Tribeca Games Spotlight: All the extraordinary Video Games at the 2022 Tribeca Games Showcase

Otakus and Geeks got to attend the Tribeca Press Preview days for Tribeca Games and experience playable demos of the upcoming featured games. This year’s Festival features 9 official Games selections that demonstrate phenomenal storytelling, art, and innovation through interactive experiences. Festival goers will be the first to experience a playable Games Gallery at Spring Studios, featuring demos, art, and artifacts for this year’s selections, which include: American Arcadia, As Dusk Falls, The Cub, Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course, IMMORTALITY, OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Thirsty Suitors and Venba.

I got to play and experience each of these game selections, and also speak with some of the creators. Every single one of these games was intriguing, well- thought out and completely original. A game that completely caught my attention is the new thriller “As Dusk Falls” coming from X-Box Studios, this game is going to be a literal game-changer.
You can check my coverage here!

Check out all of the Tribeca Games Selections Below:

Tribeca Games at the Tribeca Festival celebrates the convergence of games, entertainment and culture, highlighting the storytelling, art and innovation of games. Tribeca champions every frontier in the art of storytelling, and video games are at the forefront of pushing narrative to ever greater heights. 

Our advisory board of visionary leaders in both the film and games industry champion Tribeca’s power in shaping the future of games as a powerful form of storytelling.

The festival kicked off with the Tribeca Games Spotlight, a digital showcase featuring exclusive gameplay and creator interviews from Tribeca’s official selections co-hosted by Janina Gavankar, Rahul Kohli, and Abubakar Salim. (June 10th) www.tribecafilm.com/games

American Arcadia (Out of the Blue Studios / Raw Fury)
Action, Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction, Technology

Welcome to Arcadia! A 70s retro-futuristic metropolis where all of its citizens enjoy a life of luxury and comfort… unaware that they’re being broadcast live 24/7! Arcadia is not an ordinary city, but the most-watched reality show on the planet—where a drop in popularity ratings comes at the highest cost: death. Uncover the truth and escape with your life from a televised utopia in Out of the Blue’s brand new puzzle platformer game.

As Dusk Falls (INTERIOR/NIGHT / Xbox Game Studios)
Drama, Thriller *Mature

As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong in small town Arizona, the choices you make have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives in this uncompromising story of betrayal, sacrifice and resilience.

The Cub (Demagog Studio / Untold Tales)
Action, Environmental, Music, Science Fiction

Welcome to Earth after The Great Climate Catastrophe, where only the ultra-rich managed to evacuate to Mars. Decades have passed and those on Mars venture back to Earth to collect specimens like a safari hunt. As the Cub, a mutant orphan immune to the toxins that killed off most of humanity, players will be relentlessly hunted by a science expedition and must run to safety amongst the ruins of Earth. Featuring an original soundtrack program, Radio Nostalgia from Mars.

Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course (Studio MDHR)
Animation, Action

Another helping of classic Cuphead action awaits you in Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course. Brothers Cuphead and Mugman are joined by the clever, adventurous Ms. Chalice for a rollicking adventure on a previously undiscovered Inkwell Isle. With the aid of new weapons, magical charms, and Ms. Chalice’s unique abilities, assist the jolly Chef Saltbaker and take on a new cast of fearsome, larger-than-life bosses in Cuphead’s final challenging quest.

IMMORTALITY (Half Mermaid Productions)
Experimental, Horror, Thriller, Art, Mystery *Mature

Marissa Marcel was a film star. She made three movies. But none of the movies were ever released. And then Marissa Marcel disappeared.

After discovering rare footage from her three lost movies—Ambrosio (1968), Minsky (1970) and Two of Everything (1999)—award winning Game Director Sam Barlow (Her Story, Telling Lies) has assembled an interactive trilogy in which players can explore the legend of Marissa Marcel through her work.

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals (Night School Studio / Netflix)
Animation, Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is the mind-bending follow-up to the critically-acclaimed narrative adventure game OXENFREE from Night School Studio. In the small coastal town of Camena, unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves are causing interference with electrical and radio equipment. Reluctantly, Riley Poverly returns to her hometown to investigate the mystery. What she finds is more than she bargained for.

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo Studio / Focus Entertainment)
Horror, Action, Women, Drama, Thriller, Mystery

This direct sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence follows Amicia and her brother Hugo on a heartrending journey into a breathtaking, brutal medieval world twisted by supernatural forces as they discover the cost of saving loved ones in a desperate struggle for survival. Strike from the shadows or unleash hell, and overcome foes and challenges with a variety of weapons, tools, and unearthly powers. A Plague Tale : Requiem will be released in 2022 on consoles and PC.

Thirsty Suitors (Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive)
Action, Women, Comedy, Drama, LGBTQIA, Romance, Asian Diaspora Stories

Jala is a young woman returning home for her sister’s wedding and confronting her past. With wildly varied gameplay, Jala will fight skate punks, random suitors, and ultimately, her exes, in the ultimate battle to heal old hurts and ignite new truths, bringing Jala closer to understanding what she wants from her future. Can she learn to love herself and heal the wounds of her past?

Venba (Visai Games)
Animation, Experimental, Food, Asian Diaspora Stories

Venba is a narrative cooking game centered around an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes, restore lost recipes, engage in branching conversations, and explore a story about family, love, loss and more.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0: Interviews with the cast!!

Crunchyroll

I had the opportunity to interview the English voice cast for the upcoming JUJUTSU KAISEN Movie!!

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 follows Yuta Okkotsu, a nervous high school student, who enrolls in the mysterious Tokyo Jujutsu High School under the guidance of Satoru Gojo after being haunted by the curse of his childhood friend. The film is based on JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (JUMP COMICS / Shueisha), a prequel manga to the smash hit supernatural adventure series from Gege Akutami.

• Satoru Gojo – Kaiji Tang

• Suguru Geto – Lex Lang

• Maki Zen’in- Allegra Clark

• Toge Inumaki – Xander Mobus

• Panda – Matthew David Rudd

• Yuta Okkotsu – Kayleigh McKee

• Rika Orimoto – Anairis Quiñones

Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Movie Review up on OTAKUS & GEEKS

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 releases in theaters March 18, subbed & dubbed, with tickets available NOW. Fans don’t need to be caught up with the manga or series to enjoy the movie! 

Follow @crunchyroll on IG/TW/FB/TT for more exclusive content and info about #jjk0movie

Is “The Batman” the best Batman film or the most authentic film to the Batman mythos?

*Contains spoilers 

The Batman is a gritty psychological crime thriller featuring the most Gotham-esqe Gotham we’ve seen yet.

Matt Reeves wowed audiences with his grounded interpretation of the caped crusader. The film was gritty, suspenseful and incredibly shot, and possibly one of the best live-action stories we’ve seen yet. The film does a great job displaying Bruce’s detective skills as the film is shot like a gruesome crime mystery reminiscent of the film Seven. The Batman perfectly captures the essence of Gotham and its overall dark corruption. The film puts a heavier emphasis on the criminal underworld and its connections to the elite. This is where the film perfectly encapsulates the world of Gotham. 

The film stars Robert Pattinson as a young inexperienced Bruce Wayne, who ventures into Gotham City’s underworld to track down a sadistic killer leaving behind cryptic clues and a trail of bodies. Batman partners with the most trustworthy cop Lt. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and an unlikely ally Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), to gather evidence and unmask the culprit while bringing justice to the corrupt streets plaguing Gotham. The entire cast is phenomenal, with standout performances by villains The Penguin (Colin Farrell) and the main antagonist Riddler (Paul Dano). Zoe oozes Selina Kyle, and Robert Pattinson proves to fans that he is worthy of the cowl. But is this movie the best iteration of Batman?

The Batman hands down features the best story-telling we’ve seen yet in a live-action Batman film. It is the best contained Gotham story as threats were just limited to Gotham City with Batman earning his rank as Gotham’s protector. This isn’t an origin story, or even an established Batman yet, as it takes place only two years into Bruce donning the cape. It is heavily focused on Bruce’s early career as the Bat as he is still learning who he is inside and outside of the cape. The film draws inspiration from numerous Batman comics and media, as you can tell Reeves studied his source material. The movie highlights a young and unrefined Batman, similar to the PS3 game Arkham Origins as it takes place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals and it centers on his early days as a crime fighter, meeting many key characters on his path to becoming the Dark Knight. 

Pattinson gave a stellar performance as an unhinged and inexperienced Batman. His Batman was gritty, real and sorrowful. He was full of rage, and always ready to let loose, but what ultimately stood out was his fear. We saw real fear on his face when he was hesitant to jump off the Police Department roof. This is a version of Batman we haven’t really seen on screen. He also injured himself numerous times and got manhandled throughout the film. One can argue there was no distinction between his portrayal of Bruce and Batman, but isn’t that what made this film work? He hasn’t come into his full Bruce Wayne “persona” yet either. We could potentially see this addressed later as his character develops. In a sequel we may see a much more refined, clean-cut Philanthropist Bruce Wayne. 

While the movie executed his inexperience fairly well, it didn’t explain how he got where he is now. We don’t need the typical alleyway murder or falling into a cave of bats but it did skip around important details. Alfred hinted at training Bruce, but has he had any professional training yet? If not, how did he pull the infamous ninja disappearing act? He also isn’t fully equipped with Bat-Tech yet, but he did have some very impressive high-level tech like the contacts camera. This brings up so many questions. What kind of professional training has he had yet? There was no mention of the League of Assassins (could this be part of a sequel). Did Alfred train Bruce so far, does he know Lucius Fox? How did he build these gadgets and the Batmobile? How did he conquer his fear of Bats? 

On to the CAT. Zoe Kravitz was perfectly cast as the whip-carrying burglar, adversary/ lover of Batman. Her mannerisms were precisely spot-on and she exudes the confidence of Selina/Catwoman. She was adventurous, sexy, dark and mysterious. The movie eluded to her abandonment issues and troubled past with an interesting backstory of her mother’s murder by her father, who is later revealed to be the infamous Crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

While Kravitz nailed her role as the infamous Selina Kyle, the Bat/Cat love story was a bit underdeveloped. Their connection was a bit rushed as the film established their romance too quickly. We get Selina and Bruce are two broken people but their connection felt forced before establishing real chemistry. There should have been only one kiss and the prolonged going separate ways could’ve been shortened to emphasize a more effective goodbye. 

Overall, Selina Kyle had a much bigger part in the film than necessary as the movie didn’t elude enough to her mystery and crime- ridden lifestyle. She also could have been given better fight scenes as the jump cuts were poorly done which we’ll get more into effects later.

This time around, we didn’t get enough Alfred, (Andy Serkis). Hopefully we’ll see more of him in future sequels and learn more about his history with the circus and his training with Bruce. It seems as if they will have a much stronger relationship going forward after his tragic close call with death. However, we did get alot of Gordon/ Bat action. This duo worked so flawlessly together and Jeffrey Wright gave a noteworthy performance as Batman’s very important accomplice Jim Gordon as they try to take down the masked killer terrorizing Gotham.

Now onto the villains, who were magnificent, terrifying and possibly the best part of this film. The Riddler AKA Enigma not only terrorizes Gotham, but he forces Batman to face unsettling truths about his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne. The Riddler isn’t typically one of Batman’s top adversaries, and is open to interpretation. We have seen different versions of Edward Nygma, as moviegoers can recall Jim Carrey’s manic yet comedic version. Dano plays The Riddler in a much more serious manner, as a serial killer comparable to the Jigsaw Killer (SAW) , The Zodiac killer, or John Doe (Se7en) as he captures his victims in elaborate death traps. This interpretation is more familiar to fans of the video-game TellTale Games Batman: The Enemy Within, with its very dark depiction and humorless Edward Nygma. His suit in the movie also has a likeness to the henchman in the game. Riddler was one of the first “supervillains terrorizing” Gotham City and the central antagonist. Dano’s Riddler was sadistic, arrogant, and believed himself to be superior to his victims. He toyed with Batman and his pursuers leaving elaborate clues and puzzles at his crimes. He was willing to kill, and would acknowledge those who could successfully match his intellect. The USB thumb drive was pure genius and a perfect example of The Riddlers sordid games.

THE BATMAN Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Another outstanding performance was Colin Farrell’s performance as Ozwald/ The Penguin. Farrell was almost unrecognizable as the crime boss slimely making his way to the top of Gotham’s crime syndicate. His voice, demeanor, perfectly captured the sleaziness of Ozwald. Can’t wait to see more of him, with word of a potential TV series coming to Max.

While the story, the cast and the cinematography were astounding. There were a couple gripes I had about the film. I mentioned the jump cuts. Some of the fight scenes could have been executed better, as some of the characters in a flash would be in a different position taking away from the fight making it less believable. This isn’t on the cast but the way the scenes were essentially shot. The musical score was outstanding, but a bit distracting at moments where it took away from the scene. This caused some missed emotional moments, such as Batman essentially electrocuting himself to save those drowning below. Though the music was integral it took you out of important scenes. I didn’t feel the connection when Bruce was saving the people in the water, this scene should’ve had audio without music. Another missed moment was the joker Arkham scene. This entire scene was unnecessary and added to an already long run-time. Aside from some missed emotional moments this movie is spectacular. 

Overall, Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser have given fans the best live-adaptation of Gotham City we’ve seen yet and a fantastic fan service to the world’s greatest detective. Gotham City plays a key role in The Batman as he not only lurks in the shadows, but its city is full of evil, the downtrodden and the oppressed. The Batman may be an even more realistic take than the stellar The Dark Knight Trilogy, so fans are curious to see how they will handle future Batman’s rogues gallery. Pattinson may or may not be your favorite to put on the cowl, but it’s definitely a great Batman film. By the end of the movie we see his evolution as he learns he can’t just be “Vengeance” and feared by criminals, but that he has to be a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham.

Overall: 8.5/ 10

Stunning Cinematography, Stellar cast
Dark, suspenseful and cunning 
Best live-action depiction of Gotham City
Great introduction to 2nd Year Batman

Also check out my joint Video review with Big Gold Belt & The Nerd Blast!

Release date: March 4, 2022 (USA)

PIRATE QUEENS the Dauntless Women who Dared to Rule the High Seas (Interview with Creators)

PIRATE QUEENS (NatGeo) Interview with creators Sara Woolley and Leigh Lewis

This incredible nonfiction project, tells the story of six different women from six different cultures who turn to piracy and RULED their day! Each one has elaborate illustrations which recreate their lives, an original poem, factual information, maps, and photos galore! 

I loved everything about this book, from learning about how a female pirate had fleets with literally thousands more than Blackbeard, to a female pirate essentially setting the stage for Vikings centuries later, and how female pirates successfully commanded ships through some of the most significant battles! Pirate Queens features a stunning cover and vibrant intricate artwork by award winning children’s book illustrator and comic artist Sara Woolley, who had to go through an extensive process to ensure both cultural and historical accuracy. Her beautiful hand-painted and digital paintings paired beautifully with Leigh Lewis’ writing and vision. Leigh tells the story of this 6 incredible women in such an interesting way that you want to dive in and learn all about these powerful warriors andtheir adventures.

Each pirate profile includes gorgeous full-color portraits, an original poem and fascinating information about the real life stories of these 6 extraordinary pirates. Sara and Leigh worked with some of the world’s leading experts and historians to make sure everything is accurate and properly represented. 

Pirate Queens tells the true incredible stories about 6 pirate women throughout ancient history. These powerful females are among some of the most fearsome pirates in history so why don’t we know more about these women ? 

Catch us discuss these powerful women, the creators process/inspiration/challenges, the importance of telling these stories, and how we can continue using art such as poetry, comics, and children’s books as a platform to teach important lessons. (Full-length Interview above)

Written by: Leigh Lewis @leighwriting
Illustrated by: Sara Gomez Woolley @saritajeanine

Meet the Queens

Pirate Queens: (NAT GEO)

Artemisia of Caria, Anne Bonny, Sayyida al Hurrah, Sela, Grace O’Malley, and Ching Shih

“Most powerful pirate ever to have lived was a woman named Ching Shih, who dominated the South China Sea some 200 years ago.” She reigned over 80,000 men and women, the largest pirate fleet ever assembled. 

-Pirate Queens (NATGEO)

This book is perfect for any history lovers, pirate fans, kids curious about adventures, parents that want to show their kids/teens what textbooks neglect to highlight, or for any female that wants to explore female empowerment and leadership. 

About the Creators:

LEIGH LEWIS is a children’s writer and poet who has been “playing pirates” since she could walk. She does her best work in loud cafes, on long journeys, or in bed, late at night while everyone else sleeps. Her adventures on the high seas have enabled her to call many places “home,” including Turkey, Greece, England, and Russia, as well as cities all over the United States. Eventually, Lewis navigated her way back to her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where she spends her time dreaming up stories for kids of all ages.

SARA GÓMEZ WOOLLEY is an award-winning children’s book illustrator whose clients include Scholastic, Random House, and more. Her recent children’s book, Charlotte and the Quiet Place, received a Foreword Reviews 2015 Book of the Year Gold Medal, an IPPY Award Silver Medal, and has been featured in Creative Quarterly’s Journal of Art & Design.

PIRATE QUEENS the Dauntless Women who Dared to Rule the High Seas, written by @leighwriting and illustrated by @saritajeanine is available NOW!

Pirate Queens (NATGEO)

Get Your copy HERE:

HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH & Hogwarts Orb Unboxing!

HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH Sculpture (The Bradford Exchange) ($199.99)

HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH Sculpture: https://bit.ly/3mtxw23

GOLDEN SNITCH™ sculpture from The Bradford Exchange features: -Capture the magic of HARRY POTTER™ and the thrills of QUIDDITCH™ with the HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH™

GOLDEN SNITCH™ sculpture from The Bradford Exchange features: -Capture the magic of HARRY POTTER™ and the thrills of QUIDDITCH™ with the HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH™

This exclusive collectible GOLDEN SNITCH™ sculpture from The Bradford Exchange features: -Capture the magic of HARRY POTTER™ and the thrills of QUIDDITCH™ with the HARRY POTTER Levitating GOLDEN SNITCH™ Sculpture, exclusively from The Bradford Exchange -This levitating sculpture features a gleaming, winged recreation of the GOLDEN SNITCH that floats and rotates in mid-air with the innovative use of electro magnets 

-The base showcases crests of the four iconic HOGWARTS™ houses: GRYFFINDOR™, HUFFLEPUFF™, RAVENCLAW™, and SLYTHERIN™, as well as the HOGWARTS crest

-It lights up! At the flip of a switch, the base lights up with blue LED lights that glow at the top of the base and the perimeter -Makes for a must-have HARRY POTTER collectible for fans of the magical series 

-Edition limited to 295 casting days, so order now! 

-Certificate of Authenticity 

-SNITCH measures 2-1/4″ W; 7″ W with wings; 5.7 cm W; 17.8 cm with wings; base measures 2″ H x 6″ in diameter; 5.1 cm H x 15.2 cm in diameter 

Price: $199.99 US s&s◇ $25.99 US Available in 4 installments

Laser-Etched Glass Orb Lights Up With HOGWARTS House Colors (The Bradford Exchange) ($119.97)

HOGWARTS Laser-Etched Glass Sculpture: https://bit.ly/306R7h3

This collectible HARRY POTTER™ HOGWARTS™ glass orb sculpture from The Hamilton Collection features: -Display an enchanting celebration of all 4 HOGWARTS™ Houses with the HOGWARTS Laser-Etched Glass Sculpture, available only from the Hamilton Collection

-Officially licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. -Over one million laser points recreate a fully 3D, laser-etched image of HOGWARTS School of Witchcraft and Wizardry right in the center of the optically pure glass orb sculpture

-Color-changing lights! The glass orb illuminates with the rotating colors of each of the 4 Houses – including scarlet for Gryffindor™, yellow for Hufflepuff™, blue for Ravenclaw™ and green for Slytherin™ 

-Hand-painted in a sleek metallic gold-tone, the base of this HOGWARTS sculpture is masterfully crafted to resemble the sought-after House Cup bearing the official HOGWARTS coat of arms

-This HARRY POTTER™ collectible makes an impressive keepsake and gift for all witches, wizards and Muggles alike

-Requires 3 “AAA” batteries (not included) 

-Edition limited to 95 casting days, so order now! 

-Hand-numbered with matching Certificate of Authenticity 

-Measures 4-1/2″ W x 5-3/4″ H; 11.4 cm W x 14.6 cm H 

Price: $119.97US s&s◇ $17.99 US Available in 3 installments

Click Here to Check Out My Holiday Gift Guide for more Geeky Gift Ideas this season!!

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!!

Smart Girl – Gotham Geek Girl – Fernando Dagnino Interview

ON SALE November 9 2021

Dagnino debuts his stunning story about a rogue android who has become self-aware and discovers what it means to be alive.

I had the pleasure of checking out an advanced copy and interviewing Fernando Dagnino, the creator and illustrator of Smart Girl the Sci Fi action/ adventure series from Titan Comics. Fernando has drawn for series such as Superman, Wonder Woman, J.L. , Tarzan and the planet of the Apes, Blade Runner, as well as his own creator owned series. Smart Girl the graphic novel series, hardcover hits stores Nov. 9th ! 

In a world of smart cars, smart homes and smart droids, what happens when humans are enslaved by their own creation? SMART GIRL delves into the futuristic world of tech giants, conspiracies, and self- aware androids that are programmed to love, have fears, beliefs and devotions all downloaded into their minds. The beautifully drawn black & white pages along with this intricate story, display the cruel treatment droids suffer and observes human behaviors. Fans of Detroit Become Human and Westworld would definitely be into this series!

TITAN COMICS

In the near future, tech giant Gorgona holds a monopoly on computer-human interfaces known as Schemata. These androids have become ubiquitous with everyday life across the world.

Yuki, un-affectionately called ‘scrappy’ by her owner, is a Smart Girl – an android servant used for everything from security and domestics to carnal pleasure. When she starts to malfunction, she is soon to be replaced and destroyed. But something in her changes, and Yuki doesn’t accept her end, instead, she becomes self-aware…
 
Taking a stand against her abusive master, Yuki goes on the run. Believed to be defective and hostile, she is hunted by Gorgona, and plans to fight back for the only thing that truly matters – her right to life and freedom.

https://titan-comics.com/c/1681-smart-girl/?utm_source=timeline&utm_medium=rss

Creator: Fernando Dagnino 
Publisher: Titan Comics
Hardcover, 208pp, $29.99, £26.99
On sale November 2021
ISBN: 9781787737198

About the Creator: Fernando Dagnino is a Spanish artist who has worked as a comic book illustrator for many publishers, including DC and Marvel. Dagnino worked for The Walt Disney Company’s Imagineers designing an attraction permanently exhibited in Florida. In 2008, Dagnino abandoned the advertising industry to start to work for DC Comics exclusively. That same year he published his first children’s book (Kasandra y la Rebelión de los niños). Dagnino became the regular penciller of the comic Superman with issue #692. He also did the art for the Green Lantern Prequel Special: Sinestro #1. As part of DC Comics’ company-wide 2011 title relaunch, The New 52, Dagnino was made the artist on Resurrection Man. He subsequently took over art duties on Suicide Squad, beginning with issue #9. In 2020, Dagnino was assigned as the artist for Titan’s Blade Runner: Origins comic.

Tribeca Games Spotlight: All the extraordinary Video Games at the 2021 Tribeca Games Showcase

The Tribeca Official Showcase included eight games from small developers (including some that have the backing of large publishers) coming to both PC and consoles. Festival-goers can virtually demo these games, and watch the entire showcase in the Tribeca Games Spotlight stream! (see video below)

Tribeca Games at the Tribeca Festival celebrates the convergence of games, entertainment and culture, highlighting the storytelling, art and innovation of games. Tribeca champions every frontier in the art of storytelling, and video games are at the forefront of pushing narrative to ever greater heights. 

Our advisory board of visionary leaders in both the film and games industry champion Tribeca’s power in shaping the future of games as a powerful form of storytelling.

The festival kicked off with the Tribeca Games Spotlight featuring a line-up of creator interviews, appearances by special guests, and exclusive gameplay from the eight official selections:

Harold Halibut, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Lost In Random, NORCO, Sable, Signalis, The Big Con and Twelve Minutes. Game fans had the opportunity to virtually catch the new Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ trailer, and hear from such celebrities and gaming industry luminaries as Guillermo del Toro, Khalief Adams, Neill Blomkamp, Japanese Breakfast, Tanya DePass, Reggie Fils-Aimé, Bing Gordon, Melissa Joan Hart, Geoff Keighley, Hideo Kojima, Sam Lake, James McAvoy, Norman Reedus, Kiki Wolfkill, Elijah Wood and Jen Zee.

Catch the Spotlight Here!

Tribeca Games Spotlight digital showcase on Friday, June 11 at 2pm ET! We’re celebrating Tribeca Games’ first-ever full games lineup. The digital showcase will feature creator interviews, appearances by special guests, and exclusive gameplay from our 8 Official Selections. Stream it right here on YouTube, as well as Twitch and Facebook. Learn more about Tribeca Games, sign up for demo sessions, and check out how we’re celebrating the innovative art and storytelling of games. https://tribecafilm.com/games For everything Tribeca, head over to https://tribecafilm.com and follow us: https://twitter.com/TribecaFilmFest https://instagram.com/tribeca