3.29.2006

Silent Hill Movie Anticipation

Official movie release date: 4.21.2006
Official website: www.welcometosilenthill.com
Movie Information: IMDB Page
Extra video: Commentary with Christophe Gans
My sketch: Pyramid Head Sketch
My sketch 2: Pyramid Head Sketch 2

Horror movies have been terrible lately, but I think that Silent Hill will actually break this streak. They turned this game into a movie after...christ, wait, another game turned into a movie? I hope this isn't going to be mind-blowingly bad like that Doom movie or, well, like anything by Uwe Boll.

Luckily, though, everywhere I turn, I hear good things about this movie. I've seen some leaked footage, I've viewed lots of images, I've read up on the general story, I've gone through the official website, and I think this is going to be what so many people, including me, have been waiting for. The producers say that they're not holding back on the gore and violence; personally, I was sold after seeing a clip of Pyramid Head about to pull a girl's skin off with his bare hands. Hey, I'm not saying that I'm masturbating over this scene. I'm saying I'm glad that they're not toning things down for the faint-of-heart in the audience. If they hold true to what I've been hearing, it looks like this movie is going to be balls-out disturbing at its worst.

Silent Hill is directed by Christophe Gans, who did the ever-so-awesome Brotherhood of the Wolf. I think he is a great factor in Silent Hill's hype, because if you have seen Gans' Brotherhood of The Wolf, you'll remember the glamorous blood and grimy dark overtones. Gans is a French-Canadian, so this might be a small reason for him ignoring the watered-down American censorship. I plan to see this opening night - before the inevitable wave of complaints come in and we get the neutered PG-13 version.

I'm more excited about the twisted darkness that this movie has adapted from the game. Everything I've read is all about how "Silent Hill has atmosphere." Atmosphere is the one thing that I enjoy most out of any movie so I hope this will be genuinely creepy. Even though I've never played the game...whoops, didn't I mention that? Okay, then: I've never played the game. So what gives my opinions on the movie the slightest bit of credibility?

Think of me as the general public with a particular taste in dark, mind-fuck movies that are in the same league as Silent Hill. Would you want to read an angry fanboy ranting "Pyramid Head doesn't wear New Balance sneakers, this is a travesty"-style about how the adaptation got it all wrong? How about some uneducated journalist on an anti-violence crusade, frothing at the mouth about the horrible effects this movie has on our darling children?

I haven't been this amped to go to the theaters since Sin City, and I didn't read the comic books either. That's why I feel that I'm somewhat lucky to watch this movie without bias and without keen knowledge of the background. I can sit there, get lost in the experience, and enjoy the terror rather than barking at every flaw I see.

So, I don't think I need to say much more. This movie could turn out to be awful, but at least you'll be genuinely disturbed by the visuals. If the movie turns out to be good, then I might not be able to sleep for days, which (considering how behind I am with work) might be a good thing. If it becomes a hit, then I really hope future horror movies will try to compete with this and set the standards high again.

Here's what I've gathered from my readings on the games and the movie...
A mother stops her car on the side of the road so her daughter can water the bushes. The kid wanders off into a foggy town called Silent Hill. Mom goes on a foot mission to find her daughter, and is confronted by Silent Hill civilians with cult-like behaviors. At night "the darkness" blankets the city and rocks everyone's faces off! Not the band, but actual creepy, scary dark matter latching itself onto everything. With the darkness comes a herd of very disturbing creatures led by Pyramid Head, who carries a rape-and-kill-on-sight policy with everyone, including his own posse. Of course, mom goes through a hellish journey to find her kid, and has to face the entire sick lot.

Here are some images, a nice big 1600 x 1200 wallpaper of Pyramid Head Click away!