A broad term (usually used as an adjective) that describes art and other media that is under a specific classification of horror; commonly, material associated under psychological horror, decay, physiological abnormality, and macabre.
Silent Hill is originally a popular survival-horror game series by Konami. It was favored by the horror gaming audience because Silent Hill had a refreshing style when compared to its earlier, "traditional" genre relatives, such Resident Evil.
Silent Hill's recognizable characteristics were decrepit architecture, ambience and symbolism. The game used eerie atmosphere (commonly expressed through building that were aged or wrecked.) as opposed to the earlier horror games that used shock tactics and surprise to achieve horror. Where other games used hideous visage and grim faces for their enemies, the creatures in Silent Hill were characterized by bizarre anatomy and disfigurement. Games commonly used gore in order to shock the player. However, Silent Hill usually avoided gore, at least for the majority of the time.
So, when media is described as 'Silent Hill,' it is implied that it is composed of either disfigurement, subtle horror, deterioration and is something frightening that doesn't out-right involve violence or gore. It is common for media under the horror genre to use unsettling, but minimalist, imagery; because there is no specific classification for this, it is commonly associated with an the 'Silent Hill' series, much like other work is considered 'Lovecraftian' or 'Orwellian.'
Silent Hill is originally a popular survival-horror game series by Konami. It was favored by the horror gaming audience because Silent Hill had a refreshing style when compared to its earlier, "traditional" genre relatives, such Resident Evil.
Silent Hill's recognizable characteristics were decrepit architecture, ambience and symbolism. The game used eerie atmosphere (commonly expressed through building that were aged or wrecked.) as opposed to the earlier horror games that used shock tactics and surprise to achieve horror. Where other games used hideous visage and grim faces for their enemies, the creatures in Silent Hill were characterized by bizarre anatomy and disfigurement. Games commonly used gore in order to shock the player. However, Silent Hill usually avoided gore, at least for the majority of the time.
So, when media is described as 'Silent Hill,' it is implied that it is composed of either disfigurement, subtle horror, deterioration and is something frightening that doesn't out-right involve violence or gore. It is common for media under the horror genre to use unsettling, but minimalist, imagery; because there is no specific classification for this, it is commonly associated with an the 'Silent Hill' series, much like other work is considered 'Lovecraftian' or 'Orwellian.'
"Those pictures are Silent Hill."
"Those pictures are Silent Hill-like."
"Those pictures are Silent Hill-esque."
<presented material>
"Silent Hill!"
"Those pictures are Silent Hill-like."
"Those pictures are Silent Hill-esque."
<presented material>
"Silent Hill!"
by Badgers February 17, 2006