Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Zach Cregger is having a very busy couple of years. The Aunt Gladys Weapons prequel is in hand and he’s just handed in his Resident Evil movie. Out in the snowy wilds on the outskirts of Raccoon City, Alasdair’s noticed some footprints in the snow…

This trailer is largely context for the previous one and that’s honestly really nice. But there are still some interesting things to pull out here. Let’s take a look at them!

0.05 – It’s not a bite

I don’t think. But the fact that our hero is in what seems to be a county hospital one own over from Raccoon City makes me wonder if we might be getting a breakout or two…

0.26 – Smartphone

Oh, people are mad about this one. Our boy clearly has a smart phone, but Resident Evil 2, which this is adjacent to, is set in the 1990s. My suspicion is no explanation will be offered at all and the movie will finish with Zach Cregger leading a dance number called CANON IS A FOOL’S ERRAND.

It’s possible I may be projecting.

What’s far more likely is that they’re invoking Marvel logic. The gaps between events matter, but when the events happen doesn’t. So Tony Stark is hurt in Vietnam until he’s hurt in Afghanistan, that sort of thing.

1.23 – Where are the farmers?

I’m guessing they’re the awful, awful things we glimpse in the barn but this kind of drives home the point that the outbreak is already everywhere.

1.35 – Typewriter

I adore this. The typewriter in the original game was used to save your game. As others have said, if he just stayed in this room for the entire movie? He’d be fine!

1.46 – Running

Cregger is so good at this. Individual people moving with supernatural purpose in ways they shouldn’t. Love that the sound mix ramps up the footprints too.

1.56 – Civilian Hero

It’s a small thing but I love that our hero takes most of the trailer to load a shotgun. Austin Abrams has great ‘Just a little guy’ energy and that looks to be weaponised (HA!) here.

1.59 – Oh That’s Even MORE Wrong Now

That top pair of legs, I’m pretty sure, is new. I love this shot. It’s awful and I never want to see what’s attached to any of those limbs and I know we will. Hurray!

2.01 – MP5

Our boy arrives in Raccoon and has obviously tooled up a little bit. That’s an H&K MP5 submachine gun on a shoulder sling. A very efficient, very unpleasant weapon that looks modern, right?

It was rolled out in 1966.

So while this is going to make the ‘ANACHRONISM!’ folks yell it shouldn’t. I don’t know this stuff enough, and we don’t see it long enough, to nail the variant but the one thing I will say is, to the best of my knowledge, it is not available to the public. Which, if that is true, suggests our boy either runs into a STARS team or an Umbrella containment unit.

2.02 – Paul Walter Hauser!

Character actor, pro wrestler and excellent large person Paul Walter Hauser shows up briefly. Given that he seems to be in a large, armoured vehicle and a suit, I’m guessing he’s an Umbrella Corp representative who gets to do my favourite horror movie job; show up and tell everyone how much trouble they’re in.

2.02 – Cargo

Oh you clever boy, Mr Cregger. The whole time so far we’ve been locked in on the journey not the reason. This shot, of our boy opening what seems to be his transport case and not looking pleased, suggests that what he’s carrying may be very important not just to the client but to stopping the outbreak.

2.04 – Baby

OH GOD. It’s a baby’s hand. On too much baby arm.

2.09 – Blood Bags

Essentially life-sized blood bags, hurled from rooftops, achieved this shot. What a horrible thing. I love it.

2.12 – ‘You’ve got no idea what you have in your hands.’

Oh yeah, he’s transporting something REALLY bad.

Resident Evil is released 18th September.