#← Not really. But yes this is by Mr. Petscop.

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3D Workers Island by Tony Domenico

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“Analog Horror” Reviews

I’ve been wanting to give more thorough reviews to each series I mentioned in this post, along with a couple that I’ve seen since then. Shoutouts to @that-one-gay-bird​ for prompting me to make this.

First, an updated ranking, because it has changed, and then I’ll give the proper reviews in no particular order.

GOOD: This House Has People In It, The Monument Mythos/Cornerfolk, Eventide Media Center, FNAF VHS

OK: Backrooms, Petscop, Local 58

TBD: Gemini Home Entertainment, Andy’s Apple Farm

BAD: The Walten Files, CRT Anomalies, The Mandela Catalogue, The Macabre Experiment

alright let’s get going

This House Has People In It: This one is mostly nostalgia. I got into this back before the genre of Analog Horror was even a thing. THHPII is a wild multimedia ride that only gets more confusing the more you look into it. As someone who likes really weird shit, this obviously appeals to me. It’s also the only one of these videos to genuinely unnerve, I might even say scare, me just due to how much crazy stuff happens all at once.

Local 58: Okay, Contingency is a good video. A really good video. Maybe not that good, but still a good video. I also think it’s Local 58′s only good video, with everything else just being bland and forgettable. Cadavre a cute, however.

FNAF VHS: Man, this one is just good all around. Even if you’re not a fan of FNAF, I would recommend this. It gives the events of the first four games a lot more weight and there are some neat references to the franchise for those who are already fans. The videos have the most variety I’ve seen out of any series and Memories just might be the best piece of FNAF-related media ever produced.

Gemini Home Entertainment: This was at the very bottom of my original ranking, with me regarding it as a series that spun its wheels for two years and went nowhere. However, I still keep up with a few analog horror channels I don’t like just to see where they go, and I’m glad I did because every video from HOME INVADER HELP onwards has pleasantly surprised me. They’re creepy, they’re engaging, they’re everything I wanted out of the premise from the start. However, the old videos still exist, and they are still not that good, and I can’t in good faith recommend a series where you can skip half the videos and get roughly the same effect. Because yes, as a series that took almost two years to really get going, it has a lot of filler. But things are looking up. I’m keeping my eye on this one, and you should too.

Petscop: Does this count? I’m gonna count it, because I have things to say about it. Petscop gained notoriety mainly because of its production value, and it’s not hard to see why. I wouldn’t call it bad, not until episode 17 where everything about the story gets put on hold to look at backend development material and never gets back on track. It’s just too vague for its own good. It’s easy to draw your own interpretation of events because the game doesn’t really have a story, it just sort of vomits imagery at the viewer and asks them to make something of it. At least the music’s good.

One last thing: if your first or, god forbid, only exposure to this was Night Mind’s video, then I pity you.

CRT Anomalies: Not worth the time.

The Walten Files: TWF has a lot going for it. It’s drawn from scratch. It’s based on FNAF, but still has an original story. And it’s got a lot of the same variety that FNAF VHS does. Mr. Walls does some pretty good gore. And the first two videos are good. And the spinoffs aren’t too shabby either. But it cannot be overstated just how awful the voice acting in this series is. And I’m well aware that I’m being a dick by saying this, but when you spend an hour with Sophie, you really feel it. It also doesn’t help that Bunnyfarm has the worst writing out of the three videos.

I am going to give due credit though. The guy who did Brian Stells is good, the person behind Sha/Rosemary knocked it out of the park, and the text-to-speech is always a nice, reliable pick.

Come to think of it, why is this so low? It might be better in the limbo category with GHE and AAF. Eh, I’ll just say it’s because of findjackwalten.com. ARGs are fuckin’ gay.

Andy’s Apple Farm: Andy’s Apple Farm is a good condensed representation of the past few years of horror, which is good if you’re new to the scene or are just out of the loop in general. I am neither. Next!

The Macabre Experiment(copied from a post I made on 4chan): a series based on old creepypastas is a good idea because many of them are great conceptually but are written horribly, but I don't feel these videos do those stories justice. they strip away a lot of the more interesting parts of those old ideas, and it also seems to be laying its own story on top of them, but it's been 3 videos with no development in that regard. the Ben Drowned video is especially insulting because most of it is footage ripped directly from Jadusable's original videos with a filter over it. (why the fuck is there even a VHS filter there anyway? the dude is playing a nintendo 64 on what I assume is an LCD television and using a program to directly record the screen.)

just go read the original stories

Eventide Media Center: There’s a running sentiment about analog horror that a significant chunk of it is just copying Local 58. EMC is the most obvious example of this, but I’d say it does a better job at what Local 58 is trying to do. Its ideas are just more interesting, and it takes the time to fully realize them. If you actively dislike Local 58, you should skip this one. But if you did like it (or found it boring like I did) give this a shot.

Backrooms: I’m of the opinion that the premise of the backrooms is not strong enough to support any extended project, but the Backrooms does a better job than most at doing the backrooms justice. it’s caught in an unfortunate bind between adding too much and ruining the horror of isolation or not having enough content for new videos. eventually, the scale is going to tip one way or the other.

Monument Mythos/Cornerfolk: The Monument Mythos is unique in every sense. It’s got a solid premise. It has its own style that’s more like something you’d see in a museum than on a VHS tape. It has phenomenal sound design. I also like the way it plays with its framing. Everything feels like it was made by someone in-universe and intended for someone else to view. It pushes the bounds of both the “Analog” and “Horror” components of Analog Horror, which honestly is just a general term for creepy videos at this point. A lot of the earlier videos shit the bed when it comes to revealing the horror, and I’m iffy on the most recent additions, but when it gets good it gets really fucking good. It’s a web of intrigue and atrocity that gets tighter with each new installment. Really, the best I can say is that it’s unique.

oh, and I guess I gotta mention the cornerfolk as well now. that, uh, doesn’t really have enough content specific to it for me to form a judgement.

The Mandela Catalogue: it’s shit