For Humans Only.

All those astute internet dwellers out there who spend more time clicking ‘Stumble’ than engaging in human interaction may have came across a rather interesting viral video that would lead you to believe that aliens are living among us.

Well not really, but that’s exactly what the marketing team behind the Peter Jackson produced District 9 (or D-9 as it is often referred) want you to believe.

Based on his own short film ‘Alive in Joburg’ director Neill Blomkamp brings his story of alien discrimination to the big screen. The plot? Aliens crashed landed on earth some 20 years ago in Johannesburg and have since been living as second-class citizens in South Africa’s slums. Friction with the locals results in the aliens being moved into camps and things coming to a head.

As of yet, Blomkamp is keeping his cards pretty close to his chest but the South African born director gives us an insight of what we should expect “I was a science-fiction nut when I was growing up in Johannesburg. I just wanted to see that kind of imagery in a third world setting with the complex political history of South Africa”.

Backed by Middle-Earth’s own Peter Jackson, 30-year-old Blomkamp was originally planning to tackle the big screen adaptation of Halo but as that fell through the duo decided to focus on D-9 instead.

And by the sounds of it the ‘less is more’ marketing technique has got Jackson excited “It's fun watching people trying to compare this to other films. Is it like 28 Days Later? No, it's not. Is it like Cloverfield? No.”

Whatever the case District 9 looks to be more than your average science fiction film. Bringing in the subject of social class to a pseudo-documentary alien film sounds like an interesting concept. Expect to hear more from this film in the coming months.

Check out the most recent trailer below. There are actually two versions of this and although shot for shot they are the same, their messages are very different. Head over to www.D-9.com for more info.

District 9 is released on 4th September 2009.


Trailer 1



Trailer 2

Star Trek: For a new Generation.

More partial to Vader than Vulcans? Prefer being a trendy to being a Trekkie? Well all that doesn’t matter any more, Star Trek has been re-born.

From the opening time-splicing frames, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman cleverly breathe new life into a series that lets face it had been considered lifeless. Transporting the familiar characters into an alternate universe full of potential, make no mistake, boldly going where no man has gone before is cool again.

An origin story of sorts; director JJ Abrams shows us how the crew of the Enterprise are thrown together, forcing them to fight through their first real mission. Hell hath no fury like a Romulan scorned, and Nero (Eric Bana) is that Romulan.

Feeling betrayed by Spock; blaming him for the destruction of his home planet, he and his surviving crew of tattoo faced foes search time and space for revenge.

Meanwhile the crew are meeting and greeting . . .sort of.

Luckily for us all members of the cast have time to shine. Be it Sulu’s (John Cho) samurai sword fight atop a huge planetary drill, Checkov’s (Anton Yelchin) clumsy accent translations or Scotty’s (Simon Pegg, proving that not all movie Scottish accents are bad) comic relief, the new crew of the Enterprise is one to marvel at.


As with all ensemble casts there are always stand out performances, Kirk (Chris Pine) is heroic when he needs to be heroic and cocky when he needs to be cocky without over playing either and becoming a caricature of a character.

Although Kirk carries us through the movie, this is Spock’s story; played with perfect restraint, Spock (Zachary Quinto) perfectly displays a fragmented mind; a constant internal battle between logic and emotion, human and Vulcan.

And finally Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban) is instantly likable and very funny as the ships medical officer and voice of reason to the irrational Kirk.

There’s no denying Abrams had a job on his hands when he decided to make this picture. He had to please fans, attract non fans, and basically make a film friendly to all those who see Trek as strictly geek territory, needless to say he succeeded.

Funny, smart, action packed and above all cool, Star Trek ticks all the boxes, maybe there is no limit to the mans talent. Expect an even better sequel.