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[Lithp]

To reiterate, we don't know what the characters are thinking or feeling. We only know from their body language, facial expressions, & speech. For The Operator, we don't even know that.

So they can't just rely on people to somehow magically guess their intention. And this is where they keep shooting themselves in the foot with The Operator.

That it just stands there half of the time adds to the perception that it's just a background fixture, only a threat if you're stupid enough to run headlong into it.

That nobody talks about it means that we have no idea why it scares them so bad.

What we do know, according to Tim, is that they come out of the teleportation as though they'd just passed out. Sure, we saw what was on Tim's camera, but to be is to be perceived, so if he doesn't remember it, then it's moot.

Frankly, if they are trying to make The Operator a non-physical threat, that is a huge handicap already. It's much easier to tap into peoples' fear of injury or death than something like loss of identity. And, once primed, it's easier to provoke other types of fear. But they could do it. In the end, a lot of it comes down to just not making it stale.

Because, if I can predict with 90 something percent accuracy what The Operator is going to do, then it's not really "fear of the unknown" anymore.

[gennerx]

I think the most brilliantly scary part of this series was playing where's slendy in the old episodes. It's not particularly scary while your watching it but after doing that for a while it's easy to get into the habit of looking at every shadow and out every window till you make yourself paranoid. The newer episodes seldom do this anymore and even if they did the idea's worn out.

[lonsumtravlr]

(Restricting "anymore" to Season Three.)

Yes in a few instances. Entries 54, 60, 64 (when you first see it), 65, 72, and to some extent 80 and 82 have some more than tense, legitimately frightening moments. Entry 83 has some too, though I think at this point, knowing the end's coming and how the third season's been drawn out (often because of circumstances beyond the trio's control, granted, but I only really became a big fan and watcher a few months ago, and even I'm feeling it), we just want to see how the hell it will end so we can get back to the boards and start ripping on the series for not ending the way it "should" have done.

I have no problem with the shift to a more mystery/paranormal investigation format (early on) or the attempts at fleshing out some characters' psychology (mainly Tim). I love that stuff--at its best Marble Hornets is up there with Kolchak: The Night Stalker and the David Lynch-directed episodes of Twin Peaks, and once those ended (I wasn't alive for the former, and I had just started high school for the latter) and I could watch the series in full and see how and where it did or didn't hold up, the scare factor came back (in fact, [Peaks spoiler]

[veronica2199]

I think what really makes MH scary is the fear of the unknown. You have no no idea what's happening,and it just feels so real.
I think the fandom/THAC ruined that effect.Don't get me wrong, THAC is my favorite thing, but I can't take any of it seriously anymore because of "Did you know moss only grows when nobody's looking at it? I find that very suspicious!"
It just kind of ruins the magic of the series, I guess.

[Master of Octopi]

When I first started watching it, I was plenty scared. Every entry was tense, and playing "WHAT'S THAT IN THE BACKGROUND?!" gave me a case of the willies.

Then I joined this forum after I caught up, and finally roped one of my friends into watching it. After that, my interest in the mystery became greater, but the fear factor was significantly diminished. Half of the reason I was scared was probably that I watched these things completely alone, and my mind was free to draw every horrible conclusion without falling prey to groupthink.

So, no, I don't find it scary anymore, but that is, in my case at least, because of my own situation, and not because of the direction of the series.

That said, ToTheArk entries can still turn me into a little girl.

[BlankSlate]

At first it made me pretty paranoid for a few weeks after marathoning all the entries that were out (season 1). It definitely was scary, especially considering there really wasn't anything like that I'd seen before. It still has it's moments for me, but I feel it needs to be watched in succession to have the full effect. I just really enjoy the story now anyway. I also watch a lot of good horror movies and play some survival horror games when I get a chance so I'm a bit desensitized.

[ledzepfilm]

I think the latest thing that scared me in MH was TO's first appearance in #82 and the gunshot from #80. The latter still did until I got used to where it was placed. Everything else just thrills the fuck out of me.

[Geneaux486]

Barring desensitization, it's as unsettling now as it was at the start.

[Tharol]

f you define scary of being tense nod for the video.

[3tp]

well... masky's first appearance was shocking to me, imo. the time totheark first appeared was kinda freaky at the time too. and entry #80 was REALLY shocking, because... we didnt know jay would end up getting killed off, and it proved that alex had gone really crazy and psychotic. #72 was tense as well.

[JAL13]

But isn't that the way all horror/mysteries go? Everything at the beginning is scary as hell until things start to unwind? Granted when I watched Evangelion the more I knew the creepier the entire atmosphere became. More recently, I watched the Conjuring for the second time and I'll admit it wasn't scary near the end, but did I get a couple days worth of good sleep? Nope. It also didn't help that I was reading House of Leaves a few days prior to watching that.

Although I feel that Marble Hornets is unwinding and slightly less scary, I have a feeling that we'll probably get a few good scares (not jump scares mind you) in the last couple of entries that'll leave us feeling creeped out when all is said and done.

[gennerx]

I will admit this last entry made me slightly tense just by having an open door in the background.

[Sidenote]

I think it's stopped getting scary because of plot development and we have got to know the characters. Makes it less scary.

It's more thriller/mystery now anyway.

[TheJoker]

I don't know, I think some of 83 was in some ways more nightmarish than anything S1 had to offer. Maybe not in the way that S1 could make you paranoid about every tree outside your window, but things like the "YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT" scene were pretty damn chilling.

[lonsumtravlr]