How BACKROOMS Succeeds Where Slenderman Failed

[@RyanHollinger]

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[@solemnlament9757]

Just saw Disturbing Behaviour today. Not my favourite 90s teen horror, but its different. Would love to see your take on it.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

My cluster of recommends, as per usual: As Above, So Below Mr. Jones (2013) The Underworld series Soulmate (2013) Spike (2008) Bernard Rose's modern-day Frankenstein from 2015

[@anubusx]

Review eXistenZ Pi Razorback Butterfly Kisses The Mothman Propechies😊

[@AbisexualCarpenter]

If you want to see more analog horror you should definitely check out film theory

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

Could you please provide more information or a link to that video "I Remember" and the poem read therein?

[@Hayatehiroyuki25]

The fear of being trapped in an eternal alternate reality is the same reason I love and fear Junji Ito's Long Dream short story. It's not outright scary in the story, there's a sense of deep dread that overwhelmed me when I first read it and think about how frantic the character is to escape his ever increasing long dreams.

[@Dullsonic3]

imagine if his eternal dream is being trapped in the backrooms

[@SomeRandomJackAss]

Ever read Celephais by Lovecraft?

[@Hayatehiroyuki25]

@@SomeRandomJackAss no but it sounds like I need to check it out!

[@KleptoBismol45]

Man, hearing Ryan talk about old Slender LPs and saying that Slenderman was the internet horror juggernaut of that generation made me feel like I had just opened the Ark of the Covenant with the amount of age I felt press into my mind as I realized "oh my God; I'm OLD"

[@TheBfutgreg]

Amnesia before that too

[@p.wynnmarkstall1737]

I swear I felt white hairs spring out of my earlobes

[@ToxicCallum]

You're not alone on that one!

[@murphmanfa]

Referring to himself as being so old that he can't keep up with the current generation of viral horror content when he's still a full decade younger than I am made me feel like Julian Glover aging into dust at the end of Last Crusade.

[@Finn_01]

I was like… thirteen when Marble Hornets ended. Jesus…

[@selkiestorm3232]

The idea of wandering an endless maze of empty halls and offices alone is terrifying.

[@Drop-Dead-Fred-Did-It]

Ever heard the real case of Bernard Gore, an elderly man with early stages of dementia who got lost/stuck for 3 weeks in a Westfield stairwell, after going through a fire door. Honestly it brought me to tears.

[@gabe608]

@@Drop-Dead-Fred-Did-Ityeah that poor old man must of been so scared and wondering where his loved ones were

[@thelegendofner0]

Tbh it sounds interesting for people who do urbex lol

[@Rage-_-Quit]

Yeah working at Meta is a truly horrifying thing to imagine

[@kellie6496]

it’s nice following a youtuber who is fine with skipping internet trends in favor of doing their own thing. as someone who is constantly out of touch, it makes me feel less pressure to keep up.

[@zubrhero5270]

In this world where everything moves so fast and people move on to the next trend daily, where you're constantly asked "have you caught up with Mandalorian yet?" when it's been out for a day. There simply is no "catching up", because you'll always be behind. So... you're better off looking at it like, whether it's old or not, if you haven't seen or heard it yet... it's new to you.

[@stephgilliam]

I love the vibes of The Backrooms. It feels like if Annihilation and House of Leaves had a baby with an abandoned mall.

[@Aarzu]

I can't be disappointed with Slenderman, even with the oversaturation. For me, Slenderman was a front row seat into how folklore becomes. It started out as one thing, then people grabbed it and took off with it and it became this huge thing. I remember when I first learned about Slenderman (through the short game Slender like many others) and I got curious and researched the origins. It didn't take me long to reach a solid beginning point, even though there was a lot of insistence that this creature had been a part of folklore and myth for a good while. I thought there was more to it, but there wasn't. For a brief moment I was actually disappointed, but I realized what I was witnessing and then I was amazed. Anyone who's thinking of doing their own creepypasta stuff: do it! You never know what your imagination will provoke in the imagination of others!

[@APHChibitalia1]

i’m so happy 😁 i’m not not the the 😊same same same but 😊different different 😊times times😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo😊😊😊oo😊

[@salmongod9115]

Last I checked, you can still go visit the original Something Awful forum thread (where it actually started - not on 4chan). Although... I don't know how long ago it was that I last checked. I'm also an old internet dweller :) But yeah I was similarly fascinated when I discovered it very shortly before it went viral. Definitely before the game existed. I hunted down the SA forums origin and found that they were very deliberately experimenting to see if they could intentionally create an urban legend and get it to stick. And for a while it seemed like they'd pulled it off. But then... yeah... the internet ran way too far with it and it just got dumb. I was done with it when everybody started giving him tentacles. The original two photos were the best and it was all downhill from there in terms of actual horror impact, but the internet sociology aspect was fascinating.

[@brendenmoore5513]

I’m sure im not the only person who has recommended this book but House of Leaves debuted this concept of a malevolent, infinite space (that may or may not have a monster lurking the maze) that opens up in a family’s living room. Genuinely one of the only books to truly terrify me to my core. Everything about that book is the Backrooms before they were even a thought. I highly recommend it to better understand the mechanics of the BR.

[@paultapping9510]

It's about time someone mentioned HoL

[@km099]

I would also recommend the book Piranesi. It's set in a world of infinite liminal spaces

[@paultapping9510]

@km099 oh dang, is it indeed? That bumps it up my To Read list considerably!

[@Nexils]

Was somewhere waiting for it to be brought up in the video.

[@creed8712]

You know what’s funny about that book. The first time I heard about it was in relation to a Slenderman project. Rabbit or habit…habit or rabbit

[@TheFrodoBaggins33]

I think if nearly anyone else tried to do the Backrooms series besides Kane Pixels, it wouldve been bland and faded into obscurity. He is absolutely incredible at editing, worldbuilding, and pacing. He doesnt fall into stale tropes and cliches like many creepypasta series do, and it makes it so much more engaging and higher quality than most horror movies

[@Spectra651]

When I was a child I always had this weird reoccurring fear whenever I'd go downstairs at night. We had a closed stairwell and our bathroom was on the first floor, so as not to wake up my parents I had to feel my way down the stairs in the pitch dark anytime I had to go. I always remember the stairs seeming longer at those times, never much, just a step or two more than they should've been, but I'd always wonder what I'd do if that one step turned into ten... or twenty... or more? How long before my curiosity turned to fear and I started up the stairs again only to find them just as endless in the other direction? Would I keep going up or try going back down again? What if it was the wrong way? What if my salvation was only a few more steps away but I chose to turn in the other direction? How long would I last before panicking? Before screaming in terror and loneliness? Before running? What if I tripped and, with nothing to grab onto, couldn't stop myself from tumbling down an infinitely long stairway? And, possibly the worst thought of all, what if time never passed there in the blackness? What if I never got thirsty or hungry, what if I never aged? Merely wandered for an endless eternity without even the possibility of death to free me from my prison...? Every time I think of the Backrooms I'm reminded of those long nighttime treks down the stairs.

[@coocoo3336]

Thats pretty exestential for a child holy shit

[@hunteroliver2912]

There's a magnus archives episode with basically those premise called "upon the stair." This reminded me of it, so I thought I'd share.

[@Winters91]

That's terrifying. The way you described it gave me the chills.

[@freelanceangel8962]

I'm so glad someone else drew the connection between "The Jaunt" and "The Langoliers" by King to the liminal space horror vibe and the Backrooms. They're horrifying stories when you sit down and think about being either Jaunting or being on that flight, stuck JUST out of time.

[@SurinaSlackArt]

The Backrooms is one of the few pieces of media that has actually scared me in recent years. The kid is incredibly skilled.

[@KRYPTIC05]

Yes…Kane Pixels’ Backrooms is the only backrooms media I actually enjoy.

[@KingOfGaymes]

Same, still can’t believe a teenager made it

[@elguardallavesdejaal]

I think I've heard that A-24 Films wants to do a movie with him (the guy Who has done this backrooms videos). It's the studio of "Everything Everywhere all at once" and "The Lighthouse"

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

@@elguardallavesdejaal that’s true. It has already been confirmed

[@theexchipmunk]

@@elguardallavesdejaal Hot damn. Thats gonna be pure awesome. Those movies are bothe masterpieces.

[@GothBarbie3000]

The Jaunt has always been viscerally disturbing to me. And it thrills me that you mentioned it. Thank you. This was a great video.

[@Raybro16]

Another comparison someone can make with the Backrooms is the book House of Leaves, where a family moves into a house only for them to find that the internal spaces are bigger on the inside and eventually having a door appear out of nowhere leading to a seemingly immeasurable labyrinth of corridors and chasms when it should lead to the backyard. Fantastic, albeit very difficult read.

[@insanejughead]

"Fantastic, albeit difficult" Perfect summary in three words. That book was pure gold!

[@wstine79]

A Horror HOYEVER video from Ryan Hollinger is the perfect thing to watch on St. Patrick's Day.

[@rachelle88818]

Hoyever 😂😂😂

[@chancerichards9176]

Right

[@thebigdawgj]

His inability to properly pronounce words is the worst part of this channel.

[@LoveEatingBricks]

@@thebigdawgj Weird way to spell "best"

[@thebigdawgj]

@@LoveEatingBricks It's not best, though.

[@johnsilverman656]

Excited to see you cover some analog horror online stuff… I hope you expand a little into the area of Petscope, this house has people in it, etc And wow, Pixels’ Backrooms is so goddamn good

[@amypatterson7395]

Alan Resnick, the guy who did This House Has People In It, has a lot of content that is really, really good and extremely unsettling. Personally, Unedited Footage of a Bear is a favorite.

[@wrenkennedy]

Yeah, if pyro won't give us petscop 2 it's up to you now Ryan

[@Quiltfish]

@@amypatterson7395 Unedited Footage Of A Bear is harrowing. Wasn't that also on Adult Swim Infomercials so some poor sap would have stumbled on that at 3 in the morning?

[@kymo6343]

I've experienced being paralyzed before. Being trapped in your own mind/body I feel can be pretty horribly comparable to what you mentioned here. I was only paralyzed for a little under a month but it felt so much longer than that, I thought it had been years. I don't even want to imagine what actual years might have been like...

[@derekholman8694]

I’m so glad more and more people know about the Backrooms, but I hate what’s become of it through people coming in, and adding things to make the idea less terrifying imo

[@UnityAgainstJewishEvil]

Like a black spaghetti monster, it’s lame as hell. The backrooms doesn’t need monsters, it’s not that type of horror.

[@Malice_doll]

@@UnityAgainstJewishEvil yeah seriously the “monster” looks boring as hell. either don’t have one at all or add some generic rake inspired monster over the tangled wires of my computer

[@UnityAgainstJewishEvil]

@@Malice_doll Exactly, it makes it look like there was a monster quota to fill, so it was thrown in without any second thought.

[@Robotoe]

Agreed. The initial concept is phenomenal. Everyone adding whatever silly thought pops into their head really kills it imo

[@animeguykurosaki1]

So just like Slenderman?

[@VS-kf5qw]

I was so pumped when you mentioned the Langoliers. It was one of my favorite horror movies as a child and those memories came flooding back when I discovered the backrooms, so it's fantastic to see that other people connected the two.

[@bmidtschalint3904]

Thank you for being open enough to say "I'm too old for this shit" while being able enjoy new things. It just proves being 29 doesn't mean old. Great content as always, a new video to shove down my GF's throat :)

[@daniell1483]

I'm so glad you named Langoliers. I saw that back when I was young and loved the premise, but never got the name of it (I was at a hotel or something and it was just something on the tube). The Backrooms certainly remind me of that story. It is the sense of displacement, being launched out of the safe and familiar world and rules we know and understand for this strangely, infinitely repeating world that humans are just not equipped to deal with.

[@KetchupCanvas]

I am so so so glad you mentioned The Jaunt!! I read this story years ago and it still haunts me (Stephen King has that effect on me) The idea of eternity in a second sounds mind-ripping and it's the fact that we DON'T know what it's like that makes it so scary. We only see the aftermath and must make of it what we can, leaving questions unanswered 😳😳 Love your videos!

[@lucetubegplusstillsux2678]

I never found the backrooms all that scary, but I've never been the type to be afraid of being alone with my own thoughts. I really love the vibes of closing time when a store or library has had everyone leave and I can just be at peace.

[@baramatt]

I gotta be honest, as someone who's followed both Marble Hornets and Kane's Backrooms as they were/are updating, it's a little sad to see Slenderman remembered as this cringe scar across internet horror to be used as a comparison point to show how Backrooms is fairing so much better in a similar environment, when honestly they are playing, in my eyes, pretty 1:1 in terms of the internet consumption process. The lore of some backrooms games already moves to explain and make too much of the Backrooms defeatable rather than mysterious, and they're a pretty direct comparison in role to what the Slender game did. I think just because we are earlier on in the process with Backrooms, we are being much more forgiving to it right now, but it's going to go the exact same route as Slenderman did. A lot of Slenderman lore complaints come from general internet lore rather than anything Marble Hornets did itself (ie proxies, a concept introduced and not fully delved into in marble hornets tbh its not even an accepted part of its canon, yet extremely outlined due to fandom wants outside of it and other series like tribetwelve) and the general internet is sure putting a lot of odd lore into Backrooms as well currently (almond water, anyone?). I feel like Kane's Backrooms and Marble Hornets are 1:1, just as Backrooms games and Slender boom are 1:1, but we've seen and grown tired of the steps that happened to Slenderman as it branched away from Marble Hornets, but we just haven't hit that splintering stage in full force just yet for the Backrooms. This is probably a little boomer of me with some definite nostalgia talking but its a little sad to see Slenderman get so much cringe and ire for basically not only helping set up the indie horror game scene for a time, but also open some doors and give some pointers in aesthetic direction for a lot of future youtube analogue horrors down the line.

[@ricardomiles2957]

yeah, Marble hornets, Backrooms, SCP, Creepypastas, analog horror. It was fits in the "internet horror" genre, and the "half life" of the trends all follow this pattern but even when they die out you can look for the juicy parts, no different from looking for good movies

[@ChaseWyler]

I agree with you that the backrooms is following the slenderman fad 1:1 but I would say slenderman was already cringe by the time of marble hornets and the video game. Fittingly, the backrooms are already cringe as well, I would say they both became cringe the second the internet decided to force shallow, convoluted, and cringey lore onto what was a cool little thing. Hard stop on the indie horror game genre take, the rise in the indie horror genre slenderman helped make was the rise of the shitty cheap walking simulators with one jump scare in them, like every single chilla game. I seriously don't get the internets' obsession over 30 minute long boring games with a ps1 filter over it to hide the shitty graphics, it's the epitome of smearing shit on a canvas and calling it artistic, but funnily enough with slenderman and the backrooms it isn't even the creators shit that they're smearing. Certain parts of the internet have a trend of taking something cool and beating lore into it until all sense of mystery or what made them spooky in the first place has been removed, and as it gains in popularity and is spread all over the place eventually even the people that liked the cringey lore get absolutely sick of the overexposure and move on to find something else to ruin. Tldr: They have both always been cringe, and you are right in your predictions of where the backrooms is going.

[@EbolaGranola]

​@@ChaseWyler I mean I get it's kinda' your point but MH started literally like a week after the original Slendy posts. It absolutely wasn't cringe at the time, in fact the insane turnaround time had people quite impressed

[@lolglolblol]

Oh, I definitely agree with your stance on how internet communities tend to strain concepts beyond their limit. It happened with SCP and it also happened with the Backrooms themselves. Kane's version is his own, however there has been a fandom before his and they started expanding the concept so much that it lost all its meaning and cannot be taken seriously.

[@whitetanook3875]

Love seeing you cover internet horror! Args and webseries are my favorite types of horror, seeing you talk about the backrooms makes me really hope that web based horror gets more recognition in the mainstream. If your ever feeling up to it, I'd recommend covering Marblehornets and TenTapes. MH is pretty much the birthplace of Slenderman, and Tentapes is just some really good realistic horror.

[@fuzzynuttz5092]

Not gonna lie but I think the backrooms would be more terrifying if there were no monsters, only just yourself

[@thebuddah1253]

The idea of being lost and starving in there is scary... but what if there really is a way to escape? You won't know unless you keep searching.

[@XombieLejon66]

That's how it originally should have stayed. What was scarier was the vast emptiness and being forgotten. By bringing in all the generic stock unity asset monsters and "levels", the whole thing just got watered down to another generic haunted house creepypasta.

[@CodeNameX001]

If it helps, there's heavy implication that the monsters are just other humans who were warped after getting lost, which raises the question, "Are they attacking people, or just scared and begging for help?"

[@Chilling_Chilling]

Finally someone gets it! The crappy monsters really take me out of the immersion. It's just how all the old creepy pastas were better because they kept things simple and believable 😅

[@intergalacticolive]

@@CodeNameX001 That is the problem with the backrooms. The monsters. The monsters & the "other humans there with you" is what ruins it completely. The horror is gone, it originally started out as you being alone in these liminal spaces but.. noooo! We gotta add lore, other people AND monsters. This does not help.

[@wolfpahrm3624]

dude ive been waiting for someone to make the backrooms/langoliers comparison. the liminal feeling in that movie freaked me out my whole life and thats exactly what liminal horror/backrooms pulls out of me. great video

[@quietstories795]

I was surprised to see the Langaleers brought up 😂 I watched it as a kid and was just absolutely enchanted by its weirdness

[@BababooeyGooey]

I loved it as a kid, too. The part that always creeped me out the most was the terror and anticipation of the creatures before you actually see them. When the blind girl said she could hear them coming, and the camera cut to the shot of those empty hills with an eerie sound echoing beyond, it just got me. When it comes to horror for me personally, nothing perturbs me more than the knowledge that something unknown is lurking far beyond sight, making terrible noises. Especially in the vastness of the wilderness. Also I live an hour's drive away from the Bangor Airport they filmed at, so the movie hit especially 'close to home' for me.

[@matthewkeane211]

Yes! The langioliers getting some love here :) some great concepts, as well as some of the best overacting ever from Craig ‘scaring the little girl!?!?’ toomy (not to mention cringe dialogue from the girl, but it just adds to the charm). I’d love to see someone do a proper video of that film online…

[@lucianaromulus1408]

Langoliers is a B movie 90s classic weirdofest.

[@lenny6608]

While I don't agree with your interpretation of things like Marble Hornets, I 100% vibe with this video. The Backrooms are sick.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

14:56 Whoa, I *totally* didn't expect that Langoliers comparison! I watched miniseries on Syfy with my parents when I was younger, and since then, my brain has saved a place in my memory for those meatballs with teeth (though I might prefer *Ryan's* nickname of "the ball munchers" lol). 😆But in all seriousness, the empty reality of that film and the liminal spaces in Backrooms definitely carry similar vibes. Certain shots could also fit in quite well those "Places you've seen in your dreams" compilations. 🖼

[@femoman]

Thank you! I'm so glad that this is the version of the Backrooms that is getting the mainstream film adaptation, and not the Backrooms Wiki version with all the monsters and levels and outposts and stuff. I mean don't get me wrong, I do like some of that, in particular some of the levels (the Pool Rooms are a personal favourite), but I find that the horror completely loses its edge when they bring in the ideas of races of monsters living in the levels, and even outposts of humans living in there. The fear of isolation and a space being not quite right is what make the Backrooms effective as horror, not filling it with spooky monsters that chase you until you find the way to the next level.

[@arcadia7459]

Man, I love this series It's so well done and paced that it makes you want more while giving you just enough

[@Jerome616]

Glad to see your take on this. I would love to see you cover another one called "Gemini Home Entertainment" Though it remains unfinished for over a year, but there is enough meat there to get a good taste to make a review i feel. This is especially relevant since you seem to not like over explained Horror...

[@StonedHunter]

The Backrooms, especially after your idea of them being a creature luring people in, makes me think of the hallway from the novella version of Coraline. Every time she used the little door to go back and forth between The Other Mother's realm and reality it talks about feeling something slowly waking up. I could very much believe something similar going on with the Backrooms, and that the messing with it by outsiders is what's slowly waking it up. Or even like the Mystery Flesh Pit National Park story that you can find online (wendigoon did a video on it and 10/10 would recommend) where some oil people found an ancient sleeping creature underground that's so massive the microbes that inhabit it can grow larger than a school bus. And then they went and built a full ass national park inside of it. Something about these unfathomably large, living creatures existing and humans exploring inside only for disaster to strike either with intent from the creature or not is so unsettling and yet absolutely addicting to think about.

[@TheLastArkham]

Speaking of The Langoliers, there is an amazing re-edit of the original tv movies titled "The Timekeepers Of Eternity", as a 70minute movie, that uses very original techniques and edits to visually put emphasis on the story.

[@avramnovorra]

Analogue horror is fast becoming obe of my fave genres, and this despite only seeing abit of both the Backrooms and The Mandela Catalogue.. it reminds me of what we fear the most: that what we don't know

[@RoseKoneko]

His Backrooms series is one of the few I actually got into early. I hit the tale end of a few, but damn this was good. I didn’t know he was sixteen! This guy has some serious potential and I hope he continues to create.

[@julim2603]

Friday update baby! What an amazing topic to finish this week 💛💛 What Kane is doing with the backgrounds is amazing (imo) and I know if it wasn't for the uprising popularity of analog horror we wouldn't have it this quickly. I remember how much time it passed from the OG slenderman until the Sony movie version which was awful

[@scottielise]

So excited that you mentioned "The Jaunt"! One of my favorite short stories ever!!

[@maidenlessjessofchaos4484]

So excited for you to do this. I think Kane is absolutely brilliant, and arg/analog horror is my absolute favorite genre. One of the best things the internet has brought to us lately

[@catgirl_warcrimes]

Horror always reflects societal fears, I wonder what fears the backrooms reflects. My speculation is the fear of lack of stimulation. Which is why it's so popular with kids, they spend their days online getting none stop content and in the backrooms there is nothing. This would also explain why kids where so quick to ruin the horror of the backrooms by adding monsters, they couldn't handle the actual horror and needed to cope with it by masking it with some form of stimulation. But this is just me rambling.

[@RealBradMiller]

I find the backrooms scarier without that camera-mold monster, I agree. Haven't seen any other monsters yet, luckily.

[@Slipperyslab]

@@RealBradMiller the series would be boring as hell without the monster ngl

[@RealBradMiller]

@@Slipperyslab Not saying there shouldn't be a monster, I think it shouldn't be seen. Call me old-fashioned, but back in my day monsters were heard and not seen... Or maybe that was children being seen and not heard.🤔 Lol

[@Slipperyslab]

@@RealBradMiller I honestly don’t remember much horror content back then not showing the monster aside from stuff like books and audio dramas. Which I think is evident by the amount of iconic horror antagonists that came from “back in the day”. Really nothing to do with the Backrooms, just rambling.

[@RealBradMiller]

@@Slipperyslab oh, I was being facetious in that last part! Not a serious take or experience. 🤭

[@NerdySatyr]

Welcome to Analogue Horror! Always happy when new people find this weird little genre. Absolutely fantastic video and hits on a lot of the points that makes the Backrooms so good! (Coming from someone of a similar generation as you). If you enjoyed the Backrooms, might I also recommend; GEMINI HOME ENTERTAINMENT, The Mandela Catalogue, LOCAL58, Vita Carnis, The Mystery Flesh Pit: National Park, These are absolutely fantastic entries into analogue horror that don't go overboard on the explaining and typically have some INCREDIBLE ideas/concepts.

[@coyotegaxiola4281]

The Exploring Series channel on KZbin has a great video about Mystery Flesh Pit. Highly recommend.

[@NerdySatyr]

@@coyotegaxiola4281 Heck yeah, fantastic video

[@WiseWordsbyWiki]

Surprising amount of Marble Hornet slander in a Backroom video. I think one of the biggest issues with Marble Hornet from someone who tried to get into it is: It's not easy to get into. Like it was spanning what? 3 or 4 channels? I had to follow a wiki to get through the first 10 "episodes" and their spin off. For an active fandom with a still updating piece of media this would have been a lot of fun, but without either it's just somewhat confusing and daunting.

[@ark_awaits3367]

It spans 2 channels

[@WiseWordsbyWiki]

@@ark_awaits3367 I could have sworn there was at least three. The main, the one people thought the Masky character ran and then a third mystery origin one.

[@ark_awaits3367]

@@WiseWordsbyWiki Yes there's the one the Masky character ran and the main one, but there's not an mystery origin one

[@kingdomkreep]

I’ve only recently familiarized with the backrooms myself and the extent that you covered is probably as far as I would be into since if you look any further it just breaks the Magic. The wiki that was made absolutely went crazy with how many levels that community added with probably the most emblematic element that kinda sums up my personal distaste of that continuity is “almond water” lol

[@sierrajohnson717]

It’s crazy to see a beloved creepy pasta get so much love, and become mainstream! And the story is fleshed out, I love it! Now if only we could get the SCP Foundation a breakout series like this, together with Slendy we’d have the “Breakout Pasta Trifecta”.

[@Nexils]

The initial, simple concept had the most charm to it. And what a great concept it was, filling people with existential dread. Just the idea of walking around in a seemingly endless series of hallways is truly terrifying. When they started adding monsters and levels and even difficulties to the concept it lost a big chunk of what made the original concept so hauntingly terrifying. It was like people wanted to make a video game out of it. I'm glad Kane Pixels kept it simple again and I like how his vision is popularized.

[@jakeg6219]

someone called it “wikification” of stuff like this and I think that’s a good way to sum it up

[@AshChiCupcak]

I was always a fan of creepypastas just for the simple fact that I love the creativity ppl have when It comes to making these stories. I think Kane did an amazing job for a 16 yr old at the time being able to build a universe around a pre-existing concept while being able to add to without ruining it. I am very interested in the movie he's working on as I'm genuinely interested where he's going next with his story.

[@ThePoperock]

Good vid as always! Slenderman will always hold a special place in my heart as his story way back in the day is what got me on board with internet horror. I probably wouldn't be as big of a horror lover in general if it weren't for him.

[@KingOfGaymes]

I love the backrooms video, the old vhs type vibe is so eerie and the monster feels terrifying despite looking like a scribble.

[@JediBunny]

Wow, excellent analysis. So well-written and credence always goes to it being well-read too. Not to mention chosen footage and editing. I’m always amazed at how well-run this channel is, Ryan! Thank you for all you do!

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Hearing Ryan Hollinger mention Nexpo, Nick Crowley, Lazy Masquerade, and jacksepticeye together in the same video made me all 🥰inside.

[@danielallen3454]

Kudos for mentioning 'The Jaunt'. Not enough people know that one. And too many people only know 'The Langoliers' from the movie.

[@kmaginn]

A number of things you said in this video made me wonder, since you didn't reference it, if you've read House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski? It is attempting, in book form, to do the same thing that The Backrooms is doing, and I suspect it was a primary inspiration for The Backrooms. Highly, highly recommended. In places the text itself becomes part of the story, with words crowding into smaller and smaller spaces as the walls close in around the protagonist.

[@SwaggyG_2102]

As someone who has been part of the Backrooms since late 2019, I think what makes the Backrooms (classic version that is) work are mainly two things, The first is the thought of being all alone in an area that you're not familiar with, The second one, being something that ONLY applies towards the 4Chan version, is our inherent fear of the unknown. The fact that a concept could be so simple, yet terrifying, shows us that you don't need a big monster in order to make something scary. All you need is just ambiguity and pure mental dread.

[@andrewk2678]

Awesome video, I had the idea that the backrooms were the distillation of synthetic emptiness. Synthetic in the sense that its unnatural, not only in how there isn't an ounce of nature, its all man made stuff without even a window to give you an idea of what sort of world you exist in. But it also has a layout that is unnatural, narrow hallways, short pointless walls, tiny entrances to certain rooms. I also appreciate the shout out to Borderlands advocates, sounds like its time to make a video about it.

[@drewwobser3200]

Love that reference to The Jaunt. One of the most chilling things I’ve ever read and one of Stephen King’s best short stories. An absolutely fitting comparison!

[@RealBradMiller]

It's longer than you think...

[@mr.everyone268]

"fear the unknown" that is how I would describe analog horror.

[@pierceprzybyla1275]

I'm sorry but marble hornets was one hell of a ride

[@derptube2148]

Hey, it's great to see you starting to take on analouge horror. If you're going to cover any more then I'd have to recomend The Mandela Catalogue. For me it is strait up the scariest thing i can remember viewing in years, genuinly can give me nightmares just thinking about it. Other than that Local 58 and Gemini Home Entertainment are two other great series that even if you don't make videos on are great to set up and develop what analouge horror is all about.

[@kageokami35]

The fact "it's eternity in there" made me think of Emesis Blue instead of Steven King...

[@ofen5415]

Finally a video on this! Love your content!

[@EBurns91]

1:50 Those Tweets never get old, always funny.

[@LilFL117]

Im an early 90’s baby so all your references and thoughts in this episode just hit so perfectly. I been a fan of your content for years now. I just love your videos

[@RikarudoMurike]

I ctrl+F'd to see if someone mentioned Control, so... yeah, the Federal Bureau of Control HQ is basically this, under a certain level of... well, control. Very interesting for whoever wants to play something with the same vibe.

[@ZenBearV13]

“See what I mean?” 😂 Oh, Ryan. You’re just as handsome as ever! It’s the lighting lmao Great content as always! As one of the few channels I watch on release, I’m glad to see you expanding on the subject matter without compromising your perspective. Looking forward to more!

[@FigmentForever]

Nothing to add but the YT creators you watch are some of my faves - just have to include you as well!

[@TheMissileHappy]

The Jaunt is one of my favourite King short stories. I just finished reading The Tommyknockers and there is a scene where the Tommyknockers talk about how they discovered "teleportation". They basically had bunch of coordinates and opened a portal to some of them, but it's a complete gamble on where in the universe they will land. It could be inside a comet or next to a sun. One of those portals opened to an empty space and they used it as a dumping ground for trash or even unwanted living beings. That's what I was just reminded of when you mentioned what they planned to do with the backrooms.

[@richasaran5011]

So happy you mentioned the Jaunt :) it’s my favourite short story by King

[@MeatCuthbert]

One of my favourite things is thar Async aren't just some vague megacorp with limitless reach and power working in the shadows, they feel like a real group with very real limits. They have no clue what they're doing but they aren't making any decisions that seem stupid, and they aren't just bumbling around aimlessly

[@lonedog80]

the one thing the Backrooms tweaks on me is the feeling of claustrophobia, even in the largest Backroom areas felt closed in, and then it just folds that horror in on itself because you turn around and this huge room, that feels empty, feels closed in and you turn back around and that same room is now actually a hallway where you bump into corners turning, it's this weird feeling every time I see Backroom videos or watch playthrough of games, its the same feeling and its wild

[@VultureXV]

I actually don't understand the fear of liminal spaces. I honestly think the poolrooms are nostalgic and have always loved using 'back access' points in the place where I work to pop up and make shortcuts.

[@FlyForAWhiteTy]

In the backrooms and liminal spaces it's common there is nothing sustaining for you, so all that's left to do is decay.

[@nathanwindom3978]

Glad Kane gets some recognition for his work. I saw his AOT videos back in 2021 or so and I loved them. He’s so talented.

[@slimegod9693]

Every now and then I'm reminded that The Langoliers was a real piece of media and not something I made up in a fever dream when I was eight.

[@korokonas]

I definitely prefer Kane Pixels version of the backrooms over the SCP knockoff that formed after the first initial popularization of the backrooms from the 4chan post. Categorizing an incomprehensible space with levels and lame monsters and survival elements like a video game strip the thing completely of its horror, and at least A-Sync is just as confused of the nature of the Backrooms as we are. The failure to understand and comprehend what something is is far more eerie than "level 23 is this setting with this monster and needs 3 boar asses to move onto the next level." That's just my preference, it's why Annihilation is one of my favorite horror movies, the characters never fully understand what the Shimmer is and it makes it terrifying still to this day.

[@thor30013]

Yeah, I've come to much the same conclusion RE: internet horror - it starts good, but then gets ruined because everyone starts adding _lore_ and _explaining_ everything. It happened to Slender Man, it happened to the SCP Foundation, and it's kinda happened to the Backrooms. Which is why I appreciate this particular project, because Parsons seems to be ignoring all the associated lore, or at least not dropping any of it in the videos.

[@yellowtheyellow]

I feel like people are still making some pretty good scp stories, but it's definitely a diamonds in the rough type of thing

[@ironsevs]

Excellent video with some great points and thoughts! Enjoyed the idea liminal spaces are essentially a component of the uncanny valley which I never thought of until now. The use of mystery and the unknown with the lack of over analysis and scrutiny from these stories keeps that air of mystery and fear of the unknown and impossibility of understanding combined with the use of dread from wandering in not only a never ending maze but an alternate reality that does not adhere to the rules and logic of our own knowledge really just emphasizes all of those feelings. I'm surprised no one has really utilized MC Escher's works in a horror style focus actually. Seems like it would be an intriguing setting for some dread viewing.

[@serket6807]

Directing an entire film over summer break is such a fucking surreal concept holy shit. So happy for him but holy fuck does it make you question your life lol

[@ExcusesAreUseless]

I agree that the mystery is what makes something truly terrifying. The Banshee Chapter is the scariest movie I've ever seen and this is why. No movie has ever stuck with me so long and made me so paranoid.

[@Dunmerdog]

What I think you nailed about this was the nostalgic element of it. Not the VHS aesthetic necessarily but the pre-hyper modern internet feeling - the mechanics of noclipping and bugginess led to a mystique around what’s “outside”. I think it’s something all of us who grew up on TF2 and the first three wow expansions can relate to

[@Winters91]

Honestly, just the colour of the wallpaper and the way it looks, with the blunt lighting makes the environment give me an uncanny valley feel. It just sends shivers down me.

[@diehard7517]

The reason why i couldn't get into The Backrooms series is pretty much the same as Ryan's for not liking internet creepypastas. I really couldn't get invested in the whole lore aspect of it. Really impressive from a technical standpoint, but just not for me.

[@gwenmartin5388]

this is now one of my favorite videos by you. so articulate and gave me a bunch of new stories to dive into!

[@thegreatmarondraith8741]

I first discovered this series when I was really stoned and it terrified me. For me to find out that it was indeed real, and it was made so well, left me in a state of awe, and fear. I Love this series and wish Kane all the best

[@murphmanfa]

The Jaunt has stuck with me ever since I read it and I'm glad to see it mentioned here, especially in the frame of what is commonly considered "liminal space" in current trends. I was given chills anew when I was reminded that the boy's line can be read not just as that the time is longer than his father believes, but longer than one is capable of thinking- longer than you CAN think. Longer than thought. Beyond that, only void, and our frail human psychology cannot survive it. I've enjoyed the few Backrooms videos I've seen in this series, but have found a lot of the lore that has come up afterwards to be boring: "safe" spaces, various kinds of monsters, levels, a whole set of things that try to turn the concept into a game with rules. That's why the game itself that I watched let's plays of felt lackluster to me. The horror isn't the uncanny valley or the monsters, it's the idea that you're in there for longer than what your mind is capable of providing thought for.

[@PastelOddity]

*SHOULD* I spark up to watch this video? Probably not. Am I *GONNA* ? Yes.

[@coyotegaxiola4281]

Yay! So glad you did a video on Backrooms! And The Jaunt has been one of my favorite Stephen King stories for over 30 years.

[@Evergrey06]

I encourage any and all coverage of internet horror on this channel. It's one of my favorite genres because anyone can just throw something out there and they can succeed or fail so spectacularly.

[@Zeronightmarefox]

An important addendum to that saying: "Things IN ART work better when you don't explain them." Same with "The customer is always right IN MATTERS OF TASTE". People have a tendency to twist sayings and then take them literally to any subject, which is just wrong and ignorant.

[@Sarah-ts1jh]

I want a future length psychological horror film on this so bad 😭

[@amoscaul3264]

I'm grateful for this overlap, great to see you cover this.

[@47bloodhound]

Have you ever seen the film Savageland? Now that's a film that gets under your skin and into the brain with it's creepy and disturbing imagery

[@Keyjolfson]

What works well for me when it comes to this concept is how lovecraftian it is, we no longer fear the unknowable like before but now what hits us is the seeming familiarity of everything but not quite its the fear of something you should know but it's alien to you now in some way. Spaces that should be comfortable to move through are barren, hostile and never ending it seems like a super subtle cube if you catch my drift

[@BloodThirstyScott1]

The Jaunt and The langoliers are two of my absolute favorite short stories by King!!

[@oliviab4079]

I'm so excited to see that you're delving into internet horror! Personally I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about Unedited Footage of a Bear or Jack Stauber's Opal

[@PixieYelsraek]

neat fun fact someone had to point out to me early on, but it's 100% there - if you frame by frame in Kane's original first video at 8 mins 19 seconds, you'll see the monster grabbing the camera dude. It's only the camera that clips back to fall to earth.

[@Gen_Kael]

I think what most terrifying about it, is the alternate reality is more of an in your face version of our reality. The humming of the lighting. The depressing color of the paint. Long empty hallways and offices you're trapped in...the terror of running into your boss. It's a representation of the lives millions of Americans live every day. The terror of being trapped in a bland corporate reality.

[@Roovka_]

This is out there but unironically VRChat has some very good horror and atmospheric worlds based on the Backrooms that might be worth a try for people who want a different kind of experience.