Fear of the Unknown

What a ride it has been, not only in regards towards Flok Factory's timeline, but also this horrible current year we are all experiencing...COVID-19/Corona virus has changed the world globally, and uncertainty is ruling.

In trying to keep my health, safety and sanity up, the fear of the unknown comes to mind, which is a major factor still happening in real life, and it arguably is also horror's best way to scare you on many levels in a subtle way.

Not knowing stuff can be fun to discover, but when fear is involved, negative outcomes can happen such as stress, worry, despair and indeed, uncertainty. All of my plans for 2020 got delayed, and there is no end in sight for it to become normal in 2021.

In times like these, the future of horror gets inspired, and thus, new horror stories, movies and games will emerge that will attempt to get to you on new levels, which is good for the genre to survive. Naturally, the world keeps changing, even rapidly in our lifetime, and thus, horror adapts.

Fear of the unknown will keep us going, because it drives us, it motivates us, it consumes us...and there is so much to learn from it. Of course fear in general, whether it is rational or irrational, is here to stay with humanity.

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. H.P. Lovecraft

For those who have read my blog over the years, including the October Horror madness, which started humbly in 2010, but then went overboard in 2013 and beyond, thanks for reading until the end, stay healthy, safe and sane, and a very Happy Halloween!

Top 10 New Favorite Horror Movies

Ten years ago, I shared my ten favorite/best horror movies. And to be frank, only 1 modern and 1 classic horror movie have entered my current top ten favorite horror movies since then. What I wrote about the movies then, and what I wrote elsewhere for the 2 new entries, it all still applies here.

These horror movies are of the highest quality for different reasons!

10.Hellraiser(1987)

9.Braindead(1993)

8.Martyrs(2008)

7.Eraserhead(1977)

6.Hereditary(2018)

5.The Shining(1980)

4.The Exorcist(1973)

3.Black Christmas(1974)

2.The Evil Dead(1981)

1.The Thing(1982)

Last time, Eraserhead was my favorite, and for the last few years, that has been The Thing. I'm sure that it will be something different in the future. In any case, I can't go wrong with either of the 10 listed here, all of them are re-watchable for different reasons.

The Last of Us Part II

One of the heavy hitters to close off PS4’s generation, similar to the PS3. 

Accessibility options for visuals, for hearing and for motor functions is very thoughtful, and I agree that it should become a general feature for at least AAA games. Revenge and violence are a major theme, and a cycle of consequences(with redemption at the end). 

The amount of details in this game is insane, and it has top notch level design too, I especially love that nature has overgrown almost everywhere. The Wolves and the Scars both work as belligerents too. The Last of Us II is Naughty Dog’s most impressive game yet.

An emotional roller coaster, the morality enters grey zones, the game length is very long, the new enemies including dogs, shamblers, stalkers, hammer humans and even an infected boss in a hospital underground ground zero are fun times.

Scavenging your way around while trying to survive with scarce limits is the most engaging for item management, next towards the combat and the shootouts happening. As far as horror, I jumped a few times, even as an hardened veteran. The hospital underground in particular has good atmosphere.

Gorgeous graphics and great screenplay/acting improves and reminds us that the video game industry is starting to become more mature with heavy hitters like this. I loved the dinosaur museum flashback with the space shuttle, it's my favorite scene.

I was satisfied with the overall story, the gameplay was fun and fresh, and the narration was very spot on. I liked both Abby and Ellie in the end with their redemption arcs. The level design was perhaps my favorite aspect of this game. 

With easter eggs scattered and no multiplayer being in sight, The Last of Us Part II is a great sendoff that will please most gamers, while it might be disappointing plot wise for some of us, I felt that the twisted direction worked, and for now, I beat it on Hard mode.

Rating: 8.7

The X Files

Massive TV series, never saw it…until now. A fitting one to see during October, The X-Files deals with unexplained phenomena of all kinds, hence the X files.

FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, believer and skeptic, go through these cases together, ranging from alien abductions and UFO’s, to shape shifters, monsters, spiritualism and the unknown.

The X Files Season 1 is a pretty start, and the intro of it is well known in pop culture. The concept of having a main arc as well as standalone episodes is intriguing.

Season 2 is more of the same good stuff, but honestly no standout episodes for me yet, except for maybe The Host. I find it’s inspiration sources intriguing, I had already seen The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Kolchak The Night Stalker and Twin Peaks before starting on this huge sci-fi/mystery/crime/horror series.

Season 3 is considered the best objective season in general. It brings more conspiracies, serial killers, monsters of the week and strange unexplained phenomena come and go here, and Scully and Mulder grow up more as characters. I started to truly believe here and marathon it. Memorable episodes include Pusher, War of the Coprophages, Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, Jose Chung’s From Outer Space and Talitha Cumi.

I don't have much to say for the next two seasons, other than I saw the general quality drop, while I liked Home, Leonard Betts, Elegy, Gethsemane, Bad Blood, Mind’s Eye and The End. I haven't seen the rest yet, but it looks like I have seen the best half of the series already.

Rating: 7.5 in general