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[Infernal Mass]

Q: Akria, what do you think of the additions Christophe has made to Silent Hill world?

Akira Yamaoka: After seeing the film, I think that Christophe has really expressed the core elements of Silent Hill, and he’s really kept the themes alive in this new medium. Silent Hill is not just a horror game; there is human drama rotted very deeply in the story, and I feel that he expressed that very well with the visuals, sounds, and atmosphere in the film. By watching the film, I Fell that you’ll get a clearer and deeper understanding of the world of Silent Hill, more so than by simply playing the games.

Q: Christophe, given your fandom, have you considered directing a game?

CG: Yes, I’d like to try that one day. Because as a director who is also a gamer, I think that there are two different ways to tell a story, and sometimes it can be like a dialogue between a film and a game. I’d like to think that, like, a 40-year-old woman might enjoy the film and than realize that it’s an adaptation of a video game. Now, I don’t expect her to play the game, but for her to realize that the games are important and that they deal with human emotions, not only carnage. Most of the people have a very caricatured vision of videogamers, and actually, gamers are very intelligent.

Games are a form of art. I realized that when I played through Silent Hill. Of course, I was a big fan of (Mario creator Shigeru) Miyamoto’s work, and I consider him a true artist. Playing through The Legend of Zelda, for example, was a beautiful, poetic moment for me. Playing through Silent Hill is very serious-and adult, of course- and that was the moment that I realized that gaming would become an important medium for storytelling. The quality of immersion is very difficult to reach with cinema. And I feel that it’s extremely stupid for films like Doom to come out and reflect poorly on games.

Q: IT doesn’t help when a critic like Roger Ebert says that games are not art…

CG: F*** him. You know, I will say to this guy that he only has to read the critiques against cinema that the beginning of the 20th century. It was seen as a degenerate version of live stage musicals. And this was a time when visionary directors like Griffith were working. That means that Ebert is wrong. It’s simple. Most people who despise a new medium are simply afraid to die, so they express their arrogance and fear like this. He will realize that he is wrong on his deathbed. Human beings are stupid, and we often become a**holes when we get old. Each time a new medium appears, I feel that it’s important to respect it, even if it appears primitive or naïve at first, simply because some people are finding value in it. If you have one guy in the world who thinks that Silent Hill or Zelda is a beautiful, poetic work, then that game means something.


Q: How did you tackle the concept of evil in Silent Hill?

CG: Because Silent Hill comes from a part of the world where the line between good and evil is blurred more so than in the West, it’s very interesting to deal with that. Since you haven’t seen the film, I don’t want to go too deeply into that, but I will say that for me, it was interesting to define what exactly is evil in the world of today. I think it’s an important question to raise. Until five years ago, we were living in a world that was a product of the Second World War. It was very clear that we were on the good side. But many things have happened in the last few years, and now people aren’t so sure about that.

In Silent Hill, I don’t attempt to answer these questions, but I do try to illustrate them. And I think it’s one of the most important objectives of the horror genre, to ask the right questions. Horror is actually a very political genre. Silent Hill is a very disturbing game, because you’re not just alone physically, but also alone morally. That’s the world of today. Each day, we’re forced to reevaluate our own morality.

Q: You seem so passionate about this project…do you hope to helm a sequel?

CG: OF course, I would love to come back. And of course, Silent Hill 3 is a direct continuation of the first game’s plot…I think that it would be very possible to do a sequel to this film. As I said, Silent Hill is a complete mythology, and I did what I could in two hours, but I would love to tell much more about the Red Nurse, Claudia, and the Doctor. Plus, there is a fifth dimension of Silent Hill-how it existed in the 18th century, during the Salem witch-hunts. It’s so big and so interesting, and I would love to jump back on the horse.

Q: Akira, what has the whole Silent Hill movie project meant to you?

AY: I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that Silent Hill would ever become a feature film, so I must say that I’m extremely grateful for the chance to work on this incredible project. The approach that we took when making the games was not typical- we were heavily influenced by films, and really wanted to touch the users’ emotions. We wanted to touch their hearts deeply. That kind of emotional potential was generally reserved for other forms of art, but I think that we were able to succeed. And now, to see these filmmakers take inspiration from our game, that was a very emotional moment for me.

I've read impressions from someone who saw a clip from the film, i'm not going to spoil anything.. but i will say that Pyramid Head is a f'n monster in this film.

[Redpyramidhead]

Thanks very much Infernal. That was a very informative read. to hear how passionate Christopher Gahns is himself about the series, is an exciting thought.


_RED_ stuff

[Infernal Mass]

here's another interview with gans and the cast..long read. Also i wish Harry and Panruru would chime in, i know they are lurking around here somewhere. what do ya'll think?

https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/features.php?id=218

[Redpyramidhead]

PYRAMID HEAD!!!!



_RED_ stuff