Series:
DVD:
Directed by: Troy Wagner & Joseph DeLage
Written by: Troy Wagner, Joseph DeLage, Tim Sutton & Kirill Baru
Starring: Troy Wagner, Joseph DeLage, Jessica May & Tim Sutton
Genre: Internet Horror series.
YouTube channels: Marble Hornets; totheark
Twitter: @marblehornets
Previously: My review of Season 1.
Series review: Marble Hornets Season 2 begins with our protagonist Jay waking up in a hotel seven months after Season 1 with no idea of how he got there, or what happened since entry 26. He and a girl named Jessica are the only tenants in the hotel, and Jay soon learns that Jessica has also forgotten how she got there. Jay later finds footage that he shot in the missing seven months, and he begins to piece together what has happened to him, and those in his proximity.
[ad#longpost]As I stated in my review of last season, the series is relentlessly creepy and tense, and the paranoia it plants in the viewer is profound. Story seems to be the larger focus in this season, and the scares are less heavy-hitting than last season. The narrative is actually quite engaging, and the twists and turns the story takes are enjoyable and thought-provoking. The acting in the series has dramatically increased, although some scenes could do with a bit more scripting. Jay and Alex (Played by Wagner and DeLage, respectively) are far more convincing in their roles, and the new character Jessica (May) is well acted.
Overall, the second season is enjoyable, but a bit underwhelming. It reeks of “Middle of the Story,” and I think that’s okay. A few entries are a bit silly, but the overall quality has improved. The “totheark” responses this season are genuinely disturbing, and the season finale is superb. It seems to me that Season 3 is set up for the series to meet a satisfying conclusion.
DVD review: The first thing I noticed when I got this was how much better it looked as compared to last season. The cover art (designed by Keith Pickering) is downright fantastic, and the DVD menus are chilling and creative. It seems to me that much more effort has gone into the DVD this time around, both aesthetically and content-wise. The commentary is actually informative this time…although Troy, Joseph and Tim still fall off of the track a couple of times. All of the special features are interesting/amusing, and a hidden Easter egg made me laugh out loud.
Isaac’s Thoughts & Recommendations: I love this series. I really do. It confuses, terrifies, and conflicts me. The scares are well thought out and satisfying. I still think that even with the few shaky bits in Season 2, Marble Hornets should be watched by everyone who enjoys a good scare. The creators are massively talented people, and I genuinely respect and admire their work. So my recommendation is this: Watch it all now, and get caught up before season 3 starts, because this is not a series you want to be left out on.
Isaac-
Have you seen any of the other Slender Man video series out on YouTube? Granted, there are a myriad of them, and several of them aren’t very good, but there are a few (TribeTwelve, DarkHarvest00, and MLAndersen0 come to mind) that are superb. If you haven’t seen them, I suggest them to you.
Marble Hornets is awesome (and it was your original review of the first season that started me down the Marble Hornets path, so thank you for that), and these others are pretty great too.
Thanks, Isaac!
Of course, man. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve been wanting to get into EverymanHYBRID and Tribe Twelve, but just cannot find the time or a strong enough bladder.
I’ve not been able to get into EMH. Every time I try, it just makes no sense in entry progression. TT starts off bad (terrible TERRIBLE acting), but gets a LOT better as the series progresses.
Another one that’s just started off that I particularly like, though it’s gotten mediocre reviews at the Unfiction Forums is OneHundredYardStare.
Anyway, thanks, and looking forward to season 3 starting up!