Board 8 > THE Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related (Vol. 5) *5th Anniversary* *RANKINGS*

(+) Yeah! (+)

124. Ghosthunter (PS2 game) (9.5 points)
Nominated by: GavsEvans123 (4/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X0NTb920Ls

Importance: 1
Fear: 2.5
Snake: 6

Remembered by few, played by even fewer, Ghosthunter may not have set the survival horror world on fire, but I think it's a neat little gem that's rough around the edges. From its onset, Ghosthunter's Gothic ambience quickly devolves into B-movie narm, cluing you in to just what type of game this is going to be: which is to say not very serious or full of itself. I mean, the opening minutes features someone dual-wielding sub machine guns against some sort of reject from the Castlevania series. The Nintendo 64 Castlevania games. From there, we are introduced to our main protagonist, a turbo dork named Lazarus Jones (nice on the nose name there), but honestly, I actually like the voice acting & characters in this game. It's surprisingly decent for what it is, and I like the chemistry Lazarus has with his partner Anna Steele, and later, his astral companion, well, named Astral (yeah, naming is not this game's strong suit). The story is a classic ghost hunting story with tons of paranormal lore, and the game has a dark sense of humor that actually feels Medievil like to me (it even has a character named Fortesque).

To touch on the gameplay here, released (at least in the EU) about a year before Resident Evil 4 changed third-person shooters forever, Ghosthunter controls like butter, and incorporates stealth movements like crouch-walking & wall-hugging with arcade-style strafing and shooting. It incorporates a ghost-capturing grenade, making the game a generally fast-paced, tension-fueled experience that is much more than just mindless trigger holding. Enemy designs can be creepy but could've used more detail to give combat that much more of a spookier edge. You can also control Astra at certain points, adding another dimension to the gameplay with potential for dealing with enemies in different ways other than pure firepower. There's a lot to do here, and it's all packaged in a game that is really graphically advanced for the time, beyond some bland environments.

Ghosthunter is not really scary, it's pretty much just an action-fueled B-horror movie, but if you've exhausted the mainstays of the PS2 horror library, I would definitely recommend it. It can get repetitive at points, but the game's lively personality and fluid gameplay I think gives it a unique reason to give this disc a spin. Think of it like a Luigi's Mansion with gun variety.

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Ghosthunter is pretty much the quintessential video game version of a b-movie, yeah. *Absolutely* worth playing if you have a decent way to do so, although for the life of me I don't remember any of it off the top of my head. Remember that Rob Paulsen's Lazarus' voice actor, but that's about it. The pricing on a physical copy... varies a bit though. @___@


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judging by the opening of that game it is about Will Smith in the Matrix fighting King Bulblin from twilight princess

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123. Hollows Eve (9.5 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul (4/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ9wY5yBS34

Importance: 1
Fear: 1.5
Snake: 7

I remembered this video from one of the first times I ever did a "post anything and I'll rate it" topic, as far as I'm concerned, this video is a classic now. It's a masterful piece of anti-humor, with jokes so stiff and awkward they become seriously laugh-out-funny. And hell, though I mean that with the utmost respect, there is actually some good comedic timing to be found here, like Dax telling the ghost story leading to him standing with shorts that look clearly peed in, despite his claims otherwise. You just got to love it! The hits keep coming too, the budget Halloween costume is a sure highlight & so is whatever is going on at the end with a ghost possession and hooded figure popping out of nowhere! I don't know, I'm sure some people would find this annoying, but I get a kick out if it every time. It's hard to tell if it's scripted or if he's making up it up as he goes, either way, it's a damn fine cup of comedy horror to me.

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This was too clunky to fit in the write-up, but I also like how the title is Hollow's Eve as opposed to Hallow's Eve.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

I remembered this video from one of the first times I ever did a "post anything and I'll rate it" topic

I don't remember it, but that had to have been me that nominated it for that topic. As far as I know I'm the biggest (and possibly only) Daxflame fan here.

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Yeah I'm 100% sure it was. You used nominate a bunch of his videos and that just happened to be one of 'em.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

the game has a dark sense of humor that actually feels Medievil like to me (it even has a character named Fortesque).

You may already be aware of this, but in case you're not, both games are from the same developer, and are also part of a shared universe. Ghosthunter Fortesque is a distant descendant of Sir Daniel Fortesque (I don't remember if it's specifically mentioned in the full game, but it is in the demo, which includes concept art of both Fortesques and confirms their relationship).

I knew they were the same developer but I didn't know it was an actual shared universe! Thought it was just a fun reference really. Very awesome! I never played the demo of Ghosthunter however.

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122. Pagui (Taiwanese Horror) (10.5 points)
Nominated by: ihatethiscpu (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1FyWV_qKfw

Importance: 1
Fear: 5
Snake: 4.5

Yet another example of horror in another culture, one I'm slightly more familiar with thanks to the likes of games like Detention & Devotion, but one that could definitely use even more exposure than it already has. I'll give it to the game: when it wants to, it certainly builds up an effectively creepy atmosphere with its haunted town setting and various granny jump scares that work as well as they do thanks to surreal lighting & a dream-like texture to their events. Playing from a child's perspective, you even imagine that not everything you see is what's actually happening, adding another layer to the horror. These are all fine qualities to the game, but where the game really drags is in its pacing and general gameplay. Dialog sections are appreciated for being fully-voiced, but the way they are presented are such a drag, it's like being spoken to by a droney professor. Of course, this game also has stealth sections, which are too easy to be challenging or scary, and too slow to offer any sense of dread or tension. Now, you do get a sword to combat spirits directly too, but this is very unsatisfying & not very complex, but it does make an attempt with spell & magic attacks. You can definitely make a game hard to control to enhance the horror, but I do not think that was the goal or intention here.

This is ultimately a game I wanted to like, even love, more than I do. I feel the passion here, I do, but the execution is just too flawed to look past. The idea of the story (based on real life events) seems interesting but the dialogue is botched; combat could be engaging, but it's floaty and momentumless; even the character & designs just don't really pop out for me. It kills me because the game still actually finds the time to prepare & set-up its scares, and sudden jolts of horror are effective, but it's not few and far between for me to recommend to anyone but the most completionist of survival horror fans.

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Really enjoying these write ups so far!

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Appreciate it!

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Wow were already at moms with 10 points, you must've really enjoyed the nominations this year!

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BetrayedTangy posted...

Wow were already at moms with 10 points, you must've really enjoyed the nominations this year!

i gave ur mom 10 points

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Well don't forget just because something ranked high doesn't mean I necessarily liked the nomination. And 15 points i still just an average score. But there's plenty of stuff I'm excited to get to, we haven't even scratched the surface yet!

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121. Bekkouame Chinese Horror(10.5 points)
Nominated by: ihatethiscpu (2/5 remaining)
FREE TO PLAY: https://store.steampowered.com/app/809250/BEKKOUAME/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUr2zTOQuC4


Importance: 1.5
Fear: 4
Snake: 5

Unfortunately, I wish I could've gave this one a better shot. As it stands, as someone who can't read Chinese or Japanese, this game is pretty impossible to play for me. It's a shame too, since I love these type of games. Despite its simplistic appearance, Bekkouame seems like a game rich in atmosphere, story, and characters, as despite not understanding of it, its gorgeous artwork & attention to detail almost seems bar none for this type of RPG maker game. Character portraits are expressive and full of personality, as characters make wild expressions great exaggerating what they feel in any particular moment. It features a dripping color palette of bright reds & crisp whites, contrasting beautifully in a way that makes an engrossing horror atmosphere seemingly drip off the screen. Sprites are carefully crafted as well, meticulously representing various types folkloric creatures that are as grotesque as they are inviting. Spirited Away comes to mind: a world so haunting & perhaps even ugly but still manages to catch the eye in a way that's simply magnetic. In addition, a sparse but elegant Chinese-inspired soundtrack dances smooth across the visuals, adding even more wonder to the game's tapestry.

But, sadly, this is all second hand experience. I'd love to be able to engross myself in this world, but for now, the game remains at arm's reach in a world of videos & goofy YT let's plays. It feels so unfair to this game, but that's just the reality of it. Maybe one day, I will be able to change that...

Taking a Look Back
From Next Door
(https://spacezeta.itch.io/from-next-door)

While watching through Bekkouame, it seriously reminded me of a fellow RPG maker game, the Junji Ito inspired From Next Door. Ranked in volume 3, From Next Door remains one of my favorite discoveries in this entire project series. A haunting story about a young woman who has just moved into a house, next door to another house with no windows, besides the one that faces her bedroom. Similar to Bekkouame, its graphical style makes the game immensely frightening, with fantastic use of darkness and sparse graphical prowess rendering its monster wholly uncanny and unlike anything you may have ever seen. It has multiple endings and plenty of choices to make along the way, giving it tons of replay value. I tell you, it's been stuck in my head ever since I first booted it up. Thanks to ihatethiscpu for nominating this one back then too!

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120. People who say horror media doesnt scare them (11 points)
Nominated by: Gall (3/4 remaining)

Importance: 7
Fear: 1
Snake: 3

Horror media encompasses many different facets, mediums, themes, & tones, & absolutely runs the gamut of extremities. For someone to say "horror medium doesn't scare me", well I just don't think that's accurate for anyone. There will always be something out there that scares you, you just haven't found the right one; or maybe, you're just too scared to find the right one! I totally get not being scared of the big studio horror movies, meant to appeal to wide audiences and be as easily digestible as horror can be, but even just digging slightly deeper you can find some pretty mind-melding stuff. In my opinion, it's an easy way to get out of being challenged, to stay in your bubble and deny yourself something new, something exciting, something that will change the way you may even think! I guess these sorts of people are necessary though, challenging creators to push limits, to make that close-to-perfect horror product that could always convert even one new person. And that's a beautiful thing.

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110. Resident Evil Vendetta [Movie] (11 points)
Nominated by: Dark Silvergun (4/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs5g-l0Bcss

Importance: 2
Fear: 3
Snake: 6

In general, I rather enjoy the RE animated fare Capcom has offered over the years. Their canonicity certainly gives them an automatic edge over the live-action dregs, and they're an awesome way to bring back characters that have been MIA in the series for a while. This leads us to Vendetta's strong suit, the return of Rebecca, her first reappearance timeline wise since the Mansion Incident. Now working as a scientist leaving her law enforcement career in the past, Rebecca is just purely adorable in this film. The film does a great service in showing off Rebecca's sense of humor, smarts, and survival skills she's retained from way back when. Though she does become a damsel in distress later in the film, it was still awesome to see her back and her natural progression over the years.

Now, problems definitely arise with this film for sure. The film starts out with a pretty cool horror tone, set in a mansion much like the first game. Chris is there with his BSAA team, and the house is almost set up like it was designed by Jigsaw, there's lot of tension and tangible threats to be afraid of. However, this tone is dropped almost as quickly as it is set up, and from there on the film basically becomes a balls out action film, which honestly should make the live actiion films blush with envy. Leon is in this film too, and the stuff he does here is ridiculous. There's a decently well-known scene where Leon rides a motorcycle down a highway, blowing up civilian cars with no remorse or second-thoughts, against a pack of Cerberus. It's ridiculous and totally out of character in every aspect, and there's another scene like that, when a sniper pierces through like four or five skyscrapers totally bringing them to the ground. Like what the hell? They really should've thought film through more if you ask me. One action scene I did enjoy was the gun-fu scene with Leon & Chris, two characters that are actually rare to see team up in the series. This scene is fluid and fun as hell, and should be the right blend of horror & action this series should generally aim for. Beyond that, the main plot is a little forgettable and throwaway, featuring a man named Arias seeking revenge for the government literally blowing up his wedding reception, more needless innocent deaths by the supposed heroes.

Yeah, this movie is pretty stupid, but at the same time, if you don't take it seriously, you can have a good time just hanging out with this unique character combination, decent antagonist designs, and enjoyable action scenes (context of them excluded).

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118. Horrified (board game) (11 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhP2n9QQ8Hg

Importance: 3
Fear: 2
Snake: 6

Each year comes by, each year I realize again I'm just really not that into board games. I feel bad, because these board games nominated year are beautiful, in both aesthetics and in their gameplay, rich in detail & lore that immerses the player in a world the same way a video game or good film does. Seeing in actual action, it just does not compel to approach further. Instead, I will appreciate the artistry that goes into the board game instead. Horrified is a board game based upon the classic Universal Monsters, and these guys seriously look great anywhere in any setting, and Horrified is included in that. Though I find some of the miniatures to be a little cheesy in their coloring, they're still sculpted well, and the rest of the art direction from the immensely cool character mats to the Gothic-styled board more than make up for some coloring. In gameplay, you play as a hero villager fighting against the monsters, moving around the board as both monsters and heroes make their movies. There's a terror meter that rises throughout the game, and the game becomes a tense race against the clock as monsters and villagers face off throughout the board. There's obviously a lot more depth to it, but nothing I really need to explain further. It's a cool looking game, but board games... yeah, they just don't grab me like other pursuits do.

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https://youtu.be/gbcTtbXnOCo

I like near the beginning when they're just running in circles shooting at where the other person used to be lol

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117. Vanishing on 7th Street (Movie) (11.5 points)
Nominated by: Murphiroth (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5cgvEUWQ6w

Importance: 1.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 5

This movie is what pure middling horror is made of. The film is actually shot pretty well at points, Brad Anderson does carry over some of his immense talent in early works like Session 9 & The Machinist, with a keen directorial eye for shadow play & framing, but god damn the writing (& acting) is just awful. The idea of people just vanishing in the darkness seems like a good one, but it's handled like any other cookie-cutter dime-a-dozen post-apocalyptic fim out there. Hayden Christensen provides no charisma to his role, and at first, you think he'll skate by on the initial storyline at first, actually I was getting neat little Alan Wake vibes, but once he arrives at the bar, all bets are off. The bar is a really piss-poor setting that does little to service the plot, and though James, the son of the bar's owner, is fine, their interactions together are wooden & just typical stuff that just forces your eyes to close in boredom. The film attempts to tie its narrative in with the mystery of the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony, but in a way that is like someone just heard of it 5-minutes ago and thought "Croatoan" was just a cool, spooky word to use. I really do not recommend this movie even if I like Anderson's direction all things considered. Trust me, you're not missing anything new or unique here.

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One down and four left, let's see how the rest of my nominations stack up. Looking forward to the rest of the write-ups to come! Well done so far Snake.

Vendetta does have some rather over the top action scenes, but some of them are so crazy, they keep you entertained throughout the movie's runtime.

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116. Having your hair cut while youre sleeping (12 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul (2/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc-3zPzJ1wk

Importance: 1
Fear: 8
Snake: 3

Now this is a classic Board 8 nomination if I've ever seen one. Depending on how you look at it, the fear aspect of this hypothetical covers a wide spectrum, from innocent prank cutting off maybe a few locks of hair to OH MY GOD I've become fuckin' bald and somebody either broke into my house or they've been here the whole god damn time; or you fell asleep at the barber shop while getting a haircut. The non-specific nature of this phrase opens up a whole can of implication worms that is irritatingly elusive, but I've come to the conclusion that this would most likely be a seriously traumatic, confusing, & horrifying event for anyone to go through. It's just hard to get out of my head the total violation of the privacy and comfort of sleep, a non-consensual ruination of something many people hold dear, and it would be a total bitch to clean up. So, unless you relish the idea of an easy, free haircut, I just don't think anyone would really appreciate having their hair cut while they're sleeping; it's creepy, it's not something you explicitly wanted, and the implications of who even did it is beyond horrible.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

117. Vanishing on 7th Street (Movie) (11.5 points)
Nominated by: Murphiroth (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5cgvEUWQ6w

Importance: 1.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 5

This movie is what pure middling horror is made of. The film is actually shot pretty well at points, Brad Anderson does carry over some of his immense talent in early works like Session 9 & The Machinist, with a keen directorial eye for shadow play & framing, but god damn the writing (& acting) is just awful. The idea of people just vanishing in the darkness seems like a good one, but it's handled like any other cookie-cutter dime-a-dozen post-apocalyptic fim out there. Hayden Christensen provides no charisma to his role, and at first, you think he'll skate by on the initial storyline at first, actually I was getting neat little Alan Wake vibes, but once he arrives at the bar, all bets are off. The bar is a really piss-poor setting that does little to service the plot, and though James, the son of the bar's owner, is fine, their interactions together are wooden & just typical stuff that just forces your eyes to close in boredom. The film attempts to tie its narrative in with the mystery of the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony, but in a way that is like someone just heard of it 5-minutes ago and thought "Croatoan" was just a cool, spooky word to use. I really do not recommend this movie even if I like Anderson's direction all things considered. Trust me, you're not missing anything new or unique here.

Well said.

I mostly just really like the concept of ever encroaching darkness that even begins to destroy light sources.

115. Painis Cupcake (12 points)
Nominated by: handsomeboy2012 (4/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBuggMdUbog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY2BoBFbUk8
https://tf2freakshow.fandom.com/wiki/Painis_Cupcake

Importance: 2.5
Fear: 4.5
Snake: 5

I was astonished how genuinely creepy this was. The low-detail models of Team Fortress 2 characters really suits this type of horror story well. The canned, stop-motion like animations emits an uncanny vibe that just feels wrong to look at. Hell, even characters that aren't Painis Cupcake look downright disturbing to me. The Painis Cupcake character uses chopped up samples from the actual game to spine-tingling effect, like a Creepypasta at times, taking a game & twisting it for nefarious purposes, an inside joke meant for the community but would scare anyone else who coincidentally came across it. I would half expect a story accompanying this where Painis Cupcake takes the battlefield after obscure conditions are met and curses everyone in the match to die in seven days. There is an undeniable element of humor to it though too, hilariously taking these characters out of their expected context and placing them in a situation unknown and alien to them. Some of the best work is birthed from this experimentation and in the most unexpected of places, making this an interesting, if somewhat forgettable, horror story.

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Back around 2012/2013 I spent hours a day watching these videos. People would create TF2 monsters by mangling character models and voice lines and then animate them in the shittest way possible. Tbh it was more comedy than horror but I did found some really disturbing stuff.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

116. Having your hair cut while youre sleeping (12 points)

Ive never had this happen to me but yeah, the whole violation of something happening to you while youre sleeping really intensifies the under your skin disturbing effect of just about any slightly negative thing that could happen to you.

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In all my years of asking, I don't think I've ever had someone say yes to that question yet.

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114. Takuto Maruki (Persona 5 Royal) (12 points)
Nominated by: trdl23 (4/5 remaining)

Importance: 2
Fear: 5
Snake: 5

This unassuming geeky-looking doctor harbors deep, personal secrets that makes him much more than meets the eye. Takuto has the ability to warp cognition and actualize what his patients need to rid themselves of grief, even if that meant totally erasing large memories of their life. Though this could potentially be useful in treatment, Takuto sees himself as a savior of humanity and in a way performs these actions to atone for his past digressions, mainly revolving around his ex-fiance Rumi, and the traumatic death of her parents. This event actually was what triggered his Persona and subsequent powers. While Takuto is placed as an antagonist in the story, deep down, he is actually a good person and genuinely sympathizes with his patients, thematically making conflict with him less about stopping his utterly villainy and more about getting him to come to terms with his past and facing trauma head on. Takuto even ends up crafting a world where everyone automatically receives their desires and is perfectly content, but a world that perfect is by nature imperfect, as there is no room for growth or personal choice, no happiness without sadness and vice-versa. Takuto represents an interesting dichotomy that really ties well into Persona's themes of identity, choice, & personal challenge, and I really admire a video game that attempts to achieve that by taking player actions into account.

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The thing that inspired me to nom Maruki was this alternative ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jyqhWA07gE

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That's pretty damn creepy.

I would've gave Maruki a higher score for personal but since everything I was seeing was second hand I could only limit it to so much. I see a lot of potential in experiencing it first hand.

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113. ParaNorman (12 points)
Nominated by: PrinceKaro (3/4 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwSpajMw3s

Importance: 4
Fear: 3
Snake: 5

ParaNorman is a movie that has never seemed to click for me. I'm generally a huge fan of Laika's work; Coraline is my favorite animated movie of all time and Kubo & Missing Link are both superb. All the animation work in ParaNorman is top notch, featuring stop-motion characters in photo-realistic environments that blend seamlessly together to form a creative & spooky atmosphere that never once lets up throughout the film. Judging this film on this quality alone, it's a 10/10 easy. However, the way the film is written, and its characters, are just not very exciting for me. The cast of ParaNorman hits on all the stereotypes of horror movies, the problem being that they are just that and the film tries to extract humor from it, and none of it lands. Norman in particular is a very cliched outcast, who, along with an underwhelming voice performance, has predictable interactions with the rest of the cast, and when it comes down to it, with Aggie, which is supposed to be the emotional crux of the film. Aggie is actually the one interesting character here, with an extremely macabre backstory, one of the darkest I've ever seen in a children's film. It's just too bad she has to interact with blank slate Norman mainly; the film could've easily been about her and I think that would've been superb and provided the same lessons the film tries to go for. I know I'm in the minority on this film, people love it, I won't deny that its certainly a great, dark kid's film that strays from the mainstream, I love that aspect of it, but on its own, plot & characters, it fails to enrapture me in its world of zombies & witches.

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112. The Dogs (a short horror story.) Neil Cicierega (Video) (12 points)
Nominated by: Bane_Of_Despair (1/3 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUXyl-Xaxr4

Importance: 1
Fear: 5
Snake: 6

A fun little piece of spoken word, accompanied by stinging piano chords and a rising sense of tension as delivered by Cicierega himself. The story touches on some darker subjects, such as the death of the narrator's mother and suppressed money issues resulting in the sale of the beloved family dogs, despite the narrator's claims he hears otherwise. It's an emotional piece, pronounced pitch-perfectly with a growing sense of mystery and terror culminating in a crashing conclusion where Neil loses his sanity among dissonant beats, his voice coming to an ear-bleeding shrill, until nothing remains. It's best not to spoil it, but it's definitely worth a watch and is one of the most unique nominations in the entire project.

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lol I love Painis Cupcake and Rubberfruit, great surprise to see that nominated

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Oh darn missed the nominations.

Still, I recognized some of it.

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111. Being suddenly caught red handed with your porn / porn stash by those you don't want seeing out of nowhere (General) (12.5 points)
Nominated by: Pirateking2000 (4/5 remaining)
https://imgur.com/a/6sbfRvE

Importance: 4.5
Fear: 7
Snake: 1

This is a universal fear pretty much everyone has, but one that could easily be avoided if you're careful enough. No matter what you're into, we don't want anyone seeing it. It's our private time, to let loose and release our tension that we built over the course of a stressful day, and to have someone just barge in on that and proceed to judge you for it is no fun (even though they most likely do it too). To be scolded over personal preferences that I feel tend to just happen sub-consciously, it's a combination of embarrassment & stuttering, difficult explanations that just not cannot be defined so succinctly, especially if it's by a parent or sibling. I think we can all safely agree that as long as we lock our doors, look at it when you know for sure no one will come snooping, and if all else fails, have a quick-draw hiding method, we should all be just fine and avoid this annoying, unneeded interruption in our lives. Also, does anyone even keep porn stashes anymore?

The Horrendous History of Harrowing Hypotheticals
A noise in the house late at night (Real Life) (22 points)
Leaving the toilet seat up and sitting down at night. (6.5 points)
Some psycho stalking you personally just beyond means of capture gazing and breathing heavily at you from behind RIGHT NOW! (25 points)

Staring with volume 3, people started posting these sorts of fun hypotheticals to ponder over, trending towards things that are ubiquitous across a great many people. Half of these are terrifying, the other half are more on the humorous side, and the former tends to rank extremely high thanks to their high importance & fear factors. These feel like part of the life-blood of this series, and they're some of the most random, but at the same time, interesting nominations to receive. So keep 'em comin!


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Glad you thought The Dogs is one of the more unique noms! A friend showed it to me in college and it always stuck with me.

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110. Long winding roads in the forest that appear to have the same section repeat over and over again so that you feel like youre stuck in an infinite loop (12.5 points)
Nominated by: NFUN (1/5 remaining)


Importance: 3
Fear: 3.5
Snake: 6

Long winding roads in the forest are certainly creepy, but genuinely, how often does this really happen? I'm a semi-experienced hiker, and have rarely seen this type of thing occur, even just starting out. It seems like something more delegated to horror stories, representing our autopilot schedules through long lives or our endless longing for change that never comes. Even then, no specific examples come to mind. There are certain films, like Blair Witch Project, which presents a forest environment that is hostile to its travelers, or the looping hallways of P.T. that manifests repetitive, traumatic thoughts as a physical moment in time. Yet, though they come close, those don't quite get what this nomination is getting at, but I similarly struggle to chase this from my thoughts. It's something I feel has potential in both fear & beauty, a lasting moment in which we can brute force ourselves out of or choose to reside in its illusory world of comforting rhythm, content in the tranquil simplicity it brings. It all depends on your point of view I suppose.

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http://shorturl.at/mnz56

Looking away from the mountain, head to the right. Night, you're going the wrong direction, you have no signal. 15 minutes of hell

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Fair enough, that's an insane road!

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109. MLP:FiM S2E04 Luna Eclipsed [Show Episode] (12.5 points)
Nominated by: Dark Silvergun (3/5 remaining)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17ogca

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 2
Snake: 7

One of two Nightmare Night (basically, a Halloween analogue) episodes in the entire series, Luna Eclipsed shows an intriguing side to Ponyville that delves into Halloween culture & traditions in a kid-friendly, approachable way. I love how rich this episode is with all facets of Halloween & autumnal culture; costume-making, trick 'r treating, apple bobbing, carnival games, folklore, practical jokes, the episode fits it all in seamlessly & in consistently creative, humorous ways that feel well-suited & realistic to pony life. Luna Eclipsed primarily focuses on Twilight Sparkle and the return of Princess Luna, formerly known as Nightmare Moon, from the original pilot episode. The show gets huge mileage out of Luna being this pony-out-of-water type, thanks to her booming speech patterns (the "royal we") and reputation as a harbinger of darkness. Twilight attempts to bridge peace between the town and Luna, and it is quite adorable seeing Luna participate in the festivities, but of course things get a little out of hoof as Luna animates the spiders used for the carnival game for some more scary fun and pulling a foal out of the apple bobbing water gets mixed up for Luna about to eat him. This causes Luna to cancel Nightmare Night forever, but Twilight is able to convince Pinkie Pie that Luna is not evil anymore, except, Pinkie already knows she's not and is just being scared for the fun of it. So, Luna goes in to town once more dressed as Nightmare Moon, scaring everypony there, and it turns out, they love it! I love this lesson & conclusion; I think it really gets to the point of what makes Halloween so enjoyable and how feeling fear doesn't always have to be a strictly negative thing. When people seek out thrills & scares, this is part of the reason, to feel something that isn't always prevalent in our lives. Luna Eclipsed is also a fantastic study on not judging someone for their past actions, that ponies (and people) can genuinely change for their better, but also, on the other foot, the realities of how difficult it can to actually accept that. It's a great episode, so many laugh-out-loud jokes I didn't even mention, densely packed with details, and a lesson it really believed in.

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108. Ginny Field (12.5 points)
Nominated by: RaidenGarai (2/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEIqJ4321TE

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 1
Snake: 8

I love Ginny Field. She's one of the most capable, smart, & resourceful survivors in the entire slasherverse. Played by Amy Steel, she infuses Ginny with a magnetic, care-free tomboyish energy, as demonstrated by her introduction: she's late to work as a camp counselor and her crappy car won't start, but she's not too concerned about it. Ginny is also an aspiring children's psychologist, which she utilizes to discuss Jason's upbringing & use it against him in their treacherous game of cat-and-mouse way later in the film. The film sets up what it needs to regarding Ginny and all the pieces needed for Ginny vs. Jason action, such as her chess & poker victories, showing Ginny has the smarts to conquer any situation. In what is maybe the best scene in the entire Friday the 13th canon, Ginny combines her psychologist skills with resourcefulness, dressing up as Jason's mother and tricking him into thinking she is still alive. It's a fantastically genius way to placate this unstoppable beast, and does the double-duty of incorporating each's character's strengths & weaknesses in a natural way. Ginny is just such a enjoyable character and it's a shame Amy Steel didn't want to return for a third film, because I would've loved to see where she could take that character & relationship with Jason next.

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107. Shadow Man | Playrooms (13 points)
Nominated by: rwlh (4/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV0kLXBnmyI

Importance: 1
Fear: 7
Snake: 5

One of the most unsubtly creepy tracks you'll ever hear, mainly featuring weird, dissonant noises, including dispersed crying, violent drilling, & screams of people clearly being murdered violently juxtaposed with squeaks of baby toys. It's supported by a simple melody, a childlike lullaby (actually Brahms' Waltz in A-Flat Minor No. 15), bouncing playfully in spite of the unseen terrors happening in the background of the track. Now, it does verge on being laughably edgy, like its trying too hard to be scary, so much so that I could actually see someone laughing at how tryhard & cliche it is. Between the baby screams & especially the drilling though, it has to succeed on some level of getting under your skin just from natural thought process alone. Though I prefer my horror tracks to have more of a concrete & cerebral structure to them like the Silent Hill series, sometimes a chaotic sense of pure carnage is just what a scene needs to truly set the tone.

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106. Baldi's Basics (Game) (13 points)
Nominated by: paulg235 (4/5 remaining)
FREE TO PLAY: https://basically-games.itch.io/baldis-basics

Importance: 4
Fear: 4
Snake: 5

Is Baldi's Basics still popular? Probably on kid's Youtube channels. Yeah, Baldi is one of those strange horror characters meant for adults that has completely been metamorphosed into a total meme shadow of his former self, used for only the cringiest clickbait thumbnails & titles imaginable, joining the likes of Slender Man, Granny, & Five Nights at Freddy's. Like anything though, there's a science and meaning behind why something like this gets popular for the "wrong" audience. Yeah there's always plenty of cash-grabbers out there, but that sort of dismissive thinking can be damaging to media as a whole. I'm personally a huge fan of horror meant for children, crafting gateways into an approachable darker world at a younger age, slowly & methodically of course (or, be like me and just jump right into the deep end). Baldi's Basics is a parody of 90s edutainment games, with its purposely horrible graphics style and faux Math problems designed for you to get wrong. Baldi himself is positioned as a figurehead of authoritative teaching, corporal punishment, & forced positivity in lower-grade learning, with his staggered steps and forceful ruler slaps reminding you of just how small you are & how little control you have over your life at a young age. It's little wonder then why this game got huge with a young crowd, as generations of children become more accustomed with the allure of making quick bucks on Youtube videos than spending time in an empty, unwelcoming maze of a school building where everything and everyone seems out to get you. Sure, at its heart, Baldi's Basics is an under-designed Slender clone right down to its main objective to get seven notebooks, but it's a game perfectly suited for the modern age & approachable enough with the right horror formula to make this game an overnight success.

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There's also a Baldi's Basics Plus that's in on-going early access, and made... $61,375 to make it on Kickstarter. Uncertain about Steam sales and I frankly can't be bothered. As you can imagine, there are horror game youtubers that've been following it. Largely the same people that made dozens of videos when Hello Neighbor was a thing...

I honestly don't mean to be so dismissive of it, its just one of those internet popular things that baffles me.

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I totally get the dismissiveness of it. 99% of Youtube videos about Baldi are pure garbage TBH. i really doubt the character has any long term staying power either, lacking the marketability of something like FnaF or even Hello Neighbor as you mentioned. But I like to examine things from both sides, and it just makes sense how popular it got, at least to me.

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105. The Filth (The Secret World / Moons of Madness) (13 points)
Nominated by: Pirateking2000 (3/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwgs7Ojwf7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-57H9g8xF1o
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/The_Filth

Importance: 1.5
Fear: 6
Snake: 5.5

The Filth is basically the worst disease you could ever think of. It's a total corrupter of the body & soul, not even just that, but a total destroyer of places & even reality as we know it. It also turns you into a Deadpool wannabe spouting out random phrases like what toilet paper you use. Yeah... that part's a little silly if you ask me. I totally like the idea of this cosmic disease that infects everything, especially the unseen parts you would never notice or even think of. It's a scary concept with a lot of potential, yet I don't feel like the game takes it that seriously? Its introduction certainly feels more comedy horror thanks to that CDC woman's delivery of it and these nonsense speaking enemies are more humorous to me than frightening. The creature designs also feel uninspired to me, just shadow beings I feel like I could get anywhere else. The execution is just off, but still, I will admit that looking into it more and more the potential for horror is there and it's still an interesting concept to me.

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Baldi is pretty much only useful for play reactions. Definitely not interested in "fan theory" videos about Baldi, yeesh no.
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It is more to show how fucked up it makes someone while connecting to em. Like what they were up to and regular day stuff before they got Filth'd which sorta adds another unnerving bit to it. Though that is just a random civilian infected and there are more serious ones like the Orochi Doctor and the monstrous ones like The Muse which led to some guy into going on a serial killer spree in some town. In the game itself The Filth is pretty messed up as described and does a load of wacky shit with eldritch horrors everywhere, fucking with what is basically the core of the world, dragging you into nightmare realms with whispers of npcs you've run into throughout the game fucking with you etc. It also shows up in The Moons of Madness fucking stuff there

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Yeah I'm sure if I played the game I would definitely get more out of it, naturally. Just not a big MMO guy so chances of that are slim. I did see the specific ones and do admit they are more frightening.

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