“Alive in Joburg”
Maybe I just haven’t been looking in the right places, but with all the fanfare over the Peter Jackson-produced District 9, you would think someone would mention the short film it’s based on.
I first saw Alive in Joburg, directed by Neill Blomkamp, about three years ago and was absolutely blown away by it creativity and originality. About a year back he was attached to direct the cinematic adaptation of Halo until funding issues got in the way. That was the last I heard of him until District 9 promos started appearing on TV. Those who were fortunate enough to see sneak previews of the film have raved about it, and it is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated films of the year.
Enjoy the short.
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You should check out my spoiler free list of things covered in the Q&A after the movie: http://www.scifisquad.com/2009/08/08/a-dozen-things-you-may-not-know-about-district-9/
A lot of elements from Alive in Joburg made their way into D9, but that was just what caught Jackson’s attention. Blomkamp said that after the Halo movie fell through, Jackson asked him to make another short film specifically for D9 and it was that short (which no one has seen) that got him $30million.
He also said there is an alternate ending for D9 that no one will ever see, either. Which is fine with me because I think the ending it has now will become one of the most iconic shots in sci-fi cinema.