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[TheJollyCorner]

The Silent Hill film production has been a roller-coaster of 'goods' and 'bads' up to this point. The team-up of French filmmaker Christophe Gans (Crying Freeman, Brotherhood of the Wolf) and scribe Roger Avery (Pulp Fiction, Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction) was the first very positive development- followed by the news that Team Silent was personally overseeing the film production, as well as Gans and Avery both being huge fans of the series with an apparent understanding of what makes it so effective. Hell, they both even admitted to doing 'whatever they can' to get Akira Yamaoka on-board for music and sound effects.

Then casting is announced... and it's pretty good. No superstars, but still a fine collection of talented, mostly unknown and/or underrated actors.

Then the synopsis comes out and things begin to go downhill. Not only is the synopsis generic ( ugh...synopsis ) , but it also seems to completely ape the first game, without being a flat-out adaptation of the first game. Characters begin to appear- Dahlia and Alessa Gillespie, Cybil Bennett, another cop (Officer Gucci) who is mentioned in a memo in SH1, and most recently, Pyramid Head. Fans are baffled by these characters, specific to SH1 (and in PH's case, SH2), being tossed into a story that includes 'new' main characters. The big question: WHY NOT JUST ADAPT THE FIRST GAME POUND FOR POUND?

Set shots begin to leak from the production, showing locations that take place in South Vale (SH2's section of Silent Hill), and even pre-filter, fog, etc., the sets look pretty creepy and moody. On set reports indicate a lot of eerie moments being filmed.

Still, the uninspiring synopsis caused more negative questionmarks than positive potential...

One of Silent Hill's actors, Sean Bean, recently did an interview with Dark Horizons to promote THE ISLAND. He discusses a bit of Silent Hill... and his very brief description leads me to believe (hope) the main synopsis floating around the internet is misplayed and, frankly, terribly written. Tri-Star would be wise to get a more effective synopsis out to the presses as the film gets closer to release:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/island2a.php

Question: You're shooting 'Silent Hill' right now.

Sean Bean: Right. I'm playing the husband. Radha Mitchell is playing my wife. We've got a little daughter. I play a concerned husband trying to find my wife and child.

Question: How similar is that to the game as far as storylines?

Sean Bean: I don't know. I've not played the game. Kids know about it but I've heard it will live up to the game. The game's supposed to be really good, isn't it? It think it will be really good. Christophe Gans, is the director. The guy who did 'Brotherhood of the Wolf'. He's given it a really quirky, bizarre feel, very spooky; a very European kind of genre film.

Question: What's the basic plot of it?

Sean Bean: It's about this place called 'Silent Hill' and our daughter is quite disturbed about this place. She keeps mentioning 'Silent Hill, Silent Hill' She's always trying to get there. She tries to get out of the house, wakes up in the middle of the night. My wife decides it might be a good idea to take her there. We're trying to confront her fears. She gets involved with a very murky, dangerous world, very creepy which is all in different time levels as well. I'm in the real world and I'm trying to find passages on different planes. It's quite interesting. I can hear her but I can't see her. The way it's shot is in constant fog. There's always this fog cobwebbed around the 'Silent Hill' world. The real world's just normal.

Question: So it's more of a horror film?

Sean Bean: Yeah. And I think the game is psychologically demanding because you have to reach certain levels. It's not just about chopping people up. It's about using your brain and I think the perfect guy to do it is Christophe Gans.

Hopefully the trailer will water down some more of my lingering doubts about this film. From interviews with Avery, he really seems to understand the psychological horror aspect of the series- citing SH2 as his favorite.

I dunno... I'm just glad Uwe Boll didn't scoop this franchise up.

 

[blindrocket]

I'm hyped.

 

[ImNotLikeThem]

I never had a lack of hope for this. Much more so than say, the Doom movie. Since Yamaoka is doing the music, and they aren't trying to base it off a single game story, I have all I need to be happy.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I don't think Yamaoka is confirmed yet... but it should be a no-brainer.

 

[JackFrost2012]

"small light of hope"? Dude, the Silent Hill movie's been bathed in powerful rays of strong hopelight since day one. Stop hatin'. Anyone getting worked up about it not being EXACTLY THE FIRST GAME'S STORY has weird, weird issues.

And Yamaoka's doing the soundtrack, I'm pretty sure.

 

[blindrocket]

That's what I have heard. The SH OST's are among the best.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

"small light of hope"? Dude, the Silent Hill movie's been bathed in powerful rays of strong hopelight since day one. Stop hatin'. Anyone getting worked up about it not being EXACTLY THE FIRST GAME'S STORY has weird, weird issues.

You mean to fucking tell me this sounds good to you?

Rose cannot accept the knowledge that her daughter Sharon is dying of a fatal disease. Over the protests of her husband, she flees with her child, intending to take the girl to a faith healer. On the way, she ends up driving through a portal in reality, which takes her to the eerie and deserted town of Silent Hill. Sharon disappears in Silent Hill, and Rose follows what she thinks is her daughter's silhouette all over town. It's soon clear the town is not like any place she's ever been. It's inhabited by a variety of creatures and a living darkness that descends and literally transforms everything it touches. The human inhabitants - the ones who are left - are trapped and fighting a losing battle against the Darkness. Joined by a cop named Cybil, who has been sent to bring her and Sharon back, Rose searches for her little girl while learning the history of Silent Hill and that Sharon is just a pawn in a larger game. To save her daughter, Rose makes a deal with a demon in the form of a little girl.....

This sounds like a goddamn fan-fiction...

Go watch STEALTH... 5 times.

 

[LittleTokyo]

Probably the only game-to-movie I'm looking forward to. It will either be really good or really bad.

 

[blindrocket]

That sounds like a plausible SH storyline.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

What's so bad about the synopsis? It's not that different from a synopsis of SH1's plot.

I imagine the remake, but not quite plot is too allow them both a familiarity, with enough freedom to add their own stuff, plus bits from the other games.

The inclusion of PH suggests that they will probably have some of the stuff in SH2 about the town being a hell of sorts, that reflects the sin and feelings of each individual. That's one of the the best developments in the SH series but it's not something that's in the first game, so you couldn't simply adapt the first game and have that stuff in it.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

...I'm clearly outnumbered here

Glad you guys are still very hopeful for it. For someone very sensitive about how they handle this film, Bean's interview has me more excited.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

...I'm clearly outnumbered here

Yes, which means you are wrong. Majority rules.



But seriously bar some details which seem to be taken from SH2, that synopsis is almost identical to the plot of SH1. Are you saying SH1's plot was bad fanfiction?

 

[JackFrost2012]

You mean to fucking tell me this sounds good to you?

See, I tend to put more faith in the director, producer, composer, scriptwriter, casting, and set design, than in a terrible synopsis churned out by a studio PR hack who knows nothing about the game, the movie, or the English language.

Thus my relentless optimism.

 

[evil ways]

Sean Bean? Count me the fuck in.

 

[Wario64]

...I'm clearly outnumbered here

Glad you guys are still very hopeful for it. For someone very sensitive about how they handle this film, Bean's interview has me more excited.

a number of people that are involved with the Silent Hill game are overlooking the movie. and like others said, Yamoaka is doing the music. search the forum for other silent hill movie threads, we've had a number of discussion about the movie already. this will probably be the best video game movie adaption yet

 

[jett]

I hope this turns out good. Finally a video game movie with a good cast, a competent director and a FUCK AWESOME writer.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

See, I tend to put more faith in the director, producer, composer, scriptwriter, casting, and set design, than in a terrible synopsis churned out by a studio PR hack who knows nothing about the game, the movie, or the English language.

Thus my relentless optimism.

You make a great point. I hope to extract some of that optimism out of you.

But seriously bar some details which seem to be taken from SH2, that synopsis is almost identical to the plot of SH1. Are you saying SH1's plot was bad fanfiction?

SH1's plot was fine... but I was hoping that with someone as talented as Avery he could produce an 'original' SH story. To be honest, even though SH1 is still brilliant, it's my least favorite of the series. I probably wouldn't be bitching as much if the film took more from SH2 than SH1. I just don't understand why an Oscar nominated screenwriter has to extract parts from already created material and mish-mash them into a 'new' story. Then again, Final Fantasy TSW had an Oscar winning screenwriter and we all saw how that turned out.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Sean's description of the set up and IMDB's are pretty different. IMDB says the girl suffers from a disease and Sean says its about a girl who keeps triyng to get to SH till her mom decides to take her.

I don't really have a problem with them using characters from the regular series since its not based on any of those games. It's not anything to get mad over.

Yamaoka is doing the soundtrack

In my left ear, I hear Christophe Gans telling Akira Yamaoka "I will use all of your original music -- of course -- I won't change it, it's perfect."

http://www.filmrot.com/articles/news/005352.php

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Yamaoka's official now?

Well fuck me... bring it on.
I only hope Tatoplolous, or whatever the hell his name is, draws his creature design inspiration from Masahiro Ito (SH1-3).
The SH series has the foundation to not only be the best video game-to-film transition yet, but also a classic horror film.

 

[JackFrost2012]

The impression I get is that the story is sort of a mishmash of SH1 and 2 ... the cult setting, search-for-daughter, and general locale/feeling of 1, mixed with the psychological power and personal terror of 2. Which sounds like a good match to me.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

SH1's plot was fine... but I was hoping that with someone as talented as Avery he could produce an 'original' SH story. To be honest, even though SH1 is still brilliant, it's my least favorite of the series. I probably wouldn't be bitching as much if the film took more from SH2 than SH1. I just don't understand why an Oscar nominated screenwriter has to extract parts from already created material and mish-mash them into a 'new' story. Then again, Final Fantasy TSW had an Oscar winning screenwriter and we all saw how that turned out.

Mostly they're probably trying to appease the fans first. And it's a bit early to be calling it a mish-mash of previous parts. There's no telling if they aren't going to use something that is thematically and plotwise very closely related to SH1 to springboard off in a new direction. SH2 started off at the same point but depending on how you played you could get vastly different endings that went to entirely different places.

 

[Porridge]

Interesting, but I thought this movie has had a lot going for it for a while now

 

[Stench]

Well, this is certainly going to be an interesting picture to sit down and watch, guaranteed.

Also remember: NO synopsis can ever do a concept like SH justice; the franchise is so determinate on visual and sonic presentation, which really is what's going to make or break this film - the presentation, not whether or not it jips off the premise of the first game. Perhaps it's time to start viewing this project as a quasi-adaptation in a separate universe instead of a standalone entity.

Besides, for those unfamiliar with the first two games (Which are plentiful, to be sure), this is going to be one hell of a breath of fresh air. With Yamaoka near-confirmed, I'd say it's time to embrace this baby and hope for the best.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Great post, Stench.
I'm coming around and am beginning to whole-heartedly agree with you.

Hopefully the film does well to generate more anticipation for SH5 for next gen. After SH4, the series could use a moral booster (even though I personally enjoyed The Room very much )...

 

[Ash Housewares]

Sean Bean? Count me the fuck in.

that's what I said when they announced it way back when

I don't even like Silent Hill

 

[Stench]

Great post, Stench.
I'm coming around and am beginning to whole-heartedly agree with you.

Hopefully the film does well to generate more anticipation for SH5 for next gen. After SH4, the series could use a moral booster (even though I personally enjoyed The Room very much )...

POSITIVE VIBES, MY MAN.

 

[dark10x]

Does anyone have any idea when this might actually see release?

 

[teiresias]

I hear that there are at least two scenes in every location as an homage to SH4.

 

[Kiriku]

So Cybil's in it? That's cool, I wonder what she'll look like.

 

[teiresias]

I posted this in another thread, but here's Dahlia:

Haha, you will birth god!!

 

[Chittagong]

First GAF consensus ever? My most anticipated movie!

 

[FortNinety]

Haha, you will birth god!!

Ummm.... dumb question, but is that a line from the game?

 

[dark10x]

Ummm.... dumb question, but is that a line from the game?

Obviously not, but the concept is...

 

[FoneBone]

I hope this turns out good. Finally a video game movie with a good cast, a competent director and a FUCK AWESOME writer.

Yeah, this is the first video game movie with the potential (note, I said potential) to be genuinely good (and not in the cheesy B-movie sense of, say, Mortal Kombat, which I know has its fans). So I'm kind of excited.

Does anyone have any idea when this might actually see release?

TriStar is releasing it sometime in 2006 -- that's all that's known. I'd guess it'll be out in the spring, but who knows.

 

[teiresias]

Obviously not, but the concept is...

And technically speaking it wouldn't be Dahlia saying it either, but oh well.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Sean Bean?!

SOLD!

Christopher Gans and Sean Bean + "but it also seems to completely ape the first game, without being a flat-out adaptation of the first game." = I just won my wet dream lottery jackpot!

I'd buy that for a dollar!

 

[silenttwn]

I think this movie's going to really be good. The first videogame adaptation that can actually be called a "good movie" or a "film." I have complete faith in the crew because they're talented and they have repeatedly mentioned they recognize that the fanbase is VERY picky and they will not screw it up. At the very worst, we're getting an album by Yamaoka I can pick up at a Best Buy and will probably kick ass.

 

[ohamsie]

Why is pyramid head in it? Isn't he

Spoiler

part of the subconcious of the protaganist of the second game?

 

[SolidSnakex]

Why is pyramid head in it? Isn't he

Spoiler

part of the subconcious of the protaganist of the second game?

Spoiler

Pyramid Heads are based on the executioners that lived in Silent Hill. So they aren't specific to James.

 

[FightyF]

I was so hyped...but I have to be realistic...

I'm the type of guy who thinks a SH movie, or an MGS movie, would make for the best movies ever.

So I'll de-hype myself until the movie is out. Somehow.

 

[G-Fex]

If he puts in the school and the hospital ( you have to have the hospital) and the amusement park, then i'm there. Just please the school the school!

 

[Zer0]

the director of this movie knows alot about videogames and anime i have high hopes on this movie

 

[Ceb]

Bump

Yamaoka is doing the soundtrack

"In my left ear, I hear Christophe Gans telling Akira Yamaoka "I will use all of your original music -- of course -- I won't change it, it's perfect.""

That quote is taken slightly out of context. Here's the original from Avary's blog:

"Here, Sammy excitedly tells us about the recent trailer made for the market. In my left ear, I hear Christophe Gans telling Akira Yamaoka "I will use all the original music -- of course -- I won't change it, it's perfect."

So it's tough to say if he's talking about the trailer or the entire film, although to me it sounds like the former is the case. I doubt they'd use existing SH music for the film anyway.

 

[Gc-Freak]

I'm hyped.

Me too.

 

[ManaByte]

I only hope Tatoplolous, or whatever the hell his name is, draws his creature design inspiration from Masahiro Ito (SH1-3).

He was at Comic Con for Underworld Evolution and someone asked him about Silent Hill and he said they were using the game designs. The only thing he was doing was building the suits.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

He was at Comic Con for Underworld Evolution and someone asked him about Silent Hill and he said they were using the game designs. The only thing he was doing was building the suits.

fantastic news! Thanks for that update.
Can't wait for that first trailer!

 

[G-Fex]

know what'd be great, if they use the she theme and try to remake the original trailer for the first SH game. I loved that trailer and it seemed like a movie trailer.

 

[Culex]

I hope they add in those eerie "shadow children" from Silent Hill 1.