Horror is most definitely one of the most intriguing genres of any form of art. Fantasy explores a new world of magic and fascination, romance focuses on love and relationship, and plain old realistic fiction just portrays a life of realism. Most genres, like the ones I’ve just mentioned, are ones that we can find some sort of comfort in, whether we can relate or if it’s something purely existent in your imagination. Horror, however, is not quite the same. It’s meant to make you uneasy and uncomfortable. It’s meant to make you feel afraid, something which most other genres never aim for. But all horror isn’t made equal. Horror media, especially in our modern-day, isn’t as exciting or intriguing as it once was. Nothing feels horrifying. But that’s where analog horror comes in—a genre of horror that brings the horror back.
What is Analog Horror?
Before we look at anything else, let’s look at what analog horror really is. Analog horror is horror that uses the aesthetic of analog media to convey its story. So, to understand what analog horror is, we need to know fully what analog is, and what analog media is.
Analog media is media that uses electrical or magnetic fields to store data. It doesn’t need to be computed into binary code to be stored; it is stored directly and immediately. Media that does require binary code to be stored is digital media. Forms of analog media would be things like radios, boomboxes, cassette tapes, and VHS tapes, the latter being one of the most popular forms of media used to create analog horror. Analog media, while not as used now, was commonly used up until around the 1990’s when digital media started becoming more popularized.
But That’s Not the Complete Picture
Analog horror isn’t really horror that uses analog media, at least not fully. If you see most analog horror projects, you will see that the pieces aren’t made using analog media—they are made to recreate the aesthetics of analog media. So, horror pieces made using analog media are not analog horror. Pieces that are created on software like Adobe Flash recreating the appearance of analog media is analog horror.
Why, though? Why isn’t analog horror just horror made with analog media? That’s a great question. It all comes down to the fundamental principles of analog horror. Analog horror thrives on nostalgia. The horror it brings comes from the nostalgia of the use of analog within the pieces. Therefore, pieces that used analog media when it was popular would not be analog horror. After all, how can you feel nostalgia for an age you are living in? Analog horror is meant to make you feel nostalgic for the analog era, so horror media made in that era would not fit the genre’s definition.
Of course, there is much more to analog horror, especially its history. So if you want to learn more about the history of analog horror, check out this video documentary! It goes incredibly in depth into the genre of analog horror and includes some of its most known contributors.
Unfiction
Analog horror is a part of a larger genre known as unfiction. Unfiction is a genre in which the media seems to insist it is real and not fictional while entirely benign fictional. This genre of unfiction arose during the dawn of the internet, with things like Creepypastas, ARGs (Alternative reality games) because the internet made it easier to create such media. People could form a storyline while pretending it was real and even tricking the audience into thinking so.
It might be difficult to understand that now but let’s take an example. Let’s say you came across this YouTube channel which seems to post vlogs of sorts. However, as you keep watching the vlogs, you see weird things happening within the frames. There is something sinister within the footage you are watching and as you watch more, everything unravels. Now, this is quite vague because it applies to numerous different forms of unfiction found specifically on YouTube. Now, as you found it, it might seem real. It might seem like something that actually happened because the media presents itself as a part of your reality. However, the media is the work of someone you created that storyline and created that piece of media.
Getting into Analog Horror
There are many, many analog horror series and pieces you can watch. They are very accessible to watch. YouTube has been the breeding ground for analog horror films for a very long time now so you’re more than likely to find what you want on there. I have watched quite a few myself, and based on my experience with analog horror as well as the experience of the general community, here is a list of some of the best analog horror films for you to watch.
#1 – The Mandela Catalouge
The Mandela Catalogue is arguably one of the most well-known and well-liked analog horror series. The series creates a world in which these beings known as alternates exist. Alternates are essentially doppelgängers, but they’re existence and intentions are quite sinister. The series uses VHS tapes, cartoons, and other forms of analog media to explore the history of the alternates’ existence and the current impact on the world of The Mandela Catalogue. I would love to say more but that would get too much away. The Mandela Catalogue is a must-watch when you’re getting into analog horror so keep it on your list! Here is the playlist of all the parts to The Mandela Catalogue.
#2 – The Walten Files
The Walten Files is another revered series in the analog horror community. Created by Martin Walls, The Walten Files is set in a fast food restaurant called Bon’s Burgers and Bunny Smiles Inc. with an animatronic band, in similar style to Five Nights at Freddy’s. Jack Walten and Felix Kraken founded the place together but it was shut down after an incident that left the restaurant irredeemable. The story then follows the tragedies surrounding the Walten family and the burdens laid upon their last surviving descendant, Sophie Walten. If you ever enjoyed Five Nights at Freddy’s and the lore surrounding it, or even those conspiracy theories about Chuck E. Cheese, you will surely enjoy this analog horror series. Here is the playlist to all parts of The Walten Files.
#3 – The Kid and the Camera
“The Kid and the Camera” is one of my favorite examples of analog horror media. The video itself pretends to be an episode from an older children’s cartoon channel, Tiny Toe (not a real TV channel). The narration similar to a children’s cartoon show as well, immersing you into the experience of being a kid watching TV. The story follows a boy named Caleb and proceeds like a normal kid’s show for the most part. However, The darkness of horror slowly begins to creep in until it reveals itself at the very end.
Unlike the previous two listed above, “The Kid and the Camera” is not a series. Instead, it is a short film of sorts, making it easy to watch in one sitting. I will also say, out of personal experience, that the storyline is much easier to follow and understand than the previous two. While I needed to watch a few analysis videos to fully cement my understanding of The Mandela Catalogue and The Walten Files, I was able to understand “The Kid and the Camera” on my own.
But that doesn’t mean that this piece isn’t as complex as the previous two; they are all incredibly complex and artistic in their manners and each deserve to be enjoyed. “The Kid and the Camera” is truly one of my all time favorites and so is the new short film by GrumbledInkEntertainment, “The Hunt Amongst the Green”. Here is the link to “The Kid and the Camera” and “The Hunt Amongst the Green”.
#4 – Local 58 TV
Local58TV is considered to be a classic in the analog horror genre. While it was not the first of analog horror series to pop up, it was definitely one of the primary ones that pushed the genre’s popularity. For that reason, it holds a high reputation and level of respect within the community. It is a cosmic horror of sorts, focusing its storyline around the moon. It appears to be a local TV channel that gets hijacked within every episode as if by a supernatural force, revealing strange broadcasts. Each of the episodes are quite short, making it easier to watch in one sitting than the first two listed. It is truly a classic to the analog horror genre so if you want to get into analog horror, Local58TV should definitely be at the top of your list. Here is the playlist to all parts of Local58TV.
#5 – The Boiled One Phenomenon
Recognize this picture? A while back, this image got popular on TikTok and a lot of people were talking about the creature within it, the Boiled One. This image comes from the analog horror series, The Boiled One Phenomenon by Doctor Nowhere. The series follows a TV channel that has been hijacked by the creature known as “The Boiled One”. The victims of his image and voicefell into a psuedocoma, a state of paralysis where they cannot move yet are fully aware. The analog horror series follows the history of this creature, its continued effects on its victims, and the eventual finale. This is an incredible piece of work that is very meticulously and artistically put together. It’s a must-watch for any analog horror lover!
The Psychology of Analog Horror: Why is it so Scary?
I was always into horror ever since I was a kid. I would search the library bookshelves for every last horror short story collection and watch every last horror movie my mother would let me. Just when I was running out of horror media to consume, COVID-19 hit. However, while everything else was locked down and restrained, my horror landscape has just expanded beyond my own conception. With school online, I had unrestrained access to the internet and all the excuses to surf the web. That’s when, like so many other kids my age, I got into things like creepypasta and urban legends. They were scary for quite a while. I wouldn’t be able to sleep for nights on end after watching and reading some of those creepypastas and urban legends. However, I kept watching it, and soon, they didn’t scare me like they used to.
But that’s when I came across this new genre, analog horror (or at least it was new to me). While I had watched some other obscure analog horror videos before, the first one that stuck with me was The Mandela Catalogue. It terrified me, more than I had ever been terrified. I had never felt so involved or so personally affected by any piece of horror media. So, I laid scared in bed, unable to sleep, just like I had with the creepypastas and urban legends. But it wasn’t exactly the same. As I sat up awake, I kept thinking; I kept thinking about the series, about what it meant, about what it was going to be. No piece of horror media had ever made me think like that. That’s when I knew I hit the horror jackpot; horror that makes you think.
But how, just how, was it that scary? All the horror movie hall-of-famers, from Scream to Human Centipede were scary, but not this scary. This horror was something different, something that attacked deep within. But why is that?
The answer is, my friends, one simple word: nostalgia.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is defined by the longing for one’s past experiences and memories. It is often positive, as this journal states, but can still take a negative or ambiguous form. It’s quite an abstract concept that hasn’t been fully covered by psychological science. It is hard to explain to anyone what nostalgia feels like. I mean, how to explain that churning within the pit of your stomach of the fullness you feel in your heart when you reflect fondly on something? It’s hard to explain; it’s almost inexplicable. And yet, it’s an experience we can all relate to on a deep and personal level. It is reminiscing about the past in a sentimental manner.
Nostalgia is incredibly powerful. You can feel its power when you experience it. It has the power to move you beyond what something new can. It has the power to touch you so deeply, even if the material itself isn’t very deep at all. Nostalgia can even meddle with your objective mind, the force of nostalgia clouding your mind from what you very well know is fact. It is that power that analog horror harnesses, and that power which it exploits to make you feel horror to its fullest potential.
Nostalgia in Analog Horror
Analog horror, as I’ve already explained, is based on analog forms of media that was most popular in the 20th century. But remember, horror made with analog media during the era doesn’t count, only ones made to replicate it after the fact. This is very specific to analog horror and it is exactly how it harnesses the power of nostalgia.
Analog media, like VHS tapes and TV channels (especially children’s shows) bring a sense of nostalgia in people who once used those regularly. That era, especially if it was during one’s childhood, feels comforting and familiar. It’s something you can fall back on and feel safe in. Analog horror uses that safe space, the place that makes you comforted, that nostalgia that makes you feel so deeply moved beyond anything else, and twists it. It takes what is familiar and safe and makes it dangerous. It infects the very thing you always thought you could retreat to—your childhood. That’s what makes it so terrifying; it takes something as cherished as your childhood memories and corrupts it, turning it from comforting to terrifying. How could you not feel scared now, when even your own memories are corrupted?
Conclusion
That is the power and beauty in analog horror, and why I love it so much. It hits something deep within you to pull out the most raw fear possible. Analog horror isn’t for everyone, though. It isn’t the type of horror just anyone can engage with and enjoy. No, this genre is reserved for people who truly enjoy being scared. It is for the people who are willing to allow their very own nostalgia to be infected. It is truly one of the most revolutionary forms of horror, a horror that hits you as deep as possible.
The thing is, once you keep consuming it, analog horror becomes that memory it once corrupted. It becomes the nostalgia you long for, the safe space you fall back on. It becomes comfortable. So, when the most horrifying of horror becomes comfortable, what more is there left to scare you?
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