Elysium Trailer Drops

At long last, after a Comic Con footage display, a poster and a special screening yesterday, we finally have the first look at Neil Blomkamp's Elysium. I can't help feeling like I'm part of the population living on earth, drowning in wait and agony while the film-affiliated live above on Elysium get the spoils and specials of this earlier than us.

If you read my stuff, climb this tree, or just know me in general, you'll know how much I championed his District 9. So you can only imagine as a fan of this burgeoning filmmaker how excited I'm finding myself about this one. With Damon staring as Max, a lowly earth-dweller who finds himself in dire need of medical treatment that can only be found on the sky-parked station, Elysium.

As of this morning, as I was waiting for this trailer to arrive to gen. pop., I was wondering if people even gave a shit, or, had lost out hope, with a summer packed to the brim, will other's be so willing to scoot over and give this a seat at the blockbuster table? Iron Man 3, The Wolverine,  Star Trek: Into The Darkness, Fast and the Furious 6, The Hangover Part III, World War Z, Monsters University, Man of Steel,  Lone Ranger, Despicable Me 2, Pain And Gain(?), Kick-Ass 2 and more, much more. Including a couple sleeper indies that could sneak up and steal some dollars and then some of the usual smaller fair with big names attached only, and not much else steam that could also surprise.

That of course went flying out into space (shit pun intended) after I witnessed this glorious trailer. Filmed in real locations with CG-inserted into the foreground, background, the ground, you can feel this is a real world these characters inhabit. Using Mexico City, and the beautiful Vancouver just to name some of the major location shooting done on this.

Borrowing Syd Mead, production designer of Blade Runner fame, you can definitely sense that oober-large scale-world that captured so much attention in '82. And judging from the reaction to the footage screened last summer, that's exactly what this film has--a real inhabitable world, with locations, dialogue, characters, vehicles, food, streets, landmarks, all big and small taking up space in the frames to make everything feel so authentic. Much like Chris Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, for example.

See what I mean in 1080p below.



The synopsis is as follows:

"In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station that is disguised as a massive floating city called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet’s crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium – but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance to bring equality to these worlds is Max Coburn (Matt Damon), a 29 year-old ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission – one that pits him against Elysium’s mayor, Secretary Jessica Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces – but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well."

I'm sold. And as of this trailer, I'm picking this as my summer slam-dance-hoorah-joint. Followed closely by The Wolverine and Iron Man 3. Indies and smaller fair not in the list.

This comes at you, attacking all the senses August 9th. See you there Midnight.

Munki out.