Silent Hill Heaven

I had heard of Silent Hill only vaguely before my brother told me the movie was coming out and showed me the trailer. I went to see it with him and our dad. When we left the movie theater, my dad said, "Well, I'm scarred for life." (I think he was probably thinking of the PH-skin-ripping scene in particular.)

I honestly had seen nothing like it before. I was 16, and I had seen a bunch of horror movies lately that kept using the same tricks and cheap scares, and while looking back on it, the movie doesn't really scare me that much, it was definitely the first time I had witnessed that much darkness and gore. And what set it apart, to me, was that it had a purpose--it wasn't just there for the gross-out factor. However badly executed the story was--and after watching it recently, I definitely don't hold it as highly as I used to--it was still like nothing else I had seen.

It helped that I saw it in theater, and so everything was amplified. The images, the sounds--when the siren went off for the second Otherworld transition, I was genuinely petrified to see what was going to happen. And I loved the music. Even after playing Silent Hill 2, I think the way they used "Promise (Reprise)" in the movie was excellent, since it's such a haunting track. (Just pleeeeeease don't overuse it in SH:R, Bassett, if you use it at all--pleeeeeeeeease.)

I watched it again after going to college and taking a few creative writing courses, and I was like, "Well...maybe it's not quite as good as I remember." By that time I had also played through SH2, 3, & 4, and seen how they dealt with story. I still enjoy watching it--there are just more things about it that bug me now.

It's what introduced me to the series, so I think of it fondly, if not as "the perfect video game adaptation." Still one of the better ones, IMHO. Really looking forward to Revelation.

lain of the wired wrote:I'd have been happy with 90 minutes of nurses and lying figures dancing nonstop to "You're Not Here."

You'll never know how much you've just made me laugh!

I went with my boyfriend (now husband) on opening night. He and I were still living in separate states and I think it was his second visit to see me. We were into doing some kind of funky stuff back then, so I remember he had me (literally) on a leash when we went. We also had a small stereo playing SH1 music. When we got in, the theatre was so packed I had to sit on his lap.
I think I got a wee bit misty eyed when the title appeared with the theme music. Then I was a little turned off at the beginning- with Sharon at the waterfall, the yelling of "SILENT HILL!," etc. But then I enjoyed a lot of it as it went on. Great atmosphere, otherside, monsters, and Cybil (my favorite character). I was happy to recognize the music and lots of little game references. I winced at the part where Alessa explained everything to Rose, and wasn't crazy about Christabella and all those cult members being in it. I also remember being overcome with disbelief at what happened to Cybil!
But I was fond of the movie overall, and actually saw it twice more in the opening weekend- once more with my boyfriend, and a third time with my friend Tim along with us.

I own the DVD and watch it once in a while, but not that often. I hope that the next movie is as good and better in some respects.

I went with my mom. I think it was a few days after the film came out. Was really looking forward to it, and I did have fun at the theaters, sharing popcorn and gabbing to my mother about the monsters and the characters. I can't say I think it's an amazing movie today (I didn't back in 06 either), though I did like the atmosphere and look back on that day fondly.

I saw the movie at a newly opened multi-plex theater the week the movie opened. I went by myself, as I'm a loner type. I later bought the DVD (just re-watched it a couple days ago, as a matter of fact).

I thought the movie was OK, not great. I was liking it until those guys with the radiation suits appeared (with birdcage in hand) and then liked it even less when they got to that church with all those followers. It did irk me when the kid started crying "Silent Hill" early in the movie, that just felt cheesy to me and could have been done a lot better and in a much creepier manner. It was kinda my first warning that the movie wasn't going to be as good as I was hoping.

It was obvious to me that the people who made the movie really didn't understand what the games were about. They probably never even actually played the games, just read a synopsis or something, and still missed the point.

Typical Hollywood, in my opinion. They rarely get stuff right.

My first exxperience with Silent Hill was me being a kid still and seeing it in one of those DVD things they have at foodlion for $9.00.
I'm 100% Serious.
Anyway, I remember my aunt and uncle playing Silent Hill 2 before that when I was ultra little, they got it when it first came out and they loved it, years later Silent Hill 2 became the firsst SH game I ever played, I played it on their xbox with my cousin, it was amazing, it was near Halloween,a nd I watched the SH movie on Hulu, a few months later I got SH Origins, and SH1 on PSN, then i borrowed SH3 and SH4 from my ex (She loves silent hill passionatley, she's the reason i asked to play SH2 at my aunt's,) anyway, that's all my memories related to the movie. I plan on buying the Silent Hill Grudge combo blu ray when i get my PS3 and going to see SH3 with my ex (same one that lent me the SH games) when Revalations comes out. She's turned me into a fanatic. I'm buying all the games soon. I've played all of them except Homecoming, and I'm playing Shattered Memories now, and I'm very close to beating it.

Rayder wrote:I saw the movie at a newly opened multi-plex theater the week the movie opened. I went by myself, as I'm a loner type. I later bought the DVD (just re-watched it a couple days ago, as a matter of fact).

I thought the movie was OK, not great. I was liking it until those guys with the radiation suits appeared (with birdcage in hand) and then liked it even less when they got to that church with all those followers. It did irk me when the kid started crying "Silent Hill" early in the movie, that just felt cheesy to me and could have been done a lot better and in a much creepier manner. It was kinda my first warning that the movie wasn't going to be as good as I was hoping.

It was obvious to me that the people who made the movie really didn't understand what the games were about. They probably never even actually played the games, just read a synopsis or something, and still missed the point.

Typical Hollywood, in my opinion. They rarely get stuff right.

While a lot of this is opinion and I can't contradict it (save to say that I enjoyed the movie)... the director played the first game, at the very least, and did so multiple times. The reason the movie was even made in the first place is that he recorded himself talking about Silent Hill and send it to Konami, who eventually decided he seemed like he was passionate enough and knew enough about the game to make the movie.

I honestly didn't go to the theater and watch it. I was a little hesitant about it, to be honest, but I did watch it later with some friends and we all ended up really loving the movie. Based on how I felt about this movie, and the pictures and things I've read, I think Revelation is going to be amazing.

I was so excited to see the film! I went with my sister to see it. I really liked it up until they ran into the church.... from there the film kinda went down hill. Overall I enjoyed it as I went to the cinema twice to see it.
Can't wait for Revelation!

Mr.FLOOT wrote:I was so excited to see the film! I went with my sister to see it. I really liked it up until they ran into the church.... from there the film kinda went down hill. Overall I enjoyed it as I went to the cinema twice to see it.
Can't wait for Revelation!

I went twice too! Once the night before it's release, and then like a week later. I agree the film kinda bubbled up quite nicely until the first church scene, and then kind of went bumpy after that. The ending still satisfied me, though, and I wasn't really left with any failed expectations. It was what I expected it to be, though lacking in some areas, while blowing me away (in the good sense) in others.

Who can forget that scene when they're all running up the steps to the church to escape the impending darkness? I found it to be so tensely dramatic and one of the better directed scenes in the film. Everyone had their own motive in that scene, making it feel so hectic and tense, like anything could happen. Dahlia was going all preacher of the truth, Rose was desperately trying to get answers from her, Cybil just wanted to get the fuck inside, and Anna was being a douche throwing stones, all while the church folk were heading for the hills. Oh, and a siren was blazing off to warn of the oncoming hell full of creatures that want to rip the shit out of everyone.

I rented it after it was released on DVD and watched it with my dad. I hadn't played any of the Silent Hill games when I had first seen the movie and I thought it was a pretty bad horror movie.

I've seen it a couple of times since and also watched a fan-edited version of the film. The fan-edit was a lot better because it removed all of the scenes with the husband and some of the more cringe-worthy dialogue.