It's common knowledge at this point that videogames have unfortunately had a long and sordid history getting to the big screen. Because for every success like MORTAL KOMBAT or SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, there're loads of failures like SUPER MARIO BROS. or HOUSE OF THE DEAD (or really most of Uwe Boll's filmography). And while the first RESIDENT EVIL film (directed by MORTAL KOMBAT's Paul W.S. Anderson) is actually one of the better videogame film adaptations (before the series went completely off-the-rails in the later sequels), what people might not realize is that the master of zombies himself – George A. Romero – was initially asked by Capcom to write/direct the film.
Romero actually put effort into this draft as well, taking copious amounts of notes as he watched his kid play through the first RESIDENT EVIL game. Of course, it was not meant to be, as one of the Capcom executives said bluntly, “Romero’s script wasn’t good, so Romero was fired.”.
Now, the podcast THE POD & THE PENDULUM – hosted by Mike Snoonian and Dread Central's Jerry Smith – will be livestreaming a dramatic reading of "the greatest 'what if?' in zombie movie history" on YouTube, and will be joined by "a roster of horror journalists, directors, and friends, including:"
Mike Vanderbilt (Halloweenies podcast, Daily Grindhouse)
Izzy Lee (Innsmouth, For a Good Time Call)
Diana Porter (Innsmouth)
Jacob Davidson (iHorror, Paracast pod network)
Johnny Donaldson (Daily Grindhouse)
Grace Nunez (Blogger)
Brian Keiper (Dread Central, Ghastly Grinning) and more!
So anyone gonna join in later? And do you think Capcom was right for firing Romero and going with Paul W.S. Anderson? Either way, sound off below!
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