Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’s “Turning Around Zombie” speaks

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon CityTo recreate the historic events, the team goes great lengths Resident Evilmovie version of the game, and its sequel. From “Jill[’s] sandwich” puns to green herbs on set, director Johannes Roberts strived to show his love of the Resident Evil games in his newly released movie adaptation.

One unforgettable Resident Evil scene Roberts chose to include is the original game’s frightening first encounter with a zombie. In the early stages of Resident EvilThe player encounters an undead person eating from a corpse. He slowly turns his back and attack the player. (Resident Evil’s “Director’s Cut” and Sega Saturn releases used an image of that specific zombie for their cover art, establishing the over-the-shoulder zombie as key to the series’ visual language.)

Original Resident EvilShinji Mikami (game director) referred in 2002 to the zombie that he called “The Turning Around Zombie” during an interview. In the film, that actor plays the role of the zombie. Raccoon city is open to youMatthew MacCallum (an enthusiastic, energetic Canadian performer) has an almost Doug Jones-like number of credits as a background character playing aliens, Zombies, and other bizarreities. Over his career he’s played a Russian Army Zombie in Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil: RetributionAnd a Silent Sister in City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments. He’ll next be seen as “Tattooed Swordsman” in Guillermo del Toro’s next movie, Nightmare Alley.

McCallum said he wasn’t just casually familiar with the zombie scene he appears in in Raccoon city is open to youHe fought for it. MacCallum, who describes himself as a skinny dude with high cheekbones and a good physical fit for horror movie monsters, took the role of “Turnaround Zombie” — his official credit — very seriously. Perhaps a bit too serious, according to his own admission. After seeing Resident Evil: Welcoming to Raccoon city’s first trailer, which includes a taste of MacCallum’s zombie, I wanted to talk to him. That’s what I did.

Here’s our pleasant conversation, edited for clarity.

A scene where you play the role of a zombie is a classic one in the film. And when I saw that shot in the trailer, I thought, “Oh, that’s that’s the scene from Resident EvilThey did it flawlessly. I gotta talk to this guy.”

MacCallum: Yes, that was the role I asked for. In this role, I played a background zombie. Resident Evil: Retribution. This is a complete circle. It was my dream to work behind the camera. My goal was to become a storyteller. It was easy to be on the crew and happy with pulling cables. I made a joke on set one day to a friend of mine who’s in the makeup department, like, “If you ever need a zombie, give me a call.” Because I’m a skinny dude to begin with.

It was what I did Nightmare AlleyI was contacted by a representative to arrange for me to visit. [for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City]Because it was the same casting directors for both movies. And I said, “Well … I just have one question: If they’re going to recreate the scene from the first game where they come in and a zombie turns around and then gets killed by Barry, I want that role.” She said, “Why?!” I said, “I just want it. If I’m doing another Resident Evil, and they’re gonna recreate that scene [I have to be in it],” because I’m such a fan. It is so important to me.

Johannes appeared to like the idea of it all. [my scene]. So as long as the director was happy, that’s amazing.

Johannes seemed very adamant about doing a very straightforward adaptation — very faithful and authentic. It’s a scene that I think is very similar. What preparation did you make for this scene?

This game really made me think. I played the original game over and over again. Actually, the game was completed two days earlier. Resident Evil 2 remake. And I’m a huge George Romero fan … yeah, I went through all the [Romero]Films and such, I just studied it and thought deeply about what I would do with it.

Alan was a friend of mine and did some of my zombie makeup. [Welcome to Raccoon City]And was my makeup artist Nightmare AlleyAs well. It was a lot of bits and pieces. [about the movie] through him like, “Here’s what we’re thinking” and he’d show me on his cell phone, and I’m like, “That looks like the game!” So the more I could see what they were bringing, and using the features of my face, because I do have the high cheekbones like what they were doing with that I was like, OK, so now I have to up it just a little bit more. It was like I kept getting deeper into my brain.

Once I got the makeup on, and the teeth popped in … it was all about the movement. And once we got onto the location where they shot the Spencer mansion — that’s an actual house here in Hamilton; I’ve walked by it 100 times. After I arrived there, [it felt right].

Image by Screen Gems/Sony Pictures

Johannes explained what he was looking for on the first try. When I was done, he asked me to speak to another actor. I was like “Deep breath. OK, let’s do it.” I don’t know if it’s luck, fortune, or surprise or what it was but I did the turn and stood up, I get shot, dropped to the ground. It cuts. And the next thing I hear was — pardon my language — was [STARS member Richard Aiken actor] Chad Rook saying, “Holy fuck, that was fucking terrifying.” And the whole crew erupted in laughter and I was like, “I got it.” Like, I didn’t have to think about it like I did. There was a lot of work involved. But it was that moment it was like, “Well, I guess we’re gonna do it.” After that it was maybe four more takes. I believe I did land differently one time. Chad kicked my feet a few times in order to ensure I was dead. Once I had figured that motion out, everything was automatic from then on. Honestly, I stopped thinking because what’s my quote-unquote motivation in that scene? I’m eating someone right? I can hear someone behind me. And I’m like, oh, more food. Yeah. That’s it. That’s my motivation. It was, however, the best.

You had played the games, you’re familiar with the scene that you were going to be doing, and you had lobbied for the roll. Johannes was aware of how much you knew about the scene you were creating.

I don’t think so. We didn’t have any conversation between us until we reached the set. Friends from the makeup department and Jane Rogers may have known. It was mentioned by her. Anytime there’s a big creature kind of film in Toronto and she’s casting it I always get a call. It’s a job she trusts me with and that I like playing the role of creatures. It’s a great hobby. I didn’t even really know what [Johannes]Did I think about how my performance was until I went back to reshoots?

It was something we discussed. “What do you need me to do?” I did that a few times and got minor direction, but he gave us all the freedom. He trusted that every fan was his. [or] had at least some familiarity if not with the actual game, but the genre he’s making. He didn’t say it on set that I heard the interview with him when he said it was very much a John Carpenter-style genre film. He’s 1,000% right.

Actually, I’m three different zombies. Yeah. So I’m in a different makeup there. And then there’s a shot when we break through a door. And I’m in there. For the reshoot, they had me return as a different zombie. Because it’s all different makeups, the director doesn’t [recognize you]. As he’s talking to me, and we’re going back and forth. He was like, “Have we seen you before?” And I was like, “Yeah, I was your turnaround zombie.” He was like, “Oh, Christ you’re a good zombie man.” Anyway, that’s all I need to hear.

How did you react to seeing the zombie finally in the trailer?

This made me so happy. It was on par with the last few projects I’ve done and I keep [mentioning] Nightmare Alley and because I had so that was just another completely different experience … I can honestly say, it sounds ridiculous, but, like, I can quit work. I don’t even have to work in this business again and I will be happy.