he, at least, believed that he was telling the truth, or, a truth. This was really scary stuff, and just about the freakiest thing I have ever heard before.
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lay off the drugs, man.
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At times it felt like Monty Python, at others like a PETA expose documentary. Hard to take the main character seriously when he's describing alien eggs burning to death sounding like popcorn.Personally I think they should have reigned in the slapstick stuff and kept it more dire in tone. Hard to feel for the aliens when you're laughing at them.
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LMFAO. you have officially made my xmas card list. as per the hull Fett, wouldn't you assume that the interior structure of a space craft, much like a submarine would utalize compartmentalized sections in case of a hull breach to begin with?
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Aug 16, 2009 5:07:04 PM CDT
Media Messiah, do you respond excitedly to penis enlargement ema
by revenge_of_fett
Cuz GODDAMN are you gullible! Yes Area 51 is doing atom testing related to the fuckin' BIBLE!
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To my recollection, they never showed helicopters bringing the prawns down bunches at a time. It was never specifically addressed. Somehow, they found a way to get them down...why can't the audience just accept that? I simply accepted the fact that they got them down somehow...and moved on with the story...I didnt ask whether it involved helicopters, parachutes, a giant waterslide, or whatever...who cares?
As for why there were no humans on board the big ship when CJ took off...they didnt show us that either! MAYBE there were some humans wandering around some part of the ship when it took off...we dont know for sure! But again...who cares?
I dont consider each of these plotholes, nor do they really matter to the movie. -
I can not refute anything you say about the plot holes. And it did not detract one bit from my enjoyment of it. Why, because it was great storytelling and movie making. It was not the tightest writing, but great storytelling can mask writing deficiencies - as long as they are not too large. I will give you an example where it did not work, Starter Trek, had huge plot holes and bad writing. The storytelling was fair, but it was not good enough to overcome such shoddy writing. Is it a paradox that Starter Trek gets ripped for its plot holes, bad writing and bad direction, and D9 does not? Yes. But like I said, the difference is in the storytelling - the direction, that keeps you focused on what is in front of you when the writing could pull you out of the story.
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That it does not explain everything, and that there is stuff that doesnt quite make sense because of the vagueness, doesnt automatically constitute storyline plotholes, imo.
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amen to that. blade runner and alien being great examples.
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Alien is an example of how to do sci fi flawlessly. There ARE NO plotholes in Alien.
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Besides we all know you were in Donnie Brasco, though WHY Bruno T. Kirby played you am not sure why-
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I didn't think the popping of the eggs was supposed to be funny. It seemed more to me that it was supposed to be disturbing at how little respect he gave the aliens as a species. As for that "foul mouthed" little complaint... what would you expect a terrified, confused man put in that situation to do? "Oh, my body is completely changing and becoming something else, but I'd best watch my language lest I offend someone." Or "Sure, these guys are dragging me off to cut my hand, but that's no need for foul language! Sir, please don't cut my arm off and eat it. Come on, fella. Okay. Come on."
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Ripley's CAT. Remember her Cat 'Shithead' I think it's name was?! You never realized that that became the Giant Lion in Cloverfield--
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was it supposed to be funny? Is this a damn comedy? That stunt pulled me right out of the movie. bizarre. And when he ate cat food... COME ON! this is the most strangely overblown film since Jackson's little stinking gem remake of King Kong. LOTR was such a fluke, I hope that the Hobbit will be very much a Del Toro film.
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no, Alien is an example of things being left intentionally vague. androids and space travel among other things being presented as given elements without story time being spent on explanation.
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Seriously? That's so fucking douchey I don't even know how to respond. Spaceflight and androids aren't VAGUE!
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Do you expect them to bring up the entire history of human technology around the breakfast table?
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Good fun, fine casting, solid rebooting, 'Bring the Red Matter', good nods to the classic series, hmmmmm some goofy plotholes but you know what, they didn't bother me much. I liked what JJ did w/ it. Though now whenever I see Eomer in Lord of the Rings I get a kick outta associating Bones McCoy.
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I don't think LOTR was a fluke, but I do think that was probably the end of the old PJ I loved so much. Having the kind of power and autonomy he has now will in all likely hood make him lazy and his work will suffer for it. On the other hand I very much liked D9, and I'm well aware it wouldn't have ever gotten made or wound up in cinema's without his clout to protect NB's vision.
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Seemed to have been obscured by flying lumps of flesh and exploding clouds of blood. Where was that shit in "Alive in Joburg"?
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It is all subjective. But Starter Trek had no giant robotses!
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Aug 16, 2009 5:31:08 PM CDT
And apparently CJ won't need to eat for 1 1/2 years...
by revenge_of_fett
Since we have firmly established that there is no food on that ship. ;)
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wow dick, no need to make it personal with the claims of douchery. I guess i could respond to you by saying that I think it's a valid point, androids and space travel in the context that they exist in that film are vague, you accept them with out explanation of how they evolved or even which principals govern them. ie. how androids feel pain, how they've become so successfully asthetically human, who invented them, how they were produced, where or what they cost. those things aren't relevant to the story being told and are accepted with suspension of disbelief.......or i suppose i could just say that your douchery leaves me uncertain how to even talk to you and places your median intelligence in serious question.......
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if that flick has as much going for it as this did I'll be shocked.
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Spielberg did this 20 years ago.
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no snark intended, but what do you like?
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---Giant Robots while they make EVERY movie w/ them included BETTER--are not 100% necessary. I'd be happy w/ a giant Quark Robot though, that could be fun---
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I take it for granted they have worked out spaceflight and androids. FUCKING DUH!But apparently I'm supposed to take for granted that the military relocated 1 million beings with a few helicopters from an alien ship...for no apparent reason. And they did this in contemporary times.I guess I'm also supposed to take for granted that CJ knew exactly how to repair the ship by gathering this alien cocktail...yet chose to go to Earth, hover there for three months while everyone starved to death, then scattered the needed material to the four winds.Yes, that is EXACTLY LIKE accepting spaceflight in an outer space movie about the distant future!Fucking CHILDREN on here, Jesus CHRIST!
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Now, you are grasping at straws. The had a plenty of time to stock their escape ship with supplies. Maybe you should stop while you are slightly ahead
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What difference does it make who the fuck invented the technology in Alien, and why, and how it works? It's a backdrop for the story. The story takes place on a spaceship with an android as a crew member. The real plot hole in Alien is the fact that the creature goes from infant to full grown monster in no time.
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Little CJ. -
---didn't you see the 18 wheelers full of Tender Vittles stashed away in the back??? C'mon man--yer gonna need to fookin' watch this one AGAIN--
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Oh, and I like LOTR, Fargo, and Amarcord, if that's any indication of my range
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That makes sense that he would have filled a cargo hold with catfood or something for the trip. i was just kinda having fun with that one and the holes in the ship. ;)
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LMFAO. you do understand they're both movies right?
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It feeds into his delusions.
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Esp. that Tender Vittles addiction angle-
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sure. that gives me a context. and honestly I can respect those of us that weren't inclined towards D9 or choose to find fault with its internal logic. For my taste it was just fine, I thought that it was pretty clear that the science fiction or fantasy elements were pretty simply a backdrop for a parable about immigration, xenophobia, human nature and the military industrial complex as imagined by someone from south africa.
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On my weekly radio internet show I review movies, tonight is District 9. Join the live chat at http://www.tinyurl.com/logansrunpod or call in to the live call-in at 724-444-7444 call ID 49899. We would love to hear from all of you on this great film, plus I review games and other media as well. Joins us every Sunday night 9pm central time
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Bill the Katt died in 1992 from sniffing too much 'nip. His animated corpse has been making sporadic public appearances though. I suspect nargles are behind it.
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You could tell he really wants a big Hollywood deal. Lots of action, anime style battle suit, SFX, etc. I was entertained, probably watch it again on Blu-ray, but there's nothing on the screen that changed my thinking about action/sci-fi movies. Instead, I saw someone trying to show Hollywood they should hire him for Halo or Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hope Hollywood lets more young directors "try out" like this on a limited budget, the results are far better than most of the crap they push through.
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Aug 16, 2009 5:54:55 PM CDT
A visceral and cerebral SF flick for only $30 million ...
by chuck_chuckwalla
... that is perhaps the most mind blowing thing about this film. I can't wait for the blu-ray to pour over the extras and commentaries. And what's this about hype? I only knew of this film a week or 2 ago. That's not much time to build hype. I had seen the short film this was based on but had no clue it was being reworked into a movie. Anyway, I loved the movie flaws and all. The film has a raw energy to it that I haven't seen in a long time. Having an alien invasion film with the setting of a South African slum shot documentary style is an inspired thing. When people and prawns get killed, it's shocking to watch — much like Starship Troopers but this is way deeper than that. And I love how that enormous mother ship keeps showing up in shots as almost a character in the movie. It's a great film if anything for that last scene and I almost hope they never do a sequel to it because it would kill the impact of that perfect ending.
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is the way it integrates not only visual effects, but the sci-fi elements themselves into the story. You very quickly take for granted the premise however wild it may be. This gives a head start to the viewer in allowing themselves to accept the rush of BS that they're about to get. Cloverfield was such a damn tease that it was bound to fail for half the audience.
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Your thoughts on D9 are more fully developed then those of the people involved in making the film. I imagine you sitting on a throne, encircled by Jackson, Blowjob, the writers? and all the others (we will NEVER see any of these actors ever again), dispensing to THEM what their movie is about because honestly they don't have a clue. They haven't worked the story through like you did.
At the same time, the notion that human politicians/military types agreed to let the prawns bring their weapons down to earth with them because the humans understood that the prawns are a stratified society and their weapons were smart prawn DNA-enabled and the prawns remaining on the ship were the dumb ones which survived the 'illness' (which had killed most of the smart prawns) meant that it was a good idea/economical to transport tons of these weapons down to earth because, who cares, they were safe to let dumb prawns play and barter with makes as much sense as...I can't think of anything, it's the stupidest explanation in mankind's history. -
C'mon. You don't think that the Aliens weren't able to watch MacGuyver and the A-Team while in scenic JoBerg? THINK.
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-in Opus right up to last year when it ended. Word.
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That was the Zuvembie Bill. I am sorry for your loss
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For comparison's sake, Cloverfield cost $25M to make and opened with $40M. Just saying.
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Very good points. It does not detract from my overall enjoyment of the flick though. I think if you go into a movie looking for the bad, you can find it in any movie. As I have said before, the diff between these plot holes and Starter Trek plot holes is the quality of the storytelling and direction. D9 had great storytelling and direction, Starter Trek did not.
The plot holes are roughly the same in equivalence, but the enjoyment factor is far better in D9. But it is all subjective -
"But apparently I'm supposed to take for granted that the military relocated 1 million beings with a few helicopters from an alien ship...for no apparent reason. And they did this in contemporary times." So, you see no reason they might want this new possibly dangerous species out in the open where they can be kept tabs on as opposed to up in the air INSIDE a spaceship? No reason at all?
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I don't know if you're misinformed, joking or just freaking crazy....either way, don't stop talking! lol. Do you have any links or youtube or something. What you said sounds freaking cool. I'm publicly announcing my interest :)
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We're all just floating.
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People seem to be harping on the whole Aliens bringing weapons down with them thing. As if the government authorities who were interested in figuring out the weapons throughout the whole movie wouldn't bring those down ASAP.
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Aug 16, 2009 6:31:26 PM CDT
No I'm Pretty sure that was Bill D Katt, Chernobyl cause and al
by sal_bando
But I could be wrong. Ackpththththtpph!! CGI 100' Steve Dallas to star in D10!!!!!
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Because of you I will be breaking out the old Bloom County compendiums, and laughing all night long! Thanks a lot!
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Those who saw it know what I'm talking about. Who cares about exposition? I needed a good movie this weekend and D9 was it. NOT G.I. Joke.
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Because it seems that way. I get that some people want background info on the aliens, their intergration into earth's community and the why's of everything. This isn't a novel though, it's a movie, with what, an hour and forty minute run time? I'm comfortable with smart movies that manage on a minimum of exposition.
I don't need some actor to walk on-screen or a montage, that effectively says, "Here, audience, THIS is why things are the way they are." -
I'm not trying to make excuses for the huge budgets of other blockbusters but wasn't the reason LOTR was as inexpensive as it was partly because they shot it outside of the US? Not that it was cheap but I remember hearing that making it here wouldn't have been economically feasible. I mean it's the unions that make everything so expensive right? I'm not trying to kick up a fight but that was just always the impression I got.
btw, I just saw that D9 is the #35 movie on the IMDb top 250 list. I love it when that happens. Even if you think the list's bogus that will guarantee it's box office legs. :D -
I love you guys. Seriously, I haven't thought about that strip in years. Yes, time to break out some collections. Awesome. And Sal, they cast Bruno Kirby becuase I look just like him. Not kidding.
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---I half expected our 'Hero' to swat his black friend and tell him he was a 'waste of space'--
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Aug 16, 2009 6:57:51 PM CDT
Ha ha That's funny. The Prawns live in Binkley's anxiety Closet
by sal_bando
You know I'm right. Bruno Kirby was a REALLY good, talented actor, by the way. I'm sorry he's gone.
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Good movie, really enjoyed it, but it wasn't fun. Trek was fun and it has earned its place as mu top pick for Summer of 09.
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Bloom County is one of the greatest cartoons of all time. I did not know about Bruno, he was a fine character actor and will be missed.
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Aug 16, 2009 7:08:48 PM CDT
I loved it. Plot holes and all. Anyone who didn't is a Tongue Cl
by liberal_warrior
A fukken motarded tongue cleaner
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That was my main problem with the film. Another Hollywood film where the negroes are dipicted as savages. Can lose the sterotype in 09 please. Yeah you can always find realism and truth in sterotypes but do we have to see it. The warlord thing is so played now. This is how Black Africans outside the US are always represented. South Africans, Haitians, Jamicans, they all come across the same by Hollywood standards. A huge plot hole to me is regardless if the Prawns were there for 20 years the Stablizied world Govs weren't going to allow civilians to interact so freely with a new Alein species. Trained Gov personel only.
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Was'up dude? Been a while? We have missed your brand of troll killing humor and insanely funny insults. Yeah, I liked it too, and the plot holes did not bother me one bit because they did not take me out of the story like the ones in Starter Trek did.
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I've been around. There have not been too many Motarded muthafuks to kick around though, so I have not had much to say. I liked this movie. I liked Tranny 2 as well, but nowhere near as much.
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I disagree. There were some decent Black portrayals in the flick, as well as some reprehensible ones. This is South Africa. Some Nigerians are known worldwide for their scams, so using them in this flick is a natural choice in that region. There were bad depictions of white's in this flick as well. Where I have a problem with portrayals of Blacks is when there are no balancing good portrayals. Transformers 2 is a prime example, the twins where reprehensible, with only Tyrese as a balance, and a pretty poor one at that. When all you see is a stereotype, that os when you have problems.
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Kinda sudden too.
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Okay, I liked the story in a way a 5th grader appreciates a predictable teacher. You know what to expect, but you are pleasantly surprised when its not screwed up. My only beef (beyond obviouse loopholes that could have very easily been overcome if they would just get some pre-screening done with real critics before final cuts) 1 - WTF do all the movies now have to have a Iron-man like power-suite? I mean, it pisses me off when people don't try to even think of better ideas than copying one because it was successful. Its the same reason why there is a Rash of Superhero and Vampire movies featuring the same type of powers, and the same linear, one dimensional characters, with equally crappy dialogues. I imagine before the year is out we will probably see 3 or more power suits in movies. I could have come up with soo many other ways to play that out than using a cheesy suit. Secondly, How the fuck did humans learn to speak with the aliens in this movie? Why does the Nigerian character have to be so dumb, when he is smart enough to manipulate all those around him? and seriously, wouldn't it have been better for the script if he was trying to use the alien blood to cure his paralysis rather than just eating it? JEEZ I changed my mind. I realized now that I really did hate this movie.
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I did not know
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Disregard everything he says.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oda2qm0We8E
D9 rocked. -
And speaking as an actual Nigerian who is now a US Citizen, the movies portrayal of a Nigerian Gangster is Laughable at best. They don't even try to get them to speak in any particular dialect. Its the same laughable portrayal of Nigeria that was in that wolverine Farce of a movie. I get it, ultimately the movies are about a willful suspension of disbelief for the sake of entertainment. But I would rather have some of my entertainment be at least a little bit credible. This one just missed it one some very critical plot lines. It would have been a very solid movie with better buzz than the commercials (which I must say nothing in some of the commercials ever appears to happen in the movie, which isn't a good sign). HIRE ME TO REVIEW YOUR NEXT FILM BEFORE YOU PUT OUT A CRAPPY PRODUCT NEXT TIME. hell I might do it for less than you expect.
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Aug 16, 2009 7:49:29 PM CDT
There was no negative depictions of any race in this movie IMO..
by gibsonusa returns
I found nothing offensive towards blks or any other race here. The main human was a white guy...his second-in-command was a soft-spoken, educated sounding blk person. The "nice" soldier guy was dark skinned...the "evil" soldiers were mostly white from what I remember. Politicians and those getting interviewed were of both races...many just average everyday people.
The gangsters in there...the ones that believe eating the enemy brings them strength...that's based off reality I think.
IMO, there is NO racial controversy in this movie...none.
To the contrary, imo this movie has a good intentioned message about how we should be treating one another. -
Calling out a movie for having tremendous gaps in logic and plot isn't nitpicking. Like it, love it or whatever, D9 had some profoundly lazy writing in parts. But it's obvious why the writers didn't care. All it took were guns and explosions and a robot suit to make you little fuck nuts jizz your Halo (tm) Underoos.
Again, IT'S NOT A BAD MOVIE at all. I see what people like about it, especially people of the age where they've only seen movies like Aliens and Robocop and T2 on basic cable, or if you had to suffer through the abortion that was the Star Wars prequels. But some of you are going on like this is the goddamn PINNACLE of SF cinema. Simply put, if you're going on and on about how D9 was really deep and profound and made you think, then you need to put down the fucking X Box controller and think some more. -
certain plot points. But seriously some of you guys are just plain stupid. It is blatantly obvious that this movie is meant to be the beginning of a trilogy. Some people don't want a sequel because they think it will get messed up but imo it's obvious things were left out to be filled in LATER. Come on. 'They didn't explain how they got down'. 'How come they didn't make more fuel while they were up there?' Uh, duh. There was probably some shit going down when they first appeared. But we don't know. Guess why? Because the film starts with documentary footage that was shown to people who lived on the fucking planet when the aliens appeared. It wasn't made for us. Everyone watching it already knows what happened then. They just didn't know what the story of Wikus was. The doc was about Wikus. (Think "Wikus Van De Merwe: Behind the Music") The movie part of it was showing us what actually DID happen to Wikus, not the speculation and no flashbacks. This was not about what happened 20 years ago when the aliens appeared. Maybe that will be filled in with sequels or a prequel. But some of you prawns that need it spelled out to you need to watch a few more movies before you start tearing anything apart. The good ones don't treat you like a retarded 8 year old. And for those of you who are retarded 8 year olds, I'm sorry that your parents decided to be cousins.
And another thing. This business about the fuel. OMIGOD we've been talking about that all talkback. You clearly haven't read any of it and just want to bitch with others who will bitch with you. And on that same topic, will people please stop typing shit like "I haven't seen this discussed anywhere" when it's been brought up a few times. If you expect people to read your post at least have the decency to go back and read theirs. Don't feel like it? Then admit to not reading through and say "Sorry if this has been mentioned before". Have some fuckin' etiquette. It's one thing to post your thoughts about the movie and then go back and read but to just assume you've thought of something no one else has makes you an ass of ume. -
Aug 16, 2009 8:01:26 PM CDT
"....the business about the fuel..." AKA "Bring the Red Matter"
by sal_bando
It's a fuckin' MacGUFFIN. It AIN'T sposed to be realistic. It's a PLOT DEVICE. I had ZERO problems w/ it. "BASIL! PUT DOWN THE LOBSTER!"
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The word Black and the word White have the same number of characters. And while I agree that the depictions were not racist, in this nit picky world, your arguments might hold more weight if you treat each race and word, equally. You abbreviate one, but not the other. Multiple times.
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That was just me typing fast.
:)But okay...
I found nothing offensive towards blacks or any other race here. The main human was a whte guy...his second-in-command was a soft-spoken, educated sounding black person. :)
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African-Americans and Honkies. Everyone knows that.
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...another Bloom County reference just because I'm like that....
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Dude or dudette, the Nigerians are African. Not American.
Hence they would not be called - African American. Get a globe. -
Aug 16, 2009 8:19:44 PM CDT
ALIENS NOTE: Watch this film and LEARN, WE HUMANS ARE SCUM! AVO
by lazerman21
If they can download this film, DISTRICT 9 will show any Alien species the TRUTH about us humans as a whole, WE ARE SCUM and we will never treat you right!
UNLESS of course, you are red Haired, Blue Eyed, Green Skined Orion Slave Girls. . well then. . thats different inter_Species mating. .
I hope Universal is FIRING some Execs for not getting HALO made! -
Those that have massive and frequent plotholes, and those that are made for "retarded 8 year olds". I ask you, which of those catagories does Alien fall into? or Aliens for that matter, or The Terminator or Invasion of the Body snatchers or any of a CORNUCOPIA of hailed sci fi films? ANSWER: You can have great science fiction AND a great script that covers all the bases.Plotholes come about from BEING LAZY, not from some sort of brilliance in turning a storytelling experience into fuckin' MAD LIBS! It's taking SHORT CUTS through the story to get to the parts you want to show, not necessarily that parts that are needed for the story. You guys bitch about exposition of figuring out story problems like it's some sort of hinderance to the story. CLUE: THAT IS THE FUCKIN' STORY! If you take that stuff out you get a jumbled mess. Christ, if you hate exposition so much then you ust have been throwing your fuckin' gummy bears at the screen for the first 20 minutes!
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They call me a nut case, or insane, simply because I didn't like "The Dark Knight", while others have blasted me for expressing story ideas for Dollhouse, etc. They, those critics, never said that there was anything wrong with my suggested story outline for the latter, other than the fact that they felt it was "A little too Alias", according to them? For that, I have suffered endless attacks. I don't see why one's sanity would be assailed for that...and no credible arguments have been offered other than to say, "We are mad at you for disagreeing with us, the majority, and you should not reflect your own ideas, outside of that group think mentality." Lastly, I was also caught-up in the Mass Bannings from AICN.com over Script Girl last year. When some of those who were banned teamed with Mavra Chang...I was offered contact information from Chocolate Reign to speak with her--I did not ask for it. I assumed maybe she was interested in me, so I declined as another girl was in my life and I did not wish to be disloyal, so I said no, without inquiring as to why Mavra Chang wanted to speak to me. Later, I got into it with some of the supporters of those who were banned, some of them actually being one in the same, as the banned parties, under new screen names. You know, it was the average common debate over Superman VS. Batman, and who would win...something silly like that, anyway, things got personal, and Mavra Chang got negative toward me along with the others, although she did not enter the debate. At that point, I did a little investigation and discovered that Mavra and the others, were using the Talkbacks to recruit some of the discontented AICN.com posters over to her own web site as writers...and posters. You'll recall that I advised, and encouraged, Chang to become a writer for AICN.com and said that Harry should hire her. She openly said no to my encouragement and said that she never had and interest in writing--but strangely however, she had a fully operational web site up, complete with pro level graphics, only a few months later??? I had supported Chang prior to our blow-up, as well, I fully supported the banned posters, but when they perceived me as rebuffing them...and their recruitment efforts, suddenly I became the bad guy...and the attacks upon my character, and person, began. Since then, these attacks have mushroomed. I really don't care or mind, but it is important to note the context in which most of this all started...with others now adding their own two cents in, just to be a part of the mob, without knowing why, or bothering to stop, analyze, and think for themselves before throwing mean-spirited words at me.Although I once had beef with Harry, I stood-up against the mob, or "The Evil League of Haters", as I now call them, and defended this web site. Sure the banning policy should be eased some, short of someone slandering others, making threats, or cyber stalking, and there should be more tolerance, and a probation period, and a warning, before a final banning--something that I originated as a suggestion, but The League of Haters have an agenda...and it certainly wasn't to help build this web site up, but to tear it down...and to build their own site on its back, by vectoring web traffic from here, AICN.com, to their site. I may be a favorite target of their's...and I suspect some individuals at Mutant Enemy, who are non-too-pleased with me for my frequent, but fair, Dollhouse suggestions, are taking their swings, still, I consider it, their hostility, that is, an honor, as I have acted honorably in my criticisms, both pro, and con--and those who don't like them...only wish to demonize me for telling the truth, or at least, my truth, and that is just wrong.
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The question is: Did the writing(bad) take you out of the movie.Meaning: was it so glaringly bad at the time if the viewing that you just could not enjoy the experience, or after later reflection did you think of all the bad writing. I am not defending bad writing, I am saying good storytelling can mask it.
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Guess which one was better?
This film is exactly what we need to support from hollywood. A story that had great but restrained effects with a topnotch story. -
I could care less if you did not like Dark Knight, and I do not even know what dollhouse is. Stop dragging Mavra into the convo. She disliked you because you were condescending towards her. I do not dislike you MM. I think you are a full blown nutcase though. Because you are the most conspiracy minded person on these boards, and that is saying something. That is what makes you a nutcase, not whether or not you like a movie.
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I have no idea who the fuck you are.I only recently started posting here again. I've been banned twice from AICN. First as Fettastic on the day George Harrison died. Harry wrong some long soliloquey which ended with him going to snuggle up with his George Harrison bobblehead doll. I found that hilarious and called him a furry bitch or something. Banned.Next as Wendigofett I said Harry had bacon grease for blood. Banned. Now I see people calling Harry a stupid fat bastard TO HIS FACE and not getting banned, but then again I'm not very familiar with the current posters around here.But here's my point. I'm not attacking you because I'm part of some sort of conspiracy. I'm really not even attacking you. I just think it's funny that you could entertain for a single second that Area 51 is hosting top secret BIBLE RESEARCH!
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Cut and paste the address below...into your internet navigator, but remeber to remove any space, or spaces, that should appear in the address befoe pressing enter or you wll receive an error message...and awrong address. Now, he is the link. The audio starts about a minute or two in...so be patient. Again, thanks to BubbaDestructo for the link!!!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oda2qm0We8E
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...exposed, and outed, once again.
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Toad: Yes it took me out of the movie several times. Every film has a few wrinkles so I kept trying to overlook them but they kept on piling up. It got to be pretty annoying and culminated with CJ saying "I can't stand to see my people oppressed...I'm fucking OUT OF HERE!"Redhorse, No you can't. Name a single plothole in Alien or The Terminator or Star wars for that matter. It can't be done. Those movies are TIGHT. they are extremely well written and directed. All the t's are crossed, all the i's are dotted. THAT'S how you make a good sci fi film.
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I Saw A Comedian Once (on TV) Who Told A Joke about what if we met Aliens and they are only 15 minutes advanced of us. I still smile when I think of that joke. Hollywood will never make that film.
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I love those three movies as well, and I refuse to nitpick them, but one very quick search turned this up about Star Wars
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7803983/ -
Aug 16, 2009 9:20:46 PM CDT
Did you notice how old the cars in Terminator were?
by gibsonusa returns
Most of them looked 70s! Even the cops cars were apparently outdated. That makes no sense! Terminator sucks!
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In Terminator.
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Perfect flick
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To Orbots and 9000rpm, thanks for the nice words and agreeing with my earlier post. I didn't mean to tear SlaughterStorm TOO big of a new one over his defense of this movie...in the spirit of talkback friendliness, I'm sure he's a fine fellow...but in the midst of debating this movie that really was the lamest defense going.I mean, if you liked the movie -- fine, say WHY you liked it and feel free to RAVE away. On the other hand, if you didn't like it -- that's fine too. Simply say WHY you didn't like it and feel free to RANT away as well.However, what got under my skin (and I failed to mention this in my previous post) was that in back-to-back posts both Maniaq and SlaughterStorm offered up the slimmest and worst possible defenses for this movie going. Maniaq started the spiral downward by saying: "NOTHING I've seen posted on here even REMOTELY resembles a "plot hole." So again I ask...what fucking plotholes? All I'm hearing so far is stuff that people just DIDN'T GET." Maniaq, for crying out loud, this entire talkback is FILLED with people pointing out the plot holes -- you just have to read through and open your eyes. And no, that is NOT a case of people "not getting it" (as you put it). That's just another lame defense for the movie too. Trying to ignore major plot holes by turning a deaf ear to LEGITIMATE points being made in this talkback, and then pointing an accusing finger and saying "You just don't get it" is nothing short of childish. Sorry, Maniaq, but it's not about many of your fellow talkbackers "not getting it." The point is many people here don't get certain things BECAUSE A FUCKING RATIONAL OR EVEN SLIGHTLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION WAS LEFT OUT OF THE MOVIE. Worst of all, in some cases that didn't even need to happen. They could have plugged some of those logic holes with literally a few toss away lines of dialogue, yet they failed to do so.My problem with SlaughterStorm and his lame defense -- which basically boiled down to "if you don't make movies or work in the movie industry, you have NO right to complain at all" was covered in my other post. However, what I find laughable about some of the D9 supporters is that they're posting away and saying "Okay... sure... I admit it had some big story or logic holes. Some big enough to drive a truck through. But I still enjoyed it for what it was. I still had a good time watching it. Fuck, can't you people just sit back and enjoy a movie!? After all, that's all it is. It's just a movie!" And that's what I find a bit laughable since some of these very same people will likewise be posting away in other talkbacks -- as examples off the top of my head, the talkbacks for TRANSFORMERS 2 or GI JOE or whatever else -- where they'll be bitching that the story had plot holes or logic lapses and that ruined the movie for them. So in the truest form of hypocrisy, somehow what's good for the goose is now NOT good for the gander -- all because they're trying to validate a movie that they now liked, hence their previous standards for judging a movie have conveniently been pushed aside.Hey, for the record, I repeat what I said before. I'm not trying to tear this down or say it was shit. I LIKED D9 and thought it had some okay ideas and some solid parts. I can think of things to praise it for (such as the direction or SFX work). I had fun while I was sitting there overall. But once the lights came up, do I think it REALLY holds together well? Do I REALLY think it's the best new SF movie in 20 years? Am I going to rave about it the way that Harry did in his review?Fuck no. As I said before, it was good...it was fun for what it was...but it wasn't SO stunningly spectacular that it was a redefining genre moment.To be honest, I think those who are comparing this to CLOVERFIELD are actually right. Simply because that was another movie the critics loved when it came out and many a geek enthused "This is creative filmmaking! This is how Hollywood can make a cool movie without spending $100 million!", who were calling that a genre game-changer as well. Yet, after the movie had finished its theatrical run and had made a ton of cash at the box office...once some time and distance had passed...sure enough THAT is when people could reflect back on it and NOW say with a shrug of their shoulders "Eh, now that I think about it, CLOVERFIELD was okay. Not as great as I thought it was at the time I saw it, but it was sort of cool for what it was. I guess."And that's how I see D9 -- it's another CLOVERFIELD. It was a fun flick to check out, I had an okay time (and I mean JUST okay), it was really well executed for the budget they had, it had a fun concept and some cool moments and some truly solid FX shots. So, in the end, it was entertaining, but it was NOT the best new sci fi movie in 20 years and it was not genre game changing.But hey, I could be wrong, so we'll let time tell the story. There's nothing wrong with that either.
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So nobody bought a new car that yr?That makes no sense!
T1 sucks!
And how come Arnold arrives in a crouching position, but Reese arrived landing violently on his back?? That makes no sense! Did Reese jump into the time travel machine...is that why? If so, why didnt they show it?? cause otherwise it makes no sense!
T1 sucks! -
Really? That was so stupid. The movie is not bad, it's just not very good either. Great first act, but then it falls apart after that. The action is very boring mainly cause you don't really give a shit about what's going on. The third act was rough to sit through, again, because it was boring and uninvolving. And can someone tell me what all the BIG ideas were in this movie? I see lots of people saying this movie was very smart and was about big ideas. What was smart and what were the big ideas? Cause all I saw was the great Alien Nation remade into a poor action film.
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Now can we go home?
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Star wars? Are you serious? Okay. Obi Wan takes Luke to live where? Oh, Tatooine with his fucking next of kin. Then doesn't even encourage them to change his last name. Still Luke Skywalker on his dad's home planet. That's just one.
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The aliens talk in clicks. There are some human languages that are clicks. It's not impossible to learn.
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independent movies. Way to go shithead.
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The movie was just awful. Admittedly, the first half which mainly was composed of the mock documentary portions, was good. The second half was just mindless action. Terrible. Avoid it.
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Didn't watch it at all, did you, Kris? So, tell me how was it mindless action? And what would you consider a very cerebral, thoughtful action sequence?
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for instance, why does the vial of alien fuel infect him and turn him into an alien? It makes no sense that either fuel or alien blood would turn you into another creature. Actually any liquid shouldn't do that.
Also why does it only change his arm? (Probably because it's convenient to the story -- he only needs an arm to shoot the guns and pilot the ship and mech). If he IS going to change all into an alien then why wouldn't it have happened all over his body at once?
Also if the aliens have those advanced guns, why didn't we see them use them against humans? They also had caches of human weaponry, but we didn't see them use those either. Instead they acted defenseless even when they were getting killed.
How does the mother ship stay floating in the air? Why did they crash there? (or whatever). If the humans could understand the aliens' language, it seems more plausible that in 20 years' time they would have learned such things. -
Do you frequently go looking for a brother....when you know you don't have a brother? besides, I think it actually says somewhere, maybe in a novelization, that Luke was put on tatooine because even if Vader did go looking, that would be the last place he would check because he fucking LOATHES Tatooine.
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Guess it's not just me eh?
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I have heard him on Coast To Coast Live before, several times...and though he doesn't so much as say it, his theories seem to be greatly based on Biblical information--"The Serpent of Knowledge" in Eden, and what not. Those who have studied the informatiion say that the word "Serpent" means "Wise Spirit". Also "Serpent Rope" means, "Stargate". You'll recall that in the Bible. it speaks of some of Mose's followers witnessing men swallowed-up by the desert? Some take it to mean that they were using a Stargate, those who were witnessed disappearing (Nephilim). BTW, the name Stargate does not come from the movie, or the TV series, rather the movie and TV show borrowed the name from actual ancient references.Back to David Icke...apparently, he is saying that Blue Bloods (Royalty) consider themselves to be leaders of the planet...by Divine Right--we all know that, as fact--but what most people don't know is that they, these royals, believe they are of the blood of the Angels, the reason why they inter-marry, to preserve the bloodline. What David Icke is suggesting is that they, again, the royals, are not just doing this for ego, he says, rather, that this bloodline has a certain frequency in which interdimensional beings can teleport, ala...the agents in The Matrix, essentially allowing them to wear their host bodies, as suits, to enter this dimension, our own.Back to the Angels. Again, the royals openly believe that they inherited the Earth by Divine Right as given to them by the Angels, or Wise Spirits...the Serpent(s) that came to Adam and Eve in Eden and destroyed God's creation. These Angels would be identified as the Fallen Angels who mated with female humans who they found fair...and procreated with them, creating the Mighty Men of Renown--aka the Nephilim...or the giants, ala Goliath, and or Demi Gods, like Hercules, who was also a giant. Many were wiped-out in the Great Flood, the reason why God flooded the planet as the Bible states. They became discarnate, as demons--Fallen Angels are not demons BTW, demons are their discarnate offspring...aka Gens...or Genies (King Solomon--whio is, I believe, one of King David's sons, trapped them in bottles and set them at sea, hence the creation of the Genie In The Bottle legends).Anyway, not to get too bysantine, however, the point is, David Icke is saying that the Blue Bloods are the last of the line of Nephilim...albeit greatly watered down. He believes that the beings in the Bible known as Fallen Angels and Demons, are masquerading as friendly extraterrestrials for the purpose of luring the world governments into a compromsing position, and that they, these beings, are really working at the behest of Satan. His view is that the war between the Angels in the Bible...is in fact very real and is being played-out right now, before our eyes. These are not aliens, but demonic forces in disguise.I have reason to believe that what Icke is saying, is true. Think of it this way, what we think as spiritual beings, are just simply extradimensional beings, beings from another dimension, whom we may be related to, as they may be our creators, or we may be, at least, their descendents. All of the greatest scientists in the world now study parallel dimensions, even Einstein claimed that we share this dimension with another unseen dimension. He also said that no energy ever dies, it just changes form. Sounds like Heaven and Hell, and the eternal soul--that can live beyond death; All concluded by the most famous scientist of all time? If Einstein was correct, then Icke's theories may be true, that we are in contact, perhaps enslaved by, extradimensional beings (aliens if you will), refered to in the Bible, and other holy books, as Fallen Angels. Whether this is true or not, I will leave you to conclude, I am only vectoring Icke's speculations based upon his voluminous research into secret societies, holy scripture, and royal rituals.
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His lightweight metaphysics scares Little CJ.
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Wowzers.
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He didn't even know he had a daughter.
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...did ya see Empire? He knew before that movie started.
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And it is very overrated by people who are dying for something original, even when it's not all that original to begin with.
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This is way too cool of a universe to not explore further. This is exactly how you make a great trilogy! Make one great movie and don't explain that much, just give enough back story to wet the appetite, then fill in the holes in the next 2 films. I knew there would be more of these as soon as SPOILER..... Christopher Johnson was standing over the alien body that was burned/melted, and was horrified at what the humans were doing. He's coming back, and bringing friends with him.. I loved this movie.
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Well, to also get technical, the imperials spend all this time creating the Death Star and leave a thermal exhaust port wide open and are willing to leave anything to chance with it? Even if you say they didnt consider a small one man fighter a threat, you're telling me these methodical, militaristic people would leave that to chance? And what about the obvious glaring fact that Obi Wan makes a remark about the stormtroopers and their precise marksmanship, yet we continually see them miss their targets by many feet every time. They're supposed to be highly trained, and this happens? Also, the Rebel Alliance just allows some untrained kid to join their fighter squadron right off the bat like that? They weren't back a day and suddenly Luke's part of the assault?
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as cliche as that sounds.
however, to those that have expressed their outright hate and derision for this thread.
you didn't come to be told a story or be entertained.
you came to be convinced...sorry, not the directors fucking job.
Enjoy it or not, but justifing your cynicism in this thread is an excersize in self congradulatory bullshit. -
needs to watch this movie. It was very different. Sure, there were some familiar elements, but they were all presented in a very original way.
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Is that against the rules or something?
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is a complete dumbass, who has never seen a James Cameron film.
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David Icke is good for one thing - opening the publics eyes to some interesting possible facts - ie An alien presense on Earth. an infiltration of our governments. hell the man was talking about a a coming psychological operation on us back in early 2001 including false terror attacks and war. but lets get some perspective. the guy is his own biggest fan. speaking of aliens. they come from Venus. that planet has been buried by the powers that be. seriously, you go and find good info on it. you can't. it's our nearest neighbour world for crying out loud!
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the white men in the movie were fucking vile pieces of crap. Including the main character. Chris and his son were the only decent characters :) the son even made my gf cry.
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and the movie was great :) trek, taken, watchmen, d9 and well there hasnt been a number 5 yet. in no particular order btw.
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Anyone ever hear of a miniseries and TV series called "V"? How about a movie and TV series called "Alien Nation"? Or maybe a film, sequel, remake and sequel called "The Fly"? Hell, even Heroes is doing that one. Then we['ve got a mech suit which is all the rage now a la Iron Man. Iteresting? Ok. Good? Sure. Original? Not so much.
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Aug 16, 2009 11:02:44 PM CDT
No, the concept is orgiginal. But the film isn't original at all
by evangelion217
Even the score wasn't original. How sad.......
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Not bad. I imagine this is going to do really well in the international market too.
I hope FOX begs him to do Halo again, when they see how much profit he made with an original screenplay with no known actors. -
Not anymore. Everything has pretty much been done before and can be compared to something else at this point. The way this movie is original is that it's not based on prior material. It's not a remake or a reboot or a sequel and it's actually good unless you have to have every tiny detail explained and harp on one thing to ruin the movie for yourself.
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You've almost got a point there...almost.The port exhaust thing was a product of arrogance. The Empire thought they were indestructable and on an inevitable path to uncontested dominance. Even when the danger was revealed to Tarkin, he refused to believe it was possible. I personally don't consider that a plothole, but I can understand how others might.The Stormtroopers marksmanship is just a Hollywood trapping. It's been that way in every war film since film was invented. If they really were excellent marksmen, the movie would end pretty quickly. I will admit that line from Obi-Wan always bothered me because I didn't know what he meant. Plot hole? Possibly.as for Luke joinging the resistence and being a pilot on the attack run, they owed him big time. He was a good pilot, as was discussed in the film. They NEEDED good pilots as Luke tells Han to get him to stay. The rebellion was on the brink of defeat as discussed in the film. Plus remember that his best friend Biggs is a pilot on the raid and assumedly vouches for Luke. It has never struck me even momentarily as odd that Luke flies an x-wing in the attack.
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So many iconic moments. And a PERFECT ending.This film is close to the same ballpark as The Matrix, Terminator, and Aliens (I'll need to see it a few more times). Different of course, but of nearly the same quality. What a great movie.
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Aug 16, 2009 11:33:59 PM CDT
Taking the existing and applying it in a new way...
by gibsonusa returns
...or from a new perspective/application...can be considered innovation/originality.
So says my grad school professor, at least. -
Aug 16, 2009 11:35:27 PM CDT
Very few things are all new creation/built from scratch.
by gibsonusa returns
But it need not be to be considered originality.
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If Obi Wan was more powerful dead than alive, why didn't he use some of that power to help the rebellion against the empire instead of just to have conversations with Luke and tell him to use the force. He could have fucked with Vader by being a nagging voice in his head, and he could distract him during battle by bringing up Padme since that was always a weak spot. He could have fucked with the storm troopers, too.
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Astral projection/contact is part of "The Living Force". Darth Vader, once he went to the dark side, cut himself off from that so Obi-Wan could not have contacted him. Stormtroopers obviously have no sense of the force so they couldn't be contacted either. Same with the rest of the rebellion. Since it was never implied that Ben could contact anyone else from beyond the grave aside from Luke, it's not a plot hole that he doesn't.
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You said: "Also, the Rebel Alliance just allows some untrained kid to join their fighter squadron right off the bat like that? They weren't back a day and suddenly Luke's part of the assault?"Oh come on, give me a break. Let's run through the incredibly OBVIOUS, shall we...1) The ONLY reason that the Rebel Alliance even has a shot at taking on the Death Star in a final assault is BECAUSE Luke rescued the Princess and BECAUSE he delivered the Death Star schematics. So right off the bat...and even though they've just met him...the Rebel alliance owes a pretty fucking huge debt of gratitude to Luke.2) It's clearly established in the movie that Princess Leia has some SERIOUS pull in the rebellion and in its entire command hierarchy. So needless to say the second they set foot on the Yavin, she simply had to snap her fingers and say: "Luke's officially in the club, no questions asked. So give him his own fighter. In fact, for saving my life and for everything he's done today, move your sorry asses and give him ANYTHING he wants."3) The rebellion was cornered and on its last legs. For crying out loud, there's DEATH STAR that can destroy entire planets bearing down on them. So I think it goes without saying that at the conclusion of the movie the attitude on Yavin could be pretty much summed up as "FUCK! We are SO screwed! We need all hands on deck! So if you can fly a ship, if you can even work a joystick, get your ass up there!"4) Even as Luke is suited up and headed to his fighter, as we saw in the Special Editions, Biggs comes along and -- as an already established pilot in the rebellion -- vouches FOR Luke to a superior officer and notes what a good pilot Luke is.And finally, keep in mind this too. While many people around the galaxy would obviously NOT know that Anakin Skywalker was now Darth Vader, that would NOT have wiped away tales of Anakin's heroic past AS a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars, which Obi-Wan himself brings up earlier in the movie ("He was the best star pilot in the galaxy."). So, once they arrived on Yavin and Leia stood by Luke, maybe the Rebellion brass simply ran Luke's name through a computer at which point they went wide-eyed andsaid "Holy fuck! You're ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S son? That son of a bitch was the greatest natural born pilot this galaxy's ever seen! We need pilots and we need them ASAP. So get your ass strapped into an X-Wing RIGHT NOW!"
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I found a few bits of it rather illogical, others repetitious and predictable. Overall not the mind-blowing experience I thought it'd be, but probably the best film I've seen in theatres in 2009.
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In my opinion there is still room for a really great "Aliens living on Earth" movie that doesn't turn into a fucking action movie at the end.
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Just saw it today! Love it! Great GREAT stuff!!! Best live action Mecha stuff I've ever seen!
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I think he needs to learn a little diplomacy, and hold his tongue when speaking of a peer. He probably is forgetting that eyes are on him, now.I enjoyed both Moon and this for what they are. No need to get snotty about an action film.
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http://twitter.com/manmademoon
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Aug 17, 2009 12:10:44 AM CDT
BendersShinyAss: I Have Heard Interest Information On Venus
by media messiah
Some years ago, the Russians sent a probe to Venus that got pictures of the surface of the planet after it, the probe, entered the atmosphere. That probe should have burned-up long before getting those pictures, hence, the powers that be, are lying about the hot temperature of Venus. That means, that they must have reason to be actively, and willfully, lying about Venus. I recall a story saying that there is an advanced human(oid) civilization on Venus. I also remember pictures of a white male, appearing to be in his 30s or 40s...wearing a suit. He came here to visit the U.N. as a representative from Venus, the story stated--this was in the early 60s I believe? I think the last name he was using was Strangers, or something like that? I booked marked the information in my mind, for future use, never deciding either way, whether it was true, or not. That said, the story of the Russian probe is a fact, and that makes you really think? Also, Jesus and Lucifer are both identified in the Bible as the Morningstar. Venus is also called the Morningstar. This can't be a coincidence, so someone must be trying to tell us something of great import, regarding, and about, Venus?
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Aug 17, 2009 12:10:55 AM CDT
BendersShinyAss: I Have Heard Interesting Information On Venus
by media messiah
Some years ago, the Russians sent a probe to Venus that got pictures of the surface of the planet after it, the probe, entered the atmosphere. That probe should have burned-up long before getting those pictures, hence, the powers that be, are lying about the hot temperature of Venus. That means, that they must have reason to be actively, and willfully, lying about Venus. I recall a story saying that there is an advanced human(oid) civilization on Venus. I also remember pictures of a white male, appearing to be in his 30s or 40s...wearing a suit. He came here to visit the U.N. as a representative from Venus, the story stated--this was in the early 60s I believe? I think the last name he was using was Strangers, or something like that? I booked marked the information in my mind, for future use, never deciding either way, whether it was true, or not. That said, the story of the Russian probe is a fact, and that makes you really think? Also, Jesus and Lucifer are both identified in the Bible as the Morningstar. Venus is also called the Morningstar. This can't be a coincidence, so someone must be trying to tell us something of great import, regarding, and about, Venus?
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District 9 was very good, but not the best picture of the year, decade, etc.. A similar tale was told before, such as with Blood Diamond, where the star undergoes a moral transformation and ultimately sacrifices his life to protect the "minority". And there are plot holes-- like how did an alien and a gimpy sick human get all the way in front of MNU headquarters without being noticed???!!! And this is right in JBerg. Come on !!!! Did they beam in? Totally ridiculous. They drove out, right, but the scene just picks up with them blowing a hold in the entrance. And the module that is detachable from the immense ship, that literally can fall out if 0.9 g pulls it is the bridge of this massive ship? And the only way to fly the thing is with that? With all their technology they could not remotely link with their ship's computer? And in 6 seconds, the SA government or any other government would drop a JDAM on that Nigerian Warlord killing him, his followers, and everyone within 100 meters and that would have been that. Oh and where did all these alien weapons come from? If they were all sick and dying and taken off the ship to save their lives and are basically naked until they started wearing pink bras, didn't anyone on those SA helicopters notice those BFGs the aliens were carrying down to Earth. Not to mention a MechWarrier Beast !!!! And that is just off the top of my head.
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Truly brilliant. Strong story. Fantastic character arc. It was six times the movie Transformers was with one sixth of the budget!
The conservative Christian's reaction to Obama-Care - http://tiny.cc/obamacare190
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Right, but they don't show all that, so how can you know? That makes it a shitty movie, right?
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with everyone bouncing theories off each other and talking about what they like about this movie and then some big nasty storm clouds rolled in and we are back to business as usual. so instead of a district 10 should they just make more riddick movies? i thought it was nice to see people actually thinking about a movie and filling in the gaps for themselves instead of just hermione granger like exposition dumps. sigh....
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where leia says i owe luke big time he gets to fly an xwing, or where the rebels say luke we are desperate for pilots you gotta fly a plane. none of the rebels came up to him and said that he gets to fly because he is anakins son. that wasnt in the movie and therefore the movie was garbage.
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Aug 17, 2009 12:32:42 AM CDT
I see REVENGE_of_TheTROLL...I mean, FETT, is still hard at it..
by kai_mah'gra
.....still trolling and trying ever so hard to trash the non-existent plotholes of District 9 by way of defending Star Wars(???). We should have known (from the unoriginal name) that someone who thinks that George Lucas is a genius of storytelling and movie script dialogue, would have oodles of problems getting their small tiny little minds to understand a movie with as straightforward a story without tripping over a multitude of non-existent made-up plotholes, and which most adults of average intelligence have had no problem with. Midiclorians (sp??...not that it matters) my ass. So he's going to buy that a kid was immaculately conceived by "the Force", in a non-religious so-called Sci-Fi movie, but he'll have trouble believing that modern day human beings on this planet can't figure out a way to airlift 1 million alien refugees from their ship? Yeah, I buy that. It's too bad Blomfkamp did set the story a long time ago in a galaxy far far away where the rules or logic and physics no longer apply, and plotholes are considered a good story-telling device, otherwise I'm sure this would have been right up your alley.
In the meantime, I believe you lost all credibility when you tried to defend a lot of the stupidity we've come to accept in Star Wars, as being a product of Lucas' limitations given the time he was making the movie, but which would in no way fly in a movie made in the 21st Century. Kinda like we accept Superman throwing a giant polystyrene "S" as part of his powers in Superman 2, since it was made in the early 80's, but which doesn't make it any less Stupid an act to make Superman to do. I dare you to find any Superman fan that will defend that the same way you trying to defend Lucas's idiocies in Star Wars. Until then stop trolling by trying to bash a clearly superior movie made on a fraction of it's budget. -
Aug 17, 2009 12:34:06 AM CDT
the fuel for the ship was made out of midichlorians
by martinlutherkrangjr
thats how it was able to do everything.
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Aug 17, 2009 12:37:42 AM CDT
all the plot holes in star wars have been addressed
by martinlutherkrangjr
in the dvd re-releases, lucas filled every plot hole in with thousands of midichlorians.
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Aug 17, 2009 12:38:47 AM CDT
midichlorians allow different species to talk to each other
by martinlutherkrangjr
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Came across as incredibly bitchy. Kind of put me off the guy to be honest. I loved moon for the record....
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by using a different safe word every time.
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the motherships ability to hover for 28 years. WHO GIVES A FUCK. It did. end of story.
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im sure he's mad because d-9 is stealing moon's sci fi thunder. hopefully he's right though and the studio's give more money to fund "thinking mans action pics"
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Holy FUCK! Ok, now who's going off the fucking deep end?
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aliens don't actually exist, so how do they expect me to believe that aliens show up in south africa?
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if you're not a little kid you should be over it. star wars is the mcdonalds of sci-fi/fantasy.
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Aug 17, 2009 12:48:08 AM CDT
I should've known evoking Star Wars would lead to this stupid sh
by revenge_of_fett
FUCKING GROAN ALREADY!
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Did Superman get into the mix? Yes the stupid flying S symbol was retarded. Your point?
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Why do you must you invalidate EVERYTHING that you will utter by disclaiming 2001 as anything but tedious. Those of us with a brain realize that ANY film can be cast in a poor light by our mood or by our own leve of energy. 2001 is a msaterpiece BECAUSE it is unapologetic in its approach. Do I have the fortitude or focus to watch it everyday? NO! But 100 years fro now it will be recognized for the masterpiece it is, not for its shortcomings. YOUR dismissal is only a banner of your ignorance. But please, Talk on...
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Leave you scratching your head trying to figure out how things worked. Everything is explained, everything flows naturally and Lucas didn't have to shake the camera all over fuck trying to convince you what was happening was important. Just because some aren't observant enough to realize shit isn't adding up, that's not a strength of the film, it's a weakness of the viewer.And YES, if it takes 4 months to offload a STARVING people so that you can enclose them SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT'S RETARDED!Notice how dozens of people at this point have cited many of the same plotholes I mentioned? Getting harder and harder to paint me as some kind of crackpot isn't it?
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how did super man or the other kryptonians get the power to shoot giant s's? thats a huge plot hole but makes sense with the logic of the movie.
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You said: "Right, but they don't show all that, so how can you know? That makes it a shitty movie, right?"Let me get this straight since now you're being utterly laughable. You're actually claiming they DON'T show all that? The things that both Fett and I brought up? Yeah, you're right. In STAR WARS, they NEVER showed that...1) Princess Leia was a major player in the Rebellion. Oh wait, you learn THAT in the fucking SCROLL at the start of the movie! And it only gets repeated throughout the movie time and time again!2) They NEVER show that the Death Star plans were what the entire Rebellion's survival hinged upon? Gee, I seem to recall THAT being established in the fucking scroll TOO. So now we're only a minute into the movie and, for some reason that defies all movie-going, apparently you were already lost storywise. Sorry to hear that.3) They NEVER show that Luke rescued the Princess and that because of that the Death Star plans were successfully delivered to the Rebel leaders? So they COULD make a last stand against it? Gee, I beg to differ with you on that one. I think they kind of did show that SINCE IT WAS 90% OF THE FUCKING MOVIE.And when you say "they don't show all that", I guess you missed the part where I wrote: "Even as Luke is suited up and headed to his fighter, AS WE SAW in the Special Editions, Biggs comes along and -- as an already established pilot in the rebellion -- vouches for Luke to a superior officer and notes what a good pilot Luke is." Yes, Jedi, we SAW that onscreen.Not to mention, we also SAW in the movie Luke (all dressed up in his X-wing fighter gear) challenging Han himself by saying "They need good pilots. You're turning your back on them" -- the CLEAR implication of which is that Luke has ALREADY talked to the Rebel leaders, and he's ALREADY been recruited and approved. Hence the whole REASON we now see him suited up onscreen.In fact, of the several things that I listed to you, basically the only thing that Lucas didn't show is the bit I mentioned about the Rebel leaders looking Luke up on the computers and seeing that he's Anakin "best star pilot in the galaxy" Skywalker's son. But even that's okay since THAT was a plot point which was fairly and clearly established in the movie, through Obi-Wan's dialogue.Hell, Luke even gets the official seal of approval BEFORE he takes off and joins the assault on the Death Star when we literally SEE Princess Leia onscreen strolling through the flight deck -- Rebel General in tow -- and she stops to to talk to Luke, and then kisses him on the cheek to wish him well.Dude, seriously, I understand that you liked D9 and you're trying to fend off complaints about it -- in particular that it had major story holes in it, due to things the movie never showed or covered in the dialogue. But these examples your pulling out of your ass regarding STAR WARS -- trying to hold them up as comparisons of "weak storytelling" -- are not going anywhere. In fact, they're falling flat on their face.And for fuck's sake, say what you will about the prequelselse...hell, even as a lifelong SW fan I can rip THOSE movies apart...but when it comes to the original STAR WARS film we're talking about a movie that was multi-Oscar nominated, was the biggest box office hit in movie history, spawned an entire subculture and affected millions of people around the world, was voted by the American Film Institute as one of the 10 greatest American films ever made, and which was ultimately picked as Film of the fucking MILLENNIUM as we officially rolled out of the 20th century and into the 21st.Suffice to say, and as enjoyable as it was for a day out of the summer heat and to sit in a air conditioned theater watching it, D9 is NO fucking match for the original STAR WARS on any conceivable level. Frankly, D9 isn't even in STAR WARS league.
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The other 4 movies in the series since, have been utter and complete trash, but that is no reason to assail the first 2 films.
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Star Wars was made for 1/3 the budget of District 9!
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i just think that if you thought about the movie's "plot holes" and used a little creativity, that you would see the movie makes sense within its own universe. they didn't show king kong being shipped to new york yet you just have to assume that they have a boat big enough, with all the supplies needed to keep a giant ape alive for the month or so at sea. just think about your questions for a minute and pick the most logical answer, or the most illogical, whatever tickles your fancy.
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What these beings are, aliens...fallen angels, time travellers, extradimensional beings, etc., who knows, but I have seen UFOs before? They are real.
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Aug 17, 2009 1:06:08 AM CDT
Star Wars has a budget of $11 million (?) in '77 dollars.
by gibsonusa returns
According to the inflation calculator I just googled, that would equate to roughly $37 million in '07 dollars.
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its like listening to nirvana will lead to people finding out about better bands. its the most middle of the road mediocre stuff. i will never understand people getting super nerdy about star wars, its not that interesting.
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"I dare you to find any Superman fan that will defend that the same way you trying to defend Lucas's idiocies in Star Wars. Until then stop trolling by trying to bash a clearly superior movie made on a fraction of it's budget."
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Not much like District 9, if you ask me. You might as well compare it to X-Files because it had an evil company and aliens in it. As I said, the movie has some familier elements, but they are presented in a rather original way. Yes, I've seen much of this stuff before, but as I watched the movie, I didn't FEEL like I had. It felt new and fresh. The Matrix... that movie borrowed many sci-fi elements used before and presented them in an original way, re-energizing it. In reality, NOTHING is original anymore because there are only so many ideas out there. Even Star Wars was inspired by many other things ("Hidden Fortress", "Flash Gordon")In the end, it's how it's presented that matters.
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the burden of proof is on you.
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the burden of proof is on you.
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Just for the record. I don't think that for a second. I thought it was very good sci-fi, though.
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mise en scene of children of men sure, but he idyllic painting ending with room for sequel? yeah we will see district 10 in a few years.
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im totally open to extra terrestrials, angels, inter dimensionals and all that jazz, i just don't see any hard evidence of it. i would like to believe they are real, though not so much with the angels in a biblical sense, i would rather that bible god not exist.
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I've been watching the Fugitive (1993) the last few days, and its one of my favorite movies. But if I picked at it, I'm sure I can make a whole list of "plot holes" and "doesnt make sense" stuff about the movie. But why do that?It's generally a very solid, well put together thriller that keeps me watching through the whole thing.
I was being sarcastic in my earlier posts about the outdated cars in Terminator. But the thing is, I could make a whole list like that about that movie too!
D9 was an awesome movie with a message worth discussion...yet people here are talking about how they got the aliens off the ship! HUH?? Isnt that like...kinda missing the point? Who cares how they got em off the ship! -
lets just assume that the world mobilizes a massive relief effort to get the aliens off the ship as quickly as possible. or they don't. who gives a shit.
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in Korea in fucking October! I really want to see this. The reactions alone are damn interesting. Still cant believe someone made an honest to goodness good sci-fi South African flick. Can someone tell me what the action is like? Is it well framed and shot, with good establishment of the geography of the scene. And is the action an organic extension of the story that furthers the plot? Or is it all there for the sake of having an action scene? And is there a lot of use of shaky cam, mtv editing, and overuse of close ups?
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Please, give me a break. Obviously the losers who tear apart every frame and plot element on the 6 movie Star Wars saga have way too much time on their hands. Just because each movie is not an utter masterpiece does not mean that nearly all the movies have a lot to offer, especially III - VI And taken as a whole, the entire Sexology is a nothing short of a brilliant story. Yes brilliant-- that is why 32 years after the first movie came out, and billions of dollars later, and billions of toys later, etc.. it is still part of our culture and those of many countries throughout the world. If it utterly sucked, it would have been forgotten. If it was merely very very good, it would be in the background or basically not discussed throughout the world, much like Indiana Jones is and Back to the Future-- good movies that were huge, established a big following, made a lot of money, and are basically nearly ignored now (and yes, I am including the recent Indiana Jones and the Rape of Our Collective Indie Memories). That SW evokes a passion says something and it doesn't say that everyone is stupid and YOU, the critic is right. It says that for better or worse, the element of this rise of an empire and fall of Darth Vader and defeat of the Empire, etc.. and the personal story of Luke coming to terms with who he is, and Anakin's redemption, etc.. those stories are part of so many people.
So you do not have to mock or criticize Star Wars if you think District 9 was good because these two movies are as different as two films can be. So if you like D-9 great, good for you, because I liked it too. But in terms of impact it is no Star Wars. It is a good, somewhat thought provoking film that in a year or so you will look back on and think, "yeah, that was a good movie" while you pop in Empire Strikes Back into the DVD player to watch a scifi movie that came out 29 years ago ! I find it highly unlikely that in 2038 you will even remember District 9, let alone where you put your teeth !
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star wars too.....
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I hope that if Lucas releases SW in Blu Ray he puts in the scene with C3PO removes the sticker off the door in the hall on Hoth and the Storm Troopers go in there and are torn apart. Since no one will be out of costume for those scenes, they can even be shot now if need be. IN Empire, you can see how C3PO is about to walk by the door with the warning sticker, and moments earlier Han looks at the door and pulls Leia away to the Falcon.
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You said to Fett (quote): "Still trolling and trying ever so hard to trash the non-existent plotholes of District 9 by way of defending Star Wars(???)."NON-EXISTENT? Dude, you need to seriously get off whatever drugs you're on before they permanently warp your mind, and then you can join the rest of us in reality. This talkback is literally FILLED to the brim with people -- not only Fett -- tossing out plot holes and logic lapses that occur in D9 left and right. The list is staggering once you start to actually add the holes up. In fact, to say that the story behind D9 is pretty much entirely plot hole driven and that it requires a MAJOR suspension of disbelief and a MAJOR checking of a functioning brain at the door would be an understatement, to say the least.You also said to Fett (quote): "In the meantime, I believe you lost all credibility when you tried to defend a lot of the stupidity we've come to accept in STAR WARS, as being a product of Lucas' limitations given the time he was making the movie, but which would in no way fly in a movie made in the 21st Century...Until then stop trolling by trying to bash a clearly superior movie made on a fraction of it's budget."LMAO!!! D9 is a "clearly superior movie" to the original STAR WARS? Wow, now I know that you REALLY must be on some serious drugs. As I noted in a post above to Jediwuddyaknow, say whatever you will about the prequels, but D9 isn't even in the same league as the original STAR WARS for sheer movie making brilliance or originality or genre changing impact or even -- yes -- pure smarts in terms of screenwriting.Oh yeah, and I hate to break this news flash to you as well, Kai, but you have another thing ass BACKWARDS. The final budget for the original STAR WARS was only $9.5 million compared to D9 costing about $30 million. So it was actually STAR WARS that was made for the fractional amount. But, hey, look on the bright side. Turns out you were actually right about one thing. The "clearly superior film" WAS the movie that was made for the least money!
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...but I will tell you, if you have 1,000 people who say they were car jacked, or raped, or witnessed a bank robbery, or even claimed they were in accidents, you'd tend to believe them, especially due to the fact that we see many of them on the news, and most are telling the truth--but when someone says, "Hey, I saw ghosts, or an angel, or a UFO"...all witnesses, in large numbers, just like the fore groups I mentioned, those with more conventional down to Earth stories, we dismiss them. As a child, I did not know what to think of movies and TV series about aliens and science fiction, therein, other than the fact that they were often fun, brilliant, thought provoking, and very interesting, and there were also the bad ones...too, and very bad, at that. Things changed for me when I saw a UFO when I was about 13 years old. At that point I knew that I couldn't be the only one to see one--yes, the governments of the world had to know...and had to be lying by omission--so whatever else were they lying about? The nature of our paradigm is more strange than you'd ever guess...or even me. As for my UFo experience, the first of 2, there was another component to this, that I will not mention but, I will say it is similar to a report about an encounter with aliens that Steven Spielberg's neice had. It was an abduction attempt by so-called extraterrestrials, one interupted by an apparition of Mother Mary. The E.T.'s fled at her presence. The strange thing is, I witnessed something similar, years before this happened, the reason why I believe that David Icke is onto something--and the reason why I believe that the story about Spielberg's neice has to be true--and BTW, as you know, they, the Spielberg family, are Jewish--and that is the irony.
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Aug 17, 2009 1:38:41 AM CDT
i think you have to adjust that 9.5 for inflation
by martinlutherkrangjr
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It is a constitutional democracy-- and probably the most advanced in so many ways compared to the rest of that shit hole Continent-- yes there are a few exceptions, but basically sub-saharan Africa is a shit hole and you know it. And, it's time to stop blaming European Colonialism for this.
Under Apartheid, S.A. was certainly not fair to the blacks, no doubt about it, but currently, in light of their potential, the country was certainly more "orderly" before.
Remember, S.A. was a nuclear superpower at one time, remember?
These are smart, advanced people.
the fall of Apartheid has diminished the country , not made it better.
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i live in detroit, and it was alot more orderly back when the cops used to beat the shit out of black people and murder and intimidate them, but the black residents of detroit kinda had a problem with that and well the rest is history. or at least i hope people know about that. the city of detroit and south africa ARE better for not having vicious racism as a government institution.
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It was rated R....
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It was rated R....
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My bad.
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Aug 17, 2009 2:16:22 AM CDT
Better than Star Wars? Uh, two different movies sister
by lockesbrokenleg
Way to miss the point.
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When you see one of these things up close...as I did, to within a quarter of a mile, or maybe a third of a mile away(?)...it changes everything in your thinking, and how you look at the world, and your relation to it, and the relation others have to you, and yout to them. This was the moment I knew God existed, something that I was not sure about--I just knew that the stories that are told about Him, things that are horribly mishandled by preists, preachers, and nuns, etc., well, they suddenly made better sense. This was proof for me, that if UFOs exist...there has to be purpose for us, and I began to look higher, like an ant that had been awakened to a whole world around him--or better yet, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull...seeing life as being more important than fighting for scraps of food to survive (and for humans, trying to make money--the reason for their concerned with business). Now, I want money, yes, not for me though---but there was a girl in my life who was/is ill. I wanted to take care of her, but I didn't have the money--the reason why I have been pimping story and script ideas on AICN.com--the thing that has so many people up in arms, among other things, about me. I just wanted to help her, and prove that some people honor their word, their promses...although she has since abandoned me, I wanted, and want to teach her something about giving and what true love really is--the best way that I can teach her to have faith in a higher power--something she gave-up on, also. Save for that, because of my E.T. experience, or whatever these beings are, I have no real use for money, or being a part of the system. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the government does not want the public to know about these things, because most people would stop fighting for scraps and become more spiritual, and kind? Another reason is simple, if the public at large knew that ETs are real, or whatever they really are, everybody and their brother would start claiming they saw them. At that point, it would make it much harder for the government to isolate, and investigate legitimate reports. It would be like attempting to find a needle in a haystack--now however, in the current status quo, it is far easier for them to cherry pick, and locate, the more legit cases, and quietly learn all they need to know about them--and the fact that most people are in the dark about the truth, and believe it to be just the stuff of fantasy and science fiction, is a huge plus for that powers that be.
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When you see one of these things up close...as I did, to within a quarter of a mile, or maybe a third of a mile away(?)...it changes everything in your thinking, and how you look at the world, and your relation to it, and the relation others have to you, and yout to them. This was the moment I knew God existed, something that I was not sure about--I just knew that the stories that are told about Him, things that are horribly mishandled by preists, preachers, and nuns, etc., well, they suddenly made better sense. This was proof for me, that if UFOs exist...there has to be purpose for us, and I began to look higher, like an ant that had been awakened to a whole world around him--or better yet, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull...seeing life as being more important than fighting for scraps of food to survive (and for humans, trying to make money--the reason for their concerned with business). Now, I want money, yes, not for me though---but there was a girl in my life who was/is ill. I wanted to take care of her, but I didn't have the money--the reason why I have been pimping story and script ideas on AICN.com--the thing that has so many people up in arms, among other things, about me. I just wanted to help her, and prove that some people honor their word, their promses...although she has since abandoned me, I wanted, and want to teach her something about giving and what true love really is--the best way that I can teach her to have faith in a higher power--something she gave-up on, also. Save for that, because of my E.T. experience, or whatever these beings are, I have no real use for money, or being a part of the system. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the government does not want the public to know about these things, because most people would stop fighting for scraps and become more spiritual, and kind? Another reason is simple, if the public at large knew that ETs are real, or whatever they really are, everybody and their brother would start claiming they saw them. At that point, it would make it much harder for the government to isolate, and investigate legitimate reports. It would be like attempting to find a needle in a haystack--now however, in the current status quo, it is far easier for them to cherry pick, and locate, the more legit cases, and quietly learn all they need to know about them--and the fact that most people are in the dark about the truth, and believe it to be just the stuff of fantasy and science fiction, is a huge plus for that powers that be.
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.......ever heard about adjusting for inflation? You seriously think that $9.5 Million in 1976 (when Star Wars was actually made and not released in '77, and before the Energy crisis, or the numerous other recessions and mini-recession('83, '88,'03)that followed which subsequently over-inflated the value of the dollar, once we got out of them) is actually less than $30 Million in 2009, and in the middle of a Recession, when the value of the dollar is at an all-time low? Really? Are you seriously that dumb and stupid as your name suggests or do you just enjoy spouting off idiocies in the name of an argument. You may not understand how market economics and inflation work towards increasing the value of the dollar, not to mention the cost of goods and services over time (actually scratch that; you clearly DON'T understand), in which case you're well advised to shut your gob about it and spare us your ignorance. If George Lucas made Star Wars today with the SAME (crappy) effects, SAME (no-name, at the time)actors and SAME Studio system, I can guarantee you 2 things -
1) It would still NOT cost only just $9.5 Million and adding marketing, Location and production costs would even cost more than District 9.
2) It obviously wouldn't be anywhere near the hit it was, nor considered original, creative, or anything close to a masterpiece.
Bottom-line is that George Lucas benefited from making a crappy (and CAMPY with uber-capital 'C') Sci-Fi movie at a time when there was no basis for comparison, and hence no standard to hold him to. Had he made it even a mere 10 years later after Scott's Alien, and Cameron's Aliens, I can also guarantee you that no one would be referring to Star Wars as the bench mark.
I answered all of FETT's plothole questions, point by motherfucking point, and have yet to see him respond to a single one. And seeing as now you are his secretary or his bitch coming to defend him, or hide him behind your skirt; the least you could is lend him a hand and try to respond or even throw in one plothole yourself that you think is an air-tight deal-breaker. NONE exists. Outside of the ones that we have all agreed only exist because the people raising them are too lazy to use the spaces between their ears to fill in the gaps or think for themselves, or in Fett's case, just using for trolling purposes.
Again, you talk of suspension of belief? Coming from a Star Wars fan......STAR.... WARS......(just let that sink in for a minute) fan, trying to attack some other movie on the basis of it requiring the audience to suspend their belief (- MIDICLORIANS -) is laughable at best and pitifully pathetic at worst. Crawl back into your Stormtrooper one-piece pyjama and go back to playing with your Jango-Fett, and Jar-Jar action figures until you grow up, or at least grow enough brain cells to get into a cerebral confrontation with someone that actually uses more than .002% of their brain. Or at least until Mommy calls you out of the basement for dinner, at which point you can then cry to her or your bitch (honestly I don't really know who is the bitch in this case) FETT, that someone on those nasty AICN talkbacks was mean to you and said you should try using your brain in a movie instead of expecting the director to spoon-feed you every single little detail in the wonderfully crayon colored pop-up book style, that you Star Wars fans are typically used to. -
It was an accident, and has already happened to me twice today???!!!
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i would think that my reaction to being a witness to an alien presence would be to think god doesn't exist and that there is no special plan for man. that we are just one of many different species of beings that populate this solar system. i can see your point though and your opinion is as valid as anyone elses.
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you summed up my feelings about star wars pretty accurately. it was just at the right place at the right time.
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or you guys were around back then you would all be tearing it to pieces!! you would fucking hate r2d2 and c3po with a passion and be calling for mark hamill's bad acting head! you guys would fucking hate it. why wouldn't you? It is pretty much everything you guys hate now.
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Aug 17, 2009 2:45:06 AM CDT
Maybe not plotholes but lack of full disclosure of information
by eguang
I loved the movie. But just like for some people there were things that happen in this movie that left me scratching my head because in "Hollywood's" sci fi universe (which also never occurs in 3rd world countries) they would never happen. For some reason the creators decided not to go deeper in the background of the story and just tell us that they've been here for 20 years. Maybe during the first 5 years all the guns in the world were pointing to District 9 but now in year 20, people stopped caring and just left them in the hands of private contractors and the black market. This would explain the lack of a huge military and scientific presence. Instead of telling us the background of the aliens we have to figure out or "guess" by ourselves that the aliens in the ships were not soldiers or military type of people. Maybe slaves or ilegal Aliens being smuggled but for some reason dumped in earth (the scene when they were found inside the ship reminded me about those movies where they smuggle chinese people inside freighters. So even if there were many powerful Alien weapons, they did not have the drive to go up in arms. Maybe with a few extra minutes of dialogue the creators could have explained these things and the nit pickers would be spoon fed with information and would no have complained.
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The reason Venus shines so brightly is because it's reflecting the sun off of an ocean. consider that we have ample high qulity images of most worlds - yet venus is totally dodged. even mars is covered in vegitation and they don't speak about it. don't get me started on the moon.
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AaaaahhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
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Also, am I the only one that thought that the first 20 minutes was like a special episode of "The office". The lead character in D9 was acting just like Steve Carrel's character in the office would be acting in the show :-), especially because of the mockumentary type of film making of the beginning of the movie. This actually distracted me (since I don't like the office) but by the middle of the movie I begun enjoying the movie a lot.
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people are into two robots on screen together if they are giant and fighting each other.
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Aug 17, 2009 3:01:51 AM CDT
If Star Wars (the first one) were released today....
by gibsonusa returns
...I love Star Wars, I am not bashing it...but I'm just saying that if it were released for the first time now...it would get so laughed at.
- Luke Skywalker and his mystical forcepower.
- Luke's performance on the farm, picking out the droids, etc.
- Swords made of beams of light.
-Hans Solo's little vest.
-Leia's white pajamas.
-Vader's whole costume, cape and all.
-The way the Storm troopers run down the hallways and getting blasted away.
-Chewbacca.
-I think audiences would laugh hard at Obi Wan's mystical voice "use the force, Luke!"...that would seem soo cheesy.
I think even new viewers tend to forgive a lot of the stuff of Star Wars cause it was released a long time ago...but if it were released now, it would get laughed at. I love Star Wars though. -
but im happy that i found out about this. i don't buy it, but its somewhat thought provoking and if this what he is into i would like to see what the fuck is movie scripts are about.
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In order for aliens to reach our planet, that means they would have to have achieved light speed (which it seems no living thing can survive... and the journey is still gargantuan) or somehow created a wormhole. Either way, it means their technology is infinitely more advanced than our own. So, if their technology is great enough to bring them to our planet, why would they even care about a primitive society? Rest assured, any species that could traverse that massive a distance WOULD find us primitive... because we haven't even sent a human to Mars yet, which is a VERY short distance, relatively speaking. I'm not saying aliens don't exist out there... I just don't think they're here. And as for alien craft... why is it we only ever see fuzzy, indistinct pictures of those, when practically everyone in the world has a camera on their phone now? Government coverup? Please. The government has done some shady things, but even they can't regulate every camera in the world. Hell, we can't even find Osama Bin Laden.
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in making better films. I'm starting to like this Media Messiah person.
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Critcs back in the day TRASHED ALL the SW movies. When Jedi came out, many critics trashed it. Of course, today it's a classic.
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Aug 17, 2009 3:15:28 AM CDT
i don't think return of the jedi is regarded as classic
by martinlutherkrangjr
i think empire and new hope are, but jedi is kinda shaky.
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....that was part of the point of presenting the first 20 minutes, and that character in particular, that way. The fact that he is, or at least was, up until that point, something of an uber-douche of the dweeb variety ( actually, 'The Office' reference was more towards Rainn Wilson's Dwight Schrute character - the ubiquitous annoying goody-two-shoes brown-nosing jerk that most working people are familiar with, since there always seems to be one in every office). And also to kind of bring into focus how he got to be appointed the head of the section despite being such a douchebag ( married to the boss's daughter), and how all this plays or played into his eventual transformation or evolution of character, from self-serving to essentially sacrificing himself to allow Christopher to escape.
I would love for a sequel that allows for him to have a transformation back to his human form, (maybe filtering our the alien DNA) just to basically get a sense of what his whole perspective would have been from the jerk who went from referring to the alien fetuses as popcorn popping as he's killing them, to actually becoming one of them himself, all the way back to being a human again. -
if they made a movie about wikars(or whatever his name was) transformation and life living as a prawn and his eventual transformation back. that might be pretty cool.
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I seriously don't think they meant to stop here on earth and only did because they were getting ravaged by disease and lack of food. The smart ones (such as Christopher) certainly thought that Earth and Earth-Tech was way inferior - at least that much was kind of alluded to in the movie, when he says that human technology and equipment is useless. So my guess is that in the grand scheme of things, in their lightspeed-or-wormhole traveling universe, Earth (and the humans in it) are like you intimate, the backwater backward armpit of this part of the galaxy anyway. and no one would really want to stop here unless they absolutely had to and were stranded here like those aliens were. THe interesting thing that the movie did was that it gave the aliens classes and made some of them (or the most who survived the diseas) into simple-minded, frequently violent, almost savages, removing that veneer and image of the perpetually intelligent, enlightened and highly advanced alien species that Sci-Fi movies and lore usually present us with.
But yes, chances are that if space-traveling aliens exist out there, they are unlikely to ever want to be caught dead anywhere near this backward "redneck" planet, and would do everything possible to avoid it even. It's one of the annoying thing of all the other alien invasion movies that came before D-9, that when you think of all the billions of planets out there in the Universe, and with the capability to travel across the stars, that THIS is the one you would voluntarily choose to invade? That always annoyed me. -
can you imagine these boards if a new hope was released new today? Tearing it to fucking shreds.
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Yeah, I actually liked the fact that D9 portrayed the aliens as getting stranded on Earth. And of course, everyone on the planet knew about it. It makes more sense than the secretive aliens that lurk about in our clouds and beam people up to their ships to poke and prod, for no apparent reason... and are covered up by the government somehow.
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If this is the way a discussion about DISTRICT 9 is headed, then this talkback is now destined to degenerate into utter stupidity. For example, this whole "adjusted for inflation" argument is truly retarded. Even if you take STAR WARS budget and boost it up, it only comes to about $33 million compared to DISTRICT 9 costing roughly the same. For all intents and purposes, DISTRICT 9 and STAR WARS cost the same amount of money to make.However, if KaiMahgra is then trying to claim that DISTRICT 9 is a superior movie than STAR WARS, one of the most successful movies on every conceivable artistic, marketing, and financial level in ALL of film history, you're flat out fucking nuts. Based on the way that even geeks are already tearing into DISTRICT 9 for all its silly plot holes, you cannot tell me that it is going to have anywhere near the lasting impact on movie history, filmmaking techniques, or pop culture at large the way STAR WARS did.KaiMahgra also claims "George Lucas benefited from making a crappy (and CAMPY with uber-capital 'C') Sci-Fi movie at a time when there was no basis for comparison and hence no standard to hold him to." NO SHIT, SHERLOCK. That's why it was a true benchmark movie since it did create an new standard that all other films now had to reach.He also said "Had he (Lucas) made it even a mere 10 years later after Scott's Alien and Cameron's Aliens, I can guarantee you that no one would be referring to Star Wars as the benchmark." WTF?!? Even Scott and Cameron have said that if it hadn't been for Lucas and STAR WARS they never would have made ALIEN or ALIENS the way that they did, if they would have made them AT ALL. So congratulations to KaiMahgra. He actually put the chicken before the egg. Even Scott and Cameron have the class to admit how much of an impact STAR WARS on movies, as well as the way it shaped both of them personally as filmmakers.Comparing these two films is ridiculous. DISTRICT 9 is nothing more than an average SyFy Channel movie of the week compared to STAR WARS. Someone in the talkback noted that DISTRICT 9 is nothing more than gluing ET and freaking cheesy LASERBLAST together and they nailed it with that description. KaiMahgra also has a neat gimmick of mixing up movies and the order of their release dates in order to justify his arguments by saying "if this had come out first and then this had come out then, STAR WARS wouldn't seem so great." That's just stupefyingly silly. The bottom line is Star Wars DID proceed all the other films, hence it IS a true benchmark. It shaped all things to come and is still shaping future filmmakers. Yes, STAR WARS lasting impact even shaped DISTRICT 9.
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I loved D9. I felt like it WAS a "thinking man's action movie".
I know Duncan Jones was talking crap about it for having explosions, but - this story had explosions, so what?
Should he have looked for a way to take them out of the movie so that it would be more like "Moon"?
Come on. I didn't like "Moon" but there's room enough for you both man. -
Totally cool with a sequel if there's a good story.
Of course there probably wouldn't be. It would probably be a $100 million POS studio movie that Neil Blomkamp would refuse to do. -
Aug 17, 2009 4:37:12 AM CDT
Lockesbrokenleg, you're wrong about STAR WARS reviews
by starship captain
WTF? The critics "trashed" all of the original films when they first opened? Sorry, but that's flat out wrong. They actually loved them and raved about them. TIME magazine even declared STAR WARS the best movie of the year on its cover the week that it opened.http://tinyurl.com/ofxq3v
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Really enjoyed the flick, got to see it at Movie Con at the British Film Institute this weekend. It is a pretty grim film with the only laughs coming from my wife who is from South Africa and is fluent in afrikaans when the cursed or used proper Boerta language! But the actual feel of the film - the conditions people live in (many people still live in shanty towns like that)the way they talk and act and the language and attitudes is very authentic and all the actors are established SA actors - well the main actors are. Imagine if this had been taken on and produced wuth american actors and accents!?!!
Really cool alien designs and loved the conept of the weapons and their technology.
With apartheid still fresh in the minds of many people It will be interesting to see how this is welcomed in SA and J'burg. District 9 was a real place (back in the 60's, I think), where they basically forced all the non white people into - concentration camps for keeping them away from and secluded from society. The brutality and disgusting treatment of these people is still very fresh in their minds with many many people still alive who had to live through this. It made my wife feel quite uncomfortable actually - and she isn't even part of that generation.
Brings quite a grim reminder of how people have treated each other in the past and how human nature has an ugly side to it. -
Only this was better my only wish Is that I would had a chance to christopher come back to earth and F it up proper.
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-I was Ingagi38 back in the day. Good times, good times. Yeah Harold doesn't ban people that much now, and w/ Drew gone-well the banning thing is rarer. That isn't nec. a good thing, but there it is. The movie w/ Holes in it to put up against this-INDEPENDENCE DAY YOU IDIOTS.
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I'd just like to add my voice to the chorus pleading for this director to NOT do Halo or a comic movie. Pleeeeaaaassse give us some more PROPER movies.
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Lockesbrokenleg loves to invent shit like that to legitimize his nonsense opinions. It's nothing new. Next, he will say that District 9 is bad ebcause it didn't made as much at the box office as his beloved Jar Jar Abrams fuck Trek or Transformers 2. It's all nonsense, really.
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Luke wants to fuck his sister and give her a rimjob. Leis French kisses him in the 2nd one and when she finds put they are brother and sister she says "somehow I've always known".
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A word of advice:
"I believe that David Icke is onto something"
= instant, epic and irreparable FAIL. -
Loved the flick but wouldn't we have treaed them like gold to learn about the tech? I also liked the way the trailer wasn't ALL movie footage..(How do your weapons work?)
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Just because Star Wars came before all these other movies that you claim were influenced by it does not mitigate the fact that it still remains, in retrospect, a stupid movie, with a simplistic plot. You nostalgic feelings about it notwithstanding. Midichlorians as a means of sealing numerous massive plotholes and logic holes, was a STUPID concept - even for a SCI-FI/Fantasy movie - back then (when way waaaaaay smarter SCI-FI had predated it and existed longer than it had in the literal form of novelists like Heinlein, Asimov, BradBury and others), and it still is a STUPID concept today "(even more so, because we've had more time to process it). And none of what you have said above there changes that fact. What, we're not supposed to recognize that Lucas was blatantly ripping off the immaculate conception story straight out of the bible and call him out for it just because morons like you thought it had never been done before, and was somehow ironically sacrosanct and original? Please.
And for your information, you don't need to "boost" up Star Wars budget to make up a figure close to what you think it would cost today. You could enter in its $11 Million 1976 budget into any one of the numerous inflation adjustor calculators available on the internet to get the real close figure which lies somewhere between $37Million in 2007, to closer to the $45-50 Million that it would cost this year with a recession and a crappy economy. Which goes back to and further reinforces my original point, that District 9 cost less to make. What's to argue about that? No need for guesswork here = we have technology, nowadays: Use it!
And as to the quality of the films, I'll go back to the point that District 9 is a superior film in the basis of most of the most objective metrics such as
a) Special Effects and Visuals - I don't think anyone is going to argue the fact that the "Prawns" were better realized, better integrated into their environment, and all-around more realistic than any of the numerous Man-in-suit aliens in the original Star Wars, or the various CGI abortions which Lucas crapped out in the prequels that came later, And of course you'll argue that it's an unfair comparison given the advancement in computer and film technology today, but then again, that's what usually tends to happen when you claim that something from the past is superior to something from the present.
b) Script and Dialogue - is this even a discussion, let alone a debate, given Lucas' legendary wooden scripts and wooden dialogue, and Saturday-morning carton level screenplays? Let's just move on. Sorry to bring it up, at all.
c)Character development - yeah let's just place the character arc's of Luke Skywalker against that of Wikus Van De Merwe and you tell me which character actually undergoes a serious development that does not involve some crutchified manifest destiny nonsense pre-ordained (read:telegraphed) by some Midichlorian nonsense that hadn't been done a thousand times before way waaaay better, in ancient Greek mythology, from whence Lucas ripped off (badly - more like, bastardized) his story arcs anyway.
Again, let's just move on.
C)Story - So both movies have what could liberally be referred to as plotholes, or gaps in their underlying structural logic that can't be explained away without the benefit of ludicrous expository tangents. We know that. Plotholes tend to be a given in any movie dealing with non-conventional concepts such as is common with Sci-Fi movies - the question is always, how do you deal with them. My argument was always that District 9 dealt with it's supposed logic gaps better than Star Wars, either by giving the audience just enough to be able to fill in the gaps on their own without handicapping the overall story, OR, leaving well-enough alone trying not to explain away everything in overwrought expository ham-handed scenes laying out the whole back-story like spoon-feeding a 2 year old. Star Wars on the other hand was doing just fine when everything was vague (and under-developed) until they tried to start explaining away a lot of the inanities (like using Midichlorians, or Princess Amadala (or is it Amidala?) dying of a "broken heart" (WTF???) nonsense.) It's like Lucas didn't know when to leave well-enough alone. And it shows; when he got the opportunity to essentially remake the movies using today's, or modern technology, what did we get? We got the Prequels; and we all know what masterpieces and works of art those are.
Like I said before, Star Wars (and by extension George Lucas) was a massive beneficiary of the time it was released coming when it did as its own standard with no basis of comparison. Since then we've had numerous opportunities to measure it against other similar works of Science Fiction, and guess what? It constantly fails, only being sustained, in its place in history and reverence, by the nostalgic sentiments of Fanboys who are in essence the butt of all pop-cultural reference jokes nowadays and the standard by which all dorks, dweebs, and you know, losers are measured against. Not that they would know it. I mean, do you?
Know that you are a joke, I mean?
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Dude, don't even go there. You were banned numerous times, mostly during the Great AICN Fettastic Riots about five or six years ago. I was there. Lots of good people were banned back then as well, people who you had an uncanny ability to rile up beyond anything I've ever seen before or since. Normally unflappable talkbackers were banned because you turned them into frothing rageoids. You were the direct cause of repeated mass bannings during a period of a few weeks -- all because you had (and presumably still have) a knack for pissing everyone off.
If you decide to stick around this time, I expect the newbies will discover this for themselves. -
"Don't FETT over it?"
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Was how the aliens have different levels of English comprehension. Some would ask "What does eviction mean?", some would understand the word but not all the implications. CJ, on the other hand, knew both the word and the implication and protested the act as unlawful.Of course CJ was labeled the troublemaker. Nice touch to what could have been cookie-cutter dialogue.
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THUD! D9, what a dud.
Can we just forget this summer ever happened and just move on?
I'm not going to go into any deep analysis of the film because honestly, none of you really give a shit what anyone else really thinks anyway. You like what you like and you hate what you hate.
I think I'm bored of alien movies.
Avatar is your next big disappointment. -
fabricating pure shit out of thin air. He will do anything to defend TF2. So what he's trying to say is that one day TF2 will be considered a classic, and we will all be proved wrong. What he cant, or wont understand is that it will simply become infamous ala Batman and Robin, Godzilla(98),or Pearl Harbour etc....and become a barometer for how bad something can be.....
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new trek so much Asimov, yeah the script was dumb, but it was a good reboot of trek overall imho. Are you sure that your reaction to it isnt colored by your dislike for J.J? Anyway....how was D9 buddy? Its not being released here in Korea until October......
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SO I just read on BBC.co.uk that D9 just took $37mill on its opening weekend in the US. Not too shabby, seeing as it cost just 30 to make. Will be heading to the cinema as soon as it makes it to the UK.
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dude, and it was in Cape Town. The colored people (white, Malay,black mix) were forcefully removed from the center of the city to a worthless land more than 25 km away called the Cape Flats where there were almost no facilities or utilities, and far away from work oppertunities. Thus poverty and gangsterism flourished as well as all the useal social problems like high rate of drop out from school, teenage pregnancy, drug use etc.....As for how those in JHB will react to D9, well I guess many will fail to see the analogy, or think the movie is full of shit.
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I thought it was amazing. The acting was very good, interesting characters and an incredible beginning. I think, overall, Children of Men is a better movie but "less awesome" if that makes any sense. I appreciate any movie with a man that is transmogrified into an alien, that's for sure.
It seems the general negative reactions belong to those with poor taste, thank god. I didn't read the whole damn talkback but basically it seems people don't like aliens and fun but *serious* sci-fi, which I can understand... but why the fuck did you see D9 is my question? To people with more fringe attitudes suggesting the film has this terrible political bent for bothering to explore interesting themes.
Basically, what I'm saying is that people who dislike this movie are more likely to believe that the Holocaust didn't exist. -
ans who mostly dont believe the Apartheid government did anything wrong. They will just see it as left wing liberal nonsense designed to make white people feel guilty. But thats just a guess....lol
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That is utter bullshit. Ok, first off lets stipulate that Star Wars is referring to the first movie. So, dump the midichlorian retrofitted nonsense. I was 12 years old when Star Wars came out. I fully and vividly remember the impact it had. Nothing like it had ever been seen before - or by as many people. But Lucas freely admitted that he created SW as an homage to 30's serial and westerns. No, it was not an original concept, but it was originally and beautifully executed. And ground breaking SF had been on the big screen before SW. 2001, and Forbidden Planet spring to mind. But the state of the art Sfx that SW pioneered had never been seen before. The state of the art audio- Dolby, which was just introduced, had never been heard before. The story was cliche. Boy meets girl, she is in love with another boy, a great evil threatens them all, boy saves girl and everyone else. That is a timeless story. That Lucas put it into space was the new twist. SW was rip roaring. It was roller coaster fun. It was fast moving, engrossing, popcorn entertainment. It was meant to thrill and excite, and it did so enormously. I saw SW in a half empty theater the first time. I was blown away, but had no idea that it would become what it did. Word of mouth spread across the country. No internet, just people saying how much fun they had, how exciting it was. How well made it was. How it took them back to their childhood. How it opened up possibilities. I really liked D9. I was defending it up above - plot holes (yes there are some big ones) and all. Plot holes can be overcome if the storytelling is great - which was the case for D9, but not Starter Trek. But in no way, shape or fashion can D9 even sniff SW for sheer entertainment, and enjoyment. SW is the far superior movie. Even with Lucas's hackneyed writing, his storytelling was the best it has ever or will ever be. He hit a grandslam with that movie that will resonate as long as movies are watched. Because what SW did , was timeless. If you show SW to a kid today, they will love it. If you showed SW to a kid 50 years ago they would have loved it. It touches a basic cord of adventure. It puts you into the story. Simple unassuming boy, is granted vast powers, he uses them to save the universe. What child has not imagined himself/herself to possess such powers? To defeat the unbeatable evil? D9 is a good movie, but I doubt it is timleess. I doubt little kids will imagine themselves infected with an illness and turning into a bug. You make some decent points, but you go way overboard trying to defend them. Star Wars is a truly great movie. A Classic for all time. Not because it was so original, but because it took the genre and turned it on its head. And in the process created something indelible that speaks to everyone who loves adventure or dreamed of adventure.
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AssLives is just as bad as locke, bruh. I caught him with his pants down in a recent talkback making shit up about Star Trek and Blade Runner. When I demonstrated how full of shit he was, he refused to address it. He's a total zealot.
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Saw "District 9" yesterday with friends and loved it. I went in having read some of the glowing reviews, thus was prepared to be let down a bit.
But that didn't happen.
There's so much to think about here that I need (and want) to see it again. I felt the story was inspired, heartfelt, well-constructed, quietly epic, and quite moving. The aliens, visually, were wonderfully well-rendered and believable. I'm in awe of the fact this film was made for 30 million. I mean, it looked ten times better than films I've seen that cost five times that much to make.
I tip my cap to Sharlto Copley and Neil Blomkamp.
Thank you for delivering us such a kickass film! Can't wait to see what's next. -
Go watch SyFy then!!! You don't deserve D9.
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No wonder we keep getting crap like Transformers and G.I. Joe. I had it in my head that people were sick of remakes and that this would do quite well, given all the publicity and big movie feel. I guess the shit that is Hollywood is just reflecting the shit that is America. How depressing!
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He has always been civil to me, and the guy has a pretty damn good film knowledge. I think hes just very discerning is all. Ok, maybe sometimes he can be too hard on some films, but he's a cool guy. I dont know if he ever made anything up, so Im not going to address that. But I cant compare Asimov to Lock. Lock truly has the most godawful taste in film on the aicn talkbacks, and I have seen him make shit up numerous times while he continues to beat a dead horse repeating the same shit again and again....
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they use it in D9? How about Lekker, Kiff...
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undeservedly. this was very contrived and derivative. its saved by great acting, great direction and superlative special effects. aside from that its just a tale of oppression and racism grafted onto a sci fi framework. let along the reap what you sow twist. this is not a major achievement in film making. i am tired of people fusing sci fi in an apologetic manner. just give me sci fi. i dont need forced social commentary with it. thanks.
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Aug 17, 2009 8:28:47 AM CDT
The truth is, the bad movies taint the good ones.
by liesandpicturesofalsolies
I loved Star Wars as a kid, but I felt seeing the second trilogy just makes me look at the old ones with a callous eye. I know, lurking behind the great-for-its-time cinema is a bag full of hot air that was pumped for every dollar it was possibly worth. No one can argue its impact and the love it has inspired, and the movies are certainly special for that... but a lot of people like a lot of terrible things. Myself included.
Thank goodness for Knights of the Old Republic. -
Twas rated R, and it didn't exactly have a wide marketing campaign either. But given the amazing word of mouth it's getting, I'd imagine it'll do extremely well next weekend against Basterds, and might even upset it. This one's gonna be hanging around awhile.
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We've actually discussed it before. I had a South African girlfriend many years ago. And yes, she was very lekker.
We also discussed The Stick briefly, if you recall. -
i think the biggest success of D9 is that it is perfectly setup for a sequel in that you WANT to see what happens next, but you dont HAVE to because its almost better left to your imagination. most big-studio movies cram it down your throat whether its necessary or not.
that being said, i think it would be cool to have CJ return with the big dawgs - i liken thier species to ants or bees. the aliens in D9 were basically just worker bees who couldnt do much besides take orders. CJ would come back in three years with the queen and the warriors and delight in pulling our appendages off one by one like a small child would do with insects in the backyard. AWESOME!! -
Thanks for putting me right - my SA history isn't what it should be..... but I hope you got where I was going with it! :o)
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been a really long time since we spoke. And Sometimes I talk to so many talkbackers on here....Sorry man, I remember now exactly what we spoke about before. Did you ever have any luck tracking down the Stick? I rmember that I advised you check out Kalahari.net...
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Well, I have The Stick on VHS and I managed to download an AVI of it, but no luck with a legit DVD release. It's a shame, too, since I consider it a pretty cool little war horror flick.
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going. So is D9 worth the price of admission? What would you compare it to? Alien Nation?
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Still fighting the good fight
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me form. I have only ever seen it once years ago, it used to be banned in SA for obvious political reasons, so its very unknown in SA....
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The movie made its money back in the first weekend. This is a word of mouth film as the marketing was some what conservative. (outside this site) It is probably too early to tell if this will gross a studio attention getting number. The low budget probably already got their attention.
Julie and Julia had a larger budget, in fact every movie released this weekend had a larger budget. crazy. -
What do you mean by "wide" marketing campaign? It seemed to have had as many, if not more, commercials than the other big movies of the year. In fact, it was the frequency of the commercials that led to my disappointment with the box office. Otherwise, I'd say it did just fine.
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You know it.
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It's cool that you didn't like the film, but I don't see how you can call any of your nitpicks plotholes. You seem to have taken areas that the filmmakers purposely left ambiguous and simply assumed the worst.For instance, getting the aliens off the ship: no information was given as to how many aliens were on the ship when they were first discovered. Sure, there's several million now, but it's been 28 years and we've been given no information as to how quickly they reproduce, how many young they have at a single time, etc. So, not enough information.No food and water on the alien ship? How do you know this? They were obviously living in squalor, but we've no information on how they managed to survive? Do they need fluids? Did they resort to cannibalism? Who knows? Not you.Why the need for signs saying "no aliens" when there were walls and armed guards around the slums? Again, there were plenty of scenes showing how easy it was to get into the alien slums and no mention of them being prevented from mingling with humans. At the beginning there were a number of shots of aliens and humans together. One woman was even being interviewed with an alien digging through a trash bin right behind her.Hole in the hull as the ship left? It's a big ship, there could be bulk heads or a number of other ways this could be solved. Again, not enough information.No food on the ship as it flew away? Again, you don't know that. The ship was finally powered up with a fuel source. With their technology, maybe they can synthesize food. Maybe it's stored freeze dried in a bunch of chambers that couldn't be opened without power. Maybe the aliens go into hibernation as the ship travels. Once again, you don't have enough information.I probably missed some of your "plot holes", but like I said above, they all seem to follow the same pattern anyway: not enough information so assume the worst.
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like in the paper and on the sides of buses. i dont think it was that conservatively marketed.
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GI Joe had been advertised for over a year. D9 only hit radar about a month ago
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i think they bit off more than they could chew and knew they didnt and coudlnt address all aspects of this hybrid contrived movie. can we call this nitpicky, yes. can we call them plot holes, yes. imho you are left with the same result a movie that suffers from a great idea with poor implementation. and AGAIN this does not make the movie horrible, just very very over hyped.
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Most people outside the geek community or big cities probably weren't even aware of the film until a month or so ago when the commercials started running. We don't get print or bus ads 'round these parts, and depending on what your browser setup is, rollover ads may not be a possibility.
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Aug 17, 2009 9:12:45 AM CDT
personally tho aside from the ads i knew about d9 since last tha
by jpcapone
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...Leis and Han would be married and Han would come home one day and find Luke fucking Leia in the ass. Han would be pissed and Leia would try to calm him down by saying, "Han, you don't understand. We're Jedis, and we need to keep it in the family.". And Luke would be like, " Yeah, you don't have any midochloridians so you don't know" and then Han would deck Luke and then Luke would lose it he'd go at Han, about to kill him, but Leia would stop him and say, "No, Luke, he's my husband!". And then Luke would stop and start making out with her and fucking her again, using the force to stimulate her clit and nips and to sustain his boner until she has multiple orgasms. Han would leave in a rage and plot Luke's death, and this is the conflict that would play out in the final trilogy.
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the "fuel" is not unlike nanotechnology... somebody above ALREADY said this but some people not only FAILED to pay attention while actually watching the film but seem to have a problem comprehending what others have POINTED OUT to them as well...
STOP THINKING OF IT AS GASOLINE! it's not oil, it's not AvGas, it's not alcohol or methane, or whatever other hydrocarbon you like - for a start WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF ENGINES these (make believe) Aliens use, let alone what FUEL it requires!
The "fuel" is Alien Tech (call it a McGuffin if you must) and what LITTLE we KNOW about ALL the Alien Tech is that it is BIOLOGICAL - so the SHIP, like their WEAPONS and the MECH and the CONTROL MODULE and whatever else ALL use BIOLOGICAL technology - which is why "human technology" was REJECTED when we were first introduced to CJ and is INCOMPATIBLE - that INCLUDES FUEL...
so why did it turn Wickus into a Praun? well I got this immediately and yes it's not exactly an original concept but obviously went over some ppl's heads - it is FIXING Wickus - which is WHY it started with his ARM, which was INJURED and badly BURNT - it is fixing him at a molecular level... Not unlike a concept seen before in Trek - BORG NANITES - they work on broken Command Modules, they work on Motherships, they work on PEOPLE...
so what else? I can't even remember, it took me so long to get through all the Star Wars crap... oh yeah the Praun weapons -
ok my understanding of these Prauns was they are scavengers - I'm pretty sure one of the faux-doco bits described them as such - and I DON'T think THEY brought the weapons down from the ship - seems to me the World basically put MNU in charge of this mess and THEY annexed the Mothership of all it's technology INCLUDING it's weapons - but after OVER TWENTY YEARS of failure to make any of it work, it was basically considered JUNK - it's STREET VALUE is around... what does a can of cat food cost?
sure they kept SOME of the weapons and tech - but any SANE and RATIONAL plan of a corporation like MNU would be to REVERSE ENGINEER the weapons and make their own - so the vast majority of them would have ended up on the SCRAP HEAP...
it's thinly veiled and nobody has missed the point - the Prauns are REFUGEES and they are in a REFUGEE CAMP - these camps tend to be run shoddily and there's always corruption and shit always falls through the cracks - this is NOT an Auschwitz style PRISON CAMP with armed guards and razor wire - hence all the signage and (again already pointed out) the relocation being done by knocking on doors with paperwork, as opposed to... more forceful methods... I can see why it's confusing tho because the FOCUS of the story is a relocation which DOES feature a (mercenary?) armed guard component, so it's a little less civilised than your average garden variety eviction... but the MILITARY is only there for the RELOCATION, not the day-to-day "guarding" of the District - which is why it was so EASY for Wickus to GET BACK IN...
ok so what else... the cellphone? you know, I'm gonna pay that one - the cellphone annoyed me because he should have known they could (DID) use it to track him and really he should have removed the battery and tossed it - but this I'm thinking from the comfort of my (arm)chair in a nice air-conditioned cinema - Wickus was DISTRAUGHT and clearly not thinking straight and let's not forget BEING BIOLOGICALLY RE-ENGINEERED into a Praun, so I was able to forgive his character's momentary lapse of reason...
anything else?
Big Dumb Ape, you've said A LOT but you haven't actually MENTIONED any "plot holes" yet... care to elaborate? -
These things cannot be discussed with fettastic with any degree of seriousness. He will disregard any posts countering his claims.
This is the guy who also raved about Attack Of The Clones and how it was going to "save science fiction cinema". He also hated Dog Soldiers because it was "too British" and because the characters "drank too much tea". -
You're the only talkbacker I recognize from the old days.Yes I like to get in there and scrap it up, no question. But there were a few on here that took it to a whole new level. BrassMonkey and his pal, I don't remember his name, and a few others. As you will recall, they actually hacked AICN and created their own private forum space where they would literally plan attacks on myself and others they didn't like.Then they started impersonating people. It turned out that it was pretty easy to do. I won't describe how here, but it became nearly impossible to determine who was the real McCoy. They'd come on here as me and say shit like "I like to eat cock", blah blah blah. Now, no matter what I think of any other posters, I would never do that. NOTHING was beneath these chumps.It got truly awesome when they were discovered and their page posted for all to see. There was some weird homoerotic stuff and one guy bragging about fucking a woman who was married to a soldier fighting in Iraq. Yes, I had a lot of fun dismantling those motherfuckers.But this was all several years ago. Hopefully things won't spin out of control like they did before. I don't see anyone getting REALLY nasty like they did frequently back in the day.
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I think you are mixing me up with somebody else! I NEVER said AOTC was going to "save science fiction"! That's ridiculous! Star Wars is barely science fiction anyway, it's more fantasy. This is because the technology is just a tool for the characters and not an integral part of the plot.I have Dog Soldiers on BLU-RAY! While I think it's a little chatty and a bit derivative of Aliens, it's a fun movie. I never said anything about their tea drinking!
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C'mon, dude, I was there. It was in that insane Flicker talkback. It started with you hating on Requiem for a Dream and Aranofsky and then spun out of control, with you -- yes -- describing Dog Soldiers as too British. You fucking HATED it.
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sci fi flicks of all time? if so, did you have to defend alien, aliens, predator 1 or any other great sci fi flick so rigorously? this movie just wasnt that good. even in your defense you conceed that we dont know stuff so why are you so sure its nano technology or any form of technobabble you can subscribe? it was just a plot device to show the age old adage, you reap what you sow. with that, obviously the writers left it up to us to justify its inclusion as such. this does not make a movie great
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And NONE of you have addressed it:The fluid needed to start up the ship so they can go home...was ON THE SHIP before tehy got here! So why go through all this bullshit when they already had everything they needed to go home?Can anybody answer that? Because the ENTIRE FILM hinges on it? Hello? Buehler?
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(bigger sigh)
I really hate having to point out flaws in films I so highly regard but Fett, get your fucking hand off it
let's FORGET that Ash BRAZENLY and FOOLISHLY broke quarantine protocols and let a VERY MUCH biologically compromised Kane back onto the ship -we all know WHY he did what he did...
ok fine - but you run a couple tests and decide he's fucking OK?? AFTER the creature who's very BlOOD damn near puts a HOLE in your outer hull, it's so TOXIC, suddenly the thing MYSTERIOUSLY disengages, DIES, and you decide to LET KANE ROAM AROUND FREELY?? Give him a clean bill of health????
sit down and SHARE A FUCKING MEAL with him?????
I wouldn't be want to be in the same ROOM with him - or even in a room he's BEEN IN - I don't care how DEAD the fucking thing is! This is (for all you know) FIRST CONTACT with an ALIEN creature with ACID for blood! The whole ship could be infected with some crazy virus or muagen ready to wipe out every biological entity it ever comes in contact with - that's not even the worst case scenario!
Sorry but you DO NOT just sit down and EAT with the guy who just got French Kissed with some exotic creature which then up and DIED without explanation...
Also, I never bought that the Company KNEW about these aliens and WANTED them to bring one back to EARTH - that's where they were going, right?
Why would you bring it back to EARTH? Why not study that shit off-world somewhere in a nice, secure and purpose-built facility that nobody even knows exists?? Shit, why not study it RIGHT THERE (on LV-426) - bring a team and build your lab ON SITE?
Just doesn't make sense... -
As I said, I OWN Dog Soldiers on Blu-ray so I obviously don't hate it. I'm assuming it was probably a situation like where I have some problem with the film and people then automatically ASSUME that I hate it.Requiem can suck my fuckin' nut though. I hate that POS. Aranofsky has since redeemed himself with The Fountain though.But we should probably just stick with District 9, WHICH I LIKE by the way.
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It took them 20 years to build an apparatus that would let them "refine" the fuel from pieces of their existing technology and then find enough existing tech to refine.
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Aug 17, 2009 10:07:20 AM CDT
OMG MANIAQ! You COMPLETELY missed the plot of Alien!
by revenge_of_fett
The team was sent there to get the alien. This is expressly stated in the film. So whatever dangers to the crew posed by the aliens were irrelevant. When he says he was given a priority mission to bring the alien back and that "all other priorities are rescindent", well there ya go. Remember, he's an android, so it's not like he has to worry about getting infected.Why not study it offworld? Because it's a MAJOR asset. You don't send that to some remote backwater, you bring it home so you can guarantee top security. There are no plot holes in Alien. ;)
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i appreciate that effort. well done. i think the aliens flaws are pretty weak but still flaws nonetheless. and you have proved my point tho. the mistakes in d9 are far greater than the ones you point out in the other flicks. and flaws aside d9 just isnt that good man, its not. i mean c'mon the mech magically opened up and invited wikus in at just the right time give me a break. at least we know how and why ripley grabbed here mech. and even more we knew how she knew how to control it. she didnt stick her hand in magical goo. oh wait thats how he flew the spaceship. oh and fixing his injured arm? since when does fixing involve turning something into a different species. c'mon this isnt room left for imagination, its a gap. or a gaping hole. i dunno.
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As we know with Jackson involved there must be a minimum of 10-20 min cut out of the film that would probably flesh stuff out- I'm going to say the theatrical version did have some big plot holes- however, I give credit to them for making a very fun and well handled sci-fi movie. I can't wait to see the director's cut.
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As we know with Jackson involved there must be a minimum of 10-20 min cut out of the film that would probably flesh stuff out- I'm going to say the theatrical version did have some big plot holes- however, I give credit to them for making a very fun and well handled sci-fi movie. I can't wait to see the director's cut.
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As we know with Jackson involved there must be a minimum of 10-20 min cut out of the film that would probably flesh stuff out- I'm going to say the theatrical version did have some big plot holes- however, I give credit to them for making a very fun and well handled sci-fi movie. I can't wait to see the director's cut.
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ok... well for a start you've got your usual time travel paradoxes in there...
a la THE WHOLE FUCKING PLAN - if you sent back some soldier, a Terminator, to change history HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF IT WORKED??
ok so I can hear you saying "if it worked then it doesn't matter coz history's changed" - yeah so THE WHOLE EXERCISE IS POINTLESS THEN...? If it works, you'd never know it and if it FAILS you'd never know it either because history wouldn't have "changed" for you, it would always be... what it always was...
and if it was such that you were about to lose the war THEN YOU OBVIOUSLY FAILED and what's the point in even BOTHERING to send your Terminator that you KNOW is gonna fail??
you know what, that's a pretty big one right there - I think I might just leave it at that -
but i did notice that maniaq didnt touch predator 1. hmmmm alls i am saying is that there is good stuff in d9. i see great potential in the director and how hey did those effects with 30 million is unbelievable. but with all that said the movie is not on par with REAL great sci fi. its just not. it will not be remembered for introducing something indelible. minus these great discussions we are having on this board.
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But I refuse to a highly advanced space-faring civilization needed to dig around in scrap heaps on Earth in order to find the technology they needed to refine the fluid.
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Aug 17, 2009 10:17:15 AM CDT
Man, I'd really like to join in on this Talkback but...
by mr. nice gaius
...there are far too many spoilers to sift through which might ruin D9 for me before I see it this week.But like I said further up, there is 10 kinds of crazy up in here.
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I think I've made my point - ALL films have their flaws and no film is "perfect", not even "classics" so just because D9 is not "perfect" DOES NOT mean it can never be called a "classic" - hell I'm old enough to remember the kind of B-grade rubbish Bladerunner was considered to be BEFORE the Director's Cut was theatrically released and people actually started gushing over it...
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as was explained in the movie, the aliens that were found weren't advanced. They were workers who had lost their queen (i.e. their brain).
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1. The Earth/Solar system is basically less than 6 billion years old...the Universe is approximately 14 billion years old following the current theories. it is entirely possible that a species developed far in advance of our own. Remember...less than a thousand years ago science was certain the world was flat, 70 years ago half the scientists thought Nuclear fission would ignite the atmosphere, and science had never contemplated dark matter; Scientists are notoriously short sighted, and only a radical few can imagine anything past their own morose orthodoxy. The science for interstellar travel might be staring us right in the face and we just cant see it.2. Why would someone a billion years advanced from us be interested in us? The same reason we study ants, apes, and Amoebas. As we progress...we loose sight of what we once were. This is why scientists still spend years hidden in the bush to watch Elephants mate, or Bonobos fuck; it is why people in labs study the same single cell organisms we studied in high school biology...curiosity of an different species, a base understanding of where we came from, or perhaps an experiment to play with.Not saying Aliens are here....but the reasons for, and potential capabilities for them being here is they are are endless
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dude i loved terminator despite its flaws. as you notice i didnt even mention it. the movie worked as a stand alone but when you really put it to the test it falls apart. very very good movie tho. and one point i would like to make about time travel is that if it could occur it woudlnt matter because EVERYTHING has already happened. meaning the movement back and forth in time. so the argument would be that you cant change anything anyway. not sure if i buy that but thats what a purist would say.
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DocPaz and I figured you were fettastic some time ago. I've heard quite a bit about the legendary Fettastic Riots, too.Regarding the manner with which Talkbackers used to impersonate each other, I don't believe that method (to which you alluded to) exists anymore.
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was a MacGuffin in the grandest tradition. If the logic behind it falls apart, the rest of the plot follows.
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Timelines can't change until they are altered. So if you don't alter the timeline....it can't be changed.That's pretty different from how to get 1 million (already starving) beings off a ship with a few helicopters (and what the point of doing so would be anyway). And someone said there weren't that many at the beginning, but I specifically remember them saying that. There are 2.5M aliens by the end of the film, not 1M.
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Don't attempt to think too hard about it. It's hollow bunk.
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to say that all these aliens lack intelligence and wouldnt have fought back with the far superior weaponry they possessed. i mean c'mon in this country alone we have a bunch of straight up idiots pulling the trigger for much less on a daily basis.
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As was shown in the film, CJ WAS advanced. And the other guy in the "lab" with him probably was too. Was there some reason he couldn't "refine" the fluid (if that's what they were doing) on this highly advanced space vessel the size of a city? What, no bunson burners, beakers and rubber tubing onboard?
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honestly think they had a great idea but didnt tie up the loose ends in d9. maybe the cutting room floor holds some answers. maybe a sequel would tie things up nicely. i dont know but as it stands its just an ok movie. i liked event horizon better hahahahah
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I'm hoping there is an extended version that could make this film work better. All the stuff "left to our imagination" was just annoying.Let me put it this way, all these theories we're coming up with to explain what happened, is probably way off the mark for what they planned out. As such these theories sound silly to me. There may very well be a well planned explanation for everything that happens in the film and I would certainly like to know what those things are.How silly will people feel after coming up with all kinds of bizarre theories saying "It's OBVIOUS!" if they are proven 100% wrong in an extended edition?
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I was under the impression the kid brought the Mech to life remotely from inside the Control Module - the way that scene was intercut suggested he was desperately trying to get it working and lend a hand to Wickus, whom he'd befriended and regarded as "the same" when noticing his arm?
as for that arm well I didn't mean "fixing" as in "healing" - I meant "making it better" - that's why I referenced the Borg Nanites... They turn you into a Borg - because they are making you BETTER THAN YOU WERE BEFORE - you gotta admit, not only is his arm not burnt anymore, he can work all the Praun Tech now -that's FIXED IT (to coin a phrase, from a certain point of view)
as for the "magical goo" - well again ALIEN tech - what's sufficiently advanced is called "magic" but when I saw him stick his hands in that stuff I was immediately reminded of the Cylon Basestars on BSG and how they put their hands in similar "goo" when interfacing with the Cylon tech...
for the record, I don't consider this the most ORIGINAL work - let's face it SciFi RARELY IS - but it is FRESH and INNOVATIVE and I absolutely LOVE the fact they have finally PROvEN you can have a non-human LEAD that audiences can CONNECT with and care about.
THIS IS A FIRST
if for NO OTHER REASON then THIS is still reason ENOUGH in my book to mark this film as a milestone -
TWENTY YEARS AGO there were LESS THAN 1M
you really don't pay any attention do you, Fett? -
How old was CJ and his friend? In interviews Blomkamp has said CJ was a product of the aliens collective ESP attempting to orient itself after the loss of their queen. Basically, he was bred to be the leader of the next generation meaning he wasn't on the ship to begin with.While not explicitly explained in the movie, the events in the film are consistent with this explanation.And regarding the alien weapons, no information was given regarding the number available for any sort of battle. Combining that with the explanation that these were simple workers without a leader to help coordinate their efforts it's pretty easy to see why the didn't rise up. Also, it's not as if the technology kept the aliens from getting cut down by human weapons. Even the battle suit (the most advanced alien weapon shown) fell to machine gun fire. One million aliens would be nothing compared to the hammer the human race could lay down on District 9 if necessary.
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i wouldnt even be surprised if they have no explanation for some of this crap. i think they shoe horned this story into a sci fi setting. they wanted to be provocative and they wanted to mimic some attributes of apartheid. this was obviously more important to them than making a tight sci fi flick. the story suffers because of this. its more of a parable than anything.
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He's done more with Dell computers than you peach-heads could ever manage. Imagine if we could have gotten some Macs in Joburg. Damn you Cupertino! Can we go home now?
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Is it original? No.
Is it an indie film? Only if you count Jackson as an indie producer and an Entertainment Weekly cover the week before its release as strictly a matter of good word of mouth.
This had distribution before it was even made.
Serling had the "who is the real monster?" thing down pat in the 60s. In fact, Hammer did it earlier. The Abominable Snow Man was essentially the same idea(humans are bad, snowmen waiting for man's extinction). I get tired of these alien discrimination = racism stories because it ignores the more obvious analogy--how humans treat non human terrestrial species--which is far worse than what you see in the movie. Weapons testing--yep, they do it on goats, monkeys, dogs, cats, rats, mice, you name it. Even the worst criminals get spared the type of sadistic glee in torture that non humans face(so many miss the irony of calling someone a "rat" or a "prawn"-being compared to a non human is an insult apparently, and yet all the worst behavior is done by humans--you dont see non humans raping babies, injecting kids with aids to get out of alimony payments or getting a sexual turn ons from scatological substances or corpses. In the Roman colliseum they had forced bestiality and men would go to the prostitutes stationed outside).
Non human species are civilized and perfectly controlled in their behavior and society next to humans.
"Beware the Beast-man for he is the Devil's pawn...He will make a desert of his home, and yours." POTA was real science fiction.
I think Star Trek 4 was far more groundbreaking than this--having an alien species come to earth to communicate with nonhuman species-that was real science fiction. Having a story be yet another morality tale about racism--it was radical when Frank Gorshin had his face painted black and white in the 60s, it isnt radical now.
The movie is just another dumb studio picture--the only novelty being its South African setting. People who cant see how unoriginal it is must not watch many genre movies. The sorry state of studio movies is the reason people get excited about something like this, plot holes and all(if aliens did arrive on earth they wouldnt be dumped in SA but kept in quarantine and experimented on, not treated like blacks). And $30 million aint cheap--even adjusted for inflation, Empire Strikes Back cost that amount. There isnt as much bang for the buck as there used to be. -
I like that D-9 didn't explain out all of the details. And look at all the creative ideas people have come up with in this TB- some good, some terrible, but it's got us talking. This isn't STAR WARS- we don't need to see a ship land and take off to know that it's flying. I bet ya Lucas hates the cave scene on Dagobah because it's too esoteric for his liking. Truth be told, Lucas' least favorite SW movie is EMPIRE. And why? It was the least profitable. True story.
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I think King Kong pretty much sewed that up in 1933. ;)
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wuz cule.
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thanks for explaining i appreciate it. i still think his piloting abilities are suspect but clearly young CJ did initiate the suit for him. but a non human lead? this being the first? umm enemy mine flirted with this idea. further wikus is mainly human till the last minutes of the film so calling him a non human lead is a stretch. and as you admit most sci fi is not wholly original and neither is d9. lots of bits and pieces put together in a refreshing way, yes. but nothing more. oh and one other point i dont think we were ever meant to connect with wikus. not wikus 1.0 and certainly not wikus 2.0
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Talk about not paying attention! here, allow me to quote myself: "There are 2.5M aliens by the end of the film, not 1M."WAKE UP!
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how they got the Prauns off the fucking ship??
THAT is your big flaw?
I think you said above it would take four months to ferry them all off with Black Hawk helicopters?
that's fine
let's go with that
four months - no problem
in fact, let's make it a YEAR
it takes them A WHOLE YEAR to transport and PROCESS one million alien refugees from the mothership to District 1
mmmkay?
at some point in that year the Command Module fell to Earth and CJ began scavenging for enough Praun Tech to fill that "fuel" canister and get his ass home - and fuck the other Prauns, they're expendable drones anyway...
btw ever heard of Cold Fusion? I remember way back when we thought we'd cracked it, there was a story about it on TV and the presenter was talking about the implications. he held up and ice cube and said this ordinary ice cube like you would find in your freezer right now holds enough energy to power your car for the next FOUR YEARS - that always stuck with me...
actually that reminds me -
so people seem to have a problem with this biological "fuel" but when Marty Mcfly helps Doc stuff banana peels and other organic materials into the "Mr Fusion" that's gonna make his DeLorean fly at the end of Back to the Future -no problems there, then? -
They've already paid the film's budget. Everything after that is pure profit. I think it deserves it. It wasn't THE SECOND CUMMING as we were all hyped it would be, but it was good. I enjoyed it. Certainly it was MUCH better than Cloverfail, but not nearly as good as Children of Men.
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GI JOE. Think about that shit- a known property for over 40 years v. some recent invention by a S.A. director. Pretty impressive.
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I was talking about Christopher Johnson
Enemy Mine - yeah that was that movie about the BSG episode where Starbuck is marooned on a planet with a Cylon, right?
Not sure I really *CARED* about Lou Gossett Jnr's character so much - refresh my memory - does he die in the end? I think he has a kid and dies in childbirth or something?
I dunno, I reckon that film would be widely regarded as an example of the audience FAILING to connect emotionally to a non-human lead - I mentioned Gollum above somewhere and I think he maybe comes closer, but he's really a supporting character, not a lead - and we don't care about him so much as wish he would die....
Kong?
Jim Henson's creations in The Dark Crystal maybe?
I thought it helped CJ's character a lot that he was a dad... -
I think the reason this film is so polarizing in the geek community is because the first wave of moviegoers proclaimed this to be the greatest film ever. They had zero expectations and were blown away. The second wave, after being hyped up by the first wave, was let down by a decent movie that could never satisfy the expectations that these viewers hoped for.
I enjoyed it and was entertained. It's never boring. But dredging up Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, etc. just makes you guys look like retards. -
And I'm not bashing the film just pointing out something you should all already know but some apparently don't.$30M is not the finasl cost of the film. There was at least $50M to strike all the prints, ship them all over the planet and run a pretty vigorous advertising campaign. So teh total cost is much more like $80M.Staggeringly, there apears to be several that don't realize that studios only recoup about 50% of ticket sales. So the studio has only garnered about $18M of $80M spent. That's not bad, but it hasn't come anywhere near grossing a profit yet.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macguffin
it's the thing in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, the "Rabbit's Foot" in MI3, the stolen Death Star plans, the Ark of the Covenant... -
i do believe that this movie will be remembered for being the most over hyped movie by credible people. all of my sources gave this movie rave reviews. my expectations were set by these reviews. the movie didnt even come close to meeting the expectations set by critics. i usually take things with a grain of salt. this time i didnt because i wanted to be blown away. i wasnt even moved a foot. i just wish i understood why people think this movie is so great.
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even tho i dont agree with him fully
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Jeers to McG, Bay, and the rest of derivative, corporate moviemaking. Hopefully good word of mouth will keep this one going, and I wouldn't mind seeing Inglorious Bastards as a side-casualty to D9's continued success.
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Were the computers in the control ship even on before they put the fuel canister in? Because if they were then we have a huge plothole on our hands. The fact that the mothership had a tractor beam all along, one they could use, kind of negates the struggle. Then again if nothing was functioning in the first place then they really needed that canister. Wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to see our asses royally handed to us.
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First off, does Tom Cruise really need to make 60-80 million off one movie. Why do you think movie budgets are so out of control. This makes the studios take less chances on new properties. The lead in District 9 did a fantastic job and I could have cared less that he wasnt well known. They should put a cap on movie budgets so directors are forced to be creative with it. Im tired of fx porn like Transformers 2. The effects in District 9 also felt restrained wich is EXACTLY HOW FX SHOULD BE.
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Nothing else in history compares. District 9 was barely murmured about by comparison.
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The action in District 9 kicks all sorts of ass - in a realistic, hardcore way. Not much in terms of shaky cam (thank goodness) - the action scenes are placed to provide maximum tension. The Red Cam (I think that's what Blomkamp used) shows incredible depth and versimilitude to the scenes. It's definitely 'R'-rated violence - in some ways, it reminded me of the last Rambo film (John Rambo) in terms of the graphic violence - but add the alien weaponry, and it's serious kick-ass vaporizations/conversion to energy from matter kills. The final scenes when the mech unit is used are incredible - the mech has numerous methods of defense/attack capability, including magnetic shields/force waves, electric shock pulses, gravity guns (the use of a pig here is unreal), and plasma charges. The final battle is a 3-way gun fight between a mech (controlled by the main human), the evil corporation independent contract military, and Nigerian weapons runners. Epic. Completely epic.
The camera positioning for each action scene is perfectly placed for clarity/localization of what's going on, but still has a dynamic, moving feel that brings a driving/tense aesthetic to the violence. The aliens themselves are very seamless, and you just accept that they are real, physical beings involved with the humans. And yes, the action is always purposeful in moving the plot and in establishing the emotional motives of the characters.
SAG, I know we've talked about Avatar a bit in other talkbacks, and I know we are excited about Cameron's return - but my God, if Avatar never came to be, I think District 9 would satisfy me. It's that good. -
as all the others u mentioned. someone mentioned it earlier, we are used to such crap that something less crap can come out and we will be overwhelmed. i dont drink the kool aid brother. peter jackson is as studio as it gets.
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A five star movie is Empire Strikes Back or Godfather II. This movie was enjoyable. But so many plot holes and questions made it tough to enjoy. I know its only a movie and I am the KING of "suspension of disbelief" when it comes to watching movies. But when a movie portrays itself in such a realistic manner, then I hold it up to a higher level.
Why did they come to earth? Why couldn't the ship leave? Why, if, the black liquid was so rare could a bunch of it spray all over the main character but the tube still have a bunch left over for the ship? What WAS the black liquid and how could it both supply power to a ship and transform a human into a Prawn? I don't buy that aliens came to earth and they were just thrown into a shanty town. If humans wanted technology wouldn't the best way to get it be to befriend them? Make them allies? Why dissect the main character rather than study him and turn him into a "super soldier" of sorts? A secret weapon? Aliens come to Earth and the ONLY people with an interest in them is South Africa? I could go on and on. -
ref to jpcapone's post
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WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR OPINION OF IT?
Goddamn it, who cares about the past history of whoever you are fighting with at the moment? -
Sometimes the simplest thing can trip up what is otherwise a well-conceived story. For example, while I generally enjoyed "Moon," the premise that a person would be assigned to solitary duty on the moon for 3 consecutive years is ridiculous; even with a computer "companion," a person could not psychologically bear that kind of long-term solitude. This premise was necessary for all that followed, but it is so unrealistic that the entire structure collapses on this shaky foundation. "District 9" was full of plot holes (especially upon reflection), but it completely lost credibility in the scene where MNU doctors proceeded to "harvest" the protagonist's body parts while he's still fully awake! Anesthesia (for the benefit of the surgeons if not the patient) is apparently unavailable in the not-too-distant future. This contrivance was apparently inserted to advance the plot: Wickus had to overpower his captors and escape, taking refuge in District 9, etc. But the circumstances of his escape were so patently absurd that in one stroke the filmmakers exposed the inherent weakness of the plot.
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I'm pretty sure there was a line of dialog specifically about why they didn't use anesthetic. Since his body makeup was obviously fundamentally altered I think they were either worried it wouldn't work or it might damage him in some way. Can't remember exactly what was said.
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The film begins like a documentary, with available footage from interviews and security cameras. Wykus is even shown covering the lens , annoyed that the cameraman is filming his pain. Before you know it, we're going where no camera could have possibly been. Wykus took his camera crew with him when he was on the lamb? You've got to be fucking joking.
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The reason they limited it to one person at a time was to control the flow of information. Anyone on the moon would eventually die from exposure to solar radiation past 3 years. So, they used consecutive clones, not concurrent ones, to avoid the problem from becoming obvious to the humans manning the base. And they tried to stretch out the individual clones as long as possible before their systems started to break down. Sure, it would have been simpler to use the clones for 2 years and shut them down before they started getting ill, but corporations are greedy and they try to maximize productivity.
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that's what it should have read.
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I wanna take it behind the school and get it pregnant.
The geek factor in this one is off the fucking charts. From the inevitable Star Wars vs District 9 conversation to the nonsensical ramblings about government conspiracies about Venus and vegetation on Mars, this one's got it all.
Marry me, crazy talkback. I know I can make you as happy as you've made me. -
I really really enjoyed District 9. But why do you guys either have to love it or hate. Why can't it just be an enjoyable movie. I think people who are claiming it ranks up there with Empire strikes back are idiots. U cant make that claim for a couple of years anyway with any movie. A movie has to be viewed multiple times, be seperated from the hype, and stand the test of time to be considered "great" Why cant we just enjoy District 9 for what it is, a very imaginative, sci fi movie. Those you picking it apart for plot holes and what not are equally stupid.
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Why did Wykus steal the ship without taking Christopher? What did he really think he could accomplish on a deserted ship? Did he think the kid would cure him? Did he think he could figure out how to cure himself? Christopher said HE could cure him. He had the knowledge.
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It takes intelligence and critical thinking to analyze a film like most people here are doing. Stupid would be to just sit and watch and either say "good" or "bad".
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Yes, but the people on Earth didn't know about the clones, though they do know that workers are assigned to the moon for three-year years (stated explicitly at the beginning of the film). My point is that it is implausible that a corporation or government would PUBLICLY assign someone to solitary three-year duty (regardless of what was really going on).
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but still i dont think the critics universally loved phantom menace as much as they are butt fucking D9. those are the guys that owe me a refund.
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If it came out today. Thats how fucking stupid some of you are. Of course some things stick out like Leia's british accent, but who gives shit? does that discount the whole fucking movie. THe only thing I hate is lazy filmmaking. Terminator Salvation was a lazy unimaginative piece of shit. District while flawed had incredible heart and energy. It was extremely well acted. And the plot holes only added to it's mystery in my opinion. Is the movie going audience nowadays so fucking stupid that the director has to spell every thing out today. Why cant we use our own imagination to fill in the gaps. thats whats fun about seeing movies like this. i agree that most modern movies are shit and worth bitching about but some of you clowns simply bitch for bitching's sake.
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I was under the impression that the cameraman was out of the picture once Wikus left (after being injured) District 9.
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but you agree with what i say? you pointed out a plot hole bigger than any i pointed out? what am i missing?
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I don't recall such a line, but even if the doctors were worried that anesthesia would somehow "ruin" Wickus' DNA (I'm no biologists, but that strikes me as ridiculous--what about the chemicals they would need to preserve the removed organs?), they wouldn't proceed to carry out a complex surgical operation on Wickus' body with him flopping around the table (with his claw free! how convenient!) and screaming. Perhaps the filmmakers were simply trying to tap into the torture porn crowd. Whatever the reason, District 9 went south from that point for me.
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Phantom Menace was abused harshly by critics so much so that GL abandoned many good ideas that could have been improved or toned down instead of axed. Star Wars needs creature tag-along, Jar Jar was ANNOYING, make him LESS ANNOYING instead of less OF an annoying character. The ship was "too sleek" no character like the Falcon. So keep it around for another 2 films and beat the shit out of it, have Anakin modify it.
Anyhow, Hype is just HYPErbole, positive or negative. Yeah, D9 is WAY overhyped. -
i am not actually bitching about this movie as much as i am bitching about the fact that people are acting like its the second coming of jehosephat when in actuality its not that good. period. its ok. the things you think are left to your imagination strike me as being left out because they couldnt tie it up neatly. they made a choice, lets graft general human bigotry onto aliens. ok i get it. but if thats your mission in movie making other things will fall victim to it i.e. coherency, the tightness we expect from sci fi is not here. they used the shaky cam thing as a crutch. when it didnt work they ditched it. specific scenes were shot docu crap cause it facilitated the story moving forward. scenes seconds later ditched it because it wouldnt work. they did this back and forth dance until the end of the 2nd act. i understand why they did it but i dont think it makes this movie smart or more realistic. it was forced and contrived. not that good.
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District 9 being just as much of a studio film as other blockbusters is BS. Peter Jackson as studio as it gets? BS. THATS hyperbole.
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Can we collectively bring this into the realm of geek science fiction speculation rather than a devolution into Star Wars vs. District 9 needs to run its course.
Some thoughts (acknowledged some of these have already been covered but I think everything deserved new life)
If the website already covered all of this, I apologize I did not follow the viral campaign.
-First and foremost I'd like to mount a call for anyone to track down Blomkampt interviews where he talks about history or other defining characteristics of the aliens. The best I've been able to find is his interview with the Onion AV club where he confirms
a) The "queen" or equivalent alien leadership died
b) The aliens come from a "hive society"
c) The aliens have a "hive mind" that has been "resetting" over the 20 year span, evolving collectively to push forward new leaders like splinters, i.e. CJ
-The transformative properties of the biofluid. There seems to be mounting pressure for Neil to address this so if anyone can trace any comments he's made towards it that would be cool. I personally think it's plausible that since the aliens use advanced biomechanics and they've been confirmed as coming from a hive-structured planet that there could be poisonous/infection properties to the biological properties of the fluid simply because it contains alien "DNA". South African Michael Scott does certainly react as if he's been poisoned when he first get sprayed, then as it's sickness/kafkan transformation
-One thing that annoys me is when people pick apart what may or may not be creative influence simply based on similarities in other films (and stretches at that most of the time). Some of the negative reviews on Rottentomatoes simply have the reviewer lazily pointing that there are apparently themes lifted from E.T. and The Fly (really?) and one of the guys from Twitch claiming Cameron-homage simply because one of the scenes features a machine with a front-end loader. I saw this film as strikingly original because it felt like a tiny fragment of a massive fantasy universe like Warhammer, something with metallic figures that you paint yourself and sixteen books filled with the details of that fantasy universe. I envisioned so many RTS PC games like Starcraft and Command And Conquer 3 and their elaborate universes, with District 9 being like if one of the elements of that universe became dislodged and drifted down to earth.
-I'm sure if this continues to do well (and it looks like the buzz going to grow after that nice opening) for Blomkampt to turn this into a franchise. It will be interesting to see what his next move is going to be.
Just some ideas because I really think it's unecessary to painstakingly go through examples of how Star Wars is better than D9 (also, while both of their fantasy elements are both stellar in their expansiveness, that's about where the similarities end)
What do yall think -
I'm not sure why Wykus hit Christopher and took the ship on his own (with little CJ). Perhaps he was delusional/paranoid in his current mental/physical state, and didn't trust anyone. Also, it adds the 'uncertain' element to his character's morality, so it isn't the cookie-cutter 'oh, we were enemies at first now we're buddy-buddies' result these character arcs sometimes takes. I'm brushing it up to the personality/mental instability of Wykus that caused that. He's a selfish prick, even to the end.
Although he still loves his wife. -
But... Wait a minute, aliens aren't real-- So I don't like this movie. Jesus and health care - http://tiny.cc/obamacare190
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so you agree that it was over hyped but you dont think PJ is studio? i dont have the chops to argue that point effectively, maybe some else does but i will say this. king kong, lotr 1, 2, and 3 and the frighteners plus moving forward he can make any movie he wants. thats studio to me. also, non studio all i got right now is harsh times. oh and just so we are clear i agree phantom menace was overhyped tripe but it was not welcomed with open arms by critics like D9 was. critics reviews of D9 was more valuable than 10 million in advertising dollars
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I don't think they were worried about the anesthesia damaging his DNA so much as it simply killing him before they were ready. I'm sure they know how much anesthesia to give a human male before it dies, but how sensitive is alien biology to that anesthetic?Also, Wikus was completely tied down for the operation. He managed to get his claw hand free. Maybe aliens are stronger than humans?
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that said, READ through the "butt fucking" reviews and most of them call Blomkamp out for the 2nd and 3rd acts going overboard. Praise is abundant for its originality but all good critics also complain about what brought the film down. Pointing out imperfections is a sign of love for the film, that you thought Blomkamp could do better.
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plus i look forward to his next movie. i wish it could be Halo. then we would have a great movie and he would be set for life. and i can read through a review but when you give a movie a 5 out of 5 or if you ride this movie like a pony like harry did then point out a few flaws that makes me think the flaws can be easily overlooked. i cant over look the flaws in this movie. they totally detract from the overall goodness. when the movie ended i sat there because i was waiting for more. i was owed more
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Very intelligent answers, thanks. Just seems highly improbable (though not impossible).
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... came this gem of a film.
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Plot holes, Blaumkamp is using the Mockumentary plot device to advance a story. Nothing more. This is no Citizen Kane of course but was coming through the roof in that movie a plot hole because that is impossible. Was The bible reading in Hunt for Red October a plot hole? No these are devices to transition. To draw you in. It helps make the implausable plausable.
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Go to boxofficemojo. They have a horse race between D9 and Cloverfield. Cloverfield cost $25M to make, opened with $40M and only ended up with $80M. So I would guess D9 ends up with about $75M total. So the studio will end up with about $37M in the end. That recoups the initial production budget, but not the marketing budget. Overseas sales and DVD sales will cover that but it won't be a hugely profitable film in the end. Frankly not many movies are so it's not a big deal. I just don't think it will have made enough impact to justify a sequel.
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I have to agree with Bubba in that Wykus was just going nuts at the time. He was probably thinking, "I get to the ship, I get to their homeworld, they fix me good as new." Not even contemplating the fact that he'd have no idea how to do all this.
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the plot devices in this movie were about as transparent as a piece of onyx.
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That is all.
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...whaaaat? The camera techniques in Citizen Kane were just that. When a film changes from a documentary to an action thriller on you, that's unprecedented irresponsibility. I'm not saying it wasn't effective. It's just a bad choice, it could have been MORE effective had it retained the same style.
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glad you liked it. thanks for being as specific as possible too, by the way. you must have taken a queue from the thousands who posted before you. very astute of you. i am sure your parents are proud.
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NO SEQUEL
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Oh, that was so great and unique! I hope the dilute and exploit it into a trilogy! TEH DISTRICT 10!! YEAH! horrible
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Aug 17, 2009 1:53:42 PM CDT
Did the industry learn from the Matrix sequels?
by anything but tangerines
No, because we bought tickets.
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I think after 20 years of experimenting on aliens they'd have a pretty good idea what anesthesia would do. And even if anesthesia was a problem, they could have knocked him out in other cruder ways. And Wickus was forcibly held down by a couple of goons, not tied to the bed (which they sensibly would have done before revealing to him what they planned to do, in anticipation of resistance). In any case, what actually transpired in the film was not well thought out.
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sequel is to redeem this first effort. thats the only reason i support the idea. i think they left a lot of balls in the air on this one. i want CJ to come back with a vengeance. then we wont have to worry about the director being hampered by this need to portray human ignorance. this is set up perfectly for a balls to the wall action packed epic. and in actuality i would root for CJ not the humans.
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I used to walk around all day with crab apples in my cheeks. One in each cheek.
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Not sure why they would've experimented with anesthesia on the aliens since MNU didn't seem to give a shit whether they were experiencing pain or not. In either case, we were never given enough information to know one way or the other.Also, aside from a large mallet I'm not sure what other cruder ways exist to knock someone out. Whiskey? Asphyxiation?As for restraints, I'm pretty sure he was tied down, but I'd have to see it again. I agree it doesn't seem to make sense to just hold someone down if you're planning to harvest their organs without anesthesia...
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Hide your beagle!
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First off, I don't know why people keep saying "plot holes." The PLOT marched along just fine. The HOLES were in the movie's LOGIC. And I don't know where people get off justifying D9's vast problems by comparing it to the 30 year old movie that CREATED the genre. Of course Star Wars had problems. And guess what? A new Ford Focus is a much more reliable car than a 66 Mustang. But we all know which one is the classic. It's apples and fucking oranges. What it comes down to is whether or not the holes in the movie's logic detracted from your enjoyment of the movie. And it's obvious that for the majority of you, the answer was no, because OMG THEY WERE TEH GUNS AND MECH SUIT!11!!!11!, and a "message" that might as well been spelled out in flashing red lights. But for the rest of us, it was just too much. We expect movies to make sense within the world the writers created. And D9 didn't. Period. A much better comparison would be Ron Moore's finale of BSG. I loved the show, and I liked all but the last few minutes of the finale -- but it was still an epic FAIL. The humans suddenly decided to shoot all their hospitals into the sun and live off the land? It DIDN'T MAKE SENSE within the context of the world Ron Moore had otherwise so carefully created. That Starbuck was suddenly "an angel" DIDN'T make any fucking sense within the context of the show. Ron Moore clearly just pulled it out of his ass. Quit making excuses for shitty fucking writing.
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Shut the fuck up. PERIOD. Your opinion is your opinion. You can't say "the movie is not that good. PERIOD." First off, you're in the minority, so you have no room to prance around and deem your thoughts on the movie as fact. Second, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO OPINION. So stop being a douchey piece of shit. PERIOD.
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Now that's damn creative. Props!
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jpcapone...you are a snotty little dickhole. That is all...
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D9 will do much better then Cloverfield. I bet it has broader appeal. International folk on the forums what say you?
I bet this will break 100 million domestic and international combined. (leave DVD sales out) Luckily we will see if that is correct by waiting and watching the reports. -
I guess we should have seen it yesterday instead of GIJoe. Oh wellz. That blonkekempt guy was perfect for HALO especially after watching the 6 Minute short film staring the OSDT.Hell I would be happy if he helmed a HBO Miniseries based on the OSDT. why the fuck not?
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Same goes for Hippie_killer. Go tongue your own ass, you fucking boob...
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How about you go fuck yourself you candy ass little bitch.
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about the Moon operation. We never saw it from Earth's perspective, only the clones'
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"Whiskey? Asphyxiation?" Yes! I'm sure there are a number of drugs, of varying degrees of potency and risk, that cause unconsciousness or sedation, as well as physical techniques that cut off oxygen and thereby induce unconsciousness. Short of that, yes, I suppose a mallet would do the trick. The MNU wouldn't have used anesthesia on aliens for humanitarian reasons but to make the surgeons' job easier. My point is simply that the way the scene played out, like something out of SAW, was inconsistent with procedures in a scientific laboratory in a developed country, regardless of how barbaric the MNU was from a moral point of view. The filmmaker was so focused on the high-octane drama of Wickus' escape that he gave little thought to how it might plausibly occur. The same sensibility pervaded the rest of the film, with Blomkamp choosing R-rated versions of loud Transformers-like action set-pieces rather than thoughtful dialogue and drama.
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The Fly, Cloverfield, Starship Troopers, Black Hawk Down, Aliens, Alien Nation, The Office... any others?
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Little CJ will have three Bentley's and a lot of courvoisier up in my crib this month. (sigh) But I really want to go home too...
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ALL acifi 'borrows' from other scifi. It's sort of an inherent necessity on the medium...
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overrated big time, i saw this at the la pre-screening and it just didn't convince me that these aliens were living in africa as refugees and eating cat food. also felt the documentary style was odd and reminded me of borat since the subject matter of humans absurdly living among them and the finally evicting these bug-like creatures was just plain silly. intelligent or not, the movie failed to convince me of the reality of the situation and the the switch to heavy weaponry and the numerous plot holes wore down the movie. i'm still curious about the sequel but i would of preferred a less cgi movie in this case. the ship hovering seemed like the only convincing part while the aliens were your standard fare, cgi/bug creatures ala starship troopers. they were nowhere close to the level of intensity the creatures in "alien" were and maybe that's because they focused more on the emotion in that movie and didn't use cgi to make their creature feel more viseral. i will see district 9 again when it comes out on dvd though and see if my mind changes.
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For all we know Earth's citizens think the mining process on the moon is completely automated. It nearly is. And if there is any sort of problem with the clones, they just wake up another one. I don't see how that is a plothole.
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I remember they were trying to apply an anesthetic mask to Wikus right before he went berserk.
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Red Lobster's ShrimpFest?But seriously, did get a big The Fly vibe, sp. the fingernails. As rutgersjaffo stated, a lot of science fiction borrows a little from what came before. How many science fiction films have portrayed the government/big business as the bad guy wanting to disect or exploit the alien creature? Too many to mention here...Its the execution that makes the difference.
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Kind of odd that humans want to relocate an alien race.....to the center of a high population area! Especially if they aren't going to have MASSIVE security in place. What was that area before it became a giant shanty town anyway? It was just sand so it couldn't have been a park. Did they just decide to bulldoze a couple square miles of the city? That was a better option than relocating them OUTSIDE the city?
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Do you realize that until Orson Welles synthesized those groundbreaking Cinematographic techniques in that classic they were not "Camera Techniques". He invented a lot of things that have been used and reuesed. So you didn't like the director's style. As far as being more effective, I don't think so. The documentary style was annoying to my wife who thought she was in for a "stupid documentary" I am sure that she wasn't the only one who thought this.
You could say Blaumkamp does something similar. I don't think that he created a plot hole. Cameron's Aliens used the headcams on the Marines and then back to an omnipotent view. -
Picture it living in a shanty town and eating fucking goat heads!Then dip it in butter and eat it, cuz lobster is good eatin'!
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it seems that, like others on this thread, in the absence of all the information you're making assumptions that will enforce a negative view of the movie. though, i guess I've had similar reactions to single scenes from other films.As for Transformers-like set pieces, I don't know what you mean. I didn't see anything in this movie that reminded me of Transformers in the least. In my opinion, the action scenes in D9 were pretty much the opposite of Transformers actions scenes: limited cutting, well framed, easy to follow choreography, realistic effects, objects seemed to obey real-world physics...
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This is truly a film for geeks. Get into it already!
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The three-year contract was presented at the beginning of the film (I don't recall the exact context and the script is not online) in a matter-of-fact way, as if there was nothing unusual about it. The "unenlightened" Bell himself doesn't find it unusual. I don't know of a single review or interview, in summarizing the plot, that finds it unusual. However, I find it unusual. Can you think of a single operation or research activity on the globe in which a person is stationed alone for anything even approximating that length of time? Six months is a stretch, but three years--absolutely no way. I think Duncan Jones began with the premise that it would take three years for Bell to degrade, and never bothered to question whether it was realistic for him to be alone for that period of time. For a normal human, it's certainly not. Perhaps with genetic engineering Bell's clones are relatively "immune" to isolation anxiety, but if that's the case, Jones is giving away the store right at the beginning of the film. All I'm saying is that when Bell's three-year contract is first mentioned, my first reaction was, "Three years? No one would be assigned to a desolate place alone for that long." Perhaps Jones was being extremely clever here, planting a seed of doubt that something is not quite right here. But the simplest explanation is that he just goofed and didn't properly research this.
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Now wack Hollywood is gonna make a Gundam film. Ok if Speilberg, Cameron, Jackson, or Christopher Nolan does it, It should be like Iron man on steroids. But likey, it will be like Transformers so pray they don't.
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It was entertaining, and I think SA makes an interesting backdrop for SF (also exhibited in Blomkamp's Robocop-esque short, Tetra Vaal)but I did feel it was incomplete after seeing it. I think any holes or inconsistencies are due to the plot being extrapolated from a few minutes long short film and the fact that this was a plan B after the Halo deal fell through. The concept was better executed in the context of a short film, imo. It's probably the case of an initial concept not ever being meant to sustain a feature length, like a writer having words or imagery in his head that may be more suitable for a poem or short story than a novel. Then you have to expand and add a conventional narrative (at least compared toAlive in Joburg) and action beats and other wow moments because you are an up and coming director who wants their "low budget" film to be competitive in the summer market.
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I'D spend 3 years alone on a fuckin' moon base! When you come back you can tell people you spent 3 years on the fuckin' MOON! And I'm sure he is told he is getting a fucking FORTUNE to do it too.People have been in space for over a year at a time. The Russians did that shit all the time, granted with a couple other astronauts coming and going. Just doesn't seem that weird to me. He had communications with his family (so he thought)he had recreation, etc.
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made desperate sense to him. Christopher told him the means to changing him back to normal was on the ship. The thing is, christopher had no intention of using the med tech on him, because he was more interested in getting himself and his son off planet and back to the homeworld. Remember, three years and then he'd return and change Wickus back. So, in a desperation manuever, Wickus steals the ship in the hopes of figuring out the med technology on his own.
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I don't recall that, but if it's true it only reinforces my point. Wouldn't they logically anesthetize Wickus well before any operation precisely so he wouldn't go berserk? You mean to tell me they tried to put a mask on him with another guy there hovering over him with a saw? If that's true, the scene is even more ridiculous than I thought.
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Not getting the explainations i want and plot holes are two different things. The film wasn't a dissertation on Alien tech/culture. It gave enough info to drive the story that was being told. Wishing for explainations on story elements that really aren't important to the tale is not a plot hole.
"Why, if, the black liquid was so rare could a bunch of it spray all over the main character but the tube still have a bunch left over for the ship?"
Really? Plot hole? spraying a mist on Wickus' face for a fraction of a second was enough to empty that big tube? We are certainly trying to find fault aren't we? -
Aug 17, 2009 4:03:37 PM CDT
I did not know before coming here after the showing...
by revenge_of_fett
That it was based on a short film, but as I said in my initial review over in Capone's thread on the main page, it felt like a very small concept stretched out to feature length. The plot is just way too basic.Let me tell you what I was looking for when I entered the theater. I wanted characters I could connect with. I wanted some sort of mystery about the aliens or a government conspiracy. I wanted to feel sorry for the aliens and not laugh at their fuckin' Jar Jar Binks impressions. And I wanted an adequate resolution that swept me up in a harrowing tale of tolerance and the human need to fight for freedom.Instead I got "DAY OF THE BUG HAND: A FARCE". So when they switch gears and TRY to get me to sympathize with the main character, I'm just rolling my eyes.I said it before, I'll say it again....you have aliens in a fucking prison camp! That's WAY more compelling than a guy who's growing a lobster claw! Keep the story about the fucking prison camp!The film has BRILLIANT art design and frankly that is its saving grace. Everything looks authentic and like it would actually work in the real world. But that can't replace actually having a compelling story.
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... it was good, but CHILDREN OF MEN was better.
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Oh yeah, it's totally a device to set up an intense escape scene.
I've gotten so use to mechanics like that, especially in genre movies, that it doesn't even register until further viewings. -
Aug 17, 2009 4:09:44 PM CDT
"hopes of figuring out the med technology on his own"
by revenge_of_fett
That doesn't scream "FUCKING BULLSHIT!" to you? he's going to go figure out the alien fucking treatment for "bug hand" by himself? Christ almighty!Wouldn't it make FAR MORE SENSE for him to just get on the ship with CJ and get treated on the way?Of course the whole idea of CJ just abandoning the people he preofesses to care so much about for 3 fucking years is kinda bullshit anyway. They've got the ship, they've got the weapons, all they need to do is get back on the mother fucker and go home! All of Earth seems to hate these aliens so they'd probably LIKE THAT! No, better to take a 3 year journey back to the home planet to assemble a fucking alien invasion force. Fucking CHRIST!
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First, you are assuming that they aren't from close in, in terms of distance, which they may be well within reach of the Earth, comparable to our understanding of science. Now, in terms of long distance travel, several years ago, a group of European scientists conducted a particle laser test where they fired a laser, from one end of a room, to another. Their results? They claimed that the laser beam appeared at its destination almost seemingly before it was fired, or at the exact moment. They said that this demonstrated that the beam travelled 350 times faster than light speed, or, instantaneous travel. In other words, we are talking Twin Particle Theory here, or everything is everything, meaning one thing, even over great distances, is related to another. The point is, this means instant travel across great distances like on "Stargate" the TV series, and or, the movie. As well, if we are talking cross dimensional travel, one could appear anywhere in our universe, at will, without having to travel long distances. You just pick a point from outside of our universe which you wish to enter it from, say our solar system, and you enter there. As far as gathering great energies--you have heard of Dark Matter, Dark Enegry, Exotic Matter, and Exotic Engery??? Well, according to our scientists, if you can collect enough of it, nothing would be impossible, including time travel...and star travel at great distances. Why would aliens wish to study us? Why do we wish to study germs, or plants, or insects? Perhaps we are unique within our own biology, and they just wish to know about us and catalogue that information? Or, perhaps we are their experiment, their creation...or related to them? It is the "Ancient Astronaut Theory" as laid out by Glen Larson with Battlestar Galactica. What if we came from a very advanced human race, and somehow destroyed ourselves??? We'd be left in the stone age again...and forced to evolve yet again to become a space ferrying race. This is what Richard C. Hogland believes. He is a noted scientist who thinks there are objects on the moon and Mars, as well as a moon around Staurn that were created by us, before some great disaster occured, perhaps millions of years ago, or billions of years ago--one that we are now waking-up from. Could it be that the E.T. craft that are now visiiting us, are relatives of ours, survivors of that disaster that managed to retain their technology? If this is true, again...the stories in the Bible about a great war in the Heavens, between two powerful forces that we are related to us, now makes perfect sense.
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You said it didn't work - but it did. Both critical reaction and Box office, it most assuredly worked. It didn't work for YOU, and a few other people who forgot what it's like to have fun at the movies. BUT, sir, it did work.
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" . . . granted with a couple other astronauts coming and going." Yes, indeed. People are social animals, and long-term isolation is decidedly unhealthy and incompatible with productivity. Kubrick was keenly aware of this in 2001.
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...UUmm, i don't know man, I'm not sure where my head would be at if i were to be turning into a disgusting alien by the moment, and i were the most wanted man on the planet, garaunteed to be dissected upon capture.
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Yeah, if you haven't, you may want to check out Alive in Joburg and Tetra Vaal, which are the main reasons I was interested in this guy doing a feature sf film in SA. Just a different texture. He just needs a really good script, then we may see some shit.
I have to admit that I just don't take sf and fantasy seriously enough to think about plotholes and logical inconsistencies unless I wind up hating or really loving the movie. I could analyze Battlefield Earth (terrible) and Alien (the best imo) all day.
As a painter and designer I simply just enjoyed D9 on a visual level and the fact that it further confirms what I've thought all along in terms of what kind of budget you need to make a 'tech' movie. -
Best Sci-Fi in a long, long, long time.
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"Let me tell you what I was looking for when I entered the theater. I wanted characters I could connect with. I wanted some sort of mystery about the aliens or a government conspiracy"...... so you go into a movie with a preconceived notion of what you expect the plot to be, then bash it when that isn't what its about?
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My Uncle wants me to tell you that he is in fact one of the aliens and he had invited you to take a ride in his spaceship (his van) and he'll tell you all about their mission. Then he says he'll put on some Motley Crue and you guys can play air guitar in your underwear before he anal probes you.
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"They've got the ship, they've got the weapons, all they need to do is get back on the mother fucker and go home!"While we don't how many aliens were on the ship initially, we do know there are over 2 million now and per your argument earlier it would take over 100,000 trips to get them all back on the Mothership, unless you know of some other means for getting them on board besides the cramped confines of the control ship...
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That was based on what the trailer made the film out to be. Go check out boxofficemojos description of the ad campaign which confirms it.
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Well it's THEIR FUCKING SHIP! I assume they have something better than helicopters. We know it has a tractor beam for one thing, although that may just be for the command module, which seems like kind of a waste.
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as long as it serves your negative view of the movie, the aliens can have whatever technology you want.
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You and BendersShinyAss must be the two dumbest people who ever lived. You're also the guy who claims that the American porn industry is run by a "satanist cabal", the truth of which you have uncovered after extensive "research" on porn sites where you have discovered "satanic symbols".
You are also, if I'm not mistaken, the same guy who went on a rant about the "Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sex Cult", which may be the funniest goddamned thing I have EVER read on the internet.
You know, plenty of people have seen UFOs and not gone insane in the process. You might want to dwell on that for a moment. -
Do you dispute that they have a tractor beam? Because I SAW THEM USE IT in the movie. The difference is I'm not just pulling shit out of my ass, I'm using an example IN THE FUCKING FILM. Now MAYBE they can land the ship, but I'm not going to make that assumption. But you just keep on assumin' away. And by the way, apparently "not being spoonfed" is only valid if it helps your positive view of the film.
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Don't bother. He's been this way for YEARS. Fettastic can't be reasoned with.
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it is my opinion. i am not stating it as if it is anything but that. period.
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How cool was that? It took SO much damage! And then it caught that rocket, which was awesome. A fun movie that did not require flipping an on/off switch in my head! In fact, I actually had to USE my brain to keep up! How great is that to see in a badass summer movie?
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this talk about them having something better than helicopters wasn't in the movie and is just speculation so how come you get to do it to bash the movie but everyone else who is pro-d9 doesn't get to?
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i think everyone more or less agrees. people like fett are just being babies because of all the silly shit people were saying like that this will be the best movie ever. its either fucks eyeballs or sukkorz these days.
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District 9 will only be released in Portugal in the midst of Setember. Still a long wait. Too long.Listen, you just named one very important reason why i dislike Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek so much: the horrible script. In fact, no movie can be good and be good at anything with such a bad script. *People in here, and you too, have been quite merciless about dismissing movies with scripts as bad as the one for Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek. For some weird reason i cannot really understand, you people go so hypnotized with Jar Jar Abram's Fuck Trek piece of shit movie, you cannot aply to it your normal standards. Were you to do that, your opinion of Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek wouldn't be that different form mine. Becasue that movie is not that much different from the other blockbuster fiascos of 2009, like Transformers 2, Wolverine and GI Joe, no name a few.Back to District 9, i bet you must be feeling in cloud nine with all the good news and the good reactions about the movie. As a south african, you must be feeling very proud of it. And by the way, for all that matters, Stander is a south african movie, and don't you think of it otherwise.
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Aug 17, 2009 5:43:10 PM CDT
asimov im really interested to know what you will think of this
by martinlutherkrangjr
can't you download it or something? you always have an interesting view point.
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Aug 17, 2009 5:43:18 PM CDT
asimov im really interested to know what you will think of this
by martinlutherkrangjr
can't you download it or something? you always have an interesting view point.
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do you guys just want this movie to be good to justify your own existence? i mean people are cursing me out and calling me a minority because i dont like this overhyped crap, and why? i was disappointed. simple as that. if you loved it you loved more power to you. and it is just my opinion. some of you jerks probably look like miis in real life. you would probably shit yourself and sit in it if you watched a really great movie.
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Hey freind, long time no see ya. How you doing? Did you watched District 9 already? I'll have to wait until the mid of Setember. The wait!!!
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The one, and only. He made Fettastic here look like a piker. The PaZoozoo KNOWS I'm right. Mercier-like Nixon-was the darkness, reaching Out for the Darkness. But he liked giant Robots, so he wasn't ALL bad.
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Since this movie was an extension of Alive in Joburg, and that had mech suits in it and was made before Iron Man was in production, I don't see it Are we talking simply about the concept of having a guy in a mech suit or the way it was designed/rendered/it's mechanics? It had more of an anime or ED-209 influence if anything. In fact the whole movie says to me that Blomkamp loves him some Robocop.
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I think you're going to dig this movie. Don't wait any longer than you have to. And that means download it if possible. It'll only make you want to see it in the theater, tho.
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i really liked it, thought it was a fun movie that was half thoughtful movie half explosions. it was pretty cool though, my friends and i had a great conversation afterwards about several plot points that they kinda leave up to you to figure out. i enjoyed it, it didn't "fuck eyeballs" but it was a good time at the movies.
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Yeah, I kept thinking 'Robocop' over and over again as I watched the movie. Didn't stop me from enjoying the fuck out of it, tho.
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its another of blomkamps(or whatever) shorts, very robocop esque
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I really liked your response to that Tongue Cleaner up above who said that SA under white rule was so much ore 'orderly' and your Detroit analogy. Dude is a complete fuckswizzle.
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I miss all the nutty David Icke alien conspiracy shit that was going on earlier in this talkback. More of that would be awesome, pleaseandthankyou.
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So the natural assumption is that aiens use helicopters to load their people onto their UFOs? Fucking KINDERGARTEN in here!
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You never caught me about any stuff i was inventing about Star Trek and Blade Runner. You, as usual, are full of shit and pulling stuff out of your ass. Why you are such a lying fuck?
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Great movie. From the "Popcorn Sounds" of the eggs (or babies)glee to seeing the humanity of the aliens. All with a Robocop with a Gravity Gun that shot a pig. Not much better than that. Take it at any level you want this was a bad ass film. Harry, you fat bastard were right on the money on this one.
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Wow that line of conversation got eaten. But holy hell did you miss the point. I'm not saying District 9 is better than Star Wars. I'm pointing out the flaw in logic Fett is presenting by bringing up these little nitpicky things about d9 and claiming it's a horrible movie for them and then claiming star wars is flawless and similar "plot holes" are impossible to find. It's not true, not in the slightest. My "laughable" points as you called them, still hold water as per his definition of a "plot hole". We do not see leia vouch for him, and we did not see Biggs vouch for him in the original theatrical edition. And you're telling me that some 16 year old kid should be inducted into the AIRFORCE because he played a part in bringing a high level hostage and some plans simply because he says he's a good pilot? Bull. It's not in the movie, so fett must be pissed. That's the point. I'm not tearing down star wars, I'm not saying d9 and it are even close, given that they are two completely different movies. Lay off the ego rush, and pull your head out of your ass.
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Hey friend, thanks for your advise. Yeah, i have a good feeling about this movie. I can't wait to watch it. I might catch if before it's release date, if one friend of mine does get a hand on a bootleg. But i like to pay to watch movies, specially good movies, in the theater. I like to compensate the people who made them with my money, if you get what i am saying.
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It's good to know somebody else i respect, like TedKordLives, liked this movie. I'm really getting good vibes about this one. I have had a good vibe about this one since i saw the earlier trailer. I really can't wait for this one.
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Nah, haven't seen the shorts yet. But we just got internet at the house, so.... ;)
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its like this
is it better than the matrix no
is it better than aliens no
is it better than predator no
is it better than the wrath of kahn no
is it the best sci fi movie in the last 20 years FUCK NO
its just an OK movie. my main complaint is that they were to married to the idea of placing human bigotry onto aliens. with that decision they sort of put blinders on and forced things to happen. this movie made cloverfields shaky cam work look classic. were there things i liked yes. the effects were top notch. the aliens have to be one of the best looking pieces of cgi mixed with live action to date. but that does make a great movie not. -
This idea that the movie sets lots of things in the background and do not explains it fully. I like that. One thing i don't like in movies is to have all the plot points all tied up, or to have everything explained as if i'm in kindergarden. I do like a bit of subtlery. Only rarely i like when filmmakers save on the subtlery, and that has to be when the filmamkers are so good that even hammering a point to the head still doesn't distract from their good job, like, say, Martin Scorsese (who had admited in the past that he loves to drives the point home in his movies and detests different interpretations of his movies then the ones he has).I can think, from the top of my head, that my most well liked movies are always movies with much subtlery in them, and that they compose detailed worlds and never explain most of it, it's just ther,e with hints for one to catch it if one wants to. I really like that. I like mystery in my movies. If District 9 is one such movie, then it's one of my own.
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direction was quite good. i just had an issue with the contrivances.
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you can say you are happy about it. this movie is as subtle as a sledge hammer.
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This movie almost dares you to keep up with it. A lot happens really fast and more is left to the imagination than is actually explained. I loved it. It IS rather hard to decipher their accents at times, but well worth it. I'm definitely buying this when it comes out on DVD.
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That's geekasm exageration, it's silly hype that does more dammage then good. I just hope for as good movie made with a good degree of honesty, and not just some hack job. Provide me with one of those good honest movies, and i'm there. fuck the hype, give me quality. Hype, i believ,e is for the bad mvoies that have nothing to them so they need to manipulate and obsfuscate the emotions of the audiences to be to make them watch it, because it has no real merits on it's own to make it watchable. This year, we had a whole year filled with that kind of dumb hack job movies. I'm hoping that District 9 will be one of the proverbial good movies that will satisfy my hunger for quality, and that will teach the hacks how a good movie is really made.
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If the accents are so hard to decife,r then maybe i should get to watch Stander again, to get acustumed. Thing is, in my country, all foreign movies are subtitled, so, i'm at an advantage there, hehe!
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I'd fuck Crhistopher Johnson and his little cockroach son... you can believe that shit! Awww yeeeeeahhh!!
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I'm just saying i have good hopes this movie is good. Many people whose opinions i respect, like TedKordLives and martinlutherkrangjr, liked it, and that's a good indication for me. Reading this talkback again, i can tell that i found a good barometer from the reactions,a nd it seems the intelligent and well thinking people here liked District 9, while the dumb heads and the dumb blockbuster junkies didn't liked the movie. That, to me, is quite a good indication of what i should expect form the movie. Yeah, i'm optimistic about district 9, as much as i am about Moon and The Road and Terry Gilliam's latest.
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To answer your question, it's great and not just hype.
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To answer your question, it's great and not just hype.
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i can understand what you are saying. like i said in my many previous posts, its a solid effort. i cant wait to see what the director does next. i just dont think it is genre defining or earth shattering. the leads performance is a revelation tho.
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hopefully the sharlto guy gets some work. couldn't believe he had never been in a movie before. i thought it was a movie that was rich in visual detail, they expect you to extrapolate the previous 28 years since the alien arrival based on the doc footage in the beginning, they come right out and say everything but by watching it and thinking about it in a real world sense you can see how things got to the point of a concentration camp.
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I think Robocop is the tighter, better movie overall, but it's in the ballpark of that type of sci fi filmage. I wouldn't go into it thinking it's mindful,serious sf on the level of 2001, Stalker, or Blade Runner. I felt his short films had quite a slice of camp despite the naturalistic, semi-serious surface and that's what I expected going into D9
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If we can become them. Then can they become us? Plot holes... Nah I didn't see any. Although its state right in the beginning that there is interspecies prostitution going on in d9, and then they use that as an excuse in regards to Wilkus's transformation. Neil is on my radar from this day fourth, anything he does I will anticipate. I hope he keeps using unknowns for the actors. That 30 million went a long way in this movie. I want me some prawn busts and replicas. Christopher was the only Prawn name I heard. What was the name of his son? He was so cute. God I love this movie. People who don't see it as anything short of amazing confuse me. It was painted with a very unique brush. I've never seen someone paint like this in a film before, Neil certainly has his own style that no one to date has provided. Even the character play and dialog is uniquely new, and I like it. Sometimes the real non camera stuff might have carried some of the style of the docu camera stuff, but who cares. It's called style. Let it flow and stop taking it at face value. No film can ever be taken at face value.
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Aug 17, 2009 6:53:47 PM CDT
D9 gave us back our summer after Bay took that shit hostage!
by psimonsez
Movie was great! Well written and very well directed for a first timer. Was it completely perfect? No but damn give this man a chance. It was the best science fiction movie of the year and handed the other flicks like Transfeces and GI Joe: Rise of the Cod Piece their asses at 20% the budget. And I have read some of the posts about people saying it was an Alien Nation ripoff. Nay! Say I! Similarities? Yeah. I read the cut-n-paste done by tenstix and the dude who originally wrote it got a lot wrong on the D9 front. It has been a while since I have seen Alien Nation (Peace Diego Montoya!) so I can't speak to it. Some glaring issues are:
1)"In District 9: Prawns were bred as workers meant to carry out manual labor. When discovered aboard their ship they appear to be of limited intelligence, almost unable to take care of themselves, though they’re very good at taking orders. Once taken off the ship and brought to Earth things begin to change and there are hints that not only are they intelligent, they may be far smarter than us." -- Maybe you were watching the second act of Awakenings with Robert Deniro or Flowers for Algernon or something but the ONLY smart Prawn in the ENTIRE movie was CJ and the Bear (his kid). The others, only exhibited instinctual attributes.
2) "Eventually the Prawns hidden leaders reveal themselves and by the end of the movie we know where the Prawn leader has been hiding." - CJ was never identified as the Prawn leader at any time in the film. Just a smart guy who know what needed to be done.
3) "In District 9: A strange substance brought to Earth by the Prawns has an unexpected and dangerous affect on humans. Both the Prawns and South Africa’s mega-corporation controlled government will do or say anything to hide the truth of what’s happening." -- What the hell are you talking about here? It took CJ 20 years to make the go-juice for the ride back home. Nothing was brought to earth by the Prawns. If they had the juice all along do you think they would have stayed on earth for 20 years?!
Just my rebuttals. Again, loved the movie. Plan to watch it again.
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Yeah, you are lucky about the subtitles. My mom started turning on the subtitles for any movie she watched, and it rubbed off on me. I don't ALWAYS use them, but I find I do catch things that I didn't before. I'm looking forward to watching District 9 again with the Subtitles_On.
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Aug 17, 2009 7:03:24 PM CDT
i do that as well since i tend to watch movies at night
by martinlutherkrangjr
and don't want to crank the volume. subtitles are great
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I'm just trying to understand your methods here. What makes you think the tractor beam can be used for anything besides the control ship? Or that it could be used to move more than one person at a time (this would be necessary to avoid 2 million separate slow trips up)? You obviously have some personal rules for determining what's fair game to assume when the plot of a film is ambiguous. Let's get to the bottom of this.
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and heal parts without scar tissue using pig bladder cells. Stop denying the science because it seems improbable. Maybe the juice is dna based. Just because the answer is not given, does not mean it's not smart. God only knows why it took 20 years to get the "go juice" It might as i said have been salvaged dna from the head prawn in charge. Maybe it was harvested from what little was left after his/her demise and then it had to be purified and harvested into more than what they originally had. No dna sig to ship, ship no go. Who said it was gas.
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It was okay. Emotionally, completely empty. Wonderful FX work and well-staged fight scenes. Music was a snore. Overall a 5. Maybe 6.
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The JPL story is true, and all of the other things I mentioned are accurate. Do your own fact checking.
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I read somewhere CJ was one of the Elites.. the smart Prawns that run the show... the rest were just drones... there were probably other elites around as well but they didnt factor in this particular story
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What movie this year filled you emotionally?
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Your post is fair, and that is all I can ask. We disagree, but who knows, perhaps my mind will change, or yours(?), either way...I respect your comments, though, I hold to my viewpoint.
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Obviously, we are left to speculate that the tech/mech is powered by a specific DNA cocktail that can be distilled into a liquid. Their mech has that liquid, which is why they were discarding the human tech as being worthless. The dump site had alien tech in it. How it got there is open to speculation. Maybe the drones brought down pieces of 'home' and the human authorities allowed them to keep it. The humans discarded what they thought was worthless tech in a dump. Ok, before I go forward let me say that both of those explanations are ridiculous because no way in hell am I letting aliens bring their own tech into a concentration camp. And two, even worthless alien tech, would garner huge interest worldwide with govt's and collectors. But this is just speculation. My guess is that he(Blomkamp) was trying to draw a parallel to conditions in concentration camps where the prisoners are allowed some personal effects. And some of these effects, very few as it turned out, had the necessary DNA cocktail liquid in them, but it took a long time to find.
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Would people stop calling a movie a classic a few days after it opens?
It take a while for a classic to ferment.
Or foment.
Ferment.
Yeah that's right.
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is a Alien Mocumentary showing how they came back to planet Subjugate all humans put Wykus in charge. And correct all problems we caused on this planet.
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Just made me go see it again. I was right the first time: it's excellent entertainment.
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... even excellent. Backstory can be found by searching the net and it fascinating in it's own right. Is it as groundbreaking as MATRIX, BLADE RUNNEr, or ALIEN? I don't know. Probably not. But it is an intelligent, high-energy (at least 3rd act) SciFi action that doesn't require one's brain the be turned off to enjoy. Are there some plot problems? Yes. Are there questions left unanswered? Will everyone with a brain enjoy this movie? No. Do you need a brain to enjoy this movie? No, but it would help.As I've stated before, this movie is like Old Star Trek when it was at it's best: A social/political/human condition study wrapped in a SciFi skin. The SciFi exists to serve the story, not vice-versa.
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Jack Parsons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the cricketer of the same name, see Jack Parsons (cricketer).
Jack Parsons on the cover of his book "Freedom is a two-edged sword"John Whiteside Parsons (born Marvel Whiteside Parsons on October 2, 1914 – died June 17, 1952) was an American rocket propulsion researcher at the California Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Aerojet Corp.. An enthusiastic occultist, he was one of the earliest American devotees of Aleister Crowley, and a leading member of his organisation, Ordo Templi Orientis.
Contents [hide]
1 Parsons and the Space Age
2 Parsons and the Occult
3 Death
4 Parsons in Popular Culture
5 Honors
6 Bibliography
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Parsons and the Space Age
While his formal education was limited, Parsons demonstrated tremendous scientific aptitude, particularly in chemistry. His rocket research was some of the earliest in the United States, and his pioneering work in the development of solid fuel and the invention of JATO units for aircraft was of great importance to the start of humanity's space age. The noted engineer Theodore von Kármán, Parsons's friend and benefactor, declared that the work of Parsons and his peers helped usher in the age of space travel.[1] Parsons co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, commonly referred to as JPL.
[edit] Parsons and the Occult
Parsons was also an avid student and practitioner of the occult arts, and a Thelemite. He saw no contradiction between his scientific and magical pursuits, and before each rocket test launch, Parsons would invoke the Greek god Pan.
Parsons was chosen by Aleister Crowley to lead Agape Lodge of the Thelemic Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) in California, in 1942, after Crowley expelled Wilfred Smith from the position.[2]
Sara Northrup (aka "Sarah Elizabeth" or "Betty" Northrup), began living with Parsons after his wife, Sara's half-sister Helen Northrup, left with Wilfred Smith. Sara Northrup later married L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology and sometime magical partner of Parsons.
Parsons and Hubbard participated in a ritual known as the Babalon Working which is famous in occult circles — loosely, it was an attempt to summon a living goddess and change the course of history. Paul Rydeen writes:
The purpose of Parson's operation has been underemphasized. He sought to produce a magickal child who would be a product of her environment rather than of her heredity. Crowley himself describes the Moonchild in just these terms. The Babalon Working itself was preparation for what was to come: a Thelemic messiah. [3]
They were aided in this work by Sampson Bennetts of the Rosicrucian Order and his wife Sara Melian Gabriel, a spiritualist from India.[citation needed]. Almost immediately after Parsons declared the ritual successful he met Marjorie Cameron right in his own home. Parsons regarded Cameron as the Scarlet Woman, the fulfillment of the ritual.
Parsons, Hubbard, and Cameron then began the next stage of Babalon Working, with Cameron acting as Parsons magical partner with whom he could sire a Moonchild. The creation of this Moonchild had been previously covered in fictional form in Crowley's novel Moonchild. A child was not conceived, but this did not affect the results of the ritual to that point. Parsons and Cameron soon married.
In January 1946, Parsons, Sarah Northrup, and Hubbard started a boat dealing company named Allied Enterprises. Parsons put in the sum of approximately $21,000, and Hubbard put in $1,200. Hubbard eventually abandoned Parsons and their business plans, leaving a port in Florida with the boat and with Sarah. It is said Parsons retreated to his hotel room and summoned a typhoon in retribution (viz., with an evocation of Bartzabel[4] - the so-called intelligence supposedly presiding over the planet Mars). A Florida court later dissolved the poorly-contracted business, ordered repayment of debts to Parsons, and awarded ownership of the boat to Hubbard.
The Hubbard/Allied Enterprises relationship lasted until 1947, when Hubbard again defrauded Parsons of a sum of money and ran off again with Sara Northrup.
Parsons resigned his leadership of the O.T.O. in 1946.
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Tetra Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal! I want one. I also want a 'Yellow' bodyguard.
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summed it up best. it's a shame we only get movies like this once every few years.
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Aug 17, 2009 7:33:25 PM CDT
All that proves MM is that the dude is/was as nutz as you
by toadkillerdog
Dude was partnered with Hubbard and Crowley for crying out loud! Look, intelligence does not mean you have wisdom or common sense. And while Hubbard and this Parsons guy and dare I say you, seem to be intelligent, none of you has the commons sense of a tit mouse. No harm intended.
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Cuz I hear all three thrown about.
A film that combines all three!
Wow! This movie can bring about world peace! -
We still have another round of those coming in AVATAR...
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I thoroughly enjoyed it. The trailers definitely didn't do this movie justice. I wasn't expecting it to be that badass and I didn't want it to end.
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"the tightness we expect from sci fi is not here"
see that right there is the reason people are bitching about this movie - i think jpcapone asked me if I would (did?) defend movies like Alien as vigorously as I defend this movie -
the answer is no
the REASON is back when these movies came out we simply DID NOT have the massive output of SciFi that engorges our screens today - we didn't COMPLAIN when new SciFi came out, even if we didn't like it - WE SIMPLY TOOK WHAT WE COULD GET
Alien was essentially a horror movie and I didn't like it coz I was a kid and it scared the shit out of me
Bladerunner went STRAIGHT TO VIDEO in this country and I must confess I was among those who DIDN'T think it was hot shit because, frankly, I didn't GET IT... It was only like a decade later when the Director's Cut hit the BIG screen that people started calling it a "classic"
Predator was just another dumb Arnie movie, like Commando - it was ok, didn't suck - it was ARNIE! You compared it to films like Raw Deal and Twins...
Terminator, not sure if it got a theatrical release - I saw it on video - and I loved it. Everybody loved it - again, it was ARNIE! The only thing I remember from the time was that it was R rated and we all thought we were cool because we were WAY too young to be watching R rated movies...
What else you got? Star wars - I *barely* remember when this was released but I *DO* remember that SUPERMAN was a bigger deal for me, when it came out (maybe coz I was a little older, I dunno)
my point is NOWADAYS we get so much SciFi - most of it CRAP - shoved down our throats AND it has become "cool" to be Geek, so two things happen when new SciFi comes out:
1) we have these "EXPECTATIONS" that it better be up to some imaginary SciFi "standard" - I wont go so far as to call myself a "proper" Geek but I will take ANY SciFi that comes my way and yes that includes straight to video crap and late night TV and Bay movies and whatever; I try not to WHINE if it turns out to be nothing special - SciFi is essentially PULP Fiction - it isn't SUPPOSED to be Citizen fucking Kane...
...and yes when it turns out to not suck I DO tend to gush a little - I'M A GEEK
2) people start PICKING THINGS APART and finding flaws - these movies are FLAWED, no question! They are FICTION - there's NO SUCH THING as The Force OR Midichlorians or aliens or Mech Suits or SkyNet or MCP or whatever - IT'S JUST A FUCKING MOVIE
look, if you loved it, great - I loved it! if you thought it was ok, that's cool, too... if you HATED it, well I'm sorry and I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree... -
That's the vibe I was getting from it. Also hints of Robocop, The Fly and Enemy Mine.
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You know it's true. Search your feelings.
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There isn't a unique or original moment in this movie. It's as much popcorn as GI JOE is. And, it will be forgotten just as quickly.
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Detroit may have been corrupt when police got away with more "street justice", but that is not the point. The fact is, Apartheid was wrong, because of the 2-class system it used. At the same time, the corrupt governments SINCE then, coupled with horrific violence among various tribes and the explosion of AIDS due in part to lack of pro-active actions by the Black majority government is a crime ALSO. That's all.
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It seemed like Christopher had no plan to rescue all the others UNTIL he saw the lab. Then he said "I cannot leave them here to be treated like this" (words to that effect).So it seemed like he planned to escape with his son, the other guy who was helping him, and that was all, until he saw the lab.And I thought it was odd that he couldn't just drop the big ship down and let the others pile in. Clearly there is some reason he did not want to do that, or could not.And the fact that he originally had no intention of even coming back for them is intriguing: in their society, were they considered expendable drones, was it a prison ship, etc.?
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That is a major point. It was a stratified society. CJ was only going to get himself and his son and friend out. But he was so disgusted by what he saw in the morgue, he felt compelled to act. That is a major plot point, and it 'humanizes' CJ.
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i loved it when it magnetized all the bullets and the pig part was great. im surprised no one has said "why did wikus even get in the mech it looked like it was kicking ass just fine by itself" thats the only thing that me and my buddies questioned about the movie after we left.
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I think a mini series on HBO or Showtime would be a good route to go. Keep the budget low and in the director and producers control. They'd be able to flesh out the parts that were left to the imagination of the audience.
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I am going to try and refrain from ripping you two or three new ones over this quote of yours "These are smart, advanced people. the fall of Apartheid has diminished the country , not made it better. " Do you really know what Apartheid is or was? It was the systematic; physical, mental, emotional, generational and cultural degradation and attempted destruction, of an entire peoples. Simply because of the color of their skin. The forced removal and relocation into slums, into hovels, into shanty towns. No education opportunities, not jobs. No future. And that some piece of ...no, some ignorant fool like yourself can even contemplate that apartheid had any merits - my God. After hundreds of years of enslavement, the Blacks took power. And did they massacre the whites? Did they run them out of the country - oh whites left, but were they forced? No. Blacks forgave. Yes, they made huge mistakes during the transition. What gov't and peoples would not after it has been enslaved for hundreds of years, and finally tastes freedom? The miracle is that the nuclear power SA did not implode, or explode, or export. My God man, read your history before you open your fucking yob again.
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The Mech opened up to protect Wikus. He was going to be slaughtered otherwise.
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"How'd Kowalsky die?""Umm, the swine flew..."
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Wikus got in the mech because he would have died if he hadn't. Even Fett can discern that for himself.
Also, Subtitles_off...to even pretend that GI Joe is anywhere near the level of this movie is absolutely ludicrous. You're an idiot if you think so. -
...got in the dump because bits of the ship fell off. Just shows I'll have to go watch it again. Very fine movie and especially for a first effort and, good lord...30 mil?! Good on ya PJ and Neil. Yeah, I started feeling sorry for the prawns too mainly because Christopher turned out to be an OK squid/shrimp/crawdad after all. Hah, wonder if they have "intelligent design" on their homeworld to explain the first Crustacean to sprout dem legs and walk up on de land!I hope there is a sequel...in exactly three years.
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...activated the mech suit from inside the transporter craft, no? See...SEE! I must see it again! See?
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said blomkamp for the world war z movie thats in production.
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said blomkamp for the world war z movie thats in production. i second
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Was a great Saturday morning movie. Wife and I enjoyed it, and hope they make a District 10 later on...say in 3 years? There was nothing wrong with this movie...unless you're some pathetic fanboy that has to pick everything in life apart...d'oh!!!
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yeah after giving a second of thought i kinda figured it out.
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it is after all their technology and you'd think he'd be able to lay waste to the MNU guys AND protect Wikus with little to no effort.
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murdered all the mercs in no time.
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Aug 17, 2009 9:34:18 PM CDT
Toad Killer Dog: He's A Nut Who Created JPL, An Agency ...
by media messiah
...that eventually spawned NASA. Yes, he's a nut...or a genius, or both??? Now, I think we should all be concerned about that. BTW, many of the scientists who worked at NASA came here through "Operation Paperclip". They were Nazi scientists who were given new names. They, and their familiies work in groups...and are running JPL and Nasa even today--and they perform rituals to Egyptian Gods like Isis. The first astronaut on the moon performed a blood ritual to Isis--this is an admitted fact. You have also heard of our space craft carrying names like Apollo(?)--another God, well, that is no accident, it is a part of the blood rituals. BTW...Apollo and Aries, I believe are the same God. Aries means...God of War...the translation of the name Mars, and Cairo, Egypt means Mars. It's very intersting that all of this is tied in together, as the people who are running our nation, and many others in Europe, and those under European influence, are not Christians, although they claim to be. The truth is, they are Free Masons...who, again...worship Egyptian Gods, who are the same Gods in Greek Mythology, as well, they are the Roman Gods, perhaps the Nordic Gods, and Hindu Gods(?)--having different names, but they are one in the same. They are also known as the Fallen Angels.
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forerunner to nasa.
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How come none of the Indiana Jones movies dealt with the Freemasons?
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swine flew... heh...
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Aug 17, 2009 9:53:47 PM CDT
Definitely an interesting film, especially by today's standards.
by mrhazard
I've grown increasingly bored and tired of the typical Hollywood contrived 'summer blockbusters'. And this is not one of them and for that reason ALONE I love this movie.Now Im not sure if this movie is a classic. I definitely want to see it again but I am not sure if I can watch this repeatedly. I dont really like the comparisons to other sci-fi classics but I guess we've been so deprived of good original sci-fi movies that anything that is halfway decent is deemed 'the greatest movie of the decade'.One thing I love about this film tho is the 'hero' of the movie. He is probably the LEAST likable protagonist of all time. When the movie first begins, you expect this guy to be killed in the first 15 mins and you cant wait for it to happen. I expected him to be killed off and then we would be introduced to some badass 'AHNULD'-type that would save the world from the EVIL aliens.Then halfway thru the movie you realize THIS guy IS the hero! He's weak, he's flawed, he's selfish, and again he's extremely unlikable. BUT, you still feel bad for him when unspeakable tragedies happen to him and you ROOT for him to succeed. I dont think I ever remember a movie having an unlikable hero that I care about. Very interesting.I also like the fact that the aliens are really EVIL. The humans are painted in a far worse light but there are really no GOOD guys and BAD guys here. Just living creatures that only care about their own well-being. But the entire movie is just very interesting. From the African gang leader that wants to EAT ALIEN PARTS to the mock/pseudo documentary style scenes to the alien technology.You can also see the influences from other sci-fi classics like The Fly, Robocop, and even zombie movies particularly Land of the Dead (but this is a much much MUCH better movie than that)...Again, just an interesting film. Is it the greatest movie of all time? No but its definitely a strong strong effort. I also think its refreshing that there were no recognizable overrated actors hogging the screentime and the fact that it cost 30 million to make and you can see they spent EVERY last cent on the film. Also the sfx were great but not overwhelming and indulgent.Only time will tell tho if it is truly a classic. I wouldnt mind seeing a sequel in three years. Possibly Christopher coming back with recruits to start a war with the humans. Could be interesting...
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I really enjoyed it. So what's the consensus here? Did everyone love it? Is there a healthy backlash against it? Did AsimovLives think it was a SouthAfrican Dawson's Trek?
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if you were infected like Wikus would you grab yourself a "prawn" and hit that shit doggystyle?
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This must've been the best sci-fi movie I've ever seen....and for once, it's not because of the FX (which were incredible considering the budget), but because of character development, story telling, incredible action sequences, and perhaps one of the most heart wrenching scenes I have ever seen (the weapons testing moment)...
Sequel? As long as it's the same team of people... It's hard for me to imagine they could do any wrong....but time will tell I suppose... -
Were there any females?
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And after humanity treated them shit, I'd like to see what the next wave brings. Will Christopher be friendly? Will Wikkus be the leader on Earth? It doesn't need a sequel, but I'd love to see what they'd do with one.
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does it matter?
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Did they ever explain the female question?
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the mothership being a prison. It could've also been a refugee ship. Either would work considering CJ told his son they couldn't go back to their home planet. Later however he tells his son that they are going home, I found that interesting.
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Dude,
for the record, I protested Apartheid during the 80s and insisted by University "divest" from all interests in that government and I stand by that stand I had then and now.
My point is that since Apartheid fell, yes, their is racial equality and a legislature with at least on paper equal justice for all.
However, a bunch of people I grew up with and their parents fled the country and "saw the writing on the wall" and they were right. Currently, S.A. is considered the rape capital of the world and violence and robbery is targeted as "black on affluent" and is not necessarily racially motivated but class-motivated.
The police cannot respond well enough to this crime wave within this country and as a result gated communities patrolled by private security firms exist throughout.
Their is ignorance and backwardness in the government. Even into the 2000s, the Minister of Health was an AIDS/HIV denialist-- refusing to believe that HIV causes AIDS/HIV disease. Yeah, it's true ! He also resisted giving free HIV meds to poor blacks who had HIV. As a result, he was ultimately removed. But this is in the 2000s. Can you possibly imagine a government more backward and fucked up that is a "modern" government.
As a result of this government's inaction, South Africa as about 13% of its black population HIV positive with only 0.6% of the white population. current data indicates at 18% of the population is HIV positive the vast majority of which is black.
Yes, the "transition government" has made vast errors, but the above is just stuff that is recent. Not to mention the emigration of intellectual and scientists due to poor living conditions. Bottom line, South Africa is a slowly dying country that while providing freedom and more equality to its citizens, has not taken steps to truly benefit its people beyond laws on paper-- the quality of life overall is poor and the affluent/intellectuals are forced to live insular lives-- for fear that the 59 murders, 145 rapes and 752 serious assaults carried OUT DAILY in the country of 42 millions might affect them.
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it sort of explains the pods being grown and their being "illegal" and the whole tranformation/mutation thing. But I don't get the liquid being a mutagen and the power source for the shuttle.
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It's probably a bit like the Spice in Dune?
It transformed people and also was used for space travel....
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Thabo Mbeki was a complete idiot on the AIDs issue. It was a breathtakingly stupid - and for some, a fatal, stance. He was justly pilloried around the world for that. I know about the gated communities and the increase in violence. I am not condoning such violence, and it is indeed reprehensible, but it is a by-product of centuries of unjust, and brutal rule by the minority whites. You can not erase centuries of brutality, and injustice, and lack of education and opportunities in less than a generation. That does not mean I like seeing SA decline as country, because it affects all - black, colored and white. But for someone to say - 'hey I opposed apartheid while at university', but then say "...fall of Apartheid has diminished the country , not made it better. ", that is obviously the fucked up sentiment a non Black or colored person who never suffered minute one under the brutal rule of apartheid. Which was the systematic; physical, mental, emotional, generational and cultural degradation and attempted destruction, of an entire peoples. Yes those are my own words from an earlier post, but they say it all. Apartheid was an appalling evil. A blight on humanity. Lawlessness can be overcome. The just application of laws and force can bring about change. American cities such as NYC, are a blue print of how to change a seemingly insurmountable crime wave. But pining for the days of Apartheid, is indefensible and reprehensible.
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I never said I am pining for the days of Apartheid-- I'm pointing out that Apartheid's fall has NOT much improved the real, lives of those in the country who needed it most, the black population, on a practical level. And yes, the brutality of living under Apartheid I have never denied and am aware of it very well, having grown up with many whites who fled S.A. and never approved of Apartheid at all.
Fall of Apartheid has not improved much the education or poverty or medical crisis issues. And crime could not be worse. And your Minister of Health was beyond an "idiot"-- more like practically a murderer in light of his policies.
Again, no one ever said Apartheid was good. I said that what is there now OVERALL has not helped the average black person much either truly improve their quality of life, in light of the data. that does NOT mean I want an Apartheid system back. Never said that.
The country needs something better than Apartheid and better than what it has now, because it is a dying country, soon to be yet another African wasteland like so many Sub-Saharan countries.
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That makes sense.
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The question is where will Wikkus stand in the war. Will he be fully alien or will he still have human memories? Will he even want to be transformed back into a human after 3 years...Also was Chris actually being truthful about the whole 'I can turn you back into a human' thing? Something tells me he was lying the whole time and he just told Chris that to help him get back the fuel from the lab.All in all, even tho I know most sequels disappoint a sequel involving the future war between humans and prawns could be interesting...
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I now feel like a proud nerd....!
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Aug 17, 2009 11:09:33 PM CDT
corplhicks - your implication is that Sub-Saharan Africa needs
by toadkillerdog
"good old fashioned white colonial rule". Can not trust the darker Africans - oh can't say that, the 'sub-Saharan' Africans as opposed to the Egyptians and Moroccans, and Libyans, and Ethiopians - well they are kind of dark, but you get the point, right? That is your implication. Mbeki is not now nor ever was 'my' minister. And yes, I do agree that what he did rises to the level of a crime. He should be prosecuted just as Pik Botha was. oh, wait a minute, Botha was granted immunity. Freed om is not free. SA has not attained the promise of its freedom, but I fucking guarantee you that given the choice people would prefer to be free than caged and treated worse than live stock. And your own words betray the lie that you are not pining for apartheid "These are smart, advanced people. the fall of Apartheid has diminished the country , not made it better. " You may not be a racist, but you are ignorant.
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it could be that the alien tech works with a mysterious fluid like how in later dune books the ixian navigation machines require spice to work. i like the idea posted earlier that christopher was salvaging dna of the elite prawns to make the fluid, even though their is no evidence for either theory its kinda cool to think about.
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www.wikuswaits.com
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www.wikuswaits.com
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Just saw it today and was blown away. The mindless GI-Shmoe lovin' crowd probably won't get how amazing the effects are. Two claws up.
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Argh, dude, if you REALLY knew me you would think I am neither racist nor ignorant. And the fall of Apartheid HAS diminished the country, because what REPLACED it SUCKS. That does not mean I want Apartheid back, nor do I favor European colonial rule. Puh-Leez. But the Post-Apartheid S.A. is a failure, except for the laws on paper. and no one thinks people prefer a "cage" then freedom. And yes, Sub-Saharan Africa is in shambles-- haven't you read the news the past 15-20 years. 3/4 of HIV is there, governments are almost non-existent, crime is everywhere, and now piracy is on the rise. Do you actually think that this part of the continent of Africa is doing a great job advancing itself? Someone has to be done.
Disarm the "rebels", and have true representative governments, give help to people who need it there and make sure they actually get it. etc... -
Aug 17, 2009 11:23:11 PM CDT
JACKIE CHAN WAS RIGHT - PEOPLE NEED TO BE CONTROLLED
by bringingsexyback
Especially the Nigerians living in SA.
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i don't think you were really explaining yourself clearly,and you did kinda sound racist or like you were advocating apartheid in your earlier posts. your last post however makes sense now and i understand what you are saying.
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Aug 17, 2009 11:26:29 PM CDT
MEDIA MESSIAH - DID YOU NOTICE "BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA"
by bringingsexyback
contains 18 letters? Which is also the sum of 666?
I love the man, but I'm also just sayin'. -
my guess is it won't be CJ coming back for Wickus - it will be his KID - and that kid will be a QUEEN
whether or not they will be bringing
WAR... I'll have to think on that - my first inclination is to say no because all those Prauns they left behind in the camps seemed to be just expendible drones, but maybe not...
I keep thinking of the Prauns more and more like the Zerg from Starcraft, having a limited capacity to act on their own, but really just happy to sit around and wait for orders - even if it kills them... -
Abject poverty, hundreds of years of colonial rule, exploitation of its resources and fascist puppet governments will do that to a continent.
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as a population control tool for Africa.
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I do not know you, nor do I wish to. And I can only go by what you have typed to form an opinion. It is words like these "...basically sub-saharan Africa is a shit hole and you know it. And, it's time to stop blaming European Colonialism for this. Under Apartheid, S.A. was certainly not fair to the blacks, no doubt about it, but currently, in light of their potential, the country was certainly more "orderly" There is zero doubt that major parts of the African continent are in severe dysfunction. The cause are manifold, from cultural rape and exploitation by western powers, to insane tribal warfare. But there are many parts that do work. You seem to have a predisposed intense dislike for 'sub-Sahran' - lets just call it Black Africa. Like I said, I can only go by your own words. Do you understand what you are saying about the fall of apartheid? Saying that 'its fall has diminished the country' implies that you believe the country was better off during apartheid. And I say, better off for whom? Do you really think Blacks - the majority and thus the Country, were better off during apartheid?
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Aug 17, 2009 11:39:37 PM CDT
LETHAL WEAPON 2 WAS THE FINAL STRAW ON APARTHEID'S BACK
by bringingsexyback
Diplomatic Immunity!!!!
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Aug 17, 2009 11:49:45 PM CDT
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO AFRICANS WHO GET IN THE WAY
by bringingsexyback
of the white man's rape of their resources? They get Ken Saro-Wiwa'd.
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Education. Knowledge is more powerful than a pig blaster.
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So there's nothing I can say, no matter how reasonable, that will convince you otherwise. Your concept of distance in space is extremely naive, and it is egotistical at best to think that aliens care to study us. Studying ants on our own planet is one thing... but we don't have to travel lightyears to study them. They're right here. Intelligent alien life realistically would never make its way out of its own solar system. Lightspeed is thus far considered extremely unlikely (look up lightspeed and Dr. John Simonetti of the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech). And when you say you're talking about alien life that is "close" to us... without lightspeed, those aliens would have to exist within our solar system to have even made it to earth. So where are they from? Mars?
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Up is #27. I'm just sayin' :D
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Aug 17, 2009 11:59:27 PM CDT
CHINA, TOO, WAS UNDER EUROPEAN AND JAPANESE COLONIAL RULE
by bringingsexyback
and then under decades of totalitarian rule under the so-called Communists. But they also clung to their Confucian culture, stressing education, industriousness and familial bonds and that's why they are rising from the ashes of isolation and have become one of the world's great economic and cultural powers.
Maybe instead of Christians who conduct witch hunts, Africa needs a good dose of Confucianism. -
i think you can travel the universe without having light speed, at least according to BSG. the original cylons traveled using "relatavistic" speed or something like that. i dont remember their bullshit explanation on the show and from BSG talkbacks but its like almost the speed of light but you can't perceive the time passing or something like that.
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THEY GOT GUYS THAT WANT TO EAT ALIEN PARTS TO GET THEIR POWERS!!!Was I the only one that thought it was kinda weird that the mob boss ate alien parts and there were no side effects???
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It's right here plain as day, you lying cocksmoker:
http://tinyurl.com/poy872 -
true, you seem to at least relize what it the problem and how it should be fixed
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Screenwriting 101 - Show. Don't Tell.
This movie is all bad stupid fucking exposition and completely lacks a coherent narrative.
IDIOTS ALL OF YOU -
a problem with it because it chooses to show and not tell. and you are a fucking idiot jdub. i heard you once sucked off 29 male flight attendants while they pinched and insulted you.
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...I used that as an example to speak of the microverse in comparision with the size of the rest of the world, or the solar system. We as humans are not only studying our world and the creatures that live on and in it, but, we have sent probes to other nearby worlds, and even outside of our solar system to detect life...a few with messages for extarterrestrials, should they find those very probes. Now, if we would do that, why wouldn't aliens? Let me point-out that the U.S. government has a little known law that prohibits citizens from broadcasting messages to outer space seeking extraterrestial life and their reply. I am not kidding about this, the law actually exists. Now, ask yourself why? Answer: The government stated that it is afraid that anyone sending such messages might attract back hostiles (invading aliens). As for above light speed travel, as I told you, that group of European researchers, I believe they are German, said they managed to fire a particle beam that not only exceeded light speed, but travelled 360 times faster than light speed, or instantly. This would also suggest time travel as the beam arrived at its destination, on, or before, it even left the barrel of its launch point.As far as near Earth aliens, they could be as close as Mars, Europa, Titan, or even our moon...and some have talked about Planet X, thought to be a rogue planet, in our solar system, in a wide orbit which swings by Earth every 36,000 years. These proponents also believe that our solar system is a binary system and thus, there is a twin sun known as a brown dwarf that supports Planet X. A brown dwarf would be hard to detect thanks to its make up and the position of our sun and planet as related to it. Now, "The Rogue Planet Theory" is supported by mainstream science...so this is not some crazy idea. Also a rogue planet may be hot enough at its core that it can exist without a sun to sustain it.
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His home address was also the devil's number. He also died on the 6th day, of the 6th month, of the 6th year. BTW, your may say, no, Reagan died on the 5th, right? Not exactly, you see, withing the same period, the first 12 hours of that day it was the 5th here in the states, on the other side of the world, it was the 6th. Thus, Reagan died on both the 5th and the 6th. How could any of this just be a coincidence? Answer: There is no such thing as coincdences. As far as Obama--he is just as compromised as any politicians. American leaders are not elected, they are selected by the real leaders of this planet, people so powerful, you and I will never know their names, well, save, until we get to Heaven, that is.
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His home address was also the devil's number. He also died on the 6th day, of the 6th month, of the 6th year. BTW, you may say, no, Reagan died on the 5th, right? Not exactly, you see, within the same period, the first 12 hours of that day it was the 5th here in the states, on the other side of the world, it was the 6th. Thus, Reagan died on both the 5th and the 6th. 2004 BTW crunches down to 6, the world number at the time, according to astrologists...or the 6th year as I said. How could any of this just be a coincidence? Answer: There is no such thing as coincidences. As far as Obama--he is just as compromised as any politicians. American leaders are not elected, they are selected, by the real leaders of this planet, people so powerful, you and I will never know their names, well, save, until we get to Heaven, that is.
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You do know, I trust, that Wikipedia entries are logged and adjusted by anyone who has an interest in doing so, right?
Let me say it again for emphasis:
"Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sex Cult".
The fact that you can't see how howlingly funny that is proves that you're crazier than a shithouse rat. Let me ask you something: even if it's true that one of the co-founders is a crowleyite, why would his religion somehow flavor or impede his scientific endeavors? Couldn't the same be said of scientists of any faith? Are Christian, Jewish or Muslim scientists en masse secretly subverting their work to further their own agenda?
Also, your scientific outlook is straight out of Victorian science fiction. What the hell is wrong with you? I like John Carter of Mars more than most people, but for fuck's sake, I know there aren't hot, nubile princesses on Barsoom who are dying to bed me. I suggest you try realizing that yourself, because you are definitely setting yourself up for disappointment. Perhaps if you didn't end each adult industry "research" session online by weeping and masturbating while blaming satan, you'd be a happier person. -
Why don't you just admit it? Every human being whose particular faith or lack thereof which isn't identical to yours is somehow linked to satan, isn't that so? You're being subjugated by a worldwide satanic cabal of Jewish, pornographic lizard people (conveniently, in many disguises) and your only allies are benevolent aliens/angels who dwell in secret paradises on planets in our solar system whose lushness only you and BendersShinyAss have discovered.
Makes sense to me. -
...puts it the best:
"speaking of aliens. they come from Venus. that planet has been buried by the powers that be. seriously, you go and find good info on it. you can't. it's our nearest neighbour world for crying out loud!"
How can you two even be alive, you fucking fruitcakes? -
please, someone, make him stop....
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just got home from seeing this, I was not disappointed...it was like "Catch a Fire" meets "V", very entertaining, great story
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District 9 Review - Pretty and Plot-thin
Posted by LaRae Meadows at Aug 17, 2009 07:32 PM | Permalink
Filed under: Movie, District 9, Opinion, LaRae Meadows, movie reviews
Anyone who wants action, action, action should hustle to the movies today to see District 9.
District 9 Poster
When aliens come to earth and are unable to leave again, they are forced into a slum in Johannesburg, South Africa, in an area called District 9. Amazing visuals allow District 9 to capture the audience’s attention in an inescapable trap. The shallowness of the plot may be the only tool given to the audience to get out.
Aliens land on earth, malnourished, and their mothership in shambles. They are herded into a tin hut community while humans try to figure out what to do with them. After twenty years of tension between the aliens and the humans, the government gives full authority to MNU, a multi national corporation, to evict the aliens to a tent community two hundred kilometers away. They put a sniveling, weakling, corporate bureaucrat, Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), in charge of the move. Due to international law, MNU must notify the aliens of their eviction and Wikus is sent into the field to do the notifications. While out in the field, Wikus gets new insight into the needs and plight of the aliens, even though he struggles not to submit to his feelings.
The aliens in District 9 are computer generated into live action scenes. The team of alien animators do an extraordinary job of making the aliens seem as tangible and realistic as the human players on screen. The lighting of the prawns (a slang term for the aliens) in many of the scenes give texture so real, it is as if they could reach out and you could feel their exoskeleton roughly rub against your skin.
District 9 is shot in a mix of documentary and live action styles, blended seamlessly together. The documentary is about Wikus and how he is betrayed. This documentary gives perspective to the story of the aliens, and invests the audience in both sides of the story. At first it seems a bit piecemeal, but by the end, the reason for the mixed style offers the audience something to take away.
Even given the emotional investment by the viewers, the story is little more than a two hour long chase scene with explosions and firefights. There is an emotional component, but it reaches as deep into the audience as body lotion. Every time it seems there could be a question of morality, or a moment of emotive genius, it is blown up, shot or runs away. The take away at the end of the movie I mentioned earlier is as valuable as what you’d probably get as a wedding favor at a redneck wedding.
A thinking person would find District 9 wanting more and frustrated with the half-given plot. A person who just wants to watch things blow up, see things go boom and escape their lives for a couple of hours will have a great time at District 9.
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I follow Christ, but I am not a Christian...nor do I like, or trust formal religion. With respect to religious groups of all kinds, bg or small, I believe that they all have a piece of the puzzle to the greater picture that will build the face of God.
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I know all about that. And it wasn't living, by the way. I specifically stated that no living thing can travel faster than light and survive. It's a theoretical impossibility.
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Sorry, my computer keeps dropping the i's. Don't trust religion, trust God.
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Now you're just being dishonest. You've pointed out time and again how things which disturb you in life (such as your compulsive masturbation) have satanic connections and how the pantheons of other religions infallibly are masked "fallen angels".
You're a lunatic and a fucktard of colossal proportions. -
But perhaps they can, or, if you are right, if their bodies can't travel across great distances via teleport, perhaps their souls can? That would play into David Icke's claims that Extra-dimensional beings are essentially downloading their consciousnesses into the bodies of those of the blue bloodline due to their frequency, one compatible with the beings who are their forebearers. Some also beleive that the so-called gray aliens are actually organic robots. Could it be they are being used as some kind of avatars of some sort, like the theme of James Cameron's movie "Avatar"--thus allowing aliens, or whatever they are, to tranfer their consciousnesses into these bodies, directly, oor by remote, non localized...transfer? These grays, or organic mobile suits, would allow them, their creators to experience tactile sensations while operating them, without having to travel great distances to get to our planet, and would help prevent bringing back contamination to their home world...as they, the organic suits, are designed to never return home.
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And I don't think it is a bad thing, so where is the hypocrisy on my part?
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Aug 18, 2009 2:42:01 AM CDT
Okay you guys... enough. This is about D-9 not masturbation or r
by mrriddle
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I believe in God...and despite what priests and preachers say, I don't believe that God is against masturbation. He is too sophisticated and intelligent for such minuscule silliness.
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Your shifting of the blame of your obsession with adult websites to "satanists" is where the hypocrisy lies. Not to mention where part of your lunacy lies.
"Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sex Cult". -
have to be liked. Its not PC to dislike them, even if they arent well made or hate nigerians(because of their email scams).
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Really haven't seen that many. A good one should really be made. As for D9 I thought it was cool. Better than most of the crap that came out this summer.
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Satanists are involved with the porn industry, yes---and they, have their agenda, preying on those who are mentally disturbed, drug addicts, those who have been sexually abused, and those forced into prostition because they have no formal education or family support system, like orphans, and those from dysfunctional families. Sex can be used as sex ritual. The Rosicrucians engage in sex rituals all the time--which Princess Grace supposedly took part in when she was inducted into the group--some kind of masturbation ritual which someone in the order performed on her? That is what Stanley Kubrick was talking about in "Eyes Wide Shut". Not specifically porn, as that was not a part of the movie...but the sex ritual part of it, yes--I am refering to the orgy scene.
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excellent film, I can not wait to see more from Neill Blomkamp
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in Jo'burg was considered for D-9? The aliens (poleepkwa) in that short were said to have been escaped slaves...
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DICK! His review of District 9 is so half-arsed and just total bullshit. It's almost like he watched a different movie (G.I. Joe perhaps). But seriously, did anyone else think the first act had the feel of a mokumentary??? I love Best in Show and Spinal Tap but I'm not sure I'd put them in the same sentence with D9's first act. And the way he spoke about the appearance of the aliens and the sarcastic way he found so many plot elements preposterous just made him sound like an elitist, out-of-touch prick. Oh, an by the way, the final act was freaking magical. It was like the greatest Halo(that's right Blomkamp was on track to direct this before idiotic studio bureaucracy[the same responsible for all "Great Action" this Summer] got in the way) co-op level brought to life. I's sorry to say it Ebert but this time you're wrong, and not just a little, a lot. You just flat-out didn't get it. Your undermining of D9 and its significance to the SF genre and modern cinema as a whole shows your true colors, and is a perfect example for why "classical-traditionalist" critics such as yourself are a dying breed, literally.
**Forgive me for that last part, I really don't mean any disrespect to a man who has contributed so much over his career. But i just felt his criticism was unwarranted and completely insulted something i care very much about. So i had to defend it.
What do you think???... -
tion D9 is. I always liked that film (or at least I remember liking it, maybe its not as good as I remember). And this seems to be very inspired by it, and borrows quite a few ideas from it...
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You just completely pulled that satanist shit out of your armpit. You have not offered one single shred of evidence to back up any of your extraordinary claims. I suspect everything you write here is either the product of your sick imagination or grossly distorted like the light acceleration experiment, the results of which you totally fucked up in relating to us.
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What are your thoughts regarding anal probing? Why are there so many people who claim to be probed by aliens and why do aliens do it?
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Because they're RACIST!!!!!
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I'm simply too lazy to review every single message but (unless I missed it) I'm shocked that no one has made that painfully obvious observation as of yet.
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Bohemian Grove anyone? Cremation of care anyone?
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I don't recall Alien Nation that well but from what I do remember, there are some similarities that stem from the racism but I think AN was inspired by Mexican immigration and not apartheid.
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The "fluid" is the fuel for their intergalactic warp drive, and will also mutate aliens organisms to have "prawn" DNA. What was it made of? Midichlorians?
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The end fight. I swear I sustained a full body high for 15 minutes or so. I thought I was going to leave my body and travel into the ethereal plane it was intense. I was so into it. That rarely happens and I know it's never lasted that long before. I call it the cinematic orgasm. Some people here know what I'm talking about. Only good amazing scenes can trigger it.
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Indeed. As soon as Wikus grabbed that gravity gun it was ON. Then when the MECH was revealed and opened up, I got all giddy again.
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and you are wrong. this movie is not a milestone in cinema. prolly not even a foot note. or a period for that matter.
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but better than Wolverine, Tranformers 2, G.I. Joe and Terminator Salvation...and for that, I'm thankful.
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I'd say he pretty much nailed it except for the part about alien weapons not being advanced. I don't know WTF he was talking about there. And I liked the mech fight which I guess he saw as superfluous. I'm not saying Ebert is always right but I generally agree with him here.I also don't know how someone can watch the first 20 minutes of this film and not come away thinking they were doing a Python sketch or a Spinal Tap type documentary.
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the movies you mentioned. the as movie in idiocracy is better than all the movies you mentioned. fett its clear that the alien weapons are advanced. so i dont know what he was talking about either. and the mech sequence was one of the best if not THE best part of the movie.
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Wikkus will be the bridge between Prawns and humans, along with Christopher. There may be a war but Wikkus will try to stop it, with Christopher trying to help turn him back into human bc he's a Prawn of his word. But they have to work fast before both sides destroy each other, and then the whole movie becomes an anti-war fable about how nothing good ever comes of it.
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Very good.
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That'd be pretty badass. Who's gonna do it. NECA? McFarlane?
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And show us instead of just TELLING us why you're right and we're wrong? Yeah, I didn't think so.
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wow. i came on here days ago after i saw d9 and saw what i expected, that most people liked it and it had a few haters, who mostly seem to need to have every detail spoonfed to them like applesauce. you didn't like the movie, we get it. but good god man, don't you at least need to go take a piss? you've been hating on this movie for DAYS. if i don't like a movie i usually don't even bother with the talkback. who cares? i move on with my life. you must have some strange mental issues that i just don't get at all.
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Like I said earlier, its like most movies where you have a misunderstanding.Than the protagonist gets stranded or transformed into the species or race and understands the crap they put him that race trough. It is essentially Alien Nation and Enemy Mine. I love both of those movies. And it does have a smidge of ET. But who cares it was good. CJ was great and so was his son. You can tell that he was part of the smart Prawns who drifted the ship into our atmosphere just from the first time he's on screen. And I think Kai. Brought up the fact that Earth is like the redneck portion of the Universe. If I was an alien I wouldn't come here. We suck. Were racists, sexist and every other "ist" there is. It's like Hulk Hogan in Suburban Commando where he wanted to go to any other place in the universe than here. When he heard he was heading to Earth he looked like he was going to puke. And yes that movie is bad but its fun bad.
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Like I said earlier, its like most movies where you have a misunderstanding.Than the protagonist gets stranded or transformed into the species or race and understands the crap they put him that race trough. It is essentially Alien Nation and Enemy Mine. I love both of those movies. And it does have a smidge of ET. But who cares it was good. CJ was great and so was his son. You can tell that he was part of the smart Prawns who drifted the ship into our atmosphere just from the first time he's on screen. And I think Kai. Brought up the fact that Earth is like the redneck portion of the Universe. If I was an alien I wouldn't come here. We suck. Were racists, sexist and every other "ist" there is. It's like Hulk Hogan in Suburban Commando where he wanted to go to any other place in the universe than here. When he heard he was heading to Earth he looked like he was going to puke. And yes that movie is bad but its fun bad.
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Holy shit.
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Crazy like a FOX!
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Ebert has almost none of the same criticisms of District 9 as you do. Does that mean you're changing your story?
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yet they waste their own time to do it. so funny and hypocritical silly you are. at least we waste our time wasting our time and not complain about others wasting time. make any sense to ya doucheboy?
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How many times, exactly, do I need to say that I LIKED THE MOVIE? Talk about needing to be fucking SPOONFED!Killdozer, try holding your eyes open as I point this out to do, and stop drooling on yourself.EBERT's review: First part a mockumentary. MY review: First part a mockumentary. EBERT's review: How did the ship run out of power? MY review: How did the ship run out of power? Ebert's review: Alien drones don't elicit sympathy. My review: Alien drones don't elicit sympathy. EBERT'S review: Good special effects. MY review: Good special effects. EBERT'S review: Not a very good ending. MY review: Not a very good ending.
Now did Ebert go into all the detail that I have over the past couple of days? No, of course not. And remember, I've already drawn distinctions between my review and his.So what the fuck are you babbling about again? -
Fett IS Ebert.
Thanks for your years of making us laugh and think, Mr. Ebert. -
and killed everything underneath it. It would have made sense, he won't let his people suffer and they can't go home. Drop the ship, everybody dies, the end.
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Mr. Ebert doesn't seem to be passionate about many movies anymore.
His reviews have become a bit austere....
I was really excited when his article on Disctrict 9 came out but alas....it was short and didn't say much....
I used to revere his writing but now I feel a bit sad when I read it.... -
since his stroke. I truly believe his mental capacity has diminished.
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I dunno who is. I mean, I don't always agree with him, but occasionally he hits it right on the nose and alerts you to something awesome, going against the grain of other critics ("Knowing").
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YOUR Review: interpreting ambiguous elements as plot holes and calling Bullshit. EBERT's review: nothing like that.
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You've lost the magic of movies that perhaps you once had as a child. That's why harry gets so much crap, because he can actually suspend his disbelief and critical mind for 2 hours and just sit back and have fun. Yeah he gets carried away. Just like I did when I was a kid. I can feel that part of me fading. Dying. But dammit at least I'm trying to keep some part of that spirit alive. I feel sorry for you people who can't.
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but that's obviously my own hangup.
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for a bunch of Prawns can't be all bad. Using South Africa as a background setting was genius. I want a sandwich from Gunthers, but without the shotgun.
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I love how quickly we all veer off into a completely different subject....
Am I the only one who thought perhaps that Bruce Willis looking general (don't remember his rank) was real cheesy?
He's the only character in the movie who seemed 1 dimensional.... "I'm bad" "Argh" -
were they intergalactic trannies?
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aren't all militaristic assholes one dimensional?
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The police guy from Children of Men.
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Hard
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You're probably right about militaristic people being one dimensional....and actually the movie needed someone like that... I just thought he was a bit laughable is all..
I did love the movie and that's for shooah !
Oh and as for Ebert I'm with you but I feel a bit lost with his reviews lately. Are we to think that ,for example, Thirst and District 9 are a mere 1/2 star away from G Force?
I respect the guy...I always read his reviews before seeing movies...I just think lately he's not been on the same page as me and that's the first time it happened since I was a little girl... sniff sniff -
.......that would have been FUCKING AMAZING! Now THAT'S the type of revelation that would have really cinched this movie for me! THAT'S thinking outside the box and gettign unconventional. Good job S-Mart! 8^O
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... for every Alien-Aliens, T1-T2, there's a dozen Highlanders and Matrixes that make you wish selective memory-wipe was an available technology!
Best choice for Blomkamp would be to team up with a serious artist and do it as a graphic novel - riffing off the Watchmen vibe and deliverable while the movie's still on everyone's radar. But that's not going to happen.
If there has to be a filmed sequel he should sign a two-picture deal: make the sequel on the same budget and production values of the first and spend the serious money on whatever he wants to do next.
BTW - Another first: A film where the "cute kid" (relatively speaking), apparent comic relief, kicks genuine and serious ass! -
Yes, I will...DREAM ON.
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... and his commentary for DARK CITY means he will forever have my respect..
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D9 was not
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Just wish the shot of the mech catching the rocket was kept from the tv spots, the movies 'wad' if you will.
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Aug 18, 2009 2:56:37 PM CDT
Chakraborty: For The Same Reason Doctors & Scientists Do
by media messiah
Clearly these are scientific and medical exams for some purpose? Perhaps "canary in the coal mine" stuff...and we're the canaries?
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You Rock and Rule!!!
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Imagine if the Prawn weapons were in the STAR WARS universe, with the graphic depictions of such usage. Additionally, throw in the R-rated Jedi and/or Sith battles and you have the beginnings of box office GOLD. Too bad it won't happen.
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My point was that the sequels to those films soil the soul of the originals. The nadir of course being Alien 3 - make a great movie, make a glorious sequel, then pull down your studio-issue strides and take a great steaming dump on the whole franchise!
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Wait a minute! I just thought of something, this is gonna blow your mind. What if some of the aliens are disguised as gerbils, and they use mind control to make people stick them up their butts so that they can examine their rectums, and then send a report back to their home planet. Holy shit, this is big...bigger than we ever thought. Now I know why my Uncle is always sticking gerbils up there. And they might be in cahoots with the doctors.
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as a matter of fact i agree, corwin. but D9 doesnt hold a matchstick to anyof the movies you mentioned. well maybe highlander but thats close.
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i wonder if any other humans had been exposed to the fuel? the prawn that associated with CJ, couldnt he have been human at one point? i mean wikus seemed to get a good amoun of fuel sprayed in his face but obviously some was left prior to and before it was captured by the MNF couldnt other humans have been exposed?
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You unapologetic whackjob.
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Aug 18, 2009 4:07:06 PM CDT
DocPazuzu: Actually, No--The Porn Industry Tie-In & Satanism
by media messiah
For years there have been claims of this, including a famous case about a boy who went missing--I'm too lazy right now to look-up his name which I have forgotten. His mother claimed that he reappeared to her, when he was in his 20s. She said he returned one night and told her that he was raised in some brainwashing program that was run by the government in which children are kidnapped, used as sex slaves, and what not. The purpose of the program, in part, is to create split personalities in the subjects. Rape and exposure to other horrific traumas, forces split personalities in children. This was something that the U.S. government learned from a captured Nazi scientists, and moreso, specifically one, who declared himself "the most evil man in the world." BTW, the roots of Nazism go back to occult groups thought to be satanists. BTW, Hitler's top five men were all occultist...as was Hilter, himself. This is common knowledge--the reason why the Nazis used a Hindu cross as a symbol--a cross said to have magical properties--the Swastika. Anyway, this, and other occult interests by Hitler, and his search for ancient relics was the basis of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" And just so you know, the Germans have their hands on a relic called the Throne Of Satan...or something of that import. It is at a museum there in Germany. No joke. Anyway, the Germans and the English were so successful with their brain washing techniques over the last 200 years, at that time, to the point of exceeding science fiction, that the U.S. Government launched its own program called MK Ultra (look it up), and or, Project Monarch (also look it up)which the book and movie The Manchurian (spelling?) Candidate is based upon. Back to the Nazi who declared himself to be the most evil man in the world. I don't recall his name---but the U.S. government placed him in charge of their brainwashing program, again...MK Ultra--and he was famously quoted as saying, "Give me a group of children who are 6 years old, or less, and let me expose them to rape, and I will create for you perfectly programmmable agents." I am paraphrazing of course. It has been some years since I heard his quote on Coast To Coast Live--a radio show created by former military man Art Bell (he use to answer the Hotline--or Red Phone, during the Cuban Missle crises in case of a nuclear war declaration), and now hosted by ex military officer, George Noory(an Emmy Award winning news producers)--so these are very serious guys who know their stuff. Now, let's jump back to the kid who went missing. Upon his return home...among other things...he told his mother that he was forced into pornography...all the kids were...and that there were elements of satanism involved...also something that is used to traumatize children to create split personalities. You see, they like to frighten the children to extremes. One account that I heard, is that these groups would often brutally kill one child in front of another, let's say...their best friend in the program, then they would force the child who is still alive to watch the other autopsied. This, the repeated rapes, and the satanic rituals, that the children were exposed to, caused their minds to split into three personalities. 1) The original personality before the kidnapping 2) The personality after the traumas, and finally 3) A third blank personality that can be programmed with a whole new persona. This persona can be vectored as a sex slave, an agent, an assassin...etc. Some of these methods were obviously gleened from the ancient Spartans and their training methods for children. Now you may ask, why would the government wish to create brainwashed children? Often times, as many of you know--there are morally corrupt judges, politicians, federal lawyers, etc., people who can be blackmailed if you know their intimate likings--the reason why the FBI keeps profiles on powerful people in government and the media. Let's say they learn that a particular politician is a child molester? They don't arrest him, no--that would not suit their purposes. Often times what they do, as described on Coast To Coast Live, is they, the powers that be in Washington, will throw a party for politicians. After the party, however, that is when the real party begins, when most of the party guests are dismissed (those not in the loop) and the VIPs that are left get down to the real business as to why they are there. The children are then brought-out for sexual use by the VIPs--only, they, the VIPs, are being secretly filmed for blackmailing purposes by groups like the CIA. Next thing you know--boom, when that politician steps-out of line politically, those who are secretly holding the tape, step forward, and say, "If you don't wish to go to prison and lose your reputation, your career, and family...you will vote as we tell you to vote. You will support all the issues we tell you to support without question, or this tape goes public!" Checkmate, right???After saying goodbye to his mom, that young man who said he was the kidnapped child all grown-up, got into an awaiting car driven by those whom he claimed had helped him to escape, and left. The mother has not seen him since, though there was some debate recently about if he might be the bald muscular Washington Press Core reporter who was exposed for having a prolific past in gay porn recently--about 2 years ago, during the Bush Administration? The same guy who was rumored to be sleeping with Bush--the reason why he had special access to the White House??? BTW...Reverend Jim Jones was thought to be a subject of MK Ultra and a CIA agent.Lastly, there is the story about River Phoenix. He grew-up in a hippie commune where he had sex as early as 6 years old. He made this statement in Details Magazine, I believe it was, shortly before his death. There are those that have claimed that River was a part of one of these programs, and that he did not overdose accidentally, rather, in point of fact, he was intentionally given a lethal overdose to shut him up.
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Although I liked the fact that the movie had no recognizable actors, I think the complaint of the "evil" one dimensional military man could have been rectified by casting. Sean Pertwee would have nailed the role. He would be badass, but add a bit of humanity, that would have leveled the character a bit.
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I just discovered that you can watch SpaceHunter in its entirety on Youtube/movies. Here's the link:
http://tinyurl.com/nb3jcv
You're welcome. -
You nut!
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I love the film but I love other genre classics more. (Though don't discount the budget it was made on.) But one of the most wonderful things about it is that it's different. It's a new take on things. And at a time where most of the studio (and TV) beancounter wankers can't see past "re-imagining" past successful films/shows, made by people who were actually creative, we should at least be truly thankful for that!
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District 9 was nothing more than Outer Limits : the movie...nuff said
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Note To The Reader: Read The Part About "Visitors" To Noreen Gosch, Near The End Of The Article; The Return Of Johnny Gosch.
Johnny Gosch
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Johnny GoschJohn David "Johnny" Gosch (born November 12, 1969) was a 12-year-old paperboy in West Des Moines, Iowa when he disappeared on September 5, 1982, presumably kidnapped. His case and the subsequent publicity played an important part in the growing public awareness of missing children cases in the 1980s.
His mother, Noreen Gosch, maintains that Johnny Gosch escaped from his captors and visited her in 1997, but fears for his life and lives under an assumed identity. Gosch's father, divorced since 1993, publicly stated that he was not sure whether the visit occurred.[1] Authorities have not located Gosch or confirmed Ms. Gosch's account, and his fate continues to be a subject of speculation, conspiracy theories, and dispute.
The case received publicity in 2006 when photographs possibly showing Gosch in captivity were supposedly left at his mother's doorstep.
Contents [hide]
1 Disappearance
2 The search for Johnny Gosch
3 National interest
4 Another missing paperboy
5 A confession
5.1 Credibility
6 Noreen Gosch's visitors
7 2006 photos
7.1 Dispute
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
[edit] Disappearance
On Sunday, September 5, 1982, in the suburb of West Des Moines, Johnny Gosch left home for his paper route before dawn. Though it was customary for Johnny to wake his father to help with the route, the boy took only the family's dachshund, Gretchen, with him that morning. Other paper carriers for The Des Moines Register would later report having seen Gosch at the paper drop, picking up his newspapers. It was the last sighting of Johnny Gosch that can be corroborated by multiple witnesses.
However another paper carrier named Mike reported that he and Gosch were approached by a stocky man in a blue two-toned Ford Fairlane with Iowa plates who asked them for directions. Mike later stated that Gosch told him the man had made him uncomfortable. As Gosch headed home, Mike noticed another man following Gosch.[2]
Gosch was last seen wearing blue rubber thong sandals, warm up exercise pants, and a white sweatshirt reading "Kim's Academy".
John and Noreen Gosch, Johnny's parents, began receiving phone calls from customers along their son's route, complaining of undelivered papers. John Gosch performed a cursory search of the neighborhood around 6 AM. He immediately found Johnny's wagon full of newspapers, two blocks from their home.
[edit] The search for Johnny Gosch
The Gosches immediately contacted the West Des Moines police department, and reported Johnny's disappearance. Noreen Gosch, in her public statements and her book Why Johnny Can't Come Home, has been critical of what she perceives as a slow reaction time from authorities, and of the then-current policy that Gosch could not be classified as a missing person for 72 hours. By her estimation, the police did not arrive to take her report for a full 45 minutes.
Police came to believe that Gosch was kidnapped, but they did not establish a motive.[3] They turned up little evidence and arrested no suspects in connection with the case.[4]
Several private investigators assisted the Gosches over the years. Among them are Jim Rothstein, a retired New York City police detective; and Ted Gunderson, a retired chief of the Los Angeles FBI branch.
In 1984, Gosch's photograph appeared alongside that of Juanita Rafaela Estavez on milk cartons across America; they were the first two abducted children to have their plights publicized in this way.[5][dubious – discuss]
[edit] National interest
Johnny Gosch quickly became a poster boy for missing children across the nation. Gosch's disappearance became something of a cautionary tale to midwestern youth, Johnny Gosch jokes swept the nation's schoolyards, and dollar bills began turning up with "Help me! - Johnny Gosch" scrawled across them.
The case snowballed into a national interest as Noreen Gosch became increasingly vocal about the inadequacy of law enforcement investigation of missing children cases. She established the Johnny Gosch foundation in 1982, through which she visited schools and gave seminars about the modus operandi of sexual predators. She lobbied for "The Johnny Gosch Bill", state legisation which would mandate an immediate police response to reports of missing children. The bill became law in Iowa in 1984, and similar or identical laws were later passed in Missouri and seven other states.[6]
In August 1984, Ms. Gosch testified in Senate hearings on organized crime, speaking about "organized pedophilia" and its alleged role in her son's abduction. She began receiving death threats.[citation needed] Ms. Gosch also testified before the U.S. Department of Justice, which provided 10 million dollars to establish the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Ms. Gosch was invited to the White House by President Ronald Reagan for the dedication ceremony.[7]
[edit] Another missing paperboy
In 1984, another Des Moines-area paperboy disappeared under similar circumstances. Eugene Wade Martin disappeared while delivering newspapers on the south side of Des Moines. Authorities have been unable to prove a connection between the two cases, yet Ms. Gosch claims that she was personally informed of the abduction weeks in advance by a private investigator who was searching for her son.[8] Her account is uncorroborated.
[edit] A confession
In 1989, Paul Bonacci - a young sex offender imprisoned in Nebraska - told attorney John DeCamp that he was in a sex ring with Gosch as a teenager and was coerced into participating in Gosch's abduction.
[edit] Credibility
Main article: Franklin Coverup
There are conflicting legal decisions concerning the veracity of Bonacci and Noreen Gosch's conflicting versions of events. FBI and local police believe that Bonacci is not a credible suspect in the case, even though he was awarded damages (in a legal proceeding detailed below), and Bonacci has not been interviewed by law enforcement.[9]
Bonacci accused Lawrence E. King, the director of the Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska, of running an underage prostitution ring and victimizing him since an early age. The sex ring allegations were the subject of newspaper coverage in the Washington Times and the New York Times.[10][11]
In 1990, a grand jury declined to charge King, finding the allegations to be "a carefully crafted hoax". Alleged victims Paul Bonacci and Alisha Owen were convicted of perjury and jailed. Nonetheless, King was sued by Bonacci in 1999 and, because King did not respond to or defend himself against the charges, King was ordered to pay Bonacci $1 million in a default judgment. The judge's decision reads, "The now uncontradicted evidence is that the plaintiff has suffered much. He has suffered burns, broken fingers, beatings of the head and face and other indignities by the wrongful actions of defendant King".[12] At the time, King was serving a prison sentence for fraud and tax evasion involving the theft of $38 million.
DeCamp, who represented Bonacci both times, wrote a book titled The Franklin Coverup, which was prefaced by retired CIA chief William Colby and published in 1994. The book elaborated on Bonacci's claims, and alleged a conspiracy and successful cover-up of underage prostitution by King and others.
*Visitors To Noreen Gosch
[edit] Noreen Gosch's visitors
In 1999, Noreen Gosch testified in Bonacci's lawsuit against King. During her testimony, DeCamp asked her whether she had seen or heard from her son since his disappearance. She responded that Gosch had visited her once, in 1997. She had not told her ex-husband John, and it was the first time she mentioned this visit in public.
By Noreen Gosch's account, she was awakened around 2:30am one morning in March, 1997 by a knock at her apartment door. Waiting outside was Johnny Gosch, now 27 years old, accompanied by a man she had never seen before. Gosch said she immediately recognized her son, who opened his shirt to reveal a birthmark on his chest. "We talked about an hour or an hour and a half. He was with another man, but I have no idea who the person was. Johnny would look over to the other person for approval to speak," says Ms. Gosch. "He didn't say where he is living or where he was going."[13]
In a 2005 interview, Ms. Gosch said, “The night that he came here, he was wearing jeans and a shirt and a coat on because it was March. It was cold and his hair was long, it was shoulder length and it was straight and dyed black.” After the visit, she had the FBI create a picture she says looked like Johnny.[14]
On her website, Ms. Gosch gives more details of her account:
Johnny Gosch confirmed Paul Bonacci's account of his abduction, named the people responsible, and asked his mother not to reveal that he had been to her home[15]
Johnny Gosch was angry, but he feared for his life because he could name his captors, and was living under an assumed identity for that reason[16]
Noreen Gosch self-published a book in 2000 titled, Why Johnny Can't Come Home. The book presents her understanding of what her son went through, based on the original research of various private investigators and her son's visit.
Gosch's father, divorced from Noreen since the 1990s, has publicly questioned the credibility of all of these allegations.
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A talk show.
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...I really do hope you sell your scripts and became a prominent script writer in Hollywood because this stuff is pretty entertaining.
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without bringing up art bell or george norry.
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Media Messiah being entertaining. About non-movie-related stuff. Somewhere else that isn't movie oriented. No offense mate, but could you maybe take it outside?
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thats fine by me. The Outer Limits had some excellent thought provoking episodes.
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Yup - works for me.
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I wasted my momney three times in a row with TF2, HP6 and then G.I. Joe. This is the first movie I have enjoyed this summer. Great picture, true sci-fi masterpiece.
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...but I learned all this stuff from Art Bell, George Noory and their many prolific guests on Coast To Coast Live. BTW, Art was talking about 911 style attacks on America long before it happened...and many other hair raising things. And George and guests talked of the economic crash well before it happened. These guys are the coolest.
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...so I answered them, but it all organically grew-out the discussion about "District 9"--go back and read the postings.
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that explains a lot.
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I did come in towards the end of the thread and just went a bit cross-eyed over the last couple of multi-screen-length posts. No hard feelings?
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i am sufficiently convinced that the twist ending he has talked about would be mind boggling.
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* The aliens don't fight back because they're the lower-caste laborers, designed to be less intelligent, good at taking orders, and prone to results/reward thinking. They're also addicted to a drug (cat food) and lack any willpower. They're like any proletariat, downtrodden, poor group of people who don't have the benefit of education, and don't know they have the choice of fighting back, even if they could defeat their addictions and organize somehow.
* Christopher isn't a member of the general alien population. He's from a higher caste, and he's clearly a scientist of some sort; Not a laborer. Therefore, he DOES fight back, though he mostly just wants a peaceful life and a return home for himself and his people.
* The ship stays where it is for 20 years because it's directly over the control module that makes it move. It can't move without the control module, and the module has been under Christopher's shack being repaired all this time.
* The liquid is a biofuel of some sort, which (sort of) explains its ability to re-encode a human's genetic matrix into that of an alien. Essentially, it does some really hardcore stem-cell manipulation.
* Apartheid isn't the main focus. Neither is racism. The whole point revolved around corporatism, greed, control/exploitation, and power over the weak. The aliens' race didn't matter to the corporation; Only their potential as a source of profit and control mattered. If they'd been white people (humans) dropped from a spaceship, they'd have been treated in much the same way if they had that technology to be exploited.
* Despite the belief by some white-power types, the movie does not portray aliens (in the role of Black people) as "good" and white people (the corporate owners) as "evil". While I can see how they'd think that, they sort of missed that a lot of the "evil" characters were Black, including a great many people with power. The issue wasn't race or color or species: The issue was those who have power controlling those who don't.
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Yeah... Because Christian-sponsored industries and businesses are so wholesome and free of genocide...
However, considering Satan is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER (as is Jesus), I don't think I'm going to be too put-off the next time I watch Bree Olson having sex.
Perhaps if you could link porn to conservativism or Christianity, I might be convinced to give it up. However, having known several "Satanists" in my time, I can attest to them being mostly benign and useless as a group. They certainly don't have as much corrupting power as Christianity and Republicanism. -
The humans WANTED the aliens stuck in District 9 and District 10 because they were exploiting them. They were essentially being bought & sold by a powerful, lawless corporation that saw in them the potential for amazing profit and power over other people.
Language: After 20 years, people working closely with them would learn to understand them, and vice versa. Just like if you were working in a place where the clicking/popping African languages were commonly used, you'd eventually learn it. I'd also imagine the corporation had a language course for their employees in close contact with the aliens.
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That kids on film are tedious... regardless of species.
Curse those goddam slags -
Is a mental midget. I dont care how smart you think you are, your not, simple as that.
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Not a bad movie, butthe serious flaw was in the pacing, not the story. Bad direction at times that dragged movie to a halt. Got a problem with that? If so, in the immortal words of Lib War - bring it.
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I must admit I missed the part of discussion that mentions Religion but I Totally missed the Porn references.
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http://tinyurl.com/m7qltq I think Media Messiah scripted this one.
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How could Christopher fly away into space with a big hole cut into his ship?
And why wouldn't he take any of the other prawns, they must have tech on board to liberate them? -
I believe I was the 1st person here to say that District 9 is this years Children of Men. It may even be a better movie but you still can not rob it of its merits as a complete entertaining-important movie. That does just as good a job at making a statement as D9.
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Saw District 9 tonight with the wife. I loved it. She liked it, but found it disturbing. Which is the point, right? Hard sci-fi is vital to the existence of our society. More films like Blade Runner, Minority Report, and District 9 please.
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I have stated from the moment I saw it that I thought it was flawed and boring, even though I admired the attempt. The writing was good, but the directorial pacing dragged the movie down to where I was looking at my watch.
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I understand your concerns as many people try to take-over Talkbacks as Trolls. No hard feelings, and it has been good to speak with you,
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Aug 18, 2009 8:16:03 PM CDT
ok I watched it again and I picked up some things 2nd time aroun
by maniaq
this time I paid more attention to the graphics and the timestamps in particular -
the VHS-looking footage of the mothership arriving and about 50 helipcopters flying around it at the beginning are timestamped 1982
the eviction footage with Wickus at the beginning (in other words the guts of the movie) are timestamped 2007 - 25 years later
curiously the footage of Wickus' number two guy (I think his name is Fundiswa?) hacking into MNU to steal their files and blow the whistle - that is timestamped 2010! THREE YEARS LATER!
also NOT AT ANY POINT IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE does ANYONE refer to the FLUID as FUEL - not once - not EVER! "fuel" and "fluid" are easy enough to get mixed up, especially with so much else your brain is taking it at the same time, so easy enough mistake to make there...
speaking of which, when Wickus gets sprayed in the face with it, SOME SPRAY GOES ONTO THE CAMERA LENS - this scene is played as "found footage" (I believe liberated from MNU files by Fundiswa) so that cameraman should ALSO have copped some fluid... and really, if it was aerosolised (is that a word?) everyone in the room was infected - tho it wasn't exactly a fine mist...
the cellphone - Wickus STOLE that from a random passerby when he was fleeing MNU so the amount of time it took to track him with it makes more sense now - one of his phone calls he just hangs up without saying anything so I can see how it might have take a little longer to figure out what phone he was using...
I paid more close attention to CJ and I am convinced he was in that DropShip when it originally descended- he was probably the PILOT that flew the ship in the first place - I DON'T think he GAINED intelligence and LEARNED all that tech stuff over 25 years - especially how he throws a few pieces together in the MNU lab and makes a BOMB - this guy was a TECH, never a drone...
Finally, I didn't notice ONE SINGLE FEMALE PRAUN - yes one was wearing a bra, but I think that's not saying much really
the stuff about interspecies prostitution and Wickus having sex with the Prauns - doesn't reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally make a lot of sense - tho people en masse DO tend to swallow bullshit that doesn't make sense all the time... -
at the risk of getting into something I really kinda put to bed already - and opening up a Star Wars can of worms...
in that movie EVERYBODY understands R2D2 and Chewie and Jabba and a whole bunch of characters - R2 especially - and NOBODY has a problem with that
actually I noticed one of the Nigerians (wasn't the leader but one of his corporals who he issues an order to) actually makes some CLICKING sounds when he talks at one point!
I think it was when they decide to take Wickus from the MNU mercenaries who'd just captured him (after he crashes the Dropship) and he issues an order to his men -
i assumed they meant male prawn banging female prostitute since as they were making that point they showed a nigerian hooker.
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that shit about the time stamp is pretty cool. that means that cj should be back anyday now bringing (the possible) thunder down on humanity.
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I am not letting Catholics and Christians off the hook--many of them are satanists too, masquerading as followers of God. The Roman Catholic Church is a fraud. Jesus was killed by the Romans who crusified people on inverted crosses--which is the symbol of the devil. The Romans occulted Jesus' and God's teachings in order to better control the people who were converting to Catholic/Christian beliefs. As per priests under the modern church, they molest (rape) children...and even adult paritioners, and misues donated money, as well, they have deep mafia connections, among other things. This is all fact. Father Malachi Martin talked about this all the time, and he said that...as in the book of Revelation predicted, that the Smoke of Satan had entered the church...meaning satanists had penetrated their ranks. You'll note that satanists regularly claim that there is no such thing as God, or satan...and their only practice is to say to people, you are free to do as you will--whatever makes you feel good. When asked what does this mean(?), they deflect the question. Does it mean...stealing from who you want, raping who you want, killng whom you want, etc.? Instead of answering clearly, they will just say again, "Whatever makes you feel good". Now, just so you know, their bible states that they walk in his path, meaning the path of Satan--well, if they really believe that he does not exist, why is that statement in their bible? When asked about it, they simply refuse to answer, and become evasive. In the early 90s, a group of people, the highest ranking members of the Mormon religion were caught practicing satanic rituals and were outed. This hit the press, but was quickly quieted, after these people were claimed to have been punished by the Mormons, demoted, and forced to apologize. This is also a fact. BTW, the Mormons believe in UFOs as a part of their teaching, and now the Vatican has acknowledged that UFOs exist...saying The Lord is a Lord with many Mansions--meaning worlds and dimensions. Now, to father Martin:
Father Malachi Martin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Malachi Brendan Martin
Born July 23, 1921(1921-07-23)
Ballylongford, County Kerry,
Irish Republic
Died July 27, 1999 (aged 78)
Manhattan, New York,
USA
Nationality Irish
Occupation Priest, Professor at the Vaticans Pontifical Biblical Institute, Exorcist, theologian, author
Malachi Brendan Martin Ph.d (23 July 1921 – 27 July 1999) was a former Jesuit priest, theologian, writer on the Roman Catholic church and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. He was also the author of sixty books which covered religious and geo-political topics. He was controversial commentator for the Vatican and other church matters. [1]
He was also the brother of the late Irish cleric, historian and activist, F. X. Martin. [2]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life and education
2 Work and ordination
3 Leaving the order
3.1 Communications and media
4 Writings
5 Controversies
5.1 Alleged womanizing
5.2 Non-fiction writings
5.3 Laicization dispute
6 Death
7 Bibliography
8 References
9 See also
10 External links
[edit] Early life and education
Martin was born in the village of Ballylongford, County Kerry, in the Irish Republic. He received his secondary education at Belvedere College in Dublin, and became a Jesuit novice on the 6th September 1939. Due to the Second World War and the inherent risks involved with travel during this time, Malachi remained in Ireland and studied at the National University of Ireland where he received a bachelor's degree in Semitic languages, and Oriental History whilst carrying out concurrent study in Assyriology at Trinity College.
Upon completion in Dublin, Malachi was sent to the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium to continue with his scholarly learnings. During the four year stay in Leuven he completed degrees in Philosophy, Theology, Semitic Languages, Archeology and Oriental History. On the 15th August 1954, the day of the Feast of the Assumption, Martin was ordained a Jesuit Priest.
Father Martin commenced with parallel studies at both the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Oxford University, specializing in intertestamentary studies and knowledge of Jesus Christ from Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts. He undertook additional study in rational psychology, experimental psychology, physics and anthropology.[3]
[edit] Work and ordination
Father Martin took part in the research of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and published twenty four articles on Semitic paleography in various journals.
He was summoned to Rome to work within the Holy See and act as the private secretary for Augustin Cardinal Bea S.J.. Whilst in Rome, he became a professor within the Pontifical Biblical Institute of the Vatican, where he taught Aramaic, paleography, Hebrew and Sacred Scripture.
According to his book Hostage to the Devil, he assisted in several exorcisms. Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Travelled, developed a friendship with Martin and was influenced by the latter in the development of his theories of evil and exorcism.
[edit] Leaving the order
In 1965, Pope Paul VI gave Martin a dispensation from all privileges and obligations deriving from his vows as a Jesuit and from priestly ordination.[4] (Martin himself claimed the dispensation did not apply to his priestly promise of celibacy.)
The leaving of the order and the priesthood has been explained by Martin's growing dissatisfaction with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, but others argue that his traditionalist bent only came later and that he sought the release to pursue a literary career.[5]
In a series of interviews with author Bernard Janzen, Martin repeatedly affirmed his allegiance to the Pope. Although he reserved personal opinions and traditionalist views, he always said no one had a right to pass judgment on the Pontiff. This has been affirmed in his non-fiction, such as Keys of this Blood and The Jesuits
[edit] Communications and media
After a brief stay in Paris, Martin relocated to New York City in 1965, and was active in the communications and media field for the rest of his life. He received a Guggenheim fellowship, which enabled him to write his first bestseller, Hostage to the Devil.
Martin was also a member of the Vatican advisory council and was privileged to secretive information pertaining to Vatican and other world issues,[6] which included the Third Secret of Fatima.
Martin worked closely with the paranormal researchers Dave Considine and John Zaffis on several of their independent cases.
He was an outspoken opponent of the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Bayside in the United States and Međugorje in former Yugoslavia. [7]
Martin continued to offer Mass privately and vigorously exercised his priestly ministry all the way up until his death. He suffered a stroke shortly before dying. [8]
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Best sci-fi film of the decade!
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As a Mormon (who has heard and read just about every anti-mormon literature there is) I think you might want to check your facts on that one. But as others have stated- I agree that you are batshit crazy.
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Mormons are not allowed to do so! Ok, in truth I served with a few Mormons (Marines), and I know for a fact that Mormons can swear when the right moment hits, so if you are indeed a Mormon, you must feel pretty strongly to use profanity against MM.
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I wonder how many of the aliens are actually changed "humans." Interesting that the number of aliens keeps increasing when they kill the offspring.
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That movie really does not get enough love. I'm dying for the blu-ray of that one.
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The time between Wikus' encounter/transformation and when this documentary was made was 3 years? Most excellent revelation there, fine sir. Makes me wonder if Neil planed this out, so that the sequel picks up right as this documentary is being made or aired. The next movie might start just where this one ended.
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And jeez, man... I mean... really? You're usually smarter than that, but... some of your criticisms are just, I'm sorry to say, stupid.
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Get off the boards and get back to making your movie! You are wasting time man!
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Aug 18, 2009 10:41:27 PM CDT
This is my DS9 review for people who actually love movies
by cylon_conspiracy
This is my DS9 review for people who actually love movies,and don't live to pick them apart, and like hearing about how wonderful other people thought a movie they loved was. Just wanted to point that out so it doesn't get lost in all the pointless off-topic jibber-jabber and personal attacks.
I was expecting a pretty good movie that was an updated version of Alien Nation, I was spoiler free, but I expected a quality, fun movie. But about half-way through the film I kept saying to myself, almost not believing what I was seeing, "this is a masterpiece... this is a masterpiece" almost like I was pinching myself, I wasn't prepared for how GOOD it was.
I sure wasn't prepared for how violent this movie was. And some in the audience weren't either. During the scene where the 'hero' is forced to test the alien weapon on the prawn, and blows him away, an older couple got right up and walked briskly out of the theatre, clearly disturbed at what they had just seen. And you have to realize, this is a computer-generated alien creature everyone is bawling over. I still can't get that image out of my head and I tear up thinking about it.
One scene that was funny but really twisted was the "popcorn abortion" scene. I was laughing and at the same time disgusted at what was happening, I guess it just shows how you can find humor when you're desensitized to something. I can't get THAT one out of my head, either.
I love how realistically it attempted to portray an alien species, and I can't remember such convincing portrayal of a proposed alien life and culture before. The portrayal of Christopher and his son, his underground lab, the technology of the ship.... so cool. And when Wikus blindsided him because he didn't like the idea of waiting three years to get cured, and then Christopher is just laying there twitching, betrayed by his "friend".... damn this movie is filled with moments that make grown men all emotional. That is NOT supposed to happen in this type of movie. For maybe the first time I remember, I saw these CG creations as real actors, real characters.
I don't know how else to describe it other than that during just about every scene, I was aware that I was watching something unique and groundbreaking, and that will surely go down as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. Sometimes you just "know", and this is a classic. So good that you almost DON'T want a sequel, because its hard to imagine adding anything to how perfect this film was, although I of course would still love to see a District 10. And I bet a lot of the people here, when they saw it, soon realized that they were watching something of that quality. I wasn't alive at the time, but I imagine this is what some fans felt when they first saw THX, or Planet of the Apes, you just know you're experiencing a classic film.
And this actually has some parallels to THX, first time director, small budget, no name actors, and is clearly going to redefine sci-fi filmmaking in some fashion or other, the same way THX paved the way for ANH.
I read some of the reviews and criticisms here and for me, whatever plot holes may or may not be there are meaningless. I routinely want to fall asleep during the third act of most genre movies because they are always so PREDICTABLE. I don't care if the plot is air-tight, you ALWAYS know how it's going to turn out..... it's not about that for me. It's about how well the characters come to life. How much I care about their struggle, how immersed I get into the fictional world that is being created for me... not if there's no good explanation for how the weird oil thing turned Wikus into an alien. Couldn't care less about those supposedly "crucial details". To me that's forest for the trees syndrome.
In THIS film, I honestly didn't know.... during the final act I was convinced all the protagonists would die. I knew that such a grim and intense film like this wasn't going to let all the good guys survive. I was convinced Christopher or his boy was going to die. And it almost seemed like Wikus needed to die, to make that final sacrifice, to atone for his sins. But I was also literally praying for a happy ending to this film because I really thought these "people" were in jeopardy. Being on the edge of your seat is something that is not supposed to happen in a genre "aliens versus humans" type summer flick. Someone here noted how they didn't remember seeing people being so quiet and glued to their screens before this movie... that's how it felt for me. Absolutely riveting, groundbreaking, once in a lifetime Sci-fi filmmaking.
Guess that was a rambling review but this is really the type of movie, that genre fans such as myself, visit sites like AICN .... these are the types of movies we hope we will get every year, and seldom do. When it happens, you want to tell everyone. And just ramble on and on. And this is one of those movies. And I am proud as hell to hype it up.
One last point I want to make.... just about all the online reviewers are noting how much better the film will be if you go in knowing as little as possible. I wonder if in all of our pouring over the details of films that are in development, especially script reviews and spoilers, we are robbing ourselves of the mystery of going to a theatre and actually DISCOVERING the cool, twisted worlds we see on screen for the first time, being surprised, the way the filmmakers INTENDED.
Take care. -
I just have no printer so I can't plan out all my shots based on a script that sits on the computer. And I've tested the lights, they work, but I've got no stand-in to work with, so I can't set those up properly either. I'm just taking a small break is all =). But thanks for whipping me back in line!
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Aug 18, 2009 10:46:57 PM CDT
ToadKillerDog, I didn't like Children of Men either...
by mattmanreturns
the FIRST time I saw it. Then I saw it again and it suddenly started appreciating it. But I was bored, like you, the first time. I'm not sure why I did such a reversal on that one... happens occasionally.
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Aug 19, 2009 12:01:42 AM CDT
cylon_conspiracy, nice review. --EASILY in the TOP 10 of Sci-Fi
by jdanielp
Personally, I feel that AICN should post only non-spoiler reviews, perhaps even without a talkback (to avoid ALL spoilers),...and ALSO have an outlet for talkbackers to discuss the movie, like this dedicated one. DISTRICT 9 ranks just below James Cameron's ALIENS,...and STAR WARS IV and V,...in the sci-fi genre, in my book (though STAR WARS includes much fantasy). --And yes, I realize all the sci-fi classics that I'm ranking it above. (This is my book, remember.) As for "plot-holes", I tend to gloss over them more than the average critic,...unless I can't REALLY make any sense of it. But the criticism towards "DISTRICT 9" is unwarranted, I feel. I can understand if...DISTRICT 9 isn't a story that appeals to you, as an individual. But understand that the Prawn's weapons AND technology make a connection to the host body, which can explain enough. And who knows how many of those Prawns were previously another life-form. Has anyone even considered that?
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...that if there are any OTHER Prawns that were originally a different life-form, I would imagine that they ARRIVED here that way, given the rarity of... "the fluid." But "DISTRICT 10" could go in an infinite number of directions, which should prove fun for the writer(s).
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Okay, I did forget one. Which is especially funny considering how many copies I've owned of BLADE RUNNER (and I do have the Blu-ray). But damn, is DISTRICT 9 in great company!
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...and I guess "Praun" would be the correct usage (rather than "Prawn").
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with bladerunner? If so, why? I have nt seen it yet, but im curious why you think its so original, and will be so influential since, while im seriously stoked to see it, its clearly very influenced by Alien Nation conceptually. Certainly seems to be useing many of the same ideas......
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I love The Osmonds, I love The Jets, and I think Steve Young is pretty cool, but those high ranking mormons were busted practicing satanism...and were outed. That is an open fact which was reported by all the major news organizations and admitted by the Mormon Church. BTW, I use to hang-out with the Elders when my Mother was a Mormon...and I loved them, so your protectionist banter is just that. I am speaking of the main religions, including Mormonism...which I consider to be one of them, along with the Catholics, the Christians, the Baptists, and Prodistans. Many have been over-run by the bad guys (satanists--Remember this is a religious war, God and Lucifer are actively fighting???), and the good people who are paritioners, innocently, and naively, do nothing to defend themselves, their families, neighbors, peers, acquaintances, or strangers, because they have been indoctrinated to simply be, and remain, in denial about the truth. When you see an injustice happen to anyone, it is the Godly thing to stand-up and say so, even if it means outing your priest or preacher for wrong doing no matter what your religion!!! I believe in Jesus, and I am defending His teachings by exposing the wrong doing in the Church, whether that wrong doing be by the Catholics, the Christians, the Baptists, the Prodistans, or the Mormons, etc. You, however, say: "My church, right, or wrong"...and that is a betrayal of that very church, and a betrayal of God. If you wish to defend the Mormons, get strong, and take back the church from those who have done wrong, and still may be doing wrong in it.As for me, I stay outside of holy institutions as they have been corrupted. Yes, all carry a piece of the puzzle to the face of God, as I have said in the past, but it is the person who can look at all of these pieces from an open non-indoctrinated mind, with pure eyes, who will solve the greater puzzle...and look at the face of God...in total.
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Since I hung-out with them as a teenager, and these where Elders from all around the States, and Canada...I had a good cross sampling of what they are like. They were good guys, and some of them were horribly mischievous, just like other kids, but I liked, and loved, them very much--especially the fact that they loved cursing all the time when adults weren't around--another fact!!! If you deny it, we'll both know that you are being a hyprocritical liar, as you have already served as an Elder yourself by now, I'm guessing??? BTW, the BIBle clearly says that "God Hates Hypocrites" several times in the Bible. When you are ready to apologize, I'll be here, to read it.
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Ultimately I left with the feeling most of it was a well crafted collage, in an unique presentation. As mentioned before: Alien Nation and the game Half-Life 2. I'm a long way from high school English but the novel "Cry, the Beloved Country" involved a friendship between two men from opposite sides in a segregated Johannesburg City. The bit with the hand was very original. Made me wonder though why the company didn't just cut off alien hands and make a devise that would shock the nerves to pull the trigger. Any Alien-DNA specialists here?
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No Cloverfield 2 either. And if they do make Cloverfield 2 and it's about time travel, I swear I will go back in time and cock-block JJ Abrams' dad. Tim Burton knew when to stop with Planet of the Apes. So should the rest of you.
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Again, I heard this report, I believe on NBC National News when it first broke? I never heard detailed information other than a Satanic cult, including between 7 to 9 members of high ranking leaders in the Mormon church, were involved, conducting said rituals in a house of worship of the Mormons, a main temple or something? The following is an article on it. Note: Remove any space, or spaces, in the address to the link, after you cut and paste it into your internet navigator...or you'll receive an error message: http://www.holysmoke.org/wicca/issue81.htm
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I remember thinking something similar about the weapons - namely, why don't they make sort of "gloves" out of Praun hands and use those to fire the weapons- thing is, you may have noticed they sort of made a point of showing the skin had been removed from a number of Prauns in that MNU lab, in a few shots...
seems they'd already thought of that one...
as for electric shocks on a severed Praun hand, again I think it must be something they had already tried - maybe the weapons only work with LIVING flesh or something?
remember when they succeeded in shooting the thing with Wickus' HUMAN hand? THAT was a big deal - one of the MNU guys actually gasps "Holy shit!" or something there...
I'm no microbiologist, but isn't DNA different when it's in a DEAD cell, compared to a living (growing) one? I think that's part of why Stem Cells are such a big deal - in fact I believe that being able to make a viable CLONE from a dead cell is sorta the Holy Grail in that field -
you could bring Mozart back from the dead, like in that Bruce Sterling short story... (and Hitler so you could put a very confused version of him on trial, like in the Ben Elton novel) -
You are a fruitcake. A total nutjob.
Even without your mention of Venusian ambassadors to the U.N., pedo politicians in the grip of satanist cabals, particle beams hitting targets before being fired, devil-worshipping porn stars, prank calls to Art Bell and any number of unsubstantiated bullshit items you have mentioned, you will never, and I mean NEVER, be taken seriously by anyone here (except fucktard BendersShinyAss)because of this magic and quite awesome phrase:
"Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sex Cult"
I've been to JPL. Have you ever seen what JPL employees look like? Sound like? I suppose that barring all the lush Venusian and Barsoomian babes you're hoping to score one day, the idea that JPL employees are getting sex of any kind is enough to sustain your faith that one day you too will see a real vagina. -
I visited JPL as a kid, and let me tell you, the people look normal there, just as those who are members of The Skull and Bones (on The Campus of Yale University) look normal too, and just as the NAZIs looked like normal people until they launched the holocaust and started World War II. So save the slanders toward me. Everything that I have said about JPL is a documented fact. When I state something as being actual, and factual, I clearly say it, and when I speculate about something, I make that speculation perfectly clear, also. However, I am not speculating about the founder of JPL. He was a prolific occultist, and created, and ran a sex cult... central to his activities involving the supernatural. Now, whether the supernatural exists or not, is entirely up for debate, but what is of import is that he believed it, and practiced occultism...and the first astronaut on the moon conducted a blood ritual to Isis, the highest God in the pantheon of Egyptian Gods. NASA has admitted this, and simply tried to explain it away as something innocent--but based on the fact that NASA was born of JPL, and the background of JPL's main creator, that explanation just doesn't hold any integrity, or weight.
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That statement is false, due to the fact he...REMADE PLANET OF THE APES.
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Best movie of the summer.
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Maybe if you finally went and had sex it'd reset the faulty wiring in your head which insists upon shoehorning sex and satan (why are they so closely entwined in your mind I wonder... hmmm...) into everything from astrophysics to politics.
Seriously, go get laid for once in your life. -
"Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sex Cult."
This can't be repeated enough. -
Trust me the boy jest ain't gettin' it.
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Aug 19, 2009 6:26:23 AM CDT
The connection between Satanism and the porn industry....
by chakraborty
....has already been documented in the movie Dragnet which starred...anyone? anyone?....Dan Akroyd. Yep, Dan Akroyd - famous for his interest in the paranormal and the occult, some of which he incorporated into Ghostbusters. He also hosted a Canadian program called Psi Factor: Stories of the Paranormal, a non-fiction program where Akroyd uncovered many paranormal phenomena. The pieces are coming together. The info is out there for people to find, but they must use stealth, until one day a messenger comes along to reveal all - a Messiah. This is big. This is very big. Oh shit.
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"Houston, we're having anal."
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Your posts are utterly intriguing and enlightening.
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I'd convert to Mormonism for a piece of Amanda Seyfried.
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A bunch of douches!
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Thank god for Peter Jacksons don't fuck with this movie approach and a great new talent or we might have ended up with a load of studio controlled garbage.....just dont do a fucking sequel please!!! or a re-make!!!!
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Well Yea, I'm talking about the remake. EVERYone was saying the end was setting up a sequel. No dude, that's a Tim Burton ending. The planet is run by apes. Fade out.
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I was talking to someone that worked with her, and he mentioned how she constantly talked dirty when the cameras weren't rolling. Like how much she likes sex in a car or how she likes guys to come on her tits and all that... I'll be right back.
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I'll be right back too.
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Yes, conceptually, DISTRICT 9 borrows from sci-fi history. And in one way or another, movies do that (at least to some degree), even if from another medium (which they are sometimes based on). But DISTRICT 9 will stand the test of time MOSTLY because it so successfully bridges the gap between the sci-fi genre and reality. Now, there are a number of sci-fi GREATS that ALSO bridge the gap, Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS being one. But from my perspective, DISTRICT 9 raised that bar, even if barely measurable. And much of that is due to choices the director made, in going further than using news media reports. The clever use of security cameras, including the MNU video of the main character's ability to fire alien weaponry, along with that eventual departure from a documentary style, adds up to why this movie measures up. And the actors played a part in that success, too. Finally, I have only one nitpick and it is so small, it shows how particular that I can be in the visual details. As great as the effects were, especially considering the low budget, the motion-capture for the "Prauns" (if that was indeed the method) should have been influenced by... the height ...of each individual Praun. In other words, Prauns can't lean over as far as humans without falling down,...not without having more support (like having one leg forward, for example). I didn't count the few times that the movement and balance of the Praun seemed to be slightly off, as a movie THIS great doesn't really deserve negativity. (And besides, you could argue that the lower portions of a "Praun" are much heavier, which would make such balance correct.) Cheers to great science fiction, no matter where it may sit on the scale. DISTRICT 9 is one of my favorites.
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i said CJ was the pilot last week! how could he not be the pilot? he knows how to fly the ship, lives on top of the ship and has been scavenging all along for the fluid to power it.
you had to see it twice to figure that out? -
Production Budget: $30 million
Box office
Worldwide: $50,178,081
Unlike UNfunny people, and GI blow this movie continues to build a following.
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it's be a lot easier to take you more seriously if you didn't post shit like, "...the Christians, the Baptists, and Prodistans."
First of all, what the fuck is a Prodistan? Is that a country in Asia Minor (they make great carpets there)? I'm assuming you mean Protestant, in which case you make even LESS sense, since Baptism is a form of Protestantism, which is a form of Christianity.
They're all the same, bub... -
and I don't mean that in a bad way. I wouldn't say it was a masterpiece, had only a couple of cheesy moments. The end was awesome non-stop, thigh slapping, cool ass action. It really felt like a talanted, professional geek made this movie, with the gravity gun lifted straight from Half Life, and I'm sure I'd seen that bullet catcher in something. Even the end where he's fighting in the suit. The whole time I kept thinking, it's like the best game ever, he's even shouting abuse like a gamer would. It was a good movie, great to amazing at times. And I do hope they do a sequal. Why would you not want more of this? Also I haven't seen Moon yet, which I feel looks less fun but more substantial. Can anyone confirm this?
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Now that the noms have been upped to 10, this might sneak in. Also, kudos to Vancouver as the Cinematographer, Editor, Composer, co-writer all hail from this city. Blomkamp moved to Vancouver as a teen and went to film school, started his career and now lives here. Plus Image Engine did the mass majority of all the VFX work. I have a feeling you're going to start seeing some more kick ass stuff coming from Vancouver over the next few years. As the service film industry side as started to produce some serious creative talent.
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mostly tv and whatnot, since its cheaper to film there. i think the entirety of Battlestar Galactica was filmed in B.C.
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What I meant was he should've left it alone when the idea of an Apes remake came up.
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More than just hype. Hype is warranted.
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I thought the use of the main character was great. Aliens were cool, weapons were cool. And they wanted to eat his arm... Awesome
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...to be different sects of the same religion. You may also note that the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religions all came from the Church of Abraham--they began as one religion and began in fighting, and breaking-off into different sects, eventually evolving into different religions. As far as my spelling, I am a dylexic. I do my best as you can see. But every now and then, misspellings best me.
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You Rock & Rule my friend!!!
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Late to the game an' all but I have to say that the hype is a little unfair. It's an interesting movie and has some great things going for it. But I was almost expecting 2001 in terms of depth and making me think/feel. In truth the movie doesn't try to do that and its not totally original (AlienNation with the exoskeleton from Aliens/thousands of Japanese toy lines). I liked it but I feel like its being set up to fail in some peoples' eyes. I felt a little let down when I left the cinema because the movie was misrepresented beforehand.
Anyone else feel the same way once the lights came up? -
I wouldn't say Moon is more substantial it's just different scifi. It's a bit more hard science ala 2001 and I'd say D-9 is more hard action with scifi elements ala Aliens. I found Moon to be a very somber, heart wrenching story with some great ideas and story elements and an obvious incredible "duel" performance by Sam Rockwell. But it's so low key and quiet compared to D-9. It's your art film compared to your great popcorn flick. I was more blown away with D-9 honestly, but I really appreciated Moon.
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And porn has its place, as a marital aid, in addition to helping others release sexual pressure, and what not, but I think it important that a law be passed to require that would-be porn actors and actresses, are much older so that they can make a more informed decision before choosing to star in said films. Further, I believe that these people should be required to be mentally evaluated...as well, they should be evaluated for drug and alcohol abuse. The point is, you want to make sure that these people are of sound mind before allowed to engage in this activity--as well, they should be asked to get a legal representative, to advise and consult with them before engaging in such a job, and given the pros and cons of this career field by a court appointed psychiatrist. This pre-requisite, if required, would save many people from destroying their lives and give them a real second, and third chance to really think over their decision, as many are suffering from money woes, depression, family issues, etc.,--mostly temporary problems that likely would go away in just a short time, if given a chance. Most of these people, however, get desperate and act impulsively, without thinking, ruining their lives, and that of their loved ones, via their reckless uninformed actions. Those who are mentally healthy...and simply wish to live an alternative lifestyle, and career path, should be allowed to. BTW, I believe that these same rules/laws should be in place for legalized brothels in Nevada. And lastly, the last time I checked, you had to be 25 years old, or older, to qualify to drive a limo, but you are only required to be 18 to star in a porn film? According to doctors and scientists, a person doesn't complete their mental development, to be able to make good decisions, until they are about 21 years of age, and that is the same age that most are able to properly decide whether they are gay or straight, etc. Up until that point, the latter, in most cases, is just a combination of peer pressure, family and community pressure, and a guessing game on the part of individuals with respect to their own personal sexuality, and or, sexual choices.
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Who's the motherfucker that didn't found the last shot of the movie heartbreaking?
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Please, please please, no sequel. -This movie is darn very good and unique as it is. This is no good for sequel movie. In my mind, a sequel to District 9 would ruin it's uniqueness. No thanks!
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Yeah, they are all Christians. Which is why I said they're all the same, bub. The way you posted that, you made it sounds like Baptists aren't Protestants aren't Christians.
But carry on, sir. Don't let me stand in the way of your enlightening us. -
Speaking to you, since you are South African, all i can say to you is that you should be proud of this movie. Really proud. Accept this bit of wisdom from this Portuguese. and suffice to say, i'm happy for you, and i'm also envious your country pulled off this movie. Good job, South Africa.
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I found the last shot to be very touching and romantic but I was a bit let down that they showed us Wikus' fate. I was begging for them to leave it open to our imagination (did a govnt get him? Is he still on the run?). But we got a nice little romantic ending which, let's be honest, breaks from the tone from most of the film. Almost seems, dare I say like a Hollywood intervened ending, to end it on an uplifting note instead of an ambiguous one. Granted, it wasnt a guy gets girl ending, but it was sweet in a twisted way.
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You asked me to watch the movie and to give my opinion. Well, i watched the movie and i say, it's a reeally good movie. This is my first SF antidote to cure me from the bad ingestion sickness that is affecting me from watching pure pseudo-SF tripe bullshit this year so far. And yeah, guess what those tripe fucking pieces of shit psuedo-SF crap might be.Thanks, Neill Blomkamp, thank you for the mvoie, and thank you for that ending. Thank you very, very much. District 9, this is the real deal! Accept no substitutes.
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An Hollywood ending would be Wilkus getting cured, and he would return to his wife, all accusations would be dropped and the company would be brough down by corruption and ilegal experimentations on aliens and humans alike.That was not the ending of this movie. In this movie ending, the company continues as strong as it was, the one employer who exposed their corruption got criminally charged and convicted, and the aliens still live in extreme poverty in the middle of another pile of garbage. And the hero is now one of the bugs, living in the middle of the trash.But you are right, it's a romantic ending, and a heartbreaking ending too, and it's romantinc in a way that no Holylwood movie would ever had the balls to do like that. Never!And i dare say, anybody who doesn't find that movie's ending very moving and heartbreaking is one who has never been inlove in his whole life. I dare say that.
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Aug 19, 2009 3:03:26 PM CDT
Saw it last night and I thought it was pretty damn good.
by mr. nice gaius
In fact, there are segments of it that are put together so well that it's hard to believe the "first time major motion picture" story of Blomkamp. This is one hell of a debut film - it's not flawless but its energy and momentum keep any grievances from really detracting from the overall effect.The actor that played Wikus is somewhat of a revelation. From what I understand, this is his first acting role and he does an incredible job; a surprisingly genuine performance. I believe his character's name has already entered the realm of memorable sci-fi and it will be spoken of in the years to come. The setting, sets, and CGI are great and look fantastic on the big screen. I know it's been said before but it's hard to believe this film only cost $30 million. I guess it goes to show what a talented director and a kick ass producer can do with a clear-cut vision.My only gripes would be the rather cookie-cutter MNU villain; I felt he was a rather cliched baddie. I didn't really care for the Nigerian crimelord either. Although, his death (huge taser bullet to the head?) more than made up for his rather cartoonish scenes. And there were some action scenes that used a bit more shaky-cam than I was expecting. (I was under the impression that there wasn't much of that in this film.)Other than that, it was pretty damn good and it's certainly a film I'll see again. And yes...the final shot kind of got me, too.
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I'll try asking this again: will you ever tell me what your previous Talkback names were? Again, how am I supposed to know you?
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The MMU bad guys: Since in this movie the aliens arrived 20 years ago, the vibe i get from this movie is as if the apartheid never ended, and the people who were part of the apartheid aparatich are still in power. I such light, the vilalins behind MMU are not so much cartoon villains, but a much truer depiction of what kind of people would be in charge of this outfit then one can even guess, being from outside South Africa.The Nigerians: I conpletly understood the idea behind the negerians villains. The movie even explains it. This are are a sort of tribal mafia. It's like they are relgious fanatics but of a tribal voodoo-like religion. The idea i got is that they are not exploiting the aliens for profit, money and crime reasons, but more that they are hoping they are gaining some mystical powers from the aliens. there's earlier scenes that show the nigerians really believe that by eating the enemies flesh, they get their powers. Of course they are interested in the weapons and the powersuit from the aliens, but i suspect their quest is far more mystical and spiritual. That is not to say they are not criminals. Besides, nigerians have a big bad rep in all of the african continent as mean, very agressive and merciless mafia. It's like when american and european movies use albaniasn as merciless villains in their movies. The nigerians are the albanians of Africa.
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Aug 19, 2009 3:21:53 PM CDT
Well, as someone who works with a number of African peoples...
by mr. nice gaius
...I think you should be careful to specify "Nigerian Mafia" as opposed to just simply stating, "...nigerians have a big bad rep in all of the african continent...". That's a grossly oversimplified statement that is sure to offend many.As for the crimelord's gang being "relgious fanatics", I think that is open to interpretation but I don't believe that Blomkamp gave us much to go on there besides the obvious. I think it is the film's one real weakness.
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is that i wish it had less shaky-cam from the scenes after Wilkus got infected. I know that it's a Neill Blomkamp trademark since he made his short films and commercials,. but i jsut wish there had been a bit less of that. Because i can see he was very detailed with the composition of his shorts. Even with the shakey-cam at it's most shaky, i could still see, very well, what was going on. I just wish that he had reminded himself that tripods still exist more often. But i count that as a minor grip. Otherwise, hell of a good job there, Mr Neill Blomkamp. Can't wait what he will do next. As long it's not Halo. Mr Neill Blomkamp, you are past that. The studios blew it, their loss, your win.Another thing: Neill Blomkamp is 29 years old. At 29, he made a much, much more mature movie then what all the 40soemthings in Hollywood couldn't even beging to dream of having such kind of emotional and intellectual maturity, like Michale Bay, McG, Stephen Sommers and Jar Jar Abrams. Neill Blomkamp the kid has more maturity in his left pinky toe then all those aforementioned hacks combined.Neill Blomkamp, a breath of fresh air in the much maligned SF movie genre. Can't wait to see his next stuff.
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I'm aware of the simplifaction of that statment. It's the same as to say "albanians" when one just wants to mention the criminal segment of the albanian population that are members of the albanian mafia. It's dumb short-hand, but i think the vast majority of the people who read that understands what is being said. It's liek what once people used to say "sicilians" when wanted talk about the italian mafia. Yeah, it's unfortunate that a whole people has to be mistaken for their criminal elements of their population.Thing is, there are certain cultures, cultures with a very marked warrior traditions, like the sicilians in europe and the negerians in africa, wich help them turn to mafias, because that kind of criminal organizations depend on codes of honour and frealess dedication to their overlords that warrior cultures provide and incultate on their own. It's a sad thing that such bulslhit exist,s but it exuists. Unfortunatly, the nigerians have fallen easy prey to organized crime. District 9 plays on the type of knowledge that for anybody living in south Africa it's common knowledge, that doesn't need to be much explined, it's vox populi stuff. I completly understood what the movie was saying about the nigferians in the movie, i was able to identify and undestood the cultural, social and political context found in the movie. It's one of my biggest strenghs as a movie watcher, to catch on such things, even if i don't understand the whole picture of it.
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and which would be worse to get killed with? discuss.
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Good lord, man, can't you ahve figured out that the pig used by the gravity gun was CGI? Use your common sense. And if i was in such a combat situation, and the difference between me or any good human being alive or dead was a pig, the pig would get it. The pig would became bacon anyway, soonor or later. The human could invent the cure for cancer. There is not even a discussion for me about that. I'm all about not torturing and hurting animals for febble and dumb reasons, but there's limits!
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of the one about to be hit by said pig, would you want it to be alive or dead. to me, a live squealing pig being hurled at me with alien force, would create a certain amount of sheer terror, which in turn would cause me to crap my pants.
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Definatly.
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I just try to share what I know, when asked, and when I am wrong, I learn something too. But we are... both nice people, and that is all that matters.
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If you really missed me, you would have guessed who I am already, and been very, very right!!! Where has my Dear old friend Mr. Nice Gaius gone??? I really miss the good old days!!!
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Since you seem to think it's amusing to play coy, I guess I have no further interest in knowing who you may or may not actually be. Kinda creepy, MM.
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cheers for that dude, can't wait to see it.
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Smart movie, a summer thrill-ride with heart and substance.
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"More than a summer thrill-ride..."
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you can read my spoiler free and not so freakin wordy review of District 9 here: http://e2streets.blogspot.com/2009/08/district-9-review-by-hank-byrd.html
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As Wikus (in the Battle-Bot?) helps CJ escape to the ship. CJ tells him he will be back in 3 years! Thus leaving the door open....If this was mentioned earlier I apologize.
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... some the "Documentary" portion of DISTRICT 9 takes place 3 years after the main events in the movie. Hmm...
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Do you mean the last shot of Wikus-prawn was 3 years later? That's how long it took for him to go full Alien, but still retain his human memories?
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they use it against Libyans.
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Ironic given all the hoopla leading up to WATCHMEN and we didn't see these two coming. The other great quasi-fantasy I've seen this year actually came out last year in very limited release (SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK that is) and I only recently caught it on DVD but I would call it one of the top dramatic fantasies of the decade.
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District 9, a violent science fiction movie set in a Johannesburg slum inhabited by 1.8 million feckless refugee space aliens, is the critical and commercial ($37 million opening weekend) hit of the moment. Yet, few Americans (except the black critic Armond White, who has made himself wildly unpopular with fanboys of District 9 by pointing out the film’s strikingly caustic portrayal of black Africans) seem to grasp writer-director Neill Blomkamp’s subversive perspective, even though the exiled Afrikaner keeps giving interviews more or less spelling it out. The American press constantly refers to District 9 as an “apartheid allegory,” but the 29-year-old Blomkamp was ten when Nelson Mandela was released. Blomkamp’s press statements can hardly be more explicit that the movie is largely a post-apartheid parable about illegal immigration and Malthusian despair. In fact, Blomkamp is personally a victim of the gradual ethnic cleansing of southern Africa. Rampant crime under the new black government drove his family from Johannesburg to British Columbia in 1997. But Americans just don’t get it because they haven’t paid attention to South Africa since 1994 ... (rest of story at http://www.takimag. com/site/article/alien_nation)
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I originally thought he was the pilot, or copilot or whatever - but OTHER PEOPLE in this here talkback said he might not be and there was a link to an interview where Blomkamp HIMSELF says that some Prauns basically DEVELOPED a higher intelligence and ability to understand/work the technology over time, due to the wiping out of the higher echelons of the Praun hierarchy - like when a queen dies in a bee or ant colony and another TRANSFORMS into a queen...
this was SPECULATION that I brought with me into a second viewing and I decided I was probably right the first time
I can tell you at no point is it actually SPELLED OUT, however subtly, so it's what we take away from the film as an audience vs what the director's INTENTIONS might have been...
-for the record I still don't accept that DECKARD WAS A REPLICANT, no matter what Ridley Scott has to say about it -and I've seen THAT film more than a few times -
im glad you enjoyed it. i think im going to see it again. it seems maniaq got something out of seeing it again.
off topic, but did you hear about the fake Asimovlives star trek apology? -
And perhaps even last year. What an original and fresh movie :) With several nods to The Fly, V, Starship Troopers, Robocop, Aliens, and Slumdog Millionare. Very good movie :)
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has in store for us next!
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Ok, true. I missed your point in the wee hours of the night. BUT, it did end there, thank God.
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and are bitching about this movie make me really excited for the avatar talkbacks.
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The plot holes were plenty. The contrivances were glaring. The social message was inept and shoved down our throats at the same time. Maybe it wins an award for doing that? Mainly, it was boring and didn't know what the fuck it wanted to be. And you all love this hack shit? Damn are you gonna be shocked in 5-10 years when you look back and wonder what the fuck you were thinking. Let me give you a clue just how bad this is: HARRY HAS IT AS HIS #1 MOVIE OF THE YEAR SO FAR. I rest my case. Oh, and...uh... I'm not a conspiracy nutter about this but it is a fact that Jack Parsons, co-founder of JPL was a member of Crowley's sex cult and even signed a sworn affidavit that he was the anti-christ. He tried to create a golem via sex magic to do his bidding. L. Ron Hubbard was a part of this cult. he ended up stealing Paron's girlfriend and his yacht. Later in life he claimed he was monitoring Parsons' activity for the FBI. Right. RIIIIIIGHT. It's a fascinating story and I hope someone does it justice in a film one day. When no doing all that, Parsons invented rocket fuel. He has a moon crater named after him.
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and go to www.valiens.com. he is the way the truth and the life.
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not a golem. i don't trust anyone who spams their website as their tb name.
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Aug 20, 2009 1:34:57 AM CDT
i went to the website anyways, i hope my hit doesn't count as mo
by martinlutherkrangjr
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Aug 20, 2009 2:08:15 AM CDT
must i single-handedly keep this tb in the top 10?
by martinlutherkrangjr
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since i must soon retire for the evening
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Aug 20, 2009 2:13:26 AM CDT
the bar in which the "assault" takes place reminds me of
by martinlutherkrangjr
a bar in a detroit suburb
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Aug 20, 2009 2:15:16 AM CDT
i hope that i will not get banned for posting like 20 times
by martinlutherkrangjr
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Aug 20, 2009 2:17:34 AM CDT
and every man in that movie looked like a scumbag
by martinlutherkrangjr
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Aug 20, 2009 2:17:45 AM CDT
and every man in that movie looked like a scumbag
by martinlutherkrangjr
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Aug 20, 2009 2:19:47 AM CDT
there have been no responses on here for anyone to be able to te
by martinlutherkrangjr
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to catch up with the expendables post so i guess im done. all my efforts will be washed away like castles made of sand.
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Don't worry, I see more DISTRICT 9 talkbacks in the future...
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"Any thoughts on why the liquid sprayed in his face caused his injured arm to change?"...if the spray altered his DNA, it would make sense that the part of the body healing itself due to injury would transform first since the rebuilding instructions for his cells would have been changed.
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for the first time in my life, some one recognized my accomplishments.
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Would you like to know more?
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I just saw D9 last night and found it hard to describe to my wife when I got home. It's really unlike anything I had seen before. Here are a few ideas I had about the film (I apologize if they have been discussed before):
1) I saw the aliens as similar to concentration camp survivors from WWII. What would have happened if we had allowed the WWII survivors to continue to be corraled and never given a chance to integrate back into society? Some of them would have lost their minds and become almost animalistic. I saw the "prawns" as suffering from post-traumatic disorder.
2) Since the black fluid turned Wikas into a prawn, couldnt the prawns be former human-like aliens that were turned into their current form by some kind of slave-driven overlord hierarchy using the fluid?
3) I found it disturbing that their numbers grew so fast. At the beginning of the film MNU said they relocated 1 million aliens into D9 from the ship. During the relocation they stated it was now 1.8 million. At the end they said they moved about 2.5 million into the new camp. At that rate, the prawns were going to exponentially outnumber the humans very quickly.
Those are just a few of my thoughts. All in all, an very interesting and thought-provoking movie. -
just made the best movie of the summer. Take that Michael Bay and Steven Sommers. Ten times as much money couldn't buy you guys one single minute of footage that captivates like District 9.
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I have heard of this my impostor. i didn't knew that impostor was trying to make me look like i had appologised for my opinions of Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck Trek. Well, if this is so, then it's fair that i should keep on posting my negative opinions about Jar Jar Abrams's Fuck trek, until everybody finally get into their head where i really stand about that horrible piec eof shit movie. Ifthe impostor intention was to make me ease on Jar Jar Abrams' Fuck trek, then he just got the oposite reaction from me. If you guys get fed up with my continious posting about Jar Jar Abrams's fuck Trek, it's the impostors fault. Kick his ass!
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And yes, i really liked District 9. The more i think about it, the more i like it. And yes, the last alien in the movie is Wilkus finally totally transformerd, and no, christopher will never return, despiste his promise, because i just think it's impossible for him to return. The promise was more a way to show sympathy for Wilkus. At best, it's an open ending, earlier John Carpenter style, and it offers both a midly optimistic and romantic ending, but also a very melancolic and maybe even doomed ending. It can work both ways, depending if you have a romantic and optimistic inclination or a more melancolic and fatalist inclination. I suspect the movie might incline for the second, and most non-americna audiences will see it that way, since being hooked on optimism seems to be an unique american trait.
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You said it as it is. And add to that list of yours of untalened ignorant fucking asses the name of that useless stupid fuck Jar Jar Abrams.
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and i was so disappointed. you have to be a 100% starving geek (because the summer movies have sucked this year) to like this shit. the "social" commentary bs was just that. lame and silly. one good thing....visually lots to look at but this is barely a B movie. BLAH.
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I'd hate to be you, if you have that opinion of District 9. Yes, this year has been a real misery for mvoies, specially blockbusters,a nd most specially regarding SF. But district 9 would be a good movie regardless of what year it was made,and what other movies would had been released. But yeah, conpared to the shit that has been released this year, namely the blockbusters, District 9 is a true jewel. I'd hate to be you for failing to notice and understand that.
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Give him 400 million and he still wouldn't be able to come close to the greatness of District 9.
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the beginning was played for laughs i think like an alien edition of cops - the aliens even behaved like the 'shirtless negros' you see on cops, funny stuff. then it went all serious and violent for a while... i dont get why they were collecting alien tech for the fuel when they coulda just got one of those robots and drained it? maybe the robots run on unleaded?
i didnt like the documentary nature of it so much either - seemed like an easy way of setting up the background and explaining the ongoing plot to me, but i dont know how else they could've done it so i'll let it go.
overall, not bad but still not great either. how this is number 31 out of 250 on imdb right now is beyond me. as someone up there said it feels like a weta demo reel. let's be honest, the main reason everyones goin nuts over this is that its an indie low budget (relatively speaking) film made by a director everyone wants to make halo and produced by peter jackson. -
Puts Michael Bay's childish tripe this summer to shame.
Also, for some reason I found the line about "Call 1-800-STOP-WIKAS" to be hilarious. -
The whole slum analogy to the way non-whites were treated in South Africa wears itself on it's sleeve. It has the subtlety of a 2X4 to the head. The lead is an unlikeable tool from the very beginning. I was waiting impatiently for him to be killed off. Then much to my dismay, he became the focus of the film!! Talk of his evolving as a person and becoming compassionate towards the aliens is frankly only because he is becoming one! For me, he was still the same corporate idiot in the end as he was in the beginning. On the other hand, one cannot argue with the well done special effects and that when there were action sequences, they were believable and well executed. And those who say "No sequel".. ha ha ha "DISTRICT 10" in summer 2011!!
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First off, I really enjoyed D9.
But to enjoy it compeltely you have to accept a few things about it. The first is that it's a "foreign film" or an "Art Movie" or whatever you want to describe something that tosses standard American plot structure out the window, and along with the plot structure the American requirement that everything fit together in a neat package, that the protagonist be heroic and likable and that the audience be spoon fed all the information about everything.
Because we aren't told all the information, much of the movie can seem disjointed and perhaps illogical, but only because we don't have all the facts.
That we don't have all the facts is the answer to all the questions asked above, like why didn't Christopher talk to the humans? There are dozens of good reasons he might have had, but that all went down 20 years ago and we just don't know any more about anything than we are shown.
One of the brilliant things about the movie that makes it different from most modern movies, let alone science fiction movies, is that everyone in it is only looking out for their own personal interest, and are being driven by fear and cowardice and cruelty rather than by nobler motives, except perhaps Christopher who wants to save his son and his people - and of course himself as well.
The protagonist never does a single heroic thing - he is out to save his own butt the entire time. Amazing. Wonderful. And emotionally realistic. -
then you're dead inside...just saw it this evening and that was FUCKING AWESOME...totally different..no chiseled boring Hollywood actors..fantastic action and mindblowing CGI
go get some fuckin taste today -
so if you're whining about that you must be some reactionary insane redneck..
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There were times when I really thought the movie was going to take off for me. But I thought it was all a little too heavy handed due to the fact that none of the humans were remotely sympathetic until the protagonist had every shred of his humanity taken away from him by the rest of the evil humans. Yeah, we get it. Corporations and governments only care about money and power and stockpiling weapons. Any CEO would throw 1000 babies off a cliff if it made his bottom line look better. So simplistic for what was supposed to be a 'smart' sci-fi morality tale.
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Well, feals, if you found the protagonist of District 9 so unlikable, that's because you are seeing yourselves in him. The protagonist in District 9 has to be one of the most realistic portait of a normal common human being ever put in a science fiction movie. If amny of you geeks and nerds have a problem with him, it's because the protagonist is a very realistic depiction of a nerd and geek boy doing his job and trying to be the most professional about it. The protagonist of District 9 is you and me. and if you hate him so much, that tells a hell of a lot about yourselves.Me, i found that protagonist a breath of fresh air in the middle of all this impossible heroes that populate blockbusters. Actually, that the protagonist of District 9 is so openly egotistical in his actions in the movie is pretty refreshing, instead of the pretenter heroes who are actually baseless punk ass egotistical bitches passing for heroes that we see in most blockbusters, specially in Jar Jar Abrams's Fuck Trek bullshit. The honesty about the District 9's egotistical actions is pretty refreshing. And more, his egotism is pretty natural and human considering the circunstances he's living and suffering. Most of us would act like him. Sorry if you find such a truthful portait of a common man so disliking, but that's your problem, not the movies.Besides, it's suprising how many people dislike the protagonist so early in the movie. Of the MMU employees, he actually seems to be the most level-headed and compassionate toward the prawns, eh doesn't show much open prejudice agaisnt them, he truies toreason with them and explain the reasons for the eviction, and he gets very upset that the military task force that supports them are using live rounds in their rifles and tries to correct that situation, to no avail. I'm pretty mind boggled when peopkle say they had an instant dislike about the protagonist of the movi. Fuck, it seems the common man geeks hate watching themselves onscreen!
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If you want to use the word simplsitic to describe a movie, District 9 is not the movie. Try Jar Jar Abrams's Fuck Trek or Michael Bay's Transformers 2 instead, that's what a simplistic movie looks like.
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your point proves mine....you're having orgasms over this due to the fact that all the other movies have been teases...this movie is a "3 beer" movie at best. the is not Alien, Close Encounters, ET or The Thing as I've heard some people say.
you geeks are so starved... -
I really enjoyed this flick! The first few minutes I thought "oh crap, I want my money back!" I'm not the type to get up during a flick and I'm glad I'm not! I would have missed out on a great film! I say District 10! I want to see what happens next!
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Stayed away from spoilers but worried the hype would kill it for me (ala Trek) but this film was really fantastic. A fresh breath of air among the retrashed tripe of recent years. I thought I would be rolling my eyes over heavy handed politicism and apartied messages but that was not how I felt at all. A true delight that was long overdue. Harry finally got ONE right.
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..then you went in with some muddled expectations...its YOU...not the film.
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and can't wait to see it again
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stick that in yer butthole Asimov
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i don't he is disturbed by them shooting the prawns because he cares for them, but because his father in law told him to conduct the evictions with no big flare ups. he doesn't care about them just about doing a good job. i mean he presides over a mass prawn abortion by making some popcorn jokes so i don't think he cares about them.
if they do a sequel to this i hope its not some dumb as shit independence day or something of that ilk.