Board 8 > Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related Vol. 2 *THE RANKINGS* - Part 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

Previously...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LB7LZZGpkw

As each nomination fell one by one to the hungry horde, only three survivors were left standing. The last chords of Akira Yamaoka faded out, Dracula breaths his last after an impalement, Jack the Ripper is lost to the memories of time. The night grows only darker and more dangerous, and the three remaining survivors know deep down that only one is going to make out alive in... SNAKE RANKS ANYTHING HORROR RELATED, VOLUME 2!

The remaining nominations:
BetrayedTangy
1. Tom Savini

v_charon
2. Resident Evil 4

PrinceKaro
3. Psycho (1960)

The Recap
https://pastebin.com/kY8gkL0c
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tag
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Ya go my RE4.
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tag. go Psycho. what a fuckin ground-breaker.
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3. Resident Evil 4 (27 points)
Nominated by: v_charon

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

Importance: 10
Fear: 7
Snake: 10

It represented the death of the struggling survival horror genre, at meast how we knew it. It changed the face of the Resident Evil series that would struggle to find its way again in the following years as it grew increasingly more actionized and bombastic. It standardized a generation of over-the-shoulder TPS clones that emphasized visceral combat and close-up claustrophobic angles. Yet, Resident Evil 4 is a disciplined game, that makes minimal mistakes in its execution. It's sense of pace is bar none. The game's beginning quiet mountainside and village treks are appropriately low on action, but the game's first huge setpiece with the village shoot-out show the game's true hand early on. For all the game's criticism of being too high on action for the series, I find the action still survival horror in execution. Every bullet missed means a chance for the enemy to deal high damage to you. The enemy tactics are smart and favor swarming mixed in with enemies that have long range attacks for peppering the player and eventually overwhelming them. The player's expanded toolkit is one they should use in their entirety if they hope to it make through the more challenging sections of the game. Ultimately, the game gives you the means needed to succeed but never makes you too overpowered compared to the horde which keeps every battle tense, challenging, and exciting.

One of the most important aspects of Resident Evil 4 though is its tone. It blends different types of horror with action cliches that feel fun instead of hokey. Unlike the too-deadly serious Resident Evil 6 and the misplaced camp of Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 4 is a game that feels light and natural with its character interactions, settings, and story, as well as the way it all unfolds. Much like its three main settings (Village, Castle, Island), Resident Evil 4 slowly and deliberately changes its tone over the course of the game too. The Village is more straight-forward horror than the rest; the aforementioned quiet isolated village areas, foggy mood, not much firepower, a shift to nighttime remixes of previously visited areas that become more dangerous, the Thing-like Las Plagas infectees. The Castle however is more a fun house of horrors, with an appropriate host in Ramon Salazar, who toys with Leon through banter and increasingly more goofy traps than the last. The Island goes full-on action film, punctuated by militia-type enemies, lots of explosions, a fight with an old war buddy, a helicopter support segment complete with name yelling, and a pulse-pounding Island jetski escape sequence. I think you really don't feel this though while you play because it does it so subtly, happening quietly in the background. There's no clue in the transition from the village to the castle that you're going from The Thing to Tourist Trap. It just happens. The game cleverly keeps aspects of its tone evenly peppered throughout, so despite the heavy action of the third act, the Regenerator lab segment catches the player off guard by introducing a hyper-deadly and frightening enemy that can only be effectively combated with a specific type of weapon, making the player switch up their state of mind and approach.
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Leon is somewhat evolved from his personality in RE2, and Leon possess sort of a "dorky" and wannabe action hero vibe in this game to me. He's got gum instead of John McClane's smokes; he's got no romantic interest in the ballistics-equipped president's daughter and doesn't get a girl in the end; his one-liners are corny and something a child might come up with. Despite this, Leon possesses the hyper-competent skills of his action hero peers and mows down swarms of enemies. I think future games and movies try too hard to make Leon "cool". He always has to have his cool jacket now, his cool over-the-top action hero moves, a more quiet & cool personality. RE4 is the true Leon, and I think some parts of RE2's characterization carry over and evolve in this game; someone always being swept up in events without much control or authority over other characters but getting through it anyway no matter what.

I could go on and on about Resident Evil 4, as it truly is one of the best designed games of all time. I love to dissect all the tiny details that give RE4 so much character and life. I love analyzing its dichotomy between horror and action. I love looking at its place in the history of survival horror and its place in the Resident Evil series. Even the development of this game is one of the most interesting, as it went through a variety of changes and differences over the course of its long history. Most of all though, it's game I love replaying over and over again, and I still the feel the magic every time.
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I remember when RE5 came out, everyone hated it. Then RE6 came out and everyone said "remember how okay RE5 was?"
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I'm just glad they aren't too afraid to reinvent themselves. RE7 sounds baller.
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I loved RE5 since its release, it's in the top half of the series for me. RE6 on the other hand, yeah that has its problems for sure. There's things I like in it but it's such a jumbled mess of tones and ideas.

RE7 was a very important step for the series, I've been hoping it does the same to the industry as RE4 did.
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My experience with the Resident Evil series:
-Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles - Didn't own any systems with them until the Wii so my first experience was The Umbrella Chronicles. Fun enough and gave me the gist of the story at least
-Resident Evil 4 - Really liked it but tone was way different than I was expecting. To this day I never actually beat it though.
-Resident Evil 5 - Got it free with PS Plus, hated it, uninstalled it pretty quickly
-Ultimate Marvel v. Capcom 3 - Wesker and Nemesis were among my mains (Wesker/Nemesis/Dante on Capcom side and Deadpool/Hulk/Ghost Rider on Marvel side). Chris was fun too
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And after that super shoddy experience with the series I still really want to play RE7
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Glad that hasn't dettered you!
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Good idea

Resident Evil - Played as a kid, didn't really know how to progress and it was scary, so didn't play it much.
Resident Evil: Survivor - See above.
Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis was scary af and I hated not knowing when and where he'll catch me. Very interesting but still too intimidating for kid me.
Resident Evil 4 - Looove it. Have it for PS2 and Wii. Replayed it like 2 years ago and was surprised by how well everything holds up.
Resident Evil Outbreak - Was majorly disappointed it didn't have local co-op. The characters were interesting. Only finished like the first scenario though.
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RE7 is the only one to really scare me so far. Going FPS really helped.
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RE5 was actually fun and if anything, it was one of the best mercenaries mode in the series imho.

tbh you really can't beat tho that RE6 let you fight a fucking dinosaur if i remember correctly
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Honestly if I was ranking my bottom 5 moments for the series that could potentially be the number 1 worst. That whole long drawn out Simmons boss fight just keeps dragging on and on.
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2. Tom Savini (28 points)
Nominated by: BetrayedTangy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7QMmgipBQU

Importance: 10
Fear: 8
Snake: 10

He's the Godfather of Gore, and you may not recognize his face or even his name, but if you've seen a Romero film, you're familiar with his work. If you're familiar with the cult slasher classics of the 80s (The Prowler, The Burning, Maniac) you're familiar with his work. You've most likely seen the original Friday the 13th, and it was Savini's idea to have Jason appear as one last scare in the film, basically launching the infamous hockey mask killer's career single-handedly. Simply put, Savini is THE big name of crafting your favorite moments of gore and violence in some of the most influential horror films of all time. His work was groundbreaking and paved the way for future splatter films with his signature bloody realism and his ability to capture the imagination through disgust and shock like no one had done before. His first big break was Romero's Dawn of the Dead, which he also cameos in. He used his experience from being drafted in the Vietnam War to create convincing zombies and realistic effects, and also played into the film's themes of Vietnam War backlash. One of the most famous effects in the film is the headshot scene in the beginning, accomplished by firing a real shotgun at a head full of food scraps. Savini's success with Dawn of the Dead saw him become a Romero regular, most notably in the Stephen King written Creepshow, where he was able to craft monsters and characters in each of the 5 shorts.

Tom Savini is also notable for his numerous acting roles in horror films, mostly consisting of cameos. There's his aforementioned Dawn of the Dead appearance; in Creepshow 2, Savini appears as The Creep, sort of like the host in-between stories like the Crypt-Keeper. A particularly famous appearance is in the film From Dusk till Dawn, playing Sex Machine, that one guy with the gun in his crotch. Savini has even directed, including 1990's Night of the Living Dead, which is fate considering he was originally going to work on the original before being drafted into the Vietnam War.

Tom Savini helped shape the direction horror would take in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, becoming a true cult icon for horror fans and becoming a highly sought-after special effects virtuoso and teacher to the next generation of horror crafters. He deserves all the praise he gets and then some, and the horror genre is honored to have him.
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Oh, I was wondering who he is since he made it this high up on the list. Kinda glad I didn't Google/Wiki him since I enjoy reading your write up first. Great guy.
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1. Psycho (1960) (30 points)
Nominated by: PrinceKaro

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv88ASiLmgk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY

Importance: 10
Fear: 10
Snake: 10

If you were to pinpoint the birth of modern horror, Hitchock's masterpiece, Psycho, would be it. At the time, it presented terror like no other before it, and its nuance in character, directing, and groundbreaking moments of fear are something many horror films still aspire to and often struggle to achieve. Made on a low-budget with a TV crew, Psycho represented a marked departure for the legendary director after the high-budget North by Northwest. Initially, this development was met with mixed critical reception, and was even written off as a gimmick flick that lacked the typical nuance Hitchcock was known for. Boy, were they wrong! The public ate it up though, granting Hitchcock his biggest box office hit of his career. Psycho would go on to serve as an early blueprint for both the burgeoning slasher and splatter genres, whilst subverting audiences expectations on nearly all levels from the directing style to the protagonist to typical horror tropes.

Psycho is chock full of complex imagery and symbolism that probably won't be so obvious on your first watch through. It's important to note Hitchcock's use of mirrors, which are reflections of the self. Hitchcock uses them to develop the themes of reality, discovering our true identities, and voyeurism. This also goes hand-in-hand with the film's overtly sexual themes. The very first scene of the film may not seem like much to a modern audience, but it was risque at the time. It features Marion Crane topless in a lacy bra, in a lover's tryst with her boyfriend, incredibly taboo at the time. An important distinction here is that this scene is sexual rather than romantic. The two characters, Crane and Loomis, discuss the possibility of marriage and revealing their relationship to the public. The scene is a little troubling Sam discusses the marital problems already plaguing him as the concern of money hangs over their hands and only seems to enjoy Marion for the thrill she provides, whilst Marion similarly feels unfulfilled in her relationship due to the lack of cash and her desires for something more. The scene serves as a bad omen for events to come by starting off with a secret only Hitchcock lets us in on, as it plays on human vulnerability and corruption through money and sex. Hitchcock uses the female perspective to both interact with differing male personalities (the sexually-charged Loomis, the suspicious traffic cop, the creepy Norman) and explore the nature of secrets and evil from a type of character generally viewed as wholesome and innocent. Marion is haunted by her secrets, but so is the rest of the cast, and its these secrets that drive the main plot of the film and get people hurt or killed. A frantic score and sharp shadows also create a sense of frenzied decisions and purposefully confused characters throughout the film.
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We didn't even talk about Norman Bates yet. Through Anthony Perkins' subtle and quiet performance, one of film's scariest psychopaths is brought to full realization and is the driving force of the film. Marion's chats with Norman portray him as completely unadjusted, self-deprecating, sexually confused, and devastatingly lonely, yet polite, friendly and welcoming. The Bates Motel is not a haven for the sinful however. Marion's stay is defined by guilt and paranoia, which is only heightened by Bates' mother just in the house over the hill, who Marion feels like is judging her as Norman has his own problems with his mother, as he feels trapped in his duty to take care of her. A painting of a nude woman being raped in his office, Norman's love of taxidermy on birds, and constant presence of mirrors belays his true nature and Marion's incoming tragedy (the ensnaring of a "crane" is too good for Norman to pass up).

This all leads up to the most famous film in horror history, the shower stabbing committed by Norman. This scene contains the first toilet flushing in film history, a foreshadow of Marion's life swirling down the drain through her blood and her future watery grave. The sharp piercing cords of Norman's stabs and close-up shots make the viewer experience every piercing as if it were them themselves. The murder in the shower is more than just a frightening scene however; it not only symbolizes us at our must defenseless, but Norman violates the act of cleaning (or rather, Marion washing away her guilt) but interrupting the sacred act. It was also progressive for killing off a main character just halfway through the film despite the story being so focused on Marion.

To say Psycho is an incredible film is an understatement. It's a horror film that on every level affects the mind with terror audiences conjure up on their home. Unlike the slashers of future films who hide behind the mask and help disconnect audiences from their despicable acts, Norman's sneer and apparent friendliness make him more realistic, relatable, and that much more horrifying. Marion is an equally complex character that subverts the expectations of female characters as Hitchcock bravely confronts taboo topics and themes. Psycho is a film that begs repeat viewings and it's easy to analyze just about any scene in the film and where it fits into the big picture. It remains one of the scariest, progressive, and deepest pieces of horror fiction ever made, and something that should be missed by anybody.
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(Psycho theme intensifies)
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Well that's a wrap! We finished in October just like I had said! Okay maybe it took 2 months longer than intended, but there's nothing wrong with extending the Halloween season. Everyone can go ahead and start Christmas now! As always, I thank everyone for reading, commenting, and discussing along with me and I had a blast as usual! Next year promises to be even scarier.
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This is probably my favorite topic series on Board 8.
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I appreciate that Anagram.
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Night bump
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Gotta say, I'm not surprised to see Psycho as #1 but I am a little disappointed

Never really got into the movie, and in general I've always found Hitchcock to be pretty overrated as a director

I mean Psycho wasn't terrible but I think it gets overhyped. It's definitely a step above Rear Window and miles above The Birds
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I like the series and snakeeee<33333 but I can never get over how little sense the fear rankings are at times lol

Psycho is a worthy winner though. I wonder how snaked black swan would get if nominated.
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The fear rankings are usually a mix of my personal feelings with general audience reception weighted towards the latter. I'd kind of like to revamp the system next year but I'm not sure how.
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Snake5555555555 posted...

The fear rankings are usually a mix of my personal feelings with general audience reception weighted towards the latter. I'd kind of like to revamp the system next year but I'm not sure how.

There is just some rankings which are of things with zero actual fear value at all that score higher than 1 and I know it is just cuz you personally like it.
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I think you might mean nominations for real people like Tom Savini or characters that fall on the heroic side of horror, like Moira Burton or Ash? I'll usually base the fear rankings for those based on their work or situations they go through and overcome.
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Snake5555555555 posted...

I think you might mean nominations for real people like Tom Savini or characters that fall on the heroic side of horror, like Moira Burton or Ash? I'll usually base the fear rankings for those based on their work or situations they go through and overcome.

Link your list and I can give examples
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https://pastebin.com/kY8gkL0c
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I haven't watched Psycho. I probably should watch it first before reading your assessment. But thanks for the great topic as always. Looking forward to next year and...can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for us in the horror department.
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Hitchcock so good. North by Northwest is still my #1 film of all time.
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Great Psycho write-up, truly one of the greatest horror films ever, and probably the best of its time.

The moment that's scariest for me is right after the Norma Bates corpse-reveal. Marion's sister is in a traumatized state having just discovered the person she thought was alive was actually a corpse. She swings her arm into a dangling lightbulb out of distress and recoil, causing the scene to become visually disorienting, matching her psychological disorientation. Then, with no time to process or recover from this at all, we hear loud, fast footsteps coming down the stairway toward her, leading to the basement. That is scary as hell to me - here's this dead person I've just discovered, now some unknown presence is coming at me, fast, as I stand here shocked and defenseless. The effect is incredible. The visual reveal of Norman in his mother's clothes, holding a large knife with a devious smile on his face is about as terrifying as the corpse reveal, but it's the sound of the footsteps that really gets me. Just an unforgettable ending to cap off an all-time classic.

And that all-string score.....Bernad Herrmann's as much a genius as Hitchcock is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWHYmNrAFlI
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trdl23 posted...

Hitchcock so good. North by Northwest is still my #1 film of all time.

Not a Hitchcock fan but North by Northwest is probably the one exception for me
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jcgamer107 posted...

Great Psycho write-up, truly one of the greatest horror films ever, and probably the best of its time.

The moment that's scariest for me is right after the Norma Bates corpse-reveal. Marion's sister is in a traumatized state having just discovered the person she thought was alive was actually a corpse. She swings her arm into a dangling lightbulb out of distress and recoil, causing the scene to become visually disorienting, matching her psychological disorientation. Then, with no time to process or recover from this at all, we hear loud, fast footsteps coming down the stairway toward her, leading to the basement. That is scary as hell to me - here's this dead person I've just discovered, now some unknown presence is coming at me, fast, as I stand here shocked and defenseless. The effect is incredible. The visual reveal of Norman in his mother's clothes, holding a large knife with a devious smile on his face is about as terrifying as the corpse reveal, but it's the sound of the footsteps that really gets me. Just an unforgettable ending to cap off an all-time classic.

And that all-string score.....Bernad Herrmann's as much a genius as Hitchcock is.

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

You're absolutely right, wish I had touched on it a little myself. The score is the most important part I think, it definitely makes that scene as effective as it is.
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Since we're talking about Hitchcock in general, I'll throw my opinion into the ring. I'm definitely a fan of his, my favorites besides Psycho are Vertigo and North by Northwest. The one film I'm not too big on is The Birds though the concept is interesting. The characters and pacing never really do anything for me.
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Have you seen Rear Window? I think it may be his next best after Psycho. To have a film take place all in one setting while staying lively and entertaining throughout is a real feat. Of course Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart and whatever the actress is who plays the nurse are critical in this, their performances really carry the film. All the little intertwined subplots going on within the apartment building are very fascinating to watch unfold, and there's several great moments, including Hitchcock's comedic cameo.
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Man I hate being a contrarian, but that scene just really didn't do much for me. I don't know if it's because of the ridiculous overacting or the drag it takes to get there (honestly, the worst thing about Psycho for me is the pacing).

I will give that Hitchcock films tend to have good like cinematography and sound design. Like, he knows how to craft a tense scene. But the plot development, the pacing, etc. always just really turns me off of his stuff
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Yeah I like Rear Window a lot, I think it's the best example of Hitchcock making the viewer directly implicit in the film's events like a lot of his movies do. Hitchcock just has a way of making things feel real.
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Scarecrow nightmare sequence in Arkham. Just played it. 8.5? What?

Shaun of the Dead a comedy with zombies that are basically used as comedy props. 4.5? Fear? C'mon.

Like, that is what I mean. If I were ranking things, yeah, Shaun of the Dead is awesome... But a 4.5 fear in horror? What..

Conjuring a 4.5 and Shaun of the Dead 4.5? There is a blatant fallacy there somewhere. Conjuring is a horror movie. Shaun of the Dead is a comedy. Even if you did not like, Conjuring. The fear rating should be higher.

But what really is silly is pUBG 4.5 fear also. How with those 2 as benchmarks?

I think fear was just mostly an extension of your snake rating if you couldn't really find a way to quantify it somehow in a fear way.

That's all I got. Not complaining. I just do not get the fear rating aspect. I like the topic series immensely thom
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I get what you're saying, and yeah looking at it now Conjuring should've scored higher in the fear factor, but I still stand by my others which I've supported in my write-ups. To me, it's less about the numbers and more what I have to say about it anyway. I promise I do not factor my overall personal feelings into the rating besides how scary I find it. I will take your feedback into account though as I want to improve the rankings and make a more fair ratings system.

Glad you enjoy the series still!
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Corrik posted...

But what really is silly is pUBG 4.5 fear also

it can be pretty nerve-wracking, always wondering who could be lurking ready to kill you.
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jcgamer107 posted...

Corrik posted...

But what really is silly is pUBG 4.5 fear also

it can be pretty nerve-wracking, always wondering who could be lurking ready to kill you.

Lol. Is it as nerve wracking as the computer in expert coming into your zone in fifa while you are clinging to a 1 goal lead?
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Are the full rankings up on the wiki like last year's?
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_
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Anagram posted...

Are the full rankings up on the wiki like last year's?

I will get them up soon, kinda lazy at the moment to copy them all in.
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Bump
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXHUw2nw6aA

holy shit
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