Editorials
[REVIEW] iam8bit’s “Resident Evil Escape Experience” is a Blast for Fans of the Series and Escape Rooms Alike
Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the test night of iam8bit‘s new “Resident Evil Escape Experience” (tickets) here in Los Angeles at their gallery in Echo Park. I’ve been trying to get over there since I moved to LA, but I haven’t been down that way too often, so I was very excited to not only experience the escape room, but to see the gallery as well. I’m pleased to say that neither disappointed.
The gallery itself is cozy, but spacious enough for people to walk around with comfortable chairs down the center and a small register in the back. I quickly learned that the escape experience takes up a much larger space in the back of the building. I walked in close to my call time, so after having a snack and checking out some of the awesome art hanging in the gallery, I was asked to sign a waiver and I was introduced to my team.
The best thing about escape rooms is that even if you do them with people you don’t know, they’re still fun because for the most part at least, nobody there doesn’t want to be there. This definitely proved to be true as we started the experience by being told we were new Umbrella Corporation recruits being tested. We were informed that we had 45 minutes to complete the experience, and that it was possible to fail. Despite the high stakes, my team worked together well and we were able to complete the room with two minutes to spare.
The experience itself is broken up into multiple rooms, each of them pulling from a different “Resident Evil” game. I won’t say which ones because that would ruin it for you, but I will say that they pulled from the best games in the series, as well as the “Resident Evil VII: Beginning Hour” demo which I think proved that “Resident Evil VII” could be the best in the series. My favorite bits were the ones where you had to line up objects and plug things into the wall rather than just unlocking boxes with keys, something that a lot of other escape rooms resort to.
After the experience, I got to walk through with the designer, Laura E. Hall, and she explained that the reasons she was watching us as we confidently stumbled our way through. First, she wanted to make sure everyone was having fun. It’s impossible to make a puzzle that’s perfectly tuned to everyone’s brain who tries it out, so if at any point we got stuck or started to look like we weren’t having fun, Laura was there to give us a subtle hint that didn’t give anything away and left us feeling intelligent if and when we finished the puzzle. Also, while she’s still in town getting things running smoothly at least, she’s actively altering the puzzles to make sure that they’re as balanced as possible. I was able to go back the next day, and I already saw the effects of some of the tiniest tweaks as other groups went through, and I thought that was awesome.
Now for the logistics. I was nervous that I’d be writing another review of a sold out event, but luckily more tickets were just added so if at this point it sounds interesting, you should go buy a ticket and come back. If you need some convincing, there’s fun things to do in the area that make a fun trip down to Echo Park worth it. First, the gallery itself is adorned with awesome “Resident Evil” art pieces that are available for sale. They didn’t take down any of the other art, though so you can also see some cool pictures and trinkets from some of the best games of the past few years while you’re there. Additionally, there’s a TV with a PS1 and the original “Resident Evil” set up for anyone to play, and I recommend it because it really gets you in the mood. Finally, Button Mash, an awesome barcade is just a ten-minute Uber/Lyft ride away, and it’s something I highly recommend checking out. If you go, get the cheeseburger. It’s incredible.
The “Resident Evil” Escape Experience runs through November 6th, and like I said, the new ticket additions are limited so you should act fast if you’re thinking of going. It makes for both a great way to get in the spirit of Halloween, but since it pulls from a scary series that takes place in every season throughout its long history, it’ll make a fun post-Halloween night out as well. Either way, this is one of the best events I’ve been to in Los Angeles, and I think it’s the perfect way to get yourself excited for “Resident Evil VII: Biohazard” which launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC this January.
Having grown up in a religious family, Christian movie night was something that happened a lot more often than I care to admit. However, back when I was a teenager, my parents showed up one night with an unusually cool-looking DVD of a movie that had been recommended to them by a church leader. Curious to see what new kind of evangelical propaganda my parents had rented this time, I proceeded to watch the film with them expecting a heavy-handed snoozefest.
To my surprise, I was a few minutes in when Denzel Washington proceeded to dismember a band of cannibal raiders when I realized that this was in fact a real movie. My mom was horrified by the flick’s extreme violence and dark subject matter, but I instantly became a fan of the Hughes Brothers’ faith-based 2010 thriller, The Book of Eli. And with the film’s atomic apocalypse having apparently taken place in 2024, I think this is the perfect time to dive into why this grim parable might also be entertaining for horror fans.
Originally penned by gaming journalist and The Walking Dead: The Game co-writer Gary Whitta, the spec script for The Book of Eli was already making waves back in 2007 when it appeared on the coveted Blacklist. It wasn’t long before Columbia and Warner Bros. snatched up the rights to the project, hiring From Hell directors Albert and Allen Hughes while also garnering attention from industry heavyweights like Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman.
After a series of revisions by Anthony Peckham meant to make the story more consumer-friendly, the picture was finally released in January of 2010, with the finished film following Denzel as a mysterious wanderer making his way across a post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book. Along the way, he encounters a run-down settlement controlled by Bill Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man desperate to get his hands on Eli’s book so he can motivate his underlings to expand his empire. Unwilling to let this power fall into the wrong hands, Eli embarks on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of his faith.
SO WHY IS IT WORTH WATCHING?
Judging by the film’s box-office success, mainstream audiences appear to have enjoyed the Hughes’ bleak vision of a future where everything went wrong, but critics were left divided by the flick’s trope-heavy narrative and unapologetic religious elements. And while I’ll be the first to admit that The Book of Eli isn’t particularly subtle or original, I appreciate the film’s earnest execution of familiar ideas.
For starters, I’d like to address the religious elephant in the room, as I understand the hesitation that some folks (myself included) might have about watching something that sounds like Christian propaganda. Faith does indeed play a huge part in the narrative here, but I’d argue that the film is more about the power of stories than a specific religion. The entire point of Oldman’s character is that he needs a unifying narrative that he can take advantage of in order to manipulate others, while Eli ultimately chooses to deliver his gift to a community of scholars. In fact, the movie even makes a point of placing the Bible in between equally culturally important books like the Torah and Quran, which I think is pretty poignant for a flick inspired by exploitation cinema.
Sure, the film has its fair share of logical inconsistencies (ranging from the extent of Eli’s Daredevil superpowers to his impossibly small Braille Bible), but I think the film more than makes up for these nitpicks with a genuine passion for classic post-apocalyptic cinema. Several critics accused the film of being a knockoff of superior productions, but I’d argue that both Whitta and the Hughes knowingly crafted a loving pastiche of genre influences like Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog.
Lastly, it’s no surprise that the cast here absolutely kicks ass. Denzel plays the title role of a stoic badass perfectly (going so far as to train with Bruce Lee’s protégée in order to perform his own stunts) while Oldman effortlessly assumes a surprisingly subdued yet incredibly intimidating persona. Even Mila Kunis is remarkably charming here, though I wish the script had taken the time to develop these secondary characters a little further. And hey, did I mention that Tom Waits is in this?
AND WHAT MAKES IT HORROR ADJACENT?
Denzel’s very first interaction with another human being in this movie results in a gory fight scene culminating in a face-off against a masked brute wielding a chainsaw (which he presumably uses to butcher travelers before eating them), so I think it’s safe to say that this dog-eat-dog vision of America will likely appeal to horror fans.
From diseased cannibals to hyper-violent motorcycle gangs roaming the wasteland, there’s plenty of disturbing R-rated material here – which is even more impressive when you remember that this story revolves around the bible. And while there are a few too many references to sexual assault for my taste, even if it does make sense in-universe, the flick does a great job of immersing you in this post-nuclear nightmare.
The excessively depressing color palette and obvious green screen effects may take some viewers out of the experience, but the beat-up and lived-in sets and costume design do their best to bring this dead world to life – which might just be the scariest part of the experience.
Ultimately, I believe your enjoyment of The Book of Eli will largely depend on how willing you are to overlook some ham-fisted biblical references in order to enjoy some brutal post-apocalyptic shenanigans. And while I can’t really blame folks who’d rather not deal with that, I think it would be a shame to miss out on a genuinely engaging thrill-ride because of one minor detail.
With that in mind, I’m incredibly curious to see what Whitta and the Hughes Brothers have planned for the upcoming prequel series starring John Boyega…
There’s no understating the importance of a balanced media diet, and since bloody and disgusting entertainment isn’t exclusive to the horror genre, we’ve come up with Horror Adjacent – a recurring column where we recommend non-horror movies that horror fans might enjoy.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Trap’ – Official Trailer Previews a Wild New Horror Experience from M. Night Shyamalan
‘The Exorcism’ – Russell Crowe Stars in Horror Movie Formerly Titled ‘The Georgetown Project’
You must be logged in to post a comment.