1 post tagged “district 9”
My father came to visit from Nashville a couple weeks ago.
He was driving a Hummer. Here it is, dwarfing my house. I don't really know what else to say. That's my dad, for you.
While he was here, we (with my sister) went and saw a few movies. The Hangover was a pretty funny summer comedy. Inglorious Basterds was classic Tarantino insanity (think...Kill Bill meets Valkyrie). The one really worth mentioning, however, is District 9.
It's difficult to say exactly why I liked this movie so much, and maybe it's just a me thing. It's science fiction, action, social commentary, and character drama. The writer/director said he'd wanted to recreate the feel of "hardcore 80s sci-fi" like the Alien and Terminator films, and I think he did an excellent job of it. It was one of those rare movies that really drew me in and made me care about the characters and what was going to happen next.
You wouldn't know it from watching it, but the film's budget was only $30 million - about an eighth the cost of contemporary blockbusters. It didn't have any big-name actors, and had an independent-film uniqueness to it; it was also very violent and intense - all of this creating an unpredictability that made it all the more engrossing. It's also worth noting that the music was well done, and served nicely to enhance the mood as one would hope a score should.
I won't say much more about it, as not knowing what to expect is part of what makes it great, but even against strong competition like Watchmen and Star Trek, it's definitely got my pick for movie of the year.
