Board 8 > Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related Vol. 4 *RANKINGS*

Topic List
Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Johnbobb
10/29/19 12:31:34 PM
#202:


Anyway, Elfen Lied was one of the first non-4kids animes I watched, largely due to my girlfriend at the time being into it

While I have some issues with it (in particular, the oversexualization of Nyu felt a little odd), the over-the-top horro and action was incredible
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trdl23
10/29/19 12:39:00 PM
#203:


Elfen Lied is up there with Parasyte as I believe you guys when you say its high quality but I cant stomach it.

And yeah, in German ie is usually pronounced as ee, whereas ei is closer to ai.
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OracleGunner
10/29/19 5:09:27 PM
#204:


The manga has a very different ending. I'd still suggest looking it up, if only because of the power gap between the anime and manga.
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jcgamer107
10/29/19 9:23:09 PM
#205:


Oh man lol. Well definitely don't feel guilty, it's hard for me to even imagine what my reaction to that clip would be without context, but having gone through an hour+ of twisted, already-tragic story, I found it incredibly horrifying. Both the event of what happened, and the filmmaking effects.

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Snake5555555555
10/29/19 9:39:41 PM
#206:


44. Night in the Woods (17.5 points)
Nominated by: MetalmindStats (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17kM8oSz3k" data-time="


Importance: 4
Fear: 6
Snake: 7.5

Never have I been so conflicted with a game before. A game I both dearly love and all too often dislike, there's still a strange ying-yang to this relationship that ends up strengthening all of the game's themes in my mind. At its core, Night in the Woods is a deeply personal game, and has some of the most realistic situations I've ever encountered when it comes to the realm of interactivity. Growing up, having no direction in life, bonds between friends becoming fragile and easily broken, quiet, suburban towns being swallowed by captains of industry, depression and responsibility, each rear their beautiful and ugly heads at one point or another in Night in the Woods. I definitely wouldn't be hard pressed to find at least one thing every player can relate to here. Yet, on a dime, NitW can be deeply hilarious and extremely charming. You can get up to all sorts of trouble as Mae with Gregg, share cheesy inside jokes with your mom, or just enjoy Mae's sarcastic remarks at town landmarks. I don't think I've seen a game capture life so elegantly, so raw, & so real as much as in Night in the Woods. In all this fantastic depth though, the game kind of forgets to be fun to play...?

I really hate saying this, because the game's inherent mundanity and daily routine is by design. Each day, you wake up as Mae, put on your boots, say hi to your mom, then walk down the big long block to whichever friend you feel like hanging out with that day. I think it's so awesome how this contributes to the game's overall message, but god damn I just did not enjoy playing it out every day, and this is where I get so conflicted, because while a neat concept it makes me never want to go through it again. It's the very definition of a necessary evil.

Luckily, the hangout segments either with Gregg or Bea mostly make up for it. In my one playthrough, I mostly hung out with Bea, since I found her personality and situation the most compelling and relatable to me. I really loved seeing how Bea and Mae, former best friends, rekindled that flame as Mae learned a little bit about what it is to be completely responsible for oneself, while Bea learned to let go sometimes and to have a little fun even when life can seem at its worst. I was really surprised at the depth of Gregg too, a class clown facade that hides someone who is totally serious about changing his life and being committed to his relationship with Angus. These characters are rich and well-written, and feel just like real people despite being drawn as animals!

So, on to the horror parts. As you get to know your friends and the town, there's an initial background plot about missing kids and a severed arm. This slowly becomes more prevalent as the game goes on, incorporating a sinister cult with a possible Lovecraftian god behind everything. Throughout the game, Mae also has strange and vivid dreams that connect to the cult in some manner as well. I didn't really connect to the cult stuff as much as Mae and the gang's personal drama, but it does intertwine with Mae's more flawed and serious issues, and these issues cause her friends to question if the cult is real or not. Mae's history and the reason she left college is just more scary to me than any of fantastical ritual sacrifice plot, but the effort is appreciated all the same.

I've definitely grown more positive to Night in the Woods since I had initially played it. It's easier to appreciate in retrospect and remember all the funny, dark, and depressing memorable moments rather than actually having to go through it when you play. It's one of those games I think pushes boundaries in video game storytelling, and it's just amazing a game like it exists. One of a kind, I highly recommend you check it out for yourself and take in all Possum Springs has to offer.
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Snake5555555555
10/30/19 1:38:34 PM
#207:


43. Happy Death Day (17.5 points)
Nominated by: Anagram (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTaDm3atkc" data-time="


Importance: 5.5
Fear: 4
Snake: 8

I love time-loop movies, and I love slasher movies, so Happy Death Day was always going to be a recipe for success. While this isn't the first employment of the concept, being experimented with in films like 2009's Triangle or, more closer in spirit to HDD, 2005's Camp Slaughter, Happy Death Day is by far the most successful and well-known use of this story type. The film stars Jessica Rothe as Tree Gelbman, a college party girl who starts off as a haughty, selfish, and apathetic asshole to almost anyone she meets. Her character sticks extremely close to the Bill Murray Groundhog Day model, but Rothe plays it so well I don't even mind. She's an extremely funny, physical, and expressional actress, and I constantly enjoy not only her increasingly exhausted reactions to each and every loop, but her growth and maturity as a character. Slasher movies typically have to waste time building up characters that you don't really care about just to get killed, but Happy Death Day has the benefit of Tree being almost the only character and victim the movie is concerned with. We are with her every step of the way, and her getting killed never stops her constant growth, in fact it only helps us connect with her even more. This is pretty impressive work from a goofy slasher film. On the other hand, the baby-faced killer tries to be iconic, but really only gets half-way there and is far from a house-hold name yet. The film isn't particularly scary but some of the loop endings are still tense and thrilling and will satisfy for the most part. Happy Death Day ultimately isn't concerned with breaking the mold, but using that mold to craft a film that's just a whole load of fun, offers up creative situations, and has one of the best horror protagonists of the decade.
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Xiahou Shake
10/30/19 1:42:42 PM
#208:


Jessica Rothe was so great in HDD that it baffles me she hasn't really had a big breakout yet. The movie was a bunch of fun and she's carrying most of it for the entire film.
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Snake5555555555
10/30/19 1:47:12 PM
#209:


For sure! And I think she might've even been better in HDD2, even though I liked that movie as a whole less.
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Anagram
10/30/19 1:48:58 PM
#210:


I considered HDD2, but its barely even a horror movie anymore.
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Snake5555555555
10/30/19 1:51:12 PM
#211:


Yeah it was pretty much just a sci-fi comedy. It is a pretty funny movie though I must say, mostly because of Rothe.
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trdl23
10/30/19 1:52:35 PM
#212:


I am astonished that one particular nom I made is still in the running.

And now it will drop next because jinx
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Gatarix
10/30/19 2:48:20 PM
#213:


Snake5555555555 posted...
I didn't really connect to the cult stuff as much as Mae and the gang's personal drama, but it does intertwine with Mae's more flawed and serious issues, and these issues cause her friends to question if the cult is real or not. Mae's history and the reason she left college is just more scary to me than any of fantastical ritual sacrifice plot, but the effort is appreciated all the same.

I loved NitW but probably wouldn't rank it high on a horror list for this reason. I thought Mae's personal issues and friendships were a lot more compelling than the horror aspect.
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Johnbobb
10/30/19 5:49:52 PM
#214:


Happy Death Day was a great, pleasant surprise and a blast to watch'

Happy Death Day 2 was ok I guess
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jcgamer107
10/30/19 6:29:21 PM
#215:


I guess I'd better watch the first one if it's that much better than the sequel, which I thought was decent

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MetalmindStats
10/30/19 11:19:00 PM
#216:


Gatarix posted...
I thought Mae's personal issues and friendships were a lot more compelling than the horror aspect.

I agree with this, but I would argue that's the point. The horror is of course very much present, and even comprises the largest-scale plot thread. In my opinion, though, it represents incidental events that happen to occur in Mae's life rather than being what NITW is truly about.

Snake5555555555 posted...
I really hate saying this, because the game's inherent mundanity and daily routine is by design.

I'm glad you acknowledged this. For what it's worth, I personally found it enjoyable to simply walk and jump around as Mae every day, and the element of exploring and discovering new places and situations in Possum Springs also helped to ensure its drudgery wasn't simply unfun for me.

Still, though, I think just about any good-faith opinion about NITW is valid, even if I personally disagree with some of them. It's (of course) a very unique game, and different people have different experiences and take away different things from it. It just so happened to have an unprecedented impact on me in particular.
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NFUN
10/30/19 11:20:08 PM
#217:


@Bane_Of_Despair
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Anagram
10/31/19 12:24:00 AM
#218:


Snake, could you post the list of previously nominated stuff?
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Snake5555555555
10/31/19 12:35:42 AM
#220:


Oh wait that was the wrong one.

https://pastebin.com/avELRKET
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Anagram
10/31/19 9:03:37 AM
#221:


Thanks.
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Snake5555555555
10/31/19 12:23:57 PM
#222:


Happy Halloween everyone!

42. The Opening of Midsommar (17.5 points)
Nominated by: jcgamer107 (1/5 remaining)
You should just watch the film!

Importance: 1.5
Fear: 7
Snake: 9

This isn't just one of the best horror openings of all time, I think it's one of the best movie openings ever in general. Midsommar opens up on a tapestry, lingering for about 10 seconds on an image that will not really make much sense on first-time viewings, but is off-putting enough to get you into the right mindset for this film. It also technically spoils the entire film on the first frame. If that's not a bold statement I don't know what is. The tapestry opens up to reveal a gorgeous shot of a frigid landscape with snow-glazed trees, cycling through a bunch of equally breathtaking locations, as they take on a sort of still-life quality that makes you feel at peace despite the freezing temperatures. This tranquility is broken by the sound of a phone ringing, and the way these shots are sequenced makes it feel like we emerged from the forest back to the harsh reality of modern life, appropriate since the tradition of midsummer celebrates the magic and reverence of nature. I also love these transitions because we go from the giant, overbearing forest right down to the small coziness of our homes' living room. We get introduced to our main character, Dani Ardor, on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to not being able to contact her bipolar sister. She leaves messages on the phone and the computer, then calls her boyfriend Christian, having pizza with his friends. I like these scenes in particular because it sets up a sort of alternate film and falsely prepares you for your typical vacation-gone-wrong horror film, Christian's frat boy friends spouting out dialogue like "You could be getting that girl pregnant" and "Don't forget all the Swedish women you can impregnate in June" (but, god damn is this line suuuuuper creepy once you realize what it refers to). It lulls you into a false sense of security just enough to let Dani's final phone call to Christian really break the whole vibe of this scene hard. It turns out, Dani's sister committed a murder-suicide on her parents, letting the cars' exhaust fumes overtake the house we saw earlier. Dani becomes practically catatonic, and is what may be an Ari Aster staple, lets her absolutely gut-wrenching, wailing cries carry on for an uncomfortably long time as the title card flashes.

Everything about this opening is basically perfect. In just this short 10-minute span, Ari Aster crafts a visual masterpiece that is worthy of being a short film all on its own. The efficient way it establishes characters, tone, foreshadowing without you even realizing it, calling back to events and re-contextualizing moments that happened mere minutes ago is the type of work only a true master can pull off just right. The framing of shots makes certain scenes feel like paintings, each capturing different shades of human emotion. I've almost never had an opening grab me this much, and I had not seen this film yet when I watched this opening, since I was waiting to watch it with my mom and brother. I was so tempted then and there to watch the whole rest of the film just based on how effective this opening was. This is absolutely the way you introduce your horror movie. Chilling, atmospheric, and emotionally-draining, and the rest of the film only gets better from here.
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jcgamer107
11/01/19 5:29:43 PM
#223:


Well I'm glad I didn't nominate the soundtrack or the ending, then, if you were waiting to watch it!

Excellent, excellent analysis. When the opening credits hit in the theater, as the music surged in intensity, my jaw was just on the floor. The long, drawn out camera movement through the crime scene is incredible and haunting. If nothing else, Ari Aster is a visual genius. Also, in retrospect it's really interesting, the polar opposite extremes of Dani's parents dying peacefully, in the dark of winter, and Dani being expected to hold in her grief, versus cult members/visitors dying in spectacular fashion, in the daylight, with cult members worked up into a frenzy they're releasing so much emotion. Maybe recency bias but imo it might be the best movie of the decade. It's an insane ride.

I get why the importance is low, since it didn't have a wide audience and hasn't had time to influence other works, but I think Ari Aster is really important right now in helping the horror genre stay fresh and interesting.

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Snake5555555555
11/01/19 6:53:05 PM
#224:


That thing about the extremes is a very nice catch!

I would probably give the entire film itself a couple more points in the importance department. I also agree with the Ari Aster remark!

I'd have to hash it out, but Midsommar could very well be in my top 10 of the decade. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead pretty much have my favorite films on lockdown though haha.
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Snake5555555555
11/01/19 8:11:51 PM
#225:


41. An Ancient Evil Awakens (18 points)
Nominated by: Anagram (2/5 remaining)
https://imgur.com/a/DrciOy7

Importance: 9
Fear: 5
Snake: 4

This is a pretty common trope in all forms of media. Like with all tropes, your variables for success will depend on how well you employ it, and when it comes to ancient evils, things can get pretty cliche fast. Now, I couldn't quite discern what the first use of this was, but one early work I think of, at least in the realm of horror, is The Mummy, or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century, which sees an ancient mummy resurrected in the far future of 2126. Mummies may not be what we typically think of as "ancient evil", but it fits the bill perfectly and are more tangible threat than the amorphous beings that almost exist beyond our imaginations. (It also has the bonus of being the first Mummy story in English literature).

That's why what comes to my mind first are the Cthulhu Mythos, Cthulhu himself being one such example. Cthulhu is initially mentioned through pictures and texts, but built up as this ultimate entity of death and despair, and a cult attempts to summon him. Instead, its the mistakes of a group of sailors that ultimately leads to Cthulhu's release. I like this example a lot because it really points out the flaws of humanity and the pay-off near the end rather than the beginning leaves us a lot to chew on and imagine. One early example in film, and again mummy-related, is Universal classic The Mummy, which features the ancient Egyptian high priest known as Imhotep, buried alive and brought back to life due to the curse of opening his casket. King Ghidorah, of Godzilla fame, is also a great example in my book. In the original Ghidorah film, Ghidorah was an extraterrestrial from Venus, and arrived in a meteor shower taking place on Earth after being sealed away for quite some time. In this year's King of the Monsters, Ghidorah is also an ancient alien, encased in ice at Antarctica again being woken up by human intervention. Ancient evils can fit into any genre with aplomb, but it's not all fine and dandy.

Some examples can pretty derivative. The Djinn in Wishmaster gets awoken due to people messing around with his jewel, not much inherently different from the Mummy curse. Bughuul may seem unique with the focus on watching his movies, but it's just another case of messing with things you shouldn't be, and besides, have you never seen The Ring? But, speaking of, entities like Samara/Sadako may seem like ancient evils but those typically deal with curses with their own certain rule sets and are more often than not recent history rather than ancient. Cabin in the Woods excellently parodied ancient evils, pretty much showing them as the reason behind every horror film ever. It's an extreme example showing them as constantly poised to destroy the world on a whim, and really shows the futility of going up against one.

And that's really why I don't get behind this trope much. They're usually not very concrete and really too hopeless for my tastes. Seeing one of these especially in a horror story just bores me more often than not. Even the seemingly most-invincible killers like Jason and Freddy can be defeated with enough human ingenuity and spirit. Like I said though, some do it well, Cthulhu Mythos examples work especially because the monsters are basically allegories for the darkest parts of ourselves. But if I see another movie where the evil is just this big thing that rumbles under the Earth and bursts above to cause generic destruction, I will pass.
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Snake5555555555
11/02/19 1:48:11 PM
#226:


40. It Chapter Two (18 points)
Nominated by: Raka_Putra (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKL1ImsN-DU

Importance: 4
Fear: 5.5
Snake: 8.5

"Hello."

What happened to It: Chapter Two? The first film was such a roaring success, I expected It 2 to either match it or even surpass it pretty handily. I guess the reviews had a pretty negative impact on the box office for this film, along with an admittedly bloated run-time. I mean, it was still a success and was a movie I saw everywhere around release time, but I think that can be attributed to the first chapter I feel having a real lasting impact that's still hanging around now.

I myself really enjoyed It Chapter Two a lot. It's strangely bold, ambitious, and a hot mess of a blockbuster horror movie that I feel hardly ever comes out anymore. Bill Skarsgard is incredible as Pennywise, even surpassing his chapter one performance, a powerhouse of a role that's as hilarious as it is sinister, with tons of physicality and even some depth to what is is essentially a giant space bug. Everyone in the adult cast is just as fantastic. Not only do they look just like their child counterparts, they manage to add interesting layers on top of their already established personalities, not merely being one-note grown up versions of their kid selves. I think Bill Hader in particular does excellent work as Richie, adding a subtle touch of sexual identity to the role, and being a anxiety-ridden comedian, clashes particular well with Pennywise. The characters are so wonderful and like the first chapter, it's what makes It particularly worth watching.

Now, is the middle just an excuse to become a funhouse of scares? Yes, of course it is. But this is honestly what I love about the movie too. I love seeing each individual character's interactions with Pennywise, and what scares them the most. These scenes also satisfy two crowds in my opinion. There's that typical Blumhouse jump scare excess for that horror crowd, but there's also some depth behind that naked dancing grandma too. It preys on Beverly's ugly parental and sexual upbringing, Bill encounters another kid brutally reminding him of Georgie, and Eddie has trouble escaping the shadow of his mother and hypochondriac issues. As It Chapter Two is all about the characters, these scenes are fantastic and kept me absolutely glued to the screen throughout, making the long run-time seem like a breeze.

Chapter Two has its problems for sure. There are occasional tonal and story inconsistencies that are jarring, like a quick "Angel of the Morning" cut during Eddie's sequence that felt like it crawled out of the ass of Deadpool. The flashbacks to kid times didn't do it for me either. We already saw It Chapter One, and I think if these scenes were that important they would have already been included there. Once again, this adaptation completely fumbles Henry Bowers and his importance in the novel, just being a distracting footnote to create the illusion of tension outside of Pennywise.

All of this though is what makes It Chapter Two such an intriguing mess. Whether enthralled by the drooling Pennywise, rolling your eyes at It's giant CGI spider form, or feeling super confused at the Native American montage, one thing everyone can agree on is that It Chapter Two proves the original novel might just be too inapproachable to adapt fully & faithfully. But hey, the film sure makes one hell of an attempt at it, and where it succeeds, it does it masterfully. If you're up for three hours of clown tomfoolery, there's honestly few places you're gonna find it done as fun as It Chapter Two does it.
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Snake5555555555
11/02/19 1:49:14 PM
#227:


(Bonus game: How many double meanings can you make out of all the "its" in the write-up?)
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Anagram
11/02/19 1:56:30 PM
#228:


It Ch2 needed more wacky stuff. Your monster is a clown, play up the silliness. The best part of It Ch1 was when he dances for no reason while the camera acts weird. Honestly, just cut all of the kid stuff, too.
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Snake5555555555
11/02/19 2:14:00 PM
#229:


It just needs to be an 8-hour long movie, no chap 1/2 BS just one long thing!
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jcgamer107
11/02/19 2:17:07 PM
#230:


I thought It 2 was possibly too wacky in terms of the CG monsters - they were a little too cartoonish for me usually. I get what you mean about Pennywise needing to be more "fun" though, It 1 did that waaayy better. They also almost approached the 2nd one like the 1st one never existed. We already got a whole movie with the kids - do we need to flashback to them 20 times? The RedLetterMedia review was pretty on point I thought - it was OK but kind of a mess. It 1 was much better.

EDIT - oh I'm basically echoing the write-up lol

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Snake5555555555
11/02/19 8:41:42 PM
#231:


39. Treehouse of Horror IV (Simpsons Episode) (18 points)
Nominated by: Paulg235 (2/4 remaining)
https://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/275206211805

Importance: 5
Fear: 3.5
Snake: 9.5

I think this is one of my favorites of the classic Treehouse of Horror canon, and contains some of the most iconic moments of the legendary horror anthology series. Who can forget such great parts such as Ned Flanders' Devil, with the obvious irony literally killing you if not for the fact that you're laughing too hard to notice! Homer is so great in this short as well, scarfing his soul doughnut in front of DevilFlanders before he even has a chance to finish talking out his deal. The best part is easily him saving the crumb, thinking he's outsmarting the devil, only to eat later that night, with one of my favorite quotes of the show, "Mmmm, forbidden doughnut." It's just so great! I also love Homer in hell being force-fed all the doughnuts but it just completely backfires. You just never know what you're gonna get in any particular scene, and that really keeps the pace and laughs flowing so well.

"Terror at 5 1/2 Feet" is a Twilight Zone parody, a common source of inspiration for the show. While this isn't my favorite of Treehouse 4, but it's probably the most focused on horror. Bart actually feels like he's in intense danger in this short, and he's even sent away to an insane asylum at the end. The gremlin attacking the bus even gives you one last shocker before you go!

The final short is a vampiric mix of Bram Stoker's Dracula (the film) and The Lost Boys. There's healthy doses of both horror and comedy here, and Mr. Burns as Gary Oldman's Dracula is such a wonderful portrayal and just makes too much sense not to do. I love the gags such as the slides in Burns' castle, and the destruction of valuable paintings and artifacts because of attacks believed to be carried out by a mummy (despite the obvious signs of vampirism).

Once again, this Treehouse of Horror works so well because it has so much affection for the stories it parodies and doesn't just stick to one particular mold or substitutes references as jokes. The Simpsons gag-a-minute model works so well for Treehouse and there's no way you'll catch every reference on a first watch-through. Treehouse of Horror IV is commonly listed as one of the best in the series, and if you watch even one of these segments, you will easily see why.
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jcgamer107
11/02/19 9:25:57 PM
#232:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbaCrhV35xM

I caught it for the first time in years when FXX was marathoning all the Treehouse of Horrors in a row a couple weeks ago, and that joke made me laugh pretty hard. Older Simpsons really pulled off the "forget their name" gag expertly. It's definitely one of the best ToH's, I think the only one I like more is the next year's installment (The Shinning, Time-Travelling Toaster, Cannibal Cafeteria). All 3 segments in that one are like, 10/10.

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Snake5555555555
11/02/19 11:42:20 PM
#233:


Yeah Treehouse V is definitely the best, and the one even non-Simpsons watchers people would commonly know.
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Snake5555555555
11/03/19 11:32:48 AM
#234:


38. Tetsuo the Iron Man (18.5 points)
Nominated by: OracleGunner (1/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uROMTzJsfOI

Importance: 4.5
Fear: 7
Snake: 7

Tetsuo is a seminal example of surrealism in horror. It's a wild, noisy, disgusting, and unrelenting adrenaline jolt to the senses that you will not be prepared for no matter what you know about this film beforehand. Characters don't even have names. The main character is simply referred to as a salaryman. In the film, the salaryman accidentally runs over a "metal fetishist" (only referred to as "guy" in the original Japanese version) and becomes plagued by a curse that starts transforming his body into nothing more than a hulking mass of metal. The transformation is marked by sexually charged scenes, if you couldn't tell by the super-subtle power drill that ends up as the replacement for the salaryman's penis. The film is also an industrial and technological nightmare, a common theme in Japanese cinema. You can easily imagine yourself in the place of the salaryman, metaphorically strangled by the wires of our computers and television. This transformation is never empowering either. It's constantly shown as agonizing both physically and emotionally, as the salaryman loses his original self completely. Tetsuo uses a sort of stop-motion animation technique to show its action, leading to a film that can be very disorienting and dizzying to the senses, and it can make so you're never quite sure what you're looking at, boosting the body horror considerably.

Tetsuo helped boots the Japanese indie scene upon release, and is a huge cult hit with two sequels. All copies are currently out-of-print unfortunately, but it's not too hard to track this film down online. This film was described like this on one of its posters: "Suppose the Davids Lynch and Cronenberg in their early 70s Avant-Garde Days collaborated on an early Draft of the Terminator 2 and decided to shoot it in Japan; home of Godzilla, Manga comic strips and Post-Nuclear Mutation." If that interests you in the slightest, you must give this brisk, 67-minute film a watch!
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I try in vain to slumber, my reveries gripped by violent terror. My only salvation, the shock of awakening. Something is very, very wrong here.
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OracleGunner
11/03/19 12:34:30 PM
#235:


Body horror is an art. Slow decay, fast decay, adding or subtracting pieces, making things look wrong in an uncomfortable way. Not just disgusting or repulsive but an innate wrongness. Tetsuo is a good example of that for me.
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Snake5555555555
11/03/19 4:10:45 PM
#236:


37. Salad Fingers (18.5 points)
Nominated by: GavsEvans123 (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3iOROuTuMA

Importance: 6.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 7

Boy, does this series go back a ways! Created by David Firth & Christian Webb, I still remember one of my best friends in 8th grade showing me the first ever episode of this legendary and influential web animated series in 2008, 4 years after it had initially debuted. We just thought the crude animation and the voice of the titular character was hilarious, and at the time, I didn't pay any mind to its deeper horror roots or psychological tension. Now, over 10 years on, I can appreciate this series in a whole new light. I now see the various psychoses Salad Fingers suffers from, ranging from OCD to dissociative identity disorder. Strictly speaking, there is very little continuity in Salad Fingers but what is consistent is Salad Fingers' near constant state of loneliness in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. He has finger puppets as companions though and each episode usually involves a meeting with one other character, which typically serve as exploratory pieces for Salad Fingers' deteriorating mental state. I think the scariest episode is number 5, entitled Picnic, which sees Mr. Fingers hosting a picnic and imagining a little girl arriving to attend it, or so it seems. The girl speaks to him, which is a big deal since all characters in the series either talk to him in screeches or he himself makes the voices up, and it ends up driving Salad Fingers mad. I think this shows just how desperate for human contact Salad Fingers is that he doesn't even know how to respond to it. Every episode of Salad Fingers has some short but scarily effective concept like this, with every episode just totaling to about an hour, it begs for a straight watch-through.

I think Salad Fingers' virality, surrealist animation, completely indie production, and dark content behind an innocent facade paved the way for all sorts of modern, internet-based horror content, like Charlie the Unicorn, Annoying Orange, Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared, creepypastas, Five Nights at Freddy's, I even sense a little of Rick & Morty here. It has certainly stuck with me over the years, mainly for that great first episode, a funny diversion that's actually a deep nightmare if you look into it enough.
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Snake5555555555
11/03/19 4:45:46 PM
#237:


Oh that's cool, I didn't see this until now, Jester chapter 3 was uploaded a couple of days ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnw0DD45jGY
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jcgamer107
11/03/19 9:12:50 PM
#238:


Tetsuo is one of those rare movies for me where I'm too grossed out by the premise of it. I tried just watching the opening scene and couldn't even make it a minute.

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Johnbobb
11/03/19 11:38:57 PM
#239:


ugh I'm so behind on this topic; got a lot of catching up to do
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Snake5555555555
11/04/19 2:16:58 PM
#240:


36. The dread of the impending loss of a loved one in a bad state (19 points)
Nominated by: Pirateking2000 (1/5 remaining)

Importance: 10
Fear: 8
Snake: 1

I haven't talked about this at all on here, but for the past couple of years, my grandma had been very sick. She was effectively in a coma for about a year from 2015-2016, on life support while battling a particularly bad case of pneumonia. It seemed like she would never wake up, but by a miracle she eventually overcame it and was okay for a while, but further complications and gangrene made her lose her left foot, then her whole leg shortly after. Still, she persevered and things seemed alright again, for a year she was mostly pretty healthy and was even able to leave her nursing home sometimes. However, this past year, things got extremely bad. Her pneumonia popped up again and again with frightening recurrence, and just when it seemed like it would be alright, she was headed right back to the hospital again only a few days later. During this time, she had also lost her other leg. Around the end of August we were pretty much told she only had a couple of months left, if lucky. I couldn't believe the end was so near, and that any day could be the last, and I started wondering constantly when it would happen and particularly how my mom would react to losing her mother, with them being so close. It was just so hard to take my mind off of it. No one this close to me had ever been in this type of situation before. My grandma actually died a day before October 1st, coming swiftly and quietly at about 5:30 in the morning. There was certainly a weird mood in the air that day and that whole week until the funeral, but I no longer had that dread. Death is a very strange thing like that. I don't want this to sound heartless, but there's a sort of relief that comes with death too and I realized that fully for the first time in my life.

So yeah, this was a weird and anxious time in my life that already seems like a blur even though it was only a short while ago. Obviously, horror deals with death quite often, and there are several films that tackle this dread too. It Follows personifies this feeling, portraying it as the invisible, yet stalking, lingering emotion it can often feel like it, visible and understandable only to the one going through it currently. The Ring's videotape curse puts a looming expiration date on our lives, asking us to confront it head on and question what we would do if we knew when we were going to die. Final Destination is a franchise built around this very dread, the premonitions of death giving us the knowledge we need to stop it, but ultimately discovering no one can cheat death for long. I've always the held the belief that horror is one of the best ways of confronting these negative emotions, and that these films helped me at least in some way prepare for this inevitably that plagues us all. Still, it's not a feeling I hope to replicate any time soon.
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OracleGunner
11/04/19 3:29:29 PM
#241:


Sorry for your loss. It's not a feeling I'm keen on having to go through ever again.
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Snake5555555555
11/04/19 3:39:12 PM
#242:


Appreciate it.
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scarletspeed7
11/04/19 4:06:44 PM
#243:


Man, Snake, I'm so sorry to hear that you went through that.
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Snake5555555555
11/04/19 4:13:21 PM
#244:


Thanks scarlet.
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MetalmindStats
11/04/19 6:14:01 PM
#245:


My condolences about your loss and the whole situation surrounding your grandma.
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"I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people who do."
You won the CBX Guru Contest, Advokaiser! Bully for you!
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jcgamer107
11/04/19 7:54:06 PM
#246:


That's really hard Snake, I'm sorry. I had the exact opposite experience with my grandpa on my mom's side - he died pretty suddenly September 2015. Losing someone close to you is terrible no matter how it happens, but to see your grandma fighting through so many medical complications for so long, I can hardly imagine how difficult that would be.

I'm fortunate to still have my other 3 grandparents, but the dread of them passing is definitely there. Hell, I'm pretty petrified of death in general. It's no easy thing to come to terms with.

I can't help but call back to Midsommar again, which really flips the Western perspective of death completely and turns it into this spectacular, morbidly beautiful thing. In a sense it is about coming to terms with death/grief.

Snake5555555555 posted...
I've always the held the belief that horror is one of the best ways of confronting these negative emotions
absolutely

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Snake5555555555
11/04/19 8:08:34 PM
#247:


Thanks guys. I still have one grandma, she's 90 but lives like she's 40, which always just amazes me!

I'm equally glad to hear you still have 3 of your grandparents, jc!
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Snake5555555555
11/04/19 9:39:27 PM
#248:


35. Dutch Angles (19 points)
Nominated by: Anagram (1/5 remaining)
https://vimeo.com/205244503

Importance: 9
Fear: 5
Snake: 5

The dutch angle is a type of camera shot that is angled rather than straight, crafting a sense of confusion, or making you question something in the scene as if you yourself were to tilt your head to the side. You can very obviously how this could be used effectively in a horror scene. The dutch angle actually had its start in horror films, with the 1920 German expressionist piece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The shot is used in Caligari to accompany the surrealist visuals of near every scene, warping the viewers sense of reality and making them question what they are witnessing. You can get a lot of mileage out of this particular shot, but an amateur filmmaker can easily overuse it. Any fans of RLM here should know of the film Skull Forest, which uses an almost obnoxious amount of dutch angles for no discernable or theme-based reasoning. But, use it in a film like Gremlins and you can easily convey the chaos and entropy the evil Gremlins bring to the town of Kingston Falls. Or you can use it as seen in the first Twilight Zone episode, "Where is Everybody?", emphasizing a sense of panic and relfecting the mental state of the main character as he quickly goes mad from loneliness. Dutch angles also work amazingly in fixed-camera survival horror games. They can make it feel like you're being watched, or could disorient you enough to accidentally run into the hungry arms of the undead. Silent Hill 2 uses a dutch angle in its opening scene, reflecting not only the town's ever-changing nature but James' crooked mental state. I enjoy dutch angles when used sparingly, since they're made for a very specific purpose. Other times, it can be nauseating for all the wrong reasons.
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jcgamer107
11/04/19 10:05:28 PM
#249:


That was a cool montage, but I think that type of shot feels too gimmicky a lot of the time, especially in horror films. There are definitely some good, more subtle uses of it in non-horror films, though (Tarantino, Citizen Kane). Seeing 1960s Batman in that video made me smile because of how obviously they rely on dutch angles during scenes in the villains' lair.

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Snake5555555555
11/05/19 11:17:54 AM
#250:


34. The big twist of From Dusk till Dawn (19 points)
Nominated by: MetalmindStats (2/5 remaining)
Watch the movie!

Importance: 5
Fear: 5
Snake: 9

If you have no idea what the "big twist" of From Dusk till Dawn is, consider yourself lucky! I think it's almost the best genre shift ever, second only to Kill List. For those in the know: A crime thriller film becomes a campy vampire fest in the final act. The twist works surprisingly well because it's easy to expect the sort of crime/action film both Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are both known for (though unfortunately, the official trailer does spoil it). One important factor is that it also does both parts of the film extremely well, like you would expect anything less from these two masters. It's just incredible how these two disparate halves meld so well and create a one-of-a-kind experience. Both director and writer wear their love of horror on their sleeves, and create such an over-the-top, roller coaster ride of an ending that the prior hour of the film feels like a distant dream. When I first watched this years ago, I'm pretty sure I knew the twist going into it, but I had no idea when it would come so it still caught me off guard when it started happening and was blown away! If you haven't had the pleasure of watching this film yet, I suggest you do so ASAP!
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I try in vain to slumber, my reveries gripped by violent terror. My only salvation, the shock of awakening. Something is very, very wrong here.
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BetrayedTangy
11/05/19 2:06:39 PM
#251:


The first time I saw From Dusk Til Dawn I was like 12 or 13 and was browsing channels. It came up on one of the movie channels, I read the description and turned to my Dad and was like that sounds ridiculous. He laughed and said that's a great movie let's watch it. It's been one of my favorite movies ever since.
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jcgamer107
11/05/19 3:18:46 PM
#252:


BetrayedTangy posted...
The first time I saw From Dusk Til Dawn I was like 12 or 13 and was browsing channels. It came up on one of the movie channels
I had a similar experience - saw just the 3rd act on TV, probably in high school, and thought the whole movie was like that. So I kind of got the reverse experience when I finally watched it straight through much later - made the film much more interesting. It really is like 2 different movies.

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