Some filmmakers are born showmen who relish the opportunity to embellish their work with extensive on-camera bonus features for the Blu-ray and DVD releases. Others, not so much.
“Honestly, I don’t really enjoy being seen by people,” says Makoto Kamiya, director of Resident Evil: Degeneration, the latest installment in Sony Pictures’ popular Resident Evil franchise. He goes on to admit however, “I do enjoy watching ‘behind the scenes’ materials with other people in them. Of all the DVDs I purchase, there are some of which I watch the special features only.”
Then there’s D.J. Caruso, the celebrated director behind last year’s Disturbia and this past summer’s high-tech action thriller Eagle Eye, both for Paramount/DreamWorks. Surely he must get a kick out of providing the interviews and commentaries that will adorn his movies for the home video crowd…?
“You know, I have to be honest: I don’t enjoy it that much. You always feel like you could seem so full of hot air, people will think you believe you’re making the greatest thing. You listen to the filmmakers and think, ‘Oh, come on, you’ve got to be kidding me!’” Of course he sees the upside too, and he respects his audience. “I do like it because I think there’s a great majority that’s really interested in how things are done, those cinephiles, those people who want to know.”
Following a theatrical release in Japan and a few American screenings, Kamiya’s otherwise direct-to-video Resident Evil: Degeneration takes its place alongside the Milla Jovovich-starring tales of zombies and the humans who cap them, although his employs state-of-the-art computer-generated imagery instead of flesh-and-blood actors.
“The live-action films seem to be spin-offs that have been inspired by the original videogames. Degeneration is an authentic sequel to the games-especially Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica and “Resident Evil 4-with Leon and Claire from these games appearing in this film. And since there are many fans of the videogame franchise, I kept in mind to create a film that would not betray their expectations.”
In keeping with that goal of authenticity, Kamiya and his team strove for a precise quality of digital animation that enabled a specific style. “Since there are already three live-action films, I think it was the right choice to go CGI to make our film look very different. This look is close to that of the original games, and this makes it easier for fans to enjoy our film.” It’s a lot of hard work, held to high standards, and not just from the Blu-ray mavens spoiled by pristine colors and crisp imagery.
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