Resident Evil: Extinction - Experimentation...Evolution...Extinction - September 21, 2007

Resident Evil: Extinction (formerly Resident Evil: Afterlife ) is the 2007 sequel to Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Resident Evil: Extinction is the third and (according to the official site) final installment in a series of film adaptations based on the popular Capcom survival horror game series Resident Evil. The film is directed by Russell Mulcahy and produced by Paul Anderson. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Mike Epps, Ashanti Douglas, Ali Larter ("Heroes", Final Destination), Chris Egan, and Oded Fehr (the Mummy). The film will adapt several plot elements from Resident Evil: Code Veronica and will feature several new characters and creatures from the game series. Details regarding production are top-secret but minor details have been revealed, "fans of the series will be pretty damn happy with a new boss monster that's going to rear its ugly head in the film".

Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, and she's running with a new pack of humans, with Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) leading a convoy (a school bus and a modified ambulance) that's cutting through the wastelands of the United States on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh and lab rats hungry for her blood, while Alice is hungry for Revenge.

Resident Evil: Extinction is set in between 3 - 5 years after the events of Apocalypse. The Umbrella Corporation has failed to control a series of T-Virus outbreaks and the world's population has been almost wiped out. With very little humanity left, a handful of survivors are traveling around the remnants of the world in heavily armored convoys that go to the least populated parts of the world.

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Alan Smithee, The World's Lousiest Director

Billed as The World's Lousiest Director and The Scapegoat, Alan Smithee (sometimes Allan Smithee) is rumored to be taken from an anagram of "The Alias Men." Alan Smithee is a pseudonym used by directors who wish to disassociate themselves from films taken from them and / or severely edited against their wishes. Apparently the Directors Guild is very careful that directors should get the credit or take the blame for the films they make so Alan Smithee is the only permissible pseudonym and only for films the director lost creative control over.

Various Alan Smithee film credits (ala imdb):

Director:

1. "Living Better with Steve Spitz" (2005) TV Series
2. Street Walkers 3 (2005) (V)
3. Alan Smithee Presents 'The Andy Griffith Show' (2004) (V)
4. Team Spirit (2004) (TV)
5. "Schulmädchen" (1 episode, 2004)
   - Größer ist besser (2004) TV Episode
6. Here Comes Santa Claus (2003)
7. Fugitives Run (2003) (really Philip Spink)
   ... aka Ne m'appelez pas Tonto (Canada: French title)
8. Schulmädchen (2002) (TV)
9. "A Nero Wolfe Mystery" (2 episodes, 2002)
   ... aka Nero Wolfe (USA: promotional title)
   - Motherhunt: Part 2 (2002) TV Episode
   - Motherhunt: Part 1 (2002) TV Episode
10. In the Wrong Hands (2002) (really Chris Johnston & James A. Seale)
11. The Disciples (2000) (TV) (really Kirk Wong)
12. Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits (2000) (V) (video "I Will Always Love You")
13. Woman Wanted (2000) (really Kiefer Sutherland)
    
14. To Light the Darkness (1999) (really Vance Kotrla)
    ... aka A Little More Than Kin (USA)
15. The Coroner (1999)
16. Soul's Ark (1999) (V)
17. An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998) (really Arthur Hiller)
    ... aka Burn Hollywood Burn (UK: video title)
18. Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes (1998) (really Wesley Emerson)
19. Firehouse (1997) (TV)
20. Sub Down (1997) (really Gregg Champion)
    ... aka Sub Down: Take the Dive (video box title)
21. Zombi de Cap-Rouge, Le (1997) (really Simon Robideaux)
22. Dilemma (1997)
23. A River Made to Drown In (1997) (really James Merendino)
24. Exit (1996) (really Ric Roman Waugh)
25. Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) (really Kevin Yagher)
    ... aka Hellraiser IV
    ... aka Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Story
26. Raging Angels (1995)
27. Senior Trip (1995) (segment "Forrest Humps")
    ... aka Folle excursion de National Lampoon, La (Canada: French title)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Senior Trip (USA: complete title)
    ... aka Senior School (UK)
28. The O.J. Simpson Story (1995) (TV) (really Jerrold Freedman)
29. Shim Sham Shimmy (1995) (V)
30. Smoke n Lightnin (1995) (really Mike Kirton)
31. While Justice Sleeps (1994) (TV) (really Ivan Passer)
32. The Birds II: Land's End (1994) (TV) (really Rick Rosenthal)
33. Call of the Wild (1993) (TV) (really Michael Uno)
34. "The Cosby Show" (1 episode, 1992)
    - You Can't Stop the Music (1992) TV Episode
35. Bay City Story (1992) (TV)
    ... aka Deadline (USA: video title)
36. "Red Shoe Diaries" (1 episode, 1992)
    - Accidents Happen (1992) TV Episode
37. Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991) (really Dean Tschetter)
    ... aka Picking Up the Pieces
38. The Owl (1991) (TV)
39. Fatal Charm (1990) (TV) (really Fritz Kiersch)
40. The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990) (really Michael Gottlieb)
    ... aka The Boyfriend from Hell (UK: video title)
41. Solar Crisis (1990) (really Richard C. Sarafian)
    ... aka Kuraishisu niju-goju nen (Japan)
42. Catchfire (1990) (really Dennis Hopper)
    ... aka Backtrack (USA: TV title (director's cut))
    ... aka Catchfire (Australia)
    ... aka Do It the Hard Way
    
43. Ganheddo (1989) (really Masato Harada) (US version)
    ... aka Gunhed
44. "Karen's Song" (1987) TV Series (episode "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") (as Allen Smithee)
45. Riviera (1987) (TV) (really John Frankenheimer)
46. I Love N.Y. (1987) (really Gianni Bozzacchi)
47. Ghost Fever (1987) (really Lee Madden)
48. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987) (really Paul Aaron and Terry Windsor)
    ... aka Home Front
49. Let's Get Harry (1986) (really Stuart Rosenberg)
    ... aka The Rescue
50. Dalton: Code of Vengeance II (1986) (TV)
51. Stitches (1985) (really Rod Holcomb)
52. "The Twilight Zone" (1 episode, 1985)
    - Teacher's Aide/Paladin of the Lost Hour (1985) TV Episode (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour") (really Gilbert Cates)
53. "MacGyver" (2 episodes, 1985)
    - The Heist (1985) TV Episode
    - Pilot (1985) TV Episode
54. Appointment with Fear (1985) (really Ramzi Thomas)
    ... aka Deadly Presence (USA)
55. Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz (1985) (TV)
56. "Paper Dolls" (1984) TV Series (unknown episodes)
57. Moonlight (1982) (TV) (really Jackie Cooper and Rod Holcomb)
58. "McClain's Law" (1 episode, 1981)
    - Requiem for a Narc (1981) TV Episode
59. Fun and Games (1980) (TV) (really Paul Bogart)
60. City in Fear (1980) (TV) (really Jud Taylor)
61. "Mrs. Columbo" (1 episode, 1980)
    ... aka Kate Columbo (USA)
    ... aka Kate Loves a Mystery
    ... aka Kate the Detective
    - Love, on Instant Replay (1980) TV Episode (really E. Arthur Kean)
62. Gypsy Angels (1980)
    
63. The Barking Dog (1978)
64. The Challenge (1970) (TV) (really George McCowan)
    
65. Death of a Gunfighter (1969) (really Don Siegel & Robert Totten)
66. Fade-In (1968) (TV) (really Jud Taylor)
    ... aka Iron Cowboy
67. The 1965 Parade of Homes (1965) (TV)
    
68. The Indiscreet Mrs. Jarvis (1955) (TV) (unconfirmed)
    
    

Writer:

1. Apetito desesperado (2005)
2. Snowed (2005)
3. Grønne slagtere - en virkelig god marinade, De (2003) (TV)
   ... aka Store lærred: De grønne slagtere, Det (Denmark: promotional title)
4. An Enraged New World (2002)
5. "Frontline" (1 episode, 2001)
   - The Monster That Ate Hollywood (2001) TV Episode
6. The Frozen Inferno (2000) (V)
7. The Tony Blair Witch Project (2000)
   
8. The Nutt House (1992) (really Ivan Raimi and Sam Raimi)
9. Q & A (1990) (screenplay) (on television prints)
   
10. Ganheddo (1989) (really Masato Harada) (US version)
    ... aka Gunhed
11. The Horror Show (1989) (written by) (really Allyn Warner)
    ... aka Horror House
    ... aka House 3 (Australia: video title)
    ... aka House III: The Horror Show (UK: video title)
12. I Love N.Y. (1987) (really Gianni Bozzacchi)
    
    

Actor:

1. 2 G's & a Key (2000) (V) .... Warren
2. Supêsutoraberâzu (2000) (voice: English version) (as Allan Smithee) .... Carl
   ... aka Space Travelers (International: English title)
   
3. Flynn (1996) .... Man in Black
4. Destination Vegas (1995) .... Cop #3
   
5. Blades (1989) .... Engineer
   
   

Producer:

1. Alan Smithee Presents 'The Andy Griffith Show' (2004) (V) (executive producer)
   
2. Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes (1998) (co-producer) (as Alan Smithee Jr.: video version) (really Christopher Rowland) (producer) (really Cass Paley: video version)
   
   

Cinematographer:

1. Wash Dry and Spin Out (2003)
2. Grønne slagtere - en virkelig god marinade, De (2003) (TV)
   ... aka Store lærred: De grønne slagtere, Det (Denmark: promotional title)
   
   

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:

1. Banco (2000) (first assistant director)
   
2. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (second assistant director) (segment 1) (really Anderson G. House)
   
   

Composer:

1. Violent Times (1997) (really Eric Hester)
   
2. Cirano di Bergerac (1925) (1996 score) (really Carlo Moser)
   ... aka Cyrano de Bergerac (France) (USA)
   
   

Editor:

1. Killing Mom (1994)
2. Elenya (1992)
   ... aka Elenya - In Kriegszeiten (Germany)
   
   

Miscellaneous Crew:

1. Sunset in the Valley (2006) (completed) (script supervisor)
   
   

Art Director:

1. Shanti (2003)
   
   

Production Designer:

Notes from the Attic (1993)

As a rule of thumb, if you see Alan Smithee directed a film, leave your expectations at the door. It doesn't necessarily mean the film is bad, just that it isn't what the director intended. I'm pretty sure I watched all of the Nero Wolfe shows; some were better than others but I don't recall any outright stinking. More than likely I saw the Hellraiser movie, but the actual plot I don't recall, so can't say if it's good or bad. The only movie in the list I distinctly remember seeing is Let's Get Harry, which I remember as being pretty good.

Actors You Don't Know You Know - or - Who's That Under that Imagery? It's Me! It's Me!

I've always found typecasting to be an intriguing concept in it's prevalence. Some actors struggle with breaking out and showing their range of talent, while others seem to embrace the niche as they become "the guy" for a role. Honestly, I think I would be very disappointed to meet Dennis Hopper and find that he is a completely sane, rational person after seeing him perfect the role of the disturbed villain. Or to meet Anthony Hopkins to find out he's not that bright or distinguished. But most interesting are the actors who become typecast without the majority of the public even knowing who they are.

Andy Serkis doesn't exactly fit the category, but considering in his two biggest roles you never saw his face, I think he fits the bill. Serkis played King Kong under all the CGI in the most recent re-make, thus bringing life to the wireframe movements of the ape. Likewise he played Gollum / Smeagol in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (also by Peter Jackson). In fact, with CGI getting better and better, Serkis' role as Gollum inspired a lot of debate over whether or not the person under the CGI may be eligible for academy awards, ultimately it was decided they could not.

Frank Welker is known as a "voice acting god" having a repertoire of over 1,200 voices. Though Welker will play the voice of Megatron in the forth-coming Transformers movie he is most known for his dubbed animal vocalizations in live action movies such as the monkey in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark as well as cartoon animal characters (in particular dogs: Scooby Doo, Astro, etc. If it's a cartoon dog, or in the canine family Frank Welker probably did the voice / vocalizations.)

Janos Prohaska, though, is who I think of first, when I think of someone who made a lifetime career of playing niche roles. What Frank Welker did for canines, Janos Prohaska did for anthropoids. I couldn't find an actual photo of him, so this is a photo of one of the characters he played: the Mugato, on Star Trek. Janos Prohaska made a career out of playing all sorts of apes, gorillas and gorilla like creatures, with a few bears thrown in as well.

Obviously, there are more unsung actors out there who breathe life into some of our favorite characters, these are the top three that spring to my mind.

Frank Miller's 300

300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller about the Battle of Thermopylae. The film is directed by Zack Snyder with Frank Miller attached as an executive producer and consultant, and was shot mostly with bluescreen to mimic the original comic book work. 300 stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew Tiernan and David Wenham. The film is scheduled to be released in both conventional and IMAX theaters on March 9, 2007

Synopsis:
The film 300 is faithfully adapted (nearly panel by panel) from the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller in which Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans, along with 700 Thespians and a handfull of slaves, fought to the last man against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive army. Facing insurmountable odds, the Spartans' sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against the Persian invaders. The story is based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

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