Being the predictable geek that I am, I’m looking forward to the summer’s big science fiction movies such as the Star Trek reboot and the next Terminator sequel. But a couple promising trailers for smaller movies indicate that a market for original science fiction exists outside of franchise properties. District 9 is about humans and aliens struggling to co-exist on Earth, echoing earlier movies such as Alien Nation. It’s filmed in faux documentary style and set in South Africa, which could provide fertile territory for subtext. Or it could result in a movie with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. Color me intrigued.
Moon looks to be a near-future tale about a solitary lunar miner who is nearing the end of his three-year contract and may or may not be going insane. It stars Sam Rockwell, an actor who embodies a sad yet goofy sensibility I’ve always liked. Fun fact: director Duncan Jones is David Bowie’s son.
