Speaking as a fan of both Romero's films as well as the Resident Evil franchise, this was a beautifully executed documentary that focused not only George's innate ability to provide social commentary in his own films, but also the influences those films made on all forms of media and the horror genre itself (post Of The Dead Era, from 'Night' to 'Day'). This film sheds an immense light not only on George's processes, but also brings to the forefront the frustrations and encroaching issues that he faced in trying to create a live adaptation of the original Resident Evil.
Utilizing richly entailed information, sources, and rabbit hole deep research, the elements at play in regards to pre-production are on full display for all fans to see. The motif of a creative and visionary force dealing with studio interference and a classic case of someone trying to have their hands in the pot, when they don't even understand the recipe to even know how to cook.
Not only is the documentary extremely structured, while paying its respects to Romero, it also shows the impact that the Resident Evil franchise has by taking a few of its core and significant elements and applying them for narration and transitions. Which for any die-hard Resident Evil fan, it will bring a smile to your face.
The director and his production team showed a highly remarkable attention to detail and regard for Romero's name and legacy. It showcases those who have had the pleasure of working for him, with him or were ever positively influenced with his journey within the landscape of horror or film in general.
I have read Romero's original draft from top to bottom, and its in my humble opinion that his rendition of Resident Evil, would have been the defining blueprint that could have set the tone and standard for what video game adaptions should have been. Similar to Tim Burton's Batman; when at that time, comic book movies could never be taken seriously for a successful adaptation, or could even seem like a box office draw. Burton's Batman then leaving an imprint of the Comic Book Film Industry, Romero's Resident Evil (in contrast to what we have already seen), would have been that for the Video Game Film Industry. Especially when during its time, video game adaptations were hardly successful.
I hope this documentary gets a physical release, cause I personally would love to own it and add it to my Romero Blu Ray collection.
And I wish George was still with us, so he could personally see for himself how much his work is valued and cherished. Even the work that he was never given the chance to complete.
