Many horror films are inspired by true events. For example, you can visit the hellish Amityville house in Suffolk County, NY, or take a tour of Centralia, the town that was the inspiration for Silent Hill.
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A ghost town
Released in 2006, the Silent Hill film thrilled many a cinema-goer. Directed by Christopher Gans, this feature film was an adaptation of a video game series. The creators of the games confessed that they got the idea for Silent Hill thanks to a ghost town called Centralia in Pennsylvania, no longer listed on maps due to a tragedy. Centralia was known for its many coal mines, and in 1962 the town was the victim of an enormous fire due to workers who had burned garbage in abandoned mines. The fire spread underground beneath the town, and quickly became out of control because of the coal and oxygen present in the ground. Over several years millions of dollars were spent to contain the fire, but without success. At ground level the temperature could reach 82 ° C, pushing the inhabitants of Centralia from the town. In addition, a twelve-year-old nearly died after falling into a giant smoking pit. Gradually the town lost its population, until becoming completely uninhabited. Having become a ghost town, Centralia has now been stricken off all maps. To this day the fire continues to rage, and will do so for another 200 years.
There are numerous parallels between Centralia and Silent Hill. First, the two towns are located in a coal region. In the film there is quite a bit of fog, and Centralia must also be affected by this because of the fire. Silent Hill has cracks on the ground, and the original town does as well. The most glaring commonality is the history of both towns. In the film, we learn that the town had been abandoned for 30 years because of a coal fire, which is exactly was happened in Centralia.
Now you know the truth behind Silent Hill, sweet dreams tonight!
Check out the video above to see Centralia for yourself...
