Marble Hornets

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.

Everyone who knows The Blair Witch Project knows the incredible impact it has had on pop culture and the surrounding area it took place in, having the ability to bring a rich history into existence despite having been not known before the film. Marble Hornets attempts to do this with an established internet bogeyman (the Slenderman) and brings it to a level most would not have expected.

Marble Hornets, a youtube series about an abandoned student film with many hidden secrets to share before bringing in the narrator, Jay's own experiences into the story, shows an amazing aptitude into psychological horror. By showing very little of the mysterious tall, well-dressed being, and giving visual and auditory clues of his influence instead, the creators are able to add a perfect amount of tension, keeping viewers on the edge of their seat throughout the duration of each entry into the series. Viewers' minds will be reeling with questions as they watch, trying to uncover the mystery of the events shown.

Highly recommended for fans of horror and mystery, especially Lovecraft fans

A great, suspenseful series that best represents the "Slenderman phenomenon." From a technical standpoint, this series succeeds without flaw with good special effects that are used appropriately, believable characters, and a gripping storyline. Although presented as a found-footage style film, I believe that it is one of the best examples of an otherwise cash-in genre in horror. While most Slenderman films are dismiss-able, this series creates a well balanced feel of supernatural and reality. I would highly recommend this to anyone with enough time to go through the episodes. It is a very unnerving series and this is coming who has watched hard-core horror movies since he was a child. Overall, I would give it a 10/10 for having done all the things it set out to do perfectly even if it has spawned a following of people making cheap rip offs.

What Marble Hornets is: A series about college kids who get caught up into some really, really weird stuff. Its slow, its confusing, but not just to us, to the characters to. We see what they see. We only know what they know. Thats /the point/.

What Marble Hornets is to people with no patience or understanding: Slow, boring, uninteresting, unfun.

Marble Hornets lost a bit of magic when it ended because - now for new viewers, you didn't get to see it progress. A lot of this series to me was waiting and watching for updates, eager to see what was next. At the height of this, I would say in 2012, it really was a community series. I remember staying up all night with friends, talking about theories, discussing new tweets and watching the entries together. Now you really can't do that, and its not the fault of THAC that it just lost that bit of magic.

But I digress. This series is slow at the beginning, weird at the middle, and absolutely insane at the end. I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone with a patience and maybe, you know, a love for seeing how the slenderverse started. Because this series freakin' pioneered it, lads.

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 ;)