Interviews
[San Diego Comic-Con ’12] [Video] ‘Resident Evil: Retribution’ Panel, Interviews & Report!
Taking the San Diego Comic-Con by storm was Sony Scren Gems who was on hand to share new footage from their forthcoming Resident Evil: Retrubition, in theaters September 28.
Appearing in person were stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Oded Fehr, Boris Kodjoe, Mika Nakashima and writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson. Inside you’ll find Evan Dickson’s recap alongside video of the entire panel, and video interviews with stars Jovovich and Nakashima.
In Resident Evil: Retribution, “we learn more about Alice’s mysterious past as she continues to hunt those at The Umbrella Corporation responsible for the T-virus outbreak, a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, including the return of Michelle Rodriguez as Rain Ocampo, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion.“
Before the big Sony panel Resident Evil: Retribution took the stage. The highly anticipated sequel from Screen Gems promised to be the biggest and most expansive entry yet when I visited the Toronto set late last year. And, on that front, the footage didn’t disappoint.
First, director Paul W.S. Anderson came onstage to introduce the footage and the scope was something he brought up as well. The first thing show was the second trailer for the film, the one that you’ve all seen that features Milla Jovovich and Oded Fehr in a domestic morning setting – as if the zombie apocalypse never happened. It never struck me before how much this particular sequence seems to be influenced by the James Gunn/Zack Snyder Dawn Of The Dead. Regardless, the 3D looked actually looked excellent. This film was shot in the format and you can tell. There’s simply no comparison between the real thing and a post-convert.
After that the cast was brought out. Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Michelle Rodriguez and Boris Kodjoe took the stage and answered what were pretty much honestly the most generic questions over and over again. Fan questions at Con tend to err on the softball side and usually include a lot of life history (“I grew up loving your stuff”). Oh wait – did I forget to mention the guy in the Buzz Lightyear outfit who asked Michelle Rodriguez if she would “have sex with him?” Yeah, that happened. She handled it well though – comparing him to a creepy neighbor she once had.
Next up was the main feature. A sizable chunk of the film’s climactic sequence. I actually saw this scene being shot when I visited the set and the footage looked every bit as fun and colorful as I expected. It takes place on an ice floe, with Alice and her cohorts on a tundra-esque landscape facing off against an evil Sienna Guillory and Michelle Rodriguez in order to rescue Bingbing Li’s Ada Wong. Right before things erupt into gunfire Rodriguez’s Rain injects herself with the Las Plagas virus. This allows the ensuing gunfight to riddle her with bullets that her body absorbs and ultimately discharges through her fingers. Some intense fighting ensues with some plenty of weaponry being directed at the screen to take advantage of the 3D.
Ultimately what I saw looked pretty cool. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Resident Evil franchise, but this one legitimately does look better than the others. It’s colorful, cartoony, violent and past-paced. I certainly imagine that this will be the entry I like more than any other.
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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