ifirit
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Posts posted by ifirit
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Look who's been busy...
Impressive, but I don't remember there being a Midwich Street. There was the Midwich Elementary School, but not a street with that name. And just for reference, the literary work that has more relevence to Silent Hill by Michael Crichton would be either Sphere or Eaters of the Dead (a.k.a. The 13th Warrior). You also forgot to list Ira Levin (Levin Street) for the book Rosemary's Baby. However, as I read down the list I see that you make references to those works. Also, it's debatable and not very likely that the song in one of the final cutscenes from Silent Hill 3 was actually the song (or a facimile of) "Mad World" by Gary Jules, since it is clearly a remix of Innocent Moon which is on the soundtrack and played earlier in the game. You'd be better off arguing that Innocent Moon is a derived work from Gary Jules. Plus, I've listened to both and don't hear much of a similarity.
Robbie the Rabbit's first appearance in a video game came from one version of Dance Dance Revolution, but I don't remember which one. Robbie is also tatooed on Cynthia's right butt cheek, but you only get to see it after you unlock her "Sexy Costume." As far as SH4 references go, you should add the reference to Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock, the references to David Lynch for the subway track and the Lynch Line token you get from the Cynthia doll, also there's a reference to Ally McBeal (I don't know why) during one of the bloodied, spiral stairwells between the world 2nd visits where you see a dancing doll baby. Well, it looks like it's dancing.
HEY! Where's my credit for the symbols on the channeling stone? DROP DEAD, THIEF. [/jk]
-Edit-Ifrit, if the seven deadly sins theory is true then what are the huge guys supposed to be?
(y'know, the ones you find in the dance studio or at the bottom of the Hazel St stairwell)
The name of those monsters is Insane Cancer. Don't immediately associate Gluttony to them simply because they look fat. Based on the name and the description that Ito gives about the Insane Cancer, it's size is due mostly to cancerous growth, or "cancer running wild." Yeah, it's really gross when you think about it. As far as explaining the connection, Insane Cancers won't attack you unless really provoked, sometimes not at all. I've walked up to some with the flashlight on and not gotten a reaction out of them. That's lazy if you ask me.
On a Hard or Normal setting, you can have some fun with the Insane Cancers. Walk up just close enough to get the Insane Cancer's attention with the flashlight on, and as soon as it gets up, turn the light off. The Insane Cancer will immediately plop back down on the ground. You can do this as long as the Insane Cancer is not close enough to attack you and you don't make any sounds while the light is off. (Light goes on, light goes off, light goes on, light goes off.... It's like jazzercise for monsters!)
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Silent Hill 3 Spoilers
I interpreted a lot of the monster designs as having strong sexual undertones, and that's part of the reason that game was so creepy to me.The idea of sexuallity and motherhood are deeply intertwined in the third game. I'm not sure if they mean for the concepts of birthing and motherhood to be prodominantly sexual, but there definitely are traces. Some people have argued both ways.
One theory also claimed that the monsters/enemies also correlated to the idea of the seven deadly sins:
Insane Cancer --> Sloth (Due to its tendency to lay down if left alone.)
Double Heads --> Gluttony (For trying to eat everything in it's path. [Dead bodies, beef jerky, Heather, etc.])
Nurse --> Pride (Due to the disturbing way the nurses enhance their looks.)
Missionary --> Rage (For the way it makes Heather feel.)
Guardian --> Greed (For the way he covets the "seal.")
Vatiel --> Lust (For the concepts of sexuality seen in the game.)
Memory of Alessa --> Envy (For being jealous of Heather's simple life with Harry.)
The theory does hold water, but what it ultimately means to the story in the game, doesn't really change much of the events that lead to the end. It adds more of an explanation of themes and cross-references.
Thanks for being so civil, and pointing me towards the light. And thanks again for the compliment on my art. I really appreciate it.I don't mean to kill anybody's ideas or theories, but the reason this started is that people sometimes don't try to put 2 and 2 together. Sometimes, they just take things for face-value. I just want people to think about and consider what is really trying to be said about an issue, especially with Silent Hill. Sorry, if it came across as pompus or arrogant. No hard feelings.
I made a rough draft of the story I was thinking of making. It sort of turned out slightly like SH2, but with different motives and different monsters. I've only made the first few panels so far, but I'll keep it at that till I figure more things out. However, my work on one monster is trying out rather satisfactory. I'll post a sketch sometime soon if there's interest.Well, if you have motives established, why not try to use them as themes or diversions in the initial setting of the story? The story can begin at some point deeper in the progression with a revealing look at past events as the story moves on. Just because it's a comic, doesn't mean it has to follow comic-book rules. Use this opportunity to break some genre stereotypes, mess with the reader a little (just a little), and have fun while doing so.
Don't worry to much about getting the art to be perfect. Taking liberties with your drawing and doing something that is not intended may produce a result that might not have thought of before. I'm not saying, "just draw whatever." No, I mean to keep your ideas in mind, but if you try to do something that you wouldn't normally do under regular circumstances, you might make something new, unique and creative.
Go for fun and creativity. Don't worry about precision or fluidity. Those are revision tools.
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Silent Hill 2 Spoilers
My main question about the RPT as an executioner - If James's delusions were leading him to Silent Hill to be punished, why did he break through the executioners and still fight Mary (his demon of Silent Hill?). I guess that's the point of having several endings, in which he punishes himself. But is there a good reason that he actually fights off those by whom he was supposed to be punished?The Red Pyramid Thing is a representation (physical or metaphorical) of James' feelings to punish himself for what he did. However, James also had feelings of need to be punished by the person he caused harm to: Mary. James also had feelings of remorse for his actions that also minfeasted themselves while he was in Silent Hill (again either physical or metaphorical).
James overcoming the Red Pyramid Things can be seen in a few different lights. Either James was trying to overcome his own need for punishment by others and take responsibility for his actions. To him, by eliminating the RPTs he was throwing away the delusion that he did not know what he did. This is because the Red Pyramid Things also made up a small part of James' sense of self-delusion. He sees his confrontation with the RPTs as a confrontation with his delusion.
The other way of looking at this event is that James is acknowledging his feelings of hate and disgust for Mary while she was sick. The Red Pyramid Thing embodies various darker sides of James' nature. The rape scene, the killing of other monsters, the persuit of Maria and the pursuit of himself are all aspects that James sees in himself. Thus, by confronting these darker aspects, he is trying to overcome his weakness to give into these parts of his nature.
Yet, you could see it as James diving deeper into his delusion because you could say that he is acknowledging that these creatures are real and that he must defeat them to reach the truth about his purpose in the town, or that he will find Mary if he defeats the Red Pyramid Things. Of course, this theory stems from the idea that all the events in the game are completely inside James' head and some, if not all, of it is not real.
There are a few other ideas that can be inferred from the event, but they are sub-theories of the ones above.
Sorry if I don't make sense. I just got the dog ending again and my head hurts.Pat yourself on the back. You've just gotten the worst ending in game. Seriously, that ending truly makes no sense. (Or does it make perfect sense?) Shut up you inner-dialogue voice! (Time to roll the credits.)
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I do apologize if drawing PH, or RPT is overdone -- I've never seen it done, but then again, I'm not at all involved in fan communities, nor have I looked around.
I'm surprised. As part of the DeviantART community, I figured you had to have seen something at least once. The Red Pyramid Thing is a celebrity there. Cases in point:
Although, I do admit that this one is pretty funny. (Don't forget about this one.)
While I respect your opinion, and understand your frustration with seeing the same thing over and over again, I think you're kind of forgetting that what makes the Silent Hill games so powerful for people is just how subjective they are. I don't know if you can really call anyone's interpretation of the monster as misinterpreted, because its purpose or reason is never explained. I think what makes Pyramid Head, or The Red Pyramid Thing, so scary is that its up to you what to make of it. While it might be a representation of James' suicidal tendencies to some, someone else might make it out to be a representation of James' conflicted emotions toward women -- or maybe, as just as an independent creature bent on destroying James.Even if the creators issued an official statement saying "The pyramid monster represents..." the game is setup in such a way that people would still get whatever they want out of it.
But anyway, thanks again for the comments. I don't have any hard feelings or anything, but I don't think its necessarily fair to dismiss others' interpretations as misguided.
Very little is explained in the games. Pick any topic, character, monster or idea from the game and you'll see that next-to-nothing about it is explained. Take this game. Why does James go looking for his wife? James never really says and the game doesn't really say explicitly, but there are clues that fill you in on the answer. We can see from James' words and way he talks about Mary is that he loves her. He doesn't ever say so explicitly, but you can tell. And that makes up a majority of the storytelling in that game. You have to infer a great deal of the information and make connections based on what you are presented with. Now, you can go on to then debate what it means to "infer" something and if what you are inferring really means what it supposed to be, but that goes beyond the point.
What is important about the story is how to interpret the clues based on the direction that the game is trying to lead you to. There are certain things the developers wanted you to understand about the story. There are several aspects that the developers wanted you to make in order to appreciate the story at the end. One of those things in a direct relationship between James and the Red Pyramid Thing.
The point at which this connection is made is during the scene near the end of the game where James confronts the two Red Pyramid Things in the Hotel Lobby. James quite clearly states, "I was weak. That's why I needed you. needed someone to punish me for my sins." He then goes on to defeat the two Red Pyramid Things. You have to consider everything that has happened so far in the story and what is left to ponder at that point to really understand what that meant.
A deeper analysis of the game reveals the developers created a subtle, sub-conscious hint toward this conclusion earlier in the game. The dead man in the chair in Rm 207 of the apartment complex. And the presence of the Red Pyramid Thing just before you enter the room.
Actually, the developers did issue an official statement saying "The pyramid monster represents...." It was released in the "Lost Memories: Silent Hill Chronicle." The book was a guide to the entire Silent Hill series up to the third game. You can read the translated version at Translated Memories. And despite the nature of the game, there is a set storyline that you should be able to follow.
Honestly, I understand your point. I understand it all too well, because for a long time, I held the same view point. I believed that the nature of the game did hold boundless interpretation, but as I looked deeper and deeper into the game, I realized that it was only guided-interpretation. The story purposefully takes you by the hand showing you the main points and then lets you extrapolate the details on your own, points that do not change the set storyline. That is the nature of videogames. You have to follow the arrows to the end of the race; take the four plaques and place them in the four plaque-shaped holes; follow the logical sequence of events to reach the ultimate conclusion, no matter how cryptic or confusing the puzzle is.
But, it won't always be that way. Games will continue to evolve and experiences will become more multi-dimensional. The developers have stated that they are working to have the sequels be more intertwined and complex. But, despite the appearance, you just have to understand that the Silent Hill games (up to this point) are not completely multi-dimensional, nor entirely one-dimensional. Yet, in that state of being semi-multi-dimensional, they are still really interesting to talk about.
EDIT:
Looking through your gallery, I really do like your art style. Charming, fun, vibrant, and of a character all it's own. Nice work.
Don't take what I said too personally.
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http://www.deviantart.com/view/16468020/
It's shameless self promotion, but oh well. Drop me a comment if you can.
Cute, but drawing a Chibi version of the Red Pyramid Thing is really, REALLY overdone. Everyone and their dog has some sort of RPT (PH for those perpetuating the mis-nomenclature) fan art. It's a nice adaptation of the monster, but just reinforces the stereotype placed on the Red Pyramid Thing. I think the reason I've become so nonchalant about people's affections for the Red Pyramid Thing is that they often misinterpret its representation and often place characteristics upon it that don't really reflect the true nature of its purpose.
Big Silent Hill 2 Spoiler, but
Pyramid Head = James (as self-representation/reflection)
So, by having a comic like the Red Pyramid Thing "shopping for a James," because RPT is trying to kill James is really is a poke at people who commit suicide or have suicidal tendencies, which really isn't that funny. Seeing how distorted people make these things really ticks me off, because it's like watching small children use swear words; they don't really know what they're doing or what harm they're causing themselves. (But, of course, that's what James was doing by forgetting what he did. And that is funny, only in the ironic you=me kinda why.)
Really, no offense to you foxstomp, just the misguided ideas held by fans of every Silent Hill game.
Ya know, when I woke up this afternoon, I was thinking about writing an original Silent Hill fan comic. Basicly taking what I feel, make monsters out of some of those feelings and such... It's a weak, new idea that needs some encouragement and more thinking.Based on concept alone, it sounds like a really great idea. Creating an original piece of work based on the same concepts that spawned the Silent Hill series is always worth a try. The topic of creating interactions between the feelings you have, manifeasted in physical, yet disturbing form, would fuel a highly interesting discussion about the way people deal with their feelings and problems.
If you were to do so, I'd suggest you understand what you feel, at least on a small scale. You might not be able to fully depict what you are feeling, whether good or bad; try to a least have the monsters reflect that. Also, understand that in the Silent Hill world, monsters don't necessarily have an evil nature. Dangerous, highly distorted and a litle misguided, but not necessarily evil. I also suggest that you not make all of them defeatable, at least not out-right. Because if your work represents a sense of emotions stirring, you should know that not every emotion is easy to overcome. (Ahh... metaphors, how I love thee.)
Try not to think too much. You might focus too hard on getting the emotions to come out. Let it flow out first until you can get your characters developed, then you can revise and adjust as needed. Chances are that you'll screw something up or get something wrong in the beginning, but that's the nature of creative thinking. Besides, it also ties in well with your concept. Failure produces feelings too. (Ahh... abstract thinking, how I love thee.)
On to the games. I'm pissed that the verisons I have are the normal verisons. I couldn't find SH2:GH in stores. Guess I'll check out Konami, see if they have a site store.Yeah, you'll run into that problem since the game was released about three years ago. If there are vintage game-stores around your area, you might be able to find it there, though likely used. To get a new copy, check eBay.com to find it for sure. Otherwise, Konami, let alone anyone else, doesn't have the North American version. The North American site redirected me to Amazon.com, who only carries the first release of Silent Hill 2. (Guess that makes it rare now.)
While you're there, look out for anyone selling Silent Hill 2 T-shirts; they're not official. But still, they are pretty cool looking. The only official Silent Hill 2 T-shirt released was the European T-shirt that featured the cover art for the European Version of the game (available only on The Konami Store of Europe - French Branch.) Several were released for Silent Hill 3, including some from the game, but only five are still available from Konami (in limited quantities). Two are available for Silent Hill 4 and none were made for the original Silent Hill. (Where's the love for Harry Mason?!)
EDIT: It came to my attention that the up coming episode of Medium (an NBC show) sounds alot like the whole Walter thing in SH4... I think this episode will be on Monday... if anyone cares.Well, if you've been reading the sunday comics, there's a new character in Rex Morgan, M.D. that has a strong resemblance to Walter Sullivan (except with glasses) and a sketchy personality. But, it's not anything worth taking note.
I was really excited about the X-Files after watching a rerun on Saturday. The episode had a really great Silent Hill-type feel and could have been a part of the games. It was about an investigation of several black men killed and turning into albinos. The folk-tale surrounding the case was of a monster who could possess men and kill undetected. It also could hide in spaces that even children could not get into. (One scene shows a man looking for the guy possessed and a drawer opening to reveal to the audience his hiding place. The only thing you could see were his eyes and some of his face in the drawer. It really freaked me out in a way that I hadn't been in a long time. They end up tracking the man-possessed to an abandoned building preparing for demolishion. That part really could have been in the game.)
Anyway, I love the X-Files, especially when the shows are about isolated, paraonormal phenomenon that don't run into other episodes. Maybe I'll check out "Resist or Serve" sometime later.
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Ah, thanks for those details, I've was about to order the 'Art of Silent Hill' DVD but now I may wait untill the 'Lost Memories' one becomes available.
Oops, sorry, I didn't notice that Play-Asia had gone out of stock on that title. I tried checking around some of other sites, and you can still find it from Japanese retailers, just not anything English-friendly. If you really want to try, you can get it directly from the Konami Store of Japan. You can also check with Amazon of Japan if other places don't get it back in stock. (Amazon of Japan does have some help in English, but not much.) If not there's always, E-Bay.
Silent Hill 3: Greatest Hits:
This one seems to be going under the radar for some reason. It seems that Konami has released, quite some time ago, the greatest hits version of Silent Hill 3. (Actually, I'm not sure if it actually is the "Greatest Hits" version, but since that's what they call most Playstation re-released games. So, I'm calling it that for the moment.) This re-released version of Silent Hill 3 is titled Silent Hill 3: Konami za Besuto, or Silent Hill 3: Konami the Best.
I can't tell you much about the title yet, because I'm still trying to translate the japanese text, but I've heard a rumor that it contains new game material (similar to Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams & Silent Hill 2: Greatest Hits Version released for SH2), the most interesting of which is a brand-new ending. Hmmmm..... Anyway, I only noticed it because the cover was slightly different than the earlier released Japanese cover, and that the official site said to look out for something in 2004.
More on this later.
Silent Hill Parodies:
You can't always take this series seriously, so here are some things to lighten the mood.
It took some time, but we're finally beginning to see some parodies of SH4 emerging. Check out Silent Hill 4: The Retarded for some weird and off-the-wall humor and comics. Depending on your tastes in humor, you may or may not be amused.
Here's a sample:
Personally, I'm fond of the Silent Hill 2 Chibi. (Still waiting for the complete ending.) Or you can learn Knick Knack's style and make your own comics. Heehee.
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Those are from the SH2 DVD that shipped free with the SH2 game, not the book of lost memories, which was released seperately.
That's not the whole story; plus, you did not specify which version of the game the bonus DVD was on.
The bonus DVD was first released in the initial printings of the European (PAL) version of Silent Hill 2 on Nov. 23, 2001 for the Playstation 2. This initial printing of the game was aptly named "Silent Hill 2: Special Edition." The bonus DVD was created by WE Productions, an independent documentary studio established in Paris, France (originally part of FunTV France, now its own studio). The DVD featured along with the "Making of Silent Hill 2" additional bonus materials provided by Team Silent, which included never-seen-before images, trailers, press events and other production materials.
The production materials featured on the bonus DVD were later released in Japan as part of the composition in the "Art of Silent Hill" DVD, not to be mistaken with the similarly named "Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill" DVD sold after the release of Silent Hill 3. However, the "Art of Silent Hill" does not feature the "Making of Silent Hill 2" documentary nor the "SILENT HILL 2 EVENT JUILLET 2001." The reason is likely because the documentary and press event are journalistic materials and not owned by Konami, so Konami would have had to pay a portion of the sales of the "Art of Silent Hill" DVD to the owners if they had included them. Despite what you might hear from other sources, only the production materials from the "Making of Silent Hill 2" DVD are in the "Art of Silent Hill" DVD.
Copies of both DVDs ("Art of Silent Hill" & "Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill") are still available online from importers. The Art of Silent Hill is available through AnimeNation, a reliable importer of Japanese materials; while the Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill DVD can be purchased through Play-Asia. The DVDs are Region 2 disks, so if you live in Region 4 (Austrailia/New Zealand) which also uses PAL format and also recieved the bonus DVD with the game, you'll need to get a compatable player.
Please note that the materials, including the "Ki-No-Ko" and "Fukuro" videos, found on "Art of Silent Hill" DVD can also be found in "Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill," except for the Caramel Mix video, which is an video featuring photage from Silent Hill 2 over a remix of one of the games songs by Skeewif. But, you get the most bang for your buck from the "Lost Memories: Art and Music of Silent Hill" DVD, since it features materials from Silent Hill 3.
If you'd like to see a small section of the "Making of Silent Hill 2," go to the official European site and look under the section titled "Making of." For additional information about the "Making of Silent Hill 2," you can visit The Silence is Broken. If you'd like to see the production materials on the "Art of Silent Hill" DVD, you can visit Silent Hill Heaven.
Also, the book "Lost Memories: Silent Hill Chronicle" (Ushinawareta Kioku) is the name of the strategy guide released in Japan that contains developer comments and information regarding the entire Silent Hill series. And, "Lost Memories" refers to the book in the game containing the history of the town. It might be a little hard to keep the names straight, but each item does have a different individual name.
European Websites:
In my quest to find everything Silent Hill related, I recently visited the Konami Store of Europe (French Branch). I thought I'd seen everything released for Silent Hill, but you aren't a real SH fan until you own your own official Silent Hill Radio! (If link does not work, go to Boutique --> Collectors --> Silent Hill to view the items.) Oh yeah, that's right. Now you can wander lost highways jamming to your favorite tunes with the sleek, stylish and portable radio. I'm ordering mine as soon I get some cash together.
Another Akira Yamaoka Interview:
Although this interview is quite old, it think it's one of the most expressive interviews given by Akira Yamaoka. He clearly explains his goals, interests and level of involvement in previous works with lots of energy and enthusiasm. Plus, it has a good recommendation of music to listen to. What I found most interesting about the interview was Yamaoka's views on music in the gaming industry and among his peers in Japan. Though, he may be considered arrogant in his views, the issue of game music not being on the top of people's aspectations rings true in certain circles. I do agree to some extent on his feelings that game music today is not being as risky as it could be or trying to experiment as much as it could, but I don't agree totally, since there are some artists who do innovative and experimental things with music.
EDIT:
While searching through Konami's pages, I found some information for anyone looking for financial support in their education. If you are a student studying game design, the Kozuki Foundation for Higher Education is offering a scholarship to students in that field. Also, if you happen to be between 15 and 25 years old and want to become a cartoonist, illustrator, animator or the like, the Kozuki Foundation will offer you a subsidy to get started. The Kozuki Foundation was established by Kagemasa Kozuki, founder of the Konami Corporation, and is sponsored by the Konami Corporation.
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Anyhow, I have 30-some screenshots from the SH2 DVD and once I get home I'll have someone host them and pass them around for you.
And here they are. I just hope my server won't crash or anything. I'll leave the commenting up to Andy.
http://starzander.webhosting.tant102.mine.nu/Lost%20Memories/1.png
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There we go.
It looks like your server is down right now.
If the files are not that big, you could zip them together and send them to me. I'd be happy to mirror them on my site, since I still have some of space available and a good deal of bandwidth as well, since I have less than 150 visitors since it's opening last year. (40-50 of those are me updating and checking the site.)
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Silent Hill 3 Spoilers
Playing through silent hill 3 again I noticed something (aside from another SH2 poster)...the enemies with the big heads and hands...the really tall ones that shoot spikes from their fists...they're wearing dresses.Not just any dresses mark you...they look like the one that child alessa wears in SH1...just something to think about there.
Well, considering that the monster design was based on the Mandarin from SH2, which represents the thoughts and emotions that lie just beneath the surface, but cannot be acknowledged, the Closer should be the truth that has managed to surface itself above-ground. Since most of the game revolves around the "truth about Heather," it would make sense that the monster would bare a resemblence to the memory of Alessa.
However, another way to view the design, is that the dress is a representation of the ceremonial robes worn by the cult of Silent Hill. So, in considering the metaphor above, the truth that Heather is connected to the cult of Silent Hill. Also, considering that it resembles the same corpses as the ones in SH1 could be another metaphor for those members that watch the events of the story. However, I think that I like the connection to Alessa better than this.
Akira Yamaoka at the Game Developers Conference:
Game Informer caught up with Yamaoka-san before his speech at the GDC. They asked him as few questions about his involvement with GDC and with the Silent Hill series. Though, most of what he said is rather short and generic, there are a few rumors that we can put to rest from what he said. One of those being the deal with Nintendo to release a SH game on the DS, which was a rumor spread during E3 last spring. Also, one to be confirmed is the incorporation of HD technology to future installments of the series, which is definitely a fundemental in creating graphics for the next generation of consoles.
What is disheartening about the interview is Yamaoka-san's feelings about Silent Hill 4, which he admits here to not being as well-developed as he had hoped. Maybe it's just me, but I also got the feeling that the SH series has become stale to A.Y., indicating that he may leave the production team in the future. What would this mean to the series? If Konami were to hand the next SH game over to another production team (within Konami), would it hurt the series?
I'm hoping that Konami would be smart enough to choose hands that are capable of doing the series, and their predicessors, justice. To me it seems that Team Silent needs new blood to add new imagination and creativity to this series. It would provide the senior members time to rest and work on other projects that they are desperately crying out for, especially since the SH series required so much time and energy to create. Plus, in capable hands, I think the games might reflect an entirely new light to the same old stereotypes (if Silent Hill really has any).
Silent Hill Comic Update:
IDW Publishing has finally released Paint It Black this month and has also released new information and cover art for The Grinning Man. The artist for this comic is Nick Stakal (a relatively new artist for IDW), with writing by Scott Ciencin (writer for the entire SH comic series). Also, the cover art will be a collaboration between Alex Garder and Ben Templesmith, who also did the cover art for Dying Inside #1 & #2. Copies of the new comics are available at the IDW store, but again you can find better deals on Amazon.com.
RE: Voice Actors:
I forgot to mention that I haven't been able to find anything regarding Michael G or Sandra Wane because Michael G is a stage name and Sandra Wane was rumored to have been hired for only one day, and wasn't even a voice actor by profession. This was the case with the maojority of the actors for SH1, who were mainly community theater players in the San Fransico area. However, I did hear a rumor that Michael G was a model.
Also, I found a mailing address for Guy Cihi, but it was dated from 2001, so it is doubtful that he still resides there.
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Well, with the recent forum trouble we've been having, it seems that some of this thread got deleted (mainly the last three posts, I'm still checking on the rest of the thread). Usually, I would have just reposted the missing parts since I keep a backup of most of the posts here, but I haven't made one in a while. Personally, I don't think it was too much of a loss, since the posts were responded to and recieved by the intended reader. However, for those who missed them, I apologize.
I've been trying to think up some ideas to get the ball rolling again, so I went searching and I came across some old sites and sounds that I hadn't visited in a while. Though, some of it may be a bit old, I'm not sure everyone's checked them out.
European Websites:
I'm sure you realize the each major region of the world has there own division of the Konami Corporation, each with their own website to promote Silent Hill. However, some of you might not have heard of them, and might not know what you're missing. So, I've compiled a list of some of the things you might want to check out.
The Official Silent Hill 3 Site (EUR)
This site was launched around the same time as the release of the game, though it was not used much in promoting the game beforehand, it was updated quite often after the game's release.
Although, it might have been overshadowed by its Japanese and American counterparts, it still features some unique materials of its own. Also, its programming is much smoother and more concise than the American site. (Be careful of the menu; the animations on it kinda make them hard to click on.) Featured on the site are the official music video for "You're not Here," the official orange wallpapers (my favorite of the series), and the trailer to the "Making of" Silent Hill 3 which was later released on DVD. (I know where to find it, but haven't been able to get my hands it yet. If you live in England and can help me out, send me a message.)
The Official Silent Hill 4 Website (EUR) (Warning: Site Contains SH4 Spoilers)
Ah, this one is a real treat. The official site for Silent Hill 4: The Room was released also some time after the release of the game, but again features some great stuff that you might not find anywhere else.
The site features two modes of navigation: one where you can use the navigation menu, which is straight-forward and logical in design, or the other where you take a risk and dive into The Room to its explore the vast hidden secrets within. Each mode has different things within, so taking either road produces different results. I suggest you take a trip through the navigation menu first.
What you can find through the navigation menu is a never-released (in North America) trailer for the game, two downloadable mp3s of Melancholy Requiem and Into the Depths of Self-Discovery, some great wallpapers made specially for the european site, as well as an interview with Akira Yamaoka on his view of the series and future installments. Great stuff and definitely worth seeing.
The Official Konami Store of Europe (Scandinavian Branch)
StarZander pointed this one out to me a long time ago. This place is great since it has items that you will not be able to find in most places, completely in English to provide user-friendliness to people in North America. With regards to Silent Hill, the store contains a copy of the European Soundtrack for Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4 (same as disk 1 of the Japanese soundtrack for SH4), T-shirts for men and women, mousepads, coffee mugs and the most unusual of all, a statuette of James and a Bobblehead Nurse. (For some reason, it looks different than when I first saw it a while ago.) Personally though, I want the coffee mug.
Silent Hill Voice Actors:
I took a trip to the Silent Hill Forum to research information on another topic and came across a listing of some of the voice actors courtesy of Jeremy Blaustein, translator and VO director for SH2 - SH4. I've also compiled the listing of the other voice actors from the games, with site and picture information (as best I could).
- Silent Hill 4
Henry Townsend - Eric Nocebo [image]
Eileen Galvin - Anna Kunnecke [image]
Joseph Schrieber - Robert Belgrade [site] [image] [image2] (Pictured far right)
Cynthia Vasquez - Lisa Ortiz [image] [site] [site2]
Jasper Gein - ???
Andrew DeSalvo - ???
Richard Braintree - ???
Walter Sullivan (Child) - ???
Walter Sullivan (Adult) - ???
Frank Sunderland - ???
Male Radio Announcer - ???
Female Radio Announcer - ???
Cop #1 - ???
Cop #2 - ???
Walter's Father - ???
"Number No Longer in Service" Voice (555-3750) - ???
"Skinned Mike" Female Voice - ???
"Skinned Mike" Drunk (Male) - ???
- Silent Hill 3 [Group Photo] (Right-click, Save as)
Heather Morris - Heather Morris [image] [image2]
Douglas Cartland - Richard Grosse
Claudia Wolfe - Donna Burke [image] [image2] [site]
Vincent - Clifford Rippel [image] (Credits incorrectly listed as Glifford Rippel)
Lenard Wolfe - Matt Lagan [image]
"Happy Birthday" Voice - Mike Matheson [site]
Borley Haunted Mansion Tour Guide - Mike Matheson [site]
Chapel Confessor/Parishoner - Lenne Hardt [image] [image2]
- Silent Hill 2
James Sunderland - Guy Cihi [image] [site] [image2] (pdf file. Last Picture; shown center, yellow tie)
Angela Orosco - Donna Burke [image] [image2] [site]
Eddie Bombrowski - David Schaufele
Laura - Jackey Breckenridge
Maria/Mary Shepard Sunderland - Monica (Taylor) Horgan
Ernest Baldwin - Ward E. Sexton
Amy Baldwin - Florence Minowa
"Trick or Treat" Voice - Dominic Allen [image] [image2] (Apparently, he is also a DJ in Tokyo. His label is Stargate Universe)
Doctor - Dennis Falt
- Silent Hill
Harry Mason - Michael G
Cheryl Mason/Alessa Gillespie - Sandra Wane
Cybil Bennett - Susan Tomei or Susan Papa [image] [image2] (Pictured right) [image3] (Pictured right)
Dahlia Gillespie - Liz Mamorsky [image] [image2] [site]
Michael Kaufman - Jarion Monroe [image] [image2]
Lisa Garland - Thessaly Lerner [site] [image]
Doctor - Michael G
It seems that Konami has two places that they like to get their talent from: Narrator.jp and E-Promotion.jp. I say that since I found five or six of the voice actors still listed there. If you can find anything else, feel free to post it.
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Yow my brain, can't believe I read this whole freaking thread, for the love of Heather someone give me a advil!
Wow. I really admire people who've read through the entire thread. That's why I try to add as many cookies as I can. I admire people even more when they make coherent, intelligent posts. So, welcome to the thread.
As for the control scheme, I was surprised to hear people complain about the 2D one used in SH4, I mean I've been using it in SH2, 3 AND 4 and find that one to be by far the easiest one to use. Is there really no SH game with both schemes selectable? Every one I've played so far has had both)The only time I've seen those tank controls work is in RE4 and that's ONLY because your view is fixed over your shoulder. I'm also pretty sure you can set up to play with the tank controls in SH4, but I have it uninstalled at the moment so I'm not so sure.
A lot of initial complaints about the control scheme were made by the "hardcore" crowd who played the previous titles with a more difficult control scheme, 3-D (i.e. "tank controls"). Truthfully, getting used to the 2-D system is not difficult as most games use this, but it seemed that Konami was breaking a long standing tradition by only allowing 2-D controls. For many, the change was not entirely welcome. But, as time passed, the complaints became less and less frequent. (I've say my peace to the 2-D system.)
That said I think my favorite game so far for scare value is SH3. SH4 had some pretty good scares, but I really think they should have left the flashlight in and made the areas darker. It also would have been cool if they it so that you had a faulty flashlight which would flicker, fade and sometimes even go out for short periods of time.The radio I didn't miss so much in SH4, the ambiance and music more than made up for it's absence. It would have been nice if there was a scene in a relatively peacefull area with a radio or other something similar that would start getting wonkier and freakier untill the shiat hits the fan, where shiat is whatever freaky thing you can think of.
The ambience in each game is created to be unique to the story line. (You'll realize that almost every element of the games are revolved around the storyline.) Though, the ambience of the first three games were similar in structure, their execution (if subtle) shows thousands of differences.
However, as these things go, SH4 was a huge departure from the classic formula. As we've been recently discussing, the environment being created is one of a bizarre nature, rather than one of a scary nature. I think it best to describe it as like watching a surrealist video or painting and being enamored be it rather than repulsed. It's a really interesting quality that was well executed even with the hurried release of the game, though I suspect it is a quality that often gets overlooked by players, especially newer ones.
I like to describe the difference as a person who tastes wine as opposed to one who merely drinks it.
As far as the monsters go, I think they were trying to go in the right direction by making them harder to fight, and for some to run from (the buzzers and dogs) but aside from the twins none other really stand out as far as freakiness goes.The victims however were quite a good implementation, theres just something about a monster that you can't kill, can go through walls to follow you and hurts you just by being there.
Monsters are always people's favorite parts of the games, and understandably so, since they take the direct focus of the player. But, like I've just said, the player should take in more than what is merely the direct focus, especially when there are so many things that make of the indirect focus of the game.
But, again you have to really appreciate the effort that goes into the monster designs, because I know that creating something as strange as a SH monster is challenging.
The ability to dodge seemed pretty pointless and hard to use, especially when you could just charge up your favorite melee weapon and become an invincible wrecking ball.Some might say that SH is really about the combat, and while this is to a certain extent true, I really think the flight or fight is a big part of the series. Unfortunately this is often negated by having combat that is tedious and or super easy. I think they really should focus more on melee combat and keep ranged weapons scarce. Fighting with these monsters should be faster, more involving (kicking, dodging, blocking) but also more deadly so that you're actually scared for your characters life when you're around them. With a lot of the monsters in silent hill it's hard to really see them as dangerous, and while creepiness goes quite a way, they need to follow up on that creepiness by being life threating monsters of fear.
I know that the controls aren't perfect, but they aren't terrible either. However, one of the freedoms of game playing is choosing whether or not to use all the tools at your disposal, such as with the dodge buttons. I always used them in previous titles because it allowed me to quickly evade on-coming attacks (and when combined with the always-run option, you can quickly take out multiple enemies with just a malee weapon).
Still, I agree with your suggestion that the fighting should be more involved. Punching, kicking and scratching are all things we might do in the real situation (if it were possible). Adding in these elements might even help to create a new type of fighting system where the player has no weapon to sheild themselves. This invokes a feeling of nakedness as most games will supply a character with a weapon that gives the player a sense of empowerment. However, if that element were missing, the exposed nature of the player would help to double the apprehension of an already unnerving surrounding. (Yoink. I'm stealing that one.)
I not so sure that the monsters need to be more life-threating, because of the challenge of the hard modes in the games. Seriously, try beating the Extreme Modes in Silent Hill 3 or the unlocked New Fear Modes in SH1 and SH4. Making the game more difficult will lead to the inevitable player-frustration that would detract from the appeal and keep players from enjoying what they enjoy most: the story.
The difficulty that a person chooses when they play the game makes up how involved they want to become. For some players, they enjoy minimal involvement and focus on the story, character development and background information as opposed to fighting. Others, much like yourself, really like getting into the mechanics of gameplay and like the challenge of surviving. It all just depends on your playing style, which is an entirely different topic on its own.
Of course I think the main reason SH4 hasn't lived up to it's full potential is the fact they had to make it in a measly 12 months. Anyone trying to make a game like Silent Hill, with production values like the previous ones, with that restriction is either going to have to cut a lot of stuff, or just end up with a game that tries everywhere, but fails at everything. I think they should have had at least two years to develop the game, any less is just crazy and sounds a lot like money hungry execs just wanting more money.Too bad it didn't end up like RE4, which really gave a breath of life to the RE series and is by far IMHO the best RE game yet. Too bad Mikami is leaving Capcom (Though I don't blame him). Mikimi not only managed to totally change the direction of the game but somehow polished everything to a fine sheen as well.
This is a big point to argue because it will (for the moment) determine what game people will buy. RE4 has had so much pre-production and production time and money put in that it shines as a superior game in any genre, not just puzzle-horror. (I'm not afraid to admit when something else is better.) But, when it comes to playing Silent Hill games, you do so because you want to try something that is different. Also, because these games have good, solid production values, even if they aren't always perfect. It's that deviation from what's normal that attracts people to the games, not because it has pretty grafics or smooth gameplay. Having something that is truly unique to itself is what will make the Silent Hill series stand the test of time.
So, I guess I'm really arguing a point that doesn't really need to be made. However, where SH4 is lacking in production time invested, SH5 will not. (SH5 is due out in 2006 after the launch of the PS3; plenty of time to work and polish it by release. I have a feeling that that game is going to be incredible.)
Silent Hill 2 Spoilers
Something hit me last night...in Silent hill 2 there's always a TV nearby whenever somebody finds out something about their past and goes on to face their demons.Ohhhh.... That's really interesting. Maybe it's some kind of social commentary Konami is also making about Americans, just like the gun in the shopping cart. A lot of people's lives tend to revolve around the home, more specifically around the television.
A lot of important history has been broadcast on the television. Think about the Moon landing and how many people watched that. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Every New Year's Eve, where you watch the time change and celebrate the coming of a new year, a time when we are supposed to reflect and reach revelations on our lives. Television makes up a lot of people's lives and has become a source of communication for the world.
The TV also becomes integrated into our consiousness, because it can substitute for a friend when one is not availble. It can teach, influence and destroy us. I think it was best explained on the Simpsons:
Television: Friend, teacher, mother, secret lover...It's quite disturbing how much people rely (socially) on a pixelled screen displaying things we can't interact with. The irony being that we somehow convince ourselves that we do interact with it, anyway.
Perhaps it's because Eddie doesn't actually face his demons...think about it, James ends up fighting bird-cage woman, Angela ends up traumatised by Bedman (who, for some unbeknown reason decides to turn on you), but who does Eddie have? Nothing and nobody as far as I can see.Maybe it's not that the television represents when a person reaches a revelation, but on another tie between the characters in the game? What if the television relates not to the secondary character in the scene, but to James himself? I mean, James doesn't really know if Eddie has faced his fears/demons yet. Could Eddie already have done so before he met James, and that this was his aftermath? Or maybe James was the representation of Eddie facing his demons?
I mean Eddie does come clean about what he did with James. Eddie realizes what he did and why he ran away. Maybe James is Eddie's demons come to life. I mean, James does end up killing Eddie. (If you believe in the theory that Eddie is the delusion of James', then this is a metaphor folding on top of itself. James is the manifeastation of a delusion realizing its fears. Too much, man.)
But, as for the television, maybe it represents a way of detaching yourself from the situation that you're in. Television isn't real. What you see isn't your reality. Maybe it's a way for characters to lose themselves to avoid feeling hurt. This might tie into your theory because James tries to avoid thinking about himself being dead and about killing Mary by thinking it's not really himself, it's what's the guy on the screen is doing. Angela ties to avoid remembering and thinking about what happened to her. She doesn't want to see her father and what he did to her. Maybe that's why she breaks the TV? So, with Eddie, he is not trying to avoid his feelings. He's actually embracing them. He gives into his feelings of rage, disgust and humiliation, and he acts on them.
It's just some food for thought. Anyway, I think there was a television in the Bowling Alley, where Eddie and Laura talk and Laura realizes that she runs away a lot, too. I might be thinking about the monitor that hangs above the lanes.
EDIT: Well, since I touched on the topic of Silent Hill 5, I guess I should give you guys an update.
Well, like every game in the series, development has just ended on the newest game and immediately production on the next is underway. However, looks like Konami needs some help, because they are looking for programmers to help create the next game. Under Konami's employment page, you can see (near the bottom) a notice for employment for Team Silent. Sources say that Konami is desperate to hire new talent and needs to hire programmers as quickly as possible. Hmmm... maybe some one here would like to apply.
Also, thanks to colinasilenciosa.tk, we now have pictures of the exact filming location of the Silent Hill movie. You can see some images of the streets chosen to be featured as part of the business district of Silent Hill.
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Yeah, I know. I was using sacasm, but then again, it might have been clear.
Anyway, I forgot to mention that the name Centralia is derived from a small mining town in Pennsylvania of the same name. The town has become a ghost town due to underground fires burning in the mines. The smoke along with other gasous emmissions make the town look like its covered in mist and it is dangerous to walk around in that smoke. This name is obviously a hint that someone on the production team wanted to point out.
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1. I must find the song that plays durning the credits.
Well, if you're still looking for the Dog Ending Song, you can find it on the Sound of Silence. (Go to the Silent Hill 2 section and look under Rare Tracks.)
If you really want, I can even tell you the name of the song that plays during the Dog Ending.
It's "Shinukana Hibi No Kaidan" by Dragon Ash. [/showing off]You may remember me as Raenok. I have visited this thread numerous times.Oh yeah. Sorry, I didn't really notice the name change. It just seemed a little too convenient that after making a post about the movie, people would start jumping on board. Sorry for jumping to that conclusion, but I thought it was funny anyway.
Oh and Eric-Jon at Insert Credit.com has a very interesting viewpoint of the purpose of Silent Hill 4's storyline, and how it was supposed to scare you.I really liked the way that he worded the article. It really made me want to finish reading the whole thing. The comparison he made between real life and the game, where it becomes a metaphor for coping with real life and how we try to escape our responsibilies when we become disconnected with the world outside. It's really great how he wrapped the two ideas together. I just wished that he didn't realize this point so soon and stopped writing. I would have liked to have read more. I'm not sure I entirely get the metaphor for peeping, though.
Maybe I said it before, but the game does reference Hitchcock. I think it's when you look at the picture of the South Ashfield Apartment Complex in the Living Room sometime late in the game. But, I also got that feeling from the atmosphere. Like the author said, "it's more bizarre than frightening." Which I didn't get the first time I played the game, because I was expecting a more similar atmosphere of isolation and terror. But, that's what's great about the series: you never get want you expect.
I also think it's funny that he references Shenmue 2 in the article since partically every voice actor from SH2 was also a voice actor for Shenmue 2.
EDIT: Hey kids, it's time for another episode of everyone's favorite game...
Silent Hill Movie Update:
- Rumor
Seems we have another leak involved in the filming of the Silent Hill Movie. On the GameFAQ forums, since The Instrument of GAWD sort of lead me there, it seems one of the actors from the Resident Evil Movies (Zombie) is auditioning for a monster role in the new Silent Hill movie. Though she was willing to give out any and all information, she didn't really have much too say. You can read her posts here, but I'll summerize what she wrote.
Earlier this evening my agent called to tell me I have an audition as a monster for the movie based off silent hill. I have never played any of the silent hill games and I am wondering if anyone could give me some info or tips on what the general monster acts like in silent hill. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.....thanks!P.S. Watch for me in the up coming "Land of The Dead".. I play three different zombies!
I leave for my audition in about an hour. Casting seems really secretive about the details of this movie, because they haven't faxed any sides for me to memorize. They seem to want really skinny and flexible people to play this part. I'm sorry I don't have any juicy gossip to tell other than I'm from toronto ,so it could possibly be filmed in canada. I should go and warm up. I will let everyone know how my audition went when I get back! Thanks again! All the links were an extreme help! I think I have a good chance because I've been in a few horror movies. You can also find me in the horrible Resident Evil 1 and 2 plus the remake of Dawn of the Dead.(Its seems like Toronto is a hot spot for the horror genre)
My audition went really well! The audition consisted of me convincing them I could move very corps-ish/zombie-like, mixed with a slight seductive slither. They didn't have me read anything but instead they had me moan and groan, it was a lot of fun! I should hear from them if I get the part within three days. Thanks again!First of all I found out about my audition at 11:00 pm, which was just a short period before I posted my topic(that's why I was so desperate for tips), secondly I'm a she not a he...lol and lastly my agent called me two hours ago to tell me I have the part!!! yay! She also informed me that they will probably use me to play various creatures in the movie(I may not even be playing a woman). Although this is a principal role, I won't be playing the lead monster. Later this week they will fax my agent the contract and I won't be able to talk about the movie until its release. But In my opinion this movie won't be something to brag about anyway..hopefully I'm wrong!I don't know the monsters names.. but they look creepy! the makeup will involve lots of heavy latex. They tested me to see if I was allergic to latex because the parts require me to wear a lot! most of my body will be covered. Oh i would bet that one of the characters I play will be a zombie.. I'm always a zombie...lolThanks again!!!!! I found out I could end up being a daily which means everything I film could be finished in a 16 hour work day. I like being a daily, you get in, get out and have a nice chunk of change for a single days work. Plus if they need you for anything else they keep you on call. I find most of the horror movies I've been in have used this system for a lot of their actors. Its tends to be cheaper for productions because they don't have to worry about outrageous demands from an actors long term contract or fancy accommodations either. You wouldn't believe the crap some actors pull when negotiating their contracts...its not like I'm a lead, or a movie star. I'm just a 19 year old girl that works as a executive assistant when I don't have a gig. Trust me, this part isn't going to make me famous..its just going to be one thing I add to my resume.
I'll really have to push my movement training to the limits! This will be a perfect chance for me to show what I can do with my body!Hi everyone! I signed my contract today..that means I am not allowed to disclose any specific details from this point on about the movie(which is normal). It also said as a daily my part isn't guaranteed to make the final edit.... but I'm not going to let that happen....lol. I would also like to apologize if I offended anyone by saying this part isn't much or that the movie might not be so hot. As an actor you brace yourself for the worst and let success and fame be a surprise or after thought. With the amount of rejection in this business it wouldn't be healthy to dream up false hopes. The regular rate for landing parts while starting out in this business is one in fifty, so staying level headed is a must! I suggest if anyone is interested in acting (and you live near L.A., Vancouver, New York or Toronto) join a background agency. Its a great job to see if you're really interested in the acting business! Just remember this business is not glamorous! The average work day is 15 hours long and the respect for actors doesn't come until you have really made a name for yourself. .......Anyway..one of my friends has a silent hill game and she is going to bring it to my house so we can play it. I'm not sure which one it is but I'm willing to play any of them![This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]All the posts following this are just basically her arguing with the other forum members about the validity of her claim. Personally, I believe her, but until she can present some proof, I'll have to file this under "Rumors."
- Story: Filming Location
However, it also seems that there is some proof in her claims because there is news that coincides with the one above which says that the Silent Hill movie is filming in Canada. Although, the film is using an alias. The alias is "Centralia" and has set its location in Brentford, Ontario, Canada. A local news article was published about this that places the Silent Hill movie by Davis Films as the same as Centralia. (Hopefully, this is only an alias since I think Centralia is a horrible name and detracts from the Silent Hill brand name.)
Well, perhaps you'd like to take a tour of Brantford before filming takes place. Brantford is located appoximately 20 miles southwest of Lake Ontario. Its townspeople lovingly refer to it as the "Telephone City." While there, the film crew will be treated to the lavish two-star accommodations provided by the Holiday Inn located on Colbourne St. Or if the crew wants a break, they can take in one of the many events and activities held at the Civic Center. Or maybe get some exercise at the Wayne Gretzkey Aquaic Center the same way Canada's finest athlete did. (Swimming is fun!) Or quite possibly visit the Brentford's world-famous dike. (You know that's always fun, eh?) Hey, they can even see Inspector Anderson of the Brantford police "wait for the meat" in the community section of the Brantford Police page. If they feel lucky, they might try out the Charity Casino. (Sorry kids, Daddy gambled away all his money for charity.) If they get hungry, they can always stop by The Olde School Restaurant which features piano music daily. Located on the corner of Queen and Colbourne St. is a metal cutting factory that services many subway manufacturers (ooooohhhhh, aaaaaahhhhhh). However, if anything should happen to the crew (heaven forbid) and they wish to be cremated, they can get buried in Brantford's very own Columbarium, a freestanding, above-ground structure with recesses in the walls (to house urns) for the perpetual care of cremated remains. (How sweet.) Or maybe you'd like to take up residence there. I hear the Brentford Fire Department is looking for a Control Room Operator.
So, congradulations Davis Films, you next project will be filmed in a dump. (I'm so happy. *Wipes tear*)
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This video report is not likely to be hosted on Konami's site for much long, so make sure you see it before too long.
Anyway, I also thought I'd provide a spoiler-free version of the synopsis to the movie plot for those interest with having anything given away.
I apparently seem to be having a bad grammar day. (They seem to keep coming as the days progress.)
I'm assuming it's something that happens when you die? Cause that's something I didn't do much unless it was an instant death scene (train, roller coster etc.).Just die by monster in any of the parts of the Alternate Reality. You have a one in six chance of getting the Vatiel "Rebirth Ending." It's not really an ending, but it is sorta since Heather gets reborn afterwards. It's kinda hard to explain.
I really, REALLY fucking despise the fact that they had to muck around with the characters and make the protagonist a woman."OOH IT'S A WOMAN PEEPLE WILL BUY MORE TIKKETS BCUZ WIMMAN R VUNLERABLE".
Fucking Hollywood. Fucking Konami for letting them do this.
As long as she doesn't go Matrix on the monsters.
Where the hell did you two come from?!
*Lights a holy candle and curls up in the corner* Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me. Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me. Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me.Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me.Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me.Can't sleep, gaybush will eat me.
On a serious note, Roger Avary was the one who wrote the script, so any and all complaints about the plot can be directly aimed towards him. Second, having the story centered around a female lead does not go against the grain of a Silent Hill story. So far there have been two females as leads in the games (Heather in SH3 and Cybil in the Silent Hill: Play Novel). Letter C, because the main character will be female, don't assume that she is automatically more vulerable than a male protagonist would be. (Actually, quite the opposite. Few female characters from the games have been played as vulernable. In those few cases that were, they did so to manipulate another character. Plus, a certain male protagonist can be considered much more vulernable than any female character in the game.) Delta, the contexts in which the main character is female and the resulting reasons have yet to be presented, so do not rush to conclusions. I have confidence in Team Konami and in Davis Films. Please show some faith.
Also, for anyone hoping for Silent Hill 2 to be made into film form, please watch "Betty Blue."
Well, my friend and I have been working on an original Silent Hill radio drama thing. While the script isn't close to being finished we did manage to whip up a nice little trailer.Silent Hill Trailer
We'd really appreciate any comments, feedbacks, ideas, ect ect.
Our Silent Hill RP webpage
Our RP production page
Hopefully we will be able to do SH justice.
Interesting intro on the trailer. Different than what I've heard before. I can see some references peeking through. (Born from a Wish, anyone?)
Unfortunately, the voice acting needs to be tightened. The main character's voice is a little bland (contains few vocal embelishments) and it really sounds staged during the line "Is anybody... here." Sorry, but the voice sounds too much like a high school stage production. The dialogue also needs to given a thorough scrub-down as some lines are both repetative and unnatural-sounding. I seriously would think about rewording the line "This has to be a dream. But, why... why am I so scared?" It's much too cliche' for my tastes.
Although, I do want to compliment you on the great job of music and background sound effects. I see some potential to be a really good fan-fiction work. If it helps, use the Kyodan works made for Silent Hill 4 by Akira Yamaoka for inspiration. (Mind the fact that they are not in English, but take the tone of the reading from it.) Just make sure to give the script a close review and revision and to do multiple takes when recording.
On a personal note, (maybe its just due to a lack of a script or full context, but) I'd like to see the story taken in a sightly different direction. I've seen too many takes on the "I don't remember how I got here" plot from fan-fictions.
I suggest that as you write the script to consider what you want the audience to get out off this drama after the writing is complete. Think about where you are starting from, both as the writer and as if you were an audience member. Think about the steps that you have to take to reach the desired goal (what is to be paid off from listening). Let someone else read (out loud) the script before recording to make sure it sounds right. This helps especially if the reader doesn't know what the work is. It helps in knowing where to clearify, if the work flows well, if it makes sense and if you ultimately reach your point/twist/philosophy/ect.
If I sound snobby, it's just to make sure you not only work hard, but work smart. Peace, love and good luck!
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Basically the timeline falls as such:
Pre-1775: Place of Silent Spirits
1775-1812: First settlement which eventually disappears
1812-1900: Second settlement that is the basis for present day Silent Hill.
1900-1950: Coal mining town developed
1950-Pre-SH game events: Tourism develops in Silent Hill.
Fit the story wherever you see best. I'm going hunting.
EDIT: Aahh. The spoils of the hunt. Time for some more...
Silent Hill Movie Update:
Seems some people are getting over excited about the upcoming film and have been releasing some FAKE posters to promote it.
Bill Pullman and Johnny Depp are not starring in the Silent Hill movie. Don't be fooled. Filming has yet to begin and casting is not yet likely finalized. With that, let's move on.
This is a little old, but is an official Konami statement about the upcoming film. It shows the meeting between Team Silent and the production team from Davis Films. This video report is not likely to be hosted on Konami's site for much longer, so make sure you see it before too long.
Konami meets with Davis (Broadband)
Konami meets with Davis (56K / DSL)
From the short clip of the trailer in the report, you can hear a clip of dialogue from Rose (formerly Harriet) about Sharon.
Anyway, I also thought I'd provide a spoiler-free version of the synopsis to the movie plot for those interested without having anything given away.
A woman desperate to save her dying child finds herself trapped in an alternate reality as she searches for her daughter in a dangerous world of demons.Rose cannot accept the knowledge that her daughter Sharon is dying of a fatal disease. Over the protests of her husband, she flees with her child, intending to take the girl to a faith healer. On the way, she ends up driving through a portal in reality, which takes her to the eerie and deserted town of Silent Hill.
Sharon disappears in Silent Hill, and Rose follows what she thinks is her daughter’s silhouette all over town. It’s soon clear the town is not like any place she’s ever been. It’s inhabited by a variety of creatures and a living darkness that descends and literally transforms everything it touches. The human inhabitants—the ones who are left—are trapped and fighting a losing battle against the Darkness.
Joined by a cop named Cybil, who has been sent to bring her and Sharon back, Rose searches for her little girl while learning the history of Silent Hill and that Sharon is just a pawn in a larger game.
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Yes, gameplay is very difficult to think of isn't it?... When I think of Silent Hill gameplay, also remember that its usually very closely tied to the main point of the story.
I think you've answered your own question.
If there's future SH's, they have to mix this a lot more. We can't just have random people visit silent hill even if its a good reason too much, or its going to get stale very quickly. Here's one idea...what about a flash back tale...back to a time thats anywhere from the civil war era (where the cult began) to maybe early 20th century..when the Cult is in its prime and its evil is first taking over the town of Silent Hill. You'd play as a person from that era, maybe an innocent townsfolk or someone who's in the cult..but realizes the evil of what he's doing and wants out..but it isn't so easy.Well, if you read my posts about the rumors for Silent Hill 5, you'd have seen that Konami is already entertaining this idea. However, the character is centered around more modern times.
Or if Konami wants to be daring and wildly original, a native american main character who's a descendant of the tribe who used to frequent the land before it was taken over and colonized/corrupted by the cult.I've often considered the use of minorities as the central characters (or any characters for that matter) as a starting point for a game. Using what has already been explained in Silent Hill 2 about the history of the area might offer some really great story elements for a game. Having a Native American as the main character might give a better setting for a game taking place during the early colonial settlements.
If they were to use that there are several things are derived from that setting alone. First, no town. Silent Hill begins as a settlement after settlers drive off the natives; and it is not refered to as Silent Hill, but "The Place of Silent Spirits" in the native tongue. Also, the area would be almost entirely devoid of people, because the place of Silent Spirits is used as a sacred place and only shamen or priests are allowed to visit that place. The terrain is mostly marsh and forest depending on how close to the lake you get. What becomes difficult then is that the environments become dull and repetative. However, in Metal Gear Solid 3, almost all the environments are outdoors, yet not dull or repetative at all. So, Konami could pull this off.
However, if you choose to set the stage a little further in time, to the first settlement on the lake, you would have some additional landmarks to add, but it would still be mostly forest and marsh. Also, the first settlement disappeared before the end of the War of 1812, so no current day landmarks would be present in the game, including Brookhaven Hospital. Also, the first settlement would not be named Silent Hill either since the name of the first settlement is lost in time, as stated by the Lost Memories. This era still has conflicts with settlers inhabiting the natives' "sacred ground."
Again, if you choose to go further in time and start off with the settlement in South Vale and Paleville, then the name Silent Hill can be applicable since this settlement survives history. Civil war has broken out, the natives have been pushed away and are not seen or heard. Brookhaven is a shack in the settlers' camp treating people for small pox as more and more immigrants settle in the region. The original settlers are displeased by the influx of strangers and the influx of disease. Some, who were influenced by the Native Americans that once lived there, turned to the rituals that were once held there to drive away the strangers. They were the ones who developed the religion of Silent Hill. The appearance of the religion was overshadowed by the constant war and disease, so it grew rather quietly. Yet, after the war, discussion of anything that contradicted christianity was not allowed, so the merging of native rituals with christian rites was formed. In Silent Hill at this time, you could not tell the difference between Christians and Pagans.
So, this little isolated town in the middle of nowhere continued to practice this cross-breeding with what was normal and what was abnormal. This era is marked by the workings of the Toluca Prison, the Brookhaven expansion and the overall development of the south side of the lake.
When coal was discovered on the north side of Toluca Lake, another influx of strangers came to Silent Hill. This time they made a settlement across the lake and did not bother the people on the south side much. Yet, the people on the south side refrained from having their religious practices so open. However, I believe that some of the miners became prey for the people in South Vale and would disappear if they were insolent. That is why there is a division between those involved with the religion and those who made up the working classes.
Only when tourists started coming to Lake Toluca did all practices in pagan rituals cease. The threat of exposure was more apparent than ever. Only the strong of faith maintained their practices in private, which was a handful of individuals. But, for this handleful of people, who liked living in that small lakeside community, they felt threatened by the quick pace in which everything was changing. From them, they developed the cult of Silent Hill. The cult's purpose: to bring their "god" into the world to wash man of his sins. (Which is just a fancy way of saying "make all the bad peoples go away.")
And that, as they say, is the rest of the story.
Well, what started out as discussion on story development has now become a synposis on the history of Silent Hill. Well, if Konami chooses to create a game based on the history of the town, they have five different eras for focus the story on. Still, like you said in the rest of your post, Kiyosuki, the elements of gameplay to add to the game because of the limitations on technology and environment would make for a terrifying experience. Expansions on the story of history alone could provide plenty of sequels. I would rather see more stories focused on the aftermath of the things that happened in Silent Hill and not as directly related to the main storyline.
Alternate Silent Hill before the appearance of settlers would definately be a interesting to see. Blood would still be used, but what in place of metal and corrosion?
Everyone ignores me, but what the heck... Here's a question for you.Is the cult, and the town itself, actually evil? Or is it just twisted?
Well, we've discussed this briefly before, but the consensus was that Silent Hill is not evil per say, but draws out the darkness in people's souls. However, what the power that the spirits held in Silent Hill before the changes to the religion and the appearance of the cult were is unknown, but we suspect that it has been distorted into what it is in present day stories.
Because of all the things that have happenned in SH, the conflicts over land, the civil war, the disease, the tortures in Toluca Prision, the resentment held by the townspeople toward strangers has taken a toll on the spirits ("gods" if you prefer) native to the lake. What might be percieved as evil might be what the land percieves as normal and that the misty reality is what is abnormal.
SZ, think about it like this (because I know you understand The Legend of Zelda): The sacred realm of Hyrule vs. The light world of Hyrule. When Ganon touches the triforce, the evil in his heart transforms the world to the evil, harsh and destructive land of the Dark World. It is also influenced by the fact that Ganon kills all his comrads before touching the triforce. However, before that the sacred realm was thought to be a holy and spiritual place. The presence of a hate though has transformed it. Silent Hill is very similar, only that there is no triforce to save people, there is no magic spell or object that can return the land the way it was before. Once the spirits of this place have been changed, those changes remain and become integrated into its being.
I'm guessing you have to sign up to download those tracks, huh? Maaaan...No, Broken Notes is available for FREE and are immediately downloadable. I am not in anyway way aware of a membership required to download tracks and have already done so without signing up for anything. Come on, give me some credit.
I didn't know Prymid Head was SH3!I think you are confusing Vatiel with The Red Pyramid Thing. Vatiel and The Red Pyramid Thing are related to each other, but are not the same thing. Previous posts have been made on this topic, but if you still have questions feel free to ask.
If I have assumed wrong and you are not confusing Vatiel and The Red Pyramid Thing, then you should realize that the music videos are montages of all four games, with FMV photage used throughout.
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Speaking of psychological abuse and such, does anyone know where I can find good information, articles, examples, etc of psychological abuse? Or for that matter, abuse towards mental patients?
Reason I ask is because a friend and I are working on a story of our own that deals with the subject at hand, its about a mental patient who wakes up in the hospital one day to discover that the hospital is completely devoid of anyone but himself, but the hospital itself shows very few signs of any kind of conflict, the power still works, water and food are available, but the hospital is completely locked up, so he has no real means of escaping. At the same time, as he sits around in the hospital trying to investigate the matter and find a way out, his perception of reality keeps changing, and so there are a lot of scene transitions somewhat like those found in this game.
And the whole point of this story is to really exploit the psychological damage he sustains from brain damage and an abusive hospital in a realistic manner. I want to be careful with it so I don't just slap some "psychological thriller" together that everyone else seems to be doing nowadays. I want it to be good, but I have little knowledge and experience in the matter (which is surprising to most people, I should say).
So any help or direction or interest would greatly help me out. Thanks.
Try checking out the major publishers of medical and neurological journals. The National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke are two major publishers of journals.
However, like most published journals, you'll need a subscription to the journal to read it. Some universities and schools though have subscriptions available to students via their databases, but again it depends on the school.
If you're not looking for something scientific, and simply stories (fiction or non-fiction), then I just suggest googling "psychology + articles + abuse + patients." You'll usually find something written by someone out there. You can also go the library to check out books published about abuse in mental institutions.
For what it's worth, I did a short google search and came up with this. (An extensive article listing of things from trama to violent parents to issues with ADHD and treatments.)
One thing I would have liked to know more about in SH4, is what Henry experienced whilst being in Silent Hill. If you look at the pictures on the walls of his bedroom, they are of places in SH. It's been a while since I've played SH4, but if my memory serves me right, then he took those photos himself. Right? If so... maybe something happened when he was there?According to the descriptions Henry gives about the photos over the course of the game, Henry didn't see anything strange about the town. It's true that he did take the majority of the photographs himself, but he did so on his last trip to Silent Hill which was after his graduation.
One thing you also have to consider about Silent Hill is time and specific loaction in the town. Depending on where exactly the time that Henry would have seen Silent and the other events in the series, depends on whether or not the town would have already been "cursed." Also, you have to consider what section of the town is affected. Does the curse extend to simply Old Silent Hill, maybe the Business District, could it have gone as far as the Tourist section by the Lighthouse, or maybe it extended to Paleville and South Vale maybe even farther than that and has traversed to the outskirts of the woods beyond Lake Toluca and past the Observation Point. Who knows?
Anyway, the point is Henry doesn't see anything wrong with the town when he's there. The sky was clear, the sun was shining and the trip couldn't have been more pleasurable.
If you really wanted to you apply that same kind of logic to James and Mary and even Harry who all vacationed in Silent Hill before the events of the game took place. What about them?
EDIT: For those who are checking out the new Broken Notes album, also check out the other Remix Projects: Intermission, Fan Soundtrack, and Artist Singles. Intermission is a collection of various VG Remixes not just Silent Hill. Fan Soundtrack is the ReMix Project of the entire Silent Hill 1 soundtrack while Artist Singles contain uneditted files produced from the Fan Soundtrack. I have a sneeking suspicion that they are familiar with OCR and that maybe they visit here often.
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Silent Hill 4 Spoilers
The only thing I couldn't figure out about the Silent Hill games (note: I've only played 3 and 4) is how the monsters fit into the story of the game. In RE, the monsters were the whole threat, they were the conflict in the story. In Silent Hill, (IMO) they just seem to be thrown in there to slow the character down, they don't seem to fit in the storyline at all. Am I just missing something?Like Kiyosuki said above, the significance of the monsters in the game are much more apparent than you may see at first. Though the particular reasoning for the appearance of the monsters in Silent Hill depends on your views pertaining to the game's plot or story, the presence, shape and behavior of the creatures are all derivative of the central character.
Now, with reference to SH4, though you play as Henry, the central character of the game is Walter Sullivan. (I think that goes without saying, but hear me out.) Since finding the first hole, we continually assume that the world in the hole is not exactly the real world. As Henry says "I know that if you die in the this world, you die in the real world, too." This statement suggests that Henry not only knows that he isn't really in the portal, but that if he dies there, he'll die for real.
Thus, his mission in the game to truely "wake up." Thoughout the game, you traverse the portals of reality (I like song titles; plus, I said since Akira Yamaoka was producing the game, the song titles would have a much greater signicance than before) to find a way to escape the confines of The Room. What the twist is, and this is the tricky part, that Henry never really wakes up in his room at all. He is propetually stuck inside Walter's Universe. So, you have to ask yourself, "Is this real, or not?"
Does Henry ever truely escape the prison that Walter has created in Henry's mind? Does performing the rituals in Another Crimson Tome really allow Henry (and Eileen) to escape the Alternate Reality? Depends on your point of view, and the ending you believe is the true ending.
Anyway, on the subject of the monsters in the various "Worlds." Let's first look at the ghosts. We learn from the websites and from the game itself that the ghosts are the victims of Walter Sullivan doomed to spend eternity haunting the world "within and without the Lord's world." We can see how these creatures relate particularly to Walter and to Henry, through his interactions with the characters.
But, what about the other monsters in the game, the ones that can actually die. Dogs, patients, wallmen, hummers, ect., why do they exist there? Quite simply, they are the products of the twisted and overactive mind of Walter Sullivan. We can see some of this when Henry travels through to the "Hospital World." Since Henry uses a different portal to reach this world, he sees Walter behind what should be "closed doors." Walter is deforming and changing something in his world because that is what he thinks about after years of psychological abuse and scarring, and because Walter himself cannot escape his own "world."
Think about the kid in highschool who was often constantly bored in class. So bored, that he would sometimes do the most random things to keep himself occupied. Think of the wierd and sometimes disturbing drawings he would create just to pass the time. Walter is a lot like that. The creatures in this world are his creations and they take a life of their own. This might explain why they often attack each other, especially the Sniffer Dogs when another creature dies.The whole thing is like some sort of twisted version of the Story of Creation.
And Walter said, "let there be life," and so it came to be. (Sick.)
At the beginning of SH4, Henry says he's been trapped in his apartment for something like 2 weeks.Very clearly in the introduction, the story says, "Henry has been locked in his room for 5 days." However, if you consider what I said before, how do we really know? How does Henry know how long a day is if what he sees outside the window might not be real? A valid point to argue, but not really more significant to the story than discussing the point of whether or not Henry is dreaming or not. Because in the 21 Sacraments ending, it says, "The body of a young man was discovered in the Ashfield Heights Apartment Complex Rm. 302. It is believed to be that of it's owner, Henry Townsend. However, it has been deformed past identification."
Truth be, Henry may have never left the apartment at all, or it could all be a dream that passed over a single night. It's hard to really say.
It would of been cooler if Henry was stuck in the room for a much longer period of time, (say two weeks) and started to slowly lose his mind as well as health because of lack of food/water etc. So when the hole appears he has to escape in order to not only keep his life but also his very mind. You could throw in hallucinations and everything, that would of been creepy as hell.I believe that was the original intention of the developers in the initial production of the story. But, again, I think that the short deadline affected the execution of the game. From interviews with the Producer Akira Yamaoka, he seems to really have wanted to drive that issue home with gamers. But with the game be created from start to finish in less than 12 months, fine-tuning on the plot and character development took a backseat to meeting the dealine.
Not to say that this is a bad game by any means, exactly the opposite. (I'm still impressed they managed to do it while creating a unique and scary experience.) This game looks to have been in pre-production for a while, which is probably why development on it started immediately after SH3 came out. However, like I've said before, the stress of having to get it out so soon likely didn't give the developers enough time to really tighten every bolt, hammer every nail, or paint every corner.
Yet, the issue at hand (whether Henry seemed emotionally and physically effected by his imprisonment) did creep its way into the game in a slight less obvious way. The hauntings of The Room were designed to be notifications that maybe Henry isn't quite feeling well. They first start out as being simple sounds or noises (knocks, static, telephone rings). Then they build up to be accidents that freak you out (shower, dryer, fan), but don't really affect him physically. Ultimately, they break out into life-threatening attacks on his life (the ones that need holy objects to repel.)
I see this as symbolic to Henry's mental state. Since, I think The Room is a metaphor for Henry's mind, it seems fitting that Walter would attack him there. I also relates to how Henry gets "headaches" while visiting the "worlds." The hauntings in the room are causing Henry physical pain by effecting his emotional state. (Sort of like the whole concept of psychological terror; you effect someone physically, i.e. fear, by applying a psychological simulus, i.e. the sounds of someone breathing heavily, or the sounds of someone crying.) Things that would effect his emotional state more so would be watching other people die, being helpless to protect someone, or even having an attempt on his own life. Compound these things with a sense of having no escape, and I'd say Henry is a lot more than simply unresponsive. It could be that he's just blown a fused and doesn't want to feel anything. However, ultimately he can't ignore it.
I think I'll stop here. That's a lot to think about for right now. Congraduations for making it this far. Here's a cookie. (It's the new Broken Notes album.)
EDIT:
Silent Hill Movie Update:
Some more news has been released about the plot to the Silent Hill movie. According to a letter printed on Don Carmody's website (which was promptly removed), he gave out the synopsis to the script.
Silent Hill Movie Spoilers
I am not kidding. The synopsis gives away the ending!!!
El productor de la película de Silent Hill, Don Carmody, ha hecho pública en su página web una supuesta y vasta sinopsis del argumento del film.Es un completo spoiler para todo aquel que no conozca el juego que dió origen a la saga; para el resto, básicamente no es más que el argumento de Silent Hill 1 sustituyendo al mítico Harry por una mujer llamada Rose.
Teneis una rápida traducción del texto en la ampliación de la noticia.
TRISTAR
Producer - Toronto
Director – Christophe Gans
Una mujer desesperada por salvar a su hija moribunda se encuentra atrapada en una realidad alternativa mientras la busca en un peligroso mundo lleno de demonios.
Rose no puede aceptar el que su hija Sharon se esté muriendo a causa de una fatal enfermedad. A pesar de las protestas de su marido, escapa intentando llevar a su hija a un curandero. Por el camino, acaban viajando a través de un portal que las conduce a la espeluznante y desierta ciudad de Silent Hill.
Sharon desaparece allí, y Rose persigue por toda la ciudad a lo que ella piensa que es la silueta de su hija. Pronto se dará cuenta de que Silent Hill no es como cualquier lugar en el que haya estado antes. Está habitada por varias criaturas y una oscuridad viviente desciende transformando -literalmente- todo lo que toca.
Ayudada por una policía llamada Cybil, que ha sido enviada para traer a ella y a su hija de vuelta, Rose buscará a su pequeña mientras descubre la historia de la ciudad y se da cuenta de que Sharon representa sólo al peón de un juego más complicado.
Para salvar a su hija, Rose hará un pacto con un demonio de aspecto infantil, y permitirá así que las fuerzas de la oscuridad tomen la ciudad y destruyan a todos aquellos que intentaron acabar con el mal. Al final salvará a Sharon, pero pagando un alto precio.
Since this is the only known (actual) reproduction of the letter, though in Spanish, it is the most accurate. However, you can find other synopses on the net. Here are a few.
Warning - Links Contain Spoilers
I am not kidding. The synopsis gives away the ending!!!
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--CONTAINS SPOILERS--
well, I've been playing SIlent Hill 3 again. Something grabbed me when I was listening to the phone call between Heather and the one guy who's wishing her a Happy Birthday. He said that Stanly Coleman wasn't alive anymore (or something) and he's now known as #7. What I thought was, maybe he meant that he was the seventh victim of Walter... but then again, Walter wasn't present enough in 3 for this to be true huh?
Not really, since victim #7 was Billy Locrane (the little boy who was mentioned in "Trick or Treat" along with his sister). Also, according to the conversation, the voice says "he's underground now" which doesn't necessarily imply that he's dead. Also, from the tone of the voice when Heather refers to it as Lenard, he freaks out very similarly like a person who is often mistaken for someone else. To me, this implies that the voice is a split-personality of Lenard Wolfe, and that Stanley Coleman is also a split-personality of Lenard's as well. Going back up, you see that "being underground" might refer to the basement since that is where Lenard is hiding.
Who knows why Lenard was committed to the hospital exactly, or if his personalities existed before he was committed, but for one thing, we can see the Lenard is quite unbalanced. For what it's worth, Heather doesn't really know what to think about him.
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Firedrake, I just finished watching all three videos and I enjoyed watching them. Are you Heaven's Night? Anyway, if you are, I have to ask where you got the Silent Hill 4 material in "Sweet Sugar." I've not seen some of that before. It's really incredible, since none of that was actually in the game.
I especially liked the editting done for "Restless Dreams." It flowed very well with the music of choice. The music choice for "Walter" was a perfect choice as it reflects both the melancholy and freakish nature of the game. I like Evanescence, too. What's the name of that song?
Well, congrats on making some nice music videos.
EDIT: Another site to add to the Silent Hill Multimedia Family. The Interactive Silent Hill Map is a flash version of the maps from the games, with information from the translated Lost Memories book published by Konami as well as other tidbits of information. It's not entirely complete, but might be one day. Enjoy.
EDIT2: Might as well throw this one at you as well. Premonition has a short description of the Silent Hill Female leads. Could be more complete in detail, but still a pretty flash to look at, with some surprises.
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Silent Hill 2, 3 & 4 Spoilers
I think Heather's look is called "Heroin Shiek" (though you might say it's Heroine Sheik [pun intended]). It's the fashion idea where people are made to look like drug addicts because it exposes a sense of frailty that is alluring to power-addictive or dominating people. Another way to look at it is that they mar their looks in order to hide the beauty or attributes of the person. This fits in quite well with the Heather's character, since she was hiding her true form and gets stripped of her attractive qualities thoughout the story (i.e. affection, concern, modesty, etc.)
However, Heather has not been the only character to be given flaws as part of her attractive nature. With Maria, the programmers kinda took the opposite direction as opposed to Heather. They took a person who wasn't exactly beautiful, Mary (who I find rather homely), and tried to make her look more attractive. They gave her more contemporary hair and clothing, a more liberal attitude, but they did not change her figure. She still has the roll of belly fat that Mary had, her face is covered with blemishes (although Maria uses make-up to cover them up), and her hairline is raised due to Mary wearing her hair up so much. With Maria, she choose style over substance (in terms of appearance). Her look is only superficial in terms of improving Mary's image, but that might be James' fault.
With Eileen, she was cute from the beginning. She was purposefully made to look very pretty, because they had plans for her appearance later on in the game. Without getting into too much detail, she was beat up because the designers wanted her look to be ruined, that they wanted gamers to look at the brutally deformed body of her's and be repulsed by her image. Unfortunately, I don't think they succeeded with that concept. I think Eileen's look changed slightly during the process. Since, she was one of the main characters, and a female lead, they didn't want have people too repulsed to look at her. So, they left her fairly good-looking. Or maybe it's just my imagination and she looks pretty compared to everything else in the game. Personally, I like to think that they at least tried to make you feel repulsed at looking a woman with deep cuts, bruises, and broken bones, yet attractive in a creepy, disturbing way.
Cynthia was just plain out bootylicious (I'm sorry, I'll never use that word again). Though, I think the developers wanted to go in the same direction as Eileen with her, seeing as how she is stabbed to death with blood covering her body and the entire room.
The point is that I think the ladies of SH4 were made to look a little over the top for two reasons: 1) internal pressure to have a selling point for the game, 2) to make the gamer feel they were so unattainable that their deaths would be easier to handle.
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Hey, where is this SimCity reconstruction? Can I see it?
Check the first EDIT in my post above yours (click the word this). Or go back one page and look near the bottom.
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However, i have a minor gripe with the abrupt ending, however, it can be forgiven.
Interesting note: In the early days of in-game music ripping, someone tried to record "Not Tomorrow" in mp3 form. The purpose was to capture an extended version of "Not Tomorrow," in order to allow the fans to listen to more than what is on the Original Soundtrack. However, lacking proper editing software, this extended version was cut-off in an irregular place during the recording. Despite this, the track was promptly placed on the internet for all fans to download.
This Extended Version of "Not Tomorrow" was the first attempt at making a "Complete Soundtrack" of Silent Hill's music, mostly because the official soundtracks often lacked certain tracks or complete versions of those tracks. You might even go so far as to say it was the first available mp3 of any in-game music not released on CD. Who knows? Anyway, the point is that Tamimi's aburpt ending is a direct tribute to that first mp3 version of "Not Tomorrow," a common misunderstanding among newer fans of the series.
Since this mp3 was released on the internet, several incarnations of a Complete Soundtrack have passed through the Silent Hill circles, the most famous of which are Dustfungus' Silent Hill Media, Silent Hill Forum's Complete OST sections, and most recently The Sound of Silence.
If anyone is interested in listening to this earlier copy of the Extended Version of "Not Tomorrow, " send me a PM.
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It amuses me how the first 8 pages are so unbelieveably crazy-wrong in their theories...
mostly, because...All of SH1 is explained in SH3, yet people still theorize, contradicting the explanations, even after playing the game....silly children.
And...SH4 rocks my world, yo.
Silent Hill 1 and 3 Spoilers
That's because in Silent Hill 1, there is a scape goat that prevents the story of SH1 from being entirely concrete and wholly contained. Silent Hill 3 is a "what if" sequel to Silent Hill. What if Harry had escaped from Silent Hill with the infant Cheryl/Alessa.
Nothing from the first story is definitive. Nothing from any sequel is definitive. The only things we derive from the games is the personality of characters, the characteristics of the town, and the nature of the religious happenings the revolve around the story. What we hope to conclude from these things is an accurate depiction of the plotline and the basis for future stories.
Not to really pick at you, Aetherius. It's just that there are certain conditions that apply when declaring a certain story aspect to present. What the aim of this thread is to establish a basic understanding of the Silent Hill world in the way that Konami presents, but to allow people to develop ideas, reasonings, consequences, fan-fictions, ect. from a standard basis that everyone understands. Otherwise, we go through having to explain the same things over and over again everytime we bring up a topic. (Unfortunately, agreeing on a set basis is difficult if people often disargree about an issue.)
Hopefully, those who regularly read this thread have established that basis and can offer some enlightenment into a one of their favorite aspects.
On that note, maybe some people can tell me who Stanley Coleman is (really) and why he created a fascination with Heather. Do Leonard and Stanley represent different personalities for the same person? If so, what about the Leonard fight?
EDIT: Although, I haven't been able to check out Eccles' SimCity reconstruction of Old Silent Hill, I appreciate his efforts to such projects. It remains evident that as people's skills in programming improve, we will see much more fascinating recreations and interpretations of media we love. Projects like this, the SH3 skin mod project (now dead), and Letter from Silent Heaven, really make being a fan of SH as exciting as ever.
EDIT2: For those who have wanted to listen to any of the music to Silent Hill, but don't have the soundtracks or would just like mp3 versions of their favorite (or not so favorite songs) check out The Sound of Silence, a recreation of Dustfungus' work from Silent Hill Media. As a recreation, it is not entirely complete in terms of Dustfungus' work, but it does have practically every song from the games. The audio quality is slightly worse than Dustfungus', but is much higher than anything else you can find.
Please remember to not download copies if you do not own the game and/or official soundtrack. Also, don't waste bandwidth.
With regards to the track names of the "Complete Soundtracks", like everyone before this guy, these are NOT official names of the songs. The names are arbitrary, based off the location where the music was recorded. We don't want another "Mothes" flame war. (Mothes... geez, what were you guys thinking?)
EDIT3: Well, seems IDW Publishing is taking full advantage of the Silent Hill license since Silent Hill: Dying Inside was released. The additions to the Silent Hill graphic novels series now include:
- Story: Scott Ciencin
Artwork: Shaun Thomas
Publisher: IDW Publishing
- Story: Scott Ciencin
Artwork: Shaun Thomas
Publisher: IDW Publishing
- Story: Scott Ciencin
Artwork: TBA
Publisher: IDW Publishing
-- Among the Damned: This novel, which quickly sold out at IDW, is still available at Amazon.com as a bound collection. You can buy it with Dying Inside for a cheaper price.
In a gripping tale of bone-chilling horror, writer Scott Ciencin (Silent Hill: Dying Inside) follows a young soldier suffering from survivor's guilt into the darkened confines of Silent Hill. There, he will meet a doomed soul that will change his life forever... or end it.(I still say IDW ripped-off of my own Silent Hill fan fiction.)
-- Paint It Black:
Available from IDW on February 28, 2005. This will be a single book release. Additional details available at Amazon.com, which is priced cheaper than at IDW Publishing.
(What?! Cheryl?! Cheerleaders?! ...I dunno.)Painter and semi-professional slacker Ike finds his dark muse in the mist-enshrouded, monster-infested reaches of Silent Hill. Then the sexy, survivalist-trained, gun-toting cheerleader Cheryl and her teammates arrive to rock his world. Creatures attack, cheerleaders disappear, and the gloves come off! Will anything survive?-- The Grinning Man:
This one was mentioned earlier in IDW's roster of graphic novels for Silent Hill around the time "Among the Damned" was announced. Though no information is listed on IDW's website currently, it is also planned to be a single book release. Additional details available on Amazon.com.
(This one seems kinda interestin'. Might give some insight on the nature of present day Silent Hill.)For ten years, State Trooper Robert Tower has patrolled mist-enshrouded Silent Hill and never seen its nightmarish demonic creatures. But now the gun-slinging, double-barreled terror known as the Grinning Man has arrived. Horror is unbound and innocents caught in its explosive crossfire. For Tower, it's going to be a hell of a last day.All stories have been/will be written by Scott Ciencin. Though, I have yet to get a copy of the graphic novels for myself, other people have complained about Ciencin's writing style. JTLYK
EDIT4: In a spurt of just-looking-for-the-most-obscure-crap-I-can-find, I managed to find some details about the "Limited Edition" version of Silent Hill 3, which included an art of some rare concept art of SH3 entitled "Sketchbook." I'm really interested in finding out more, but it seems that it was a promotional item released with the game, so copies will be difficult to find. If anything turns up, I'll post about it.
EDIT5: For those of you who have heard of Broken Notes, a fan-arranged version of the Silent Hill Soundtrack, the website is now back online! Get all your favorite remixes of the SH soundtrack, separated by album, artist and now including UNRELEASED MATERIAL!!! This is a real treat, but the best is just ahead as Broken Notes II is scheduled to be released fairly soon.
Wow. New EDIT highscore!
- Story: Scott Ciencin
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Silent Hill Discussion
in General Discussion
Posted
Just did a search and you're right. But that's so weird, I could swear that the name was different in the game. Maybe it's just my copy. (It's not the first time something in my version of the game was different than someone else's. Hmmm...)
I was using the opportunity to throw in a little Silent Hill joke. I thought it was pretty funny, but it must not be recognizable enough.
Nope, those are Numb Bodies. They represent hindered motion due to external conditions, i.e. their bodies are frozen making movement difficult and constricted.
Obviously, the idea of the seven deadly sins can't cover all the monsters in the game since there are more monsters than sins. However, if you wanted to apply a vice to them as opposed to a religious "sin," you might suggest that the Numb Bodies represent the vice of persuing someone at all costs. Think about any scary movie that has a serial killer in it. Always near the end, the serial killer comes back for one more "scare" usually after having some act done to him that would seriously prevent some one from coming back in real life. Therefore, Numb Bodies represent that drive to persue a victim no matter what bodily harm comes to them, ergo the frozen body.
So, while I'm on the subject I might as well extend this explanation for all the monsters. Next up, closers. Closers are described as beings that are meant to close something like a door or a book, essentially meaning that they obstruct the path of someone seeking a goal or truth. So their vice would be the manipulation to block someone from accomplishing their goals. This can be representative of both physically blocking someone (as do the Closers with their large bodies) or the more abstract form where you manipulate certain events that you know will help the other person to accomplish his/her tasks or goals in order to steer him/her off course, usually to your own benefit.
The Slurper is a creature that lives by slurping up the blood that spills on the ground as well as any bits and pieces that happen to fall into its path. It will also lure large prey by playing dead, waiting to for them to come close before making its move. It's nature suggests that it represents that of a scavenger, a person that preys on the weaknesses or careless actions of another. They trick and deceive others to survive, but are often cowardly and passive by nature. Their passive-aggressive personality makes them hard to spot and they will waste no time in betraying your trust.
The Pendulum is a strange creature, not always aggressive, but still tries to search out Heather in the dark or mist. It's intelligence makes its vice hard to pin-point, but it does have a few trademarks. Because it is smarter than some of the other creatures and since it is always seeking out Heather, it hints at the idea of calculated revenge. However, this can be best seen when fighting it. If you attack it, it will always counter attack by spinning uncontrollably at you or by stabbing you with it's many sharp edges. Also, consider its name: Pendulum. A pendulum is a device that swings between two points always in a consistant manner. And in a more abstract sense, it represents logic and precision. Calculated revenge is often a sociopathic trait that means a person is fully aware of their actions, yet purposefully sets out to commit an act against another person to cause them harm for unjust or percieved injuries on themselves. This is a very dangerous person to deal with since they will often do what will cause the most harm to others while the least to themselves, as does the Pendulum when it simultaniously attacks you and runs away by its spinning counterattack.
The Split Worm is quite disgusting and unappealing. Its guise and motions inspire a shaking in your stomach, more so than others with its mucus-like trail, slug-shaped body and distorted features on the front of its body. Being easy to defeat and avoiding from harm, it acts as more of an annoyance than a boss. This creature is too pathetic to treat as representative of a vice, so I feel like I'm going out on a limb with this one. I'd think this one represents the vice of being annoying. Take for instance people who do shocking or disgusting things to get a reaction out of them, but only cause to disturb the peace. They ultimately provoke us to strike out at them and with the Split Worm, I feel the same way. (So annoying.)
The Glutton might be what most people would consider to represent the vice of gluttony, but the Glutton has a little more to add to the story than just being gluttonous. It is simultaneously lazy, gluttonous, and blocking Heather's path. It is a conglomeration of many other vices that make this creature much more than a Glutton. Let's take another look at the children's story about the Monster and the Priestess. The Monster was a creature that so deeply suppressed the people that noone would stand up against it because they would be killed for doing so. In my mind, the Glutton represents the vice of corruption. All the things that lead to the repression of others and suppression of a clear path are embodied in the Glutton. It was only when the priestess offered herself as a martyr and brought all the people together was the Monster defeated. ("Tu fui, ego eris" means "[what] I was, you are; [what] I am, you will be.")
The Scraper is the cousin of the Missionary. It moves very quickly and can attack without warning if unprepared. However, unlike the Missionary, the Scraper is careless and noisy. It likes to walk around scraping its tools together, alerting anyone nearby of its presence. It's attacks should never be unprepared for, i.e. you can always tell when it's coming. A monster that has so much potential to cause Heather the most harm is wasted by its flighty nature and ignorance. Therefore, its vice would be closely related to wasting something important. Waste due to ignorance or from choosing not to take the higher road. Whatever the Scraper's motives are for scraping its tools together, it defeats itself by making its presence known and leaving itself vulernable to others.
Hope that satisfies you. It wasn't easy to get all that thoughtout, especially since its not my theory, but it was still fun to think through.
Lastly, if you were to use the Eros/Thantos theory on the Nurses, whose Eros would it be of: Heather's or Claudia's? Most theories suggest that the monsters are extended from Heather's or Claudia's subconscious. So, are you implying that either one might have lust for women? If you are trying to place the Eros on the player (presumably male) and that the player is projecting the monsters in front of themselves, then you are opening the door for theories that suggest the monsters are real people that Heather fights, which I know you don't like. Just be careful with that idea about Eros & Thantos; it doesn't apply to all situations.
EDIT: I was thinking about all the random trivia I've collected about Silent Hill and figured I might as well start a bit of a quiz. See if anyone is on the same page. Cookies will be given to those who can answer all the questions.
1) What is Neely's Bar's full name?
2) What was the name of the fast-food place in the South Park area?
3) What does the Golden Rooster T-shirt do, and how do you get it?
4) What is the answer to the riddle in the Chapel Library in SH3? Explain your answer. (Hint: the answer unlocks another T-shirt)
5) What was the name of the college that Walter attended?
EDIT2: Well, with filming beginning on Wednesday for the Silent Hill Movie (a.k.a. Centralia), I figured I might get you pumped up for it by highlighting some previous attempts at a live action version of the Silent Hill series.
1) Silent Hill - The Unauthorized Trailer - This is quite old and completely unauthorized by Konami, but it still really gets me excited everytime I see it. This trailer was created by Mean Time Productions when the production team was still in film school. It was created over a weekend in rural Connecticut using a rather small budget. What the production notes tell us is that this is an homage to the first three games and tries to highlight the strengths and faults of the games. The inspiration came from the part of Silent Hill 2 where the player has to jump down the holes to progress. They felt that the options should have been changed from "Yes/No" to "Hell Yeah!" (Classic.)
Requires Quicktime
2) Silent Hill University - This trailer is more recent and was created in response to the "Silent Hill - Unauthorized Trailer," claiming to be able to make a better trailer than Mean Time Productions. Well, the results are less than... less than good. I had no idea what the hell was going on in this thing and why it was so cheaply made. Maybe the author can shed some light on this.
Err. Right. My thoughts are, "if you need to explain your work in order to understand the most basic plot points, you might need to rethink your idea." It might have worked out better had the main character been able to ACT! (Actors are people who can express emotions not their own.) Thanks for the info, Inner-Dialogue Voice. We can all get on with our lives, and laugh at this guy in the meantime. (I found no differences between the regular and small versions. So, get the same version since the site is really slow to download. It'll save more quickly.)
Requires DivX codec
EDIT3: One more thing before I end this incredibly long post.
I remember hearing that one of the members from the Silent Hill forum lived near Brantford and was thinking about taking a trip down there to take some photographs before filming of Centralia begins. Well, he did and he's collected them all in a beautifully layed out website here. The site features images of Colbourne Street along which the movie is set to film. Some images are plain, but the captions explain a lot about Brantford and why it was chosen. I liked images 39, 41 and 44 for the humor in the caption.