Giant robots short to become a movie

Uruguyan filmmaker Federico Alvarez is set to become the new Neill Blomkamp after his sci-fi short film Panic Attack attracted the interest of Sam Raimi. Check it out - it's got giant robots in it. S'cool.

As Alvarez has signed with Raimi's Ghost House to make his first feature film, the Blomkamp comparisons are unavoidable with Panic Attack showing the same themes and shaky-cam special effects as the pre-District 9 short, Alive in Joburg.

And just as Hobbit-lover Peter Jackson mentored Blomkamp's transition to the big screen after a run of excellent ads and mini-flicks, it seems that Raimi will be doing the same for the Uruguyan (I have to stop typing that word - it reminds me of Homer Simpson saying "Hee hee! Look at this country! U-R-Gay!").

It's easy to see why Alvarez has attracted the interest too. In just 4 minutes, he shows off amazing CG skills on a reportedly next-to-nothing budget, all to the tune of the same tension-building chun-chunning that was all over 28 Weeks Later.

In fact, Alvarez has revealed that he and Raimi share the same vision for the new feature film which, in a winning move, will also feature giant robots. He even said that, after meeting with Raimi, he didn't bother to keep his appointments with "Dreamworks, Fox, Warner and The Weinstein Company".

Now, while that sounds like a great bold move, I can't help but think that it's not a sensible approach to filmmaking. My mum would have told me to explore all the options before making an informed decision.

Anyway, look, giant robots!