Nukes and Knives™: Silent Hill 2

Thursday 13 October 2022

Silent Hill 2 - Ordinary Vanity

One of the greatest video games of all time is also depressing as fuck.

And that's what makes shit so powerful.

But you're here for something else.

Authors

As per original, streets are named after famous wordsmiths.

Sandford St. - John Sandford

Nathan Ave. - Robert Nathan

Martin St. - David Martin

Katz St. - William Katz

Vachss Rd. - Andrew Vachss

Carroll¹ St. - Jonathan Carroll

Harris St. - Thomas Harris

Rendell St. - Ruth Rendell

Wiltse Rd. - David Wiltse

Sanders St. - Lawrence Sanders

Neely St. - Richard Neely

Lindsey St. - David Lindsey

Saul St. - John Saul

Munson St. - Richard Munson

¹Or Lewis Carroll.

Likeness

Eddie Dombrowski² vs Pvt. Pyle - Full Metal Jacket

²Name is likely an amalgam of Eddie Koliknikov (The Door to December) and Louise Dombrowski (Twin Peaks).

Con Air

Somebody took the bunny out of the box.

'Mary' vs Tricia

Laura vs Casey

Films

Shit just got more exciting.

Pet Semetary

Rebirth ending
James takes Mary's body across Toluca Lake to a church on an island hoping to revive her.

Circumstances are obviously different, but idea smacks of Louis burying Rachel to resurrect recently deceased wife.

Ring

A well gives player the first opportunity to save progress.

Random?

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

James does his best Leatherface impression.

Blue Velvet

Blue Creek Apartment is clearly modelled on Dorothy's apartment.

James hides in a closet, just like Jeffrey.

Rather than raping, I'd say Red Pyramid Head 'abuses' a mannequin.

Dennis Hopper's demented Frank Booth beats and sexually assaults Dorothy.

Monsters

Flesh Lip

Boss was inspired by Isamu Noguchi's Death (Lunched Figure) and Jacob's Ladder.

Head-shaking torso is taken directly from Joel-Peter Witkin's Leo (Indulgences).

Mouth located in crotch represents Mary's yap.

Close-up was probably based on:

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (central panel) - Francis Bacon

Coming full circle.

Mary

Mannequin vs The Doll (Maquette for the Doll's Games) - Hans Bellmer

Masahiro Ito insists that design stemmed from traditional Japanese folklore, but he's never gone into specifics.

Literature

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment deals with the consequences and psychological trauma of committing murder.

Maria is a manifestation of Mary. She was created from James's delusions and his subconscious desire of being punished for murdering his wife.

Strikingly similar to the former, yes?

Excluding epilogue, novel comes in six parts.

What's this?

Free the Innocent Man
Six men. Six crimes. All hung. Justice and revenge have been served.

A far less acknowledged influence is Stanislaw Lem's Solaris.

1961 book was adapted for the screen three times, most famously from the genius of Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972.

Psychologist Kelvin is visited by his dead wife Hari (who committed suicide 10 years ago) and learns that Solaris Station orbiting titular oceanic planet created 'visitor' from his memories of her.

Both James and Hari stare into a mirror.

In Water ending

"Without you, Mary, I've got nothing..."

James commits suicide by driving his car into the lake.

"Now we can be together."

Cheerful stuff.

Thinking about it, Toluca Lake bears a resemblance to sentient alien planet.

Miscellany

Lyne house key pays homage to Adrian Lyne.

Three music boxes are required to solve a puzzle at Lakeview Hotel.
Locations relate to their stories.
Little Mermaid - found at the garden fountain (she lived in water).
Snow White - inside a pantry (near apples and pumpkins).
Cinderella - locked inside a trunk (she was imprisoned in her room).
Not sure why, but lock's combination is 'kill' (revealed by using thinner on a nearby photograph).

When each are placed correctly, you'll get the hotel stairwell key.

On a wall, the eagle-eyed will spot Jack Nicholson's face and/or defaced poster of The Shining.