5 Lessons Hollywood Can Learn from District 9

Posted by admin in Movies News on August 23rd, 2009 | 3 responses

While some of you are no doubt getting sick of all the talk about Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, I continue to be fascinated and inspired by it. It may not have demolished the box office in quite the same way that say, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen did, but I truly think it is an eye-opener for both people who make movies and people who watch them. Based on the critical praise and the fact that it was able to reclaim its production budget in just a single weekend, I can only hope it will have an impact on the kinds of movies we see getting made over the next few years.Check Out William Shatner Motivational Posters!!!As sort of a follow up to Jay’s list of 5 Reasons Why District 9 Will Be Better Than Transformers 2, here are some of the lessons that I think studio execs and filmmakers should take away from District 9 now that we’ve seen it. If people can apply these ideas to their future projects, I think we will all end up having a much more consistently enjoyable experience at the movies. And really, who doesn’t want that?

1. Audiences Appreciate Originality

It’s easy to pinpoint a large number of films that influenced District 9, from Alien Nation and Black Hawk Down to The Fly and Aliens, but at the end of the day this is a movie that took a lot of existing ideas and mashed them together to create something new and different. It was not based on an existing property or brand, which in this day and age, is nothing short of a miracle. People have been ranting about the endless stream of sequels and remakes for years now, but this time someone finally delivered a summer event movie that wasn’t either of those things, amd moviegoers responded with enthusiasm.

2. Experience Isn’t Everything

It has been said that the reason the Halo feature film fell apart was because studio execs didn’t want to put the movie in the hands of first-time director Neill Blomkamp. While I don’t know if I buy that completely, there’s no doubt that a lot of people questioned Blomkamp’s ability to deliver a feature-length blockbuster even though he had a stellar resume of short films and commercials to back him up. In the end, his lack of experience was probably a strength because it allowed him to think outside the box and avoid simply serving up more of the same old crap. This also applies to the cast, which primarily consisted of unknowns, and lead actor Sharlto Copley who turned in an amazing performance with his first major role on screen. Talent can be found in many different places, sometimes you just have to give people a chance to prove themselves.

3. Blockbuster Budgets are Bloated

This probably goes without saying, but Hollywood blockbusters are getting to be way too expensive nowadays. Spider-Man 3 supposedly cost over $250 million to make, and you have to wonder where all that money went when District 9 cost just $30 million by comparison. Obviously a lot of the money went to the actors’ salaries, but as D9 proved, you don’t necessarily need big names to sell a tentpole film. If more movies had smaller budgets, studios could afford to finance more projects, and take more risks with them too.

4. Mystery Draws People In

Last year Cloverfield proved that viral marketing can be a very successful way to promote a movie, and District 9 also featured a unique and creative marketing campaign that got people talking. The key here is that both movies maintained a certain level of mystery right through to their release date, and resisted showing off all the most impressive visual effects in commercials and trailers. Let’s stop spoiling the entire movie for people ahead of time. You can still get them into the theatre by hinting at the possibilities, and your reward will be strong word of mouth after they see it.

5. Action is More Thrilling When It’s Rated R

One of the things that really struck me about District 9 is the fact that it does not pull any punches in terms of action. It is rated R for a very good reason, and that is because it is gruesome and violent at times — but not in a cheap or exploitative way. It makes the experience more visceral and exciting. Although I’ve defended PG-13 action movies in the past, this just reminded me how awesome it is to see a movie like Terminator 2 on the big screen and truly feel shocked and involved in the action. Peter Jackson of all people knows that a little gore goes a long way!Check Out The Top 20 Comic Book Characters on the Big Screen!!!What do you think, will District 9 be a true wake-up call to Hollywood, or is it just another flash in the pan?