![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A lot about Silent Hill, miraculously no spoilers.
Silent Hill was fantabulous. I'd read some negative things about the plot - critics thought "WTF is going on with this nonsense", while hardcore fans thought "stupid freaking info dump aghagagaggagh". But I felt that the explanation level was pretty perfect, much better than the "._. what" I was at after getting only vague vague clues for the whole game in SH1. I was all prepared for a lame pandering block of exposition when the obvious scene came, but it was well-done and didn't ruin the flow at all.
Heh, having spoiled myself beforehand about what happens during Pyramid Head's second appearance, I thought it was going to be The hardcore gory moment in the film (aside from the ending) that was all "OH GOD WHAT DID HE JUST DO THIS IS NOT RIGHT" for the audience but after seeing all that had happened in the first half of the movie, it was just all in a day's work for the P-man. =P
Anyway, I think the movie was perfectly done for a casual fan like me. The atmosphere, both visual and audio, couldn't have possibly been better. I also really liked that I was able to discuss with my friends afterwards about what various aspects of the film could mean, just like the deep amounts of symbolism in the games. The ending climax was the only thing that slightly disappointed me - I thought it was a bit over the top and unnecessary, plus the CG at that point gets just fake-looking enough to break my immersion. Director Gans watches just a tad too much anime, I'd say XP
Must watch again at any available opportunity.
(P.S. not enough Pyramid Head)
Heh, having spoiled myself beforehand about what happens during Pyramid Head's second appearance, I thought it was going to be The hardcore gory moment in the film (aside from the ending) that was all "OH GOD WHAT DID HE JUST DO THIS IS NOT RIGHT" for the audience but after seeing all that had happened in the first half of the movie, it was just all in a day's work for the P-man. =P
Anyway, I think the movie was perfectly done for a casual fan like me. The atmosphere, both visual and audio, couldn't have possibly been better. I also really liked that I was able to discuss with my friends afterwards about what various aspects of the film could mean, just like the deep amounts of symbolism in the games. The ending climax was the only thing that slightly disappointed me - I thought it was a bit over the top and unnecessary, plus the CG at that point gets just fake-looking enough to break my immersion. Director Gans watches just a tad too much anime, I'd say XP
Must watch again at any available opportunity.
(P.S. not enough Pyramid Head)
no subject
I really really wanted Pyr-chan to come back as the Executioner at the end. The barbed wire thing was pretty cool, but Pyramid Head RETAINED (to my joy) his association with violent male sexuality via *spoilers*. I have no idea what the prevalence of barbed wire through the film meant.
no subject
79 years old, black hair?" thing after like an hour of gruesome shit, but then Harry was way worse with that.I really really wanted Pyr-chan to come back as the Executioner at the end.
Me too, I thought that since he was supposed to be the embodiment of guilt and punishment, and that he did his little thing on Anna, that he would come back for more of the cult members. Instead the only times he shows up we've already seen in the trailer and TV specials =( =( =( I mean wouldn't it have been way more awesome if while Christabella was getting the barbed wire treatment (which *she* deserved but the others didn't specifically), in the background the fleeing cult members push open the church door and promptly get owned by a waiting Pyramid Head and his posse?
Let's hope he makes more appearances in the sequel.
I have no idea what the prevalence of barbed wire through the film meant.
Just that it's nastier stuff than ropes for the same purpose, I'd think. I mean what does the rust and metal grates mean? I'm pretty sure the game had its share of barbed wire too.
Although in that vein, that is partly why I thought the climax was a little overboard with its liberal amounts of barbed wire that didn't actually have much significance to Alessa, compared to all the monsters and dark symbolism everywhere else. It would've been more apt if she did to them some twisted reflection of what they did to her, but then I guess that already happened 30 years ago.
::random:: I also liked Lisa's cameo, because I really didn't find her role very compelling in the game. So I liked that they kept her in as a solid nod to the fans but didn't have her distracting the flow.
no subject
Pyramid Head bursting through the church door is the coolest thing I can imagine happening during that scene. Yeah, the lack of clear symbolism behind the barbed wire was what I meant Everything else she does has interesting symbolism behind it. Why burned children? Fire + parallel to the harassment she suffered in school. Hell, a shot of her tied with barbed wire during the botched exorcism would've satisfied me.
Do you have any idea what was up with the cop? He looks 40 in present time, so he should've been 10 back when Alessa was burned. The best hypothesis I've heard is that Alessa somehow granted him longevity for helping her. That or a really stupid continuity error.
no subject
Hell, a shot of her tied with barbed wire during the botched exorcism would've satisfied me.
Or even a shot of her tied with rope, like some people suggest that she restrained the Janitor like he may have restrained her, since Silent Hill obviously has a way of evil-fying symbols. But it would still have to be a hellova lot of rope to justify the amounts used in the movie.
Do you have any idea what was up with the cop?
I don't think there was any deep significance to it, I think they just forgot to do a better makeup job for him (say he was 20 back then and 50 now). Then again, I'm kind of iffy about Silent Hill being burned 30 years ago instead of 7/9 years ago; I like the timeline better if Sharon (Cheryl) was created as soon as the evil force manifested with Alessa, and then the baby grew up normally from there. I wonder if Gans had that timeline in mind at an earlier point, and just neglected to make sure everyone's ages matched up after they changed things.
no subject
The age problems are pretty bad throughout. It'll be hard to make Silent Hill a recent vacation site if they want to adapt 2 directly. :(
no subject
I hardly ever post, though, just like I do everywhere else. Mostly a few times in the Animal Crossing threads.
no subject
Also it was very chilling, tense, incredibly disturbing and kept my on the edge of my seat! All aspects I would expect and enjoyed in a Silent Hill movie.
I loved the plot adaption. I know a lot of fans are slating it but they're stoopid.
The only disappointment was the ending. I didn't like how angry Allessa was, she's supposed to be sweet and lovely!
And the barbed wire massacre...haha...not my thing.
But other than that.
Thumbies up.
no subject
I feel pompous saying it but I agree; I'm pissed off at all the fans that are too stubbornly hardcore to accept anything other than their ideal vision of a SH movie and are saying it was a piece of crap not worth the time or money. Maybe I'm too visually oriented a person but I enjoyed the
Hillhell out of it because it was such a beautifully done video game come to life.And I don't agree with the people who said the acting was horrible =\ There were flaws, sure, but was I the only one who empathised with what these people would have been *actually* feeling, instead of slinging around golden movie quips? I think the Silent Hill universe places a lot of emphasis on the fact that the characters involved in the stories are very *real*, *ordinary* people, so of course they're going to be incredibly freaked out and not saying/doing the cleverest or most logical things.
I didn't like how angry Allessa was, she's supposed to be sweet and lovely!
Sharon sure is, and I'm glad they never had her waver from that. But can you blame Alessa for having darkness inside her after what happened? I'm sure that the evil entity she bonded with amplified her negative feelings a lot more than the little girl would have had herself, too.