In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph, Jeremy, and Josh return to Raccoon City to review Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Directed by Alexander Witt and written by Paul W.S. Anderson, this 2004 sequel picks up where the first film left off, introducing fan-favorite game characters Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Oliveira (Oded Fehr) as they try to escape the T-Virus outbreak before the city is nuked.
The discussion centers on why the hosts consider this the high point of the live-action franchise. They praise the addition of Mike Epps as the comic relief L.J., noting his memorable lines (and the hilarious TV edit changes). The crew highlights the faithful representation of Nemesis, complete with his minigun and rocket launcher, and the "redemption" arc where he remembers his humanity. While acknowledging the film's "popcorn movie" nature and occasional logic gaps (like zombie children rising from graves despite being buried in coffins), the group agrees that Apocalypse strikes the best balance between action, horror, and fidelity to the video games. They also touch on the behind-the-scenes trivia, such as Snoop Dogg originally being cast as L.J. and the connection to the Resident Evil 3 game plot.
Key Highlights [02:37] Casting Trivia: Joseph shares that Mike Epps' character L.J. was originally supposed to be played by Snoop Dogg, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
[05:03] Title Change: The hosts explain that the film was originally titled
Resident Evil: Nemesis, but was changed to
Apocalypse to avoid confusion with the box office flop
Star Trek: Nemesis.
[17:39] Mike Epps as L.J.: The crew raves about Mike Epps' performance, particularly the "GTA" scene where he runs over zombies and his humorous interactions with the S.T.A.R.S. members.
[18:03] Nemesis Unleashed: A discussion on the introduction of Nemesis, praising his practical suit design and the iconic scene where he guns down S.T.A.R.S. members with his minigun, yelling his signature line.
[21:22] Evanescence Cameo: Josh reveals that Ben Moody and Rocky Gray, former members of the band Evanescence, have cameos as zombies in the film.
[28:01] Game Comparisons: Joseph notes a specific scene where Alice runs from a helicopter that is a shot-for-shot recreation of the opening cinematic from the game
Resident Evil Code: Veronica.