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Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D

“Instead of engaging us with a good plot, Anderson turns Afterlife into a visual and audio showcase. The film is literally an hour and a half music video jam-packed with uninspired Nine Inch Nails riffs and drumbeats.”

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Over the past month I’ve been dogging on Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D, teasing the first footage that looked like nothing more than a feature-length music video. Heading into the theater, I was under no delusion as to what I was about to watch. I had seen the first three Resident Evil films, and while all were technically bad movies, they all entertained me to some extent. The same can be said about Afterlife, Anderson’s first venture into the world of 3-D that utilized James Cameron’s technology, and showed it off in a major way.

If you’ve seen one Resident Evil flick, you’ve seen ‘em all. In this plot-thin sequel, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is continuing her ever-lasting battle with Umbrella Corp. alongside a few new stereotypical friends. Boris Kodjoe is an ex-basketball star. He can jump super high; I’m not kidding. Wentworth Miller plays Chris Redfield, an untrustworthy ex-military officer whom ends up being totally trustworthy. Then there’s the ex-producer, who’s a total jerk-off and ends up being a bad guy, along with a few other potential zombie victims. They’re all paper thin, one-dimensional characters that have zero back story other than the stereotypes that come with their previous professions. It’s lazy writing and even lazier storytelling. It doesn’t help when the stars deliver their lines like they’d rather be sunbathing (I’m looking at you Ali Larter).

The storytelling has never been a strong suit in the RE films, so I expected at least to see some off-the-wall insane action. Afterlife opens with an amazing Matrix rip-off sequences where Alice (and her clones) have a hallway shootout with a bunch of Umbrella (Agents) employees. It ends with her diving out a window backwards (ala Carrie-Anne Moss) with guns flaring and buildings exploding. While completely unoriginal, Jovovich is so awe-inspiringly beautiful and graceful that she’s like a magnet puling your attention at every moment.

Unfortunately the action is far and few between. Anderson appears to get lost with his new toy (the 3-D technology) and spends a lot of time showing us how cool he can make a shot look by adding depth (the sequence on the beach is absolutely remarkable). And with any new technology, there’s a learning curve. While Anderson aces the majority of the film, there are a few moments where he drops the ball. In the end fight scene (another Matrix theft) where guns are blazing, and the lead villain (or Agent, if you will) is dodging the bullets, the depth is lost and it appears he’s not even moving.

Speaking of the 3-D, a huge applause to Sony Screen Gems and Anderson for utilizing Cameron’s technology, instead of opting for garbage post-conversion. Any horror fan that thinks Piranha 3D looks good, walk out of that garbage and then go directly into Afterlife to witness the awe-inducing nature of real 3-D. In short, Afterlife is STUNNING. Nearly every single frame is a work of art that showcases what the future might hold. But as I stated earlier, Anderson appears to get lost in this, as the flick quickly becomes nothing more than a bunch of cool scenes loosely strung together by an insufficient plot. While Anderson throws homage to (or rips off) Matrix, Aliens and even Dawn of the Dead, he fails to build a story; there’s absolutely nothing at stake, and even less for any of the characters to lose.

Instead of engaging us with a good plot, Anderson turns Afterlife into a visual and audio showcase. The film is literally an hour and a half music video jam-packed with uninspired Nine Inch Nails riffs and drumbeats. It reminded me of the ’80s when you’d hear the exact same song in a movie over and over, only they’d change is ever so slightly (you know, like slow it down, speed it up, or scream it with passion). The worst part about the score was how Anderson highlights it and introduces extremely weird sound cues. During the final fight sequence, the music booms until Anderson drops it completely to let one of the remaining character throw out a cheesy one-liner, and repeats literally 3 or 4 times. It’s an embarrassing mess of a finale that neither engages nor satisfies.

But if I had to highlight the sole problem with Afterlife it would be that it takes itself so f*cking seriously. It’s the fourth film, in 3-D, with no plot, and talentless actors (sans Milla Jovovich) – how can you look in a mirror and say, “This sh*t is for mother-f*cking real!” You can’t! It’s ridiculous! Had Anderson recognized what type of film he was making, injected a bit of fun (and humor) into the final product, and let a talented writer pen the screenplay, Resident Evil: Afterlife might easily have been transformed into one of this year’s must-see films. But as my mother used to say, there are no ifs, ands, or buts.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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‘Pandemic Sex Party’ Trailer – ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ Producer Slices into Influencers with Grindhouse Throwback

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AI has taken over the job market and most people have become either influencers or online sex workers in Pandemic Sex Party, a new horror film from producer Andy Gould (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, The Lords of Salem). Described as a throwback to the grindhouse exploitation cinema of the past, the official trailer has been unleashed this week.

Bloody Disgusting has learned that production has quietly begun on Pandemic Sex Party, about a masked maniac brutally crashing the titular bash. Writer/director Myles Erfurth says don’t let the title fool you… Pandemic Sex Party is a “balls-to-the-wall gritty horror flick and pure grindhouse terror.” Today, horror fans are being invited to join the party and participate in Pandemic Sex Party’s incentive-laden Indiegogo campaign, which is now live.

“When Myles Erfurth’s screenplay for Pandemic Sex Party came across my desk, I blazed through it in one sitting,” says Gould. “I was hooked from the start by its original mix of twisted horror and great characters, as well as its clever setting and set-up. But what really caught my attention was the blood-chilling character of The Rancher. Having worked with Rob Zombie on his classic horror films, I know a thing or two about memorable villains. The Rancher, Pandemic Sex Party’s savage killer, is a terrifying new slasher icon ready to be embraced by the horror world.”

The filmmakers pledge to recapture thrills of past exploitation gold. “As an homage to the glory day of grindhouse-style films, Pandemic Sex Party will not disappoint,” says Erfurth, whose previous feature film, The Silver Stream, was an interactive live-stream horror film that starred Bill Moseley and Ice Nine Kills.

“Our story takes place in the not-so-distant future. AI has taken over the majority of the job market, and the primary source of income for young people is that of a social media influencer or online model. Being on the verge of another pandemic, Sasha, a young video game streamer, heads off into the desert for the weekend to make ‘content’ with her online model friends: Tanya, Cash, Dream and her younger sister Cherry.”

Trouble awaits at the remote location. “Once arriving at the rental house dubbed ‘The Funny Ranch,’ the group slowly begins to realize things aren’t exactly as they seem,” music video veteran Erfurth continues. “They are soon met by The Rancher, a masked killer who has a vendetta against the newly-changing world, online influencers and online models alike.”

Erfurth further previews, “The majority of modern-day horror films have become sexually watered-down. Pandemic Sex Party is going to be a wild ride.”

Exclusively watch the trailer for Pandemic Sex Party below and head over to the crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo to pitch in and get perks including a walk-on role in the movie.

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