DISTRICT 9 trailer shows it’s definitely a remake of ALIEN NATION. Prove me wrong! sez COOP
Seriously, before anyone starts claiming that Neill Blomkamp and Producer Peter Jackson have an original idea here, I want the world to know that they don’t. As a fan of the original film “Alien Nation” (a.k.a. “Outer Heat,” “Future Tense”), I’ll find it hard to swallow if Blomkamp doesn’t cite the original material which spawned a popular sci-fi TV show AND five made for TV movies. C’mon, Neill… we know where you got this from.
Despite that, I’m mildly excited about “District 9″ which I originally saw as a fairly cool short film last year. Where “Alien Nation” told the story as a cop-buddy picture, “Disctrict 9″ takes the idea of impoverished aliens stranded on Earth and turns it into an allegorical mockumentary. What kind of allegory, you say? Take a look at this…
Get it now?
First take a look at the original trailer for “Alien Nation” which takes place in Los Angeles (a place plagued by racial tensions)…
Now look at the “District 9″ trailer which takes place in South Africa (a place plagued by racial tensions)…
See? Same concept, different approach. Still looking forward to it though. With Peter Jackson producing, you know it’s going to be A+ quality.
For reference you really need to see Blomkamp’s original “District 9″ short film “Alive in Joburg” (2005). It’s quite good…
-Coop
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Yeah, I thought the same thing when I saw the trailer. Still it does look like an interesting take. Alien Nation rules!!
I remember when Alien Nation was on, but I totally missed it! This looks interesting though…think I’ll have to catch it!
You hit it on-the-mark, Chief. I am a big fan of Peter Jackson and I certainly look forward to this film, but it is definitely a remake. I loved the original “Alien Nation” along w/ the series and TV movies, and I think director Neill Blomkamp and Jackson are just basically going for a more ‘darker’ approach to the same concept (for example by making the aliens look rather revolting & genuinely frightening, unlike in AL, where the aliens were far more human-like.) Still, Peter Jackson great when it comes to story buildup & character development and this film looks like it could be a summer surprise sleeper hit.
District 9 is not an Alien Nation remake, in Alien Nation, the Aliens were welcomed to Earth and became members of the community. In District 9 they are being held against their will.
I have not seen it yet (UK) and will gleefully go later this week or next week to see it. But looking at RottenTomatoes, the words “inventive”, “game-changing”, and “innovative” are constantly thrown around, clearly because the reviewers were not a bit interested in Alien Nation or know nothing about it. The latter is a good movie, slightly underrated. It is sci-fi, social commentary, and film noir all mixed up in perhaps not the most cohesive package, but nevertheless “original” and “game-changing”, and it is a pity it is not remembered as such.