what is analog horror?
horror which utlizes old or outdated visuals, trying to mimic the aesthetic of VHS tapes, EAS, archival footage or satellite TV.
why is it scary?
it can play on nostalgia, childhood memories and other familiar settings. the grainy and unclear visuals can easily create an uncanny valley effect.
common tropes:
- - 1970s-1990s
- - VHS tapes
- - white noise/distortion
- - lost media
- - employee training tapes
- - commercials/informercials
- - EAS
- - archive footage
- - the satanic panic
MONUMENT MYTHOS
alt history
Best episodes?
- ALCATRAZAPOCALYPSE
- LIBERTYLURKER
- THE HOUSE IN THE OCEAN
- THE MONUMENT MONSTER
- MUSKMARS
my favourite series of all time. no contest. great balance of horror, commentary and absurdism with how insane the monsters and circumstances can be.
i started watching MM back when it was just 1 and a half self-contained seasons, and was following it most obsessively during the Nixonverse - Cliftverse eras. I'd also watched The House in The Ocean and The Trinity Desk before they were temporarily removed from the channel so suddenly having them both reincorporated into the main series blew my mind.
the sound design has always stood out to me in this series. great soundtrack of 20s-40s music for the blueprint sequences, but also a lot of ambient noise that's just as discordant as it is catchy. thinking mainly of ‘DUCK…and cover’ from Trinity Desk.
"James Dean is no man..."
MIDWEST ANGELICA
cosmic horror
this series is by far the most accurate looking out of any I've seen. you can sometimes tell when a series is made by someone born after 2000, who never actually watched VHS tapes back in the 90s. usually the aspect ratio is too wide or the visuals too crisp. this is NOT one of those.
aonce it started needing 3d models for bigger sequences and set pieces, that effect kind of fell away, but by that point I was just invested in watching Evangelion: The Analog Horror. there are SO many anime references in this one. the entire finale is a cross between End of Evangelion and the docking sequence from 2001:A Space Odyssey and is great.
shot composition is always amazing, to the point where some of these scenes look quite beautiful.
LOCAL 58
cosmis horror
Best episodes?
- Contingency
- Weather Service
- Skywatching
- Close
- Movie for Kids
this was my gateway to analog horror back in 2021, and probably a lot of other people's too. funny then that I don't really like the first episode much. it's not bad, it's just that the second episode (Contingency) goes SO unbelievably hard it blows that out of the water. ep2 was the point where I really got into the series.
VITA CARNIS
monsters
my favourite aspect of this series is the practical effects, even when they're cheesy. honestly that makes the moments where they look legitimately creepy hit harder. plus it's just an impressive amount of commitment to a YouTube series in a genre where most people are using 3d models - if not resorting to AI slop - to create their visuals.
very good sound design here as well, especially for some sounds the Carnis make.
THE WALTEN FILES
mascot
Best episodes?
- Return of the Pumpkin Rabbit
- CyberFun Tech (part 4)
- BunnyFarms (part 3)
yes it's clearly inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's, but honestly it trims the fat (timeline BS and excess sequels) from that series into something a lot cleaner and more raw. always a bonus when you don't need a degree in theoretical physics or mental gymnastics to comprehend a timeline.
this series packs way more emotion, and the characters are much more genuine than in the FNaF series, meaning that when horrible stuff inevitably happens to them it actually means something.
it also has a completely unique cartoon/mixed media style, so that every installment makes the series look better as the art improves.
THE MANDELA CATALOGUE
religious horror
i know this series is viewed as THE cringe mainstream analog horror because of the funny Jerma sus face memes and such, so I guess that just makes it a slightly guilty pleasure. i still really like this series and I'm sticking around until it ends. plus clearly that complaint was taken on board because as the series goes on there's less of the exaggerated smiley faces.
religious horror doesn't do much for me since I don't have a religious background at all but I can appreciate good body horror and great tension building when I see it. I also love the uncanny valley vibes once the series moves into live action footage. the world just feels Wrong somehow, which is exactly how it should feel since it's a world where Satan usurped God. literally a hellscape.
PETSCOP
gaming
"Fuck you all and fuck me as well. Merry Christmas. Check your bathroom now."
