NakedBob's Silent Hill Promotional Screening Adventure

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Last night I had the pleasure of being able to attend a special Silent Hill Promotional Screening. How did I pull that off ya might ask? My friend Chuck Waite won the "Silent Hill Movie Poster Contest"! His masterpiece beat out over 2000 other entries to come out victorious. Pretty neato! Along with the fame and fortune that comes with winning a poster contest, Chuck was also awarded 25 passes to a special showing of the movie.

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Having never attended an event like this before, I wasn't sure what to expect. We were told to meet at the theater before 7pm for a 7:30pm show. What surprised me was that we weren't the only ones going to check out the movie. I guess Sony Pictures decided to kill two birds with one stone and invite the local rap radio station call-in winners to the same showing. Seemed like an interesting demographic to be pushing the movie on, but I dunno. Before the movie started one of the radio station DJs paraded back and forth in front of the screen trying to rouse up the audience. "ARE YOU READY TO WATCH SILENT HILL?!?!" "I CAN"T HEAR YOU!" Yeahhh! Eeek! His last battle cry was "IS EVERYBODY DOWN WITH THE 420?!" Oh man. I think I just officially turned old. Well, Sony wasn't giving out any Silent Hill swag, but I did manage to get a swell R&B CD from the radio station guys.

As for the movie itself, my friends and I were split on it. Many of them seemed to have liked it, especially the hardcore fans of the videogame. It does borrow a lot of elements from the Silent Hill games and remains faithful to them. I wasn't as crazy about the movie as the rest of the gang. The effects were well done, but the dialog and story were kinda wonky. Silent Hill wasn't really that scary, either. It's very gruesome and disturbing but nothing made me jump out of my seat, except for maybe that DJ from the radio station doing his little cheers! WOOOOO!

Anyhoo, I thought you guys might want to get to know the guy behind the poster better, so I did a little Q&A with my pal Chuck…

NakedBoB: Have you ever played the Silent Hill games before? Which one's your favorite (and why?)
Chuck: But of course! I played the second one first, and it's still my favorite. The story is twisted and engaging. You were never sure what was happening until the end (and I suppose even that is debatable); and how many games leave you feeling melancholy but content? Unique!

NakedBoB: What's your favorite console? What kind of games do ya like to play?
Chuck: I'm afraid I play almost exclusively on PC. I'll play any game with an engaging story. A couple of recent titles that come to mind are Psychonauts and Half-Life 2. However, as far as consoles go I'll throw my hat into the ring and say PS2. Why? Katamari Damacy!

NakedBoB: How long did it take you to do the poster?
Chuck: Actually just a day or two. The design just seemed obvious. I probably spent as much time trying to pick a tagline (which I know some people hate *shrug*).

NakedBoB: What was your inspiration for the design that you chose? What were you trying to achieve? Did ya succeed?
Chuck: Simple. The beginning of Silent Hill 2: walking into the town. Deserted. Foggy. And you're not sure what's coming. It really sets up the atmosphere for the rest of the game. At the same time, for those who have never even heard of Silent Hill, I wanted to leave them with a sense of curiosity and foreboding: who is that person? what is this place? A balancing act! Did I succeed? It's subjective.

NakedBoB: What artists have influenced you, and how?
Chuck: The usual gang of idiots. Really, it's such a mishmash, I wouldn't know where to start. I steal from all the greats (and not so greats).

NakedBoB: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Chuck: I'm not really sure. Ask me then!

NakedBoB: When did you decide that you wanted to be an artist? Have you done any thing else that's neato?
Chuck: It's just something I've done since I was little. I'm always doing some bloody thing or another: drawing, sculpting, 3d modeling 'n such. Like a disease. I've done a few animated shorts. There's something I've been working on recently, but it's a bit hush-hush (shhh!!!)

NakedBoB: What tools did you use to create your masterpiece?
Chuck: Photoshop. That's about it!

NakedBoB: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Chuck: 42

NakedBoB: What's scarier, the newer fast movie zombies or the old slow movie zombies?
Chuck: They each bring a different element to the game. Perhaps if they could work together to defeat the humans? You know, as a team?

NakedBoB: What do you think of the original Silent Hill teaser poster (the one with the girl with no mouth)? How much better is yours than that one?
Chuck: hmmm. Well, I'm reminded of the Twilight Zone Movie or that old Harlan Ellison story/game. It's maybe too literal with the silent business. It seems that the designers didn't actually play the game but were going for the Creepy Little Girl (tm) thing that's been so popular since The Ring. But maybe I'm being too critical: if it sells tickets it's done its job. A side story: someone was telling me that they were visiting NY recently and most of the Silent Hill posters were tagged with mouths.

NakedBoB: What did ya think of the other poster submissions designs (for the contest)?
Chuck: I thought that there were some excellent ones. However I know the guidelines were pretty stringent and marketability plays a big role in what is chosen. That's just the reality.

NakedBoB: If your daughter was possessed by a demonic spirit, would you go to Silent Hill to save her?
Chuck: Is demonic possession necessarily a bad thing? Seems like you'd be able to do some kool trix.

NakedBoB: Would you rather be stuck in the house in Resident Evil or at Silent Hill?
Chuck: Silent Hill. Part of the fun of that world is that, despite the darkness, there's some twisted, subconcious, brutish, primeval wish fulfillment that goes on (at least in SH 2). I'm not saying it's lovely, but you said pick one, so I did!

NakedBoB: What did ya think of the movie?
Chuck: I think the filmmakers did a very good job capturing the feeling of the games, which is a huge accomplishment. A few things were confusing, but a repeat viewing might clarify some of those issues. I think it's not going to appeal to a wide audience. It really does seem to have been made for the fans of the games.

NakedBoB: What advice would you give to an artist who wants to be as cool as you?
Chuck: Sorry bud! There's a reason my jacket says "Members Only"

NakedBoB: Thanks Chuck for inviting me to see the flick and congratulations on winning the contest! Your poster sure is neato!
Chuck: Thanks Bob. What can I say? I'm blushing.

All in all, I think everyone had a good time at the movie and the fans will probably dig it. If you check out Silent Hill this weekend be on the lookout for Chuck's poster and take in its awesomeness.