Anyone seen the Silent Hill film yet? No, me neither, but reviews have been mixed. Actually, they've generally slated the film, with talk of a nonsensical plot and gibberish dialogue. Well, what did they expect? Anyone who has played the game - and you can get bet that none of the film reviewers have - could tell you that these are part of Silent Hill's charm. Well that and the fog, of course.
In yesterday's Observer, Mark Kermode blames videogames for the decline in quality of movie narrative. Despite using the term "joystick" - a common faux pas amongst writers who have not played anything since 1982 - he does make some sense, especially when discussing the innate differences between game and movie plot. But to blame gaming for "boy-friendly blockbusters" that "often boast nothing more than a collection of spectacular interludes assembled in the manner of a catalogue rather than a chronicle" is incredibly short-sighted. What about film distribution and finance? Comic books? Attention Deficit Disorder? YouTube? Reading standards in schools? That bloke down the pub who hates Woody Allen?
Yes, 98% of game-inspired films are awful - I hold a flickering torch for the first Tomb Raider - but blaming videogames for the ills of the movie industry is simply ridiculous.
