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

(+) Yeah! (+)

19. The Invisible Man (2020 film) (22.5 points)
Nominated by: BetrayedTangy (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSBsNeYqh-k

Importance: 5
Fear: 7.5
Snake: 10

The Invisible Man is my new gold-standard for remakes. The fact that we got this amazing film from out of the failure that was the Dark Universe is a feat in and of itself. Incredibly modern and culturally relevant, I'm tempted to call this film the next evolution in horror storytelling. We could've easily gotten a lazy film much like 2017's awfully forgettable The Mummy: an action-adventure flick where none of the action or adventure is fun to watch at all and only the lightest touches of horror are present in a retelling stuck in the doldrums of retelling a story no one really cares about anymore. Imagine a world where this was a remake that had Griffin create the invisible potion in his mad scientist lab and then terrorizes a city as Detective McDerrick played by Chris Evans tries to track him down. Directed by Leigh Whannell fresh off his 2018 action-body horror hybrid Upgrade, he had much bigger ambitions in mind. Make no mistake, The Invisible Man is made for mainstream audiences, but melds blockbuster horror sensibilities with an artful minimalism, where its antagonist is never seen by design and it becomes solely a character study focused on this traumatized young woman (Cecilia), abused emotionally and physically by her controlling mega-millionaire boyfriend (Griffin). Cecilia manages to escapes this cycle of violence, but still feels the presence of Griffin everywhere she goes, even after he seemingly commits suicide. When Cecilia starts getting mysteriously drugged, feels like she's being watched, and her life gets put in danger, of course no one believes her. It becomes an obvious allegory seeped in MeToo and Believe Women comparisons, and that's fine. Elizabeth Moss infuses her character with decades worth of pent up anger, emotion, and injustice, serving as the perfect avatar for any woman out there who has ever been afraid to share their story, their emotional trauma, their abuse at the hands of men just like Griffin. Owing to the film's modernity yet again, Griffin feels like Tony Stark by way of Harvey Weinstein, a character in power only increasing that manipulative stranglehold over others through the use of science, money and invention. For example, Griffin leaves Cecilia millions of dollars in a trust fund only to have it frozen when she's committed to a mental institution; Griffin toys with Cecilia's life as if she's his own personal plaything simply because he can. And yeah, you could say it was Griffin's asshole lawyer brother in the suit, but I think that again ties into the whole 'believe women" thing, where the real abuser gets away with everything simply due to his current stature. No, when Cecilia slits Griffin's throat at the end, it's a statement, to stop letting anyone, man or woman, keep getting away with any sort of abuse you may be experiencing, no matter how small or insignificant it my seem.

With powerfully resonate themes and Whannell's confidently stylish direction that incorporates dazzling and creative superhero-esque action with an unmatched sense of suspense and excellently timed shockers, The Invisible Man has already cemented itself as one of the early bests of the 2020s. It's not afraid to throw out what doesn't work in the old story to make room for a new voice that people actually want to hear, while still keeping the integrity and intent of the original intact. I thought this was movie was going to blow big time based on the trailers, but I've never been so happy to have been proven dead wrong. Its status as one of the first COVID-affected movies to be released for home streaming early also made sure this film was put in front of a lot more eyeballs than maybe it would've otherwise, though that being said it still managed to be a box office smash. This is the kind of horror remake we need more of now, there simply isn't any room for The Mummy route anymore. The bar has been raised, and now it's up the filmmakers to keep meeting that bar and deliver pertinent, scary horror films like The Invisible Man.

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I'm really disappointed with how the Dark Universe flopped. It had potential to be awesome.

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Yeah it really did, I mean the Old Universal horror movies had already pulled it off fine! Still I think I would prefer 100 Invisible Mans to a connected universe just connected for the sake of it.

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I'm so happy Invisible Man did this well. I was actually dating a girl who had just left an abusive relationship when this was in theaters and you could really sense the same type of fear.

The fear of him potentially showing up outside her house or job was absolutely debilitating to her and seeing the same fear being reflected on screen was really powerful. Especially since Griffin was actually there for most of the movie.

It's kind of a shame none of my friends really picked up on the nuance of this film, because it's easily one of the most powerful horror movies I've seen. It constantly reminds me how all fear is based in reality.

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Wow, didn't see FNAF getting into top 20. Good to see :)

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Was hoping Scarpia would crack top 20, but I'm glad to see him in the upper echelon of a pretty stacked year anyway. I cannot see a live performance of Tosca because that motherfucker is so hideously, horrifyingly evil. I can't even bear to watch.

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18. Dark Souls [Game] (23 points)
Nominated by: Dark Silvergun (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 9.5
Fear: 6.5
Snake: 7

When I was discussing dark fantasy, I specifically avoided talking about Dark Souls for a reason, since I knew I would be writing only a few spots later. However, everything I said in that dark fantasy write-up can surely apply here, and tenfold. Its big, red, bold "YOU DIED" is that perfect encapsulation of all of dark fantasy's themes of despair, hopelessness, and death, and has become as ubiquitous a death a screen as gaming itself. Released in 2011 as a spiritual successor to FromSoftware's previous effort Demon's Souls, it was much of an instant smash than the more niche Demon's Souls ever was. It was a game that felt like a direct response to all people who said, "Modern gaming has gotten too easy", and you may agree or disagree (I'm personally in the latter) with that statement, but you must admit Dark Souls was indeed much harder than almost anything else released at that time. It was survival horror re-skinned for a new generation, as the old guard horror series lost their bites and their reputations along the way. Its minimalist storytelling through use of flavor text, bonfires as save rooms, and seriously jaw-dropping environments may have re-awoken memories of past haunts, but Dark Souls was a punishing plunge of gameplay all its own. Every battle, from solo shambling corpses of the undead to the most towering of titanic dragons encouraged, no, required, strategic thought, careful planning, and the most precise of button presses to make it through. Even when the game played its most unfair hands, there was always something you could've done differently to turn a 'YOU DIED' into a successful run to the next bonfire. I hated this game when I first picked it up. I was honestly expecting more of a DMC-esque experience but playing it like an action game proved costly. When I understood it from the perspective of a genre I had played and loved nearly my whole life, that's when Dark Souls really clicked for me. Inventory management, enemy avoidance, strategic saving, it was obvious, staring me in the face the whole time, and that's where I think the true genius of Dark Souls lies. It never was the scariest game ever, nor was it designed to be, but its pure tension, slow-pace, and confidence in its quiet atmosphere punctuated by battles potentially over in instants still marks it a stark anti-thesis to nearly everything in the mainstream market to this day and is one of the must-play games of the last twenty years, worth experiencing even if it's only for one YOU DIED screen.

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17. Mr X (Resident Evil 2 Remake) (23 points)
Nominated by: Cavedweller2000 (1/5 remaining)


Importance: 6
Fear: 9
Snake: 8

Mr. X was arguably Resident Evil 2 remake's best improvement over the original game. While in original Resident Evil 2 it was more our minds that made Mr. X the terrifying tyrant the game wanted you to think he was, Mr. X in RE2make is the real deal. Capcom used over 20 years of game development to craft one of the best antagonists the medium of gaming had ever seen. No longer limited by the constraints of loading screens or scripted sequences, Mr. X was a free-roaming, intelligent baddie who would hear and see your movements and respond accordingly, making even the fearsome Nemesis seem like a baby villain in comparison. His design was more noir based this time with a real trench-coat and fedora, fitting the more mystery edge RE2make had overall, and having better graphics made battling Mr. X a reactive experience as he would show shock, annoyance, and pure, unbridled, unstoppable rage as he barreled towards the player. I for one hated Mr. X and found him annoying through the first couple of playthoughs especially on hardcore thrown into the mix with lickers and zombies, but once you get good at detecting his AI patterns he can almost become an afterthought. However, this had the weird effect of making him an even more compelling villain; yes I could avoid him, but hearing his constantly stomping footsteps echoing through the halls of the RPD, just knowing he was out there, had a fun psychological effect where I felt like no matter my skill, Mr. X could ruin my shit at any moment with one false move. The popularity of RE2make has turned Mr. X into a certified icon, with memes up the wazoo from thong-wearing T-00s to of course "X Gon Give It To Ya." Playing as a Mr. X was even a main selling point of Project Resistance, and the disappointment of Resident Evil 3 Remake has caused X to completely overshadow Nemesis, ironic that the progenitor has now become the master. There's plenty to criticize and love in the RE2make, but I think we can all agree Mr. X has now completely overshadowed his PS1 predecessor, and seeing his wrinkled, zombie-like face in the dark, bloody halls of the RPD will be just as thrilling as it was the first time around.

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New Mr. X is fantastic

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16. Misery (Book) (23 points)
Nominated by: GavsEvans123 (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 7
Fear: 8
Snake: 8

One of King's most thematically important stories, Misery tells the story of write Paul Sheldon and his crazed obsessed fan Annie Wilkes; Paul is injured in a snow-storm, alcohol-induced car crash and rescued & taken care of by Annie, and by taken care of I mean he's stuck, a prisoner in her house. King was inspired to write this book from his own experiences being constrained to the horror genre; when he wrote the high fantasy epic Eyes of the Dragon, King received incredible backlash for not including any of the elements he was known for at the time. Writing Misery became a cathartic experience for the author, able to insert plenty of his self-experience into Sheldon, with his critics positioned as the character of Annie, though she was so well-realized she stands apart as her own strong personality and driving force of the story too. For those who have only seen the film, it plays it generally close to the novel, but there are key differences that I believe the make the book a more well-rounded experience. First of all, the book is actually a lot more horrifying and brutal in Annie's torture of Sheldon; instead of hobbling Sheldon with a sledgehammer, Annie cuts off his foot with an ax (alluded to on the book's amazing cover), later his thumb as well, and in general she's much more cruel, even taunting him somewhat in telling him the truth of why she won't even bring him to a hospital. The other huge difference to note is the excerpts from Misery's Return, the novel Paul is writing to appease Annie, the book-within-the-book. The book presents these as analogues to Paul's mental state and situation, and are typed out with accuracy taking into account the broken keys in an immersive touch, and we also learn a lot more about the lore and character of Misery. This obviously wouldn't have been very filmmable, and is a unique meta detail that could only be done in novel format. Otherwise, Misery is every way the same fantastic look at overly obsessed fandom the film is and then some, a must read for any aspiring authors out there who wish to choose an another career pronto. A pure piece of dread and psychological torment that only come from the mind of someone who experienced it first-hand.

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Hopefully someone nominates BMTH's Survival Horror album next year.

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Kingslayer is a good track

Clipping just released a sequel to The Existed an Addiction to Blood so you can fully expect to see that nominated next year

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15. DOOM (1993 video game) (23 points)
Nominated by: MetalmindStats (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODs5WPvE2ic

Importance: 10
Fear: 4
Snake: 9

DOOM is a product of its reputation, a "gaming nasty" if you will. Much like films such as Cannibal Holocaust & The Driller Killer, Doom spread like a wildfire through the public thanks to its progressive first-episode freeware model, and with it, a cursed satanic reputation rose, as critics were quick to shout out its potential as a "mass murder simulator", its high levels of graphic violence nearly unmatched for the time, with concern growing for the youth playing this type of game. It may seem tame now, but DOOM remains a sizable power over the gaming industry, a mythical Rosetta stone in game design, a perfect design doc on how to present horror & action, and a permanent scar on how games are perceived and criticized to this day. It wouldn't be out of bounds to call this the single most important game released since 1990. DOOM is incredibly simple to pick up and shoot, yet mechanically rich, every room a puzzle of dynamic enemy placement and level geometry so perfect you can feel it in every movement of your character and every pump of your shotgun. Other games would position its demonic hordes as horrific end-game enemies, DOOM meanwhile has you slay them by the dozen with hardly a second glance. Its music, MIDI covers and medleys of popular thrash and rock songs, pumps up the action and brings the pace to an absolutely gleeful, bloody boil of guts and carnage. Its early form of environmental storytelling meanwhile brings in the horror with stuff like corpses on spikes, and gives you a steely resolve to put all demon sons-a-bitches to rest for good. I'm sure this is all stuff you've heard before, but with DOOM it always bears repeating. There's a reason DOOM has been on every electronic known to man, and it's because it's just a damn joy to play. You can get an incredible adrenaline rush just by playing E1M1; there's no pretense, no BS, it's just you and the game, and really that's all gaming ever really needed to be. DOOM, even with its controversies and unfortunate connection to real-life tragedies, will always be the distillation of what makes gaming so appeal all over the world, and that's its ultimate legacy.

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14. Nosferatu (1978 Film) (23 points)
Nominated by: paulg235 (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOTLurSgkYU

Importance: 5
Fear: 8
Snake: 10

It may seem taboo to remake such a seminal, ageless, influential classic like Nosferatu (one of my personal favorite horror movies of all time), but in the experienced hands of auteur Werner Herzog, failure or insultation was not even a possibility. This is much more than a remake however, now able to use actual names from Dracula, Herzog expertly weaves elements of Murnau's classic with that of the novel, to craft an atmospheric masterpiece that surpasses both. Klaus Kinski is placed in the role of Dracula here; the look screams Orlok, but the comparisons stop and end there. I dare say this is the best portrayal of Dracula of all time; Kinski wastes no screen time performing every little tic, every look, every gesture with an utter sense of pure unrealness. Herzog's sense of lighting, shadow, the agonizing slow-builds of every scene, with little to no dialogue, it creates this sense that you're there, that you're bearing witness to an actual vampire. Kinski is nearly always cast in total shadow, with only his pale head piercing through, an oppressive use of character building, destroying any sense of comfort or familiarity you may share with the vampire genre. This Dracula is old, sickly, cursed with the inability to die while he ironically brings death and plague wherever he goes. He seeks love, affection, and is a much more contemplative character than most adaptations. Instead of fear, you just sort of find him despicable and pathetic, which definitely has a horror all its own too. You owe it to yourself to experience this depiction of Dracula, unfettered and unfiltered through the keen directorial eye of Werner Herzog in a perfect slice of Gothic fantasy.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

Hopefully someone nominates BMTH's Survival Horror album next year.

Murphiroth posted...

Kingslayer is a good track

Johnbobb posted...

Clipping just released a sequel to The Existed an Addiction to Blood so you can fully expect to see that nominated next year

Aw yea to all of these

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13. Headless Horseman (general literary character) (23.5 points)
Nominated by: v_charon (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 6.5
Snake: 7

The Headless Horseman is an entity with a legacy of fear & terror that has spooked generations all the way back to the Middle Ages, whether through classic folklore, mythology, or Disney movies. His generic and blank slate-type character design makes him the ultimate versatile antagonist for any sort of story. Marvel comics is able to grab him and position him as a Spirit of Vengeance, or ultra-stylized in the fantastic art style of Final Fantasy. He has no head; anyone and everyone can play a headless horseman, and there's even all sorts of fun stuff you could do with that. Have no head at all, have his head as a pumpkin, make him appear to have no head but really he's just wearing his shirt a couple of inches too high to trick the town bully, coward, drunkard, etc.. This versatility is a double-edged sword however. He will never be as iconic as someone like Dracula or Frankenstein's monster due to this malleable nature, with very little in the way of personality. Unless you're specifically doing a Sleepy Hollow adaptation, the Headless Horsemen tends to become relegated to fodder and not as a main antagonist, and that diminishes his fear factor by a sizable amount. He's still an awesome stalwart of Gothic aesthetics, but how long has it been since you truly felt a Headless Horseman was actually memorable? I bet it has been awhile. Still, with roots in almost every culture around the world, the Headless Horseman is one character that won't be leaving the realm of fictional vernacular any time soon.

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12. The Terminator (movie) (23.5 points)
Nominated by: Xeybozn (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k64P4l2Wmeg

Importance: 9.5
Fear: 6
Snake: 8

Some might argue with The Terminator being a horror movie, especially compared to the much more bombastic action sequels of the franchise, but its dark atmosphere and foreboding antagonist given a larger-than-life feel from Arnold Schwarzenegger made The Terminator a delectable slice of sci-fi futuristic paranoia with a slasher guise hiding just underneath. With its bleak, dystopian vision of a future ravaged by out-of-control technology, it felt like a direct response to the rapid growth of AI, robotics, and computers, and Arnold as the Terminator its grim reaper handing out humanity's penance for our hubris. The Terminator has more in common with Jason Voorhees than SHODAN however; he's unstoppable, indestructible, and is totally remorseless, plus hiding a wicked veneer under a mask. Also like a slasher, he's absolutely the star. First-billed, face on the poster, the movie practically wants you to root for him, as if to say we accept our new robot overlords and we are powerless to halt this progress so may as well give in and enjoy the ride. After all, the film's portrayal of 1984 Los Angeles is anything but hopeful. It's chock full of down-on-their-luck characters, hanging out in dingy night clubs or homeless on the streets, crime runs rampant, people are apathetic we were doomed way before the robots ever started taking over. I would be remiss not to mention to the film's cold, mechanical soundtrack, with off-kilter time signatures making this robotic and haunting motif that plays throughout the film. Yes, The Terminator is a fun action-filled movie you still quote to this day, but much like its skeletal antagonist, its The Terminator's bones that make the film as timeless and long-standing as it is. Its loud parts are just as memorable as its quiet and contemplative moments, and that in my book is a sign a film is truly great.

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Just want to take a moment as well to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Try to enjoy it as best you can even with everything going on this year (by reading some rankings of course!). We're even blessed with an extra hour this year which is totally awesome.

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I didn't realize it was even Halloween today.

Least spooky Halloween ever?

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Anagram posted...

I didn't realize it was even Halloween today.

Least spooky Halloween ever?

However spooky Halloween is this year, it can't really stand out because every day is so spooky this year.
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11. Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (23.5 points)
Nominated by: wallmasterz (2/5 remaining)
https://youtu.be/Dp3BlFZWJNA

Importance: 6.5
Fear: 8
Snake: 9

Composed by Krzysztof Penderecki in 1960, the Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima is one of the most haunting recordings ever produced. Using 52 string instruments, this Threnody is a piece of anxiety almost personified; it wasn't explicitly composed for the victims of Hiroshima, but upon hearing it performed, Penderecki was so moved he immediately dedicated it to them. The piece starts out screeching, and your imagination latches on and runs wild: could it be the fall of fastly approaching nuclear bomb? Could it be the terrified shrieks of the helpless people looking at it from down below as they scramble and dash for any hope of survival? Either way, at 1:47, silence. Perhaps it's the last moment for the bomb strikes. The music slowly swells up, as if we are seeing the world in in slow motion, the shockwave of the bomb echoing through the city, before becoming abrasively shocking; if anyone was lucky enough to survive, they quickly realize in horror what the weapon has done to them. Perhaps they smell the burning flesh of friends, family, or total strangers, recoiling back in the most sickening horror you can imagine. It's music almost so terrible but yet beautiful & moving in its unmatched tone and committed semi-free-form performance, in which Penderecki and the composition's performers craft a piece that could only fit one of our ugliest moments in history.

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Snake Presents Your Totally Terribly Terrorizing Top Ten!


Great_Paul
17. The Invisible Man (1933)
20. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Anagram
30. Ars Goetia (Book)
32. Predator (Monster)

Shonen_Bat
49. Fear itself

Gall
61. The King in Yellow (1895 book)

Cavedweller2000
87. Five Nights at Freddys (franchise)

Wallmasterz
104. Resident Evil REmake
105. The Exorcist (1973 film)

Handsomeboy2012
117. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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10. Predator (Monster) (23.5 points)
Nominated by: Anagram (1/5 remaining)


Importance: 7.5
Fear: 6
Snake: 10

Predator stands at a unique crossroads as a villain. He's capable of being a stalker of horrific proportions, thanks to his advanced intelligence and technology; when revealed and confronted, he can brawl and get down and dirty with the best of 'em; and his alien race has plenty to offer and explore, if that's your sort of thing. Yeah Predator has a lot to offer, but most people probably only pay attention to the first film, for good reason. It's where the Predator has the most mystique and originality, which makes sense since he was a totally new villain. Putting him up against this group of experienced mercenaries was an inspired choice, completely tossing audience expectations aside and letting us immerse ourselves in this jungle environment, twisting conventions of horror, sci-fi, slashers, and action. I've always loved the design of the Predator. A mix of tribal and futuristic influences, his design fit in seamlessly with the jungle setting. He's almost like a subversion of the great white hunter trope, this being coming to hunt prey in foreign lands for sport and recognition. He comes equipped with some totally Star Wars battle garb, but as the hunt grows old, his tech is stripped away as he becomes more dangerous and monstrous, representing our oldest and most basic of survival instincts. This also ties in to how the Predator isn't really positioned as necessarily something that is hero or villain; he simply hunts humans and all other alien races because that's how their species operates. It's very rare to have a species, especially one as initially hostile as the Predator, take on that role, but I really enjoy that aspect of his character. Predator still retains a large recognizably factor even if many Predator films are poorly revealed or flop at the box office. He especially keeps a large profile in video games, with AvP games dating all the way back to the 90s and a new asymmetric game released this year that tries to emulate much of the tension of the first film. I'll admit most of my Predator love comes from the first film and the Capcom beat 'em arcade AvP game, but he's so fantastic in those he's one of my favorite villains in horror regardless.

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Nice to see that I have two in the top 10 (I guess top 9 now) after my other three dropped early. Fun fact too is that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were on my short-list for nominations this year.

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9. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (24 points)
Nominated by: handsomeboy2012 (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 7.5
Snake: 6.5

Death. Famine. War. Pestilence. The Four Horsemen are like the archetypes to end all archetypes. Hailing from the Bible's Book of Revelation, they signal the end times for our planet, pushing all of our society's woes, troubles, and otherwise negative happenings to their natural conclusions. While interpretations of the Horsemen have shifted and morphed to reflect contemporary events over the years, the Horsemen's arrival has increasingly received diminishing returns, as they become more metaphorical, more separated from their biblical roots and have basically become beloved cultural icons at this point. I mean the Horsemen now appear as protagonists in their own video game series. I think culture has shifted enough that we don't really need physical manifestations of humanity's worst fears anymore. It's come to a head where what they represent have become so real and inescapable that we must wonder, how long does this friggin' end time take anyway? There's no bite to them anymore as figures, but as individual shorthand for fictional symbolism, well, that's where the money's at with these guys. Taking them from a more figurative angle, there's still a lot of fear to be mined in fiction and are perfect for post-apocalyptic jaunts and period piece fantasy as allegories for our human society's greatest strifes. And if that ever falls by the wayside, well, I must say, they still look pretty badass grouped together in art pieces, don't they?

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8. Five Nights at Freddys (franchise) (24 points)
Nominated by: Cavedweller2000 (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 7
Snake: 7

Five Nights at Freddy's is the most important horror franchise to come out of the last decade. A multi-media merchandising empire, Five Nights at Freddy's is known for quick sequel production, animatronic jump scares, and lore that could fill up 6 encyclopedias worth. It's also a series you either love or hate. Many people will find the series cheap in nature, with rote simplistic gameplay all leading up to horror's proverbial punching bag, the jump scare. Others will find it mechanically rich and an engaging, a chaotic mess of power conservation and animatronic management, with the jump scare being penalty at failing encouraging you to get better and keep that fright at bay. I for one, fall in the latter, but it does come with a conceit. I think these games are far more fun to watch than play. I binged the entire Markiplier series on Five Nights at Freddy's, every game, and it's a total blast. The series is surprisingly complex with obscure Easter eggs and overwhelming stress especially on the hardest nights and modes that it becomes enhanced by spectacle: enjoy all its horror and secrets without the hassle. It offers the same thrills a horror movie delivers, we see Mark squirming in his seat through every minute as he's tormented by these robotic monstrosities while we also get scared due to the intense atmosphere of the games and jump scares just naturally being shocking. In this sense, FNaF is so much more than a gaming series. It's tailor-made for the internet age and came out just around the time LPers were getting extremely huge, first-person jump scare games were getting huge, YouTubers could easily spread word of mouth, and it created a community where everyone could get involved whether you personally experienced it for yourself or not. I think more so than any other game at the time, FNaF easily benefitted the most from this. A sequel was quickly produced in the same year as the first game, then the following year had two more sequels. Despite the close proximity of these games, you'd be surprised how wildly each one played and differed. FNaF 1 will always be the classic experience. Just you, your cameras, and your powered doors. FNaF 2 was FNaF 1 on steroids, removing the door mechanic and pumping up the amount of animatronics your way, with new mechanics like a music box and mask you could wear to trick the mascots. FNaF 3 is the most mechanically challenging of the original quadrilogy, with malfunctioning systems and hallucinations keeping the horror high and the player on edge. FNaF 4 went back to the classic two-door set-up, however, did it from the perspective of a child, and utilized noise wonderfully in a way that rewarded careful attention and mastery of individual animatronic sounds. The next two games would be the most radical changes however, as Sister Location introduced a more adventure-game style to the formula and Pizzeria Simulator incorporated business management as by day would actually design and create your own Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria. There's some spin-off games too but just focusing on the core series, that series had an impressive evolution over just a few years, always innovating while never deviating from its main aesthetic. It helped keep interest and audience retention high, and without too much waiting between installments, its story had just the right amount of pacing, cliff-hangers, and theory crafting to keep everyone hooked for months until the next would inevitably come out. And the story, told with incredible restraint and subtly you would never expect from a game known for a particular scare style, deals with dark and taboo subjects: child death, corrupt security guards, grinded to death in a Freddy Fazbear suit, animatronic bites, this is actually one of the most messed-up horror series there is and it's awesome!

People will always criticize the way this series is presented, how quickly its produced, and how "fake" the people who play it are. I don't see it that way at all however. I think this is a perfect demonstration of a series going for the jugular while the getting's good, a fresh and modern way of presenting horror that incorporates the nostalgic and the new, with elements of slasher films, internet creepypasta, killer toy movies, the uncanny valley, it's prescient and adaptive in a way few other horror series can even begin to muster up. I give the series a huge thumbs up, and with a new game just on the horizon, I'm excited to once again bear witness to the disturbing world of Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

Five Nights at Freddy's is the most important horror franchise to come out of the last decade

Not the Conjuring universe?

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Oh it's close, they may even be tied, but with how prevalent gaming has gotten and the insane mass appeal and ease of access with FNaF I think it gets the edge.

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7. Fear itself (25 points)
Nominated by: Shonen_Bat (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 10
Snake: 5

It's the only thing we have to fear, apparently. Fear is one of our strongest emotions, and can guide our lives completely and utterly if we let it. I mean this whole series I do is based on a genre whose sole purpose is eliciting this emotion out of us. Fear is ubiquitous yet varied. Everyone is scared of something but what that something can be different and can change as we grow older. As children, we tend to more scared of abstract things like the dark or clowns, and we may keep that into adulthood too, but adults tend to be much more scared of bills, something happening to loved ones, keeping a job, etc.. Fear is linked with avoidance, and when we avoid something out of fear, that submits positive reactions to the brain, and though it may feel good in the short term, it's actually one of our biggest detriments in growing us a person, as we increasingly become more closed-off, less open-minded to new possibilities, and hurt our own personal social lives. Fear is both instinctual and acquired. Natural dangers like fire and dangerous wild animals are practically built-in to us; meanwhile getting cut badly or painfully vomiting after a meal can lead to fear of knives and sharp objects and turn us off of certain foods completely. On the more positive, being scared makes us more alert and ready for action, and can lead to snap decision making and pushing ourselves through anything. It can even give off the same adrenaline as something happy or exciting, maybe even becoming addicted to fear. It's a complicated emotion, much more complicated than I could ever lay out, but it's important to note it's neither a good thing or bad thing. It simply is an essential part of life and keeps us alive and engaged with the world like any other emotion, and whether you choose to charge it head-on or ignore it as much as you can, either way, fear is ingrained and will get the better of us eventually.

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That felt like a bit of a cheaty nomination, but at the same time I'm surprised nobody ever went for it.

You're right that there are way too many elements to it to ever touch on all of them, but I'd still be interested in hearing you talk about it more if you were willing, maybe after the topic is over or in a PM or something. I can already think of a lot of things that didn't come up.

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Yeah sure, that could be fun.

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6. Resident Evil REmake (25.5 points)
Nominated by: wallmasterz (1/5 remaining)


Importance: 7
Fear: 8.5
Snake: 10

I won't beat around the bush here: Resident Evil Remake is my favorite game of all time. It's the perfect horror experience of any medium in my eyes, and a testament to flawless game design that is absolutely ageless and timeless. Released only 6 years after the original Resident Evil, REmake was everything Shinji Mikami wanted the original game to be. Scarier, better graphics, better translation and voice overs, it was all here and then some. Everything was overhauled and practically nothing was cut, in fact there was way more stuff added to make the experience even beefier. Though the story is essentially the same, better presentation went a long way towards making it feel shiny and brand new. Gone were any live-action scenes or cheesy "Jill sandwich" line, direction was smart and film-like, lit like the most gorgeous Gothic horror film you've ever seen and shot with Carpenter-esque tension and suspense, from the totally reworked opening to the action-fueled climax. This of course extends to the game's fixed camera, every angle made with care and precision, illuminating what you need to see and hiding what they don't want you to see. Every frame of this game is a Renaissance painting, the detail in the Mansion and beyond is immaculate thanks to amazing pre-renders that hold up to this day. You'll go through grand marble-floored entrances to dingy hallways soaked with so must dust and decay you can feel it in your throat. Step outside onto moonlit cemeteries for some fresh air, as the soft muddy soil squishes under boot and small puddles splash in the aftermath. The Residence is a house taken over by mother nature, in what could be a beautiful scene maligned with corpses and dangerous vines peeking out through every wooden floorboard and wall panel. This careful attention to world design ties perfectly into gameplay; every room is memorable, giving this otherwise sprawling maze of inter-connectivity an intimate feeling where learning all passageways and short-cuts becomes a reward in and of itself.

And you will need this knowledge, because REmake is not an easy game. Zombies take a lot of hits until they're felled, and even then you have a potential Crimson Head problem if not you're not burning the bodies. Cerberus move fast and pin you to the ground, rewarding quick reflexes and careful shots. In later game, Hunters take on the role of zombies as the common enemy, with the speed of the Cerberus mixed with hard hitting bites of zombies. Every battle is a choice, to waste precious resources or to conserve and avoid. Any damage or misstep can almost always be avoided, though defense items do even the score a bit if a mistake is made, but even then that's another potential item lost. The up-close and personal nature of the Mansion means taking precaution, walking slow, and thinking before any action is made. It just has a way different feel than any other RE I can think of; it trades hordes of ammo-draining zombies which makes it seem like ammo conservation matters, for singular enemies where fighting could always mean the difference between life and death. Again, as room layouts become ingrained in your subconscious, so does enemy placement, because no zombie is wasted in obscure areas and no Chimeras are left hanging in the lab. REmake is always rewarding you or punishing you, and that is simply an awesome way of teaching the player through experience and potentially making anyone a pro zombie dodger zooming through the mansion at world-record speed.

I do want to talk about the story a bit more too. While as stated it remained pretty much intact from the original, REmake's most noteworthy addition to the story is the arc of the Trevors, told primarily through files. George Trevor, the Spencer Mansion architect, is betrayed by his employer and trapped in the house of torture that he himself created. His daughter and wife, Lisa and Jessica respectively, are also captured by Umbrella. While Jessica is murdered, Lisa only around 15 at the time, is subjected to decades of torture. While Resident Evil tends to err more on the B-movie cheesy side of horror, these stories are injected with pure Argento-style horror that makes the imagination run rampant due to being told primarily through the written word. However, you do encounter Lisa, and though she's slow and cumbersome, the files make you remember how terrifying she really is and her rattling chains and heart-piercing wail is always a good excuse to run the opposite direction. Otherwise, across the board, characters are improved without changing them too much. Barry is still jovial and kind of a goofball who will still always gets Jill out of a jam, but this time he's played much more jumpy and paranoid and Jill catches on quick. Jill herself is a lot tougher and self-assured, thanks in no small part to better voice direction. Chris is still a blank slate, while Rebecca is often seen frightened (which makes no sense due to RE0 but hey we'll jive with it) but given constant assurance by Chris and proves her skills as a medic and pianist. Finally, we have Wesker as the last of the core cast, and I can't tell if he's extra shady as a writing choice or because players might already have advanced knowledge of him being a traitor. I'm willing to bet on a bit of both! While overall the dialogue of original RE1 will always be more memorable, REmake just perfectly nails a distinct, serious horror atmosphere which i think was a good change for pace for one game at least.

I could talk about REmake all day and every tiny detail the game pulls off just right, but players of this masterpiece already know that, and I wouldn't want newcomers to be totally spoiled either. REmake is just an intricate puzzle box that opens its gameplay and horrors layer by layer, demanding replay after replay and restart after restart. Modes galore, varying levels of difficulty, different types of weapon runs, speedruns, REmake is an endless treasure trove of smart game design and frightening terrors that will never get old to me and I will keep replaying it until the day I die.

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5. Ars Goetia (Book) (26 points)
Nominated by: Anagram (0/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 7
Snake: 9

The Ars Goetia, literally the Art of Conjuring Demons, is the definitive work of ritual occultism. It details a list of 72 demons, their powers and descriptions, their sigils, and of course, how to summon them. Even if you've never heard of the Ars Goetia, you might be familiar with some of the demon names: Paimon, Bael, Valefor, Barbatos, Eligos, Astaroth, Flauros. Yes, the Ars Goetia has had a profound influence on all forms of fiction from horror to fantasy to science-fiction whether you ever realized it or not. One of the biggest recent films to reference this grimoire is Hereditary, which uses the demon Paimon and actually includes the exact steps used in the book to summon him. Final Fantasy X includes Valefor as a literal summon as Yuna creates a sigil around her (unfortunately, it's not the sigil from the book). A surprising reference is in the anime franchise Gundam, which includes 72 Gundam frames all named after demons from the Goetia. Yes, the Goetia runs deep in what it has influenced. Perhaps one time it was used for its intended purpose, but as time has passed, the Goetia has been interpreted more as metaphorical reflections of the human condition. For example, the Duke Zepar can be conjured and made to force women to love men and make women barren, representing intense sexual desires and savagery. It a more positive one, Vual brings enemies and allies together as one, representing the potential of harmony and peace that exists in our world. It's an interesting little book if you're into occult stuff, like I am. It may seem more like the Marvel Handbook of Demonology these days, but I think there's still still a lot to be gleaned psychologically from it, and I also think that's why it holds such a powerful grasp over our fiction to this day.

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oh look at me im great paul with two noms in the top four

leaves

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On a serious note, really great write ups. Loved the ones for Threnody and REmake.

Four Horsemen and Ars Goetia were very cool noms

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Thanks and they have been some of the most fun and interesting for me to write about too!

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I've never played much for Resident Evil besides some of 4 and the beginning of REmake. I'm hoping to one day go back to REmake. It was really neat, but the gameplay tank controls were turning me off a bit.

wallmasterz posted...

oh look at me im great paul with two noms in the top four

leaves

I was hoping that we were going to have both of our noms be the top 4.

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Great_Paul posted...

I've never played much for Resident Evil besides some of 4 and the beginning of REmake. I'm hoping to one day go back to REmake. It was really neat, but the gameplay tank controls were turning me off a bit.

I was hoping that we were going to have both of our noms be the top 4.

I played REmake for the first time last year, its phenomenal.

The top of this list is pretty unimpeachable. That wouldve been cool for sure but I cant disagree with where REmake landed based on the scoring system. Im glad I got to participate and didnt miss the nomination window, which I often do for cool projects like this one.

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I think this might be the worst I've ever done in a Snake horror ranking

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Great_Paul posted...

I was hoping that we were going to have both of our noms be the top 4.

And by the way, not sure if I came across sour grapes but I didnt mean to whatsoever if so. Im truly not concerned with where my noms land. But I had to drop that ertyu reference when it came to mind

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Haha nah I had a good laugh at the ertyu reference. Hopefully one day he'll rise out of purgatory only to be suspended again 6 minutes later.

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If that doesnt happen, Ill make one of my noms in Snake Ranks Anything Horror Related (Vol. 6)

ertyu never returning to Board 8. leaves

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Top 5 achieved

I think I've gotten into the top 5 in each of these, though I might be wrong.

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Johnbobb posted...

I think this might be the worst I've ever done in a Snake horror ranking

Should've nominated another kitty!

Anagram posted...

Top 5 achieved

I think I've gotten into the top 5 in each of these, though I might be wrong.

I went back and checked and this is actually your first since the #1.


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Well, goddamn.

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4. The Invisible Man (1933) (26 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul (1/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXMOURHEMpY

Importance: 10
Fear: 6
Snake: 10

The Invisible Man has always been my favorite of the classic canon of Universal Monster Movies. Based on the 1897 novel by H.G. Wells of the same title, and being based more in sci-fi than horror, The Invisible Man is perhaps the least scary on the surface but underneath hides deep psychological undertones that makes The Invisible Man an absolutely thrilling watch. It stars Claude Rains, in his first full American role, as Griffin, a man rendered invisible thanks to the work of an obscure drug. I really love how the film already starts him off as the Invisible Man, already being driven mad by the drug's effects. The Invisible Man was directed by James Whale, known for Frankenstein and The Old Dark House before this, and I like to think he learned a lot about pacing these monster movies by the time The Invisible Man started production. Swathed in bandages and nifty goggles, we initially are unsure of whether or not Griffin is invisible yet. The reveal of Griffin as he takes off his bandages could be in and of itself a Twilight Zone worthy twist ending, with absolutely uncanny maniacal laugh as everyone runs screaming (Mark Hamill actually credits this laugh to his own Joker cackle). Griffin has gone fully mad here, and has aspirations of global domination due to his unstoppable ability. This sounds frightening, but Whale's direction actually injects more comedy in the film than you may think. Griffin's ideas of world domination involve scaring the locals with pranks and robbing banks; yes there are murders but Rains' Griffin hams it up to such an insane degree that it just becomes a perfect slice of black comedy. Still, there's definitely an element here of sadness, as Griffin was just a normal man with a fiance before doing his experiments, and it's a lesson on how absolute power can corrupt so easily, a true Aesop in Universal Monster form. The Invisible Man is renowned for its special effects and involved Rains in a black velvet suit filmed against a black velvet background, then using the matte process to combine the shot with another of the location. It's ingenious and makes the film as memorable as it is. Rains would go on to have an insanely prolific career, a character actor who go on to appear in seminal films like Casablanca, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and another Universal film The Wolf Man, just to name a few. With the remake proving this story to be relevant in modern and unique ways, The Invisible Man is still a film you can get back to today and get an absolute thrilling, scary, and comedic ride out of it while seeing just how influential this film has been.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

The Invisible Man has always been my favorite of the classic canon of Universal Monster Movies.

Same here! I was glad to see how well this one placed.

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3. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (27 points)
Nominated by: Great_Paul (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtpxqajFak

Importance: 10
Fear: 7
Snake: 10

The ultimate essential work of German Expressionism, I tend to think of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as the true start of horror cinema. Yes, films like 1910's Frankenstein and the partially lost The Golem from 1915 had given audiences nightmares before Caligari, but none of them quite changed the game and started a new era much like Caligari did. It's a silent film, natch, and thus will rely on your tolerance and attention span towards no dialogue, but I tell you it's worth it and in my slightly biased opinion actually one of the best gateways into other silent films of the era. Every shot of the film feels like something out of a pop-up storybook, and given dreamlike qualities thanks to a vignette look playing up darkness, shadows literally painted on the set, and various frame coloring, it's intimate and voyeuristic in a sense, as if you're a fly on the wall. Geometry is pointed and jagged, like the disorienting canals of one's frantic mind, and this even extends to the inter-titles with its purposeful slapdash encompassing letters of all different sizes, like peering into one's uncollected thoughts. The story follows Dr. Caligari, a crazed hypnotist who uses a somnambulist, or sleepwalker, named Cesare, for murder. Caligari was released only a few years after the end of World War I, and is thus a strong commentary on German society and authority at the time. Dr. Caligari is the stand-in for these authoritative figures and the iron grip of rigid routine they held over the people, as Cesare, representing these people, is just a tool to allow Caligari to only tighten that stranglehold further. The film also comments on mental health and the poor conditions of asylums, as doctor misuse and mistreat their patients. Sets are done up to appear as nightmarish battlefields reflecting the actual war. In the end you find a reason for all this symbolism, and it's one of the earliest examples of a twist ending. Dr. Caligari set the stage for a whole century of groundbreaking filmmakers, both in the short term with films like Nosferatu and up to this very day with films like The Lighthouse and Nightmare Before Christmas, hell even influencing the way slashers work, especially a film series like Friday the 13th. If there were a Mount Rushmore of horror, this film would be on it, no question. Silent film fan or not, this is absolutely essential watching and will transform the way you see movies from then on out.

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Yeah The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was a neat surprise discovery for me. James Rolfe did a video on it in February for it's 100th anniversary, so I was interested enough to watch it before watching his overview. I really enjoyed the visuals and the twist ending was really neat.

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