Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

wintry-34293 While I am very fond of the internet series Marble Hornets, the review I give is fair. That is to say, instead of enjoying it despite the flaws, I enjoy it with flaws included. Marble Hornets is a suspense-horror drama employing the 'found-footage' technique. I was late to whole Slender Man hype, as I was late to almost every other internet fad, and I approached the series with apprehension, which soon turned to wonderment. I could not see how an internet series employing a technique as redundant and clichéd as 'found- footage horror' and dealing with subject matter as corny as the Slender Man could evolve into such an absorbing, somber mood piece. I say this with no hint of irony. Granted, the series begins unexceptionally, with hokey jump scare tactics and juvenile plotting. For many, this is what enthralled them. For me, however it is not until season 3 that the show reveals it's genius, even it is perhaps unintentional. Between seasons 2 and 3 the plot becomes irrevocably confused, with twist upon twist and much backtracking, and the more we saw of Jessica and Alex, the more unintentionally humorous the show becomes. However, it is the confusion which I believe, propels the show to greatness. Take entry #54 for example, my personal favorite of the entire series. The episode opens with typical Marble Hornets, driving sequences. There are lots and lots of driving sequences. Jay talks to Tim about more tapes, and then the tape begins to run. So far I am unimpressed. But once we see the contents of the tape, the atmosphere is like a punch to the head. Not to say it is not subtle, for I believe it is, but rather that the shift in tone and sudden dislocation is truly incredible. The men run out of the rain, they sit in "Tim's music room", the power cuts out. Slender Man appears. They goof around in the dark by torchlight, and a long thin leg-like thing darts into the room. The tape ends. It is this simple sequence of events that I find so beguiling. I believe this entry to be a miniature masterpiece of escalating tension. When it is released, it is not as we expect. Sure, it's a jump scare, but it's less like Slender Man's leg, more like a giant spider's. This entry blew me away with it's effective simplicity. And yet, the flaws are equally important in my opinion of it. The keyboard "beats" sequence in crushingly unfunny in a trying-to-be-funny way, and yet paradoxically, that is why is works. I believe that the same can be said for the entire series. It is this combination between the genuinely scary atmosphere and anticipation and the poor jump scares, the uncomfortably, and sometimes unintentionally humorous acting, (take Tim's hospital confession in season 3 for instance) and the sometimes unbelievably naturalistic acting that sometimes surfaces. It's not perfect, but that's why it's perfect.

MaximumMadness A long-running web-series, "Marble Hornets" is something of an odd beast. On one hand, it's concept is great, and it's generally a well-executed example of the "found footage" sub-genre of horror.On the other hand, I do find there to be many problems with the execution, holding it back from reaching the perfection it is capable of reaching.But still, for fans of horror, this is definitely a must-see.The series seems to predominately follow Jay, as he tries to solve the mystery of what happened to his friend Alex that caused him to seemingly lose his mind and withdraw from society. Told from a "found footage" perspective, the early episodes alternate between footage shot by Alex some time earlier that Jay is reviewing (during production of a student-film he was working on) and newer footage shot by Jay as he investigates the matter. Little does Jay know that the mystery of what happened may be linked to a twisted, possibly-supernatural figure known as "The Operator." (Based heavily on the "Slender Man" mythos from the internet.)I'm quite torn by what to give the series for a score. As I said above, it's a series of strengths and weaknesses. And I fear that my decided on score of 7 may be misleadingly low, despite being a decent score. Because I do genuinely love the series. (Well, at least what I've seen so far.) And in terms of entertainment value, it's great for a free series.I think the biggest strength of the series is atmosphere, and wonderful use of the "found footage" style. If you're in the correct mindset, this series will definitely creep you to the bone. While the quality might not be great, it comes across as generally "true to life", and there's a wonderful sense of pacing, build-up and payoff as the episodes continue. Technical aspects like composition are also well-handled. And I find the storyline incredibly intriguing, and definitely one that makes me want to continue watching.That being said, I have some big issues. First, (and I hate to say this), the acting can be pretty bad at times. At least early on. It does rob some of the suspension-of-disbelief that is required for a "found footage" series. I also find the episodes to meander a bit too much. I feel like there is a lot of room and time that could be condensed and make for a more compelling experience. It can almost get boring here and there. Which makes it harder to want to sit through the episodes.Thankfully, despite those weaknesses, I feel that the strengths make the series one that fans of horror (and especially "Slender Man" fans) certainly must at least try out. I think it's great fun. It has a good story. And it has some absolutely, positively spine-tingling scares.I give it a pretty-good 7 out of 10. Frightening and fun, but not without its flaws.

luicacoustic A YouTube serial (with "Entries" serving as one episode), based on the urban legend from SomethingAwful forums, Slender Man. This is another type of movie/series like the Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield... but this title is much more superior than those mentioned as the atmosphere is much more different... and arguably much better.First, close to the experience to playing Slender: The Eight Pages, the cast and crew create an atmosphere of fear in quite a lot of entries. Also, they don't overdo the fear in every entry, as they have a created a perfect balance in intensity in the series. The shaky camera adds to the fear and anxiousness as the viewer watches every entry. Some may see this as a negative, but I believe the same effect would not work if it was filmed with professional shots, so it actually works well. The acting has also found a great balance of naturalistic acting with believable characters and good portrayal. The portrayal of Slender Man is also excellent and how he appears unknowingly in a lot of entries make this series really worth watching.The only downside to the series is that there is quite a long waiting time before another entry is posted. Which again is also a good thing, it's so good you want some more. It definitely keeps you hooked.Also, this another series where I have not felt tired of any episode or actually have favourites.If you have some time, definitely check out the series and make sure he's not watching ;)

raw3913 I am a big fan of all things horror. Ever since I was a small child I've been watching, reading, and even creating horror. I've been so de-sensitized to it that absolutely NOTHING scares me anymore...except this film. Marble Hornets has got to be one of the scariest movies of all time. It is a low budget film, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth seeing. It definitely does it's job. The acting may not be "professional" and the camera isn't always focusing on the action, but that's, interestingly enough, a good thing for this film. I would recommend this film to any horror buff- maybe not people who are easily frightened, and DEFINITELY not small children (only for the reason that it would probably require therapy for them to get over their fear). I enjoyed (rather nervously) every minute of it. The best thing about it is that it isn't one of those "jump out and get you" types. Your fear stems from the paranoia you will most definitely feel throughout the entire film. You'll find yourself looking over your own shoulder countless times. A Definite MUST SEE!