Buzz for bugs of 'District 9'

The "District 9" footage I saw at Comic-Con was harrowing in its realism, despite the giant bug creatures that represent the alien refugees on our planet and because of the way they are so seamlessly integrated into the live action. Themes of apartheid run through the film by South African director Neill Blomkamp.

I see that Entertainment Weekly has named the movie, due Aug. 14, as it's must-see film of the summer -- a safe bet now that the potential blockbusters ("X-Men: Wolverine," "Transformers 2," "Harry Potter" and "Star Trek") are over and several have not passed muster with critics. Most of the buzz for this weeks' offering, "G.I. Joe," has been bad buzz, so much so that Paramount pulled its screenings for media and let only genre-friendly sites express their advance opinions.

So, back to "District 9," which stars Sharlto Copley in his first acting gig. In fact, it's an unknown cast with an unproven director, and the $30 million budget is a fraction of what producer Peter Jackson spent on any of the three "Lord of the Rings" films.

"It's an utterly original film," says Jackson tells EW. "In an industry that's looking to make movies out of every obscure TV show, or sequels, or videogames, you look at 'District 9' and it's unlike anything you've ever seen before." Speaking at Comic-Con (top right), Jackson talked about how this movie was made only because the studios pulled the rug out under the deal for him to make a movie version of the mega-hit video game "Halo," with Blomkamp at the helm. He was still bitter about that, but happy to stand before a room of 6,500 fans and promote this film.

Let the buzz begin.