Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
    
New York
 | | 04/24/2006 9:56 AM |
| Saw it over the weekend.
Was it scary?....No
It had fantastic nightmareish visuals. The sets and monsters looked fantastic and right out of the game. Its imagey is very disturbing yet cool. A freaky feast for the eyes. But no you shouldnt be scared.
Was it Bloody?....Good golly YES.
If you got a weak stomach then this movie shouldnt be seen...I personally thought it was so bloody that it went from being gross to rediculus....Think Kill Bill vol.1
However my wife almost barfed from the gore..Ha!
Was it the plot of the video game?...Yes and No.
It is supposed to follow the plot of the 1st game that was made back for the original PS1...And at first seems to be the plot of the game spot on. But it eventually goes off course and is its own story. Villionous characters are now good and brand new villians are invented to replace the changed characters...Stuff like that.
I dont want to spoil the plot yet..But I will eventually if people want to talk about it...Or maybe no one will care and the thread dies. :)
I dont even want to discuss the video game's plot because the movie does use a ton of the plot from the game...Its just that certain character's origins are rewrittren and their motivations have changed. And alot more characters that arent monsters are introduced.
I liked it..It is however a video game movie. The acting is bad..Its on par with Aliens-vs-Predator or Doom in terms of acting.
Alot of people including my wife..needed me to explain what the heck has going on after the film "So was so-and-so alive or a ghost?" "How do you explain this?" "Why did I see this with you?" :)
So when you guys are ready I'll write up my version of what the heck happened in the plot...And how it differed from the game.
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Lachlarlan_the_Mad
Sergeant
470 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 10:16 AM |
| If you're a parent that habitually takes your underage child to "R" rated films, DON'T take them to this one.
Not unless you want to give them nightmares for weeks.
And by 'underage' I mean 13 or under.
The movie is by no means scary, but it is VERY unsettling. | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 11:36 AM |
| Yes its a video game movie, but also the best video game movie period. This has raised the bar for the genre IMHO. Not like that is something hard to do.
I thought the acting was great. For a lot of not-well-known actors this was a phenominal job, although yes there were a few cheesy lines that I don't think were suppose to come across as cheesy. Radha and Laurie played their parts well, and Jodelle has renewed my faith in child actors by playing 3 separate rolls and playing them well, this kid has a future.
Silent Hill was never truely scary. Distubing and freaky with a few "holy crap" jumps is what the game prides itself on. And in that sense the film stayed true.
As for straying from the video game plot, it kinda had to to be able to appeal to the general movie-going audience. If they were to have gone into detail on the cult, the rebirth, and the different meanings of Silent Hill itself I think people would have been more confused with than what they are now.
I will admit though through camera angles, characters, monsters, and locations, this was a big shout-out to the Silent Hill fanbase. Many times throughout I had giddy-school-girl-mark-out moments for various instances/set locations/camera angles that were familiar to me from the games. On that note, camera work and set design was amazing.
There are only two things that I have to gripe about with this movie. One: When there were monsters it was great, but the fact that a particular monster would only be in a scene for about 5 minutes and you'd never see them again kinda dissapointed me, a few random "chase them through town" scenes would have been nice, but oh well.
Two: Sitting in front of some pre-pubesant 17 year old who only came because he saw a preview for "ZOMG Horror Movie!!11!!one!" and has no idea of the source material it's based off of can really ruin the experience for you. The constant string of "That makes no sense", "what the hell?", "That's stupid, I don't get it" and constantly trying to be funny is quite aggrivating, at least save it for after the movie.
More to come when we're allowed to talk about spoilers [:P] | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 04/24/2006 12:02 PM |
| | Good review Vash...I actually dusted off my old PS1 Silent Hill and played a little before the movie. In the beginnign of the movie from the moment she thinks she sees her Daughter and chases her into that ally to the point that she wakes up to Jonny Cash's "Ring of Fire" was almost perfectly reproduced from the game...I had my own Giddy moment myself with that :) | |
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Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 12:09 PM |
| First, I am a huge fan of the Video games and spent many a night playing them in the dark. On that note... the games were scarier than the movie. We went with a couple of friends who never played the game. One of them saw the correlation to the video game with the whole "Follow the clues" plot hooks. I did find the movie enjoyable and for about five minutes, the movie ran exactly parrallel to the game.
It does a much better job of bringing a video game to the big screen than alot of the most others. Only a few movies have even remotely pulled off that change of venue. The first Mortal Combat wasn't entirely crap and I really like the Resident Evil movies. But then think about Double Dragon and the Mario Brothers. Wow...
Entertaining and well worth the matinee price. I will but the DVD when it comes out, but once again, I was pretty fanatical about the games.
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"Are you not entertained?" 
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 12:20 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Malin Lug
First, I am a huge fan of the Video games and spent many a night playing them in the dark. On that note... the games were scarier than the movie.
Another point I want to touch on (sorry I'm probably just as fanatical if not moreso than you Malin [)])
To all: Remember the game probably will be scarier than the movie. You are more involved with the playing of a game, you control the character, you think for the character, and you become attached to the character. You're able to explore more openly the frightening aspects of the game. Plus the fact of "omg omg omg omg omg run, get away from me, I'm going to diiiie" in the games will always add a scare factor that a movie can never reproduce. | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 12:20 PM |
| | EDIT: umm ok how did I press the button once and it post it twice... | |
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yack
Commander
3320 Posts
Gatineau Canada
| | 04/24/2006 1:18 PM |
| Gory...?'
Ok I'm sold... the word Gory sells in my books.
King of the Horror movies
Yack. | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 04/24/2006 1:48 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Vash
Another point I want to touch on (sorry I'm probably just as fanatical if not moreso than you Malin [)])
I don't know about that... [:D]
Probably the part of the game (nothing to do with the movie) that freaked me out the most, was in the school when the phone rang. That just creaped me out. | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 9:17 AM |
| OK its been a week so spoiler time.
From what Im reading from Malin and Vash, you guys seem more down with SH than me.
Since no one else cares it seems we can talk about the movie and game all we want. :)
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Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Rising Dragon
Sneak
91 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 10:03 AM |
| | I just saw silent hill this weekend. I felt the movie was ok, it wasn't great but there wasn't anything real bad. Hands down the movie had great visuals. It did get a little too gorey towards the end of the film. I no problem understanding the ending (in fact I give the ending props for not going with 'lets pretend everything ok' ending)although it might been cause all the anime and video games that I've played. | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 10:29 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Rising Dragon
I just saw silent hill this weekend. I felt the movie was ok, it wasn't great but there wasn't anything real bad. Hands down the movie had great visuals. It did get a little too gorey towards the end of the film. I no problem understanding the ending (in fact I give the ending props for not going with 'lets pretend everything ok' ending)although it might been cause all the anime and video games that I've played.
Horray someone who Im going to assume is a 'casual fan' like and understands the ending.
Too many reviewers (including Mr. Ebert, who can die in a fire) frown upon this movie because they aren't spoonfed the plot or told what to think or feel. They don't understand what's going on.
It's Silent Hill. The games themselves pride themselves on basically saying "Hey player, you see this here? Yeah we arent going to tell you about it, speculate to your hearts content" its so wrought with symbolism and double meanings. To fully appreciate the movie you have to understand this. (EBERT! Hey if youre gonna say the movie sucked at least look at the source material before you review the movie...grrr)
The movie set itself up perfectly for a sequal based off of Silent Hill 2, the casual fans got just enough of a taste of Pyramid Head that they will know who he is in a second movie, and he wasn't in the movie so much that the die hard fans have heart attacks.
And there will be a sequal, gans already said after his next movie he would love to do another SH. SH2 was his favorite game and while he wanted to do a movie based off of it, he felt he had to explain the worlds of Silent Hill first. And with the movie making 35mil the first week and it not even being released worldwide yet, coupled with DVD sales, this is going to make far over the 50Mil budget they had for this thing.
OK I think Im done for now. | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 10:41 AM |
| SPOILERS
In the film The little girl Alyssa was accused of being a witch so was "burned at the stake" by crazed cultists. She survived and her damaged body is now enacting revenge on the town by pulling it into her personal nightmare/hell. Since she cant move her mind created 2 personas that can wander the town. One good and pure..One hatefull and desiring revenge.
Is this right?
Ive had people dissagreeing with me saying that the Evil Girl was a demon. She even said "I came to her" in the hospital..wich means she is a seperate being and not part of Alyssa. If thats the case then what was the baby girl Sharon?
Thanks :) | |
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Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Rising Dragon
Sneak
91 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 11:04 AM |
| I guess you could call me a causal fan. I only played the first silent hill, and over all I don't care for horror films. While I recognize scenes from the game I couldn’t recall how the story in game went.
My interpretation of the movie was Alyssa made a pact with a demon witch then became one with her and then whole town was transported into limbo (so I agree with you Dooku that she was a demon or at least part demon). This is also why the town looked different when the husband went into the town (he’s still on material plane, pardon the d&d reference.) At the end I believe that both the evil side and good side of Alyssa merged together (hence the evil glares). While they may have left Silent Hill, they never left limbo that way little girl can have mommy all to herself forever and ever (ahh isn’t that sweet?). An interesting thing I notice was fact that only reason the main character was able enter and leave Silent Hill was because Alyssa was with her.
Sharon was the good that was left in her after Alyssa had made her pact with the demon.
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 11:14 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
SPOILERS
In the film The little girl Alyssa was accused of being a witch so was "burned at the stake" by crazed cultists. She survived and her damaged body is enacting revenge on the town by pulling it into her personal nightmare/hell. Since she cant move her mind created 2 personas that can wander the town. One good and pur..One hatefull and desiring revenge.
Is this right?
Ive had people dissagreeing with me saying that the Evil Girl was a demon. She even said "I came to her" in the hospital..wich means she is a seperate being and not part of Alyssa. If thats the case then what was the baby girl Sharon?
Thanks :)
This is kind of a toughy. From the game's perspective, in my best explanation:
Alessa was the Daughter of Dahlia. Dahlia burned he to the point of near death, which is apparently the technique used to bring about the decent of the cult's God and impregnates her (Alessa) with the diety. She resisted part of this process and was thus divided into two beings (Cheryl and Alessa) Cheryl was found by Harry years later as a baby and Alessa was hidden away in the basement of Alchemilla Hospital. The red nurse Lisa was charged with overseeing her and keeping her alive. All this in some way impacts the creation of the Otherworld in Silent Hill, which is the physical manifestation of Alessa's personal hell. The mosnters were all symbolic of memories within Alessa mind (hence the boss at the end of the School: A creature from a fairy tale she wrote) And the demon children were considered punished forms of the kids that picked on her in school. The desk from the movie with all the scrawling can actually be seen in the game.
www.translatedmemories.com (probably does a better job of explaining it than I can, Im horrible at this kinda thing when I'm trying [:P])
In the movie:
There was a demon that visited the burned Alessa in Brookhaven Hospital, and I believe that is somehow suppose to be a physical form of the God from the games.
She possesed Alessa and together created the otherworld of Silent Hill (someone in line with the games here) and Alessa was split into two beings (Alessa and Sharon, once again also somewhat in line with the game) And again the monsters in here are supose to be symbolic of what she went through as a child. The Janitor can attest to this methinks [)]
The only major difference between this and the games is that she was not burned to bring about the birth of a god.
I think the answer you seek Dooku is somewhere between these two explanations lol.
Hope that helps a bit [:)]
And I think RD just explained it a bit better than I could. and he's pretty much correct. | |
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Rising Dragon
Sneak
91 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 11:24 AM |
| | I think it's from all Anime I watch, that made me able to understand what's going on in Silent Hill [:D] Try watching that new series that came out called Kuras and see if your figure out what going on for a real challenge. | |
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 11:28 AM |
| I think her soul split in two, the evil half stayed behind to enact revenge with the help of a force of darkness attracted by the suffering and the nurse took her good half out of town so the evil half could operate unhindered.
In the game an evil cult helped create Alyssa ,thats why she appears to have no dad, with the soul of an ancient evil demon but she was born with only half the soul. After trying to coax out her power for 7 years the cult tried to burn her alive in hopes of forceing her powers to manifest, it didn't work.They then tried the ritual again and got a second child with the other half of the soul but the nurse in charge of burned Alyssa(who becuse of the demon soul can't die) felt so sorry for her and didn't want the second child to go through the same thing so she kidnapped the child and left it outside town to be found where it was adopted. jump ahead 7 years and sharon and her dad are headed for silent hill on a vacation as soon as she gets in range the two halfs of the souls call out to each other and a great power is released and as you see in the game all hell,so to speak, breaks loose.
But I'm guessing the movie didn't wnat to dwell into demon worship,demonic cults and little girls with the souls of demons so they change it to witch cults and a poor innocent mother who got tricked. | | | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 11:33 AM |
| Any guess as to why Dhalia was changed from a villian to a pitiable character?
Why invent a brand new villian who burned Alyssa?
Game Question:
Why would buring Alyssa cause her to become possesed by a god? Just some weird ritual? How did she split into 2 people..Is it ever clearly explained?
Can someone explain that weird orange liquid that is only in the game? Why did it cure the Cop Lady of her posession yet at the same time turned Alyssa into the god Samael at the end of the game? Why was the hospital owner in on this thing anyway? He was complaning that he didnt expect SH to become a hell town and it wasnt part of the plan (as he knew it). What did he think was going to happen? What gain did he think he would have by hiding a girl in the basement of his hospital while she was tourtured by her crazy mother?
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Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 11:48 AM |
| I think I can do it this time, having time to weave my thoughts and all. But first another link (contains SH3 spoilers)http://www.translatedmemories.com/bookpgs/Pg88-89.jpg
The ritual was performed by causing extensive physical pain on Alessa Gillespie (7) by setting the Gillespie Home ablaze. This ceremony was to extravasate God, but Alessa, being born with powers of her own, managed to "divide" herself into two halves--each half containing a part of the god's soul.
The division occurred at the time of the fire: a newborn baby was found by Mr. & Mrs. Mason on the side of the road, at an undisclosed location. The couple, "having no children of their own," decided to take in the child: they named her Cheryl. Four years passed. Mrs. Mason died from illness.
Three years passed. Dahlia Gillespie grew impatient in waiting for "Alessa's" return, so she, along with Michael Kaufmann & two others, "used a magical spell." This spell was to act as a beacon for Cheryl--Alessa's other half. "Feeling this child's pain, it's sure to come." And it did, along with her father on a vacation, after peculiar & incessant urging.
Kauffman: He and Dahlia were in 'cohoots' as it were regarding the drug White Claudia. So techinically Kauffman was somewhat part of the cult and it's difficult to say if he truly believed in the Cult's teachings, but he surely did not expect THAT kind of paradise ("Quit screwing around! Return things to how they were before! Did I ask for this!? Nobody uses me! You won't get away with this!"). It is possible that he only wanted to see the birth of God out of scientific interest, or maybe he wanted power (blackmailing God with Aglaophtis), or maybe he didn't believe in it at all and only wanted Dahlia's money, but he did believe in the power of Aglaophtis, that’s why he saved one in his secret place.
[:D] I did it, I said what I wanted to with words! Go me! | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 12:04 PM |
| OK next question [:)]
Aglaophtis - The orange stuff right? What is it? Is it different from this "White Claudia" you mentioned? | |
Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 12:04 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
Any guess as to why Dhalia was changed from a villian to a pitiable character?
Why invent a brand new villian who burned Alyssa?
Because if they kept to the game plot casual fans would be more confused than ever. Hence a new villian to appease both the stupids and the gamers [:P]
Just look at all the questions you have from playing the games, now muliply that by the variable 'common man' [:D] | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 12:11 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
OK next question [:)]
Aglaophtis - The orange stuff right? What is it? Is it different from this "White Claudia" you mentioned?
Aglaophtis is the orange stuff that is correct. And yes it is different from the White Claudia.
White Claudia is mentioned (maybe not by name at times) in some of the articles and journals and such that you read throughout the games. (I THINK there are mentions of it in SH2 and SH3 as well) Found in one of the transcripts from the game so I by no means take credit for this part:
Perennial herb found near water.
Reaches height of 10 to 15 inches.
Oblong leaves, white blossoms.
Seeds contain hallucinogen.
Ancient records show it was used for religious ceremonies.
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Champion of the Alhoon and my called shot for Unhallowed
Blood War Called Shot: Phoenix
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 12:32 PM |
| Ok so White Claudia is a drug.
So what is Aglaophtis? Is it some magical material? Why does it have such a reaction when splashed on Alyssa/Samael? | |
Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 12:37 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
Ok so White Claudia is a drug.
So what is Aglaophtis? Is it some magical material? Why does it have such a reaction when splashed on Alyssa/Samael?
That one I can't fully answer as I never got that stuff when I played the game. (Got the bad ending first time through) And when I finally did get it, I got bored with the game right about at the Cybil fight.
I would assume it is either just some drug or magic or combination thereof. | |
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 1:22 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
Ok so White Claudia is a drug.
So what is Aglaophtis? Is it some magical material? Why does it have such a reaction when splashed on Alyssa/Samael?
many opinions have white claudia being an addictive drug used by the cult to keep the townspoeple in line.
Aglaophtis was a mistical ?drug? created to control Alyssa/Samael with the benefit of driving the evil influence out of lesser beings.... I think [:)]
I read an interesting plot explanation by the guy who writes alot of game walkthrough manuals he is in contact with the game designers so has some insight into what they intended. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/game/198641.html scroll down to plot guide by president evil. The site won't let you link to stuff individually. | | | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 2:38 PM |
| | Ha, I think we questioned Dooku out [:P] | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 05/02/2006 2:44 PM |
| I think Im good for now. :)
I havent even played the other 3...Once I start messing with them Im sure to have a mile of questions. :)
The 1st one though I beat like 4 times..I even did the secret Roswell Alien ending :) | |
Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 2:54 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
I think Im good for now. :)
I havent even played the other 3...Once I start messing with them Im sure to have a mile of questions. :)
The 1st one though I beat like 4 times..I even did the secret Roswell Alien ending :)
Well then, for future reference.
Silent Hill 2: An AMAZING standalone plot. This is my choice game of the series, and you WILL have questions, I guarantee it. But I know a lot more about this one than I do SH1 so I can be a better help in answering them
Silent Hill 3: An alright plot but saved with the best VO and script in the series, also answers some questions from SH1.
Silent Hill 4: Dont bother IMHO. The plot is said to be great, but the huge stray away from the original gameplay mechanics makes this a loser in my book, too frustrating to be worth it, rent it first if you can. | |
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 05/02/2006 5:00 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Vash
Silent Hill 4: Dont bother IMHO. The plot is said to be great, but the huge stray away from the original gameplay mechanics makes this a loser in my book, too frustrating to be worth it, rent it first if you can.
the way I understand it silent hill 4 wasn't originally supposed to be a silent hill game. It started life as another game entirely and at the last miniutes they slaped on the silent hill title and made a few changes in the game. | | | |
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