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The Weekly Geek: A look at "District 9"Thus far, summer 2009’s geek movies have been all over the place. We’ve had the excellent (Star Trek) to the kind of okay (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) to the truly awful (Terminator Salvation, Transformers 2). Come August 14, I’m hoping to add another to our first category: District 9. A new trailer was just released for the serious sci-fi flick (coming via Lord of the Rings Auteur Peter Jackson, and directed by Neill Blomkamp), in which a vaguely menacing human corporation holds a mysterious Alien population captive. Here’s the kicker — all of this takes place in South Africa, adding a not-so subtle layer of social/racial commentary to the mix. While the plot details are still scarce, the many allusions to Apartheid (like the “humans only” signs littering the landscape) and the semi-documentary style all lend an air of believability and gravitas to the trailer. Deep, interesting science fiction with real-world social commentary and alien mech suits? Sign me up! Like Children of Men, it looks like something you may be able to take your “serious movie” friends to, or, at the very least, be able to avoid the usual snorts of derision. Maybe I should stop showing up to opening nights in my Starfleet uniform. Since I went through the grand, geeky process of receiving my new computer this week (which I’ve been referring to as my “new baby”), I’ve been so busy tending to her that I almost missed out on the news that Daria is coming to DVD.
Now, Dorothy Snarker covered this territory earlier in the week, but I just wanted to give my weekly geek salute. Daria was, hands-down, one of my favorite TV shows of all time, especially in high school — which, for me, coincided nicely with the show’s original run. Nothing blended dark humor with the aches and pains of adolescence so perfectly, and the late 90s soundtrack was pitch-perfect. Now, who among us didn’t have a total crush on Jane? Especially when she almost slept with a girl in Is It Fall Yet? Submitted by on July 9, 2009 - 2:00pm. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
D9--I say YES!
I want to go to there.
shanteparadigm.blogspot.com
yaay
yaaaaa 30 Rock
That was a classic episode: " you know my film, "Roooor juurre". lol. good times, good times!
shanteparadigm.blogspot.com
x
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deleting double post-sorry
Taking a page from Forgotten Silver
If anyone knows faux-documentary, it's definitely Peter Jackson. Yet another reason to check it out.
This looks bloody awesome. Can't wait.
District 9
After viewing the trailer I find myself not that excited....There is no guarantee that Peter Jacksons involvment is nothing more than his name as presenter....It reminds me a lot of Cloverfield....There is a real danger of the unsubtle metaphors of race to be taken to a sickeningly horrid preaching level.
The director is at the helm of his first real project which he and a partner have written their first screen play for. The lead actors are all unknowns, and the most well known actor in the film is best remembered for playing Brandy Norwood's father in "Moesha"
Ew.
My hope is that it is at least an average sci/fi action movie, shot in the annoying Cloverfield fashion. I don't expect anything more.
Peter Jackson
He's one of the producers--which generally says to me that he liked the the project enough to want to be a part of the production process.
That, for me (being the Peter Jackson fan that I am), is enough to get me to shell out a few bucks to see it. Usually I wait until I can get a download copy from iTunes or something (emphasis on the "or something", haha) but this looks like the sort of movie that's better suited to a big screen anyway.
Even if it turns out to be mediocre. It looks like it'll be good, mindless, summer fun.
Sickenly Preachy?
The first half of the trailer really appealed to me because the glimpse of the Alien looked very organic, a refeshing change frpm the metallic automatons of Transformers. Then the second half of the trailer reminded me exactly of what I hoped it wouldn't: Transformers.
In addition:
"There is a real danger of the unsubtle metaphors of race to be taken to a sickeningly horrid preaching level."
Well I don't know what to make of this comment as the writer appears to be emotionally insensitive and judgmental of the potentionally racist and "suspect", discriminatory realities facing undocumented residents.
Secondly this also regards Hollywood's portrayal of people of color (who have for centuries been considered "other" in European dominated cultures) as being in collusion and harboring similar exclusionary sentiments. While to a certain extent this holds true it is STILL not at the level can can be inferred from this trailer.Therein making this "sickenly horrid and preachy message" worthy of repeating until the masses get it.
Given the level of xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, and outright racism perpetrated against both documented and undocumented immigrants and the racism perpetrated against our very own president, (Which Continues) I wonder if this person feels herself educated on this issue or in need of this "horrid" and "sickeningly preachy" message"?
Certainly she comes off as intellectually, if not morally superior on this issue. Or are you another journalism major attempting to pass linguistic and grammatical adeptness off as actual knowledge in the field of Cultural Competence, whether or not it includes aliens of the extraterrestrial kind?
I REALLY dislike it when members of the "dominant" culture exhibit intolerance and YOU appear to be a member of the dominant culture. If you don't know what that means I'm sorry as it's an academic reference.
Please I would appreciate if the poster's opinion is not defended by a moderator.
Sigh, I'm so wanting something new to emanate from the Land Of Lies (a.k.a Hollywood) .
Technology Will Lead To The Demise Of Civilization As We Know It.
whoa, so that's what the posters have been about
all the bus stops near my office have those "for humans only" posters, and i remember i) how seriously unsettling they were - and far too reminiscent of segregation and ii) wondering if it was some big ad campaign from a pest control company. i guess i was pretty far off.
looks pretty disturbing. could be really good, but people dont exactly get excited about super gritty / upsetting stuff like Children of Men, so we'll see. The ad campaign could make all the difference...
oh, and speaking of Peter Jackson's stamp of approval; does anyone remember that campy wreck of a film, Cabin Fever?? eek. it's only redeeming scene was the one where the camera lingered for like 30 seconds too long on one of the female lead's behind.
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tunes, snark and such: http://rightmindleftcoast.wordpress.com
Classic
"wondering if it was some big ad campaign from a pest control company."
Funny Stuff that I'm sure will appear in a roach spray advertisement.
Technology Will Lead To The Demise Of Civilization As We Know It.
Iffy on the mech things, as
And thank you SapphicDay, I was just about to make a post addressing pretty much the same issue. There's no way to tell how far District 9's taking its immigration/'outsider' metaphor here from a teaser and the first full trailer in the first place, and it looks like there's going to be a lot more to it than just that anyway. Also, Cloverfield was shot in a home video fashion (and I personally found that pretty refreshing, if not slightly nauseating at times), whereas this looks to me more faux-doccumentary. Big difference there.
I am not sure that you understood my comment because...
You wrote:
"And thank you SapphicDay, I was just about to make a post addressing pretty much the same issue. There's no way to tell how far District 9's taking its immigration/'outsider' metaphor here from a teaser"
Actually the teaser speciffically gives an inference that people of color are suddenly in tacit collusion with their former oppressors in an "us" vs. "them" scenario. That is explicitly stated in my comment:
"Secondly this also regards Hollywood's portrayal of people of color (who have for centuries been considered "other" in European dominated cultures) as being in collusion and harboring similar exclusionary sentiments."
Watch the trailer again and listen to the Indian woman.
Technology Will Lead To The Demise Of Civilization As We Know It.
This looks like fun!