I found an interesting article from before the first Resident Evil movie came out

[Deathlygasm]

It even includes some interview questions with Romero. Also touches a little on after firing going as far to say "the monsters will be the same"......yea that sure happened

http://hem.passagen.se/golge/resident_evil.htm

[Rombie]

A lot of that is rumours from the time, but the Talk City stuff is quoted accurately and matched the script I got my hands on a decade or so ago (which is online). As is the EGM stuff with Okamoto. But the comment about the monsters being the same was just speculative comment from the person who made the website you linked to.

If you wait a little there is an article I've done for Biohaze which chronicles the original production which hopefully Yama will have up soon. It has all sorts of info and links to early articles included.

[Deathlygasm]

Yes sir that'd be great if I could see it!

[jam287]

A lot of that is rumours from the time, but the Talk City stuff is quoted accurately and matched the script I got my hands on a decade or so ago (which is online). As is the EGM stuff with Okamoto. But the comment about the monsters being the same was just speculative comment from the person who made the website you linked to.

If you wait a little there is an article I've done for Biohaze which chronicles the original production which hopefully Yama will have up soon. It has all sorts of info and links to early articles included.

I remember reading that script a long time ago, it was closer to the games than the released film but it would have been a terrible movie.

[J0shuaKane]

to say it would have been a terrible movie cannot be accurate based on the script. movies go through countless changes during the whole production process.

as far as the firing, what does capcom know of a good script? look at the live-action shit they produce. its fuckin sad man.

romero, despite his newer works, is a zombie film god. the original living dead trilogy has yet to have any zombie movies on their level. he is the only film maker i have seen actually pull off a serious zombie film. dawn,day, and the dead next door all had the majority of the main cast some kind of special forces. i think he could have made another masterpiece. after all, his movies inspired alot of the early series. hell, he invented non-voodoo zombies! firing him was a tragedy, and the first step the franchise took away from horror, and down the path its on now. /rant

[EVIL-WEBBY]

he is the only film maker i have seen actually pull off a serious zombie film. dawn,day, and the dead next door all had the majority of the main cast some kind of special forces. i think he could have made another masterpiece.

you do know he didnt make 'the dead next door' that was a low budget video release. and dawn wasnt that serious it was alot of humor and then some, Day was awesome though, one of my favs

[Scream]

Around the time of the first RE movie was funnily enough the golden period of RE for me.. it was like a fresh continent waiting to be explored. Ohhh happy times. Now everything is known and everyone loves RE and there's tons of game projects/movie projects etc... I supposed I should be happy, but I miss those early days..

And in regards to the movies, I don't think it was really hated until the 2nd one.. the first one was actually pretty good as a stand alone flick IMO. I liked it anyway when it was first released. If they had made the Romero one I wonder if I would even enjoy it ("hey, this is the part with Plant 42".. "yup and now tyrant meets rocket launcher" etc).. But we all want to see a mansion RE movie sometime definitely.

[Rombie]

I can tell you unequivocally that the first movie was hated before it even came out. The reaction to the both the announcement of it as a miltary thriller with a homicidal super computer in the first Anderson attachment and the casting call prior to the film coming out went down in the community like a cup of cold sick. I'd say more but I would just be repeating what I have in the feature I wrote. Just awaiting its posting.

[Scream]

I can tell you unequivocally that the first movie was hated before it even came out. The reaction to the both the announcement of it as a miltary thriller with a homicidal super computer in the first Anderson attachment and the casting call prior to the film coming out went down in the community like a cup of cold sick. I'd say more but I would just be repeating what I have in the feature I wrote. Just awaiting its posting.

To be honest I think the whole evaluating of previews of movies and casting call lists etc is nonsense and a waste of time (same applies to games I think), just watch the damn movie (unless you have some monetary reason for evaluating it beforehand).

I enjoyed it for what it was and the ending was cool. I was really liking PA at the time because of Event Horizon one of my favourite movies, so perhaps that is why I can definitely understand your point though.

[Rombie]

Retrospectively the first film is the best to me as well, the interesting aspects in regards to both the announcement and the casting call - again in retrospect - is how correct they were to the finished product. The call in particular actual spoils several major events in the film. Of course no one knew that at the time. The almost universal negative reaction was simple and justified on what was unofficial and official. The announcements just had nothing to do with Resident Evil and really even when you watch the finished film the links are tenuous. And intentionally so, as interviews with Paul and Milla over the years have shown where Paul especially has made it clear using specific events from the games are a bad idea to him.

But while I agree people should just judge a finished product by its own and not on leaked info or a trailer, you also probably would agree when you base a movie as an "adaption" of a game franchise it is an adapted product not something new with tenuous inspired links. This is why the fans got their heckles up. Given the almost continued track record by videogame movies to do this too, I can't say I find much fault with the complaining.

[Deathlygasm]

I hate the first film for what it became but at the same time I kind of love it. It has a giant nostalgic appeal and perfectly represents the film industry at the time with everything trying to be like The Matrix. I also love how the zombies don't appear for a while it helps add suspense.

[J0shuaKane]

you do know he didnt make 'the dead next door' that was a low budget video release. and dawn wasnt that serious it was alot of humor and then some, Day was awesome though, one of my favs

just because dawn had humor, doesn't mean it wasn't serious. like when they are hot-wiring the trucks, blends both in a way that is believable, and how someone might act in the given situation. not as serious as day though, i can see why you would say that. for me, it took re-watching day 10 years later to really appreciate it. i find myself quoting it all the time.

i also see wherever i read he was an uncredited producer was wrong. it was sam raimi. and he was credited, as "THE MASTER CYLINDER". thanks for pointing that out.

[EVIL-WEBBY]

just because dawn had humor, doesn't mean it wasn't serious. like when they are hot-wiring the trucks, blends both in a way that is believable, and how someone might act in the given situation. not as serious as day though, i can see why you would say that. for me, it took re-watching day 10 years later to really appreciate it. i find myself quoting it all the time.

i also see wherever i read he was an uncredited producer was wrong. it was sam raimi. and he was credited, as "THE MASTER CYLINDER". thanks for pointing that out.

yeah Sam Raimi was the secret invester and Bruce Campbell redubbed all the main guys voice in post production because of sound issues not many people know that
i know dawn had some serious moments but even most comedys have their seriousness, dawn was prob seen as more serious when it was released but looking at it today its very toung in cheek,
still good though i have about 10 copys of it on dvd of verious cuts and edits

[ronin_akikage]

Romero's screenplay was only a first draft... There were rumors that he did additional drafts, but nothing has ever surfaced. There was a report on the net circa 2000-2002, where a reviewer of both his script (noted as a newer draft) and another draft written by a different writer, claimed that his newer draft had zombies that were only killed by bodily dismemberment and the mansion was destroyed by a boiler exploding. The other draft was said to be "closer to the games" except that the film only featured zombies, everyone except Chris and Jill died, and that the climax featured both characters fighting Albert Wesker after he mutates into the Tyrant.

I honestly did not mind Romero's first draft. It has some unique elements to it, and I found some of the characters to be more compelling. We all knew Wesker betrayed the team, so Romero's take on it was refreshing. Barry Burton's arch was different and I liked how he sacrifices himself so that the team can escape. Even Chris being a civilian didn't bother me. My only gripes with it were the weak beginning scenes up to the mansion, too many monsters (instead of focusing on developing a particular set), and destroying Raccoon City at the end (which didn't allow for a sequel).

[Deathlygasm]

Romero's screenplay was only a first draft... There were rumors that he did additional drafts, but nothing has ever surfaced. There was a report on the net circa 2000-2002, where a reviewer of both his script (noted as a newer draft) and another draft written by a different writer, claimed that his newer draft had zombies that were only killed by bodily dismemberment and the mansion was destroyed by a boiler exploding. The other draft was said to be "closer to the games" except that the film only featured zombies, everyone except Chris and Jill died, and that the climax featured both characters fighting Albert Wesker after he mutates into the Tyrant.

I honestly did not mind Romero's first draft. It has some unique elements to it, and I found some of the characters to be more compelling. We all knew Wesker betrayed the team, so Romero's take on it was refreshing. Barry Burton's arch was different and I liked how he sacrifices himself so that the team can escape. Even Chris being a civilian didn't bother me. My only gripes with it were the weak beginning scenes up to the mansion, too many monsters (instead of focusing on developing a particular set), and destroying Raccoon City at the end (which didn't allow for a sequel).

Maybe that ending alone pissed of Capcom because it was obvious to capcom Romero wasn't writing the script for the profit he was writing it for himself and the fans. Capcom chose Anderson because he came off as a great business man. Its so easy to figure out Anderson doesn't even care about the games just from watches his interviews on the DVD of the first game he even says the words "They go down into this mansion in the game where all these terrible things happened but its never explained by these things happened" not to mention his inclusion of the Las Plagas in later films which makes no sense and he obviously figured it was a future form of the T-virus.