Limit the use of CGI Personally, I’ve never, ever been convinced that CGI is better than real-life, and it certainly isn’t scary. So, if the Wolf Man can do without computers, then so can Silent Hill.
Bring back the nurses The zombified nurses in the first film are a genius creation of rotting sex appeal, and would rank very highly on my “favourite screen monsters of all time” list. I absolutely loved them, and so they should feature in at least one scene of the new film.
DON’T bring back Pyramid Head This colossal monstrosity first appears in Silent Hill 2 of the game franchise. He is the guilt of the main character personified, and therefore is very specific to that particular story. Taking him out of context and just throwing him into the mix in the first Silent Hill film was bad enough, so don’t repeat the same mistake. Invent a new monster, with its own meaning.
Suggest, rather than show The monsters in Silent Hill really are the main attraction, so to never really show anything would be a mistake. However, I think a little more time could be spent suggesting the presence of something sinister, rather than just having a load of horribly malformed things leaping out straight off the bat.
Crank up the noise A vital part of what makes the franchise so utterly creepy is the sound. Bizarre noises in the dark, distant screams and echoes, a brooding soundtrack, sickly squelches and high-pitched shrieks, it’s all there to utilize. So have the monsters this time around amped up, have them make some truly inhuman and not-of-this-earth sounds that send a chill right up the spine. Also, using the exact same music from the games in the first film was a wonderful touch, which should be repeated in the sequel.
Have a vision and stick to it It was alleged that the first film initially faced problems due to the fact the entire cast were women. So what did they do? They added in a completely superfluous role for Sean Bean, making about as much use of him as a very useless thing. Next time, perhaps the film makers could invest more in artistic merit than financial gain. I’m dreaming, I know, but still …
Include the monsters with four legs In the second game, the apartment block is crawling with headless torsos that appear to have broken legs where their arms should be, making them appear like demented bunny rabbits. These brilliant creations were missing in the first film, which makes them a prime inclusion for the sequel.
Cast virtual unknowns Having a film crammed full of famous actors can work brilliantly. However, in the wrong film, it only detracts from the reality of the situation. For example, had the three students in the Blair Witch Project been Tobey Maguire, Matthew Lillard and Christina Ricci, it would not have been even half as scary. People certainly would not have believed it was real. Likewise, Silent Hill 2 is definitely something that would benefit from a cast of new or unknown actors.
Change the quality of film In the wake of such triumphs as the Blair Witch and Cloverfield, I am very much in favour of films not really looking like films. This ties in with the famous actors idea. In just the same way, if a film is too polished, too glossy, I’m too aware that I’m watching a film and the impact it has is lessened. So perhaps Silent Hill 2 would benefit from a downgrading of quality. Those gloomy back alleys and mist-enshrouded streets would, I’m sure, look absolutely terrifying on grainy, dark film.
And finally, surprise me … I want to see something genuinely horrifying, unexpected, and brilliant.
