Zero Punctuation: Silent Hill Homecoming

[PedroSteckecilo]

Resident Evil has always used a more western style of horror, Yahtzee even highlighted that in the video.

But...so has Silent Hill.

Silent Hill borrows very heavily from SOME American sources, most notably Twin Peaks and Jacobs Ladder, but both of those are unique in the American Horror Film Scene. In fact both are more properly considered to be in the "Mystery" genre rather than Horror proper. I can't actively think of too many American horror films Silent Hills 1-4 borrow from except that they have a very American feel too them because of the intricately recreated small town setting. Personally I feel that Silent Hill creates it's own unique form of horror, with creepy S&M monsters, fog and some of the most psychologically crushing plot around.

Can anyone actually name any American Horror that Silent Hill references other than the two I mentioned? (I ask because if there is anything, I damn well want to watch it!)

EDIT: Also... of course Resident Evil uses American Horror, it's basically a homage/sendup of George Romero movies with Sam Raimi camera work (in the PS1 era games and Code Veronica)

 

[Indrid Cold]

Silent Hill borrows very heavily from SOME American sources, most notably Twin Peaks and Jacobs Ladder, but both of those are unique in the American Horror Film Scene. In fact both are more properly considered to be in the "Mystery" genre rather than Horror proper. I can't actively think of too many American horror films Silent Hills 1-4 borrow from except that they have a very American feel too them because of the intricately recreated small town setting. Personally I feel that Silent Hill creates it's own unique form of horror, with creepy S&M monsters, fog and some of the most psychologically crushing plot around.

Can anyone actually name any American Horror that Silent Hill references other than the two I mentioned? (I ask because if there is anything, I damn well want to watch it!)

EDIT: Also... of course Resident Evil uses American Horror, it's basically a homage/sendup of George Romero movies with Sam Raimi camera work (in the PS1 era games and Code Veronica)

Silent Hill has always reminded me of Clive Barker's work more than anything. Turning the vaguely or overtly sexual into the horrific, particularly the second game. No, there aren't that many specific films the series borrows from, lest it become a string of homages, but the atmosphere and tropes used therein are conventions seen more often in western horror (which is why Akira Yamaoka said he would be interested to see how Homecoming would shape up, being an American take on a Japanese take on American horror). The Mothman Prophecies reminded me strongly of Silent Hill, being a slow, brooding horror film heavy on atmosphere and light on cheap jump scares. Twin Peaks (David Lynch movies in general, really) and Jacob's Ladder may be the most prominent influences on the series, but the fact that they're successful efforts in post-1980s American horror doesn't make them any less part of the genre - that's like saying Blade Runner is worth watching, therefore it cannot possibly be a science fiction movie, we'll just call it a crime drama, just ignore the androids. I simply don't understand where this view of all American horror as cheap and gore-soaked comes from. There are good Japanese horror movies and bad. The same goes for American horror. I just get tired of fans and critics harping on Silent Hill: Homecoming for straying from J-horror roots it didn't have in the first place. If it's bad, it's bad because the development team screwed up, not because it isn't Japanese.

 

[Russian Redneck]

YES! I agree completely that "fans" are the bane of all video gaming things. Yahtzee, you are my hero!

Irony Alert...

Professing Yahtzee as a grand prosecutor of the truth is fanboyism?

Yes...Yes it is...Denoting anyone with that sort of praise really is.

I hate the modern "fan" with an ire that burns hotter than hell itself. They're impossible to please, will ***** and moan and have a temper tantrum if they don't get exactly what they want - and subsequently accuse others of "ignorance" when their beliefs clash[/i] - ,

- Huge Rant -

That's enough, because in the last five paragraphs I've been venting I've come to the conclusion that your alleged irony accusation is false and unjustified. You don't know me and you probably revel in taking words out of context.

- More justification on why you're SO not a raving fan.

Slow down...look at how the bold text and the italic text match up. That's the irony.

I'm NOT a "raving fan", but I do somewhat see the irony you've pointed out. Still, the context in which I ranted was out of disgust and loathing, not fanboyism.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I'm NOT a "raving fan", but I do somewhat see the irony you've pointed out. Still, the context in which I ranted was out of disgust and loathing, not fanboyism.

S'alright. But I'm sure you can see why someone might think you were a fan-boy. Sometimes it's hard to tell the fan and the FAN apart, and that's one of the things Yahtzee hit home on.

 

[Tony2077]

nice let westernize all horror game so they can all be boring gorefests with lousy ending last good one was either dino crisis 3 or rlh maybe breakdown not sure what that one is

 

[Tony2077]

dead space was good till the end but had to go and throw that last little timbit in

 

[mikekearn]

Ah, excellent. As some others mentioned, the bit at the end was great. I totally thought it was another advert and didn't watch it, until I noticed it was showing Heather. I'm glad I was paying attention!

 

[Kergahan]

Is it sad that this is the highlight of my week?

 

[yonsito]

Was that really a Lord British monster or was it my imagination?

 

[carter91]

yeh i think you should do dead space .... ive heard its pants wetingly scary .... i love you man.... will you marry me yahtzee :$

 

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

Why did they have to kill the best genre ever made.. ((((( *hugs Silent Hill 3 Case*

ROFL at the end btw

 

[UncleScar]

This video really does remind me why I should keep watching after the credits.
While the review itself was mildly entertaining the phone-call at the end was hilarious

 

[Luftmensch]

I suppose it's worth mentioning Bollywood and it's arbitrary requirement of having at least one song and dance routine, which everyone except Indians does infact think is loopy. Amazing how as soon as a substantial audience cares the studios mysteriously stop, like they feel it was some laborious task from which they've finally been promoted. Peculiarly this trend forms whether the project is outsourced or held by the same team; I guess sequels contain some sort of inherit corruption.

 

[WazzizFace]

Awesome as always

 

[gs-pol]

nah i think resident evil was better for a movie, totally ruined it with the over powered super ***** but whatever...
but anyway... L O EFFING L THAT WAS HILARIOUS "OH FUCK OFF" AT THE END LOLLL
gotta love yahtzee

 

[jemborg]

Hate to point out the bleeding obvious, but... SH2 seems to be a sequel that ended up on his all-time-greats listing.

 

[GumbaMasta]

I guess that answers my question with no then. (=D

 

[Marbas]

I liked SH:H. I guess this makes me a mutant of some sort because I also like SH3 more than SH2.

 

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For Yahtzee