"District 9," an adventure about townships for extraterrestrials.

17 Aug – With a first-time director and a cast of unknowns, the low-budget sci-fi alien movie "District 9" has topped box office returns in North America with an estimated US$37 million in its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. Directed by South African-born director Neill Blomkamp, "District 9" is an expansion of the 2005 short film "Alive In Joburg," which Blomkamp also directed.

Shot in a faux documentary style, the movie was produced by Peter Jackson, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind blockbuster "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The film was largely supported by favourable reviews and promotional blitz at the recent Comic-Con convention held in San Diego, California, which helped fuelled the pre-release buzz for this low-budget film. According to Reuters, "District 9" is said to have cost less than US$30 million to make, a modest budget by Hollywood standards.

Cinema Online's "District 9" contest winners got to catch the preview screening on 12 August 2009 at GSC 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya and were later asked, what they thought of the movie and how many stars would they rate it out of five.

Chan Wai Ching: I really enjoyed the show because it had a new concept. I was impressed with the film's animation, extremely well done. It had a very refreshing storyline, something I've not watched before. 4.5 stars!

Belinda Chuah (left): It was a very interesting movie. The story from beginning to the end was incredibly imaginative. I liked the justice at the end of the story. I'd give 4 stars for this movie!

Yong Seat Jian: The story was exceptional. There were no unnecessary scenes as it focused on what was essential to keep the movie going. The graphics were good and action was well done. The director did a fantastic job. I'll give 4.5 stars!