Neill Blomkamp

The new trailer is out for “Elysium,” Neill Blomkamp’s highly anticipated follow-up to his Oscar-nominated feature debut “District 9,” and it promises to return the filmmaker to the realm of cerebral sci-fi that won him such an ardent following. In the year 2154, the wealthy residents of Earth have relocated to the paradise of Elysium, a beautiful space station where there is no poverty, no war and no sickness — and where strict anti-immigration measures ensure that only those rich enough to pay for admittance are admitted to its pristine confines. It’s the job of Jodie Foster’s Secretary Rhodes to keep out the hoi polloi. After an unexpected turn of events leaves Matt Damon’s Earth-bound tough guy Max in a fight for his life, he agrees to attempt a risky scheme to save himself, but he finds himself targeted by […]

With “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and more sci-fi and fantasy films, 2012 was a landmark, record-breaking year for spectacle entertainment. But 2013 looks just as promising with a host of big, anticipated sequels — including “Iron Man 3″ and “Star Trek Into Darkness” — and such smart new offerings as “Pacific Rim” and “Elysium” on the calendar. With that in mind, here’s a look at Hero Complex’s 13 must-see movies in 2013. “Oz: The Great and Powerful” (March 8) Sam Raimi’s upcoming “Oz: The Great and Powerful” promises viewers a journey down the yellow brick road that will include a breathtaking array of dazzling visual effects. The Disney film stars James Franco as the man who will become the Wizard of Oz, and takes place well before Dorothy arrives in the faraway fantasy […]

In the future, Matt Damon toils on an overpopulated, diseased and polluted earth, while the one-percenters — or .00001-percenters — luxuriate on a space station paradise where cancer is cured at the touch of a button. That’s the premise of “Elysium,” South African director Neill Blomkamp’s mystery-shrouded follow-up to his 2009 Oscar-nominated sci-fi film, “District 9.” Blomkamp showed about seven minutes of footage from “Elysium” at Comic-Con, enough to give the audience a taste of the dusty, Third World Earth he envisioned for the year 2159 — much of it shot in a giant garbage dump in Mexico. Damon and Jodie Foster, who plays a  government minister on “Elysium,” were on hand to discuss the footage, as was actor Sharlto Copley, who worked with Blomkamp on “District 9.” The footage included some unfinished visual effects of space ships, as well […]

On screen, Jodie Foster is confident in genre films, and with good reason. She picked up an Academy Award for “The Silence of the Lambs,” which stands as the only horror film to win a best picture Oscar, and her sci-fi resume includes the cosmic  Robert Zemeckis film “Contact” and Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming  ”Elysium,” the director’s sociopolitical follow-up effort to ”District 9.” But as a filmmaker, Foster has stuck to family dramas, such as the Mel Gibson movie that premiered this week at South By Southwest, “The Beaver.” For her next directing gig, however, Foster says she is making a sci-fi thriller. “There’s a family element to it, but it’s much more a genre movie,” Foster said in an interview after “The Beaver” premiere in Austin, Texas.  “I’d like to do that ’cause that’s a world I live in as an actor but I’ve never really gone […]

As we reflect on the glory (or the tedium) of the 82nd Academy Awards, here’s an imaginary visit to a Hollywood where movie posters live up to the high standards of truth in advertising: These are part of great collection cooked up by the jokers at College Humor, you should check out the entire gallery right here… And this one may be my favorite of the fanboy-leaning films in the mocking collection…    – Geoff Boucher  Images: CollegeHumor.com MORE RANDOM SILLINESS Top 10 vintage Batman toys … including a somewhat lewd watergun  VIDEO: Iron Man versus Bruce Lee Captain America and Spider-Man meet … Abe Lincoln? VIDEO: “SNL” flashback: Superhero party circa 1979 George Lucas at 3 a.m.? Think Jar Jar Binks rubberwear VIDEO: “Watchmen,” now Saturday morning safe

“Avatar” has become the highest grossing movie of all time, surpassing the Oscar-winning film “Titanic.” Will “Avatar” make a big mark on Oscar night too?  We talked earlier to Rebecca Keegan, the author of “The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron,” and here she weighs in on why this could be the year a science-fiction film wins the Oscar for best picture. — Jevon Phillips Slasher films, pot comedies, anything starring The Rock — there are some movies that no one expects to win Academy Awards. And traditionally, Oscar’s no-fly list has included science fiction. Academy Award-winning films are supposed to be serious, weighty, historical — if your movie takes place in a galaxy far, far away, well, you can leave your tuxedo in the closet until it’s time to accept a somewhat less prestigious prize shaped like a rocket […]

NEILL BLOMKAMP INTERVIEW: PART 3 “District 9” got a best-picture nomination from the Producers Guild Assn., it was announced Tuesday, and the sci-fi film remains a wild card in the awards season. That’s music to the ears of Neill Blomkamp, the director who put himself on the map with the intriguing sci-fi tale based in his native South Africa. Here’s Part 3 of my interview with Blomkamp, whom I sat down with during his recent visit to Los Angeles. We began this segment by talking about casting and Blomkamp’s enthusiasm for using lesser-known actors such as Sharlto Copley, the “District 9″ star photographed below (on the left) with the director. (This Part 3 of the interview; read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.)   GB: What did the “District 9″ experience teach you about casting? NB: I’m not particularly […]

NEILL BLOMKAMP INTERVIEW: PART 2 Neill Blomkamp established himself as a filmmaker to watch in 2009 with ”District 9,” a film that wrapped satire, social commentary and gripping action within a sci-fi tale that looked far more expensive than its $30-million budget. I sat down with Blomkamp in downtown Los Angeles recently to talk about his future, both short-term and long-term. It was clear that science fiction is his focus, but he also spoke like a restless director who is also intrigued by films of combat and even comedy. (This is Part 2 of the interview, you can read Part 1 right here. Check back for Part 3 tomorrow.) GB: What’s next for you? NB: I know what I’m doing now. QED paid for “District 9” and Bill Block the producer put it together. And now MRC is another finance group and they’re putting together the cash for my next film based […]