District 9 - science fiction as social satire
Steve Hayes
the year, if not the decade.
It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and I
wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen the
film.
I've blogged about some of these things here, if anyone is interested:
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Steen
> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> the year, if not the decade.
HUH?
I can't wait to see it, but I didn't know it was a South African movie
--
Steen
Dimensional Traveler
It was pretty obvious to me from the promos that it was set in South
Africa. Not the same obviously but still.
--
Things I learned from Usenet #29: Do not chew the peach.
Veni, Vidi, Snarki.
hielan' laddie
(in article <eq9da55dllt1kro4g...@4ax.com>):
> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> the year, if not the decade.
>
> It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and I
> wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen the
> film.
>
> I've blogged about some of these things here, if anyone is interested:
>
> http://su.pr/4WypTT
>
>
>
Let's just say that my experience of South African films is limited to _Shaka
Zulu_ <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086798/> and _The Wild Geese_
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078492/>, which aren't the best adverts for the
SA film industry.
sandy58
Van der Merwe was the best choice of name. Mine dumps, Ponte City,
Hillbrow tower.......
"prawns" replacing Africans in the locations. Not a lot of change.
Good fun all the same.
Steen
> Steen wrote:
> > Steve Hayes <haye...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> >> the year, if not the decade.
> >
> > HUH?
> >
> > I can't wait to see it, but I didn't know it was a South African movie
>
> It was pretty obvious to me from the promos that it was set in South
> Africa. Not the same obviously but still.
IMDB states as countries: USA | New Zealand
--
Steen
Jon Schild
It also says, under filming locations:
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand
sandy58
wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:55:08 -0400, Steve Hayes wrote
>
> > I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> > the year, if not the decade.
>
> > It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and I
> > wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen the
> > film.
>
> > I've blogged about some of these things here, if anyone is interested:
>
> >http://su.pr/4WypTT
>
> Let's just say that my experience of South African films is limited to _Shaka
> Zulu_ <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086798/> and _The Wild Geese_
> <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078492/>, which aren't the best adverts for the
> SA film industry.
Try "Tsotse" & "The Gods Must Be Crazy" 1 & 2
Peter Brooks
> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> the year, if not the decade.
>
> It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and I
> wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen the
> film.
>
> I've blogged about some of these things here, if anyone is interested:
>
> http://su.pr/4WypTT
>
and I'm pleased that I didn't. I'd recommend anybody who hasn't seen
it to stop reading now.
Yes, it does work on many levels, and some of the references are not
obvious.
It does seem strange that it paints the Nigerians as untermenschen
when it is supposed to be an anti-racist film. Apparently it has been
banned in Nigeria - something I'd understand.
There are plot holes in all SF films, so I don't think one should
wonder too much about this one. It hangs together pretty well. One
though puzzled me. What on earth were those missiles doing at the
entrance to the camp? Yes, I see they wanted them for the scene at the
end, but they appeared to have no other function.
It is very South African, as you say, in lots of ways.
It's a pity it was so obviously gearing up for a sequel. I could be
wrong, but I doubt that that would be as good.
Peter Brooks
> On Sep 8, 8:55 pm, Steve Hayes <hayesm...@hotmail.com> wrote:> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film of
> > the year, if not the decade.
>
> > It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and I
> > wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen the
> > film.
>
film, but it was mothballed in 1996. It must be a bit strange, a huge
hotel empty for getting on for a decade and a half. Clearly it makes
some money as a film set, but that can't be that much.
Bob Dubery
Also gets used as a studio for TV shows. EG the local production of
"Strictly Come Dancing"
Peter Brooks
in the UK who upset everybody by not taking it seriously enough and
still winning when he was fairly inept. This fellow seemed a sensible
chap to me, why anybody would take anything on plebvision even vaguely
seriously is beyond me.
Bob Dubery
Well it's not Big Brother or Survivor. Strictly Come Dancing relies on
learning a skill and demonstrating your progress, not backstabbing,
conniving and taking a dump on the lawn.
Maybe you want to stop making sweeping generalisations about things
you clearly haven't even tried to see.
Peter Brooks
culture.
>
> Maybe you want to stop making sweeping generalisations about things
> you clearly haven't even tried to see.
>
trag
"Tonight I choose those who have forsaken their dignity for fame. You
may amuse me wenches."
Peter Brooks
week, so I suppose that means it was nonsense...
Bob Dubery
Your attitude seems to be that anything on television is ipso facto
rubbish. You even have to invest the medium with a name that implies
that only people of a lower class enjoy it (presumably a lower class
than whatever one it is that you see yourself fitting into) IE
"plebvision". None of it is to be taken seriously etc etc. Your
attitude, the sarcastic nick name, the withering put downs, the way
you lump everything on "plebvision" into one category (on plebvision)
amounts to a generalisation, not to mention making you look like the
smuggest kind of snob.
Peter H.M. Brooks
It's simply a truism that plebvision is watched mainly by plebs. The
point is that it's a better name since both halves of the compound
word are Latin - whilst 'tele' is Greek.
You're wrong about my attitude though. I'm not sure if I always manage
to avoid being smug, it's difficult, I admit, but I don't believe that
everything on plebvision is rubbish. For one thing I watch a lot of
BBC drama on DVD. What makes plebvision so unpleasant is that it
forces people to watch advertising (on the BBC it is advertising for
the BBC). Not only that, but it treats people as plebs with its pre-
digested 'news', skewed and tailored to a plebby mind with the
concentration span of a gnat.
It's an old-fashioned one-way, propaganda medium.
There are, however, occasionally, almost it seems, by accident gems
that appear on plebvision - fortunately they nearly all are put onto
DVDs - just as you find the odd gem in a sewer.
Ray Laughton
Missed District 9, it was hardly on a week here! Guess I'll have to wait
for the DVD too.
--
ray
Bodie
"Steve Hayes" <haye...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eq9da55dllt1kro4g...@4ax.com...
> I've just been to see "District 9", probably the best South African film
> of
> the year, if not the decade.
Say's the doyen of South African film critics, no less!
> It also comes with some pretty hefty dollops of South African culture, and
> I
> wonder how this comes across to people in other countries who have seen
> the
> film.
Personally I thought it a load of shyte!!
Completely load of cobblers!
Bodie.