What's the story behind Silent Hill?
I saw it at the flicks and didn't get on with it at all in 2006.
Saw it on the box last night and found it much more appealing the second chew.
It reminded me of Poltergeist 2 with the trapped brethren seething with hate for the living.
The most interesting character in Silent Hill I found was the huge butcher guy wielding his mammoth sword. Who was he?
His wedge-shaped head reminded me of Torquemada in 2000AD comics. Are they related?
What do you think of Silent Hill. Were there any collectables?
Well, you know it's based on a Japanese video game series, yes?
ReplyDeleteIt pulls from a variety of influences: Stephen Kings short story 'The Mist', the movie 'Jacob's Ladder', the 'Twin Peaks' TV show, various bits of strange art like Francis Bacon and Hans Bellmer.
The first Silent Hill movie mixes up bits from the first two games.
The reasons for it being the way it is are a bit murky, each game has a slightly different take on it and the movie does a pretty good job of working it into a story that kinda makes sense.
Basically, the town is cursed... by something. There's a cult and, in the first game, a little girl the cult attempted to use to spawn a demon-god (IIRC). The girl curses the town and her spirit splits in two... one half, the 'good' half... ends up adopted by some nice people... but then 'accidentally' ends up back in Silent Hill with her father (her mother in the movie) trying to track her down.
In sequels Silent Hill is also something of a purgatory, where what people see reflects their inner nature and sins. An innocent child would be in no danger.
The 'huge butcher guy' is from the 2nd game and is usually referred to as Pyramid Head. He's a representation of the torturers/executioners of the original cult, centuries earlier... sent to punish the game's main character... so I think he and Torquemada pull from some of the same source imagery.
It's my favorite horror video game series but it's never all clearly explained, which is a good thing, IMO.
Hey KnobG, I new nothing about Silent Hill except for the watching the film. Now I feel fully informed. That's a great explanation of what's going on. I had an idea it was based on a game but not being a gamer at all its sometimes hard to make the link.Yep, Pyramid Head is my fave character and I can see someone like Movie Maniacs putting out a collectors action figure of him. Thanks again, Woodsy
DeleteI went and had a look and there are figures of Pyramid Head... there is a jointed action figure from Max Factory (Japanese company, I think) and a couple of non-action ones (statues I guess). Also some of the nurses.
ReplyDeleteNot really my thing these days, action figures... though I'm very tempted by the re-imaginings of the Colorforms Aliens.
Thats great research KnobG. Ta. I know what you mean about the new OSM. Is it still the four horsemen doing them?
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