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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Moody. Dark. And definitely not for your typical horror fan, Silent Hill is back!
With the cross lit up in the distance, the child screams it again, “Silent Hill, Silent Hill.” Over and over she yells it. I’m not sure I could withstand, as a parent, the terror of the opening few moments of this long neglected film. A child, embraced by night terrors, wondering off in the night toward a cliff that overlooks a steep waterfall. She eventually totters on the edge as her mother screams toward her. It’s a powerfully emotional opening that is only a fraction of the mystery that surrounds the ghost town of Silent Hill.
You can’t find it on a map. No road goes through the town anymore, but now, thanks to Scream Factory, fans of Silent Hill can rediscover it again. We have reason to celebrate as the Collector’s Edition, fresh with NEW interviews from its cast and crew, arrives in a new two-disc set. Finally, the winds of change are circulating around this misunderstood and unfairly criticized film.
Based on Konami's 1999 video game, Silent Hill follows Rose Da Silva (Radha Mitchell) and her adopted daughter, Sharon, as they journey to a town that was abandoned over 25 years ago due to a massive fire involving coal. We are talking raining ash here and it completely wiped the town and its inhabitants out. Sharon, played by Dark Matter’s Jodelle Ferland, has a mysterious connection to this town and, after a call wreck thanks to the concerning behavior of a curious motorcycle police officer (Laurie Holden), she goes missing somewhere in the town. {googleads}
And Rose, on her own, must go searching for her. But the town of Silent Hill is not what it seems. There is a darkness here that is definitely not muted. From burned out victims of the fire to strange lapses and dimensional shifts, there be monsters here. And they are definitely NOT natural. Something has a grip upon this ghost town . . . and it won’t let go.
Somehow, though, Sharon – who has three different parts to play in this town – has a connection to this place and she, as two adults try to help her, wants the truth to be told. And, yes, I have to agree that Pyramid Head (fans will understand) is absolutely a masterwork of creation.
Directed by Christophe Gans (La Belle et la Bête, Saint Ange) and featuring a strong performance from Sean Bean (as Christopher, Rose’s husband who goes in search of her and Sharon), Silent Hill remains a chiller of twisted horror. That’s due, in large part, to the otherworldly cinematography of Dan Laustsen, who worked with Guillermo del Toro on the films Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water and made The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen look as good as it did. It’s rich, full of spark, and nails the twisted vibe within the town’s city limits. The other plus in this moody flick is the set design, which sets this video game adaption apart from others with a nice atmosphere in which Hell on earth is possible.
When it was originally released, the film was – thanks to its connection with the popular video game franchise – unfairly criticized and much of its success was overlooked or simply not commented upon. It is, if you ask me, one of the better (if not, best) video game adaptations that we have. Everything is on point and, yes, this includes the changes in the narrative in order for a workable story to be in place. It all clicks to create a mystery and a psychological drama because – as it is centered around a disturbed child who is trying to make sense of her trauma and abuse – that’s what it ultimately is.
Silent Hill is worthy of this return trip. Own it now and discover for yourself.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Collector's Edition
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - July 9, 2019
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 mono soundtrack
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Presented in a crisp 1080p transfer, Silent Hill’s new scan of the original negative is a thing of pristine beauty. This thing is just popping with grisly images! The film is dominated with reds and greens that absolutely burst with color. It’s a dark film, for sure, but the costumes are detailed and the simple backgrounds burst with new details and a nice level of clarity. Black levels are solid and skin tones are natural. Shadows are defined and the film has a new depth previously unseen. Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 mono soundtrack is clear and the dialogue is never lost or hard to hear.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- There is a fabulous NEW commentary from cinematographer Dan Lausten. Scene specific and ripe with good information, he goes into great detail explaining the vision and the landscape of the atmosphere that is at the heart of this film.
Special Features:
Scream Factory leaves no stone unturned in this two-disc Collector’s Edition.
Disc One:
- HD Master Approved By Director Christophe Gans
- NEW Audio Commentary With Cinematographer Dan Laustsen
- Theatrical Trailer
Disc Two:
- NEW Interview With Director Christophe Gans
- NEW A Tale Of Two Jodelles – An Interview With Actress Jodelle Ferland
- NEW Dance Of The Pyramid – An Interview With Actor Roberto Campanella
- NEW Interview With Makeup-Effects Artist Paul Jones
- Path Of Darkness: The Making of Silent Hill – A Six-Part Documentary
- The Making Of Silent Hill Vintage Featurette
- On Set Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Photo Galleries – Still Photos And Posters
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, disturbing images, and some language.
Runtime: 125 mins
Director: Christophe Gans
Writer: Roger Avary
Cast: Radha Mitchell, Laurie Holden, Sean Bean
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Welcome to Paradise ...
Memorable Movie Quote: "Fire doesn't cleanse, it blackens!"
Theatrical Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: April 21, 2006
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: July 9, 2019
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling horror/action video game, Silent Hill stars Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black) as Rose, a desperate mother who takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears and Rose begins a desperate search to get her back. She descends into the center of the twisted reality of a town's terrible secret. Pursued by grotesquely deformed creatures and townspeople stuck in permanent purgatory, Rose begins to uncover the truth behind the apocalyptic disaster that burned the town 30 years earlier.
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[tab title="Art"]
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