Silent Hill Movie - Anyone seeing this?

[oft wears hats]

So, they're making a Silent Hill movie. I've played the first one (got the bad ending where a lot of the story is left unexplained). Nonetheless, the game scared the pants off of me, and the trailer doesn't look half bad.

Is anyone excited about this movie?

I'd decided to see it if it got better than a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, but now a friend has agreed to see it with me, so I'll probably see it regardless (unless it scores really low).

I'm starting to get high hopes for this movie. Who knows, maybe it'll break the trend of lousy video game-to-movie translations.

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

I think it really looks genuinely scary, and most importantly really seems to capture the atmosphere, look, and vibe of the games. The only downer point so far is the really lame "scare-ree voice #37 digital effect preset" on the little girl's "I am the reaper" line.

[Max Torque]

I've been quite eager to see it ever since I saw this picture of Pyramid Head.

[WOOKINPANUB]

Originally Posted by Max Torque

I've been quite eager to see it ever since I saw this picture of Pyramid Head.

Holy Crap! Who are what the hell is that? I don't know anything about this or any other games. Do you think that will detract from my understanding and / or enjoyment of the film?

[Elendil's Heir]

Looks pretty damned bizarre and scary. Dunno if I'll see it.

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by WOOKINPANUB

Holy Crap! Who are what the hell is that? I don't know anything about this or any other games. Do you think that will detract from my understanding and / or enjoyment of the film?

Probably not. The movie is based on the first Silent Hill game from what I understand. You may miss out on a few nods to the fans, such as pyramid head there, but there should be enough explanation to keep everyone up.

As for who or what he is, he's pyramid head. He's from Silent Hill 2. He has a pyramid for a head and carries a big honkin sword. His turn ons are bizarre demon mannequins, damned souls, and long walks on the beach. His turn offs are sirens (iirc) and people who are bossy.

[WOOKINPANUB]

Originally Posted by Harborwolf

Probably not. The movie is based on the first Silent Hill game from what I understand. You may miss out on a few nods to the fans, such as pyramid head there, but there should be enough explanation to keep everyone up.

As for who or what he is, he's pyramid head. He's from Silent Hill 2. He has a pyramid for a head and carries a big honkin sword. His turn ons are bizarre demon mannequins, damned souls, and long walks on the beach. His turn offs are sirens (iirc) and people who are bossy.

I was gonna say that its his lower half that's the pyramid, but on closer inspection, yes, his head is pyramiddy also. And I didn't catch the corpse he's dragging behind him at first glance, so now I'm really jazzed.

It's obvious, even to me, that he's some kind of fantasy /sci fi character, Harbor "smarty pants" Wolf . Does that mean that the movie takes place in a fantasy setting? Because the commercial looks like it's supposed to be present time and place.

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by WOOKINPANUB

It's obvious, even to me, that he's some kind of fantasy /sci fi character, Harbor "smarty pants" Wolf . Does that mean that the movie takes place in a fantasy setting? Because the commercial looks like it's supposed to be present time and place.

The movie takes place in present day, but it's a present day place of eeeviiiilll.

Essentially, Silent Hill is a quiet little town where a lot of nasty, shadowy, really terribly bad things have happened so you've got all kinds of creepy things oozing out of the place. There are angry doomsday cults, demonic thingies, angry elder gods, and the 2000 Republican National Convention. It's like Leave it to Beaver meets a Nine Inch Nails video.

I'm sure someone with a much better grasp of the series will come along to correct me on anything I've missed, but that's the gist of it.

[jali]

Originally Posted by Harborwolf

The movie takes place in present day, but it's a present day place of eeeviiiilll.

There are angry doomsday cults, demonic thingies, angry elder gods, and the 2000 Republican National Convention.

I just swallowed a rather big piece of ice. Thanks alot.

You should be writing for TV.

[tanstaafl]

Originally Posted by WOOKINPANUB

Holy Crap! Who are what the hell is that? I don't know anything about this or any other games. Do you think that will detract from my understanding and / or enjoyment of the film?

Don't worry about it. Most of us who played and enjoyed the game have no idea what was going on either...

Someone wrote a long analysis of the plot of the first Silent Hill game, which may help. Or not. (Spoilers for the game, obviously. Don't know how much of the movie it will spoil but reading it won't spoil any more of the movie than having played the game would.)

[panamajack]

Silent Hill is supposed to be a small Illinois town where Things Went Wrong. It's basically an abandoned modern town, at present inhabited by creatures you wouldn't want to see in your nightmares, and surrounded by unrendered textures fog. There's also an 'alternate reality' Silent Hill, which is darker (night time outside), and usually more dangerous and disgusting. Much of the design of 'dark Silent Hill' looks like an abandoned slaughterhouse (e.g. Pyramid Head). There was an artist I remember seeing who had paintings like this -- I used to think it was H.R. Giger but now I'm not so sure.

In the games, where these things came from and everything that's going on isn't really explained (and when it was translated to English, it wasn't explained even more). That was a large part of its charm, though. I kind of hope that the movie keeps things at least partly that way; bad movies often try to explain unnecessarily.

[Max Torque]

Originally Posted by Harborwolf

As for who or what he is, he's pyramid head. He's from Silent Hill 2. He has a pyramid for a head and carries a big honkin sword. His turn ons are bizarre demon mannequins, damned souls, and long walks on the beach. His turn offs are sirens (iirc) and people who are bossy.

Nitpick: the weapon he carries (well, drags) in the picture and the game is known as the Great Knife.

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by Max Torque

Nitpick: the weapon he carries (well, drags) in the picture and the game is known as the Great Knife.

That's not a knife. This is a knife.

[Cervaise]

I thought the director's last movie, Brotherhood of the Wolf, was a pretty nifty piece of genre entertainment* so I'm looking forward to this.

*Pluses: excellent designs, beautiful photography, highly original reordering of standard cliches and other elements, Monica Bellucci, a handful of truly great scenes, the Iron Chef America guy kicking ass, and did I mention Monica Bellucci. Minuses: occasionally uneven pacing, it's twenty minutes too long, from time to time the basic stupidity of the premise is too obvious to be disregarded, and not enough Monica Bellucci. About right for a Silent Hill type project, I think.

[Talon Karrde]

I really like the music in the trailer that starts playing when it shows the title. Haven't played the games though, and I probably won't see this in the theater.

[bouv]

Originally Posted by Harborwolf

That's not a knife. This is a knife.

That's not a knife, that's a spoon.

[Love Rhombus]

I'm in. Silent Hill scared the Cheerios out of me when I played it (Ahhh! evil ghost kids!) so I'm definitally up for this. I agree that it will be much truer to the games if you don't really know what happened. You're just a poor victim who got sucked in.

[mrunlucky]

Originally Posted by Talon Karrde

I really like the music in the trailer that starts playing when it shows the title. Haven't played the games though, and I probably won't see this in the theater.

The music in the game is really creepy. And the creepier and more unnerving the game gets, the more the music reflects it. Akira Yamaoka's score is both in the game and in the movie, though I don't know how much of it in in the movie. Music in the trailer is also from the game.

My biggest hope is that the movie will be able to expand decently upon the somewhat incomprehensible storyline in the first game. But now, judging by how many trailers I have been seeing, that's usually not a very good sign. Still, it looks scarily beautiful but that's no guarantee if the storyline isn't improved upon.

And I solved the game twice and both times I got unhappy endings. And we all know how Hollywood filmmaking committees frown upon unhappy endings in movies.

[Eyebrows 0f Doom]

Originally Posted by bouv

That's not a knife, that's a spoon.

I see you've played Knifey-Spooney before.

[AndrewJRichards]

The fictional town of Silent Hill is based on the mine fires in Centralia, Pennsylvania.

Although as recently as 1981 there were over 1,000 residents, the population has dwindled to 11 as a result of a 40 year old mine fire burning beneath the borough, one of at least 38 in Pennsylvania alone.

[oft wears hats]

From the trailer, it's looking like they're trying to recreate at least some of the scenes pretty faithfully. I liked how they did the car crash at the beginning, and it looked like they're doing the alleyway as well (though the corpse on the fence looked kinda fake).

It looked, like most videogame movies, as being a little overstylized, but as long as it has that oogy Silent Hill mood, I'll be happy.

What's with all those other people in the town? I got the idea from the game that it was basically Harry, Cheryl, Dahlia, Cybil, Lisa, and Kaufman, (and the monsters). It looks like they're trying to pass Silent Hill as still being inhabited in the movie.

[scotandrsn]

Recently my students asked me if I planned on seeing the upcoming Halo movie.

I asked them to list all the films they could think of that started out life as video games:

Super Mario Bros.
Doom
Final Fantasy
House of the Dead
.
.
.

We all realized there wasn't a good film on the list.

So far, there hasn't been a good film based on a video game.

So no, I'm not seeing silent hill.

[Leaper]

Originally Posted by mrunlucky

And I solved the game twice and both times I got unhappy endings. And we all know how Hollywood filmmaking committees frown upon unhappy endings in movies.

Yeah, but this is a horror movie, remember?

[FilmGeek]

Originally Posted by scotandrsn

Recently my students asked me if I planned on seeing the upcoming Halo movie.

I asked them to list all the films they could think of that started out life as video games:

Super Mario Bros.
Doom
Final Fantasy
House of the Dead
.
.
.

We all realized there wasn't a good film on the list.

So far, there hasn't been a good film based on a video game.

So no, I'm not seeing silent hill.

You forgot Resident Evil (which I liked).

The music gets my blood up, then that DAMN SIREN starts up and I get all goosebumpy. Silent Hill was the first (and only) game that really scared me. I wonder if there's a radio that tells you when the bad things are coming??

I'll be there.

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by scotandrsn

I asked them to list all the films they could think of that started out life as video games:

Super Mario Bros.
Doom
Final Fantasy
House of the Dead

We all realized there wasn't a good film on the list.

So far, there hasn't been a good film based on a video game.

So no, I'm not seeing silent hill.

Now let's take a look at a couple of games on that list.

Super Mario Bros.: Sure. There's loads of sequel potential there (Sorry Mario. Your princess is in another castle), but the game is a bit light in the story area.

Doom: The plot is light even for an action movie. No surprise the movie wasn't great.

Final Fantasy: Now this has loads of potential story and the source material is fairly cinematic, so of course the movie has absolutely nothing to do with the source game.

House of the Dead: Never played the game, but this fits in with Alone in the Dark and Bloodrayne in that they are directed by the legendary auteur Uwe Boll. Anybody willing to cast Tara Reid as a scientist shouldn't be allowed near a camera.

I may be setting myself up for disappointment, but I'm hopeful about Silent Hill. As games go, it's very cinematic. The story is engaging and the atmosphere is pretty durn freaky. IIRC from an interview I read, the creator of the game was on set to make sure things went well.

[Hey, It's That Guy!]

I haven't seen any of the other video game movies listed (nor Double Dragon, nor anything else from the Uwe Boll canon), but I have to admit, I wouldn't have been very interested in them regardless.

Video game adaptation or not, Silent Hill: The Movie looks creepy as hell, with this otherworldly sense of desolation, dread, and doom around every corner of this nightmarish little town. I hate the current trend of torture/mutilate/brutalize horror movies, so I think something truly SCARY and CREEPY will be refreshing, rather than the sadistic crap we've seen that relies so heavily on shock value. I keep hearing the games are very mature, intense, and scary, although I haven't played any of them. I just expect a fun sensory experience with the movie, preferably one that can leave me a little bit unsettled. I don't expect that from most video game adaptations, but I am expecting it from this, which looks like a HORROR MOVIE through and through.

[oft wears hats]

Originally Posted by Big Bad Voodoo Lou

Video game adaptation or not, Silent Hill: The Movie looks creepy as hell, with this otherworldly sense of desolation, dread, and doom around every corner of this nightmarish little town. I hate the current trend of torture/mutilate/brutalize horror movies, so I think something truly SCARY and CREEPY will be refreshing, rather than the sadistic crap we've seen that relies so heavily on shock value. I keep hearing the games are very mature, intense, and scary, although I haven't played any of them. I just expect a fun sensory experience with the movie, preferably one that can leave me a little bit unsettled. I don't expect that from most video game adaptations, but I am expecting it from this, which looks like a HORROR MOVIE through and through.

I'm just worried that they're going to resort to silly shock scares instead of capitalizing on what the Silent Hill series is good at: a pervading creepy mood that made the game just about as scary the second time through as it was the first.

[Marlitharn]

Originally Posted by oft wears hats

I'm just worried that they're going to resort to silly shock scares instead of capitalizing on what the Silent Hill series is good at: a pervading creepy mood that made the game just about as scary the second time through as it was the first.

I agree. These monsters don't need to jump out at you to scare you; they just need to shuffle slowly towards you, moaning softly. A huge part of what makes the game so scary is the sounds. I can't wait to see the movie.

[Pixiesnix]

Harborwolf, you tickle me in a place that's nice.

I am definitely going to see it this weekend, though I'm disappointed and rather confused as to the lady playing Dahlia. Is she the buttoned-up woman in the church from the trailers? Or the scary witch-lady on the street? Or both? Dammit, the movie Dahlia should have lace on her head, a school tie around her neck, and no shoes on her feet! Plus trailer-trash eyeshadow.

Marlitharn wrote:
I agree. These monsters don't need to jump out at you to scare you; they just need to shuffle slowly towards you, moaning softly. A huge part of what makes the game so scary is the sounds. I can't wait to see the movie.

Absolutely. One of the reasons I find the game superior to the RE series. It doesn't just produce the occasional jump-out-of-your-seat scare. It keeps you on edge, knowing *something* is out there, but you don't know what or how many. And your radio is the only warning as they come closer out of the darkness, shuffling, screaming, moaning. The tension of it all accumulates 'til you're one giant nerve ending. Hopefully the movie will deliver that same feeling.

I'm currently replaying the original game to refamliarize myself with the story and the overall feeling of it.

oft wears hats wrote:
What's with all those other people in the town? I got the idea from the game that it was basically Harry, Cheryl, Dahlia, Cybil, Lisa, and Kaufman, (and the monsters). It looks like they're trying to pass Silent Hill as still being inhabited in the movie.

From one trailer I saw, it looks like the town was abandoned due to either the cult, a mining disaster, or both. What I don't get is what those S.W.A.T. guys are doing in the movie. And Chery's (oops, I mean Sharon's) Dad. What are they going to give him to do in the movie?

[Azadeh]

I thought Advent Children was a fun, extremely pretty movie (if a bit brainless...), so it goes on my "video game movie adaptations that didn't suck" along with the first Resident Evil film.

I'm definitely going to see Silent Hill. A few things upset me, particularly the fact that it is now a mother (instead of the father) searching for her daughter, which is a completely different kind of relationship and for me skews an important aspect of sympathy for the protagonist. The fact that they've actually given it a real-world location upsets me too, kind of like how they did that for the Final Fantasy: Spirits Within movie.

But it looks like the director has a good grasp of the sentiments of Silent Hill and its aspects, particularly how the monsters inhabiting it are reflections of the self, so hopefully the film will be a reasonably accurate portrayal of Silent Hill. I'm particularly interested in the sins of the mother (as a theme of SH is that the town is kind of a "self-imposed purgatory").

Pyramid Head:

SPOILER:

Pyramid Head is, as I recall, a punisher of sorts. In SH2, the main character fades in and out of a world he created in order to punish himself for his past transgressions towards his wife, and Pyramid Head is his primary tormentor. More info her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Head

[oft wears hats]

Originally Posted by KCSuze

From one trailer I saw, it looks like the town was abandoned due to either the cult, a mining disaster, or both. What I don't get is what those S.W.A.T. guys are doing in the movie. And Chery's (oops, I mean Sharon's) Dad. What are they going to give him to do in the movie?

In the main theatrical trailer, there's a scene with a whole bunch of people running into the church. There's a one minute clip on Yahoo of that scene, as well.

Beats me on the S.W.A.T. guys. As for Sean Bean, I rather like him in movies, but the presence of the other parent (and him being outside of Silent Hill) kinda bugs me. It's going to yank us out of the scary every time it changes to Dad trying to find his way into town. Part of the craziness of Silent Hill was the fact that you were completely cut off from the outside. All the roads out of town tapered off into cliffs, phones didn't work, etc. Suddenly add a "meanwhile, outside of Silent Hill" and you compromise all that tension.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

I'll be seeing it. I TRIED to play Silent Hill 2, but in addition to scaring the pants off of me, I found the controlls really difficult to work. I'm not a huge player of first person games like that, so I ended up making the poor guy go around and around in circles. It was creepy, but I was taking way to long to get anything done because I couldn't get him to go where I wanted him to.

[Biggirl]

Boy, oh boy did Silent Hill scare the bejeezus outta me. The images from the movie look just as scary but. . . contact with the outside world? Mom instead of Dad? And, the worst, some hope of rescue?

Plus, they've changed the name of the child for no good reason. How are they gonna do, "Have you seen my daughter, Cheryl? Short, black hair. . ."

[Kaboom]

Reading this thread makes me want to play the game a whole lot more than watch the movie.

[Talon Karrde]

Originally Posted by Kaboom

Reading this thread makes me want to play the game a whole lot more than watch the movie.

No kidding. Is the game worth playing for someone who doesn't like any of the Resident Evil games except the fourth?

[Love Rhombus]

I'd say yes. It doesn't have as much of the hunt/kill stuff, since you're just a normal person, not a cop. Also, I'd have to say the enemies are MUCH more disturbing than the RE zombies, at least as far as I've seen in the RE series. So if neither of those parts bother you, go ahead. Just don't blame us for the nightmares, and don't play during a snowstorm or a foggy night....

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by Talon Karrde

No kidding. Is the game worth playing for someone who doesn't like any of the Resident Evil games except the fourth?

Oh yeah, and I say this as someone who doesn't like any of the RE games except the fourth.

It's not quite as combat oriented as the Resident Evil games, but it's very creepy. Of the three out for the PS2, SH4 is my favorite. They're all worth a go though, and if memory serves they're all available under $20.

[Love Rhombus]

So if I wanted to introduce a friend to Silent Hill/scare the crap out of him, which would be best?

[kimera]

I hope the movie is as mind-fucking as the game. I'm afraid it will suck, but I am going to see it anyway.

[Harborwolf]

Originally Posted by Love Rhombus

So if I wanted to introduce a friend to Silent Hill/scare the crap out of him, which would be best?

Hard to say. You spend a lot of time wandering around in SH2, but it's got good atmosphere. Silent Hill 3 has some creepy stuff, but it's over kind of fast.

Overall, I think SH4 is the tightest and a good candidate for scariest.

SPOILER:

There's the hospital room with the giant crazy eyed face. That gave Alias and I a start. The room that you start the game in gets haunted as you progress to the point where it can damage you. There's a ghost that will follow you from stage to stage if you don't take care of it.

Of course, it is the fourth game of the series so it may not make for the best introduction.

[Sierra Indigo]

ANGER!

The release date for SH in Australia was supposed to have been the 27th of April. 1 week after the American release date. So I go to check cinema times last week, to see when is the earliest I can get in to see it...

When can I get in to see it?

What happened to it being on the 'coming soon' list?

Search google - "Silent Hill Movie Release Australia"

WTF do you mean it's being released on the 31/8? STABBING happens NOW!

In short, yes I will be going to see it.

And for all those wanting to introduce someone to the Silent Hill games - please start with number one. It's not the best graphically, but the story is key, and ties in not only with 3, but also with parts of 2 and 4 as well. It helps to get a better understanding if you play all of them...

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Okay, about the game. When I got to the two Pyramid Heads, I figured "Hot piss, I've got a gun for this job" and pulled out the elephant rifle and shot them a few times.

Obviously, this amused them, for it did nothing against them.

So I went through the weapons. My buddies and I were trying to figure out what in the fuck we can do to kill these things. I eventually get to the last few weapons, the handheld ones. I say "Hey, I've just gotta throw down like they do", pulled out the Great Knife and started hacking away.

Then something beautiful happened. They bonked into each other.

They kept walking into each other and I swang with the Knife and hit both of them at the same time. They'd recover just in time for me to swing again. About 4 or 5 swings, and they both dropped.

Now, the question...did I kill them, or did I just delay time until they killed themselves? I never even knew they killed themselves until I read this thread.

Am I the only person that ever played Silent Hill 2 and actually killed the Pyramid Heads with my bare hands?




As an aside, for the Flying Wench after that, I bust into the room and go through every bullet. Good thing, too. The very last bullet was the one that killed her. I've never had anything like that happen before that or since.

[Sierra Indigo]

Originally Posted by Least Original User Name Ever

Okay, about the game. When I got to the two Pyramid Heads, I figured "Hot piss, I've got a gun for this job" and pulled out the elephant rifle and shot them a few times.

Obviously, this amused them, for it did nothing against them.

So I went through the weapons. My buddies and I were trying to figure out what in the fuck we can do to kill these things. I eventually get to the last few weapons, the handheld ones. I say "Hey, I've just gotta throw down like they do", pulled out the Great Knife and started hacking away.

Then something beautiful happened. They bonked into each other.

They kept walking into each other and I swang with the Knife and hit both of them at the same time. They'd recover just in time for me to swing again. About 4 or 5 swings, and they both dropped.

Now, the question...did I kill them, or did I just delay time until they killed themselves? I never even knew they killed themselves until I read this thread.

Am I the only person that ever played Silent Hill 2 and actually killed the Pyramid Heads with my bare hands?




As an aside, for the Flying Wench after that, I bust into the room and go through every bullet. Good thing, too. The very last bullet was the one that killed her. I've never had anything like that happen before that or since.

Sorry to bust your bubble, but the two big guys take a dive in the penultimate scene....

[Sierra Indigo]

Originally Posted by Sierra Indigo

Sorry to bust your bubble, but the two big guys take a dive in the penultimate scene....

Sorry, I didn't read properly. I'll shut up now..

[choie]

Originally Posted by Marlitharn

I agree. These monsters don't need to jump out at you to scare you; they just need to shuffle slowly towards you, moaning softly. A huge part of what makes the game so scary is the sounds. I can't wait to see the movie.

Well, I can't give you a cite for this, 'cause Something Awful's forum is down right now, but someone there quoted an interview with the director who said he hates jump scares, and that he didn't put them in the film.

And thus endeth my knowledge of Silent Hill, movie or game. So that's all I got.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Originally Posted by Sierra Indigo

Sorry, I didn't read properly. I'll shut up now..

Booyah!

That'll learn you to be a post-before-you-reader again.


I'm going to get laid now.

[Marlitharn]

My favorite of the games is number 3, just because I find the UFO ending hilarious. I tried to play 4 but didn't like it; I didn't like having to keep going back to the room. 1 doesn't have the best graphics (it's on playstation 1) and 2 is nice and creepy, although I never finished it 'cause I had to take it back to the rental place.

Originally Posted by choie

Well, I can't give you a cite for this, 'cause Something Awful's forum is down right now, but someone there quoted an interview with the director who said he hates jump scares, and that he didn't put them in the film.

Oooooh. It's gonna be creepy. Yay! Wonder if they'll have any UFOs...

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

Just got back from a midnight showing. I'm sad to report that it's a terrible movie - the audience was alternately heckling and cracking up - but at the same time, I liked it and woudl like to catch it again in the theater.

The story is basically Silent Hill 1 with Mom instead of Harry, with a few things from SH2 mixed in, like Pyramid Head. The sets are amazing - they totally capture and often improve on the game in pure creepiness and effect, and there are a few amazingly creepy scenes and scenarios. On the other hand, the writing and acting is awful - truly abysmal, and some of the worst that I've seen in a mainstream movie in years. The girl who plays Sharon (the daughter, aka Cheryl from SH1) is especially terrible, with the sort of googly-eyed "Mommy, Mommy!"-ness that's usually reserved for Welch's juice commercials. Certain lines were so bad and the delivery so terrible that the audience guffawed - and these were die-hards at a midnight showing that wanted to love the film.

On the other hand, the plot takes some surprising turns and the ending wasn't the usual Hollywood BS, and the movie looks and sounds amazing.

[Talon Karrde]

Originally Posted by VCO3

I'm sad to report that it's a terrible movie - the audience was alternately heckling and cracking up - but at the same time, I liked it and woudl like to catch it again in the theater...

I'm not too surprised that it didn't turn out well, I read in the newspaper yesterday that it wasn't previewed for critics. The trailer did look like it had some amazingly tense moments, such as the mother going between all those guys with swords.

About the games, something else I should have asked is how well they've aged. Is even the first one still worth playing today?

[Alias]

Originally Posted by Talon Karrde

I'm not too surprised that it didn't turn out well, I read in the newspaper yesterday that it wasn't previewed for critics. The trailer did look like it had some amazingly tense moments, such as the mother going between all those guys with swords.

About the games, something else I should have asked is how well they've aged. Is even the first one still worth playing today?

They're all worth playing. Seriously. I think every one of them is good in its own way. My favorites are 2 and 4, but they're all fun, and they all frightening. If you love horror, you'll like the games.