Silent Hill

[Ghostboy]

I don't know if it's a must see, but I'm not sorry I spent over two hours (should have been ninety minutes) watching it. Once the exposition kicks in and Alice Krige starts ranting, it goes downhill fast, but up until then, there's a lot of good filler in between the five total minutes that are downright great (all the stuff involving weird figures lurching towards the camera). I don't know why Avary felt the need to tack on such a Ringu-ish third act. Maybe it's in the game?

All in all, it's not as simplistically satisfying as The Hills Have Eyes, but it's a little bit more imaginative.

[squints]

I haven't seen this yet. It was on the must see list until i started reading reviews (which is stupid i should just go see it) but the thing i remember from the games I beat, Silent Hill 1 for the PS and silent hill 4 for the xbox, the story never really makes much sense but the visuals and scariness of the game are what i was spending over 12 hours on each game for. i'll probably wait a while longer, but eventually i'll see it.

[RegularKarate]

I thought it was fucking horendously bad.
Yeah, imagery is awesome... and there are a couple of creatures that are just amazing, but the story is SO FUCKING ATROCIOUS!!!  The story doesn't really make any sense and the execution is shit... I would have preferred NO PLOT, if it had just been the imagery, I probably would have loved it, but it's complete bogged down with some of the worst characters, shittiest stories, and crappiest dialogue since I dont' know what.
One of the biggest wastes of potential I've seen in a very long time.  I really wanted this to be great, now I'm mad I saw it.

[squints]

Damnit

[ShanghaiOrange]

Also, I was high when I saw it. So there's that. 

[noyes]

I thought it was fucking horendously bad.
Yeah, imagery is awesome... and there are a couple of creatures that are just amazing, but the story is SO FUCKING ATROCIOUS!!!  The story doesn't really make any sense and the execution is shit... I would have preferred NO PLOT, if it had just been the imagery, I probably would have loved it, but it's complete bogged down with some of the worst characters, shittiest stories, and crappiest dialogue since I dont' know what.
One of the biggest wastes of potential I've seen in a very long time.  I really wanted this to be great, now I'm mad I saw it.

basically the same thing I thought, except I'm not mad but more disappointed.
there was no "ringu-ish" shit in the game, at all. Cheryl has short hair and so does Alessa.
ever since The Ring, if there's a little girl character in a movie and she's somehow evil
or becomes evil, she has to automatically turn into Samara.
"look at me.. i'm burning" i couldn't help but laugh at that. it was embarassing to sit there and witness that.
the imagery was amazing and it was million times more brutal than the game was, almost overly brutal.
i enjoyed the Janitor scene and the last scene immensely,
but the script was one of the worst scripts i think i've encountered in a movie, probably ever.

i strongly, strongly, strongly suggest that anyone who hasn't played the game yet to somehow get a hold
of a playstation 2 and buy or rent Silent Hill.
you'll see how amazing the movie could have been.

[MacGuffin]

I'm kinda mixed between GB's and RK's reviews. I'm not a gamer, so I have no idea what the game is about and the characters/creatures. If the film had stayed more focused with Rose looking for her child it would have worked better; kinda like the third of act of Aliens stretched out. I've always been a huge fan of Radha Mitchell, so she was the perfect surrogate Sigorney. The cop character felt like she served no purpose. The whole plot about witches =

The biggest reason to see the film though are the creatures. They were utterly fascinating to look it; from that armless pod thing to the faceless nurses.

[McfLy]

In terms of nailing the visual style of the source, this is the best video-game to film translation. In terms of story, its very similar to the plot of the first game in the series, but for some reason the game seemed to tell it far better. The score to the film was a pleasent suprise, they actually got the composer from the games to contribute some of his work.

[MacGuffin]

Duo make a return to 'Silent Hill'
Roger Avary, Samuel Hadida sign on for game adaptation
Source: Hollywood Reporter

TORONTO -- Roger Avary and Samuel Hadida of Davis Films are climbing back up "Silent Hill."

The screenwriter and producer have signed on for a sequel to their 2006 video game adaptation.

The original, based on the Konami game, centered on a woman who travels to a desolate town to seek help for her ailing daughter only to find supernatural occurrences taking place there.

Davis Films aims to shoot the movie next year after "Resident Evil 4," which it's now prepping.

TriStar released the original "Silent Hill," which earned $47 million domestically; the label has not confirmed involvement on the follow-up.

Avary, best known for his work on Quentin Tarantino scripts such as "Pulp Fiction," also is penning video game adaptation "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" for Davis Films.

The deal is one of several projects for Hadida's company. The French-based banner has come to Toronto with two projects -- Michael Bassett's "Solomon Kane" and the Terry Gilliam-helmed "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus."

"Kane," based on Robert Howard's early 20th-century pulp novels that blend fantasy and history, screened in the Cannes market in the spring, and Davis Films is hoping for new attention and offers at TIFF. The pic is set to play Wednesday in the Midnight Madness section.

"The cut is basically the same, but a lot of distributors wanted to see it with an audience, which could really affect how a film plays," Hadida said.

Despite the lesser-known cast -- James Purefoy, starring in the title role, is perhaps the best-known name -- the filmmakers believe "Kane" could sell on the brand value of the Howard creation.

"The property is the star," said Paul Berrow, who is producing with Hadida.

"Parnassus" will be released by Sony Pictures Classics following an involved postproduction process that included a stop at Cannes in May.

In addition to the "Resident Evil" franchise, Hadida counts movies such as "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "The Rules of Attraction" among his credits.