Diary of a Madman: Slip into Insanity

I’ve been wanting to review this AD for some time now. I’ve refrained from doing so, only because I want this review to properly show my appreciation. I owe it to the creator, as he has been such an inspiration to me. When he and I spoke when I was looking to start my own AD, it got me thinking and lit the creative fire I thought extinguished. I credit him with giving me the courage and drive to start this review site and to keep up with it. Thank you, Paul. You can count me as a lifelong fan.

Okay, love fest over. This is Diary of a Madman.

Diary of a Madman is made unique by the type of depravity and obsession that it portrays. This AD follows “The Madman”, a nameless narrator whose obsession with both himself and his oblivious victim seem to consume him, burying him under the mud that is his own inadequacies.

While the episodes themselves are relatively short, coming in around 2 to 4 minutes usually, they pull you down into the muck that is human obsession and narcissism. I find myself listening to this, and picturing Elliot Rogers and his ‘Retribution Confession’. If you don’t know what that is, I’m sure you can find it on Youtube, but be warned that it is very disturbing.

As the Madman watches from the shadows, you get an insight into just who the unlucky soul is that has become his focal point. You hear snippets of their life and the impact others have on it, and that’s when the dread starts to mount. You find yourself feeling scared for this person. You worry about just when the Madman will strike, and what he could possibly do to this poor innocent. That is the true mark of a great AD. Make me feel something for these characters, make me invest in these people. Instead of imaginary people given voice, I can say that these people feel real to me, and that is slightly horrifying when you think about it.

This show truly freaks me out. Not only does it set me on edge with worry and terror for the Madman’s Obsession, but some of the things this Madman says...I can hear being said in my own voice…

Alright, enough of that. Freaking myself out. This show has everything a true horror fan could want. A peek into the Mouth of Madness, dread as the story unfolds, suspense as you wait for the inevitable, sorrow for the victim, and a helplessness born of sympathy. All this comes together to cement this AD as one of the greats.

The voice acting is quite spectacular. Mr. Sating himself steals the show with his portrayal of The Madman. His other voice actors, some of which you may recognize (coughsmalltownhorrorcough), truly bring these characters to life and ground you with their true to life feel. I could picture myself sitting right next to them and hearing the conversation. I could see myself huddles in a dark corner of the room as the Madman unburdened his blackened soul to his diary. Its great actors like these that make or break some ADs. You can forgive a lot with good voice actors, or forgive the actors with a great story. Thankfully, this AD has both.

Paul Sating has several other works out there such as Subject Found and Atheist Apocalypse. Found footage and apocalyptic comedy, respectively. I am looking forward to reviewing these ADs as well, but Diary of a Madman is a great introduction to his work. For those already subscribed, I join you in almost maddening vigil as this story progresses. If you haven’t, I implore you to give in to your inner Madman and subscribe to this AD. Who knows? You may find common ground...