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

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have suspicion that This is Halloween is more famous internationally. I had to Google what Monster Mash was...of course it might be just me, but hey, the power of Disney distribution is not to be taken lightly.

RE7... I would love to play that, but no console, no game, and no time. Goddammit.
---

51. John Kramer (Saw) (20 points)
Nominated by: Johnbobb
http://sawfilms.wikia.com/wiki/John_Kramer

Importance: 7.5
Fear: 7
Snake: 5.5

The main antagonist of the Saw films, John Kramer has cemented himself as a horror icon, both through his puppet Billy and as played so committed by Tobin Bell. Kramer is a broken man driven to put people into twisted traps and face their past sins in hopes to get them to appreciate life as revenge for a criminal causing his wife to have a miscarriage, as well as inoperable colon cancer and brain tumor that made him almost commit suicide. The thing about Kramer though is there's a lot of contrivances made to make all of his plans work and the writing in the Saw films is really bad. He's had so much manipulation done to everyone around him that it feels unbelievable, and some of the traps don't even seem like they're working towards his goal at all and are just downright over-the-top and ridiculous. It's a shame because I think Tobin Bell's talents are somewhat wasted on these boring and derivative torture movies. A smarter film series could definitely benefit well from a character like Kramer, but as it stands now, he's a dirty diamond buried under a pool of blood and strapped to a circular saw disguised as a sundial that you need to hit with a heated laser.
---

I'm not a big Resident Evil fan, but RE7 is good

Snake5555555555 posted...

he's a dirty diamond buried under a pool of blood and strapped to a circular saw disguised as a sundial that you need to hit with a heated laser.

lul
---

I like slasher movies and I've never seen any Saw.
---

I mean, I think most of the traps made by Kramer himself are decent enough at working toward his goal?

Most of the traps post-Saw III are supposedly made by his "apprentices" who are pretty much all terrible and don't actually work toward Kramer's goal.

That being said, yeah, the Saw writing isn't great. I like them still for the fun grizzly aspects, even when they're pretty bad (3 and 6 are decent, 4 and 5 are bad, 7 is garbage) but I legitimately love the first two Saws, largely because of John Kramer

It's to the point where I hate referring to the character as Jigsaw. "Jigsaw" is sort of like Ghostface, where anyone can be the killer if they do the voice and the mask, but Kramer himself is just cold and horrifying, and for my money, Tobin Bell gives one of the greatest horror villain performances out there
---

Maybe I'm too hard on him because of the franchise. I will definitely admit it's a good performance and also that I don't really remember much of the finer plot details past III besides the traps.
---

Saw was a shame of a trainwreck past the 2nd movie. They could've just went and made a new villain but no they wanted to milk a chessmaster villain who terrorizes people from beyond the grave like he knew everything all along
---

Baker's ftw. Especially Jack that dlc segment or whatever showing the start of it was pretty sad


Snake5555555555 posted...

It would actually make a great movie! Erma herself is so cute and innocent that you can't help but have a smile on your face the whole you're reading. Sure, she wants to be scary, but she also just wants to be a normal kid. A normal kid who can turn her head completely around anyway.

Then when you had that he goes and makes this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6QpFgxwzQE

fuck now I want a series of animated shorts now
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

59. Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (19 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6MV2PUAFsCFK6fPHOx9Gi22r14WkcqDZ

Importance: 3
Fear: 6
Snake: 10

Cinemassacre's Monster Monster is a series that's very important to me. I used to watch every single video Rolfe put out being a big fan of AVGN and so I checked out this series too. James Rolfe's love and care to the horror genre drew me into all sorts of films at different points in my life, but my favorite will always be the original run of Monster Madness, an abridged history of important horror films that traced all the way back to 1920's Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I was young when the series came out and oblivious to these old classics, and this series helped open my eyes to some amazing horror films I probably would never have watched or be interested in otherwise, both old and newer. All of Rolfe's various trivia bits made each video a new treat to watch.

I wasn't too into the Godzillathon the following year, as I'm not really a Godzilla fan and find most of the films repetitive and a little boring, but luckily Monster Madness III (an alternate history of important horror films), Camp Cult (featuring little known, campy, cheesy, and outright bad films), and Sequel-a-Thon (which discussed classic horror franchises like Dracula and Frankenstein) all managed to outshine the first run with incredibly in-depth reviews and even more new worlds of horror movies opening up to me. These videos are yearly traditions for me now, and though Rolfe has slowed down the series in recent years, it still lives on in his unending passion for a genre he has loved and dedicated himself to his whole life and still permeates nearly every project he does to this day.

Seeing this makes me realize I should have nominated the Shitstorm of Scariness!
---

Pirateking2000 posted...

Baker's ftw. Especially Jack that dlc segment or whatever showing the start of it was pretty sad


Snake5555555555 posted...

It would actually make a great movie! Erma herself is so cute and innocent that you can't help but have a smile on your face the whole you're reading. Sure, she wants to be scary, but she also just wants to be a normal kid. A normal kid who can turn her head completely around anyway.

Then when you had that he goes and makes this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6QpFgxwzQE

fuck now I want a series of animated shorts now

Haha that's awesome, looks like someone reads my topic!
---

50. James Wan Horror Movies (20 points)
Nominated by: Raka_Putra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wan#Films

Importance: 9
Fear: 6
Snake: 5

There's no doubt about it, James Wan has been THE defining force of horror in the past decade, no matter what you think of his films. His track record is incredible; he didn't just start one new horror franchise, or even two. That's right, count 'em three new, hyper-successful horror franchises with Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, and that's not even counting the cult hit Dead Silence or the Wan-produced Lights Out. Wan is a household name, and I think he'll be remembered up there with the likes of Wes Craven, George Romero, Tobe Hooper, and John Carpenter as having influenced an incredible amount of horror movies. Say what you will about the "jumpscare screech", but Wan knows how to scare his audience and keep people coming back for more. Both the main The Conjuring films and the expanded universe films do gangbusters at the box office not only because it's a formula that works, but Wan does understand craft as well. His personal style really mixes old-school sensibilities drawing from The Exorcist with a modern, impatient horror crowd now used to spectacle boo-style frights, which are quick and direct instead of getting a chance to really nestle under your skin. The question remains though if its really a good style to be copying. I think of films like The Bye-Bye Man, The Woman in Black, The Forest, the original Ouija, uninspired borefests which I think ape off of Wan's films and take none of their good qualities. I guess ultimately, just the fact Wan is being copied at all has cemented his spot in the horror Mount Rushmore, for better and worse, and I think that's something to admire either way.
---

At least hes not responsible for Paranormal Activity.
---

49. Sundel Bolong (Indonesian urban legend) (20 points)
Nominated by: ihatethiscpu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_E6RVRJlkg

Importance: 5
Fear: 8
Snake: 7

This urban legend is definitely one of the creepiest I know about. I've read conflicting reports about its origins, but generally, I see two accepted stories. One is about a woman who gave birth while in a grave, and died during childbirth when the child burst out of her back, creating a hole that's visible in her spirit form. In the second, a woman was forced into prostitution and stabbed in the back by a businessman, thus seeking vengeance on all men. I think the second ones fits the translation more, which is roughly "prostitute with a hole", or they could even be connected in some way. Either way, it's a creepy story and Sundel's spirit is extremely horrifying. She will usually force you into looking into her hole, festering with maggots and rotting flesh that's enough to knock someone out; she will proceed to eat your organs.

There's an Indonesian cult horror film based on the legend called Sundelbolong, and her origin there is that she was raped and abused by these horrible group of men, and she commits suicide in her bathroom. She comes back to get revenge on the men in a sort of slasher style. I think it's an excellent film visually, but unfortunately it's a bit hard to follow as there's no English subtitles or dub as far as I'm aware. I recommend skipping through the film a bit to see some of the legend in action as there's some really disgusting and scary parts in it, as well as small parts of humor in some of the kills. The survival horror game DreadOut also features a ghost enemy based upon Sundel, giving the legend some exposure to western audiences.

Visually and conceptually, it reminds me of several other legends, including Kuchisake-onna later in the list, Onry, of which Sadako is based on, and Yuki-onna, a spirit who attracts men in snowstorms. As with all of these urban legends, Sundel Bolong fits right in amongst them as one of the creepiest and deadliest vengeful spirits you can ever encounter and I hope no one ever has a late-night meeting with her.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

The Woman in Black....uninspired borefests which I think ape off of Wan's films and take none of their good qualities

um wtf. Woman in Black is really intense, scary, and better executed than anything Wan's done.

That first Sundel Bolong picture is.....yeeep. Also Onry is a trope/character type, not a specific story.
---

jcgamer107 posted...

um wtf. Woman in Black is really intense, scary, and better executed than anything Wan's done.

I wasn't really a fan personally and it felt like a knock-off to me. Though it is way better than the others I listed.

jcgamer107 posted...

Also Onry is a trope/character type, not a specific story.

You're right, I should've actually said Okiku instead.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

I should've actually said Okiku instead.

that's what I was thinking of. I would love to see an old-timey, Kwaidan-style film of that, but I don't think it exists, sadly.
---

James Wan is hit or miss for me, and yet I still consider him a favorite.

Saw is one of my favorite horror films, while Death Sentence is one of my favorite thrillers (and one of his most underrated movies tbh)

I'm not really a fan of The Conjuring and Insidious is kind of 50/50 (weak first half but a strong second half), but I still get excited when I see he's working on something else, because he's definitely a creative director.

Beyond hyped for a James Wan Aquaman starring Khal Drogo
---

To be honest, I wasn't aware he was also behind the Saw franchise when I nominated him xD
But now I respect him even more.
I mostly watch his supernatural movies and they're always a delightful night out. He's got a penchant for building a movie and creating memorable, creepy scenes. I think his main weakness is the vagueness of the rules regarding the antagonists, they seem to just have any power and weakness convenient to the plot...which can make you feel cheated after the movie ends. And his supernatural movies do slightly blend together after a while IMO.

As for sundel bolong, yeah they're pretty creepy...and wow, I never watched that movie...intriguing.

Isn't the first pic a pocong though?
---

Raka_Putra posted...

Isn't the first pic a pocong though?

Oh yes, you're actually right, I take the blame for that one.
---

I think both Conjuring's really have their moments, and I probably liked Dead Silence more than most, but I'm pretty much over his style at this point. Also



look at this shit
---

48. Shonen Bat (Paranoia Agent) (20 points)
Nominated by: Shonen_Bat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNW7IDHNNg

Importance: 4.5
Fear: 7.5
Snake: 8

Otherwise known as Lil' Slugger or Bat Boy, Shonen Bat is an enigmatic figure, a slasher-type character in the form of a little boy on golden roller skates, attacking people with a bent metal baseball bat. His appearances first start when Tsukiko Sagi is walking home late one night, and she is attacked by the boy, though the authorities doubt her claims, and watching the series, you'll eventually see why. Shonen Bat appears to be brought on when his victims are stressed, fearful, on the verge of a mental breakdown or are repressing something, and in the case of Tsukiko, she was feeling pressured by her company to follow up her successful mascot design with another (as well as something else revealed later). The 2nd victim, a sleaze-ball reporter, is forced to pay an old man's hospital bills while also investigating the Shonen Bat case. The 3rd victim is one of the saddest, a once popular class president thought to be Shonen Bat by his classmates, driven to stay on top of the popularity food chain. It continues on like this with others, and despite it sounding like it would be a fearful thing to encounter Shonen Bat, the victims all feel cured and let go of the pain they're carrying. Yet, it's all temporary, as Japan is engulfed in a sea of paranoia and fear across the nation, seeking comfort in Tsukiko's original creation, Maromi. Ironically, Tsukiko did end up creating a mascot to rival her original, and each in their own way are methods of helping people cope with their problems, Maromi representing a more fantastical escape while Shonen Bat is more of a facing of one's darkside, but both are false. It's only when someone comes to realize this that they can be truly be free of their pain.
---

What's really funny and dark about that scene is that the trio were dead all along. But in a little subversion, they were actually alive at the start of the episode.
---

Paranoia Agent was so good

and that was the best episode
---

Happy Family Planning is a top 5 anime episode of all time.
---

I've been watching the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. It's kind of incredible how different they are from modern horror. Give me Freddy shoving a girl's face into a TV while screaming "It's primetime, *****!" over a spooky ghost moving your furniture for 45 minutes any day.
---

Apologies for missing today, was really hoping to have at least 1 done a day consecutively but oh well.
---

Eh, if you can't then you can't. You're doing fine.
---

bump
---

47. American Horror Story: Season 6: Roanoke (20 points)
Nominated by: Axl_rose_85

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

Importance: 5
Fear: 6
Snake: 9

Roanoke was definitely the season we needed at the right time, an adrenaline shot to the system, a show that miraculously climbed back up Mount Everest after jumping headfirst down it in the first place. Shot as a paranormal documentary series, Roanoke starts off grounded whilst it slowly drip feeds in the supernatural, building up to an epic initial climax in the first half of the season with the return of the Roanoke Colony due to a witch's curse and spurred on by a blood moon. Being that it's shot in a documentary format however, the entire first half of the season is just a staged show, where the experiences of the "real-life couple" are reenacted by actors. It's very easy to forgot this fact even with narration by the real-life couple, which says a lot about Roanoke's subtlety and commitment to telling a story that feels brutal and believable. It's a far-cry from the bloated, bombast camp of Hotel, a terribly unfocused season with too many (uninteresting) characters and a schizophrenic plotline that went everywhere and nowhere.

The show gets even more meta when the show inside the show is ended, and of course, being the ratings smash it was, there's got to be a follow-up. So they get the reenactment actors and the real-life people who went through it together back in the same house, and it's for real this time as some true spooky stuff starts to go down. I love this part of the season in particular, because it focuses on the obsession of fans who take their fandom too far and behind-the-scenes looks at actors who ruin other people's lives, or get too drawn into their role, which happened to both Kathy Bates' character, Agnes, who believes she's actually the butcher, and Angela Bassett's character Monet, who becomes an alcoholic after taking too closely after Lee (the real-life counterpart). These parts end up being the most horrifying, because there's a lot of truth to it, and it's why something like Wes Craven's New Nightmare resonates so strongly to me. We all get a little obsessed at one point or another in our lives, and sometimes it leads to extremes like leading a witch-hunt against a wrongly accused mother. There's a lot of commentary here on American Horror Story itself too, and it's definitely in response to the criticism leveled against Hotel and Freak Show.

It's a whole lot to summarize, and I'm aware it probably sounds like a mouthful. Don't get it twisted though, Roanoke is pure horror, a small-scale story high on fear and excellent characters that are flawed and believable. There are no unnecessary tangents here, everything from the behind-the-scenes production to Roanoke flashbacks all serve and advance the story with new juicy morsels of character insight, plot thickenings, and the occasional subversive twist. If you skipped this season due to losing faith in the series with some bad eggs, Roanoke will make you an AHS believer again.
---

46. I Am A Hero (the manga) (20 points)
Nominated by: Simoun

https://fsmedia.imgix.net/f2/c4/8d/33/8c15/4eb5/b236/e7434f7c18ea/i-am-a-heropng.png


Importance: 5
Fear: 6
Snake: 9

Hideo Suzuki, a supporting character in his own life, is lonely and feels worthless. He's timid and suffers from delusions and daydreaming fantasies which are sad glimpses into where his head is at, as he frequently talks to himself whilst imagining conversations with co-workers. He works as a manga assistant, previously having his own series that got cancelled. He places a lot of self-worth in his work and cannot handle much more rejection. Though he has a girlfriend, and things seem to be okay on the surface, Hideo worries she will soon leave him for a more successful manga artist. The first volume is a gut-punching read of sadness and yearning, and this is all before any zombies even enter the picture, only being hinted at throughout. But, when the zombies do come, Hideo is finally able to be the main character he always wanted to be, though of course he has to work his way up to that point.

I Am a Hero may not seem like anything special on the surface, but much like it's protagonist, it slowly grows into something truly extraordinary. I think one of the main strengths of this manga is its artwork, I really like that the characters especially are not portrayed as perfect models but rather like individuals I could picture really existing. Some parts are a little exaggerated for emphasis, but it's all endearing and makes them more human. The artwork in the creatures is outstanding as well, with a sharp focus on blood and gore, larger-than-life horrors, and twisted, unnatural positions. It's a read that's near-impossible to put down, with characters and horror that serves as interesting focal point to a fantasy we've probably all had.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

Roanoke will make you an AHS believer again.

It certainly did. Which is why the current season is all the more disappointing and kinda makes you a non-believer again.

It is not nearly Coven bad and it is better than Hotel as well but that is still not good enough after coming fresh off Roanoke.
---

my sister is watching Roanoke and hates it

I haven't seen it yet and I'm so conflicted
---

I enjoyed Roanoke quite a bit
---

I kinda like Cult so far, it's not the best season and I've noticed it has too many parts where it can't really advance the story much further than where it is, so it resorts to flashback stories, but the acting has been strong.
---

45. My house walk-through by nana (20 points)
Nominated by: Simoun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWXnt2Z2D1E

Importance: 2.5
Fear: 8
Snake: 9.5

From 0:00 you can just tell something's up with this. The video opens up in a dark bedroom, you can hear a ravaging storm constantly hitting against the house, which has become damaged severely by the torrential onslaught. The person filming decides to take us on a tour of his house, and it does seem normal enough, if a little creepy due to all the damage. Things progress at a deliberate pace as the person, through subtitles, notes the different rooms in the house plus some pictures of family members. Then... the subtitles start to repeat, the so-called "longest hallway in the house" starts to repeat, and this man takes us suddenly on a journey of pure terror, as things start to get darker and more bloody as the man is seemingly drained of his sanity. The comparisons to P.T. are obvious, and being that it came out after the game, I think it's definitely a homage. It's a disservice to describe it any more however, as there are so many intricate details that make it as scary and tightly-gripping as it is, paying special attention to the house and its seemingly living parts. Nana is a true master of horror craft, and his ability to craft tiny scenarios and milk them to their disturbing limits impresses me to no end.
---

Haha, I'm glad you like the House Walkthrough. If you want, you can check out his "The Making Of" vid, but it will destroy all the scariness this vid has.

Also, I don't know how far you got, but the ending of I Am A Hero is really poignant but thankfully, refuses to play into any kind of cliche or trope I've seen. It's pretty wtf though as it ends in a sort of cop out but the author intentionally did it is what irritated me. Still. It made me realize that we weren't meant to see Hideo succeed, but grow into his own man.
---

I enjoy Roanoke and Cult, and I enjoyed the unique characters in Hotel (even though the overarching story was utter garbage).
---

44. Long Dream by Junji Ito (20 points)
Nominated by: Raka_Putra
https://imgur.com/gallery/4e4G5

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 7
Snake: 9.5

This story is incredible, and reminds me of something I'd read in Neil Gaiman's Sandman rather than a work by Junji Ito, but that's probably because of the nature of dreams written here. Long Dream IS scary, featuring a man plagued by increasingly longer dreams, living out years and eventually millenniums within his sleeps, as he turns more monstrous with each one. However, Long Dream is interested in the human and scientific side of things as well, as a doctor wrestles with the morality of giving the dreams to another patient scared of death to give her a sweet release from her fears by giving her spirit eternal life. As the last panel lingers on the image of said patient slowly turning into a monster herself, you'll be wondering the same thing. Long Dream is a story truly capable of touching a nerve with anybody, we all sleep, we all associate the eternal sleep with death, and just the thought of being stuck in a nightmare for eternity is enough to take said sleep from anybody. We can categorize this one right next to Freddy Krueger and sleep paralysis as reasons to never hit the hay ever again.
---

Simoun posted...

Haha, I'm glad you like the House Walkthrough. If you want, you can check out his "The Making Of" vid, but it will destroy all the scariness this vid has.

Also, I don't know how far you got, but the ending of I Am A Hero is really poignant but thankfully, refuses to play into any kind of cliche or trope I've seen. It's pretty wtf though as it ends in a sort of cop out but the author intentionally did it is what irritated me. Still. It made me realize that we weren't meant to see Hideo succeed, but grow into his own man.

Just the first three volumes so far.
---

Long Dream is some of the best existential horror I've ever read. Fear of death meets fear of eternity. Very effective.
---

How long are I Am a Hero and Long Dream? Things that could maybe be read in one sitting or are they longer works than that?
---

Long Dream is like a 10-minute read. Haven't read 'I Am a Hero'.

EDIT maybe not quite 10 minutes but it's short.
---

I Am a Hero is 22 volumes long, each volume will probably take you an hour+.
---

Long Dream is fantastic. Good nom!
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

I Am a Hero is 22 volumes long, each volume will probably take you an hour+.

oh

well I'll have to read Long Dream asap and put I Am a Hero on the "to read eventually" list
---

and since the horror topic purged again:

Saw Happy Death Day

it was cute! Which feels weird to say about a horror movie, but whatever
---

Glad everyone seems to like it! Long Dream is great and one of the surprisingly more sci-fi stories from Junji Ito.

Man can you imagine 10 years of trying to figure out what's wrong with your internet connection...or 15 years of waiting for the traffic to subside so you can cross the street...
---

I Am A Hero needs more love. I know its long, but it's pretty engaging and probably the only zombie graphic novel I deem "better" than Walking Dead
---

43. Wax Museum (Horror Setting) (20.5 points)
Nominated by: Raka_Putra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5RkKx-9tEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbdebLeSOr8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1-06FYu_SE

Importance: 7
Fear: 7
Snake: 6.5

The wax museum, though surprisingly not too overdone, is well-known for being closely tied to horror films. The earliest trace of using wax museums in horror films as far as I know comes from the 1924 anthology Waxworks, in which a writer creates backstories for three different sculptures in the museum. Though nothing supernatural or murderous happens with the actual sculptures, they are still brought to life through the stories the writer tells, so it paved the way for the expanded concept in 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum. The idea behind this film is that the mad proprietor of a wax museum murders people and dips them in wax, crafting sculptures out of real people. The man himself also wears a wax mask, launching the idea of a living wax sculpture in the public conscious. There were several more wax museum films made between this and its remake House of Wax, but were mostly featured in the mystery and noir genres whilst still associating the wax museum with that of death. The House of Wax remake is easily the most influential of the wax museum horror films, and is even more notable for being the first color 3D film ever made as well as revitalizing the career of Vincent Prince. The plot is the same as the 1933 original, but boasts better acting and more horror sensibilities than the original. The film was remade yet again in 2005, and will be the one most young people know and remember despite it being a pretty bad film all-around.

Easily my favorite wax museum film is Tourist Trap, featuring the titular tourist trap with one of the scariest living mannequin scenes of all time. Living wax sculptures were again prominently used in the 1989 film Waxwork, a film I enjoy quite a bit as well. It's more comedic than others that feature the setting, but still boasts some genuine frights. I like the idea of featuring past horror icons and evil historical figures, and the film is like a huge ode to several past horror frights and is a lot of fun.

I think it's easy to see why wax museums feature so prominently in horror. It's that uncanny valley effect, no one likes seeing something so lifelike being so still and unnatural. There's historical context with the tendency for wax museums to have sections dedicated to horrors, and their association in horror with being used to mask the shuffling off of our mortal coil makes these sections only that much more frightening. And though I primarily focused on film for this write-up, there's plenty of origins in plays and short stories too; actually a really good short story ghostwritten by H.P. Lovecraft entitled The Horror in the Museum is one I highly recommend for wax aficionados. The setting has even been used in video games sparingly, with Waxworks in 1992 for the Amiga and DOS springing to mind. It's a ripe setting for the imagination and there's still a load of untapped potential in it.
---

Wow that whole write up and no mention of the wax museum episode of Gravity Falls

For shame
---