Board 8 > Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related VOL. 2 *THE RANKINGS*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I think everyone does know MLP was once big, just not on the details of the fandom.

Which reminds me, I miss @Dark_Silvergun's new MLP episode reviews he used to do here.
---

I had never read Cupcakes before this project but I was slightly aware of it through the artwork.
---

I was... familiar with it, because I, while having never watched MLP myself, I did go through a off and on of watching people play horror MLP games on Youtube, and Pinkameana...? I think that's her name...? Had gained some traction in the fandom. Also something called 'PonyCore'. I dunno.
---

88. Nightmare (Marvel) (15 points)
Nominated by: Murphiroth
https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/5586/1095487-nt1.jpg

Importance: 5
Fear: 4.5
Snake: 5.5

Nightmare is a character I've never really loved but as a recurring antagonist, he's filled a niche in the Marvel universe that DC has always loved tapping into. Entering dream worlds/nightmare worlds can be a visual treat, and Nightmare is no exception to that. Most commonly seen fighting Doctor Strange (his first ever villain even), the Sorcerer Supreme must cast a sleeping spell on himself before dozing off or risk an encounter with the Dream Dimension lord who twists normal mortals' dreams into nightmares. The classic Nightmare stories with Doctor Strange are definitely the best reads for the character, especially Doctor Strange 170, though I will say art wise his future appearances are more visually impressive. He's not the most interesting character and beyond his concept he's not even really that scary, but he's fine for a few appearances here and there to see what plagues heroes' nightmares.
---

87. Innistrad (Magic the Gathering plane) (15 points)
Nominated by: trdl23
https://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planes/innistrad

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 6.5

Innistrad is a well-fleshed out world where humans are besieged by the terrible demons of the night. I really love the design of the characters on display, some of my favorites being Ghoulcaller Gisa, Kraum, and Stitcher Geralf. It's really fun reading the short blurbs on the characters and seeing all the evil, creepy, and dastardly things these demons of the night perform. The whole region is protected by the Church of Avacyn to the best of their ability, and the land is divided into four provinces representing different bastions of humanity in the land. Innistrad is basically a who's-who of classic horror monsters; vampires, Frankenstein's monsters, werewolves, ogres, demons, and it's all pretty awesome. The general aesthetic of Innistrad reminds me of Bloodborne and the artwork provided is incredibly Gothic, twisted, and wicked. It's well done mythology and interesting area to learn more about.
---

To chime in from a Magic player's perspective:

Innistrad's game mechanics amplify the atmosphere perfectly, and you'll find a LOT of famous horror call-outs in some of the cards.

The most important mechanic is Transform, which is exactly what it sounds like. The card doesn't have a back; the "Day" side of the card is where it starts, then when certain conditions are met, it transforms into the much scarier (and usually more powerful) "Night" side.

You can probably figure out which stories these cards represent:





The werewolves, by nature, flipped between the two consistently. It was always a trick to try and make Night last as long as possible.



It also introduced Curses, which were the first dedicated group of enchantments you could throw directly on your opponent -- not your opponent's cards, but your opponent himself -- to ruin his day. Some of them got super nasty.



I don't want to flood this post with too many more images, but each horror "tribe" had its own flavorful mechanic. Vampires got progressively stronger as they hit the opponent and fed off his blood. Zombies came in two varieties: the Black-aligned "Ghouls" which were the shambling type that swarmed everywhere, and the Blue-aligned "Skaabs" which were stitched-together monsters usually offering discounted resource price but eating a dead creature or two in your graveyard. The Spirits (geists of various forms) didn't have as cohesive of a theme but they were usually small, subtle, and ultimately debilitating if they weren't dealt with.

Oh, and there were demons and cults and stuff too!

The plane was revisited and the flavor turned to more Cosmic Horror as the Eldrazi Emrakul was summoned by a vengeful harbinger to bring ruin to Innistrad. I won't go into much more detail, but I'll leave you what happened to two of the most powerful archangels in the plane. :)


---

86. Witch Mercy skin (Overwatch) (15 points)
Nominated by: Anagram
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5EetYIc8TXg/maxresdefault.jpg

Importance: 3
Fear: 2
Snake: 10

This is among my favorite skins in the game by far. It's unbelievably sexy and definitely Overwatch's take on the "sexy _____" type of Halloween costumes, this being the "Sexy Witch". There is so much love and care put into this skin, from the broomstick Caduceus Staff, to the classic witch-style thigh-high leggings, the devilish wings, and the pumpkin earrings. It even changes a few of her voice lines, and it always used to be so epic when you revived 4+ heroes and she shouted out "My servants never die!" (It still happens with the one-man ability resurrect, but it's not as epic). The skin is based in lore, and was Mercy's actual Halloween costume back when Overwatch was still active. She also appears as "The Witch" in Junkenstein's Revenge, where the "my servants" line comes from. The skin really fits Mercy well, suiting her looks and magical science abilities to a tee and still remains one of the pinnacle skins in the game for me personally.
---

trdl23 posted...

To chime in from a Magic player's perspective:

Innistrad's game mechanics amplify the atmosphere perfectly, and you'll find a LOT of famous horror call-outs in some of the cards.

The most important mechanic is Transform, which is exactly what it sounds like. The card doesn't have a back; the "Day" side of the card is where it starts, then when certain conditions are met, it transforms into the much scarier (and usually more powerful) "Night" side.

You can probably figure out which stories these cards represent:





The werewolves, by nature, flipped between the two consistently. It was always a trick to try and make Night last as long as possible.



It also introduced Curses, which were the first dedicated group of enchantments you could throw directly on your opponent -- not your opponent's cards, but your opponent himself -- to ruin his day. Some of them got super nasty.



I don't want to flood this post with too many more images, but each horror "tribe" had its own flavorful mechanic. Vampires got progressively stronger as they hit the opponent and fed off his blood. Zombies came in two varieties: the Black-aligned "Ghouls" which were the shambling type that swarmed everywhere, and the Blue-aligned "Skaabs" which were stitched-together monsters usually offering discounted resource price but eating a dead creature or two in your graveyard. The Spirits (geists of various forms) didn't have as cohesive of a theme but they were usually small, subtle, and ultimately debilitating if they weren't dealt with.

Oh, and there were demons and cults and stuff too!

The plane was revisited and the flavor turned to more Cosmic Horror as the Eldrazi Emrakul was summoned by a vengeful harbinger to bring ruin to Innistrad. I won't go into much more detail, but I'll leave you what happened to two of the most powerful archangels in the plane. :)

This is some really cool stuff! Amazing gameplay and lore synergy here.
---

Mercy and McCree get all of the best skins.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

86. Witch Mercy skin (Overwatch) (15 points)
Nominated by: Anagram
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5EetYIc8TXg/maxresdefault.jpg

Importance: 3
Fear: 2
Snake: 10

This is among my favorite skins in the game by far. It's unbelievably sexy and definitely Overwatch's take on the "sexy _____" type of Halloween costumes, this being the "Sexy Witch". There is so much love and care put into this skin, from the broomstick Caduceus Staff, to the classic witch-style thigh-high leggings, the devilish wings, and the pumpkin earrings. It even changes a few of her voice lines, and it always used to be so epic when you revived 4+ heroes and she shouted out "My servants never die!" (It still happens with the one-man ability resurrect, but it's not as epic). The skin is based in lore, and was Mercy's actual Halloween costume back when Overwatch was still active. She also appears as "The Witch" in Junkenstein's Revenge, where the "my servants" line comes from. The skin really fits Mercy well, suiting her looks and magical science abilities to a tee and still remains one of the pinnacle skins in the game for me personally.

Junkenstein's Monster still the best Halloween costume imo
---

Anagram posted...

Mercy and McCree get all of the best skins.

I agree, along with Reaper.
---

Posted these in the Halloween Aquarium topic, but since we're on the subject:




still impatiently waiting for literally any Orisa event skins, but not really getting my hopes up
---

Johnbobb posted...

still impatiently waiting for literally any Orisa event skins, but not really getting my hopes up

She did get one! It just happens to be awful.
---

Dear lord, that IS hot.
---

Anagram posted...

Johnbobb posted...

still impatiently waiting for literally any Orisa event skins, but not really getting my hopes up

She did get one! It just happens to be awful.

I actually really liked that Orisa and sad I missed it.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

I actually really liked that Orisa and sad I missed it.

I have it and just use one of her normal legendaries. In fairness, it's probably hard to come up with concepts for her.
---

Innistrad reminded me of the Tindangle Archetype in Yugioh

http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Tindangle

They finally went and took a page from Lovecraft and made a whole archetype on the Hound of Tindalos
---

85. Monolith (2001) (15.5 points)
Nominated by: Anagram
http://2001.a-false-flag-odyssey.com/full_frontal_monolith.jpg

Importance: 5.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 5

This foreboding slab of metal has influenced and watched over the evolution of humanity since prehistoric times. Seemingly indestructible, the Monolith is enduring and all-knowing with an unknown origin, which is always ripe for the misunderstanding of frightened humans. Its high-pitched shrieks also do not help quell the existential fears one gets from gazing upon its perfect straight edges and smooth surface. Only going by the film, its purpose and origin is never truly revealed and only leaves it up to personal interpretation. It appears to be almost a sentient being, motivated to better humanity as it sees fit, whether we're ready or not. It's really heavy stuff to wrap your head around and frightening to ponder, but at the same time, there's a certain comfortableness to the plainness and perfection of the monolith that can make you feel at ease.
---

The film is one of the few movies better than the book, partly because it doesn't explain everything.
---

I was confused and thought there was a movie called "Monolith" that came out in 2001 for a second
---

jcgamer107 posted...

I was confused and thought there was a movie called "Monolith" that came out in 2001 for a second

---

84. SA-X (Metroid Fusion) (15.5 points)
Nominated by: Shonen_Bat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYJd1nLKduE

Importance: 3
Fear: 5.5
Snake: 7

Metroid Fusion plays with horror elements very deftly throughout the game, letting atmospheric storytelling and a pulse-pounding soundtrack showcase the danger and destruction of SA-X, a parasitic clone of Samus. From her initial appearance accompanied by a scary zoom in, SA-X stalks the player throughout the Biologic Space Laboratories akin to a villain like Nemesis or the Scissorman, matching their danger and overwhelming the player with speed and power. Her power is enough to make Samus hide in a curled-up little ball, and it's always a spine-chilling time to walk through areas where SA-X has torn ruthlessly through without breaking a sweat. Couple all this with the Alien-inspired setting of the Metroid series and Metroid Fusion can feel like a survival horror game in short bursts, and proving that terror can even be found inside your little GBA.
---

83. The Creature (Penny Dreadful) (15.5 points)
Nominated by: v_charon
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/penny-dreadful/images/e/eb/The_Creature.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20150124051826

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 7

It's hard for any adaptation of Mary Shelley's infamous monster to top the pure ecliptic presence of Boris Karloff's iconic portrayal. Every other performance since has been following the footsteps of Karloff, both in design and the exaggerated mindlessness performance you expect from the creature at this point. But, I think Rory Kinnear's Creature finally breaks that trend, giving us a Monster more closely in line with the novel, a creature that's desperate for love, a relationship, anything that gets rid of the pure loneliness that exists within him. He's also a creature that's easily angered and doesn't take rejection well, mirroring humanity's ugliness but taking the lives of anyone who triggers his rage. Still, the Creature tries to become a better person, and becomes very well-verse in theatrics and poetry, and even starts to remember his old life before becoming the Creature, where he was kind and timid. There's a lot of detail and nuance to the pain behind this Creature, and if Penny Dreadful was to become more well-known, I think this portrayal could potentially match Karloff in the mainstream consciousness, and become the new standard for Frankenstein's Monster.
---

Kind of lazy today.
---

We actually saw some cosplay for him at Dragoncon this year.
---

82. Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related (15.5 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/Snake_Ranks_Anything_Horror_Related

Importance: 1.5
Fear: 4
Snake: 10

Well this is a meta-nomination. Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related was the start of something fresh, new, and exciting before becoming commercialized and getting a sequel and presumably yearly installments like it's the Paranormal Activity or Saw franchises. Please stop me if I'm about to do a list from a space station, reboot the first list, or do an unnecessary origin story for the list series. We all know I copied this idea from Johnbobb anyway.

In all seriousness, the list was one of my favorite projects I'd ever done, 2nd only to my 20th Anniversary Resident Evil Retrospective. As a huge horror buff, it was really fun to check out the things I wasn't familiar with and expand my horror knowledge to areas I usually don't pay much attention to. I was really happy with the reception and conversations the list generated because that's always the most satisfying area with me, and I felt really proud to have trdl show the list to his friend to help out with his writing. It's small but it meant a lot to me. In short, it was a fun time and I'm glad to be doing it yet again this year with a batch of equally interesting nominations.
---

Pretty cool nominations and write-ups on that list.

Seeing what did well makes me think I nominated the wrong things, but who knows.
---

Still happy to have been the inspiration for it

You're a lot more qualified to rank horror than I am anyway
---

This is definitely a great series, and some entries can give me a chilling couple minutes of fright as well.
---

81. The clown from the original Poltergeist (16 points)
Nominated by: BetrayedTangy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlUwfuB3pxI

Importance: 4.5
Fear: 6.5
Snake: 5

The original "can't sleep, clown will eat me". In the same league as the Zuni fetish doll from Trilogy of Terror or a Good Guy doll, I question anybody who would ever, ever purchase something that looks as creepy as this damn thing, and then have it sit in a chair and face you while you sleep. No thank you. The Clown Doll is perhaps the most well-known scene from the original Poltergeist, rivaling "They're here" and featured heavily in the marketing push for the remake. Before Pennywise, THIS was the clown that made kids lose sleep at night. With its way-too-happy grin transformed into a devilish smile by the poltergeist, and its long arms perfect for wrapping around a scared little boy's throat, the clown doll is a perfect storm of nightmares for a kid's imagination. The Clown Doll is a classic in a long lineage of living dolls and dummies, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the catalyst for many families to start covering and throwing out their similar dolls lest any mischievous ghost seek to possess it.
---

80. Lavender Town music (16 points)
Nominated by: Anagram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sOadAaGiq4

Importance: 5
Fear: 5
Snake: 6

From its introductory sharp notes followed by harsh chords, Lavender Town captures that integral part of any horror experience: the creepy music. The Lavender Town theme creates a sense of dread that feels really out of place in the normal upbeat Pokemon experience, creating a pit in your stomach as the haunting Pokemon Tower looms in the background, warning you of its dark and melancholic presence. The fact that Pokemon can actually die and not just faint will come as a shock to any young child's mind, and the little creepy tune that plays serves as a true melancholic reminder of that. It's a brave tone to go for in a bright little game about capturing and battling monsters, and this shift is represented best by the creepypasta called "Lavender Town Syndrome" which saw little kids and teenagers suffering headaches, nosebleeds, and even committing suicide after hearing the tune, which apparently contains hidden notes and messages that only undeveloped ears can hear. Even though the story is fake, there's no denying there's a real power behind the track, a power to induce fear and to cause even the most steely trainers to pause at the foot of Pokemon Tower.
---

Damn, I'm already down three?
---

Lavender Town is seriously one of the great video game compositions ever. To create that effect with those audio limitations is insane.

Snake5555555555 posted...

The Clown Doll is perhaps the most well-known scene from the original Poltergeist, rivaling "They're here" and featured heavily in the marketing push for the remake.

Don't forget that guy slowly tearing off all the skin from his face!
---

jcgamer107 posted...

Don't forget that guy slowly tearing off all the skin from his face!

Ok real talk that is actually what terrified me when I first saw it, the rest was "oh wow that's crazy" but I could deal. Not the face part.
---

jcgamer107 posted...

Lavender Town is seriously one of the great video game compositions ever. To create that effect with those audio limitations is insane.

Snake5555555555 posted...

The Clown Doll is perhaps the most well-known scene from the original Poltergeist, rivaling "They're here" and featured heavily in the marketing push for the remake.

Don't forget that guy slowly tearing off all the skin from his face!

Of course! I wonder if Poltergeist has the highest quantity of memorable scenes in any horror film.
---

79. School-Live! (16 points)
Nominated by: PrinceKaro
http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/b7ce4b859fb5081ac27a54fe89ee67171446083640_full.jpg

Importance: 5
Fear: 5
Snake: 6

This is an ingenious concept, combining your typical cute girls in school anime series with a hard-edged zombie survival show, seen through the lens of an innocent, cheerful, and naive young girl named Yuki. The first episode leads you on, and if you knew nothing about this show, you would think that it's merely a cutesy school anime with a few oddities thrown in there, but the end of episode pulls the wool out from your eyes and reveals that in reality, the school and campus are the site of a terrifying zombie apocalypse, which Yuki does not see. Luckily, she has freinds that DO know what's really going on. The series constantly alternates between these two "realities", and it can really mess with your head at times, and the series is surprisingly serious at dealing with the themes of escapism and the positives and negatives to that. The juxtaposing of chaotic zombie fights with things like a sports festival gives the series a great rhythm and character building as the characters struggle to not only survive but also try and retain a sense of normalcy and joy. It's a really unique take on the zombie genre and I would definitely recommend it.
---

Oh so that's what the show is called in english. I thought it was weird that you were ranking a certain anime that also had School in its name lol
---

78. Power Drill Massacre (16 points)
Nominated by: Bane_of_Despair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeivQnmd62Q

Importance: 2
Fear: 7
Snake: 7

Power Drill Massacre is an ode to two different classic eras of horror: the PS1 survival horror golden age and the 1970s/1980s cornucopia of slasher films. While the game is still currently only in a demo state at this point, PDM is an amazing proof-of-concept that I hope sees the light day someday soon. The developer gets an A+ on aesthetic alone. From the VHS cover art to the grainy film texture, right down to the pop up title in big bold letters during gameplay, it's impossible to not feel like you're playing through some forgotten gem that was left behind in a video store decades ago and only recently recovered for all to enjoy. You play as a woman who crashed her car in the woods, and your husband is knocked unconscious. You grab your flashlight and try to go find help, going on a long trek through said woods until you reach an old abandoned building on a hill. Classic horror movie set-up. Inside the house, you find keys and items to help you get through it, all while being endlessly stalked by the Power Drill Man, who patrols the building in real time, making an encounter possible at literally any second. The game really keeps you on edge and it's absolutely terrifying when you encounter the killer.

The game isn't perfect though, and it's only a demo so it's excusable (from someone who barely knew what they were doing), and one thing I didn't really like was any of the camera angles offered. One style rode up on your ass way too close, and the other more traditional Resident Evil camera angles didn't really communicate all the information a player is supposed to know when you design angles like that. I personally found the save system to be busted, and the killer is pretty much impossible to survive if you run into him, so restarting is a complete chore that gets tiring fast. There's an excellent survival horror game in here, and the developer is still committed to the game even after two years, so improvements will definitely come. For now, it's still a fun experience and the developer's love of horror is undeniably laid bare in this game.
---

I remember when it was called babysitter bloodbath. I followed this indie rather closely but was disappointed at the final product when it became more of a slender clone than a game that played on 90s slasher tropes
---

77. Zombieland (16 points)
Nominated by: SlantedSilver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m9EVP8X7N8

Importance: 5
Fear: 3
Snake: 8

Zombieland is a horror comedy that has become one of the biggest cult zombie films of recent memory. Well-remembered for its list of zombie survival rules, search for twinkies, clown zombie, and most of all, Bill Murray's excellent cameo, Zombieland is undoubtedly a fun time, infused with great characters and delivering excellent pacing with well-worn road film tropes. In being a comedy, the film also never loses focus of its undead antagonists, similar to Shaun of the Dead; there is still genuine terror and danger to be found in the film, which makes the comedy segments a sort of welcome breather to the zombie carnage. After all, you have to enjoy the little things is one of the key rules of the film and nothing realizes this more than Zombieland itself. It's a film chock full of little character and horror moments that me it a treat to watch and rewatch over and over again.
---

Simoun posted...

I remember when it was called babysitter bloodbath. I followed this indie rather closely but was disappointed at the final product when it became more of a slender clone than a game that played on 90s slasher tropes

Huh, I thought they were completely separate. I know Babysitter Bloodbath was also supposed to be a straight-up Halloween game, but was obviously hit with copyright.
---

Simoun posted...

when it became more of a slender clone than a game that played on 90s slasher tropes

I still very much think it plays on slasher tropes and is not a slender clone

I honestly would never think of slender with power drill massacre
---

It's the same game style. You're running around collecting "things" that require you to escape. The AI of the killer was so hax to Slender-like proportions: Noise when it approaches, offscreen teleportation, instant one hit kill with no chance of escaping because the sound rapes your eardrums on approach. It's clearly a horror game that's meant to shock you rather than enfeeble you with the desperate attempts of an unreasonable madman whilst you try to escape.

A 90s Slasher game would something like oh i dunno the actual Friday the 13th Game which does it way better.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/438740/Friday_the_13th_The_Game/

Also Dead by Daylight for another example.
---

I liked Zombieland, though I enjoy Shaun of the Dead's brand of humor better.
---

76. Call of Duty Zombies (16 points)
Nominated by: BetrayedTangy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvdoNXQANrA

Importance: 5
Fear: 3
Snake: 8

Completing the World of War campaign introduced players to a whole new side of the Call of Duty experience, one that would be critical in nearly every installment after it: Zombies! I remember the day my friend told me about it, and being a huge fan of both CoD and horror games, I was so excited to jump into it. It started off simple, a mere two floor map with a few doors and barricades to open, with a mystery weapon hook to keep you coming back for more and more just that get perfect weapon combo and survive to the higher rounds. Then, Verruckt came out, and my mind was blown with how much bigger things got, and though daunting, I soon knew every easter egg and trick on the map. Things gradually got more and more complicated from there, until you got to Black Ops III and you needed the goddamn Encyclopedia Zombietannica and a whole staff of FBI codebreakers and the entire Mensa society to figure anything out. I'll admit zombies lost me somewhere between the final few maps of Black Ops and Black Ops II, but the amount of hours I poured into this "side content" daily are some of the best gaming memories I have. It was the perfect combination of challenge, goofing off with friends, and survival horror, and I still think it's one of the most well-fleshed out and addicting horde modes in gaming. It has some really fun main characters and I loved Call of the Dead which featured a bunch of celebrities like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Rooker, and even the zombie creator himself George Romero as a member of the undead. The upcoming WW2 zombies, while not Treyarch, promises to bring even more horror to the table and it has me looking forward to a new zombies mode yet again. Here's hoping it recaptures that intensity and scales back on the Rube Goldberg easter eggs just a bit, because this is one love I'd like to rediscover all over again.
---

75. The Conjuring (movie) (16.5 points)
Nominated by: Corrik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k10ETZ41q5o

Importance: 7.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 4

I'm not sure what the big hoopla was about about this film. To me anyway, it wasn't memorable, it wasn't scary, and it was mostly a boring, plodding film. It was a standard possession haunted house movie and while some aspects were well-made, wasn't a film that stuck with me as anything special. Yet, audiences and critics loved it, and is one of the most successful horror movies of not only the past decade but of all time, commercially and critically, spawning a sprawling cinematic universe in the process. It capitalized its based on a "true story" premise and relied on commonplace but effective chills to make audiences spread the film with word-of-mouth. Its got such classics such as Lorraine Warren looking in a mirror, looking back, taking the mirror down and the monster is there! And then it's actually done again in the little girls' bedroom; she goes to the wardrobe, looks back, then looks again, and boo, the monster is there to deliver a well-timed jump scare. You can't forget the classic bedroom scene that's slow and punctuated by a loud door slamming shut. I'll give it to James Wan, because he knows how to scare audiences effectively. But for someone who sees a lot of horror movies, this stuff is rote to me. Some decent acting and well-shot scenes isn't enough to make this a more original offering to me.
---

Is The Conjuring the one with the spinoffs about the stupid doll, or is that something else?
---

Yeah that's the one.
---

Looking back at it, its popularity eludes me as well. Maybe it was just the right movie at the right time. As far as I could tell, it revived the interest in ghost horror movies, where zombies and slasher flicks were the trend then (Snake can probably confirm or correct it).
---

I think The Conjuring was definitely helped along by the big successes of Insidious and Sinister and I think it did things with a tad more restraint to make it seem like a smarter film. Of course, it definitely owes a lot to Paranormal Activity as well.

Zombies are still pretty big though if fatigued and I think slashers are bigger than they have been for awhile, but they've sort of evolved into a hybrid of slasher/home invasion movies.
---