During Cybils I discovered several things online that I would have updated you on immediately had I not been on hiatus. For the rest of this week I’m going to share with you a few notable locations in the internets you may not have heard about yet – but really need to add to your list of things you waste time playing with.

Of course, there is no such thing as wasting time when the thing is awesome.

 

Marble Hornets

Despite its ridiculous name, Marble Hornets is maybe my very very very favorite discovery of 2011, though it ate me all up for like 10 hours (or more, I don’t even know), which seems like a lot, but OMG when you check it out for yourself. My husband and I made date nights to watch all of Marble Hornets during the course of about a week.

It is YouTube storytelling at its very best.

What You Need to Know First:

Treat it as if it were real. Don’t question it. Leave your cynicism at the door. Allow yourself to be taken on a really super creepy ride. Let yourself believe it is real.

What is Marble Hornets?

Marble Hornets is one of those internet things that appears one night without fanfare. Someone saw it, who then told a friend who told two friends who told four friends and suddenly everyone is like, “Have you seen Marble Hornets yet? It scares the crap out of me. You have GOT to see this.” It takes place on YouTube and Twitter.

Here’s All You Need to Know to Enjoy It:

A college film student is working on his final project, goes a little nutso, and abandons all of his work and leaves school. His close friend, also a film/theater student, inherits all of his unedited film from him in hopes of being able to salvage some of the work to use on his own. Upon watching the tapes, he starts to discover some bits that don’t make any sense, and so naturally, he uploads them to YouTube. That’s where the game starts, with the first video.

Somewhere along the line, he also starts a Twitter feed where he talks to people who are viewing the videos, where he posts about updates and other problems he’s having (because once he starts down the path of investigating these videos, other things go completely crazy.)

Not long into it, some anonymous someone starts posting video replies, some of which contain footage shot at the same time much of the original film footage was taken by an unknown videographer. Many of the videos are distorted and meant to absolutely terrify everyone involved (especially me.) These videos often contain riddles and things that need to be solved which the smart people of the internet happily set off to do. As YouTube subscribers decode the secondary video’s riddles, everyone involved receives freaky creepy surprises we just weren’t prepared for.

 The YouTube Channel (Watch the videos in order. No Cheating!)

Twitter (Go to the very beginning and follow along.)

The anonymous video replies channel ToTheArk (Do not watch this until it is brought up on the Twitter feed, and then only watch when there is a response. You will probably need other commenters to help figure out the riddles.)

 Video #1:

 

Marble Hornets is still currently running.

If you liked ThisIsNotTom.com, you’re going to LOVE Marble Hornets.

Have you ever read House of Leaves? Did you like it? Did it scare the crap out of you? Yes? Then, oh man are you in for a treat.

Experiencing Marble Hornets is way more satisfying than any Hollywood horror movie I’ve seen in the last five years.

While there’s very very very little overt horror involved with Marble Hornets, suspense, paranoia, and creepiness is so constant and ever present that if you don’t like to be masterfully creeped out, then Marble Hornets isn’t for you.

Experience Marble Hornets at its Very Best.

Watch it at night. In the dark. I triple dog dare you.