Slender Man / Marble Hornets movie

[Timstuff]

In case anyone is unfamiliar, the Slender Man is an urban myth born out of the internet, who has his origins in Germanic folklore. At the center of all this habub is the Youtube viral series called "Marble Hornets," which are a collection of "vlogs" made by people supposedly being stalked by the mysterious and dangerous Slender Man. He is a tall, thin looking man with elongated, tentacle-like arms and no face, and he wears a black suit and tie. He has supernatural powers and a tendency to drag people away while their backs are turned. He also seems to have dragged some tormented souls under his influence, who harass and stalk people who learn too much. His only known weakness is that cameras can leach away some of his power, slowing him down while he is being recorded. At times, the series has been called a horror version of "Where's Waldo," because the Slender Man can often be seen standing ominously in the background of scenes in the Marble Hornets videos, as well as in viral photos.



The Slender Man Mythos are considered by many to be some of the creepiest creepy pasta ever to come out of the internet, and after watching the vlog series I almost was afraid to go to sleep without a camera turned on. In an age when supernatural horror seems to be in demand but declining quality, I can't help but wonder how long it will be before the Marble Hornets series transitions to the silver screen.

If they do make a Slender Man movie, I think it should be done in the tradition of the viral videos, almost like Cloverfield or Blaire Witch Project, shot mostly on handheld from the perspective of the characters. I feel like the worst thing that could happen in a film version of Marble Hornets is that they make it look and feel too "Hollywood." The budget should be kept fairly small and it should have a guerrilla feel to it, even if the production values are more professional than the web series. It could be a seriously terrifying movie if it is done the right way.

[Darth Rockwell]

So i had never heard of this before this post or if I had I had blown it off. Started watching it and have to say it was done rather well. It actually seems like someone is going through tapes that their friend left. Has a very Paranormal Activity feeling to it.

[Timstuff]

Yes, Paranormal Activity was another example that I was going to use when citing what a Slender Man movie could potentially draw influence from, although the name escaped me at the moment.

[Majik1387]

I'd rather it be filmed like an actual movie with some first person filming thrown in.

[Vapor]

I started watching Slender Man because of that creepypasta thread and I have to say, it was the most creeped out going to sleep i've felt since I was a kid. I'm not a massive horror fan but I'd love for a Marble Hornets style Slender Man film.

I think an actual Marble Hornets film would be cool or at least use it a template. I like the idea that there was these guys trying to make an indy film and they didn't even realise there was this thing watching them until it was watched back on the tapes... My favourite entry is the one you have taken the photograph from, where they are sat talking in the car and when the guy on camera leans back you notice him in the background. That's what the film should be like.

Perhaps what they could do is follow the Marble Hornets route and have a group doing an indy film and like Marble Hornets have a guy investigating the tapes but rather than do the text on the screen have a visual of the guy, say on a webcam, talking to the audience about what he's finding out... and then the audience also start seeing Slender Man stalking him which he fails to notice until it's too late. Go the whole Blair Witch/found footage route. I also like the idea of calling it something else (opposed to 'The Slender Man' for example).. kinda like a code name like Cloverfield was. It could add the whole viral/found footage aspect about it...

[Timstuff]

Originally Posted by Vapor

Perhaps what they could do is follow the Marble Hornets route and have a group doing an indy film and like Marble Hornets have a guy investigating the tapes but rather than do the text on the screen have a visual of the guy, say on a webcam, talking to the audience about what he's finding out... and then the audience also start seeing Slender Man stalking him which he fails to notice until it's too late. Go the whole Blair Witch/found footage route. I also like the idea of calling it something else (opposed to 'The Slender Man' for example).. kinda like a code name like Cloverfield was. It could add the whole viral/found footage aspect about it...

Yeah, I'm not opposed to having some more "movie-like parts to fill in the narrative, rather than vlog-style text entries like the youtube videos have. If it's about people trying to make a film and realizing that something is screwed up in their tapes, it would be a great opportunity to mix a more traditional film with some more Cloverfield-style footage. A lot of people didn't like Cloverfield because they said that being entirely handheld was too much for them (one friend of mine told me that his friend threw up after the movie).

It's kind of a tradeoff because if you go 100% the documentary route, you get a more viral, Blair-Witch effect where at times you can fool yourself into wondering if it's real, but you lose some freedom in the storytelling since all of the story has to happen while someone has a camera turned on. I suppose that either approach could work, but there definitely needs to be handheld footage in the movie since cameras are an important part of the mythos.

[A Necessary Evil]

AWESOME.

[Vapor]

Originally Posted by Timstuff

Yeah, I'm not opposed to having some more "movie-like parts to fill in the narrative, rather than vlog-style text entries like the youtube videos have. If it's about people trying to make a film and realizing that something is screwed up in their tapes, it would be a great opportunity to mix a more traditional film with some more Cloverfield-style footage. A lot of people didn't like Cloverfield because they said that being entirely handheld was too much for them (one friend of mine told me that his friend threw up after the movie).

It's kind of a tradeoff because if you go 100% the documentary route, you get a more viral, Blair-Witch effect where at times you can fool yourself into wondering if it's real, but you lose some freedom in the storytelling since all of the story has to happen while someone has a camera turned on. I suppose that either approach could work, but there definitely needs to be handheld footage in the movie since cameras are an important part of the mythos.

Yeah I get what you mean. I think the thing with Cloverfield is that it's an action film so it's very shaky cam.. Where as something like this could be a lot more controlled in the handling of the camera, except perhaps a few running away scenes. If it was made I would personally like it to go solely the Blair Witch route and have it all docu-style and then if the story called for someone else investigating why his friends had disappeared have him carrying a camera at all times and filming himself investigating the tapes and the scenes - that way you can him the investigator stalked by Slender Man too.. I think the fractured narrative (originally necessitated by the vlog style) adds to overall feel of Slender Man on film...

However, I wouldn't be opposed to mixing a normal film with docu-style footage (perhaps similar to District 9) If it was a mixed bag it perhaps wouldn't require (story-wise) to have someone investigating a collection of tapes. You could have your normal style film about a group of friends trying to make an indy film and interspearse it with their filmed footage.

Like you say, either approach could work but it definitely has to have some kind of docu or handheld footage in their as it's part of the whole Slender Man mythos.

[Jackasscoley15]

Personally I think it would do best as a Mothman Prophecies/X-Files style thriller with the handheld footage used as an important plot device.

[DarkSovereignty]

damn, i'm about halfway through entry 16, this sh** is creeping me out lol. part of me doesn't want to watch anymore.

[Nightmare]

Where can i watch?

[A Necessary Evil]

Originally Posted by Nightmare

Where can i watch?

Start Here.

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

[Nightmare]

Okay, then #26-#31?

[A Necessary Evil]

Nooo, start at introductions, then make your way up.

[Nightmare]

Originally Posted by Severus_Snape

Nooo, start at introductions, then make your way up.

UP? I saw the introduction. Now start at #31 and go down to #26?

[A Necessary Evil]

Originally Posted by Nightmare

UP? I saw the introduction. Now start at #31 and go down to #26?

No. Start at Number One and continue watching...

[Nightmare]

ohhh #6 and #7 are creepy

[DarkSovereignty]

indeed, i'm at #20 and i'm starting to get a little parnoid, about passing windows. i might give it a break for the night. i have to admit, i know its fake, which im usually not scared by movies, but for some reason these videos are really getting to me.

[A Necessary Evil]

Oh they really got to me too

[DarkSovereignty]

i found a fool proof idea...watch them muted while doing something else.

[A Necessary Evil]

Where's the fun in that?

[DarkSovereignty]

lol it beats being paranoid all night

[Octoberist]

I'll admit. it's kinda scary.

[Eggyman]

Originally Posted by Jackasscoley15

Personally I think it would do best as a Mothman Prophecies/X-Files style thriller with the handheld footage used as an important plot device.

I was thinking Mothman.

I like this. I like it a lot. Things in the background always scare the sh** out of me for some reason. Even that cardboard cutout in Three Men and a Baby, even though I know it's not real and the set isn't haunted and that cardboard isn't dangerous if you keep it away from naked flame.

[batman11]

Originally Posted by Eggyman

Things in the background always scare the sh** out of me for some reason.

Man, I'm the exact same way dude. I can't really explain it, but I sorta get creeped out by something just showing up in the background, or something that's been there for a while, but you don't really notice it until it's too late. Even small, subtle changes get to me a bit. There's something really jarring about getting accustomed to a scene, with normal and acceptable foreground elements, and when there's a change in the background, it catches you off-guard, particularly if it is of the "creepy nature." The feeling worsens, of course, when you notice it, and those in the foreground don't. Creepy stuff.

Having said all that, I really want to get into this series. I'm not huge into horror by any means, but I like the look of some of these pictures. The one of the suit slightly peeking out behind the tree at that party in the backyard is creepy as hell.

For someone who has watched the entire series, about how long would you say the entire total running time is of all of the episodes?