Silent Hill was AWESOME

[noahmijo]

First off let me explain why I am not putting this in the Lounge.

I think this movie is going to further the war on Christianity....at least according to any of the nuts who actually bother to watch it.

That being said, all I will say is if you have a taste for Japanese horror (their views on death differ GREATLY from that of the overall American view and typically throw in hidden messages that can take a newbie to these types of films awhile to process) and if you played the videogam HANDS DOWN the best videogame to big screen movie yet.

That is all I will say as to not reveal any spoilers.

[Jigarotta]

1. hmm, tell me other movies of this genre you like. nt

[noahmijo]

4. Lesseeeeee

The Eye, The Original Ringu movies, (0-3) Shutter (Vietnamese: it scared the hell outta me) One Missed Call, The Locker, Tales of Horror a collection of short Japanese horror movies.

That's what is in my collect as of right now and still growing...

[Jigarotta]

5. I thought The Ring was scarey sheet.

but not familiar with the titles you have at all.

[noahmijo]

6. Shutter to me was far scarier than Ringu

Oh yea I forgot A Tale of Two Sisters pretty creepy but again in the long run made more philosophical statements than trying to leave you scared and freaked

Asian horror movies in general either leave you freaked out and with some sort of philosophical argument to think over (thoughts that explain maybe why ghosts exist what they really are ) other cases like one of the stories in the collection of short stories a little girl discovers that her recently deceased father does in fact acknowledge her when she plays at the spot where he and her used to goof around and well....that's touching not scary.


The American version of The Ring was scarier in my opinion, however it left out again the philosophy behind what caused the girl to become what she became ect, but still nonetheless far deeper of a movie than its American copy.

[Jigarotta]

7. so Silent Hll is more than fancy photog?

saw a preview and it was interesting, graphically, but does it have brainmeat?
is it a bit beyond the 8 trusted recipe stories of most movies?

[noahmijo]

8. It's not deep but it's not empty either

Someone who is a complete snob i.e. it must make them think hard and ponder long and hard afterwards what happened will not appreciate the movie. It's fairly straight forward not too many crazy lose your mind plot twists or anything (unlike the games)

However at the same time, a typical meathead will most likely say that the gory and scary parts were cool but what was with this scene and that scene that had to have her doing and saying this? ect

The movie took some time to really explore the darker parts of human thought such as the notion of fear and how all it takes is to let fear consume the human mind and how it can cause otherwise sane people to perform horrific acts of cruelty all in the name of saving their own asses.

[Jigarotta]

12. thank you. I just may theatre it. nt

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

23. Have you seen "Three ... Extremes"?

I watched it last night -- fantastic anthology from three directors (Japanese, Korean & Chinese). I foolishly imported the Hong Kong DVD only to discover that the US release has a bonus DVD with a full length cut of Fruit Chan's contribution Dumplings.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420251/

I saw R-Point the other day too which is a nice, if a little tired, Korean war / horror crossover. Also if you're up for the classics, the UK label "Masters of Cinema" is releasing a completely uncut version of Kwaidan next month.

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/923271/Kwaidan/Product.html

[CrazyForKucinich]

2. I doubt it's scarier than the videogames.

[noahmijo]

3. hehe..it's the videogame come to true scary life

Really it is....believe me I am a harsh critic when it comes to this. The Resident Evil movies to me were action movies...this movie was pure classic horror and every bit as creepy and freaky as the videogames.

[BreweryYardRat]

9. Excellent.

I'm going tomorrow, and dragging as many people from my dorm as I can get with me.

Pyramid Head!

[noahmijo]

19. Ohh...you'll get all the Pyramid Head you want...and then some :)

Oh I just can't tell you...but dammit I want your reaction to this part...all I am going to say is this:

church steps and freeper

[BreweryYardRat]

25. I think I heard spoilers for that.

But I won't give anything away, in case I'm mistaken. :) 4:30 until I leave for the theater.

[nonconformist]

10. I've heard the look, feel and sound is excellent

But it fails as horror, because it's unintentionally hilarious.

That said, I'd like to see it.

[TheWatcher]

11. If you are a fan of Asian Horror Films

Then Juon, Juon 2, Dark Water, R-Point, Tale Of Two Sisters, Visible Secret, Kairo (Pulse), and Oldboy definitely need to be on your list.

Get thee to the Video Store. :)

Or, get thee to www.aznfilms.com www.hkflix.com or www.poker-industries.com

It's great to hear Silent Hill was good. We are going to see it on Sunday, so I am really looking forward to it, even more so since I read your post.

And as for the poster who thought Silent Hill was a scary Video Game, try playing
The Fatal Frame Trilogy.

You will forever think Silent Hill is a Three's Company Re-Rerun after that.

Trust me, if you thought Silent Hill was the least bit scary, you aren't prepared for those games.

You don't play them. You survive them. :)

www.fatalframe.com

[noahmijo]

16. My girlfriend who is a die hard Fatal Frame fan would probably agree

Fatal Frame is CREEPY shit. Not even all that violent, I mean not that I squirm at violence but when a filmmaker can scare you more with atmosphere and story as opposed to dropping buckets of blood all over the plot THAT is a true scary movie.

[noahmijo]

17. I own everything you just named on that list except for Oldboy and Kairo

American scary films cannot touch the Asians when it comes to Horror Films both in ability to scare and the ability to make one ponder the ideas presented long afterwords. The effects may not be up to par with the American remakes but ultimately the Japanese versions I think are far more original and are deeper than the American remakes.

That's not to admit I own The Ring and The Grudge (The American remakes of Ringu and Ju-on) Hey sometimes you just need that blast of special effect laden creepiness and nothing else.


Silent Hill definitely has its shock moments where it uses violence but it's not wasted if you know what I mean i.e. it's not like oh big scary guy rips up teenage girl crap it for the most part has a deeper meaning I really can't say much more cause I don't want to ruin too much and fyi even if you have played all the games the movie touches upon them primarily in the look feel of the settings and characters but the story for the most part grabs a few scenes and ideas from the movie and gives it an almost all original story that is completely fitting for the series however.


At worst if you are a fan of Japanese horror I'd say you would have to give it at a minimum 3 out of 5 stars. Personally I would say 4 1/2 out of 5 :)

[TheWatcher]

20. You have excellent taste :)

You are so correct about American Horror. It is in a sad state of affairs, and I am afraid I really don't know how one would fix it or American Cinema in general, save to say they would do well to look overseas and see what other countries are doing, especially South Korea, Thailand, France, and Russia, for starters.

What Asian Horror films lack from big budget effects is actually why they are so good. Those films depend so much more on storytelling and character development, and the Japanese especially have the ability to scare you psychologically better than anyone I have ever seen.

Another thing I love about the Asian films is at the beginning, they draw you in ever so slowly, almost putting you in a trace like state of complacency, and then they drop a house on your psyche. Many of their films will have you pondering for weeks afterwords and you will find yourself catching something that you didn't realize before, and it sends needles up your spine again. They are the MASTERS of this. Oldboy and ESPECIALLY Kairo are like that, and I highly recommend you see both of them as soon as possible. DO NOT EVEN BOTHER with the coming American release of Pulse. It is guaranteed to be a waste of time. Watch Kairo instead. It is a.....different experience.

Another good one to check out is Cure, by the way, if you don't own that one as well.

It is always very refreshing to see someone who enjoys the finer side of Horror. :)

Cheers. :)

[noahmijo]

21. Same here man I thought me and my girl were the only ones!

The campy teenagers being chased by a killer "horror" deal just doesn't do it for me. Aside from the deepness of the Asian horror films I like how it just sticks to a formula that goes like "oh yes there is a real ghost here..nope none of this it turns out the guy you least suspect is the killer...there's a ghost here who is pissed because of x y and z and this is how it involves the characters...largely in ways you never saw coming" just one example of why I like Asian horror films more than American ones.


Silent Hill I really can't say much more other than it's a good mix of both awesome effects it has its parts where it will cater to your average American moviegoer- i.e. I wanna see cool effects and creeped out gore parts, but also for people like us the atmosphere and the hidden messages it brings are completely in line with the game and Japanese horror. In short if you loved the games you will love the movie. If you've never played the games but you like Japanese Horror just bear in mind it doesn't offer as deep of a story as the Japanese films you and I were just discussing so much, but it at least tips its hat to them in subtle ways and still offers a good thinking person's story and great special effects.



Ugh I haven't seen Kairo yet but reading the descriptions of both it's pretty obvious how badly Pulse is going to butcher Kairo but being too liberal as I am I will most likely give both a shot and ultimately agree that Kairo is superior.

Cure looks really cool that is currently on my list and I think should be coming soon to me via Netflicks :)

[greyl]

13. Is there a merry go round scene? ;)

I've only played one of the series; I think it was the first one.
Does the movie encompass the whole game series? The ads look pretty damn good.

What did you think of The Grudge? I liked that it took place in an atypical haunted setting. (for american movies anyhow)

[TheWatcher]

14. The Grudge is actually a remake of Juon

It doesn't even compare to the original.

If you like the American version, you should deifnitely check out the original and Juon 2.

And also the original Television Mini-Series.

Try watching them with the lights out. ALONE.

Much less scary that way. ;)

[greyl]

15. Thanks for the advice.

I think I'll leave a candle on. ;)

[WildEyedLiberal]

18. Sweet! I LOVED the game

Can't wait to see the movie.

[NuttyFluffers]

22. that's good to hear. i was actually interested in it a bit.

i'm not a big fan of gorefests, far more partial to mystery, atmosphere, etc. that said i didn't think much of silent hill the game. outside of some great atmosphere it was rather hackneyed and redundant. but then i haven't been expecting much quality from japanese video game writing for quite a while. actually i haven't been expecting much quality from video game writing for a while, as well.

even still, silent hill has been one of the better horror games in the video game genre, so it gets some props from me. i'd like to see the movie, whereas i was not really interested in seeing resident evil, or its sequel (it's out already, right?) at all. if for at least the atmosphere on celluloid it would be worth it.

i'm rather saddened by modern horror. it's just... so bad. well, american horror is. japanese, actually asian horror in general, is quite good. more along the existential, psychological thrill that i prefer. i think america is still suffering from that screen writer's strike; apparently the studios think you don't need good writing to make a good story. whatever. no one ever accused america, let alone hollywood, of exquisite taste.

what stuns me is how much good writing has already been done and largely ignored. the victorian gothic masters wrote more than the staples they are famous for. and there's plenty of forgotten works from around the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th that really deserve a quality film rendition. far too often the works end up being B-movie affairs by dedicated fans, which ends up more camp and funny than horrifying. apparently asian horror cinema is going through a renaissance which the west had around 40-some years ago. a pity, but i thoroughly blame the homogenization of our pop culture in depriving the field of new talent and fresh ideas.

[NoodleyAppendage]

24. Please see "American Dreamz" first. We need to support our interests.

See the thread created for "American Dreamz". While I, too, am a fan of Japanese or Japanese-style cinema, this movie will not send a clear message to Hollywood that Progressives are willing to support anti-Chimp satire movies. The lemming public may only receive their political opinions via movies and mass media, so the more movies like "American Dreamz" we can get out there, the better.

J

[noahmijo]

29. On my way out of Silent Hill I saw a theater it was playing in

I have never heard of it before (I don't have cable) and it hasn't been advertised much as far as I can tell.

Count me and my gf in we're gonna see it.

[Ava]

26. my brother saw it.

didn't see anything in it beside gore and horror. no meaning in it all all for him.


then again. we are christians. and people who encourage a "war on christianity" really piss me off because we are not fighting your beliefs. when you encourage a "war on chrstianity" you are being just as hypocritical and close-minded as the people you claim to hate.

:eye:

[Trajan]

27. My daughters went to see it last night ....

They were disgusted, and they usually like Horror: Me ? ... I prefer thoughtful movies, like Amadeus, or One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; that kind of movie ....

Horror and gore usually sickens me ... THEY are the more obscene than sex films ...

I dont think this poster is promoting a 'War On Christianity', even though one might interpret his words to mean this .... it was a poorly constructed phrase ....

As an atheist and former christian: I dont see ANY real 'war on christianity', just the free expression of secular views that contradict the christian theological worldview, which believers want to view as a 'war' .... It rallies the 'troops' to identify a group defined as a threat (nonchristians), for the purpose of defending their entrenched theist belief system, which is many cases is all a christian has at his/her core ....

Those who are proclaiming a 'war on christianity' are christians themselves ....

As a secular, humanist, pacifist free thinker, I proclaim a 'War On Hatred', and a 'War On Suffering', and a 'War On Ignorance' ...... Christians are human beings, and deserve no more and no less consideration in matters of freedom and rights as anyone else ....

Christians are JUST as free to adhere to christianity as non christians are to denying christianity ....

War on Christianity ? .... hogwash ....

[Ava]

28. i prefer thoughtful movies too

i didn't see "silent hill" but my brother did. he said it was extremely gross and gory(and he likes these types of movies) even for his taste.

I don't believe there is a 'war on christianity' either. i just belive that some atheists (NOT including yourself ;) ) practice the hypocracy and close-mindedness that they preach against(just like some christians). my point being, why can't people just except other people beliefs? :shrug:


anyways. we shouldn't change the topic.

btw, why is this still in GD?

[BreweryYardRat]

30. I saw it...short review inside. No real spoilers, but vague plot allusions

I could talk about this movie in much more depth-despite what some people have said, there's enough depth in this film that it could be discussed in a college course for at least a couple classes-but doing that would violate the "no real spoilers" promise I made.

Silent Hill is about 50/50 horror flick/message flick. It starts off as a straight-up horror flick, but slowly moves into the message, while remaining interspersed with horror. The horror can be pretty intense, especially later in the film-I had to close my eyes several times toward the end, and...well, let me give you a standard of comparison: in the movie "Dog Soldiers," there's a scene where the back of a Land Rover is opened, and a guy's guts spill out in a wave of his own blood.

I watched that scene without really flinching or doing more than saying, "Ow. Jesus." Think about that.

Do not see this if you have a weak stomach-even if there was no gore at all, all but one of the monsters (that one being Pyramid Head, who we do not really see enough of) would still be amazingly grotesque.

What's the message of the film, you may ask? The main message (there's a lesser message or two) is about how blind faith is a bad thing-the "faithful" in the film just happened to be semi-"Christian" fundamentalists.

However, the people most vulnerable to the sort of blind faith present in the film, assuming they watch it in the first place, aren't going to be provoked into introspection about what their own "faith" might lead them to do if they don't question it, or even into realizing what the message of the film is.

They're simply not bright enough. That or too deluded-they'd only think "Oh, that was just shocking! Our congregation would never do anything like what those evil people did!" They might even be right. But they'd still fail to see that their support of Bush, because he and his handlers did their best to make him seem like a "good Christian man," is responsible for more (although much less individually horrific) deaths than there are in the entire movie, even if the body count was multiplied by 1000.

P.S. Ava, that is why this thread is in GD.