Lights Out

In keeping with the vision I have for this blog, I've decided to write an entry focusing on an up-and-coming filmmaker whose creativity and do-it-yourself story inspires me.

David F. Sandberg is a Swedish director who, with his actress wife Lotta Losten, has made a series of short yet effective horror films. They can be found on his YouTube Channel under the moniker "Ponysmasher." One of these short films, "Lights Out," is the focus of this entry.

I discovered "Lights Out" a couple years back while I was aimlessly browsing YouTube for horror shorts. While not a horror fanatic I do enjoy a well-made horror movie, particularly if it is effectively scary. There is something that fascinates me about a truly creepy horror movie, especially one that manages it on a small budget. The first "Paranormal Activity" hit that chord with me, as does "Lights Out."

Plenty of horror films with big budgets fail to capture that genuine creepy atmosphere that this short nails so well. The short plays off fundamental fears, and I feel that the best horror movies often do the same.

I'm not the only one impressed by this short film. In fact, it went viral and has led to Sandberg being offered the chance to turn his film into a full length feature, produced by Hollywood director James Wan. The movie comes out next month. Now, based on the trailer it does seem a bit "Hollywoodized." In fact, I would be surprised if the movie is as creepy as the short film is. From what I can gather in the trailer, the movie gives the monster a back story. In my experience, the more I know about a monster the less scary it is. What makes the short version of "Lights Out" so terrifying is that we know nothing about the monster. We don't know its origin, its motivation, or what it does to its victims. Now, we also know nothing about the protagonist. But essentially the protagonist is a stand-in for ourselves. We have all been home alone, and we have all been spooked by strange shapes in the dark. What I fear for the feature length version is that much of this will be lost by over-explanation. However, it's possible that the movie will still be effective in its own way. Apparently James Wan has been impressed with Sandberg's performance thus far, as Sandberg is next lined up to direct "Annabelle 2," a sequel in a franchise which is also produced by Wan.

The most fascinating thing about Sandberg is how very rags-to-riches his story is. Before "Lights Out" exploded on the internet he was just a struggling filmmaker living with his wife in his native Sweden. Now the pair has moved to LA and he is making big-budget Hollywood movies, all because of a little low-budget short that he filmed in his own apartment.

I sincerely hope that the movie is well-received so Sandberg can continue making movies, which is clearly his passion.

Eternal Darkness

When it comes to video games, I have spent most of my life as a Nintendo fan boy. The only non-Nintendo video game systems I ever owned were the Sega Genesis (just for Sonic) and the Xbox 360 (mostly just for Halo, but that one I actually did play other things). Nintendo is mostly known for their exclusives such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Star Fox and all the others. Once in a while, though, Nintendo will release an exclusive game by a third party publisher. It doesn't happen so often these days, as it seems like most third parties have shunned Nintendo's current console, the Wii U, but at times in the past there's been some amazing third party Nintendo games. Resident Evil 4, which is largely considered a classic and one of the best games ever, started out as a Gamecube exclusive before it was ported to other systems. The software developer Rare used to make amazing games strictly for Nintendo systems, before they were bought by Microsoft and started ruining their franchises with games like Perfect Dark Zero and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts.

There is one third party Nintendo exclusive that will always stick out in my mind: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.



A survival horror game that has gone on to become somewhat of a cult classic, Eternal Darkness stood out with several creative elements that cemented it as one of my favorite games of all time. Have you ever seen a movie that you loved so much, that you declared yourself a fan of the director and started seeking out other movies he or she made? That's how I felt about the game's publisher, Silicon Knights, at least at first. When I heard they were involved in the Gamecube remake of Metal Gear Solid (which was given the subtitle "The Twin Snakes") I snatched it up. Unfortunately, Silicon Knights would go on to misfire with their Xbox 360 game Too Human, and after that the company basically imploded. It's quite an interesting story, I'd suggest googling Silicon Knights and reading about the company's fate.

But this entry isn't about Silicon Knights! It's about their brilliant game, Eternal Darkness. Time to break down what made this game so special.

1. It has an ensemble cast.



When done well, an ensemble drama can be a magnificent thing to behold. "Lost" is my favorite TV show of all time, largely for the way it pulled off its enormous cast of characters. Eternal Darkness is one of the few games I'm familiar with that puts you in the shoes of multiple characters. In addition, each character's segment of the game takes place during a different period of history. Not only does this add variety to the game, it also creates excitement as you never quite know who you'll be next. It greatly adds to the epic feel of the game.

2. It borrows from the master of cosmic horror to create a compelling story line.

H.P. Lovecraft is the father of the so-called cosmic horror genre. In the prototypical Lovecraft story, an average person encounters otherworldly forces that make humanity look about as significant as a guppy in the Pacific Ocean. Often such forces are so horribly beyond human comprehension that any person who manages to survive a direct encounter is driven insane. Other-dimensional entities, cults, dark rituals, mysterious books, and ancient, ruined cities make frequent appearances, and the stories are typically set in New England. Eternal Darkness has all of these Lovecraftian tropes and more.



The story centers on Alexandra Roivas (which is "Savior" spelled backwards, incidentally), who is investigating her grandfather's death in his New England mansion. She stumbles upon the Tome of Eternal Darkness, an ancient book (and stand-in for Lovecraft staple, the Necronomicon), which recounts the tales of numerous people throughout history who have battled "the Ancients" (similar to Lovecraft's "Old Ones"), otherworldly creatures of unspeakable evil who are determined to return to Earth and lay waste to all life. Soon enough Alex is swept into the battle, as it turns out each person referenced in the Tome has made some small contribution (often at the cost of their own lives), and it's up to her to finish the fight.

The mythology of the game is so well-realized, I had an immediate hankering to delve into the works of Lovecraft. That, in my book, is the sign of a game that truly captures the creative spirit: it inspires you to want to learn more about something.

3. It introduced a ground-breaking (and fourth wall-breaking) mechanic

The most famous feature of Eternal Darkness is, by far, the "sanity effects." Basically, in addition to the usual health and magic meters found in many games, you also have a green "sanity meter." The meter is depleted every time you are spotted by a monster. When the meter runs low, things start to get . . . weird. The camera angles become askew. Whispers, crying, and screams are heard coming from everywhere and nowhere. And the best part . . . hallucinations.

The hallucinations are where the game creators really mess with you. Some of them are confined to the game world. You might see a room full of monsters that turn out to be imaginary. Or your character's head might explode, or the character might start sinking into the floor. These hallucinations usually last for several seconds before the character shouts, "This isn't happpening!" and reality is restored in a flash. The best and most memorable hallucinations, however, are the ones that break the fourth-wall and start messing with you, the player. You might see a fly crawl across the TV screen. The volume might go down, with a corresponding green volume meter on the side of the screen. Or you might get a message saying your memory card has been corrupted, or your game file has been deleted.


Oh no! I'm surrounded by monsters and my controller's not working! Oh wait . . . it's just insanity.

These tricks could have been a cheap gimmick in a lesser game. But as part of the already creepy package of Eternal Darkness, they are quite brilliant. They add to the feeling of unease that permeates the game.

In order to get the best ending, you have to beat the game three times. With some games I'd balk at this requirement, but not Eternal Darkness. The game is subtly different each time, depending on a choice you make at the beginning. There are three evil Ancients, and one of them is designated as the primary "Big Bad" at the beginning. Only by playing through the three possible scenarios can you truly save humanity.

The ambition and creativity behind Eternal Darkness made it a true classic and one of the Gamecube's best games. H.P. Lovecraft's influence can be felt in many different movies, TV shows, and video games, and I credit Eternal Darkness with being the first to introduce me to his work.

If you own a Nintendo Gamecube and have never played it, I would recommend seeking out the nearest copy! Do it for your sanity . . .