Brackets of Fear

Spreading terror across all fandoms

[bracketsoffear]

Neil Lagorio Film Festival

Lights! Camera! Terror! After doing polls for avatars, Leitners, and music, it's time to determine what films and TV shows best represent each of the Fears.

Rules

Must be film or TV. I'm willing to be flexible on what counts (e.g., your favorite short YouTube horror film or indie animated series), but it has to have audio and video components and be recorded in such a way that someone could at least theoretically watch it at a later date. Don't be the smartass who tries to submit an unrecorded theater production, or worse yet, a gif.

TV shows can either be submitted in their entirety or individual episodes. Series of films can be submitted collectively or individually. In either case, only one representative of a given media property will be permitted in each bracket.

Fiction or nonfiction are acceptable. Following on from the 'no real people' rule, I'm going to disallow biopics, etc.

Because I want to keep things fresh and avoid having the same people win every time, you may NOT submit the source material of a winning character for the Entity that they won* -- e.g., Everything Everywhere All At Once would be an invalid Vast submission, but would be permitted for the Spiral. House of Leaves, Uzumaki, and Arsonist's Lullaby, being overall tournament winners, are retired from all future tournaments.

The rules for all polls still apply

Please keep in mind the spoiler policy!

*4b. This includes minipolls. Cats! (2019) is therefore not a valid Stranger submission.

FAQ

Q: "I think this film fits another entity better, can I submit it for that tournament when it comes up?"

A: If it went out in the first two rounds, it can be resubmitted. If it went out in round three, it can be resubmitted, but will likely take a penalty during consideration of the tournament's construction. Books making it to the semifinal round or beyond will not be considered in future polls.

Q: "I think this film suits this entity's aesthetics, but I'm not sure how well it aligns with their meaning/I'm having trouble expressing why I think this book deserves to be in the tournament."

A: Check the relevant Entity's wiki page here and consider drawing parallels to events or themes in the podcast itself.

Q: "Are submissions chosen based on how many times they were submitted?"

A: That's one factor. I also look at how well their description fits the actual entity and what I personally think would make for an interesting match-up.

Links to submission forms and masterposts

Extinction: Results - Watchlist End: Results - Watchlist Corruption: Results - Watchlist Web: Results - Watchlist Flesh: Results - Watchlist Slaughter: Results - Watchlist Buried: Results - Watchlist Desolation: Results - Watchlist Eye: Results - Watchlist Hunt: Results - Watchlist Lonely: Results - Watchlist Dark: Results - Watchlist Spiral: Results - Watchlist Vast: Results - Watchlist Stranger: Results - Watchlist Other: Results - Watchlist

Winner's Bracket: Masterpost

Desolation PSA Minipoll: Submissions open 6/5

Spiral Doctor Who: Submissions open 7/10

Redemption brackets begin 7/27

[bracketsoffear]

Just out of curiosity: Out of the five PSAs that made it into the Desolation film bracket, which was your personal favorite?

Probably Midas Touch

[bracketsoffear]

So for the Desolation PSA poll, will all forms of PSA's be allowed? Including PSA comics? Because the Vapora Daredevil comic literally features a Desolation manifestation as its villain.

Yes, I'll allow all media forms for that poll, and for the Doctor Who Spiral one as well.

[bracketsoffear]

I’m so looking forward to the fire PSA tourney because Australia has some fucked up bushfire PSAs *rubbing my hands eagerly*

.

[bracketsoffear]

"public inflammation films"...

YES.

[bracketsoffear]

If I may suggest "this is not a place of honour" or any other piece of the nuclear waste warnings for the poll name? Unless that's more Extinction

yeah, definitely too extinction. I know there's something there with Smokey Bear, I just need to work out what it is...

[bracketsoffear]

Would the PIFs that were already submitted and/or made it into the Desolation film bracket be valid submissions for the minipoll as well, or would those just feel like a lazy re-submission?

They're valid! That's not a guarantee they'll get in, of course, but they're certainly up for consideration.

[bracketsoffear]

As previously mentioned, I'll be taking some time before starting the Redemption Brackets owing to a sudden influx of summer tourism at work. I will be doing a couple of minipolls in the interim, however. I've put the relevant dates on my pinned post, but just to make you all aware:

Desolation PSA Minipoll: Submissions open 6/5 for public information films and public service announcements that spread the fear of fire and destruction.

Spiral Doctor Who: Submissions open 7/10 for Spiral-aligned Doctor Who stories of any medium.

Redemption brackets begin 7/27 and should conclude on the week of 11/16.

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 1

The Twilight Zone vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Threads vs. House of Puppets

The View From Halfway Down vs. Paprika

The Truman Show vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead vs. Opal

The Fly vs. The Substance

Us vs. Come and See

Iron Lung vs. Martyrs

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 2

The Twilight Zone vs. Threads

Paprika vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead vs. The Fly

Us vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Semifinals

The Twilight Zone vs. Watership Down

The Fly vs Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Final

The Twilight Zone vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Congratulations to Iron Lung, winning the championship bracket for the Buried!

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 1

The Twilight Zone vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Threads vs. House of Puppets

The View From Halfway Down vs. Paprika

The Truman Show vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead vs. Opal

The Fly vs. The Substance

Us vs. Come and See

Iron Lung vs. Martyrs

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 2

The Twilight Zone vs. Threads

Paprika vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead vs. The Fly

Us vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Semifinals

The Twilight Zone vs. Watership Down

The Fly vs Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Final

The Twilight Zone vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Misc: The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) The Twilight Zone is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "The Twilight Zone". The episodes are in various genres, including science fiction, fantasy, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, supernatural drama, black comedy, and psychological thriller, frequently concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist, and usually with a moral. A popular and critical success, it introduced many Americans to common science fiction and fantasy tropes. The first series, shot entirely in black-and-white, ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964.

The Twilight Zone followed in the tradition of earlier television shows such as Tales of Tomorrow (1951–53), Out There (1951–1952) and Science Fiction Theatre (1955–57); radio programs such as The Weird Circle (1943–45), Dimension X (1950–51) and X Minus One (1955–58); and the radio work of one of Serling's inspirations, Norman Corwin. The success of the series led to a feature film (1983), a TV film (1994), a radio series (2002–12), various literature, theme park attractions and various other spin-offs that spanned five decades, including three revival television series. The second series (1985–1989) ran on CBS and in syndication in the 1980s, while the third series ran on UPN (2002–03). The fourth Twilight Zone series, helmed by Jordan Peele, was released on CBS All Access from 2019–20.

This has to be quite possibly the most influential TV shows of all time. Nearly all of horror media and anthology series ever since have had at least something to thank to it.

Buried: Iron Lung (2026) The movie takes place entirely within a small, crude submarine at the bottom of an ocean of blood. The sub is emphasized throughout to be a creaking, hot, suffocating space that constantly leaking blood and always under threat of breaking under the pressure of the ocean. There are multiple scenes of the main character Simon crawling in the crawl space under the floor (one of which has the small duct rapidly filling with blood). It acts as both the Simon r's lifeline as well as his coffin - the only thing keeping him from being crushed under the weight of a sea of blood and the thing that will ultimately kill him, whether from the radiation poisoning from the camera, or the eventual depletion of his oxygen, or when it lets in too much blood and he drowns. He is literally welded inside a metal box with no way out, desperately scrambling for survival while under the weight of an ocean of blood. Neither Simon nor the audience are ever allowed to leave it.

There is also the metaphorical side of the Buried present here. Simon lacks any true freedom over his life, both as a prisoner of the COI (who gave him the option of life imprisonment or a risky operation with the promise of freedom they might deliver on), as a member of Eden (a death cult he was either born into or left in the care of at a young age) and narratively speaking (again, he was doomed from the moment he stepped inside the sub), he is always pushed into what's happening in his life and must bear the consequences of it regardless. There's the guilt of the hand he played in the station's destruction and the loss of hundreds of lives that weighs on him constantly. There's the weight of humanity's possible future weighing on his shoulders, with the data the black box carries potentially being a chance at saving what little remains of them. The movie bleeds (pardon the pun) the Buried in nearly ever aspect of both it's narrative and it's film making.

Film Tournament Winners Final

Misc: The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Buried: Iron Lung (2026)

Voting ended onMay 28

[snowsingsalot]

urgent.

find all your mutuals, tag them. we cant let this bill pass.

@ultimate-fashion-designer @kittycatutaite @ena-shinonome-the-painter @akiredemoness @bloody------snow @c0nfessionsofar0ttensena @devilishlys0ur @fyosaint @godofhubris @hpdame @izumis-garden @jirais-original-sin @jirai-love @kokokaboom @landmineidoll @maitsuwu @omg-kawaiii-angel-chaan @omgkawaiiangelllll @pvrgedcvt @pinkgutsblr3 @rayyzerr @rxttenhexrtt @sleepy-sodazzz1128 @uncxnny-starzzzz @vincecrow @wuthering-on-ur-ashes @xosnowball @yourpain2me @z5mb1e-cur3

[lesbiangremlin84]

@generalanachorcollective @multifan06 @scallywiggles @meehlux35 @graybiggestinfluencer

[graybiggestinfluencer]

@0r3nthgoat @thelovebotlikefunbot @the1oflove @the1ofhate @thehomehorse @thatlocalpumpkin @sundaycharlottesstuff @creatorjess1

[thatlocalpumpkin]

@tr1sha-y4y-2763 @justbeingnova @ani-089 @girlbrey-ella @goldenshoes12 @kyounen @karmacreatesstuff

[ani-089]

This is important to everyone, so spread the word. To as many as you can, it's extremely important that this law doesn't pass.

@astronova95 @astronauta95 @hollowdimensionmatrix @stxrlightaries @kaotamashi @greatandpowerfultrixxie @rachaeldafrog @caseythecakeofficial129 @interfirey2025okey

[astronova95]

@shadmare @laundryload @defect-rebel

[karmacreatesstuff]

@rachaeldafrog @creatorjess1 @justbeingnova @axelworlddw @s0dam0ist @sundaycharlottesstuff @dreamzin-da-cloud @girlbrey-ella @moong0w0

(These are all the people I can remember-)

SPREAD THE WORD GUYS

[milk-teaz-room]

[I just woke up so sorry guys I'm lazy.]

Tags open

[makithewizard]

Guys, spread the word as much as possible

@slipperychip @freezedom @clawsofmaine @eventide-paradox @invader-rewa @redfur-the-cat @stellaghost @f-mariaa @jakejavu-offical @tarrblariathemess + open tags

[jakejavu-offical]

@echothevessel @ajithink @jaithink @thehollowmite @grandexcessivecoremode @ihavenocluewhatiwanttobecalled @ipaddres @the-one-and-only-piper-offical @pegz-and-rexy-offical @satan-offical @the-red-ball

Spreading the word to basically whoever I know

[echothevessel]

what the fuuucccckkkkkkkkkkk this is why I hate the u.s

@erroneousaure777 @cobaltjet @luckystar1327 @aces-and-ashes @loch-nes-dragon @ninja-beeveevee @andro-m3da @rosebushartz @adrenalynne @morphologist @toxicrobotyaoi @thestormwielder + open tags

[ninja-beeveevee]

@grimmpheonix @totallynotmimic1-m2 @thecoolestbotfan @tea-doodle @lofidoodles @yaloellie @artastical525 @bebekalord-but-not-art @lionacuty @currumin @catwalkvivi @lightning--ninja @mrgreentrexstudios @stinkershaper @queencrustacio @re1ko-xii

[thecoolestbotfan]

OHHHHH WHAT THIS SUCKS SO BAD. I HATE THIS COUNTRY SO MUCH I REALLY HOPE THIS DOESNT PASS I HAVE SO MANY TRANS/ENBY/OTHER FRIENDS INCLUDING MYSELF STAY SAFE EVERYONE!!!!

@beebisbeeble @ruii-cha @transgender-berdly-deltarune @grey-washere @condishawn-haver @roseisverytired @amphibiousbug @toadslug @apothecaryofdigitalis @that1chaospotato @banditbeloathed @partialpablo @mischievous-archeologist @travelingbug @kitty-da-insane @voidgivenformofficial @sarah-under90 @noswaith-eats-glitter @sludgefan0 @spectroacha @marshmallow-gem @sleepystrutter28

[kitty-da-insane]

Just called my senators

@sceaminglems @nayl0rdoesstuff @nellies-ghost @weaveryivel @fridgecharming @timaeustiger @westeggsocial

[nayl0rdoesstuff]

I will not let them harm the people I've come to love as family

@frog-wizard-almighty @ravenspiritlin @embers--and--ashes @jkl-fff @noswaith-eats-glitter

[frog-wizard-almighty]

WHAT THE FUCK! PROTECT TRANS PEOPLE

@numinouss @emberdragon34 @shakespeare-guy-anon @smallpwbbles @sexy-people-contests-2026

gonna be honest I only know like 2 of these people but fuck it we ball

[sexy-people-contests-2026]

I gotta get out of this country

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 1

The Twilight Zone vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Threads vs. House of Puppets

The View From Halfway Down vs. Paprika

The Truman Show vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead vs. Opal

The Fly vs. The Substance

Us vs. Come and See

Iron Lung vs. Martyrs

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 2

The Twilight Zone vs. Threads

Paprika vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead vs. The Fly

Us vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Semifinals

The Twilight Zone vs. Watership Down

The Fly vs Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Corruption: The Fly (1986) Well, there's the obvious aspect of a man turning into a mutated fly-thing with insectile behaviors and thought processes (vomiting digestive enzymes onto food, climbing walls and ceilings, feral behaviors), but there's a lot of unhealthy love in here as well; the mutant fly wants a mate, and that means putting a woman through the same horrific transformation he's undergone. In the process, he exhibits terrible jealousy, possessiveness, lust, violence, and eventually attempting to fuse himself, his love interest, and their unborn child into a singular entity so they can be together forever.

Oh, and the body horror. Can't forget the ooey, gooey body horror.

Buried: Iron Lung (2026) The movie takes place entirely within a small, crude submarine at the bottom of an ocean of blood. The sub is emphasized throughout to be a creaking, hot, suffocating space that constantly leaking blood and always under threat of breaking under the pressure of the ocean. There are multiple scenes of the main character Simon crawling in the crawl space under the floor (one of which has the small duct rapidly filling with blood). It acts as both the Simon r's lifeline as well as his coffin - the only thing keeping him from being crushed under the weight of a sea of blood and the thing that will ultimately kill him, whether from the radiation poisoning from the camera, or the eventual depletion of his oxygen, or when it lets in too much blood and he drowns. He is literally welded inside a metal box with no way out, desperately scrambling for survival while under the weight of an ocean of blood. Neither Simon nor the audience are ever allowed to leave it.

There is also the metaphorical side of the Buried present here. Simon lacks any true freedom over his life, both as a prisoner of the COI (who gave him the option of life imprisonment or a risky operation with the promise of freedom they might deliver on), as a member of Eden (a death cult he was either born into or left in the care of at a young age) and narratively speaking (again, he was doomed from the moment he stepped inside the sub), he is always pushed into what's happening in his life and must bear the consequences of it regardless. There's the guilt of the hand he played in the station's destruction and the loss of hundreds of lives that weighs on him constantly. There's the weight of humanity's possible future weighing on his shoulders, with the data the black box carries potentially being a chance at saving what little remains of them. The movie bleeds (pardon the pun) the Buried in nearly ever aspect of both it's narrative and it's film making.

Film Tournament Winners Semifinals Bout 2

Corruption: The Fly (1986)

Buried: Iron Lung (2026)

Voting ended onMay 27

[bracketsoffear]

Misc: The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) The Twilight Zone is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "The Twilight Zone". The episodes are in various genres, including science fiction, fantasy, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, supernatural drama, black comedy, and psychological thriller, frequently concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist, and usually with a moral. A popular and critical success, it introduced many Americans to common science fiction and fantasy tropes. The first series, shot entirely in black-and-white, ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964.

The Twilight Zone followed in the tradition of earlier television shows such as Tales of Tomorrow (1951–53), Out There (1951–1952) and Science Fiction Theatre (1955–57); radio programs such as The Weird Circle (1943–45), Dimension X (1950–51) and X Minus One (1955–58); and the radio work of one of Serling's inspirations, Norman Corwin. The success of the series led to a feature film (1983), a TV film (1994), a radio series (2002–12), various literature, theme park attractions and various other spin-offs that spanned five decades, including three revival television series. The second series (1985–1989) ran on CBS and in syndication in the 1980s, while the third series ran on UPN (2002–03). The fourth Twilight Zone series, helmed by Jordan Peele, was released on CBS All Access from 2019–20.

This has to be quite possibly the most influential TV shows of all time. Nearly all of horror media and anthology series ever since have had at least something to thank to it.

Hunt: Watership Down (1978) "All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you… But first, they must catch you."

A 1978 British animated drama film directed by Martin Rosen, adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by Richard Adams. The film is notorious as one of the darkest, most graphic pieces of children's fiction ever animated.

In rabbit mythology, the world was created by the god Frith. All animals were similar, living harmoniously as grass-eaters. The rabbits multiplied though, and their appetite led to a food shortage. Frith ordered the rabbit prince, El-Ahrairah, to control his people, but was scoffed at. In retaliation, the angered Frith gave special gifts to every animal, making some into predators to hunt the rabbits, humbling El-Ahrairah which caused him to play it safe and try to head underground. Satisfied that El-Ahrairah had learned his lesson, Frith gave rabbits the gifts of speed and cunning.

In the present, in a warren near Sandleford, a young rabbit seer named Fiver has an apocalyptic vision when he and his older brother Hazel come across a signboard; it says a residential development is coming but they cannot read it. The two beg the chief rabbit to order an evacuation; the chief dismisses them, and orders Captain Holly, the head of the warren's Owsla "police force", to attempt to stop those trying to leave. Hazel and Fiver manage to escape with six other rabbits named Bigwig, Blackberry, Pipkin, Dandelion, Silver, and Violet. What follows is a dangerous journey, and no one is safe from being killed.

Hey kids, want to take a peek at of how horrible it would be to live as a small prey animal, having to survive a life in which every single living thing above you in the food chain can and will chase you down to kill you? No? Well, that's too damn bad!

Film Tournament Winners Semifinals Bout 1

Misc: The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Hunt: Watership Down (1978)

Voting ended onMay 27

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 1

The Twilight Zone vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Threads vs. House of Puppets

The View From Halfway Down vs. Paprika

The Truman Show vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead vs. Opal

The Fly vs. The Substance

Us vs. Come and See

Iron Lung vs. Martyrs

[bracketsoffear]

Lagorio Winners' Bracket Round 2

The Twilight Zone vs. Threads

Paprika vs. Watership Down

Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead vs. The Fly

Us vs. Iron Lung

[bracketsoffear]

Stranger: Us (2019) Us is a 2019 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, and his second film after 2017's Get Out. It stars Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex, with Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker in supporting roles.

Married couple Adelaide and Gabe Wilson (Nyong'o and Duke) decide to take their children Zora and Jason (Joseph and Alex) on vacation to a beach house to unplug with their family friends, Kitty and Josh Tyler (Moss and Heidecker). Meanwhile, Adelaide is plagued with an unexplainable trauma from her past which keeps her on edge.

Unfortunately, the Wilsons' serenity doesn't last. On the first night of their arrival, they see an uninvited family standing on their driveway who then break into their house. The Wilsons then discover that not only are the intruders doppelgängers of themselves, but both families share a deep connection and unfinished business, turning their peaceful vacation into a chaotic fight for survival.

Buried: Iron Lung (2026) The movie takes place entirely within a small, crude submarine at the bottom of an ocean of blood. The sub is emphasized throughout to be a creaking, hot, suffocating space that constantly leaking blood and always under threat of breaking under the pressure of the ocean. There are multiple scenes of the main character Simon crawling in the crawl space under the floor (one of which has the small duct rapidly filling with blood). It acts as both the Simon r's lifeline as well as his coffin - the only thing keeping him from being crushed under the weight of a sea of blood and the thing that will ultimately kill him, whether from the radiation poisoning from the camera, or the eventual depletion of his oxygen, or when it lets in too much blood and he drowns. He is literally welded inside a metal box with no way out, desperately scrambling for survival while under the weight of an ocean of blood. Neither Simon nor the audience are ever allowed to leave it.

There is also the metaphorical side of the Buried present here. Simon lacks any true freedom over his life, both as a prisoner of the COI (who gave him the option of life imprisonment or a risky operation with the promise of freedom they might deliver on), as a member of Eden (a death cult he was either born into or left in the care of at a young age) and narratively speaking (again, he was doomed from the moment he stepped inside the sub), he is always pushed into what's happening in his life and must bear the consequences of it regardless. There's the guilt of the hand he played in the station's destruction and the loss of hundreds of lives that weighs on him constantly. There's the weight of humanity's possible future weighing on his shoulders, with the data the black box carries potentially being a chance at saving what little remains of them. The movie bleeds (pardon the pun) the Buried in nearly ever aspect of both it's narrative and it's film making.

Film Tournament Winners Round 2 Bout 4

Stranger: Us (2019)

Buried: Iron Lung (2026)

Voting ended onMay 26