Silent Hill (2006)

Another film that follows today's Hollywood trend.

Today, Hollywood and large audience found "unpleasantness" scary for some reason. All you see in these so-called horror films today is people (particularly women and children) being abused and tortured. This is just another one.

So if you think a child (or I should say "children" sadly) being abused in every imaginable way, then tortured and burned crispy alive is scary or entertaining in anyway, this is your kind of film. Others, stay away from this one or just stick to the game. I never played it before but this movie does have the atmosphere that may work well in a video game.

If unpleasantness could scare people as they think, what scared me the most about this film was the length. Movies based on video games or comic books shouldn't be 2 hours. Don't those into video games need less than 2 hours to finish the video game version of this? Why do the rest of us want more time just "watching" it? The thing is even if this'd been around 90 minutes, it could've been just "scary" enough.
January 4, 2009

So close to a perfect horror film.

I beg to differ with Amazon.com's review. While far from a perfect film, the imaginative visuals and the atmosphere of Silent Hill make it a thoroughly terrifying viewing experience. Though the plot is abstract the premise is simple enough, and some indiscretions in narrative are forgivable since this is a film dealing with the supernatural. My only complaint with the story was the utterly superfluous subplot involving Rose's husband, which did nothing for the film but break up the momentum and suspense of the main storyline.

I would venture that most horror buffs aren't looking for literary excellence but rather a good scare and an original idea in a genre that's become quite saturated with mediocre films. Silent Hill offers enough frightening visuals, a gentle foray into social commentary on the dangers of organized religion, and above average dialog, which earns it a respectable place in the horror catalog.
November 10, 2008

Bring On The Sequel!!!!!

Usually I agree with the Amazon reviews--but not this one! I found that there is plenty of plot in Silent Hill. It's atmospheric, creepy, edge-of-your-seat presentation is nothing short of spectacular in the realm of horror flicks. C'mon now, the people giving this movie bad reviews must not be watching much of the rubbish that Hollywood has been sending down the pipe in the way of spooky movies. Silent Hill is far above most of them. I honestly didn't even want to like it going into it...but man, I sure was pleasantly surprised. By the time the movie was over, I felt like I had just come off of a wild rollercoaster ride! I was drained, weak, and mind-boggled. This movie rocks! October 8, 2008

Silent Hill - The Devil's Playground

STOP SCREAMING ! Okay, this has got to be one of THE grossest movies I've ever seen. Radha Mitchell screams and shouts enough times in this flick for 10 horror movies. Great special effects, and that dude with the GIGANTIC knife was pretty darn scary. If this movie was based on a video game, I'd hate to play that game. And I thought watching my son playing "Bioshock" was scary.

Great film adaption, script writing, acting, direction and special effects. Radha Mitchell's performance is on par with her part in Vin Diesel's "Pitch Black" (and she was good in Pitch Black). I just voted this movie as one of my all-time favorite horror flicks (SE7EN, Silence of the Lambs, etc). Very cool. Geez, I hope I never hear another air-raid siren again.

September 24, 2008

Now, That Is One BIG Knife!...

I must admit that I have never played SILENT HILL, the game. Consequently, I was completely mind-f'ed by the gloriously gruesome visuals and über-nightmarish set pieces. I had to watch it a second time in order to pay closer attention to the actual storyline. I consider this movie to be like a much darker (considering what is required of anyone wanting to enter SILENT HILL in the first place), more adult version of LABYRINTH. Rose (Pitch Black's Radha Mitchell) loses her daughter in the ghostly town of the title, and must go on a life threatening / mind altering adventure through its many mouldering halls and alleys. Along the way, Rose is joined by officer Cybil Bennett (Laurie Holden from The Mist and TV's X-Files), who is drawn into the same hideous encounters w/ the various demonic denizens of this hellish place. Together, they must not only face legions of demons, but also a crazed religious cult led by Kristabella (Alice Kriege from Ghost Story, Star Trek: First Contact, and Sleepwalkers), who is Jim Jones in a woman's skin. Rose and Cybil find themselves in the middle of a war between two dark forces bent on destroying each other. The monsters are memorable, especially the main demon (w/ his gigantic cheese-grater helmet and telephone pole sized butcher's knife!!), and those murderous, knife-wielding nurses! Highly recommended... September 21, 2008

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