"Here - say"

Here's wishing you all the merriest of merry Christmases, as you commemorate and celebrate the reason for the season.

Not to focus on chow,
but to bend the knee and bow.

Honour all that's good,
knowing is not just about the yummy food.

Spending time with those we hold dear,
preparing to enter the new year without fear!

Be blessed and keep it real.

- JND

Here I present my own (re)view, and below it I've included reviews from actual critics.

District 9 - A timeous sci-fi thriller for out times...



I think it’s the best movie to come out of South Africa (to date)… the acting is superb and the direction style is unique and original – which, incidentally, translates into a good movie. Considering the limited budget, District 9 is a resounding success and cant really be compared to other sci-fi blockbusters. District 9 is a visceral and emotional sci-fi exploration – rather than a visual feast.

My emotions while watching the movie were a bit mixed… I was suddenly transported back to a gruesome Apartheid-fuelled South Africa, and memories of oppression and discrimination came flooding back. Concurrently, I admired the bravery and mettle of the director and scriptwriters who were able to tell such an important (his)story by using the metaphor of an alien encounter with “humanity”.



District 9 inexorably unfolds the gruesome-ness of human nature. It is an almost-too-honest expose of the gory reality that comes with our past. The allegory of district 9 is unforgettable, and serves as an indelible reminder of how low society can sink morally – in this movie, we are the monsters.

Simultaneously, it left me curious as to which direction a sequel and even prequel would take. The movie deliberately and abruptly ends, leaving the audience wanting more – demanding a conclusion.

District 9 deserves recognition and applause for its bold, honest and unique approach, and is a movie that should prompt further deliberation amongst its audience. While contributing to the depth of the genre, District 9 is an intelligent and entertaining movie that instigates talk-ability. - (Rating 4/ 5)

- Jody Daniels

JND


1st Review: Star Pulse

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/08/03/district_9_review_a_great_film_on_all_le

Review by Mike Pulse.

August 3rd, 2009 1:01pm EDT

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. "District 9" was supposed to be another tired Man Versus Scary Alien late summer crapfest. Actually, when you think about the plot, it really should be a crapfest. "District 9" has absolutely no business being A Good Film. But, yet, here it is and here we are. We: the late summer movie going audience desperately seeking out... something... anything; one last eensy weensy morsel of precious, precious entertainment to use as an excuse to get out of the wretched heat of a mid-August sun . It: not content to be just A Good Film -- but, rather, A Great Film. And, on certain levels, maybe even An Important Film.

Whatever you think you know about "District 9" is, probably, wrong. "Well," you say, "It's about a reporter that discovers..." No. Wikus (Sharlto Copley), the main character, is not a reporter. He's a government bureaucrat. "OK, fine" you contend, "he discovers the atrocities that are occurring in District 9 and fights to help..." Nope. Wikus is well aware of what's happening in the district and, at first, is part of a team that's making things a bit worse. "Well, there are big scary evil aliens, right?" Evil? No. Scary? Not really, ornery might be a better adjective. Aliens? Yes!

You see, "District 9" plays out quite realistically -- if, you know, a giant alien spaceship visited Earth. Twenty years ago a spacecraft appears over Johannesburg, South Africa, and, for awhile, absolutely nothing happens. Finally, a mission to the hovering ship is implemented and around one million sick and malnourished aliens are found. They're brought down to the city, a large scale humanitarian effort takes place. Samaritans from around the world arrive to help feed and shelter the visitors. What happens next? Well, what always happen when the news of the day shifts to another story? Except for the government and a Nigerian gang who both have interest in their weapon technology, they're forgotten. (Remember those Iran elections the media cared so much about? Oh, yeah, you might not because Michael Jackson died.)

The aliens are far from evil -- writer and director Neill Blomkamp describes them as worker bees after the queen bee has died: a bit lost and without a purpose -- just neglected and, in terms of their life on Earth, quite poor. They live in a slum and absolutely no one wants them here -- especially the human residents of the slum. Wikus Van De Merwe is in charge -- a job he was given by his father-in-law -- of a relocation effort of the aliens from District 9 to the even less desirable District 10. Under South African law, each alien must be served an eviction notice. This is why Wikus and his team are in the district; to serve and have each alien sign a copy of his eviction notice.



Wikus does, eventually, take an interest in the aliens' well being. But not because Wikus has a sudden influx of morality or righteousness -- his motives are strictly selfish. There's a lot of selfishness at play in this film and not a lot to like about human behavior. The most genuine character in the film is named Christopher Johnson -- you may be surprised who Christopher Johnson turns out to be.

It next to impossible to ignore -- considering the film's South African setting -- the underlying comparisons of the aliens' plight to that of apartheid. Blomkamp -- a South African native -- draws on his own experiences of his home country and transforms black and white racial tension to human and aliens on a surprisingly low 30 million dollar budget. This isn't a particularly scary film, but it is gory (Christ, is it gory) and it has something to say. The thing is: even if you completely ignore "District 9"'s themes, there are aliens and a lot of things explode -- people seem to enjoy that. As stated: "District 9" shouldn't really be a good film; it shouldn't be a great film. It is. "District 9" is the best film of the summer -- possibly, so far, the year.

Grade: A+


2nd Review: Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/district-9,1146825/critic-review.html

'District 9': In Many Ways, It's a Perfect 10
By John Anderson
Special to The Washington Post
August 14, 2009

The poison that permeates the phenomenal "District 9" is the same toxin that has defined so much of human history: The oppression of the Other. In this case, that means scaly aliens with feelers for faces who are confined to South African-style "townships," and who, in director-writer Neill Blomkamp's allegorical thrill ride, represent every tyrannized population since the institution of the pogrom. A sci-fi-fueled indictment of man's inhumanity to man -- and the non-human -- "District 9" is all horribly familiar, and transfixing.

That Blomkamp, a South African, would set his propulsive, kinetic and relentlessly nerve-racking thriller in a barely reformed South Africa indicates that subtle political messages are not his forte. Nor are they necessarily his objective. This is an action movie, after all: Cruel twists of fate, narrow escapes, well-deserved liquidations and unlikely alliances all make for a classic summer shoot-'em-up. Still, the underlying gravitas of the story -- in which the aliens are Gitmoed and used for gruesome experiments -- keeps "District 9" smart, even after the aliens start turning their oppressors into Heinz 57 sauce.

In a crisp, rapid-fire setup, "District 9" establishes how the ominous mothership came to a halt in the sky over Johannesburg, then sat motionless for months as earthly authorities pondered what to do. In frustration and desperation, a team was sent to cut its way into the ship, where the alien passengers were found weak and malnourished. Taken to the ground, but having no way back to the ship, the aliens became a sub-population of unwanted immigrants, whose disgusting looks and strange appetites -- they're partial to canned cat food -- make them a collective object of fear and loathing. As we reach the film's version of present day, the history has led to a crackdown, replete with evictions, violence and internment.

"District 9" is the rare arms-and-ammo flick in which the central human performance is as high-caliber as the hardware. Acting newcomer Sharlto Copley, as craven corporate tool Wikus van de Merwe, gives a performance that is nothing short of tour de force. Assigned to oversee the relocation of the aliens -- or "prawns," as they're derisively called (they do resemble shrimp) -- Wikus has gotten his job through his father-in-law, the head of the evil MNU (MultiNational United). He has no leadership abilities whatsoever; in carrying out the evictions of the aliens, Wikus demonstrates that he is, in fact, a natural coward. He's the kind of bureaucratic creature who overuses his authority because it's all he's got. He's despicable. And Copley's portrayal is precise and true. That he manages to make Wikus a hero, however marginal, is close to miraculous.

The film's producer, Peter ("Lord of the Rings") Jackson, has a kindred spirit in Blomkamp, who has a flair for the same kind of humorous violence Jackson showed early in his career (see "Meet the Feebles") and for a judicious but effective use of creepout embellishments: A prawn breeding ground is rich in viscous visuals; the claustrophobic alien hovels reek of dust and decay; the aliens themselves are rangy, revolting characters, almost ratlike in their paranoia and Otherness. They're hard to like, but we like them, just as we end up rooting for the demise of Greater Human Civilization. That we barely get to catch our breath is not a bad thing either.

Contains bloody violence and vulgarity.

so i got the new sony ericsson xperia x1!

Verdict: Not a bad phone.

JND Review: (after some tweaks)

bit of a somber respose because i did expect more, considering the price of the phone (R11000 or US$1000).

anyway, its a useful smartphone with a very average camera (my biggest disappointment with the ph).
in its standard format (factory settings etc), its pretty average, but once teaked then this phone really comes to life. i like to look at the xperia in its standard factory format as an empty shell... waiting for its user to unleash its latent potential.

- the panels are its coolest feature, allowing you access to many key applications. the trick is getting the most user friendly and personal panel that suits your use of the phone.

- it reads windows files like word, powerpoint, excel...

- going online is a breeze (esp when tweaked)

- great resolution (800 x 480)

if you thinking of getting the phone then you need to ask yourself this question:

"do you feel lucky, punk?"

kidding, decide whether you want a phone that acts like a phone (xperia does not); or a phone that acts like something more than just a phone with the promise of merging with a desktop pc (xperia probably the hybrid ph heading in this direction).

xperia - a really heavyweight smartphone with some tweaking required for personalisation requirements.

if there'll be a xperia x2, sony ericsson must consider USER FRIENDLY!

later,

JND

South African Revenue Services – the treasured custodian tasked with collecting the government’s revenue stream is reknowned for its efficiency in executing its primary task – collecting taxes.

However, behind all that ruthless efficiency, the cold calculating precision of the “improved” data and assessment systems, SARS is not citizen friendly.

SARS does not see beyond the Rands and cents.

SARS cannot accommodate empathy for the individual, neither identify with the citizens behind the numbers.

It is here where the efficiency ends and the tragedy begins.

It might not be too evident today, in 2008, but years from now SARS will become a neolithic symbol of an obsolete system within a far more advanced and civilized South Africa. A South Africa that will demand and expect that its institutions, government departments and organisations are capable of efficiency while “empathizing” with the individual’s personal requirements. A sophisticated system that does not treat its citizens as “cattle” – where a “one-size-fits-all” approach is regarded as anathema.

After all the ineptitude that South Africans had to suffer over the decades, we will finally have evolved to a more enlightened state and realized that which truly matters: the individual is the foundation of a sustainably strong and durable economy.

Service would be a non-negotiable deliverable for organizations instead of an obligatory optional. Empathy would be an embedded value enshrined within government organisation’s systems. SARS (whatever form it mat take then) will recognize that the last “S” in their name represents something far greater than a a mere over-utilised word – it represents the holistic delivery of functions that involves, includes, engages, recognizes and respects the person, a citizen of the State.

Hasten the day where tax collection is more than just collecting revenue for the ruling government masked as a public service – where power is not abused but rather used to serve, and to enhance the lives of the people.

JND

June 2008

This essay can easily be applied to other governments around the world as well... the key question is: "What will it take for governments to truly act with the well being of the people as their priority?"

With all the doom and gloom prevalent in our beautiful land, there needs to be a greater drive by the political leaders within the various municipals, to be creative in resolving the various crises debilitating our lives.

Instead of allowing an institution like Eskom to hold South Africa hostage to its unreasonable, unpredictable demands and ineptitude, this is the time to explore and implement alternative energy solutions.

South Africa is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and favourable environmental conditions that are begging to be utilized in a more industrious and inspired fashion. The objective of any alternative energy solution should be self-sustainability, eco-friendliness, and cost effectiveness. South Africa, in the past never allowed external threats to interfere with energy provision; hence the SASOL initiative was initiated. Provincial leaders should be more proactive in leading this initiative in order to minimize the crisis in their respective provinces. The solution does not call for a "one-size-fits-all" answer – but rather to adapt to the unique circumstances and requirements of each province.

This leads to the impending fuel/ oil crisis. In fact it is a global crisis waiting to explode especially amongst the lower economic classes around the world. South Africans (and the world) will not be able to sustain indefinite price hikes in petrol and diesel. The rate at which fuel prices are increasing will mean that the cost of living will escalate even further – thus driving inflation and further indebting South Africans. The people of this country will eventually, there are indications of it already happening, utilize credit to purchase basic goods and maintain living expenses.
This immediately mirrors the events of the great Depression in the 1930’s – living on credit cannot be sustained and will contribute further to reduced purchasing power and dependence on state welfare for survival. For how long will the world continue to bat their eyes at soaring oil prices? Once again the world is driven by greed and a callous disregard for sustaining healthy economic development.

Policy makers, the private sector and political leaders must begin to act in the interest of South African society as a whole, and explore alternative fuel solutions – even actively encourage its development and production. We cannot continue to rely on a soon to be redundant commodity (oil). The current influencers in power can prevent social and economic decay, chaos and an uprising if they are proactive and stop acting in their own interests (their pockets).

Of course, oil and electricity has immediate repercussions on the economy. Higher prices for our energy, will mean higher costs for basic goods and services, This means people will be paying more for the same amounts of goods and services consumed.

The Reserve Bank and Tito Mboweni should heed this point and realize that increasing interest rates in order to control cost-pushed inflation is folly – and does more harm than good resulting in a vicious self-feeding downward economic spiral. The problem in this scenario is not consumer spending, its rather increased producer costs. Tito Mboweni will be responsible for many people losing their homes and livelihood if he continues with his blind and foolish policy – he must review his objectives and tools to accomplish them.
The ANC Government needs to take note of the above, as they are in serious danger of not being a government for the people.

JND