estebangonzalez10 "We don't want to be here, this place doesn't want us... we have nothing, nothing."I feel like Neil Blomkamp has been receiving a lot of criticism lately for Elysium and Chappie, but there is no doubt in my mind that much of that has to do with how much expectations we put on him after delivering one of the better sci-fi pics of the decade, District 9. His style hasn't changed much, but of course the social commentary from that film hasn't had the same impact in his most recent films. In 2005 Blomkamp made an interesting short that would later be the basis for his feature film District 9. In Alive in Joburg he already had the social commentary of the story worked out through this documentary style film making and even had Sharlto Copley play a small role in a film he would later star in (and which would change his career). The social commentary here is just as sharp as in District 9, and Neil actually incorporated interviews of many South Africans referring to Zimbabwean refugees in real life which in the short are made to be referring to the aliens that have invaded Johannesburg. It is a clear metaphor of racism and division of social classes (referring to South Africa's Apartheid era). It's also impressive to see some of the special effects here, which look great for a film shot on such a low budget. So impressive that it caught Peter Jackson's attention at the time who wanted Neil to direct the screenplay adaptation of Halo, but the project was later shelved. I'm glad Blomkamp was given the funds to expand this small film into a full feature length movie, because it turned out to be one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade: District 9.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

WakenPayne This Is The Movie That Was An Abstract Short Movie Version Of District 9 Which Is A Nominee For best Picture At The Oscars. I Decided To Watch The Original Short Alive In Joburg.This Is An Interesting Sci-Fi But To Me The Movie Is A Metaphor For Racism. You Look At This "Boat People" Thing Going On Right Now Them Living In Crap Conditions...In This Its The Same Thing But Instead Of People You Get A Squid Humanoid. As This Goes It Explains What The Hell Happened With The Aliens In Documentary Style With Riots.To Fully Watch This & Enjoy It You Have To Be In The Right Frame Of Mind. This Is Not Action Packed(The Only Action Is Against The Battle Suits), This Is Pretty Much A Less Violent Version Of "Halo" But Overall...Yes This Movie Is Enjoyable.

MrVibrating Good blend of CGI and journalism type hand-cam stuff. Most of the things we see look realistic, except the aliens themselves, since makeup is still very expensive compared to CGI. Seeing Independence Day style ships hover over Johannesburg was probably the coolest part.In terms of plot feels very short and a little rushed, but nevertheless shows some promise for Neil as a special effects guy and possibly a director. The movie is an obvious jab at apartheid and the irony in humanity. Various black people who not two decades ago where themselves oppressed react with fear and suspicion towards the aliens.It's available on the Internet, so you should check it out. It will be interesting to see what Neil can do with larger projects.

Michael DeZubiria It is easy to see Neill Blomkamp's directorial skills in this short film, which runs kind of like a news broadcast documentary that gives a peek into the frightening situation in a South African town after some not so pleasant aliens have set up permanent residence there. It is a kind of journalistically objective look at how the lives of the local townspeople have been altered, mostly for the worse, by the arrival of the aliens. Visually, it is a stunningly effective film, especially with the mother ships floating just over the skyline, and the film is packed with one unsettling image after another. Having been signed on by Peter Jackson to film the highly anticipated screen adaptation of the wildly popular video game Halo, it is easy to see from this film why he was chosen despite having almost no directing experience at all to take on what will surely be a hugely popular film.