Editorials
Break Out The ‘Resident Evil: Outbreak’ Remake
With the HD update of 2002’s Resident Evil REmake just over the horizon, I can’t help but feel the need to have a few of the more underappreciated RE titles from that era make a similar triumphant return.
An Editorial By Clark and Zac Thompson
Back in 2003, before the core Resident Evil games were forever changed from the classic format, series fanatics were treated to a truly unique and exhilarating experience that was Resident Evil Outbreak.
The game was truly a dream come true for this RE fan in a few pretty big ways. In the early core games of the series, where you routinely bump into, and occasionally fight alongside different support characters, the idea of these characters being controlled by a friend was something I’d routinely daydream about. That was now a reality.
In addition, Outbreak‘s setting, which was Raccoon City during the viral outbreak, gave players the opportunity to experience the area along with the early to late stages of the chaos culminating the the cities ultimate destruction, like never before.
However, the gameplay was a little stilted and disjointed. The core experience had the heart of Resident Evil but something felt off. Now that the online gaming community is exploding, there is no time like the present to make Outbreak a defining multiplayer experience through a crisp remake that would help pull the series back to it’s roots while taking the pulse of more modern gaming experiences.
The besieged Racoon City is the perfect setting to bring the heart of Resident Evil back to the series and the multiplayer experience of terror has yet to be perfected, but with Capcom in the drivers seat, I believe a RE Outbreak Remake could do the trick. There are the minor experiments in Resident Evil 5 and 6, but those feel like cheap examples compared to Outbreak.
To put it bluntly, Outbreak — along with its sequel — deliver on almost every level.
First of all, instead of just you and one other friend, game sessions were comprised of of four characters selected from a group of eight, each possessing their own strengths, weaknesses and special abilities. There was even melee combat and some mild weapon crafting, not to mention the ability to move with your weapon drawn.
The ten scenarios, five for each game, sprawled a great deal of interesting areas over the course the the mayhem. And best of all, it was all presented with the same dynamic camera angles that made the series famous, but in a fully 3D world. The end product feeling very similar to Resident Evil: Code Veronica in it’s visual aesthetic, with an added polish reminiscent of the Resident Evil REmake. It was a beautifully rich and atmospheric experience.
With all that in mind you’ve got the recipe for the perfect rebirth of the franchise. There is a certain magic to these scenarios that begs to be in a faster paced multiplayer world. With the introduction of full voice communication and tossing the predetermined vocal cues you can help create a more modern experience, but use it is a location based way that only allows those close to you to actually hear the things you’re saying.
That’s true horror, especially if you can’t tell someone’s dead, only to enter a room and hear screams of agony before their mic goes dead.
The game also had you exploring the underground facility from Resident Evil 2, the hospital from Nemesis, the underground tunnels, a burning hotel teeming with Lickers, Raccoon City University, a forest outside the city and my personal favorite, The Raccoon City Zoo.
If we want a rebirth of the magic of the first few installments are retooled Outbreak experience is the only answer. The games have always been about bands of survivors, and elevating the terror through friends will both increase the fear and fun. It allows Resident Evil to evolve in a new way, still keep a more action oriented pace that made it successful as of late, but still keep the roots of what made it great in the first place. Plus, you’ll still have zombies.
At the end of the day, both of these games were classic Resident Evil experiences that were largely swept under the rug. The gameplay, atmosphere, visuals, enemies and music were all fantastic. These titles truly deserved a wider audience, and with a few tweaks, mainly the addition of voice chat, and perhaps some new content, now would be the perfect time for an HD overhaul. Especially with the current popularity of co-op play, combined with faster connection speeds and the current love of gaming nostalgia.
Clark Thompson is a 31-year-old horror fanatic currently residing in Kelowna B.C. His main goals in life are to one day experience a zombie apocalypse, and/or undergo surgery to have his heart mounted on the exterior of his chest. You can reach him at clarkthomspon@yahoo.ca or on facebook Clorkwork Torange.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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