Just to let you know, I never played any of the games, and I still got the film.  That goes for a lot of people.  I used to discuss and debate the movie with them on the Silent Hill message board on IMDb.  I feel there's a type of film that polarizes the audience, where half the people like it and half of them hate it, and you won't have that many people in between.  Aeon Flux is one example, and Silent Hill is another.

My favorite horror movie is the original version of The Haunting, which wasn't scary or gory as much as it was disturbing throughout.  That's the appeal of Silent Hill, both the video games and the movie.  The storyteller is attempting to mess with your mind.  Most people don't like that.  But there are many who do.  Whether you like that or not, at the very least, the dialog, acting and production should be good.

However, as I said before, Silent Hill could have been a whole lot better if Roger Avary turned in good dialog (much of that dialog was just plain bad), Sean Bean used an American accent and Lauren Holden didn't drive a motorcycle at night with her sunglasses on.   It looks like Avary and Gans will be writing Silent Hill 2, which will probably contain the storyline from the second game which most gamers love best and is the strongest storyline of the first four games (I can't comment on Silent Hill: Origins).  Gans has already promised to increase the scares yet keep the same disturbing tone. 

I enjoyed Hostel for what it was. A slasher done in the 80's style fashion but without neon bracelets and big hair.  I've heard good things about the Descent. I can't say I absolutely hated Silent Hill. The production design was top notch, and it looked like the game.

On the negative side, there was horrible dialog, botched accents (come on, actors, we're talking about an Ohio couple and residents in the Appalachians of West Virginia!) and the ridiculous but sexy outfit of Cybil played by Lauren Holden, that included wearing sunglasses at night and sexy, tight, non-regulation leather pants.

On the positive side, I enjoyed this movie because it was not a slasher film (although there was some slasher stuff), it was not a gorefest (although there were some very gory moments) and it was just for scares (although there were a few scares).  The film was more disturbing, and oftentimes it messed with your mind, right up to and including the ending. 

And in the "that's not saying much" category, Silent Hill is easily the best video game-to-movie adaptation, and quite possibly the best horror movie of 2006 up until today (compare the remakes of The Hills Have Eyes, When A Stranger Calls, The Omen and The Wicker Man, or new films Bloodrayne, Final Destination 3, Hostel, Slither, An American Haunting, See No Evil, The Descent and Pulse, and then consider possibly the horror movies with the best box office in 2006 were outside of the genre, like Scary Movie 4, Monster House and Underworld: Evolution, which also doesn't say much about horror movies this year).

To put it another way, this movie best compares to Aeon Flux.  The critics all panned it, but the fans are extremely divided about it.  Consider also that, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, most fans actually like Silent Hill than hate it (although the ones who hate it REALLY hate it). 

I don't think it deserves a Razzie.  In fact, I like this movie.  But it could have been done better, especially the dialog.

The video game makes more sense than the movie. There is a scene in which Cybil (Laurie Holden) asks "What the hell is going on here. That's exactly what I wanted to ask the director and screenwriter. Here are some things I have learned while watching Silent Hill...

1. Female motorcycle cops always wear tight leather pants.

2. Creepy old women always have plenty of eyeshadow (Deborah Kara Unger)

3. You should always run straight toward any small children no matter how dangerous it might be.

FEATURING CREATURES ABOUT AS SCARY AS MELTING CANDY APPLES (See Below) PLOT TWISTS THAT LEAVE AUDIENCES STRANDED in the DARK and OPENING WITH NO CRITICS' SCREENINGS, SILENT HILL HAS ALL THE EARMARKS of BEING a BIG, JUICY RAZZIE CONTENDER...

...And the Booger Man Will Get You If You Don't Watch Out!

CLICK HERE for Reviews of SILENT HILL at Rotten Tomatoes, then...Go ahead, START TRASHING IT YERSELF!