AFTERLIFE(200)
THE BURLY BRAWL
Anderson has a flair for face-spanking 3D
sequences. Staged on researchship the
Arcadia, this three-on-one brawl between
villain Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) and
Alice, Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) and
his sister Claire (Ali Larter) is a 3D action
masterclass featuringMatrix-fu, coin-
loaded shotguns and mutant Dobermans...
Anderson:As far I’m aware, it’s theirst time an
entire video-game sequence has been converted
for the big screen. The ight is taken from
Resident Evil 5. We replicated the moves,
Wesker’s costume, even some of the angles.
It sounds simple, but my head hurts thinking
about it. You can do anything with a computer,
but it’s a real challenge with live human beings.
Where it differs is the environment — the
Arcadia is bright, white and clinical. I imagined it
as a brawl breaking out on the set of 2001.
Jovovich:Shooting ights in 3D requires
a certain degree of contact — there’s that extra
dimension of depth, and you can see when
punches don’t land. Getting the timing right takes
weeks of training, and you get way too close for
comfort. I’ve lost count of the bumps, swellings
and bone-bruises I’ve picked up.
Bolt:I remember that set for three reasons: it
was very hot, incredibly bright, and the dogs...
Well, the dogs are always challenging. It’s never
easy putting zombie make-up on a Doberman.
Jovovich:It’s been a constant on-set joke
that the Umbrella Corporation build these
completely impractical outposts. It’s all about the
style, very Third Reich. The rehearsals were
hilarious: we’d all be dressed up like badasses in
full costume, wearing these ridiculous booties to
protect the pristine whiteloor. Impractical,
right? It took forever. They’d have to repaint the
loor after every single take.
Anderson:You wouldn’t know it from looking at
the scene, but that set was tiny. It only had two
walls, so you could only shoot in one direction.
We used CGI with the wide shots but most of it is
trickery, If I’ve learned anything from the
Resident Evilseries, it’s how to turn
a small, two-wall set into something epic.
Alice (Milla Jovovich)
tools up for a simulated
urban firefight.