Might this short film be the genesis of District 9: En Espanol? Sam Raimi’s production company thinks so.
Ataque de Pánico (Panic Attack), a four-minute short from Uruguayan commercial director Fede Alvarez, was made for reportedly less than $500. But Variety reports that the impressive short led Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures to strike a seven-figure deal to work on Alvarez’s debut feature, which will be an alien invasion story. (El Pais puts the budget of the planned feature between $30 and $40 million.)
Think Panic Attack shows signs of genius? I’m a fan of new voices and nontraditional methods of entering the Hollywood moneycult, so put me in the “enthusiastic and curious” camp. What about you, PopWatchers? Are you tired of robo-apocalypse movies, or is that like being tired of sex and candy?
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I just hope that the DVD for his mid-range budgeted film will include Panic Attack on the DVD. It’s spectacualr!
I hope Fede makes a film as good as this short.
I’m in. Never enough apocalypse.
Proof that you don’t need huge budgets and long running times to make intersting films about alien robot invaders. Michael Bay, take note.
Or a story!
Even though I suspect that my enjoyment of this was largely coloured by the score, which was John Murphy’s amazing theme for 28 Weeks Later, I did enjoy this. I’m a sucker for any apocalypse stories, though they do have to have a happyish ending for me to really like them.
Nonplussed…It’s a cool short, but what about a 90-120 minute movie would now make it unique? Just another aliens invade movie. For it to be successful it needs elements that haven’t been seen before in the countless invasion movies.
Looks like outtakes from “Armageddon”, “Independence Day”, “Cloverfield”, and “War of the Worlds” with music stolen from another movie. How’s that the sound of a “new voice”? What a load. What’ll be his next original masterwork? A vampire movie? A movie based on a young adult novel?
I agree. There are so many other short films with story and character that deserve the opportunity to be given milions. Found this short on the tubes of you..
It’s impressive, and good on ya for getting a movie deal. But you can’t really claim it only cost $500 if you have access to a professional commercial production house.