9 Has OUTSTANDING Visual Quality!!

Dearest readers,

I just returned from the theaters this 9th of September in 2009, and I had my mind blown by the movie, 9! Other reviews have said that it lacked plot and had weak storytelling, but I think the story was told beautifully through the animation, music, and images. The movie didn't need a detailed script to tell it's tale. It is definitely one that you need to see on the big screen!

You had to love each of the rag dolls for it's own specific charm, and they were amazing fun to watch, and the detail of the scenery demands that you watch the movie again and again. So if you haven't seen it yet today, go catch a late showing because it's just not the same if you don't watch 9 on 9-9-09 =)

That's pretty much what I had to say, it was a great, very Tim Burton-y movie, and you should see it, discuss it, and love it!

Send us your reviews, and send in those last minute contest entries before 10pm to HBCfanclub@gmail.com

What's Behind the Numbers in '9'?

http://scifiwire.com wanted to know the meaning behind the numbering in Tim Burton produced 9, this is what director Shane Acker said:
"I was just having fun and kind of exploring this idea that these numbers would be versions in some way," Acker said in an exclusive interview last week in Beverly Hills, Calif. "As the numbers get higher, the sophistication of the creatures gets more complex and more refined. So when 9 comes along, he is the last version, the most up-to-date version, the most complete, who has a larger, more holistic view. We just bought into that conceit, and then we tried to have as much fun with that as we could. What does the number 6 mean? What kind of emotions does that elicit, that number? What could this character be? So we tried to separate them all, as they all have their own strengths and their own weaknesses, and together they're able to complete themselves, and they become a whole once they finally get working together."

Read more here.

Focus Feature's Official 9 Facebook Page

If you're on Facebook be sure to become a fan of Focus Feature's 9 page (after you check in on the 9 Scientist's page, of course!).

The 9 Movie page has up-to-date photo albums, clips from the movie, and links to other sites (including HBCfanclub ;D)

9 Fanart

Here are some picture that fans have made in anticipation for 9, if inspiration strikes and you feel the need to draw/paint/photoshop a 9 picture, banner, or character picture please send it to us, we'd be proud to display it on the blog!

From a 9 Forum:

Burton, Acker, and Bekmambetov talk 9

There is an interview with the brilliance behind 9, Director Shane Acker and producers Tim Burton and Timur Bakmambetov over at http://screencrave.com. Here's a bit of it:

Tim, this is a very unique project. How did you get involved with this?

Tim Burton: Well I saw Shane’s short film and it just blew me away. It was amazing. After going through stuff myself trying to get movies made and people complaining like “Why doesn’t the character have any eyeballs?” and things like that, I think our goal was to just let Shane make his movie.

Did you get this financed as an independent film?

Shane Acker: Yeah, it was a negative pick-up. I mean, the idea was I guess Focus guaranteed the money to buy the film as long as it met X amount of criteria at the end which kind of gave us the creative space to make the film that we wanted outside of their direct input or involvement, although they were definitely involved in the process. We were doing it at such a modest budget that we were able to take the risks and do the things that we really wanted to do and explore in this medium that is typically a medium designed for more family oriented material.

How do you do an animated film with a low budget these days?

Tim Burton: We did it.

Shane Acker: Well, yeah. You just find the right creative team and you make the right decisions as you’re going forward and just be really dedicated to the project and be conservative about your design but not let it be really…because we’re making a world…

Tim Burton: You did your short pretty much in your basement or garage. Right?

Shane Acker: Yeah. I think the technology is in the hands of artists now. You don’t need a whole studio like Pixar in place to do these films. You can take the software and put the team together and make these films yourself, and I think it’s a pretty exciting time because it’s not about the technological challenge now. It’s just about the stories and what is the story that you want to tell.

Did you teach Tim that movies can be made for a lot cheaper?

Tim Burton: Oh yeah. I mean, it’s great. It does allow a certain freedom that you don’t get when you’re dealing with big budget studio [films]. Fair enough. This was such a pleasure. They made the movie and it just was such a pleasure to see if he’d be able to do it and do what they wanted to do without any negative involvement with things. So, it was very liberating to see this process happen.