The Witcher Season 2 Ep 1 Review

Hey O&G fans, the new season of Netflix adaptation of the Witcher premieres on the streaming service Friday Dec 17th. We got a chance to check out the first episode and also participate in a virtual Q&A with Henry Cavill. The first season premiered in 2019, based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski that also spawned the wildly popular video game series.

Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), the brooding, monster-fighting hero is working to complete his mission to protect Ciri. One thing you get from the first episode, is that they have fixed some of the mistakes from the first season with all the time jumping. Its focused on the current story and adventure. Before author Andrzej Sapkowski wrote the five-novel Witcher Saga about Geralt, Ciri, and the Elder Blood prophecy, he filled two books with short stories. He then dove into Ciri's growth, the prophecy around her, and the politics of the Continent and its kingdoms.

Freya Allan and Henry Cavill both do a great job of bringing these characters to life in ways that reflect both the novels and pieces of the games as well. In Episode one Ciri and Geralt travelling to see Geralt’s old pal Nivellen, played by Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju, who is hiding a monstrous secret. The scenes in this episode are both action packed and full of intrigue as to where the season is headed. Over all the Witcher season 2 episode one is something the fans will love and keep them watching the rest of the season.

by Sean Tucker

Resident Evil Review: Why Welcome to Raccoon City Should’ve Been a TV Series

SONY (L to R) Tom Hopper, Chad Rook, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell in Screen Gems RESIDENT EVIL WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY

*Contains minor spoilers

RESIDENT EVIL: Welcome to Raccoon City returns to the origins of the massively popular Capcom franchise taking fans back to where it all began. The live-action reboot, written and directed by Johannes Roberts, takes a different approach this time, with more of a horror-based film than action. While it successfully translates many different elements from the games to the big screen, giving fans the closest live-action adaptation we’ve seen so far, it still somewhat disappoints. I can best describe it as a worthy fan film that just needed a better budget, better special effects and more run-time. Honestly, this film would have been golden if it were pitched as a TV series. When will people realize that RE will translate much better in long- form storytelling.

Fans of the original games can at least appreciate Roberts direction, as a gamer himself Roberts made sure to pay close attention to detail and we can definitely see that throughout the film. For over twenty-five years the horror based Resident Evil franchise has given fans dozens of games, multiple animated films and 6 very loose live-action adaptation blockbusters (Paul W.S. Anderson). Now there is a new film for a whole new generation of RE fans.

RESIDENT EVIL:  WELCOME  TO  RACCOON  CITY,  once  the  booming  home  of  pharmaceutical  giant Umbrella  Corporation,  Raccoon  City  is  now  a  dying  Midwestern  town.  The  company’s  exodus left  the  city  a  wasteland…with  great  evil  brewing  below  the  surface.  When  that  evil  is  unleashed, a  group  of  survivors  must  work  together  to  uncover  the  truth  behind  Umbrella  and  make  it through  the  night. 

(LtoR) Avan Jogia and Kaya Scodelario in Screen Gems RESIDENT EVIL WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY

The film takes some creative freedom but is still pretty faithful to the source material with references from both Resident Evil 1 & 2 giving fans a lot to be excited about. Let’s start with what works. The movie does a fantastic job of displaying video game references, locations and character interactions to make it the BEST Resident Evil live action movie adaptation. There is so much nostalgia as it takes place in the 90s giving fans a real connection to the games from our childhood. It is much darker than the previous movies and it gives us a new look at some of our favorite characters. Initially, I was unsatisfied with the casting announcements, but after watching the movie I actually didn’t mind the casting choices at all. Conclusively, the casting was not my main issues with this film.

Welcome to Raccoon City features many popular locations such as the orphanage, Spencer Mansion and Birkin’s laboratory , as well as all the main characters of the early “Resident Evil” games (Chris and Claire  Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Albert Wesker, Chief Brian Irons of the  Raccoon City Police Department, Lisa Trevor, and Umbrella scientist William Birkin).

The film adapts storylines from the first two games, and follows Chris (Robbie Amell), Jill (Hannah John-Kamen) and Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper) as they explore the abandoned Spencer mansion to investigate a murder. Meanwhile, Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) returns home to Raccoon City to try and warn her brother Chris about Umbrella poisoning the towns water with a dangerous substance. Claire later teams up with rookie cop Leon (Avan Jogia) as they try to find a way out of the RC Police Department and out of Raccoon City before it explodes. The cast ultimately did pretty convincing performances each in their own right, the issue was more the lack of character development and rushed plot-lines than the actual portrayal of the characters themselves.

Although the filmmakers shifted away from casting actors that look exactly like their in-game counterparts, the cast still brings some life to their characters. The S.T.A.R.S members are portrayed as relatable people that you can connect with, laugh and associate with throughout the events of the film. The dynamic duo, Chris (Amell) and Jill (Kamen) are still the elite trigger-happy badasses that we know and love, we just don’t really get a chance to see much of their friendship aside from a few flirty jokes and just literally having each other’s backs. I just wish the film really took the time to delve into these character arcs more. Although Jogia gave a pretty solid performance as our favorite pretty boy Leon, his character was very one dimensional. Yes, Leon is the new guy in town and a rookie to the force but he was literally always the butt of the joke and never taken seriously in this film. Leon is such a beloved character and this kind of did him a disservice. Especially with the tone of this film being darker and scarier the jokes could’ve been left out.

Another character that was a bit disappointing was the fan favorite “tragic experiment” Lisa Trevor. Although it was cool to finally see Lisa Trevor on the big screen, the movie didn’t do her character any justice.  She was not as scary looking as we hoped, but i’ll get more into effects and design later. The bigger issue is that viewers don’t get any semblance to how mortifying her character really is. Unless you are well-versed in the games, you won’t have any idea about who or what she is.

Lisa Trevor in Screen Gems RESIDENT EVIL WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY

A series could’ve spent an episode’s worth showcasing more of Lisa’s story, her fathers connection to the Spencer mansion, the underground laboratory, her kidnapping and being a test subject and undergoing grotesque mutations. This is where the film failed to showcase the horrors committed by Umbrella. The movie really should’ve delved more into her tragic storyline, a television series would have worked perfectly to give enough time to flesh out her backstory, instead of introducing her character for a mere two minutes to only serve as a tour guide for Claire.

Roberts was excited to bring Lisa to life “Lisa Trevor was one of the most fascinating characters to portray in the movie – and she’s a character who’s never been portrayed in the movies until now,” he says. “She was always one of the characters in the first game that most interested me – there’s something very tragic and haunting – as well as terrifying – about her. I tried to bring that into this movie, and we cast a very interesting young actress, Marina Mazepa, who brought a life and personality to a tormented being. She’s unique – I’m looking forward to seeing an audience reaction to her.

Lisa was a human test subject forced to undergo a plethora of biological experiments conducted by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. The side-effects of the experiments mutated Lisa into a monstrous abomination. CAPCOM

For this character – another orphan, and a victim of Umbrella’s experiments – Roberts gave the character a design he calls “very creepy.” “She has a mask made of human flesh. She wears like old rags and clothes. And she has a board that clasps her hand together. She’s a very disturbing character.”

Dr. William Birkin, played fantastically by Neal McDonough is the face of the Umbrella Corp and the films main antagonist. Birkin was one of the Umbrella Corporation’s top viral researchers and the man responsible for the development of the G-virus. He is also the man foremost responsible for bringing about the destruction of Raccoon City. Neal does a phenomenal job as the dedicated virologist and family man who ultimately goes crazy, and “all hell breaks loose.”

Dr. William Birkin (ウィリアム・バーキン Wiriamu Bākin?) was a virologist who worked for Umbrella Pharmaceuticals in the 1970s-1990s. CAPCOM

Roberts was blown away by McDonough’s performance – not only as Dr. Birkin as a  human being, but in more monstrous forms. “As Birkin transforms, Neal understood  that his performance couldn’t be quiet and small. With all the CG and the prosthetics,  he knew how to take that performance and deliver it, not just for camera, but for  down the line, in post. He knew exactly what he needed to give to not be completely  dwarfed by the makeup and effects around him. He’s an amazing bad guy.” 

While I do agree with this sentiment, I still think his character was tragically wasted as the films third act was catastrophically rushed. There really wasn’t enough time to show his character crack, or even enough run-time in his monstrous form in general. His transition could’ve been better and he wasn’t as terrifying as the games, which brings me to the set locations, the overall effects and the simple appearance of the zombies.

Building Raccoon City

My biggest complaint when it comes to modern-day horror films is the overbearing and poorly done CGI. That is why I was immensely surprised to learn most of the film was shot on location and did in fact use some practical effects and prosthetics.

To find their Raccoon City , the production searched small towns that had gone through similar changes. Hartley Gorenstein, a trusted line producer on many movies suggested production check out Sudbury, a former mining town that’s gone through many transformations: was the site of a deadly tornado, the third-largest impact crater on earth, was left with a ruined landscape with acidic lakes, and so much pollution that all the trees died. (Sudbury today has the cleanest air in Ontario).

The production worked hand in-hand with game manufacturer Capcom who supplied production designer Jennifer Spence (Shazam!, The Forever Purge) with the “architectural plans” for the Spencer Mansion and police station to enable her and her team to recreate them as closely  as possible. They included the sprawling exterior of the Spencer Mansion, as well as various interiors — the main entrance hall with its staircase, the library, and several  other rooms, as well as the exterior of the police station with its huge atrium.  

I am always impressed by movies that do an elaborate job of world building and immersing viewers, but this movie didn’t exactly deliver that. While overly excited by the literal replication of some signature locations from the game being built – including the Spencer Mansion, the Raccoon City Police Station, the Umbrella  Orphanage, and the Birkin’s underground laboratory, oddly enough – they didn’t feel real. Some scenes looked entirely green-screen. Maybe with a bigger budget and an extended time frame we could’ve really had a chance to appreciate these sets with more screen time and character interactions like more puzzles and actual searching. Overall the film did an amazing job of giving us locations directly from the game where viewers can literally recall specific moments.

Creating the Zombies

In the end, Roberts says, he “drew a lot from the game.” A more unlikely inspiration  was the miniseries “Chernobyl” – Roberts was so disturbed by the depiction of  radiation sickness that he asked Resident Evil’s prosthetic supervisor Steve Newburn to lean into the effect of chemical burns and radiation poisoning on the  skin, rather than opting for the zombie trope of dead, rotting flesh. “It’s a slow build,  rather than you’re bitten and you turn,” Roberts explains. “It required very complex  prosthetics. It was insanely tricky to do with Covid precautions, in minus 10-degree temperatures, rain, shooting crowd scenes with hundreds of zombies. But the  hardest thing was to feel the humanity of the zombies; I wanted to know there’s a human being under the makeup.” Which would make it all the more scary and  meaningful when the gloves come off and the zombies rampage. 

While, I do appreciate this dedication to detail, the zombies weren’t terrifying enough and didn’t seem to really pose a threat. I think there could have been more destruction, more blood and even more zombies. For 2021 standards the CGI dogs weren’t that impressive, but I did love the RCPD scenes with Chief Irons, they felt exactly like moments from the game. The mansion scenes were executed pretty well though, with Chris fending off all the zombies in the dark and the crazy camera angles, at least this moment felt like hardcore gameplay.

Johannes Roberts’ Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is ultimately a satisfying rendition of the action- horror franchise, a refreshing departure from the previous movies, and full of easter eggs and RE lore. Although it has its flaws, fans of the original games can at least appreciate Roberts direction as the reboot establishes a new RE universe separate from the games, and tries to remain true to the games roots and mythology. However, very similar to the outcome of the RE3 game remake; Welcome to Raccoon city has a lot to offer but it accelerates the narrative hurting its own potential.

Overall: 6.5

The story moves at a pretty fast pace not really giving viewers a chance to delve into all the dark secrets of Umbrella, or even enough time to focus on developing any of the characters. The reboot is a much better adaptation overall, but still wish it fleshed out more of the story, and the effects could’ve been so much better by todays standards. However, it did deliver as a service to the fans and I hope there will be potential sequels to give room for more character development and appearances of other important characters from the Resident Evil roster. This was certainly a step in the right direction and it definitely brought back the spirit of the franchise! I say give it a shot.

RESIDENT  EVIL:  WELCOME  TO  RACCOON CITY 

Action/Horror November  24,  2021

Check out my interview with the director below!!

Cecilia Aldarondo's LANDFALL Has its National Broadcast Premiere on PBS' POV

Posted by Sean Tucker

American Documentary | POV is proud to announce the national broadcast premiere of Landfall, the second film to show on POV’s 34th season. Director Cecilia Aldarondo’s latest feature documentary, which was produced by Ines Hofmann Kanna, will premiere Monday July 12, 2021 on PBS at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) and at pov.org. The film will also be available to stream for free at pov.org until August 11, 2021. Aldarondo was a 2021 Independent Spirit Award "Truer than Fiction'' nominee. The award recognizes outstanding emerging talent in nonfiction film direction.

An official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival and winner of the Viewfinders Grand Jury at 2020 DOC NYC, Landfall is Aldarondo’s second documentary film to broadcast on POV after her Season 30 title, Memories of a Penitent Heart. Offering a prismatic portrait of collective trauma and resistance and set against the backdrop of the 2019 protests in the wake of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico that toppled the governor, the film assembles scenes from all over the island, spotlighting the different ways each community addresses its own recovery.

Landfall speaks to the often competing visions of post-María Puerto Rico’s future. Foregrounding the 72-billion-dollar debt crisis that predated the storm and worsened its impact, Aldarondo’s film explores the intertwining legacies of colonialism, exploitative industries and disaster capitalism and the barriers to recovery they create. As opportunists looking to make a profit descend upon the island, the Puerto Rican diaspora comes together to create unprecedented forms of community-led mutual aid when assistance from the federal government and traditional NGOs fails to appear.

"As a Puerto Rican from the diaspora, I watched Hurricane María unfold from afar while cut off from loved ones, including my grandmother who would die six months after the storm. Reeling from the debt crisis, which unleashed a wave of austerity, poverty and migration that María only intensified, the Puerto Rico depicted in Landfall is a laboratory for greed, privatization, gentrification, the dismantling of social services, and the devastating effects of climate change," said director Cecilia Aldarondo. She continued, "We may have a new President and Puerto Rico a new governor, but little has changed since María hit, as evidenced by the recent privatization of Puerto Rico's electric grid. The Puerto Rican people are still fighting to end the profit-driven policies that have proved disastrous ever since President Obama signed them into existence. In Landfall I wanted to balance a cautionary tale for our times, while also prioritizing a dignified image of Puerto Ricans who have banded together to fight for their sovereignty.”

"It was an absolute privilege to support Cecilia on this remarkable project. Her collaboration with Puerto Rico-based activist Lale Namerrow Pastor was a model of Puerto Rican solidarity, from the colony to the diaspora. By combining considerate and equitable filmmaking with artistic storytelling that challenges what is currently expected of documentaries, Landfall is setting the bar for our field," said producer Ines Hofmann Kanna.

As activists flood the streets to protest government corruption, Landfall finds an archipelago on the brink. While the future remains uncertain, Aldarondo captures the communal power of people fighting for autonomy over their lives. In posing the question of how we move forward in the wake of disaster, the celebratory mood in the streets offers the beginnings of an answer, one emerging from a growing demand for self-determination and a collective spirit.

“Cecilia’s masterpiece is both a sharp condemnation of the continued colonial exploitation of Puerto Rico and a warm embrace of the land and people. Rendered with a singular vision and deep affection, you’ll be swept into solidarity with these Puerto Ricans who resist and rebuild,” said Chris White, executive producer, POV.

Landfall is a co-production of POV and ITVS, in association with Latino Public Broadcasting.

Army of the Dead: A cutting- edge bloody thrill-ride

NETFLIX

Always bet on dead.
Zombies Tigers, Vegas oh MY

*Spoiler free

Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead is ultimately a gory blast and a fun exciting new take on the action- horror genre. What do you get when you cross Alpha Zombies, Vegas and a multi- million dollar heist ?!

Thanks to Netflix I got to watch an advanced screening of Zack Snyder’s eagerly-anticipated Netflix Film, Army of The Dead. This was my first time back in theaters in a year and a half since covid, and I’m so happy I attended. It was definitely worth the trip. From the vision of  filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) comes ARMY OF THE DEAD: a venturous and captivating new spin on the zombie genre with a splash of Oceans Eleven. Gore, comedy, guts, mayhem …& a Zombie Tiger ?!

After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever.

ARMY OF THE DEAD – (L-R) NORA ARNEZEDER as LILLY, SAMANTHA WIN as CHAMBERS, ANA DE LA REGUERA as CRUZ, DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD and OMARI HARDWICK as VANDEROHE (NETFLIX)

Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, and Omari Hardwick, Army of the Dead is not your typical zombie flick. Zack Snyder, who already has some experience with the undead (Dawn of the Dead) took a big risk bringing to life a horror/heist film. Think the Gentleman meets World War Z ! What a brilliant combo ! The thrilling dark twisted comedy also touches upon pandemics, coping with loss, capitalism, and the fight for human rights. The exciting eye- catching opening credits start off with a brilliant, vibrant and neon Vegas being overridden by an enormous zombie horde, a Zombie Elvis, and zombie exotic dancers as Vegas literally falls apart.

The film takes place a few years after a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in ruins and completely walled off from the rest of the world. We meet Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a displaced Vegas local, and former zombie war hero who’s now flipping burgers on the outskirts of town and is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) with an unexpected offer: 

Break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing’s for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all.

Why not?! What’s left to lose? Ward accepts the challenge, and assembles a misfit team of experts for the heist. We see some quality acting from Batista, and really get to see more range from him in his portrayal as Ward and his emotional interactions with his estranged daughter (Ella Purnell).

The film features a fantastic cast of characters all with unique personalities and stand out performances. Snyder nailed the typical trope elements from heist films giving each character a typical skill-set: the standard mechanic, getaway driver (in this case pilot), professional yeggman aka safecracker, a guide, highly trained gun-men, the guy no one trusts, and wait an Influencer ??!!

Courtesy of Netflix

The ragtag team of experts included:

-Maria Cruz (Ana de la Reguera), an ace mechanic and Ward’s old friend
-Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), a zombie killing machine
-Marianne Peters (Tig Notaro), a cynical helicopter pilot
-Mikey Guzman (Raúl Castillo), a go-for-broke influencer 
-Chambers (Samantha Win), Mikey’s ride-or-die
-Martin (Garret Dillahunt), the casino’s head of security
-A badass warrior known as the Coyote (Nora Arnezeder) 
-Burt Cummings (Theo Rossi), a slimy security guard
-A brilliant German safe cracker named Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer)

The eccentric team up was badass, ruthless, and definitely memorable. Throughout the film the cast was highly entertaining, had great on screen chemistry and worked really well off of each other. There were some genuine laughs from the audience thanks to some hilarious stand out moments from Matthias Schweighöfer, Omari Hardwick, and Tig Notaro. The humorous banter between tough guy Vanderohe (Omari) and genius Dieter (Matthias) really added a natural comedic tone to the film, and it was not forced at all. It really added depth to their characters and to the whole “heist squad” cliche. These two shared some of the best scenes.

Courtesy of NETFLIX

(Tig Notaro) played another stand-out character, Marianne Peters, the sarcastic and dry humored helicopter pilot, who actually didn’t even have that much screen time. Marianne was definitely a fun addition to the team after Notaro replaced comedian Chris D’Elia’s character after he was fired for reports of sexual misconduct. Instead of having to reshoot all those scenes, Snyder had to recreate every scene shot for shot with Notaro. Despite having this major setback, the CGI was extremely impressive, not even noticing her character was basically plugged in. (Why was a mustache so hard to fix cough cough?)

Replacing Chris D’Elia with Tig Notaro in “Army of the Dead” cost less than creating the film’s zombie tiger.

Some other note-worthy details of the film were all the memorable kills and deaths. There were so many bloody awesome scenes with well-deserved claps from the audience. The movie also features different types of zombies: without getting into any spoilers Army of the Dead has smart alpha zombies that somehow communicate amongst each other, warrior zombies, and hibernating zombies. Props to Snyder trying to give us more than your typical sluggish brainless zombies. He really got to express some creative freedom with this film. 

I am very big on all types of heist films (Heat, The Italian Job, Money Heist, Reservoir Dogs, Snatch, Baby Driver, Ocean’s Eleven etc.); This film does a pretty good job of balancing heist elements while maintaining its zombie action persona. It has plenty of stunts, explosions, blueprints and planning, team work, and heavy artillery. It was cool to see different villains and antagonists, also the Zombie tiger has a good amount of screen time and definitely lives up to expectations.

Courtesy of NetfliX

The only real question viewers have is how could that many zombies possibly be contained and kept to just Vegas. We also don’t know much about the spread aside from getting bitten, or about the cause of the virus outbreak, but the movie also sets up sequels!

Overall: 7/10

Army of the Dead is super enjoyable, not to be taken seriously and an exciting new take on the overdone Zombie craze. Aside from being a comedic horror/ action it actually showed some real human emotion and had some unexpected twists. The score was fantastic and the soundtrack pairs perfectly with every single scene. Definitely a fun time for any zombie fans.

Trailer:

Directed By | Zack Snyder
Story By | Zack Snyder
Written By | Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold
Produced By | Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller, Zack Snyder
Cast | Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Garret Dillahunt, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Huma S. Qureshi, Samantha Win, Richard Cetrone, Michael Cassidy

#ArmyOfTheDead
@NetflixFilm

Army of the Dead will hit select theaters on Friday, May 14 and Netflix on Friday, May 21.