Silent Hill (2006)reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
Once again based on a video game, "Silent Hill" is about a mother, played by Radha Mitchel (Melinda and Melinda), who searches for her sick-in-the-head daughter in the haunted, deserted town of Silent Hill. Once there, she encounters a bunch of scary crap that doesn't make any sense and doesn't seem to phase her anyway. She is soon helped by a lesbian motorcycle cop who is eventually baked alive by this cult that killed some little girl who gave birth to the mother's lost daughter. There's some stuff about God. There's some stuff about some muscle-bound demon with a huge knife and a helmet shaped like a cheese grater. There's some stuff about some Zombie nurses who dance like in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video when the light shines on them. It all culminates into a mess of confusion and bitterness towards the viewer. As video game inspired movies go, this is the worst; even worse than "Van Helsing." At least "Van Helsing" tried to be entertaining. This one was simply mean spirited with its images, especially in the third act. I don't mind disturbing images in a movie if there is a point, a reason or maybe even at least a plot. This movie had neither. This picture was so bad, I'm not going to another horror genre movie for a while. It has left me burnt on the whole genre for now (May 3, 2006). The last thing I'll say is, had I seen a one-sheet for the movie with Roger Avery (The Rules of Attraction) credited as having adapted the screenplay, I would have never saw the movie. Avery is the most untalented writer I've ever seen. When Avery can't come up with a decent story or characters, he throws in ridiculously over-the-top harsh language and disturbing images for pure shock value. He is worthless to mainstream cinema. His stuff should remain buried in the back of those used DVD stores--which double as the local Pro-Hemp chapter--wrapped in a black-and-white label, sitting next to Jon Waters' "Pink Flamingo." I can't advise anyone to go see this movie. Benn - Where's the Humanity? |