[Silent Hill Discussion]

Movie update:

Monsters! Simply put, some posters have been released to the public showing three creatures that dwell in the Silent Hill Movie's universe. I cannot verify if the names are true or not, but the images are. Anyway, since I don't want to link to them directly they can be found here

The images you posted are truly exclusives and not fake items created by avid fans, so to add some credibility to your post, I'm going to put up the sites to the original images and articles. Enjoy.

Ain't It Cool News - "AICN Exclusive creepy SILENT HILL image!!!"

Ain't It Cool News was the first site (by all measurable standards) to post an article claiming to have recieved an exclusive image from the film from Sony Pictures, at 4:50am CST (Central Standard Time) on Wednesday March 8, 2006. Their image is one of the monster that has its legs stretched around behind its back. According to rumors on the internet, in a recent interview with Christophe Gans (soon to be published), he refers to a monster called the "Janitor," which many people believe to be this monster. Although this is not yet official, many people are beginning to stick with the nominclature, just like "Patient Demon" (Lying Figure), "Doorman" (Abstract Daddy) and "Pyramid Head" (Red Pyramid Thing), which for some reason are the only names misused and from SH2. The article can be found below.

Ain't It Cool News - "AICN Exclusive creepy SILENT HILL image!!!"

CHUD.com - "Exclusive: Silent Hill Pic!"

The CHUD.com (Cinema Happenings Under Development) also posted an article featuring an exclusive picture of another monster from the film. Although not specified in the article, this monster is believed to be the altered design of the Mumblers from SH1 according to internet rumors. The article also talks a little about the press and promotion of the film along with the expectations that fans have for the film, while remarking on the critics' as well.

CHUD.com - "Exclusive: Silent Hill Pic!"

ComingSoon.net - "Exclusive: Creepy Image From Silent Hill!"

The article on ComingSoon.net is the third in the series of exclusive images from the film. Aside from the synopsis posted on the official site, the article just includes the new image. This image is one of the miner-inspired monsters that have appeared in numerous downloads from the offical site (wallpapers, IM icons, trailers, etc.). So, appropriately, people have dubbed these monsters "The Miners," though again this name is not yet official.

ComingSoon.net - "Exclusive Creepy Image From Silent Hill!"

Fangoria - Upcoming Issue:

Lastly, Fangoria (who recently held their Fangoria Convention) will publish in their next issue (#252 available in stores on March 21, 2006) two articles featuring Silent Hill. The first will discuss the revival of game-to-film creation, though mostly through Konami titles (Konami being the most artistic videogame publisher around) including Castlevania, Silent Hill and regretably DOOM. The second article will discuss the film specifically by itself, but does not disclose exactly what information it will include, whether it be an interview, exclusive tour, recap of promotional events, etc.

Fangoria - Upcoming Issue

EDIT:

Here's something I'd like to bring up; Just reccently I found a copy of Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams for the X-Box. I bought it, played it, and noticed something that I didn't notice in the PS2 ver.

In one room of the Blue Creek Apartments (specifically, the one with the note on the door), I heard whispering. It was clear, not muffled but it was too low that I couldn't comperhend what was said. It seemed to trigger when I left the kitchen of that room. Now I may have only noticed this now because I was the only one in the house when I did this.

This sound also appears in the PS2 version, but is much more faint than in the X-Box version. I believe it might be something to do with the 3-D sound design program introduced in SH2 that differs for the X-Box than the PS2. If you'd like to download a copy of the sound (seeing as that you own the game), visit Silent Hill Media (operated by DUST, formerly "Dustfungus") and go to the SH2 Sounds section to get the sound archive. (Unfortunately, DUST lost all the sound files from the original site, which were completely organized and recorded at optimum quality, so you'll have to search through each file manually to find the correct one. Or if you are too lazy to do that, I have the original copies of the sound archive from the first time. PM or IM me if you are interested.)

Another thing I noticed, for the one memo that mentions 3 paitence and their personality conditions. All their first names start with "J", same as 'James'.

Coincidence? I think not.

Before I end this, did Angela ever call James by his name? Either my memory is failing me or she really didn't. I can only remember her adressing him as 'Oh, it's you.' Guess it has to do with her being abused by her father? Eh, it's a shame we never really find out what happened to her...

Yes, Angela specifically says James' name toward the end of the game in the stairwell. She says:

Angela: That's what I thought.

[pause]

Angela: James, give me back that knife.

James: No, I... I won't.

Listen for it for yourself on Silent Hill Media in the SH2 Voice section.

I made this for all my home boys who sleep with the lights on...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/TangDave/sh_halo_background.jpg

I was looking at that a while ago, and at first, I consciously dismissed it because of it's obvious synthetic texture, but for some reason I think it stuck with me subconsciously because I actually went back a couple of times to look at it again. And on repeated viewings, I came to appreciate the image in being a good piece of fanart. The synthetic texture in the manner that is presented suggests an organic design, but the fact that it isn't organic makes me feel uneasy about what I should think (which is good). I almost get the sensation that the blood is going to move or crawl if I turn away from it. I think this happens because one doesn't know how to expect synthetic blood to move if it could, as opposed to how one would expect real blood to move on a wall. So, Nice Work.

So...yesterday I HAD to write a sonnet, and...it just ended up being about silent hill...which was slightly embarrassing in my poetry class, but a little less embarrassing here.

Each moment that I feel the skin peel off,
I will savour the taste of iron and salt.
Running blood in my mouth comes out in coughs, 
dissolving on my tongue, as sick’ning  malt.

In my eyes, I can feel tears filled with salt,
commingling with the flow of blood outside.
These tears, the blood, they’re mine. They are my fault.
My guilt has led me to this place to hide.

It’s from this guilt- the crimes I’ve kept inside-
that this world comes, attacking me with dread.
Denying my own past, I fought and tried
to kill the mem’ries of those wronged and dead.

For now, I am haunted by those I’ve killed,
until fog swallows me in Silent Hill.

Granted I'm no expert in poetry, I have to agree that I feel that this piece was a little poor by most standards. This might be due to the repetition of words used in the poem, especially the rhyming ones, particularly "salt" and "guilt." This repetition hinders the way the poem flows when read or spoken, being that it sounds like it speeds and slows in the wrong places. It may be a matter of taste (no pun intended), but the word choice for the poem needs to be improved. Perhaps you should include more complex words that incorporate the ideas in the poem so that the flow is easier on the tongue, or if you prefer to have the flow of the poem difficult to read, you could have imagery of the words appear just as choppy as the flow.

However, from my general impression of the poem, it felt as if you were striving to create a post-twentieth century interpretation of romanticized poetry. In other words, a creepy, disturbed version of love from a series of perverse actions. Being so, you really should work on making the flow and word choices reflect romantic (the period, not the emotion) styles, using flowery words and emotive sentence structure. So, work on revising the poem in that direction. Otherwise, as is, it only continues to fuel fire to the stereotype that SH fans are emos. Don't propetuate this stereotype.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

WARNING: Silent Hill Film Spoilers

You guys really need to check out this week's...

Silent Hill Film Update:

Silent Hill at Chicago's Fangoria Convention 2006:

As a continued part by both Sony Pictures and Davis Films promotion for the film, the Silent Hill film was previewed at this year's Fangoria Convention, held on Saturday, March 4, 2006 - Sunday, March 5, 2006. (For those that are unaware, Fangoria is a monthly magazine publication that centers around the horror genre in the multimedia arts: films, novels, video games, comics, sculptures & figurines, etc.) Much like the WonderCon event in San Fransico, CA, the promotional presentation included a screening of a scene from the upcoming film (uneditted for maximum exclusivity) followed by a panel discussion on the film (which was scheduled at WonderCon, but did not actually happen). Unlike the WonderCon event, the full-length trailer was shown as well and fans (holding Gold Ticket status) were also allowed to have a meet-&-greet with the panel. Fans with general admission to the convention were scheduled to partake in the meet-&-greet, but time constraints on the actors prevented them from doing so.

The panel included the cast members: Laurie Holden (Cybil Bennett), Deborah Kara Unger (Dahlia Gillespie), and Alice Krige (Christabella [confirmed recently on the official site, though presumably sharing a connection to the comics by name alone]). The panel also included producer Andrew Mason who was able to disclose some more behind-the-scenes information about the film than the actors. Though the convention itself was fairly small in comparison to the WonderCon event, this sense of intimacy allowed fans the time to ask the questions that were on their minds and for the actors to answer appropriately without feeling overwhelmed with repetious remarks.

One such fan to enjoy the full benefit of the presentation was Savral, staff member for the forums at Silent Hill Forum and Silent Hill Heaven, who very logically planned out his trip to the convention so that he could return to the forums with footage of the event and presentation. However, like all great plans of mice and men, this one went awry. Still, his quick thinking and disregard for convention edicate, allowed him to come away with enough footage of the event to make fans happy. So check out the links below to see pictures of the panel discussion and panel members as well as video of the exclusive preview to Silent Hill.

Please note that the end of the preview was deliberately not recorded by Savral for personal reasons, and also to develop a sense of a cliffhanger to entice fans to see the full scene for themselves in theaters once the film is released. Also, due to lack of video film space on his camera, Savral was only able to record on low resolution and week lighting was not much help either, but you can still see the images well enough. In addition, due to webspace constrictions and frequency of dial-up users, the poster uploaded smaller clips in addition to the full length of film of the presentation, listed below.

Silent Hill Forum - "My day at Fangoria Con" - Original Post (Part 1/2)

Silent Hill Forum - "My day at Fangoria Con" - Original Post (Part 2/2)

Fangoria Convention 2006 - Silent Hill Preview Clip (Uncompressed) [MegaUploads Mirror] [.avi file / 227.36 MB]

Fangoria Convention 2006 - Silent Hill Preview Clip (Compressed) [.wmv file / 13.10 MB]

Fangoria Convention 2006 - Silent Hill Panel Discussion Clip [.avi file / 10.26 MB]

Fangoria Convention 2006 - Silent Hill Presentation Photos [MegaUploads Mirror] [.zip / .jpg files / 1.54 MB]

EDIT: A higher quality, smaller download version of the Silent Hill preview clip is also available for download off RapidShare, care of Stike.

Fangoria Convention 2006 - Silent Hill Preview Clip (Compressed) [RapidShare Mirror] [.mov file / 17.9 MB] (Requires QuickTime 7 or higher)

For those looking for a transcription of the dialogue in the scene to aid in understanding of what is being said, I'll re-post the one on the Silent Hill Forum contributed by Comrade Snarky, Bogus and KrwlngNMeSkin below. Spoilers marked, of course.

[Camera pans in, people running up church steps]

Cybil: Rose, let’s go!

Rose: Cybil!

Cybil: Rose, come on!

[People continue running, doors yawn open. They enter.]

Rose: Cybil!

Dahlia: [To people running by] You run not towards sanctuary but from your fears! [Turning to Cybil] You do not join them in there, you can’t come back out.

Cybil: We gotta get inside!

Dahlia: No! They’re wolves in the skins of sheep. They’ve brought about their own hell and they’ll take you with them. [Dahlia is hit by a rock thrown by That Poor Girl] Ooof!

TPG: Filth and lies!

[Cybil looks on, stunned]

Rose [kneeling to Dahlia]: Please, I have seen your daughter. I’ve seen Alessa.

Cybil: It’s coming!

Rose: She’s dead, isn’t she?

Dahlia: [bitterly] Fire doesn't cleanse, it beakons.

Cybil: Rose, hurry!

Rose: She looks exactly like Sharon. She brought us here, didn’t she?

[Pause. TPG appears to be picking up another rock to throw at Dahlia.]

Why? What does she want?

Dahlia: [Whispers] You’re raising an angel. Be careful what you choose.

[The dark moves in]

Cybil: Rose!

[They run up the steps, leaving Dahlia and TPG behind]

Rose: GO! GO GO GO!

[Dahlia points at something off camera (TPG or PH or what?)]

[TPG screams. Camera shows her being hauled by her head up the stairs in PH’s grip]

[PH rips TPG’s dress off, she screams and flails more]

Rose: Oh god, no!

[Twist and tear time]

END

Electronic Gaming Monthly's Silent Hill Movie Interview: Director's Cut:

For those that picked up this month's issue (#201) of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), you were able to read the interview conducted with both Christophe Gans (director [as if you didn't know by now]) and Akira Yamaoka (executive producer & sound composer for the film). However, the published interview was an editted version of the complete interview. Fortunately, Shane Bettenhausen, who conducted the interview, has released the uncut piece on 1-up.com for your reading pleasure.

Although the piece doesn't go into any newer details than what was revealed in the published version, it does go deeper into Gans' thinking behind his approach to creating the film, which can give you a greater appreciation for all the hard work it took to bring the film to this point. I suggest that the hardcore fans read this to gain a better perspective of things, since as of the time of the interview, the film had not been fully completed yet.

1-UP.com - Silent Hill Movie Interview: Director's Cut

Silent Hill Production Diary Update:

A new entry has been added to the official Silent Hill Production Diary: "Silent Hill - Notes from the Director Christophe Gans" entitled "On Harry Mason, the WonderCon Footage, and Capturing the Horror of the Game." The Production Diary will be used to answer questions from fans across the internet about the film and its production. Questions can be submitted online and a subscription to the diary can be made through any XML feeder. Read the diary for more details.

Sony Pictures - "Silent Hill: On Harry Mason, the WonderCon Footage, and Capturing the Horror of the Game"

[Silent Hill Discussion]

I don't have much time, so I'm going to just make a quick...

Silent Hill Film Update:

Silent Hill Poster Contest Concluded; Winner Announced:

On February 27, 2006, the website announced the official winner of the Silent Hill Poster Contest. So, congratulations to Chuck Waite of El Cerrito, CA for his entry (listed as Poster #4). He'll receive the allotted first place prize of $2500, 25 tickets to the premiere of the film, a limited edition copy of his poster as produced by TriStar Pictures, special Silent Hill merchandise and bragging rights over all others for creating the official film poster. The other contestants will receive runner-up prizes and enjoy a free seat to the premiere of the film, so congrats to them as well.

Sony Pictures - Silent Hill Movie Poster Contest

Zap 2 It - "'Silent Hill' Poster Contest Winner Unveiled - Pea Soup Never Looked So Creepy"

Yahoo News - "'Silent Hill' Poster Contest Winner Unveiled"

Official Silent Hill Website Major Update:

In addition to the announcement of the winner for the poster contest, the webmasters for the Sony Pictures Silent Hill Website released all new updates to the site. The features included are a close-up view of the Silent Hill newspaper released for promotional use for the film, the Cast and Crew page opening listing the main cast and major crew members responsible for creating the film, a filmmaker's blog and last, but not least, hidden easter eggs.

As much as I'd like to discuss the Cast & Crew page or the Filmmaker's Blog, the real attraction here is the addition of new easter eggs and hidden links within the site. Each of the flash site's five major pages includes a hidden easter egg. I'll post how you can find them below, but I suggest you try locating them for yourself, as it's more fun to do so.

The locations of the easter eggs are:

1) Welcome Page - Click on Rose as she walks into the fog or on the "Welcome to Silent Hill" sign in the background to get a film clip of Cybil searching for Rose.

2) About Page - Click on the silohette of Rose in the fog or on the "History" link in either the Misty or Alternate page to access a short sound clip of Christopher looking for Rose and a following film clip of Rose in the Alternate World.

3) Media Page - Click on the shadow in the fog of the cemetary or on the "Audio" link to access a mini-game with Rose's lighter, which results in a film clip from the site's original introduction flash.

4) Cast & Crew Page - Click on the image of Sharon (as she appears) or on the "Film Sets and Locations" link to access another mini-game in the Midwich classroom. Simply piece together the torn drawing and then click on the girl in the center to unlock another secret SH wallpaper.

5) Downloads Page - Click on any of the items that feature the Silent Hill film logo to access the "Dare You, Dare You..." page for yet another clip.

The page is compatible with both Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher and with Foxfire 2.0 or higher. If you are having trouble viewing the site's flash page, please make sure that you have installed Flash Player 8.0 or higher. Also, clear your cookies and cache to prevent previous information from interfering with the new design, as it is based on the previous design. Lastly, if you are still having trouble viewing the page, right-click the page and select Play on the menu as sometimes the auto-play feature doesn't run on start.

Enjoy.

Sony Pictures - Silent Hill Official Film Website (www.welcometosilenthill.com)

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Good luck writing the guide to No Escape, Ifirit. I'm sure you'll do a good job, following in the trail blazed by PresidentEvil.

PresidentEvil won't know what hit him, since this guide isn't going to be you're standard collection of ideas presented in text form alone. They'll be a few surprises along the way. Right now the working title is "Sairento Hiro: Hi Esuke^pu Pa^fekuto Guide." Just to give you a clue about what it is.

P.S. If you want to, you can download the promotional videos for The Silent Hill Experience here.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Warning - Silent Hill: Dying Inside Spoilers

Actually, try looking up some of the concept art for PH, or some of the artwork done for him, you'll see that he actually is pretty scrawny.

At least that's what I thought when I had a look;

http://shforever.silenthillfever.com/redpyramidhead.jpg

Small picture yes, and his arms do have muscles, but they are still very thin.

About the grating on his head, it does have a more industrial look to it, and it makes sense since Silent Hill 1 felt so much more industrial than SH2 did, right? Also it'd make sense so that the actor playing PH (That IS a costume) would be able to see.

Oh, man! I completely forgot to update the thread this past Friday. I was going to make a post about the recent Wondercon event held in San Fransico where the Silent Hill film got a special presentation, featuring a performance of the Red Pyramid Thing and special appearance by Deborah Kerr Unger, who held a brief Q&A session about her work in the upcoming film. I was all set to get you guys pumped up but I completely forgot about it.

Well, maybe I can justify my absense by informing you guys about a recent update on the No Escape website. It's official, I've confirmed that I will be creating the official film guide for Silent Hill: No Escape which will be featured as a Bonus Feature for the release of the DVD. I'm not going to say very much about it right now, but I can assure you that it will not disappoint you guys. So, keep your eyes peeled for the update on the official fan site.

Let's see, what else has been going in the Silent Hill communities recently? Briefly, new film stills have been added to www.welcometosilenthill.com which can be downloaded from Silent Hill Fever. Electronic Gaming Monthly's latest magazine issue is featuring an interview with both Akira Yamaoka and Christophe Gans, which is on newsstands already. Hot Topic has released their first merchandise to promote the film, a Robbie T-shirt. A relatively new fan project has released a demo of an adaptation of Silent Hill for an SNES-style game called Heinsen Hill (www.heinsenhill.de.vu). The poster contest ends Friday, so make sure to keep voting every day for your poster pick. (I think #3 works best to use for appearing in theaters; enough to peak people's interest and inform them that this is a horror film, without being too cheesey or vague.) And lastly, Silent Hill: Dead Alive will be releasing Issue #3 pretty soon. Issues #1 and #2 have already hit stores with 5 variant covers for Issue #1 and two for #2.

For those who have forgotten, Silent Hill: Dead Alive is the second series of comics to be released by IDW Publishing. The new series is a direct sequel to Silent Hill: Dying Inside as it begins a short time after Issue #5. Lauryn has regained control of power in Silent Hill and has revived the ghost-town to her liking, which angers Christabella who is forced to see out her existance as the little sister Lauryn once had. Until, one day when Christabella wakes up to find everything returned to the way it was before. But, this time, her body has reverted to its mortal form. This series still sucks and Ceincin's language hasn't cleaned up since the first series, but if you really care, the series is supposed to take place during the seven-year period between the fire and the events of the first game, which only serves to further diminish the games as it would seem that the comics make references to things that have yet to happen in the timeline. Also, apparently all the comics are connected to the SH:DI storyline, making things make even less sense.

Anyway, avoid the SH comics for now and make sure to keep your eyes open for lots of updates from various sources about all things Silent Hill. Hmm... I'm wondering if I should do another Silent Hill Remixes post.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Silent Hill Fanworks: Films

Since we're sharing Silent Hill-related videos, here are a couple more that you might want to check out.

El Despues (The Aftermath):

"El Despues" is a fan-created, short film inspired by "Jacob's Ladder" and the Silent Hill games, as well as a little known Chinese film called "The Eye." (The premise of "The Eye" is about a blind woman who, after receiving a cornea transplant, begins to see paranormal phenomena. However, she is without any visual memory so she is unware that it is paranormal. This leads to a series of plot twists and revelations.) Anyway, this fan film shows the audience what happens in the wake of a suicide.

The film is clearly inspired by the Silent Hill series, most particularly by Silent Hill 3, but in the most unexplainable way, since there are no obvious symbols or characteristics in the short film. Still, this is really one of the better live action films to be created in the name of "Silent Hill" (*shutters at the mention of "Silent Horror"*) as it captures that tale-tell "feel" in the games without actually incorporating any of the trademarks of the series (i.e. the alternate world, strange monsters, wheelchairs, nurses or obvious religious motifs). Instead, the film utilizes the cinematic aspect of the games and creates a narrative through camera angles and facial expressions, so pay special attention to these things. In addition to this, there is no dialogue (with exception to the introduction), which further places emphasis on actions and emotions. Tres cool.

Since this is a fan-made film, there are some inevitable trademarks of being a fan-made film. Specifically, the lighting in the film is made to be very dark in certain places and intensely bright in others, which is intentional. However, when viewing this on Google's video page, the plain white background adds a contrast that makes the film appear darker and obstructing what you can see. To remedy this, I suggest you download the film first and view it on the player of your choice such that the background does not create said contrast. Also, whether due to Google's resolution limitations or by fault of the creators, the picture clarity is rather poor, only allowing you to see mostly pixels at times.

In any case, this is an impressive and fun fan film that captures the Silent Hill motif without using it's trademarks, which makes the connection back to the series much more intangible. So, enjoy. (I know I'll never look at christmas lawn ornaments the same way again.)

El Despues (by Andes Ciambotti)

Nevermore:

"Nevermore" is short film that retells the classic poem created by everyone's favorite American alcoholic poet: "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. However, it retells the story in a modern setting using modern filming techniques, mostly inspired by Japanese horror games and films, of which includes the Silent Hill series.

Like "El Despues," "Nevermore" creates a narrative using simply actions and expressions without dialogue as the method of execution. One need not be familiar with Poe's most noted work to appreciate the film, but it offers a closer insight into what the symbols and metaphors mean when taken into context.

The premise of this short film revolves around a young school teacher who in the solitude of the afternoon begins to question his sanity as strange things happen in the classroom. Again, similar to "El Despues," the film emulates the essence of "Silent Hill" without using it's trademarks, but invokes the vibe from Silent Hill 4: The Room than from the others in the series. This is most noticable seeing as though the teacher is capable of leaving the classroom, yet he feels compelled to remain there. It's coupled also by the recasting of the raven as a student.

This is just a great fan film that makes you think just as much as it makes you creeped out. It reminds me most of the series "Boogiepop Phantom" in terms of visuals and character development, but it could be also said of any Japanese genre film. My only wish would be for the director to have taken better advantage of the musical score in this one, as the short feels too silent (if ever there was such a thing). Still, I highly recommend this one.

Nevermore (by Mark Lee)

EDIT: In an strange twist of events ala six degrees, I managed to stumble across RazorOutlaw's myspace page after following links from the director of "Nevermore." I was reading some posts made by this presumed "Josh" and thinking to myself, "Wow, this guy is pretty sharp. I wonder who he is?" Then, I see that's it him. That explained it all.[/non sequitur]

Anyway, I hope you come out okay after dealing with the reprocussions of Personal Victory Day, Razor. (I work in retail as well, so you've earned at least 20 respect points from me.)

[Silent Hill Discussion]

I got this link sent to me today.

Two words: Space Ghost.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

DC++

EDIT: Well, look at that. Post #666.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

The remix album that I am refering to is "Robbie Tracks," which was a three track mini-CD that remixed the music from the promotional "Robbie" video originally available on www.sh2004.com (the old flash version).

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Likely the reason that there is a difference between Akira Yamaoka's work for Silent Hill and his other gaming compositions are based on the type of sound he desires and the influences that he uses to construct the music. Although he cites no particular artist in general, he does mention being influenced by certain genres and subgenres. For example, when composing "You're not Here," he was looking to create a rock piece that had pop overtones in order to reflect the type of music a teenager such as Heather would listen to. For the "Robbie Tracks" remix album, he was looking for a definite/characteristically European techno sound. Thus, for the Bemani titles, he tries to create high energy pieces that reflect various dance club vibes and often his work displays again a European influence.

The more I listen to his music (and to others' music), it becomes easier and easier to hear various genre influences in his work while still managing to avoid sounding like any particular artist. According to various interviews, Akira Yamaoka likes Bristol sounds (Punk/Rock), German techno and electronica, airy New Age music (usually originating from Central Europe as interpretations of traditional Asian folk songs) and American Jazz and Blues. I find that his specific tastes in music help him to know what distinguishes one sound from another, which is probably why his style is so unique. (Personally, I like his work on the Shin Contra [Contra: Shattered Soldier] album because it was the only time where he was trying to make a soundtrack sound like "video game music;" though he has stated that he wishes that he could have made it more "video-gamey.")

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Ifirit, I've been trying to look up info on this but isn't Konami Gamer's Day soon? There's a chance we might learn something new when that rolls around.

*just now noticed Ifrit's signature and slaps self on the head repeatedly....though it doesn't have a date*

Konami Gamer's Day Update:

The Silent Hill Experience:

Although Konami kept the time and location of their annual Gamer's Day Press Event, it was held today in a local SOMA club called the Mezzanine in downtown San Fransico, CA. The press event featured highly anticipated information on games and additional media to be released this year. Among this plethera of gaming delights was no mention of the next sequel in the Silent Hill series. In it's place, however, is a UMD encoded (PlayStation Portable [PSP]) equivalent to The Art of Silent Hill or Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill called "The Silent Hill Experience," which will focus on all things Silent Hill released outside of the video game world (i.e. the Silent Hill comics, film, etc.).

To focus on these outside works, the UMD disk will contain 6 animated sequences of the Silent Hill: Dying Inside series (possibly including one tale from the Three Tales comics released after SH:DI), interviews and behind-the-scenes photage of Silent Hill (film), and a collection of "Akira's Picks" of music from the games. For Silent Hill fans, this is your reason to buy a PSP.

IGN - "Silent Hill Experience"

GameSpot - "Konami takes new tack in 2006"

GameSpot - "Silent Hill gets Experienced"

Trailer - The Silent Hill Experience (.mov format) [MegaUpload Mirror]

Trailer - The Silent Hill Experience (.wmv format) [MegaUpload Mirror]

EDIT: Damn! I was too late.[/reference] Looks like Nulion beat me to the punch. Uploading those mirrors took longer than I thought.

It's Hard Being Green:

Although somewhat off-topic, I thought this article was very cool. Vixx, a long-time member of the Silent Hill online community & staff member for Silent Hill Heaven, received a package the other day as a thank you from Akira Yamaoka for some work she did on his initial website. I just can't help feeling envious that she recieved an autographed poster for Heather and a free copy of iFUTURELIST. I really need to check out that album.

Furious Angel - "The Day I Had a Surprise Package

[Silent Hill Discussion]

iFUTUR3LIST Update:

Terror in the Depths of the Blog:

I was looking through Konami of Japan's website again and came across Akira Yamaoka's blog relating to his recently released album iFUTURELIST. Although completely written in Japanese, I found multiple mentions on Silent Hill within what little text I could translate. In addition to this, he seems to have been very active this month in filling his blog, which, to me, suggests that something important is happening in Yamaoka-san's life/career. Some photos show him giving some sort of presentation, while others seem to be unrelated to anything outside of iFUTURELIST. Although, I suspect that this recent peak in blog activity is due simply to the release of the fourth volume of the iFUTURELIST collection, but complete translation may reveal additional information regarding Akira's involvement in either Silent Hill (the film) or with Silent Hill 5. I report more after I've translated the complete texts.

Akira Yamaoka Official Blog - iFUTURELIST

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Silent Hill Film Update:

Forget waiting, the full-length theatrical trailer is online NOW! Go check it out now on Yahoo'>http://movies.yahoo.com]Yahoo Movies. The trailer is exactly as described earlier and is indeed a brand-new collection of scenes. The trailer runs at a length of 2 minutes and 30 seconds (2:30) and sets up the beginning of the entire film and possibly up to the middle. Scenes and moments from the original Silent Hill are abound as the trailer tries to recreate the experience of playing the game. Images of the monsters shown in the teaser are shown a little more clearly, due to the fact that they removed the grain filter from the film itself. You may also find that the monsters feel even creepier than before given how Rose interacts with some of them. However, the trailer does treat us to a small treat, new music. The music featured in the trailer features classic pieces from the Silent Hill soundtracks, but also contains some new ambient works containing that trademark Yamaoka flair. Personally, I was hoping to hear some new melodic pieces or even an arranged version of the theme, "Silent Hill," for film score.

Warning: Possible Film Spoilers

Yahoo Movies - Silent Hill Theatrical Trailer

Now, that you've viewed the trailer, you may not feel as confident about the film as before. (Personally, I was just a little unsatisfied.) It seems as though the film is just a watered-down version of the first game, and find that the quotes refering to "hell" and "the dark one" to be too forward and ackward to be a part of the Silent Hill series, which makes it sound somewhat clique' of horror films. I think that the producers and director are underestimating the intelligence of the Silent Hill fan and, in my opinion, the viewing public. If people don't come out of the theater, the way gamers got up from their consoles, going "What the hell was that all about?," then I feel that Davis Films didn't fulfill the expectations of a Silent Hill work. This is something that I feared from the beginning, but have come to expect as the likely outcome.

In any case, I still feel excited about the film, because despite any personal feelings I have toward seeing this trailer, it still looks better than any videogame-to-film movie I've ever seen. I love the look of the crawling walls and the nurses that don't move.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Bump for Mono.

Well with a sudden twist of fate, they've reduced the spots for finalist of the poster contest I think... Apparently there's only going to be 5 by Friday.

Not really. The top 50 posters were sent directly to the Sony/TriStar Marketing Team, who will narrow the choices down to the top 5 from those 50. They began reviewing posters yesterday and will continue until tomorrow. The finalists' posters will be posted for public viewing on the 20th. (This was explained earlier.)

It just seems that the people running the contest decided not to post the results of the preliminary voting round, so we don't know who the top 50 posters are. It's possible that after the contest is completely over, they'll post the complete results of the contest and you'll be able to see where you placed. Granted that will be a long time, but you'll know whether or not you made it into the top 5 by Friday afternoon.

Warning: Silent Hill 2 Spoilers

Okay guys, let's have some Silent Hill 2 theory discussion:

A long time ago I went to the silenthillforum site, and ran into some guy named "TheAdversary". To summarize, he has this interesting theory that Mary was confined in Brookhaven Hospital for five days, and then released to go see James the day before he killed her. He also claims that the rooftop diary was in fact, Mary's and that she was suicidal. Most of all of the stuff he claims is in the below topic. It IS an interesting theory, but I've already gone over all of my doubts over there at that forum, and realized that some people just want to be right, no matter what the cost, instead of having a good hearted debate.

Tonight I went back there, and I laughed a little bit that he and others are still singing the same exact tune with other people. So it gave me an idea: I want to know what you smart and cool people over here think. Is this guy right? Instead of me jumping around on a flame spree, let's debate over here. It might give this topic a little more life anyway.

What do you think?

I don't feel that there is any need for discussion on this because it has a very easy answer, which can be found in the very first paragraph of Mary's (complete) Letter. She writes:

In my restless dreams, I see that town. Silent Hill. You promised you'd take me there again someday, but you never did. Well, I'm alone there now, in our special place, waiting for you. Waiting for you to come to see me, but you do...

Coupled with the story that Laura gives about obtaining Mary's Letters suggests that Mary wrote both letters before she left to go "home." These things suggest that Mary and Laura were hospitalized outside of Silent Hill/South Vale. In addition, if she had written those letters before she supposedly went to Brookhaven, then the context of the diary written in Brookhaven doesn't make complete sense.

In Mary's letter to James, she wishes him to lead his own life again after she's gone. She makes peace between herself and her illness, her fate to die. Although she is sad that her life is ending, she is happy that she shared it with her someone special. The diary in Brookhaven on the other hand gives a sense that the person writing the diary has given up on life rather than accepting the inevitability that they will die. Although these two comments seem similar, they are very different when you consider a person's emotional state. Giving up on life is a response when you feel that there is no hope in life to continue to live. Accepting that you will die means that you value life and the purpose of living, but that you know that it is part of the nature of things, that life begins and life ends.

However, I'm not going to totally refute what the Adversary wrote, because there are some doubts placed within the game that could be interpretted such that Mary did go back to Silent Hill. However, one major problem with that is that it opens the door again to the idea that the main character in the game is actually running around a populated city killing innocent people because he/she thinks they're monsters. It is not something that can be taken lightly and causes huge reprocussions when you consider the story.

I think that people should also consider Maria's interpretation of things as well. Although born from James' wish to see Mary again, is she susceptable to James' delutions as well, that the town is not really abandoned and crawling with monsters?

In short, this is an interesting theory that plays on the emotions of the player and casts a different light on the things you experience in the game, but when you consider the concept as a whole, it is probably not the case. Anyway, as someone in that thread said earlier, definitely food for thought.

EDIT: Silent Hill Film Update

Silent Hill Film Trailer Confirmed:

According to Bloody-Disgusting.com, the trailer for Silent Hill is definitely being featured along with certain prints of Underworld: Evolution. The report comes from an email sent by a fan, fragilen1n, who was treated to an early screening of Sony's sequel to Underworld. In addition to the confirmation of the trailer's presence with the film, it is reported that it is indeed a brand-spankin'-new full-length trailer and not simply the teaser (featured on the Silent Hill website) converted to big-screen format. So definitely keep you eyes peeled for the trailer to appear online tomorrow or, better yet, go see Underworld: Evolution for the ultimate trailer experience. (However, rumors suggest that only half of the printings of U:E have the trailer attached. The rest of the printings will feature the trailer for Ultraviolet in its place.)

Warning: Possible Film Spoilers & Definite Trailer Spoilers

Bloody-Disgusting - "The Trailer Park: See 'Silent Hill' Tomorrow!!"

Silent Hill Forum - Additional Confirmation (Thanks to LifetoLifeless)

Silent Hill Forum - Detailed Trailer Description (Thanks to Bogus)

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Warning: Silent Hill 4: The Room and Silent Hill Spoilers

But this is what I don't get. The general consensus about SH1 is that Alessa is creating the other world to punish people, but leaves items along the way to help you get through and, hopefully, help her. But if Walter created the world in SH4 why would he help you? I mean no, there isn't an abundance of stuff like the previous games (except for those goddamned golf clubs) but you've still got enough to get through. Personally speaking I usually end up with surplus stuff in the chest at the end of the game.

Was wondering about that just as I read it, but maybe it's possible that Walter created his own world, and in his own world he scattered ammo around to help himself out? The ammo may have never been meant for Henry to use, but for Walter.

Evidence for that might be that the only firearms in the game are pistols...and Walter himself uses pistols. So he'd keep ammo around to keep himself armed.

But then I suppose that theory would eventually fall apart, right? He hides ammo in a lot of places where you never see him. Not to mention, why would he hide a gun in Henry's apartment? I don't imagine it was to give Henry a sporting chance to keep himself alive.

But...

If Walter didn't put the ammo there for himself, then it would have had to have been for Henry - maybe because Walter wanted Henry to make it all the way to the end, where he could complete the 21 Sacraments?

Guess I'm rambling

There is one thing that people forget about sometimes in Silent Hill 4, the assistance by Joseph Schreiber (aka Victim 15). You can debate whether or not Joseph is actually helping Henry out or if he is simply another lost soul working towards the fulfillment of the Sacraments for the Decent of the Holy Mother, but either way, Joseph is intent on providing Henry with what he needs to reach the Ultimate Truth. There are certain clues left behind in the game that suggest this.

For instance, Jasper refers to someone called "that real nosey guy" who seems to be searching for information and clues about Wish House, the cult of Silent Hill, etc. It's uncertain as to when Jasper met the "nosey guy," but it seems clear that it wasn't too long ago. Some people infer that he is Walter Sullivan who is wandering around the world, preparing to kill his victims, but I doubt that, since Jasper refers to his killer as "the Devil." (Which I can only assume is Walter.) From the way that Jasper refers to the "nosey guy," I believe that it is (or was) Joseph Schreiber who spoke to Jasper, was collecting information, and gave him the trowel (Blood-Inscribed Spade).

Later, when Henry speaks to him in Room 302 of the Past, Joseph's speech leads Henry to find the Pickaxe of Hope, the tool necessary for him to uncover Walter's body, obtain the Keys of Liberation and enter the Chamber of Ten Hearts (all of which are essential for Henry's final confrontation with Walter). Joseph even offers advise on a way to destroy Walter's body and collapse his world by informing Henry of the words in the Crimson Tome (an item that I'm still a little unsure about in its purpose in the series as a whole). So, it is a possible explanation that Joseph is responsible for placing the majority of helpful items in the game.

Joseph does also give Henry other important items placed under his door that help him at certain dead-ends, such as the Key to Room 303 (well, he really only helps Henry find the key), the Succubus Talisman, the Small Key (used to open the gate in the elevator shaft of Hospital World) and, not to mention, the Red Diary.

However, something else got me to thinking that it isn't Walter leaving these items around, because the one item that you clearly see Walter leave behind for Henry causes his apartment to be cursed, the Shabby Doll. The item itself didn't necessarily hold any malice towards Henry (since it doesn't really hold any meaning for him) and Walter didn't particularly hate the item (since it was a gift from Eileen and a reminder of the happiness shared by mother and child), so I am making the assumption that if Walter had left any items behind for Henry (or himself) to use later, they would have cursed Henry's apartment as well had he stored them in the trunk. It seems a little outlandish that Walter was so dangerous that even the items he touched would cause them to be cursed (or maybe he actually "purifies" them?), but it still seems plausible.

But this is what I don't get. The general consensus about SH1 is that Alessa is creating the other world to punish people, but leaves items along the way to help you get through and, hopefully, help her.

That depends on your theory about SH1 in general. Personally, I believe that Alessa's world was created in order to distance herself from Dahlia and the "real world." (How much more distance can you place between yourself and another person than an entire world? But, for a 14-year-old girl, I guess the town was her entire world.) I believe that the person who was placing the items around Alessa's world was Dahlia, since she needed Harry to find Cheryl/Alessa (something he couldn't do entirely on his own) and since Alessa didn't have a complete grasp* on her "world."

*Mentioned in an earlier theory about the internal struggle between Alessa, Cheryl and the god.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

I don't know if you're trying to be a jerk or if you just think you're a know-it-all or what' date=' but not all of us here read up on every little piece of background on the games. "This getting out of hand"? Because we're not all knowing, like yourself? Sorry some of have questions and some of us take longer to piece things together.[/quote']

The problem is that we recently (meaning about two months ago) went over many of the influences from Silent Hill.

Also' date=' I'm very aware of the EDIT button. I just don't want to have big ass posts like yourself. I was writing on seperate topics as well.[/quote']

Double posting is one of those things that makes people look stupid. When you make two posts within 1 minute of each other, that just seems careless. I'm not directing anything toward you in offense, but just trying to keep you from making blatant social faux pas's.

I mean no offence' date=' by the way, and thanks for the links.[/quote']

It's not that people shouldn't ask questions, but a little research will get you farther than just asking flat out without knowing whether the questions have been asked and answered already. Although it seems like quite a task, this thread has some really great information and provides some unique perspectives that you probably won't see anywhere else, so reading through it proves to be beneficial. For some of the members here, reading through the entire thread is a badge of honor, myself included.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Warning: Silent Hill 4 Spoilers

Just a side note, but Dahlia is directly tied to Walter's actions as a child in SH4, I don't know if this was said earlier or not. Anyway, she (as is implied in a diary I think) was the one that suggested that he go and "visit" his mother, (the Room) I believe...I'm pretty sure, can someone check on this?

From the diary entry, it's somewhat unclear as to whether Dahlia was addressing Walter directly or whether it was just something that she said while meeting with the Holy Mother sect. Either way, Walter misinterpretted the message. I don't think that Dahlia was refering to Walter's actual or perceived mother, but likely to the Holy Mother. I mean, how could she know the location of this particular orphan's birth parents immediately on their first meeting? From Walter's diary, Walter over-reacts at the mention of this and wants to see his mother in order to find solice in someone meant to love him unconditionally as an escape from the treatment he was receiving under the care of Wish House. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that the mention of Dahlia and her visit are listed after Walter's recants about his life at Wish House.

It isn't until Walter actually gets to Ashfield and is unable to locate his mother that he begins thinking that his mother is in Room 302 of South Ashfield Heights Apartments (and then ultimately that the room itself is his mother). Walter's search is entirely out of his own desire to see his mother, not by suggestion that he see her by Dahlia or anyone else. Also, she mentions Ashfield, not specifically South Ashfield, where Walter spends the majority of the time searching. In fact, the diary even suggests that Walter was advised not to go to South Ashfield, because it is a "scary place."

felixmcli.org - Silent Hill 4 The Room - Notes (Red Writings) (Specifically, entries Oct. 16th & Oct. 17th)

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Ifrit, did you catch my link to the Siren movie? It's posted on the previous page...

I saw the link, I'm more excited about Siren 2, than I am about the Siren film, which will probably turn out like a lot of the Japanese genre films, such as Parasite Eve, Boogiepop & Others or Tomei (a true Silent Hill influence for those in the know).

Since we're talking about homages and the like. I'm sure you're all already aware of the street names in the first game.

I take it that you didn't get a chance to check out Nursery Cryme while it was still open. A pity' date=' really. Fortunately, Silent Hill Tears has kept a candlelight vigil for the site, by hosting a copy of the timeline originally on Nursery Cryme and maintaining many of the references seen in the first game. References made in the second game will be included at a later date. I suggest everyone brush up on their SH references, since this is starting to get out of hand.

EDIT: P.S. DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff, please refrain from making double posts. If you need to include an additional thought or continue an idea in your post, please use the "EDIT" button located at the top, right-hand corner of your posts ().

Session 9 sucked and wasn't scary.

Session 9, like many psychological thrillers, requires that you emerse yourself in the atmosphere developed by the film and have an active imagination. If your mind isn't wondering what lies around the next corner or what'll show up next, the experience probably won't be very enjoyable. Session 9 isn't cult-acclaimed because of the story or it's ability to scare you outright, but for it's genuinely creepy atmosphere which is pretty unique in terms of cinematagraphy (sp?). Most people have to experience the film in an isolated setting in order to appreciate this aspect of the film's character; otherwise, distractions pull you away from the experience and prevent you from absorbing the full view.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Warning: Silent Hill 1, 3 & 4 Spoilers

You could say the fourth game has ties with the first and third games, because you can find memos about Alessa and Dahlia in/around the orphanage.

Come to think of it, why haven't people come up with crackpot theories about Alessa having some kind of influence on Walter? The fanboiz are slipping, methinks.

Alessa doesn't have any influence on Walter, because the cult of Silent Hill ("4S" for those who like to use acronyms) used the ceremonies tied to Vatiel to begin the Sacraments for the Descent of the Holy Mother ("21 Sacraments" for those who like use short names). According to the supplemental information provided by Translated Memories, the Vatiel sect headed by Jimmy Stone was responsible for placing the influence of Vatiel into Walter's subconscious. As you may know, the Vatiel sect was separate from the Holy Mother sect and the Saint Ladies sect, one of which was headed by Dahlia Gillespie (it is presumed that Dahlia headed the Saint Ladies sect, since the Holy Mother sect was responsible for the operation and maintainence of Wish House, something where the day-to-day duties did not involve Dahlia, as indicated by Walter's diary). Considering all this information, many people recognize that the actions by Walter and the influences by Alessa are two separate entities, though possibly aimed toward the same goal.

Okay, a question I have about silent hill 4. Sorta spoilers, here, so I'ma white them out.

So Walter is dead, right? And he's been dead for some time now. How, then, does he manage to turn up in the real world? People (most notably Frank) comment on having seen him hanging round Henry's room and you can see him for yourself (he stares through the doors peephole from time to time). I can understand why the child version of him would turn up in the otherworld: perhaps I'm wrong but all of the areas you go to are somehow important to Walters past (with the possible exception of the hospital)...I also understand why Adult Walter would turn up in the otherworld (punishing people, the 21 sacriments and so on), but what I don't get is how Walter can be so clearly dead and not dead simultaneously.

And I'm done.

One possible answer to your question maybe shown after Henry uses the "Keys of Liberation" on his front door. You are meant to realize that from the beginning of the game (although not the beginning of the five days when Henry became trapped in his room) Henry was in Walter's alternate world (Walternate world, sorry I just saw that as I was typing) the whole time. This suggests many different things. One, that the holes in Henry's room were not portals to an alternate world, but portals to different places within Walter's world, which is entirely interconnected (as you learn by escorting Eileen through the 2nd Visits). Two, the things Henry saw through his front door peephole where not entirely of the "real world." This means that some images that Henry saw through his windows, peephole and other views may have been layered, if not entirely within Walter's world. Obviously, the bloody handprints are an indication of this, since noone else seems to notice them on the wall. Back to the point, the bad and good endings suggest that Walter's intention was to create a connection between the "real world" and his world through Room 302 of South Ashfield Heights Apartments. When Henry looked through his windows, Henry was able to see things that could only appear from within Walter's world, including Walter himself.

One theory that I am considering is that everything that Henry sees through his windows and peepholes are the confluence of the things he saw over the last five days. Walter's world simply built the outside world (outside Rm. 302) from the memory that Henry obtained over the last five days. This means that everything seen in Silent Hill 4: The Room is part of Walter's world, created from the memories of those who inhabit that world. Henry's reactions to the things he sees outside are just his reactions to memories, images which cannot act back towards him.

Whether you believe that the world Henry sees is reality mixing with the alternate world or an extention of the alternate world entirely, you can agree that what Henry is seeing is not the true reality.

P.S. To answer your question specifically about Superintendent Frank, the diary entry gives a little ambiguity to the idea that Frank dreamed that he saw Walter entering Room 302 with a blood-dripped bag ten years ago, rather than seeing it with his own eyes. What I find hard to believe about the diary entry is that Frank wouldn't have noticed an entire room missing from the apartment (the secret store-room). That you'll have to figure out for yourself.

My theory on your query: Silent Hill is a magical creepy place. Not everything need be explained but I'm sure the "other world" and the "real world" sort of run on the same wave length or something (things that happened in either world somehow have an effect on the other). If neither of those theories help you out how about this one: Frank's umbilical cord. Perhaps it somehow holds a connection between the two worlds? Hence why you see the giant flopping umbilical chord in the subway world and when you revisit the prison tower world.

The idea that the two worlds are influenced by each other requires one little detail to hold together: they must be connected. In Silent Hill 4: The Room' date=' the "real" world and the alternate world are not connected, that is why Walter is performing the Sacraments for the Decent of the Holy Mother. His attempt to purify "her" (Room 302) means that he wants to bring his [i']mother into his "purified" world (the alternate world) away from the things that he felt corrupted "her" (i.e. tenants). In other words, he needs to connect his world to the "real" world, which is accomplished as part of the Sacraments for the Decent of the Holy Mother ("21 Sacraments").

The image of the Greedy Worm as a symbol for an umbilical cord is used to mean a connection between parent and child. This metaphor can be extended to other various themes present in the game: Walter's connection (or lack of) to his mother (Room 302), the relationship between various parents and children displayed throughout the game, or the relationship that the "real" world provides the memories to build the alternate world from. This is Walter's intentions in completing the Sacraments for the Decent of the Holy Mother, to connect his world (or consciousness) to his mother the way a mother is connected to a child in the womb.

But, you may be asking, "aren't the two worlds already connected?" Not entirely. The metaphor itself suggests this as the Greedy Worm is shown with a loose end. The Greedy Worm is not even shown connected at both ends, suggesting that the two worlds are not connected to each other.

For example, you only meet Lisa in the otherworld Silent Hill. Likewise, you only see Alessa in the otherworld...shortly after the first boss in SH1 you see her watching you, but as things fade from bloody and burnt to normal she fades away.

Alessa is seen in Misty Silent Hill. Cybil sees the girl in both Silent Hill and the Silent Hill Play Novel. However, Misty Silent Hill is not considered to be the "real" world either.

Like what the hell was with the Flauros exactly?

In the game it was a mystical artefact used for sealing power. Dahlia gave it to you knowing that sooner or later you'd run into Alessa' date=' which would cause the Flauros to activate, thus weakening Alessa and allowing Dahlia to take her to Nowhere.[/quote']

Dahlia doesn't really take Alessa to Nowhere. Nowhere is Alessa's world (memories) collasped upon itself. Nowhere would have been located at the center of the Lakeside Amusement Park, where Alessa fell, which is why the chapel was later built at the same spot. The cult of Silent Hill believes that place to be a holy site.

Lots of great references to Jacob's Ladder in these games (even the name of the street that you have to get to in the subway in SH3). Not to mention Session 9, if you've seen that movie.

Haven't we been through all of this before?

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Silent Hill Film Update:

Official Silent Hill Trailer Confirmed?:

According to rumors on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), the official trailer for Silent Hill will be featured along with Underworld: Evolution. Understandably, I'm sure people are skeptical about this rumor after the last time this rumor floated around the internet (i.e. The Fog, Saw 2). However, this time there seems to be some credibility behind the rumor since there have been confirmations reported from email replies from Sony Pictures, mentions from theater employees who have received the schedule of trailers to be shown with its respective film and a scanned copy of the Trailer Attachment Report which shows Silent Hill to be featured as the primary trailer with Underworld: Evolution.

Feel free to believe the rumor or not, but something tells me that this time it is true. So, with unofficial confirmation on the first trailer, I'm sure that next weekend will be a good time to go to the theaters and watch U:E, even if you didn't like the first film. Anyway, if you don't feel like spending $8 - $10 on a movie ticket, it seems likely that the trailer will also be released on the internet at the same time. Underworld: Evolution opens in theaters on January 20, 2006.

Silent Hill Forum - "Silent Hill trailer to show with Underworld: Evolution" Thread

Unofficial - "Trailer Attachment Report" Scanned Image (featuring Silent Hill)

Poster Contest Problems:

Since the poster contest ended the submission phase, the site has been having some porblems with the voting phase in terms of programming. Originally, the site featured a page which contained a scrolling page of randomly placed posters (in order to prevent script-kiddies from creating mass votes for a single poster). This page was originally listed as

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/silenthill/postercontest/vote/vote.php?

Yet, due to problems with the randomization and the obvious poster submission violations, the webmasters had to redesign the pages a little (possibly having to reset the vote count, but unlikely since the pages that the posters are featured on have remained the same). Also, the site has also fitlered out some of the posters that are disqualified, meaning that some posters will not show up when accessed. So, in order to vote for a poster, you must know the specific name (url) of the poster in order to vote for it. (Not a problem for Global-Trance since he's already posted his url, but for people just beginning to vote for a poster, this process will be difficult to navigate and will likely need to rely on suggestions and plugs to cast their votes [especially since there are over 2000 poster entries]).

So, if you have any recommendations for voting, please post your suggestions/plugs (& please be serious and suggest the great and awesome posters, or we'll have to wade through a sea of submissions until Jan. 17th). With that said, you might want to check out the suggestions made by Bogus from the Silent Hill Forum.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Silent Hill movie needs to come out faster... so does the soundtrack.

Anyways, the movie poster contest is wrapping up in a few hours. Here's my entry. I'm not sure what to think of it. I just wanted to submit something dark, grainy, and foggy like the town itself. Anyways, for everyone out there that submitted something, I hope you all had fun doing so.

I'm glad to see some people here throwing their hat into the ring, especially since the prize for winning is pretty nice. ($2,500 + 25 free tickets to the premiere + limited edition poster with your design + Silent Hill merchandise package & bragging rights on having made the official poster for the film.)

As a service to Global-Trance and any other people who have submitted a poster for the contest, the voting process will begin tomorrow. Voting can be completed online (through the website) or by text messaging on your cell phone (provided you signed up to receive information when registsering). You can make 1 vote per day from Jan. 4 until 12:00pm (noon) on Jan. 17, 2006. That's a total of 14 possible votes that you can make for your favorite poster. (So, if you guys want to see Global-Trance move on to the second round, send in those votes! Maybe GT will share his tickets with us if he wins. )

After the first round of voting is completed, the top 50 posters will be sent to the TriStar Marketing Team and they will narrow the choices down to 5 contestants. They will have the results posted by Jan. 20th, 2006. Afterwards, you can vote (again 1 vote per day) for your top pick until 12:00pm (noon) on Feb. 17, 2006. That's a total of 30 votes that you can cast for the winner.

So, everyone, get those mice ready to cast those votes!

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Silent Hill Film Update:

Improved Teaser:

Since the release of the official website, which released a film teaser as the site's flash introduction, the site now offers visitors the option to view the teaser in .mov format (Quicktime). (For those who can access the flash intro, simply click to view again and the Quicktime intro will play instead.) Also, the site has been cleaned up slightly to provide optimal window size and clearity, which includes the teaser. For those with keen senses, you'll notice that the trailer has some slight editting changes since it was first offered. Most noticable of the changes is the picture and sound quality, but you'll also notice some slight cue and directional changes as well. One benefit to having the improved picture quality is that now you can see some items that were not quite as noticeable the first time around. Enjoy.

Official Silent Hill Film Site - Quicktime Teaser (Direct access for those who can't get the flash intro to work.)

Silent Hill Film - Quicktime Teaser [MegaUpload Mirror]

Morbid Obsession's Journey to Silent Hill:

The editors from Morbid Obsession took a trip to the film set and took some photos of the modified streets of Brantford, Ontario (old news, but bare with me for a moment). Yet, they managed to record some places and images that were not shown in any of the official or unofficial film set photos. Their description of the filming process doesn't reveal too much, but still makes me feel excited by reading it. Anyway, the reason why I am posting this now, is for two reasons: 1) for completion of documentation of the film's progress and 2) to let you guys knows that an exclusive interview with Jeff Danna will be posted there shortly (presumably before the end of December). So, keep your eyes out for that.

Morbid Obsession - Journey to Silent Hill Film Set

Rule of Rose:

I'm not sure if anyone has already seen this, but Sony Computer Entertainment is developing a horror game called "Rule of Rose." The only real information I have to go on this are that it will be on the Playstation 2 (released January 19, 2006) and that the two trailers were released in Japan, which suggests a Japan only release, but still worth viewing. Actually, this trailer is a must see for fans of horror-gaming, since it captures so much of the demensia of creepy characters and situations. Details make the man.

I suspect that the game will follow the older, blonde woman who appears to be either a caretaker or teacher to the group of young girls. She appears to be plagued by continuous threats in a surreal setting of 1930's Europe. Based on the appearance and actions of this presumable main character, I think the gameplay will be similar to that of Clock Tower 3, where the character cannot actively fight against her attackers and must resort to hide-and-evade tactics (not my favorite style of gameplay, but not unbareable). However, what makes me most excited are the FMVs of the supporting characters who are as disfunctional and disturbing as they are realistic-looking.

Rule of Rose - Official Playstation Website

GameSpy.com - Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #2 (Stream, Option to Download)

GameTrailer.com - Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #2 (Stream, Option to Download)

GamesRadar.com - Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #2 (Download Only)

GameSpot.com - Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #1 & #2 (Stream, Option to Download with Free Registration)

Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #1 [MegaUpload Mirror] (.zip / .wmv / 6.55MB)

Rule of Rose - Japanese Trailer #2 [MegaUpload Mirror] (.zip / .wmv / 19.19MB)

[Silent Hill Discussion]

Ok, here are some good news, and some bad news, about the movie:

First the bad news... It seems that Akira Yamaoka no longer will be making the score for the movie, but instead the task will be handed over to Jeff Danna, who made the music for Resident Evil: Apocalypse. He might use some music from the game, but nothing original for the film will be made by Akira Yamaoka, it seems.

Source: http://www.musicfromthemovies.com/article.asp?ID=589

It's not very surprising about this since Franco-Canadian Productions also produced Resident Evil and RE2: Apocalyse with the same producer as the SH film, Sam Hadida, who by the way is producing the next RE film, After Life. (*Jibblies*)

This is one of the darker secrets about the SH film that I haven't brought light to earlier since I knew that it would not only bring up the whole Resident Evil vs Silent Hill argument, which is ridiculus to begin with, and because without a teaser/trailer/visual proof, people would begin doubting the capabilities of Franco-Canadian Productions to make a proper film adaptation of a game series. Hopefully, people will just see that it was improper writer/director selection that made fans so angry.

He said "I'm just there to help with some of the timing\dramatic\scene-to-scene issues, that make a film score a very different thing from a video game score"

Soo...that sounds heavily to me like all he's doing is supervising, while Yamaoka does the actual work on the score.

My worst fear about this film is that Gans tries to make this too literal an adaptation of the first game and actually calls for the exact music from the first game to be mixed for film score. It would seem like huge waste not use Aquila Jama O'ka's talents in the film for a custom soundtrack.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

i didn't read through some of the last posts because i;m too excited to, so if this is a repeat, sorry

but toward the end of that trailer, when they show the silent hill sign... anyone notice it has an "in theaters......" text at the top?!?!?!?! it looks like 6/21/06 to me... but my copy is too grainy to be sure...

anyone else see this?!

I thought it said 4/21/06

Yes, the film officially releases in the US on April 21, 2006.

[Silent Hill Discussion]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this:

Please use smaller pictures next time and don't direct link them from the website; it wastes bandwidth and slows down people with 56k connections.

Anyways, if looked through all the photos, you'll see that is not the only time those suits appear. It appears that they have significance to the story, but it is not revealed what. Besides, they're just protective rubber suits, though rather anique'd, used to protect the wearers from chemicals or other biohazardous materials (no, this is not an RE reference) that they are using, which doesn't seem out of place, as you are implying, since the build looks rather run-down anyway.

Also, hi Lisa!

I already referenced that photo before and nobody said anything about. Who knows how this is going to play out, but I can't forsee it going well. ("Stay by me, Rose. I'm so scared I can't stand it. Please.")

Besides, Eccles will probably be pissed that Thesaly Lerner's tender, dramatic voice won't be used for Lisa.

I have only taken one English class in my four years of college and am actually better oriented towards math and science than I am writing. I consider writing (or creative writing) as just a hobby of mine.

Though I get the feeling he'll chuck it in given the pile of story notes I sent him yesterday

Reading through your story wasn't hard, I finished it and the poem in a rather short amount of time. What I find over-whelming, is the amount of crap I have to write to fix all your inconsistencies, misconceptions, and the rest of the junk that doesn't adhere to the Silent Hill series. I've already written three pages on the matter and I haven't even gotten to Gabrielle yet! (You know if I'm spending a lot of time on this, that there is something worth writing about.)

I think I'm just going to chunk it and send you a section back at a time, since it's taking way too long to get all my thoughts written at once.

Unless there is something horribly off in the movie itself, it looks incredibly faithful to the concept of SH (and lets face it, that "concept" is more to the core of what SH is about than any plotline or character in particular)

There is a difference between the "concept" of the games, as you put it, and the visual appearance of the games. Thus far, the film has been very faithful to the visual appearance of the games, most particularly, the trailers used for the games and the featured shorts (Fukuro, Ki-no-ko, et. al.). The concept of the games are the plotlines and characters in the games. Without proper attention to these two things, you get things like Dying Inside, which is very faithful the visual appearance of the games, but is greatly lacking in capturing the "concept" of Silent Hill.

In addition, the visual concept is not what is at the core of the Silent Hill series, but is what is so characteristic about it. The real "core" of Silent Hill is the concept of human interaction in the context of love and desire, which results in the raise of dark images and visuals when there are things that complicate our reception of love and our fulfilment of desire.