Member Blog Post

Point of Order- Favorites and Foibles (2)

 

 

Greetings and salutations, all. Joshua Calkins-Treworgy here again. In my first Point of Order, I covered a favorite point of the horror genre, and a double within. I'd like to quickly point out, before starting this second Point proper that these are just my personal views and opinions. For credentials, I bring long-standing fandom and my fiction works, the 'Roads Through Amelia' series, 'Motor City Shambler', and 'Forward, Shambler!' as my proof of familiarity/skill with the genre.

 

I can shamelessly self-promote with the best of them.

 

With that out of the way, on to the festivities!

 

 

Fave: The Otherworldly Atmosphere (gradual build):

Usually seen in the 'technological curse' sub-genre of Asian horror as well as a few haunted house films, and the film adaptation of Silent Hill (that will be mentioned again later), this narrative technique is among my favorites as a viewer/reader. Manifesting in the form of increasingly warped and dreary environs, echoing, empty hallways, and poorly lit chambers layered in dust or signs of the occult and bizarre, these scenes in film or written narrative are either artfully used and often overlooked, or overused and rendered unimpressive. The best horror films find just the right balance to strike,as in Pan's Labyrinth or the original Candyman (loved Tony Todd in that), as well as Ju-On. Handles correctly, this technique is a winner every time.

 

 

Foible: Well-Meaning But Misguided Adaptation:

Think back to the first time you played Silent Hill on the PS1. If you never did, go get it and play it, asap. This cryptic and mercilessly haunting game, filled with darkness, decay, monsters of the realms of nightmares, and an antagonist that was the very town itself, stands as a testament to properly crafted terror. The film loosely adapted from the game series, by comparison, could only stand as a decent film if you have never played any of the games. While visually capturing the look of Silent Hill, it just didn't equal the same level of Creep on  a psychological level. The inclusion of the Pyramid Head was a nice touch, but as in the games other than 2, he seemed a little out of place.

 

Likewise, the Resident Evil films have, since the first one, largely been a disappointment to me. Straying from the plot of the original entry, I haven't really given much of a care for these movies. Stacked against the games, particularly the first three, I don't think there's much contest as to which is the superior narrative.

 

That's all for now folks. Thank you for coming, take care of yourselves, and as I often say, keep reading.