unforum

[The Mad Owl]

i really enjoyed this entry. i agree that the fact that we are arguing about it means it did it's job... but the exposition--in my humble opinion--was much needed and what a way to do it with than a "you know the history behind this place..." etc

[Robodashy]

[NoMoreGaems]

20 dollas says this is where Alex Kralie first caught the operator on camera, thus causing the troubles seen in season 1.

[characterarc]

I never got the impression from Alex's narrative that the Operator was ever, at any point, human. More that the people back then were more than aware of its existence and to appease it, they offered sacrifices. I'm just wondering why, with all these bodies offered to it, it had to go and kidnap a child. It craved an innocent soul?

The backstory reminds me of the Silent Hill mythos, where the town is built over a land that's been "sacred" and "full of spirits" since at least when Native Americans still occupied the land. And much like the Order in the games, the people Alex describes also were aware of the strange presence in the area and also committed gruesome acts.

[distilled]

I really liked this entry. I agree that exposition is sorely needed. I can understand people liking the whole mystery of not knowing anything about SM, but there is only so far you can go with a series if you are just going to base it on scares and jumps. You have to have a story, and sooner or later that story is going to have to tackle who/what Slenderman is and why he is stalking the characters.

No other series (TT, EMH, DH etc) has really gone as far down that road as Entry #38 does. So, even if you don't agree that they should have done it, you must admit that it's a brave move on the creator's part.



My own theory is that SM is an amalgam of all the hate, torture and pain that has been enacted in that forest. I've always believed that SM should be something wholly psychological and so having him remain ethereal (having not originated from one singular human) keeps him somewhat incorporeal. When the pain and torment reached a pinnacle he became somewhat "real" and lured the small boy away to have his wicked fun.

The interesting thing with this theory is that the forest itself must have some kind of supernatural force inside it to be able to create Slenderman. Being able to create the Slenderman, this forest spirit must be hugely powerful (surpassing SM by a mile).



Also, you have to remember; MH does not take place in our universe (one where magic, supernatural beings, interstellar travellers and flying cars do not exist - as far as we know). It is acceptable for Alex to talk about the trees growing magically fast, because that can happen in the MH universe. Mechanically, you can imagine the criminal being tied to the top of the tree, and having their feet tied to the bottom and being slowly stretched out.

[Theycallmehsexypants]

Slendermans origin is that he was a serial killer or rapist that was tied up there and burned. While his body was burning it was possessed by a demon trying to break free from the place, so that made it immortal. The demon broke free while it was burning but scared the mans face with the flames and it healed into a nice flat surface. The reason he can shapeshift and stuff is because he's a demon. Demons always do those kind of crazy things.

Then after that he ate an orphan.

[KatoK]

Am I the only one whose getting the impression that the Operator WAS the tree they were tied to? I mean, magic growth isn't that far off from what we've been told he's able to do.

[distilled]

[Antifringe]

[FeisEater]

In the very beginning of the Entry #38, at 0:02 just before ambient forrest sounds kick in, you can hear a part of a male voice, sounds like "kay" or "yup". It's very hard to catch because it's so short. Propably OOG Troy or Joseph telling when to start filming a take.

[Nickjackal]

I've attached a few screenshots of a possible Operator sighting. Which ties into a theory I'm also going to post.

At about 1:33, when J's looking at the unusually large tree that's been broken down, if you look to the left behind the tree, you can see what appears to be an arm and two large legs attached to a 'torso'.

When J looks back at the tree at 1:49, from behind it, there's nothing there that looks like that.

Of course, that's just wild speculation.

The theory I have is much better:

This directly precedes the events of Entry 29.

I've watched both entries, and there seems to be a correlation.

At the beginning of the entry, J says that it's getting dark.

In entry 29, you can see the sun's almost completely finished setting, as J's running away from something.

I think he was running from Alex. At the end of 38, Alex says, vaguely, 'c'mere'. When J asks what for, Alex simply replies 'Just c'mere'.

Usually people do that when they intend to prank someone (slapping them, kicking them in the nuts, luring them into a trap, etc). The way he says "Just c'mere" sounds childlike as well. Creepily so.

J then says, almost cautiously in tone, that there's only about a minute left on the camera, as Alex approaches him, fists clenched. His manner when approaching J is seemingly calm, but to me, gives off a very hostile, urgent vibe.

In entry 29, when J's running away, the footage of him running only lasts about 8 seconds.

Far less than a minute.

Also, when J reaches the tunnel in 29, things look much more lit outside the tunnel than they did while he was running. Perhaps he hid from Alex in the woods until the next day, or the tunnel footage was taken on a later date.

He would have had to have changed the tape in whichever camera it was by then, in any case. The one in his hand appears to be a digital camera that might not require tape.

Being that the footage was on his hard drive, he, or someone else, could have edited the footage of him running to make it connect to the tunnel footage. For what reason, I'm not sure, leading me to believe that Masky, TTA (or both, if you subscribe to the theory that they're one in the same), edited them together, possibly to make it seem like they connected to confuse J, and in turn, us.


This is just a theory, and comments on it are welcome. For now, I'm going to bed. Sorry if this was at all incoherent.

[shoeler]

woke up super early for class registration. no way i can go back to sleep now. this is so exciting.

sure this is has been said, but looks like we know why this is "unalbeled": something crazy happens. somethin sosossososo wild jay has no time to albel the tape.

anticipation and suspense at its finest.

[sonicmax]

[awakeasaurusrex]

[8bitFilk]

Another theory for the list...

f) The story Alex told has nothing at all to do with Slenderman - it is just a local folk tale and nothing more.

Anyone remember The Blair Witch project (I'm talking the whole mythos here and not just the film)? It starts off with the students investigating the local legends of the woods being haunted by the Blair Witch but as the story develops the evidence increasingly comes to suggest that the witch wasn't what was causing the problems (if anything, she was benign); there was something else in the woods that none of the folk stories touched on. The locals merely assigned the weird occurences to the witch because it was a convenient explanation.

That's my two cents on that discussion. On another topic....

Is it just my monitor, or do the trees look odd in the area where Alex stops?

Jay turns to look at the broken tree, then turns back to Alex. From this point on the trees look really black to me, as though the contrast has been turned up on them. There doesn't seem to be the same depth of shadow on Alex's clothes, for example, so it looks artificial. It's especially evident on the tree he stops and looks at for a while. Jay also has a good look at that tree with the camera.

Now, I'd almost totally passed this off as just being the contrast on my monitor, but I think there's a chance it's NOT just me and it's actually deliberate, so thought I'd mention it.

If it is deliberate, I'd assume it's a cinematic device more than plot-relevant: the black tree looks vaguely reminiscent of SM with his long limbs, so it may be there to give the suggestion of Slendy's presence.

EDIT: Forgot to say, I'm having trouble uploading a screen-cap to support this so if you want to check, you'll have to look for yourself. I'll post an image later if I'm able.