It's so hard to keep up with the lore with all the secret videos you have unlisted. I feel bad for the theorists who have to constantly search for these things to keep up to date on the lore.
Kane, I will not lie to you, seeing the giant in TOV3 awakened what felt like ancestral fear. I grew up in the Dallas area, going to the Valley View mall as a child occasionally, and had seen the giant there. I hadn't thought about it in like 2 decades. Something from so long ago that I might have thought it was from a dream was actually real and being re-presented back to me in my adulthood in an even more terrifying form. And getting to explore the mall again like that was an eerie and surreal nostalgia. That video was a real treasure to me. You said in your talk with Wendigoon that you consider that your best work. I don't disagree, but it is definitely my favorite work of yours, and probably my favorite piece of analog horror. It hits on all cylinders for me, especially given my personal history with the subject matter. Also, as a blueprint draftsman, I really appreciated your inclusion of the mall plans. At first I thought you had made a god-tier reproduction of them that showed a real attention to detail for my profession. Learning it was an actual scan was cool. Thank you for your work, man.
It's insane seeing the mall I spent my childhood at being used in such a strange and horrifying way. I don't remember the giant statue beyond a passing familiarity, but I do remember the AMC Theatre, the little children's play place, even the times we'd visit for Christmas when I was small. It's surreal man. I can even point out the place we preformed on a trip with my Choir group in part 3 if I remember correctly. Thanks for giving that part of my childhood new life in such a fascinating and terrifying way. Also its just crazy to me that this is basically becoming "Dallas folklore" lmao. I've already told my family about your series and they love it. My mom spent way more time at the Valley View than I did and she thinks what you have here is spectacular. Can't wait to see more from you dude. Edit: Damn, wasn't expecting Kane to actually see this comment and like it. Updated a word or two to express myself a lil better.
Yeah I was about to say, when the Rolling Giant episode came out I immediately recognized it and the uncanniness skyrocketed for me, this whole thing is a masterpiece.
Imagine how shocked the actual French botanist Julien Reverchon would be to discover that a giant caricature statue was made of him nearly 100 years after his death, followed by an entirely separate short-film horror series revolving around said statue. What a bizarre and uniquely cool legacy.
I imagine Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, George Washington, Queen Elizabeth, Jesus, and countless other historical figures would react similarly. It’s what inevitably happens to all who left an impact on history.
I didn't think I'd be crying over a giant and a mall, but here I am. I love things that take an established lore and completely turn it upside down. The mall was previously a mysterious, scary, and dead location, but here it's shown to be lively and filled with people. The giant was previously a villain of sorts, but here it's at the heart of so much happiness and activity. I'm starting to think that it just wanted some companionship from Wyatt and wasn't trying to hurt him. But I could be wrong about that.
I too think that the Giant didn't want to hurt him. Remember how the Giant really got mad after he said he was trying to leave? I don't think the Giant wanted to be left alone... again.
I thought Julien was angry for being abandoned and eventually torn down, despite how much he was loved, it was completely superficial and he didnt matter in the long run, and he is taking that out on wyatt, being the only human he had ever seen in forever
I was actually thinking that, because remember when he chases him up the stairs and goes away, those stairs lead to the exit, and we know Julian was cabable of climbing the stairs, he was trying to push him towards the exit, I think
For those curious folks in the comments, Julien Reverchon was a 19th century French botanist whose vast collection of flora contributed greatly to his field in general, and the culture of Dallas in particular.
Honestly the Oldest View is the perfect response to the demand for more Backrooms. It encompasses everything that made Backrooms so great, and somehow manages to have even more substance. Because of this, I think that The Oldest View is perhaps even better than Backrooms, but regardless of how you look at it, both series are amazing, and the fact that this comes from an 18 year old dude keeps amazing me.
This perfectly explains the Giant's story. The music is amazing, and you can clearly tell what is going on. It's like the Giant has feelings. Incredible work Kane!
This video, to me, makes the Giant a tragic hero, and makes the mall even more ominous. Rolling Giant now reads like Wyatt was being guided out of something terrible, instead of being chased.
God this video is so raw. Mourning the inanimate, grieving for a place, fearing the passage of time and being left stunned when a decade passes and everything is gone. I havent really seen any art go in to this as intimately and painfully as this video does.
The nostalgia and sadness of this series is an interesting juxtaposition to the horror. I appreciate the careful work you put into recreating this mall and its giants, they will live on through your work! I think that is why I have always been drawn to liminal spaces. They are not creepy or frightening to me, just sad, empty and lonely. Places that should be bustling with life but life has moved on and left them behind.
@@jasonlong4957 He charged at him at the end of the vid cracking the wall destroying the stairs and even showed him dead bodies after the guy yelled to the giant "What do you want!?".... Yeah im pretty sure the giant wanted him dead
The fact the giant and the mall itself were actually a real thing still blows my mind. Edit: Seems some of you are lost with my comment. What I'm saying is I first learned about the existence of the mall/rolling giant through The Oldest View videos; and what's really engrossing is how Kane replicated the exact details of the IRL mall in the OV videos
@@viliamklein they actually were. Kane pixels did not just create them for the show, the mall got demolished a few years ago tho Edit: I understand now the errors of my ways as i've now been informed numerous times over these past months that the mall was demolished in 2023 and not years ago. so please understand that I am now properly informed and don't force me to dwell on this ATROCIOUS mistake of mine any longer. Thank you.
It's quite heartwarming that TheGiant had a reputation of being one of the icons of the Valley View Mall, and when it was abandoned and torn down, so was his purpose...(he's left to be seen as some sort of monster now) And it's all...very, very sad... 😥
It's sad to think The Giant used to be surrounded by so many people and participated in festivities, assuming it was conscious the whole time and not just in the abandoned mall. It lived its whole life around and being admired by people and now lived alone underground in the dark.
I think that in the 3 part the Giant just wanted to not be alone and at the end when he shows dead horses and humans it meant something like stay here or die like everyone well done Kane
The weight of the real life story and the beautiful music... first time, I was like: damn. But the second time I watched it, I cannot bear to bring myself to watch it again without breaking out into a thousand tears. The nastolgia vides with this one, I bet everyone has, not only of the slowly forgotten malls, but of memories that for a long time, have been locked. This video gave me vibes of my oldest surviving memory, waking up when I was 5 in my bedroom in a childhood home in Federal Way, right next to a former Safeway. It's been a junk storage for who knows now for 10 years. Thank you so much Kane Pixels for it. It is truly your all time classic I will remember you forever for.
Everything has a beginning, so will there be an end. I always hated the ending in most of video games I played, not that the ending sucked, it's because the game reached finale, and the process of leveling up, grinding, trial and error process make it fun. Same thing with social gathering, I love family reunion as I get to see my family member once a while as I work oversea, and I hate how it always comes to an end, and I am taking a plane back home. I can sort of feel the anger and hate in The Giant, after so long, no interaction, laughter, and chatter with any human being, finally get to see someone, only for them to insult the place you cherished the most! How dare him!
I love it when a video brings paragraphs & paragraphs of people saying what they think, in a way, it’s just like when the people would flock to the giant to take pictures with it. Some things change but others don’t, The Giant will always be loved, no matter what.
I specifically remember going on a high school field trip to Valley View with my art teacher to visit the underground art exhibits that took over when sales started to decline. Many parts of the mall were dark and eerie, and this video along with Kane's previous posts couldn't have done a better job of capturing it. I know a girl who's mom had an art gallery there on the second floor, and I distinctly remember it being the only shop with people in the entire mall.
Damn you going there for a school field trip sounds fun. I only went there when I was a kid and It was one of the best experiences I had when i was a kid and then I just kinda forgot about It until I watched the series and I had got hit with a wave of nostalgia and all the good times I had there, Brings good memories.
i'll admit, Mister Rolling "The Oldest View" Giant becomes a lot more sympathetic once you know his full backstory; being just left there in the mall as something to gawk at once he had fulfilled his original purpose, even after it was abandoned, until at last it was demolished and he was unceremoniously brought with it
This series broke me so hard. I'm reeling. Absolutely beautiful atmosphere, and stunning artistry. It made me feel profoundly upset about the destruction of a mall I've never been to or even heard of before this series. Amazing job.
The weirdest part about this series is just the fact that none of this is made up. None of the lore behind the mall is fake. It's a random mall that some guy decided to turn into a short horror series. The mall and the giant are things that real people visited and have memories of. Things they never would've expected to see represented in a popular online horror series. The emotion behind the closing of it and the loss of the giant are all completely, 100%, authentic, and the only thing artificial about it all is what happened to the mall after all was said and done. Imagine seeing this giant years ago, thinking it was super cool, and thinking nobody except those in your town would ever be familiar with it. Now imagine years later seeing this same giant show up again all over the internet, not knowing why everyone suddenly knows about it. Kane took a piece of art that was known by little but loved by all who did know it, and turned it into something known by many, and loved, but for very different reasons than before. It's so weird to think about.
@@loganf.07 Yeah. This is a ghostly version of it. It's not depicting the actual mall, but the ghost of the mall. Which is why it's underground in this. The mall unfortunately no longer exists. It was torn down once and for all pretty recently.
Just found this new series and am loving it; as someone who was born in Dallas and went to Valley View frequently including even myself having done videos at valley view throughout the years and each time I went; a new section was closed off. This hits home even more
This one gets me weirdly emotional, it shows the very start of Julien's creation to his fate during the demolition of Valley View. An artist worked hard on making the giant, and many more enjoyed it throughout its years of existence, but no one cared to preserve it in the end. Art is important, it tells stories and creates memories for those who interact with it. Art has soul, you could almost even see the pain in Julien's eyes as everything around him is destroyed. He even loses his beret from his transition from the parade to the mall :(
3:12 on that last shot as it’s zooming in to show the remains of the giant which is nothing but the wheels that used too transport such a cool and amazing art piece just hurts in a weird way.
Tbh I don't think he could be preserved for very long, his face and beard was made of cardboard. But also could be paper mache, if its then yeah he could be preserved for a lot of time if taken care of.
3:25 something interesting to point out is that in The Oldest View #2, Wyatt says as he enters the beginning of the staircase that the stairs look like they “use to go up further”. And the stairs on this structure look very similar to the ones on the staircase. This makes me wonder if the temple was originally built on the surface above and connected to the mall if it existed then (judging by the video quality I would say the footage is from early 1900’s)
Dunno why but there's some kind of similarity with the mall ladders and elevator when you switch it with 1:46 - something very similar. The positioning of the ladders, the totem thing looking similar to the elevator shaft.
One of the first things Wyatt says before the giant starts chasing him is "I'm trying to leave." I almost cried once I realized that the giant didnt want Wyatt to leave him abandoned again.
Oh wow, that would explain why it wasn't aggressively chasing him initially. It was just slowly following behind him when he wasn't looking. Like the giant just wanted to follow him and be close to him, to feel like he has some company. It's when Kane makes it clear that he's trying to leave, that's when the giant gets aggressive and start to really give chase. I didn't see it like that before. Good call.
what a fellow. such kind eyes. 😌 jokes aside, its sad seeing art of the past being torn down and forgotten, I think it's incredible that the legacy of the giant and mall is basically being carried on by The Oldest View. Awesome work, Kane.
honestly!! i have such a soft spot for art that wasn't made to be creepy but turned out a little creepy anyway haha. it's kind of sweet and misunderstood. it's really sad the giant got destroyed with the mall. he's really kinda cute :'(
Never thought I'd relate so well to a giant puppet in a mall. There are many "Rolling Giants" out there, good people and places who were left to die after others stopped using them.
Great portrayal of the giant in a human light. It further adds to the feeling that we never really knew his true motives behind TOV3. Maybe he really just didn't want to lose the only company he had since the abandonment. The more you learn about him, the more questions there are. It makes him Backrooms right down to his soul. Amazing work with this whole storyline.
He's not harassing...he is basically a child that can't talk..and he wants a friend..he doesn't understand why you run...and why we're so fragile @@orreongman
The fact that this Giant has moved me to tears is so insane. He was everything to those people and that mall, and now he, like the place, are ghosts… his malice might not even be sinister. It’s pain. Injustice. I feel for him.
It’s quite the tumultuous life story. Giants are friends and having one who is considered a great friend is truly a blessing. Giants have the distinct ability to love deeper than most humans, due to their large hearts and large brains that are typically nearly double the size of an average human’s brain. Quite incredible specimen who deserve to be treated as such.
That’s what you assume. Just because he was following him didn’t mean he was trying to harm him. The thing can’t talk. For all we know it could have been trying to warn him NOT to go up there. The mall itself could have gone through an AWE and become its own evil entity.
I dont know if thats a joke or not. I seriously doubt the statue was much of anything to anyone. No more than a macy's float is anything to anyone, other than maybe the people who build them.
I like the idea that the mall itself grew angry through its abandonment. It did not become haunted. Through the mall’s solitude, it would do anything to retaliate against the world that left it to rot
it makes me feel like something terrible happened that caused the mall (or its worshippers, or a botanist with flowers for hands, etc) to reflexively make a “backup” deep, DEEP underground. it would’ve been before the teardown because the underground mall is in working-ish condition. i want to know what came to pass at that moment to freeze the mall in time.
@@maxharrison3733 I believe that ancient structure capping the video off could be the root of it since it also shows how the underground replica's AMC architecture resembles it to a T.
I'm not too sure why but this video moved me to incontrolable tears. I felt nostalgia and pity for things I never even experienced. Thank you Kane, magnificent experience.
From someone who grew up in Dallas and went to that mall a lot, this is both lovely and nostalgically sad for me. The giant freaked me out when I saw him the first time but then I had such a fascination with him. Every time I went to the mall (usually for the AMC theater- they had real good discounts) I had to go "say hi" to the giant. Now I find myself missing him.
i was just thinkin about how someone prob a lil relationship w him and i got sad but i am glad tht someone actually did appreciate him while he was here
If you ever got trapped in the underground version of the Valley View center, those kind words would probably save you. He'd probably get you out tbh lol
The fact that he is working on a MOVIE and still has the time to make content like this and the Oldest View is honestly insane, so accomplished in such a short amount of time. Some of the best stuff I've seen on YT and in media in general. You're killing it Kane.
This is part of TOV. Also, the fact that this video is canon means that the mall actually was destroyed in the series just like in our timeline. This raises questions about the origins of the underground mall (it may not have teleported)
This is very symbolic to the death of shopping malls and shopping culture in general. It's touching in a way. I never expected to feel such empathy for the Giant. 💚
Yeah, I spent my early 20's working in malls and during their hey day they were a fun place to be. Now I can't stand to go to the mall. (The one still left here) It is the end of a era.😔
The following comment is about my ideas and feelings about this video and the videos about the giant. Is not my intent to write something about the true meaning of the video and his real porpuse: This is the real deal about liminality and analog horror: nostalgia. I think this video would be a perfect ending to the Rolling Giant series. I don't know if Kane is personally bonded with those places, but this video feels like when the mall was destroyed was a hard time for Kane. Also showing the video where the head of the giant is detached from the body feels like a friend has died and a lot of good memories with him. Thank you Kane for this amazing piece of art, you make me feel nostalgia for places that I didn't know, for memories that I didn't live. As I said, the real deal with liminality and analog horror
There is no "Rolling Giant series", there's the third episode of the "The Oldest View" series, and this behind the scenes look into the inspiration for that video. And who says anything's over? Did Kane make some kind of announcement I haven't seen? Because there was nothing that read as finality to me in this video or the TOV video itself, and the end of TOV3 (the video with the giant in it) implied that the giant could appear again..
@@MCOmegaX123 I believe in Wendigoon's reaction to The Oldest View, when he was in a call with Kane, Kane said that he was burnt out from making the third part. If he makes a part 4, it will be a much longer wait, and the Backrooms movie will most likely be finished before then.
@@MCOmegaX123 Hey, I'm sorry to have upset you, that was not my intent. I was only sharing my view and my feelings about the videos. Anyway I've edited the comment to make it more clear. Sorry again
This honestly is one of the most surprisingly depressing things I've seen in a bit. I saw it originally on the wendigoon stream, and didn't think too much of it, but seeing it again now after watching the series, it really just hurts. It feels like the whatever the being was- the Giant, the mall itself, whatever- used to inhabit the original mall, the one that existed in real life. But what hurts about it was that it was happy. It loved the people who walked through its doors and its halls, filled the stores with art and took pictures with the Giant. It loved being there for people, being a place of art and happiness and community. It got what it wanted. And then it was slowly but surely taken away from it. Like how the main character in the climax of the Oldest View got hope slowly stripped away, with the changing rules and blocked exits, the being within the mall was stripped of hope too- the mall became abandoned, people did not come, and it was left decrepit and ruined. And finally, when hope seemed close, when people finally came back- it was to simply destroy the place, and tear it down, leaving the Giant to die inside and stripping the Giant and the mall of the final bit of hope it had. It's like watching someone's downward spiral, and it's truly tear-jerking, as the mall and the Giant just wanted to be there, and to have people see and enjoy it. And now, it is gone, buried in rubble- just as the spirit buried itself deep beneath the Earth. It's such a good way of making us feel for a villain that doesn't even have a concrete personality, and it really made me sad. Excellent work Kanepixels.
I thought the same exact thing. It is soul crushingly sad. He even looked happy to be in photos with the people coming and going and all of that is gone and he was entombed alone in the dark mall. This vid had me weeping.
I was neither in this mall, nor in the US, but even so, I feel sadness. After I've seen "the Oldest View", TH-cam's recommendations gave me videos of what this mall was, and to what it turned into after it was abandoned. It wasn't my past, it wasn't in my country, but even so, I feel it. Great work, Kane!
It’s cool to see that the giant was a symbol and a huge part of the mall. It’s pretty sad how the mall got abandoned and destroyed along with The Giant. Art really is something.
At 2:13 it looks like the giant is crying. Generally the video makes him look very human. It portrays him as the good guy who was left behind together with his home the mall. If you ignore TOV part 3, this video makes you feel sorry for the giant. Great work Kane as always.
@@aesthetic8780 Idk, at the end of TOV 3 that was pretty hostile, Julian was breaking the concrete structure Alex was stood on, if he hadn't kept moving the giant would have directly killed him. Generally, directly and purposefully causing someone's death is considered a hostile action
@@SmD-ff5xd Right, i still wonder about his real intent though. As another youtuber pointed out, the giant could have killed the explorer way sooner. Also i dont get the giants response at the end
How this and the rest of The Oldest View saga don't have millions more views is beyond me; this isn't just phenomenal analog horror but genius storytelling plain and simple! Thank you, Kane, for all the work you do and the care you show 🙌
hey, just saying, i dont think this should be considered *analog* horror. the guy recording is using a modern phone and even mentions tiktok at some point. (hopefully this reply wasnt too annoying)
The part of the mall shown in 1:46 has a stricking resembalance to the structure shown in the end, 3:26. They both have stairs on the left and right going up towards the middle. They both also have a long central structure. My theory is that the mall is somehow conntected to this ancient structure based on their resembalance.
Yep. The fact I had to scroll so far to find this is annoying, everyone is hung up on "oh maybe the giant is friendly and sad" like nah, watch the video, there's clearly more going on here that we don't fully understand yet.
it seems to me that this structure at the end of the video hints at a fire in it and after its demolition this structure looks exactly like a place with an elevator and the inscription AMC
For anyone wondering, Valley view mall took many years to tear down and for the area to be cleaned out. They’re planning a new shopping strip with apartments and other businesses, but this has been plan for about 2 years and they haven’t made any progress. It’s just an empty lot now with fencing around.
that's a fact it remained an empty promise and kept abandoned and untouched, justifies the giant's unyielding contempt towards everyone that abandoned it
The level of research you must've committed yourself to in order to perfectly duplicate the interior of Valley View Mall (especially since it was demolished and all you'd have to go from would be blueprints and old photos and videos) as well as your research of the giant's construction is honestly a beautiful and commendable level of work. Can't wait to see your professional career and artistic work continue to flourish over the coming years, Kane. 👏👏👏
@@DxBlack Yet he had the vision to organize it and make it happen, even if he outsourced the work. He chose the setting and directed its execution, like any good filmmaker. When was the last time you said "don't praise that director, he didn't do the special effects himself."?
When originally watching "The Oldest View", I had no idea it was based on a real mall and that the giant was also based on reality. Afterwards I saw some videos giving the real-life backstory and the respect for how detailed the work was done went through the roof.
Same, there's even a TH-cam video where these two guys explore the abandoned mall and you can tell from the jokes and and other details in it that it definitely inspired Kane
Kane, this is such a wonderful series about what real nostalgia is. I’ve never seen someone capture it so perfectly. Nostalgia doesn’t come from a specific property or thing, and it can’t be recaptured by getting that thing. It’s a longing for the feelings surrounding that thing or time period. When I watched The Oldest View, I couldn’t help but feel like the Giant’s intentions weren’t the prominent circulating theories, like possession. The character being a business major, and the way you so lovingly captured the purely corporate consumerist intentioned environment of a mall meant something. That mall was a 3rd place, for people to go to (technically for free) and connect with others. But because it wasn’t making enough money, it was torn down. So many things like that are happening in our culture right now. And the lack of the ability to connect with others leaves us feeling abandoned and trapped. I think the Giant is experiencing the same feelings we are when we feel nostalgia, and that desperate point we reach to just feel something and see someone again. What a beautiful series. Thank you for this. It’s a rare feeling as an artist to feel like you’ve done better than you last work that was wildly popular, but I think you did. This was amazing, and shows you have so much more to show the world. I’m excited to see where you go!
This made me cry. Being from the early 90s and growing up with malls and the art that inhabited them being so loved and respected and seeing the demise of such a strong part of American culture is so saddening. The mall used to be what social media is today, a place to get dressed up and go show off your style, meet people, have fun, be social, etc. You can see the vibrance and joy in the early photos with the people posing with the Giant. The collapse of the bustling and powerful American economy of the 80s and 90s that BUILT these malls is dead now. The Giant is lost, alone, spiteful, and full of malice like a lot of millennials, gen X and boomers over the state of the fallen empire. The colors and music and strong feelings of hope are all gone and nothing is left of malls but these callous shells of a bygone era with few to remember them.
... I am from the same era... and have fond-memories of these places, as well. However, the rise of the "shopping-mall" was not the sign of an economy being carried by burgeoning tale-winds... but rather... an American economy in early-stage decay. Enfranchisement of the once broad and thriving base of intellectual-properties, resources and means of distribution of goods that filled these malls to the corporate-investors that eventually looked to exploit them... was the last dying-gasp of the generational brick-and-morter businesses and industries that once sustained and offered foundation to the American Dream. The death of the American shopping-mall... while sad in some sense... was absolutely necessary. We lie in the wake of this destruction, at-the-moment; helpless and hopeless when envisioning long-term-recovery... but, perhaps, the seeds that once grew a thriving-nation can find root... somewhere... once-again.
Hey man, your videos on the Valley View mall are so touching. I myself never went there but this gives me a sense of eerie nostalgia. Thank you so much for your amazing content, as this lets many of us experience a mall from the 70's. This is making me cry 🥺
Kane I'm not gonna lie man, your ability to build a story based around a true event is impeccable. I have so many questions and so many feelings watching this series, literally on the edge of my seat hating whenever the character turns around but not able to look away. The work you do is impressive to say the least and you deserve all the credit in the world. Good luck man you're going places.
Agreed. And the fact that the giant had such a sad ending. No wonder he stalked urban explorers after the mall fell into despair, he was simply lonely.
Even though i don't carry the same nostalgia that some people have for this mall, the heartbreaking realization that something you hold dear doesn't exist anymore is a very relatable one.
This was very unexpected. I went from being terrified to the point of being sick and petrified with fear while watching TOV 3 to a full 180 of being so sad and heartbroken for the giant during this vid. I know what loneliness is like but I cannot imagine the immense scale of loneliness the giant must have felt after the mall was blighted. The giant lived a good life and he will live on in our memories because of the masterpiece you created and showing us his past life.
I see the giant no longer a monster, but a depressed monster. I picture him as a kid or dog that was abandon and waiting for someone to come and visit or to come back. When Wyatt says that he wants to go home. The giant didn’t want him to go home, he wanted him to stay because he didn’t want to get abandon again apparently.
Oh my fucking God man, BRAVO. That was the perfect song choice. The instrumental version made us GenXers nostalgic back when it was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Some of us were too young to even understand what the feeling was that we were having. This series is a masterpiece. Holy shit. I have never been to Texas, but you have managed to make me miss a mall that I've never been to. I live within walking distance of the first fully enclosed mall in the United States, the Northgate Mall in Seattle, WA. They have torn most of it down and replaced it with a hockey practice arena for the new hockey team. It's a shame, I went to see Santa there every year when I was a kid in the 1980's and now the local teens have nowhere free hang out indoors. My, how the time goes by.
I always feel it's kind of tragic how we can quickly forget the past, demolish it and move on to bigger, better and brighter. As someone who has grown up in the 80's, malls had a real vibe, an energy of it's time with arcades, food courts, kids hanging out, families going out, window shopping, going to the movies then dining at one of the malls restaurants after, dates, ect... I live in a small town and it was the place to be. I worked at the mall in my teens-20something and saw the start of the decline and by the 2000's, the near death of. Nostalgia is what I'm getting at. The Oldest View brings it as well as telling the Giant's story. I feel I've learned a lot from finding out more of the origins of Kane's story and how it all came together, it's incredible. It's deeper than it's surface in so many ways and I'm thankful that Kane put so much work in to creating this series.
Some malls are still absolutely bustling with activity but they have to be in really convenient highly trafficked and advertised areas. I’m lucky enough to live 30 minutes away from a huge thriving mall
It's mostly just that online retail made malls nonviable in Suburbia. And Suburbia is basically designed to destroy any connection people have to their community. So the mall, grocery store, and church are basically the only place most people can congregate in Suburbia. And now the malls are gone from suburbia, so people have even fewer places to congregate now. Another reason why suburban life is fucking hell. Cities still have malls all over the world.
I don't see too many comments talking about the music choice. The song (written by The Smiths, this version is a cover by The Dream Academy) is about someone being desperate to fulfill personal desires, such as happiness or love. In this case, it's most likely the latter, Morrissey (The Smiths' lead singer) adds a line to this song during his live performances: “Please please please let me get who I want” What if that's what the giant really wanted all along? To feel loved by people once again?
Im legit like, overwhelemd by lots of different emotions after watching this. It's rare that anything can make me really feel that deeply these days. Words fail to do justice to your immense talent and gift for expression, Kane. I absolutely cannot wait to see where life takes you next, as each milestone on your journey so far has been a total triumph. Also, I LOVED the sound mixing at the end where you made it sound as though the song was echoing through the abandoned mall. That was such a slick touch! The details are what make your work stand out, what makes it hit us in the most intimate of our cores as humans. Keep exploring those huge, ponderous, enigmatic questions, my friend. The world needs your voice now more than it ever has.
@@artimus4198 that's 100% what he was going for as far as the Thematic elements of this series. Also, it's even more impactful when you consider the fact that that era is completely bygone, something that we will never return to because the world has changed so much. It had such a unique feeling to it, that only the people that were there and lived through it will really ever know that feeling and nothing will ever quite replicate that ever again. It's this really poignant mix of loss and yearning and joy. It's beautiful and I don't think I've ever seen anyone encapsulate that feeling so perfectly in my entire 36 years on this planet, with as much media as I have consumed. Kane is in a fucking League of his own.
@@dangerxbadger2300 yeah i was born in early 2000 so I got to experience the tail end of that era. Everything was just slower, nowadays the now feels fluid and non-solid just because of how many things you can choose to do and interact with and get something out of it. Talking about phones and internet. Anyway, I think you’re right I’ve been struggling to understand exactly what Kane is trying to say with this series for the past few months, but it seems to be a warning of nostalgia, having these false perceptions about the past (the giant, the reconstructed mall) will only serve to haunt you and keep you trapped in some miserable visage of what things used to be instead of trying to carry that torch on into the future. It’s a false escape Edit: also the smiths song that plays in the background here is about aspirations and inhibitions, connect that how you will
thank you kane, for memorializing Valley View like this.... my circus troupe used to practice at nights in front the giant, the galleries.... I am at a loss for words, but you captured the feeling of melancholy perfectly. Thank you.
I think I speak for a lot of people from the DFW area when I say that you did a really good job recreating Valley View Center. I hadn't been to Valley View in probably 15 years before it was demolished and it was so weird to have the memory flood back when I saw the video. Looking back at it, the memory has a nice serenity to it, knowing that it's a chapter of my life that's closed and done with. Thank you for creating a series that evokes such an enjoyable sense of nostalgia for people from the area.
After just 3 videos of this new series, I am highly invested in this. What Kane does on this channel is bar none amazing. The videos give me constant chills throughout
The music of this piece is so perfect in capturing the sad nostalgic wonder that is the Rolling Giant. Kane is brilliant. All the real footage and the tune put together. I have watched and thought about this video for several weeks now. Really hits the feels, as the young folk say!
this is one of the coolest art projects I've come across, and probably my favorite work of yours. is not even nostalgia for me, it's just the appreciation of a small, insignificant to the public eye, piece; the recognition and revival of it. it's beautiful.
I don’t live in Dallas. I don’t live in Texas. I don’t even live in America, yet this video, after theorising what the Giant really is, I realised what he may have wanted. Which may be reflecting how the main line of the song is “Let me get what I want”. Stepping away from that, This video made me cry. I thought about how the giant may have felt, and he had an amazing run at the start of his life. Next think you know, he’s dismantled, broken and dead. In my eyes, all he wanted was to witness nature again, yet he couldn’t. Seeing as I don’t live here, this message alone shows how much emotion this video can give someone who has never seen the giant… And never will… Thank you, Kane.
There is a mall in Cincinnati that I wish someone would memorialize. I have so many memories there and it will be gone soon just like the Giants. A whole era full of engagement and social interaction gone, it just hits hard going somewhere with friends and one day it being so empty you can hear yourself everywhere. One day the glory of going to the mall will be gone, I feel lucky being able to go in and feel the nostalgic sadness.
Never thought I'd see another filmmaker utilize "Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" from Dream Academy in such a brilliant way as John Hughes did in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Kane, you impressed me so much with this latest series and especially this video that illustrates the tragedy that befell the The Rolling Giant and The Valley View Centre Mall. I can't wait to see how that ancient structure in the end connects to their resurrection miles beneath the earth considering the uncanny resemblance between it and the AMC section.
I was looking for a comment that mentioned the ancient structure at the end. I saw it as an explanation as to why the giant had life in the first place. It is some sort of ancient artifact/location that gave the life to the mall/giant? Love that you mention and connected John Hughes and FBDO!
Kane, this is beautiful and devastating. Your storytelling abilities are amazing, even in a video such as this which is just edits. I just feel the need to tell you that the masterpiece that was The Rolling Giant made me hyperfixate so hard on the Julien statue as both a real artifact and the characterization you have given him through your recent work. It has given me more to think about when it comes to abandonment, injustice, and the purpose of art.
Seeing this makes me think about how as I get older I am more aware of the passage of time and more fond of not only things from my past but for things from other people's past. As I see things change around me and stuff I used to love either change for the worst or just not how I wish it would be I am constantly reminded of a line from a song I listen to a lot, "If there's one thing I hate, it's change." Watching this video makes me feel sorry for the giant since I kind of get that feeling of seeing things change not always for the better. I'm not sure if any of what I wrote makes sense but this is so great and I can't wait to see more.
Well, I am now officially obsessed with this video, and with the vibe it projects. The perfectly appropriate song just keeps rolling over and over in my head; at home, at work, before sleeping. Since I live in Texas, I have started asking numerous coworkers if they ever visited the Valley View Mall. Many have, and many remember 'Big Julien'. I truly hope he somehow survived the demolition!! 😞
This series made me feel nostalgic for something I never truly experienced. Seems like I missed out on many experiences that we all will most likely are never gonna see again due to how different society is compared to a decade ago.
The fact that we played airsoft in that mall a few weeks before it got torn down. It used to be lively back when I was little. Yes, the puppet sculptures were there, and they always had a weird/creepy vibe to them
The fact that for years I lived semi-close to this mall and I never payed one visit to see this tall, frightening yet artistically beautiful giant. And what better way is there to learn about his existence from a series that shares its artistic and beautiful qualities too. Fantastic work as always, Kane, so excited to see what more comes from this series! But take your time of course, good art always does!
Did anyone else get actualley emotional watching this? Because I did, which just goes to show what an amazingly talented creator Kane is. Thank you so much for blessing us with your amazing works of art kane ❤
never heard of this man, this mall, or this statue before TOV. felt genuinely moved by this though. beyond Kane's touted skills with his fx work, he definitely has a talent for editting and storytelling as well. well done Kane 👏
It really is tragic when art peices are abandoned and/or destroyed. Even if someone remade the statue irl, it wouldn’t be the same. It would be like a printed copy of the Mona Lisa, devoid of soul or creativity. Big Julien saw so much through the years. He was created to commemorate history and brought joy and maybe some fear to people. RIP, Big J, you Deserved better than Abandonment.
This is my favorite work of yours. The telling of two stories, one of the mall and one of the giant/botanist's history and nostalgia. It is so cohesive and makes it so that when you watch the first time, you come away with one story, and then do research on what is being shown throughout, watch it a second time, and you have an entirely new context for every event. This is cinema. This is art. This is what the future of Horror should be; there should be a message, and a good reason for the spooks. You nailed it, so fucking hard. I actually cried while watching this again with my mom (she also loved it, btw!!). Your storytelling is very special to me! I can not wait to see what your future endeavors look like!
This is probably one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life, literally you have to be ready to disappear from people's memories, in our galaxy we are only grains of dust that will eventually disappear, but honestly it's the most beautiful series I've listened to, the message is so strong. Kane, this is the best thing you've ever done and the 3d is crazy honestly it looks like it's real damn it and it's so immersive. RIP Julien Reverchon 1837-1905 You have done something big for science.
I wasn't expecting to hear a Smiths song when I clicked on this but it fits the vibe and character so well. I love how the real life backstory of this guy ties into making him feel a bit more sympathetic in the story line, it's something I haven't really seen done much before. In a weird way, it's a dedication to the original art piece too.
This video made me weirdly emotional. I only ever saw the Valley View Center in its abandoned state back in like 2018 on a trip to Dallas. There was no security or anything at the time, so we drove around the building, it was so eerie that such a large building that should be filled with shops and people was just abandoned and the parking lot overgrown. I wish I still had my photos, but unfortunately that phone got messed up and I hadn’t backed anything up. Even though I never went in, that mall stuck with me, and I actually dreamt about it the other night, as I sometimes do from time to time. Seeing the journey of the Giant and the Mall is both lovely and heartbreaking, this video and this series as a whole was fantastic. I’m sad to see the demolition has begun on the Valley View Center, I was really hoping to stop by and see it again on my trip to Dallas next spring to take new photos. I’ll probably still stop by to pay my respects since this place is one of my few reoccurring dream locations that I know where it exists in real life, or at least did.
Valley View Mall had such a unique feeling when talking through it. I truly do miss going there as a kid. The Giant was one of the final remnants of the mall, glad to see some of it's history being shown.
Not only has Kane brought the Giant back, but he’s also brought the memory of Julien Reverchon back into existence, who I’m sure was a great man during his time and with his work.
Kane this is hands down your best work yet. As someone who grew up in the 90s when suburban malls were ubiquitous and has watched the majority of them slowly fall on hard times and/or get demolished this was an incredibly moving video to me. Learning the real life inspiration behind TOV has been a rollercoaster. This legitimately brought me to tears when I realized the giant was a real art installation and the sad demise of Valley View really happened.
It always happens in phases. Stores and restaurants that have been there forever start to go and get replaced with new trendy things like smoke shops that close up in a few months. And then they start adding weird shit to get people back like mini golf courses escape rooms and trampoline parks. I can see malls surviving if they start catering less to just shopping needs and just kind of providing a recreation hub with some restaurants and stores to supplement everything. That could actually be pretty cool, could have bars and movie theatres too. Bc people don’t really go to malls out of necessity anymore, its just kind of fun
Rest in Peace Juliene Reverchon Giant. Although he’s gone, I think he’d be happy to know that his memory lives on still. Everytime I see Wendigoon screaming in terror, I’ll think of him.
The song perfectly encapsulates the giant’s feelings, saying how the giant wants to get what he wants for once, to keep the mall open for people to see him again.
This Is truly an interesting creature that has a lot of lore and mysteries behind it and the fact that this Is based on a true location makes it even scarier and better and I hope you make more things like this In the future. Keep up the good work! Edit: I find it sad that the mall was demolished, I used to go here when I was a kid and watching this brings good memories of those past times.
Man this series was incredible. I don’t know if it’s over or not, but it seems like a good conclusion Atleast for a “first arc” kind of thing. The way this made me feel a supreme fear and then immediately become depressed when I started to piece together what was happening.. it’s just amazing. I really hope Kane continues with his work cuz this isn’t just good, this is like genre defining even. Absolute potential to be one of the best artists of our generation
Your production value is insane. I was born in Dallas but did not grow up there, but I did grow up in the era of the Mall. The nostalgia in your Oldest View videos and this video too gives me the chills. Malls were absolutely one of the best memories I have of my childhood.
I actually went and explored this mall (Valley View here in Dallas) last December with a friend, although it never dawned on me that TOV Part 3 was ACTUALLY just Valley View until this video. I've seen lots of people say the mall was demolished years ago, or that it burned down, but for the longest it sat abandoned with only one section near the food court demolished, otherwise the rest was fully able to be explored. Earlier this year in April it caught fire due to a homeless man IIRC but ended up fine, but was unfortunately truly demolished a few months ago. It was very interesting to explore. It was my first experience going "urban exploring" in a truly abandoned place, but contrary to what you might think, honestly it wasn't very creepy at all. A bit sad that such a bustling hub of Dallas culture was dead, but interesting to see a legitimate run-down relic in the flesh. There was impressive art and graffiti everywhere, little funny jokes and IRL "easter eggs" you could come across in the smallest corners. The first time I went I guess some people had a full-blown party the night before, with some braziers full of ash and beer cans all around the main lobby with the fountain [correction; it was the area with the elevator and I believe it was for plants and not a water fountain], and every once and a while we'd see some people in the distance also exploring, so it definitely still felt lived-in, so to say. Probably my favorite part was the AMC theater in it. It was the last piece of the mall truly open to the public so it still felt fresh, and it was just flat-out weird that something that used to be used so much was pitch black with no one around. Apparently back when it was open there had been a rumour of one of the theaters being haunted and it had that reputation for years so I was a little bit excited to maybe "experience" something, especially since the rest of the place wasn't creepy, but honestly actually being there I never got the feeling that anything was "bad" or "wrong". Just a cool place trapped in the little bubble of time it was abandoned in. But overall it was one of my favorite experiences in general. I went again with a 3rd friend a couple months later, but it felt a bit more cold and less interesting. More of the leftover furniture was gone, more leftover trash, decorations, and items were missing. Lots of the cool graffiti was sprayed over. The theater was a bit more "vandalized". To end that day, we actually came across a huge trail of blood coming from a leftover tent in one of the store sections. I was fully prepared to open the tent and see a body or something, but luckily there was nothing. I suppose somebody just cut their leg or foot on the lots of glass that was everywhere, but we called it quits after that just in case. Definitely an interesting juxtaposition to what the mall used to be in its heyday.
I feel like I've finally seen this giant in the way the creator originally intended, smiling with old, kind eyes down on us. Thank you for that; before this, even when I looked up the design on my own, I always saw it as bizarre and uncanny.
th-cam.com/play/PLVAh-MgDVqvAwoFF5hJmtRrx86Yw-pdN1.html&si=lJTewQdoz9Fh3ePO
The Man, The Myth, The Legend
fourth
It's so hard to keep up with the lore with all the secret videos you have unlisted. I feel bad for the theorists who have to constantly search for these things to keep up to date on the lore.
@roger3603makes my day
@niceday996 bot
Kane, I will not lie to you, seeing the giant in TOV3 awakened what felt like ancestral fear.
I grew up in the Dallas area, going to the Valley View mall as a child occasionally, and had seen the giant there. I hadn't thought about it in like 2 decades.
Something from so long ago that I might have thought it was from a dream was actually real and being re-presented back to me in my adulthood in an even more terrifying form. And getting to explore the mall again like that was an eerie and surreal nostalgia. That video was a real treasure to me.
You said in your talk with Wendigoon that you consider that your best work. I don't disagree, but it is definitely my favorite work of yours, and probably my favorite piece of analog horror. It hits on all cylinders for me, especially given my personal history with the subject matter.
Also, as a blueprint draftsman, I really appreciated your inclusion of the mall plans. At first I thought you had made a god-tier reproduction of them that showed a real attention to detail for my profession. Learning it was an actual scan was cool.
Thank you for your work, man.
E
Kane liked the comment
According to Matpat, you're part of the lore
So eerie yet somehow a genuine tribute to the actual place and the giant. This is art
Taking real weird things and expanding the lore is always good times.
Wow that’s crazy, I can imagine how much scarier this series would be for you! This absolutely is his best work
It's insane seeing the mall I spent my childhood at being used in such a strange and horrifying way. I don't remember the giant statue beyond a passing familiarity, but I do remember the AMC Theatre, the little children's play place, even the times we'd visit for Christmas when I was small. It's surreal man. I can even point out the place we preformed on a trip with my Choir group in part 3 if I remember correctly. Thanks for giving that part of my childhood new life in such a fascinating and terrifying way.
Also its just crazy to me that this is basically becoming "Dallas folklore" lmao. I've already told my family about your series and they love it. My mom spent way more time at the Valley View than I did and she thinks what you have here is spectacular. Can't wait to see more from you dude.
Edit: Damn, wasn't expecting Kane to actually see this comment and like it. Updated a word or two to express myself a lil better.
Yeah I was about to say, when the Rolling Giant episode came out I immediately recognized it and the uncanniness skyrocketed for me, this whole thing is a masterpiece.
Same bro I used to bounce between that mall and the galleria
Idk if this is real or part of the show.
@@jefftparker he used blender or some software like that to digitally recreate the mall
yea....
Imagine how shocked the actual French botanist Julien Reverchon would be to discover that a giant caricature statue was made of him nearly 100 years after his death, followed by an entirely separate short-film horror series revolving around said statue. What a bizarre and uniquely cool legacy.
shoutout to julien
Wow
I imagine Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, George Washington, Queen Elizabeth, Jesus, and countless other historical figures would react similarly. It’s what inevitably happens to all who left an impact on history.
@@geoffreyrichards6079 jesus is a fictional character tho
And scaring a certain Tennessee man.
I didn't think I'd be crying over a giant and a mall, but here I am. I love things that take an established lore and completely turn it upside down. The mall was previously a mysterious, scary, and dead location, but here it's shown to be lively and filled with people. The giant was previously a villain of sorts, but here it's at the heart of so much happiness and activity. I'm starting to think that it just wanted some companionship from Wyatt and wasn't trying to hurt him. But I could be wrong about that.
I think that he was trying to get Wyatt to leave
@@Klyxlik That's definitely possible.
I too think that the Giant didn't want to hurt him. Remember how the Giant really got mad after he said he was trying to leave? I don't think the Giant wanted to be left alone... again.
I thought Julien was angry for being abandoned and eventually torn down, despite how much he was loved, it was completely superficial and he didnt matter in the long run, and he is taking that out on wyatt, being the only human he had ever seen in forever
I was actually thinking that, because remember when he chases him up the stairs and goes away, those stairs lead to the exit, and we know Julian was cabable of climbing the stairs, he was trying to push him towards the exit, I think
For those curious folks in the comments, Julien Reverchon was a 19th century French botanist whose vast collection of flora contributed greatly to his field in general, and the culture of Dallas in particular.
Thank you
Ah i guess that explains why the mall was overrun by flora
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HOLY COW
@@shallot4991 "Flora's not here, man..."
Ah that's the man in the first video.
Honestly the Oldest View is the perfect response to the demand for more Backrooms. It encompasses everything that made Backrooms so great, and somehow manages to have even more substance. Because of this, I think that The Oldest View is perhaps even better than Backrooms, but regardless of how you look at it, both series are amazing, and the fact that this comes from an 18 year old dude keeps amazing me.
Nah first reply is a bot
I agree. Kane's last video is unbelievable and my favorite of all his works.
I still really enjoyed the backrooms and what Kane did with it. I'm not a fan of what other people did with it.
@@Aashka_The_Mystic Sadly youtube kids used it as a content farming machine. TH-cam kids ruins everything that's good.
TH-cam kids has more drug addicts in their community compared to the epstein island
This perfectly explains the Giant's story. The music is amazing, and you can clearly tell what is going on. It's like the Giant has feelings. Incredible work Kane!
This video, to me, makes the Giant a tragic hero, and makes the mall even more ominous. Rolling Giant now reads like Wyatt was being guided out of something terrible, instead of being chased.
@@ChrisPezet nuh uh
Now i understand everything @niceday996
@niceday996were u dropeed as a child or something
@niceday996 yeah I see you reading this, you fell for it 2 didn't ya?
God this video is so raw. Mourning the inanimate, grieving for a place, fearing the passage of time and being left stunned when a decade passes and everything is gone. I havent really seen any art go in to this as intimately and painfully as this video does.
nailed it
The nostalgia and sadness of this series is an interesting juxtaposition to the horror. I appreciate the careful work you put into recreating this mall and its giants, they will live on through your work! I think that is why I have always been drawn to liminal spaces. They are not creepy or frightening to me, just sad, empty and lonely. Places that should be bustling with life but life has moved on and left them behind.
@@beefar0ni what is the video? I fear checking for myself.
@@alexanderplatek4496 It's not actually a "horrific" video. It's just a bunch of cat videos.
Once you understand the Giant’s story, The Oldest View doesn’t feel like horror. Perhaps the Giant just wants a friend.
it's spam@@alexanderplatek4496
@@jasonlong4957 He charged at him at the end of the vid cracking the wall destroying the stairs and even showed him dead bodies after the guy yelled to the giant "What do you want!?"....
Yeah im pretty sure the giant wanted him dead
The fact the giant and the mall itself were actually a real thing still blows my mind.
Edit: Seems some of you are lost with my comment. What I'm saying is I first learned about the existence of the mall/rolling giant through The Oldest View videos; and what's really engrossing is how Kane replicated the exact details of the IRL mall in the OV videos
@niceday996 No
What makes you think these were real things???
@@viliamkleinbcuz they were in real life, before ofc the place got shut down and blah blah blah
@@viliamklein The mall was a real mall in texas that burned down
@@viliamklein they actually were. Kane pixels did not just create them for the show, the mall got demolished a few years ago tho
Edit: I understand now the errors of my ways as i've now been informed numerous times over these past months that the mall was demolished in 2023 and not years ago. so please understand that I am now properly informed and don't force me to dwell on this ATROCIOUS mistake of mine any longer.
Thank you.
It's quite heartwarming that TheGiant had a reputation of being one of the icons of the Valley View Mall, and when it was abandoned and torn down, so was his purpose...(he's left to be seen as some sort of monster now)
And it's all...very, very sad... 😥
It's possible that our actions made it to the monster it is today....
@zonilo1 most likely what he's going for.
@@zonilo1 good thinking, i didnt think of that
@@SealWithoutHatyeah it’s made that we destroyed a place of art and so much history yeah it was just a mall but it was special
I was about to say, this is sad asf. Ey im the 666th like.
The giant actually looks kind and nice lol, just shows how much video quality and distance can mess with something so regular
"Watch how kind he gets"
-mandela man reassuring iceberg boy after watching one of liminal lads vids
@@theenceladuschannelcool5777 *Mandela Fella
yeah, some very good editing and film-making techniques used in Kane's vids
It's sad to think The Giant used to be surrounded by so many people and participated in festivities, assuming it was conscious the whole time and not just in the abandoned mall. It lived its whole life around and being admired by people and now lived alone underground in the dark.
I think that in the 3 part the
Giant just wanted to not be alone and at the end when he shows dead horses and humans it meant something like stay here or die like everyone well done Kane
The weight of the real life story and the beautiful music... first time, I was like: damn. But the second time I watched it, I cannot bear to bring myself to watch it again without breaking out into a thousand tears. The nastolgia vides with this one, I bet everyone has, not only of the slowly forgotten malls, but of memories that for a long time, have been locked. This video gave me vibes of my oldest surviving memory, waking up when I was 5 in my bedroom in a childhood home in Federal Way, right next to a former Safeway. It's been a junk storage for who knows now for 10 years. Thank you so much Kane Pixels for it. It is truly your all time classic I will remember you forever for.
Everything has a beginning, so will there be an end.
I always hated the ending in most of video games I played, not that the ending sucked, it's because the game reached finale, and the process of leveling up, grinding, trial and error process make it fun.
Same thing with social gathering, I love family reunion as I get to see my family member once a while as I work oversea, and I hate how it always comes to an end, and I am taking a plane back home.
I can sort of feel the anger and hate in The Giant, after so long, no interaction, laughter, and chatter with any human being, finally get to see someone, only for them to insult the place you cherished the most! How dare him!
I love it when a video brings paragraphs & paragraphs of people saying what they think, in a way, it’s just like when the people would flock to the giant to take pictures with it. Some things change but others don’t, The Giant will always be loved, no matter what.
Rebuild the roiling giant Kane pixels pls
I specifically remember going on a high school field trip to Valley View with my art teacher to visit the underground art exhibits that took over when sales started to decline. Many parts of the mall were dark and eerie, and this video along with Kane's previous posts couldn't have done a better job of capturing it. I know a girl who's mom had an art gallery there on the second floor, and I distinctly remember it being the only shop with people in the entire mall.
Damn you going there for a school field trip sounds fun.
I only went there when I was a kid and It was one of the best experiences I had when i was a kid and then I just kinda forgot about It until I watched the series and I had got hit with a wave of nostalgia and all the good times I had there,
Brings good memories.
Damn Nostalgia
You went to a field trip?! That’s crazy!! I wish I had one to the Valley View in my school years.
I this mall was alive & well & I lived near it, I just love it’s design but it’s a shame that it had to go.
i'll admit, Mister Rolling "The Oldest View" Giant becomes a lot more sympathetic once you know his full backstory; being just left there in the mall as something to gawk at once he had fulfilled his original purpose, even after it was abandoned, until at last it was demolished and he was unceremoniously brought with it
He's already sympathetic because Wyatt studies business
@@Gubenwastaken n
Yap
Rolling Giant deserved a better ending 😢
This series broke me so hard. I'm reeling. Absolutely beautiful atmosphere, and stunning artistry. It made me feel profoundly upset about the destruction of a mall I've never been to or even heard of before this series. Amazing job.
The weirdest part about this series is just the fact that none of this is made up. None of the lore behind the mall is fake. It's a random mall that some guy decided to turn into a short horror series. The mall and the giant are things that real people visited and have memories of. Things they never would've expected to see represented in a popular online horror series. The emotion behind the closing of it and the loss of the giant are all completely, 100%, authentic, and the only thing artificial about it all is what happened to the mall after all was said and done.
Imagine seeing this giant years ago, thinking it was super cool, and thinking nobody except those in your town would ever be familiar with it. Now imagine years later seeing this same giant show up again all over the internet, not knowing why everyone suddenly knows about it.
Kane took a piece of art that was known by little but loved by all who did know it, and turned it into something known by many, and loved, but for very different reasons than before. It's so weird to think about.
I thought the mall was deep underground though
@@loganf.07 Yeah. This is a ghostly version of it. It's not depicting the actual mall, but the ghost of the mall. Which is why it's underground in this. The mall unfortunately no longer exists. It was torn down once and for all pretty recently.
what was the name of that mall? I want to do some historical research on it, thanks.
@@Brickstin The Valley View mall
It was completely demolished, I mean even the shops sears ?@@catpoke9557
Just found this new series and am loving it; as someone who was born in Dallas and went to Valley View frequently including even myself having done videos at valley view throughout the years and each time I went; a new section was closed off. This hits home even more
The song reminds me of life
Omg nostalgia rn I used to watch your videos you are the best Pokemon TH-camr and I would love if you post a reaction to this!
I just discover this playlist too, but man, I'm french and I have to Ask, is it real, this place exist fr ?
@@huguesbonmarcYes, but it’s destroyed and no longer here with us unfortunately the life of the building just went dark.
@@ElmoreStreams was it before covid of something
This one gets me weirdly emotional, it shows the very start of Julien's creation to his fate during the demolition of Valley View. An artist worked hard on making the giant, and many more enjoyed it throughout its years of existence, but no one cared to preserve it in the end. Art is important, it tells stories and creates memories for those who interact with it. Art has soul, you could almost even see the pain in Julien's eyes as everything around him is destroyed. He even loses his beret from his transition from the parade to the mall :(
Truly tragic 😥
Its sad
It's sad that he was left there to be left alone sad.
3:12 on that last shot as it’s zooming in to show the remains of the giant which is nothing but the wheels that used too transport such a cool and amazing art piece just hurts in a weird way.
Tbh I don't think he could be preserved for very long, his face and beard was made of cardboard. But also could be paper mache, if its then yeah he could be preserved for a lot of time if taken care of.
3:25 something interesting to point out is that in The Oldest View #2, Wyatt says as he enters the beginning of the staircase that the stairs look like they “use to go up further”. And the stairs on this structure look very similar to the ones on the staircase. This makes me wonder if the temple was originally built on the surface above and connected to the mall if it existed then (judging by the video quality I would say the footage is from early 1900’s)
it may look like the AMC escalators or some random temple from French.
Dunno why but there's some kind of similarity with the mall ladders and elevator when you switch it with 1:46 - something very similar. The positioning of the ladders, the totem thing looking similar to the elevator shaft.
One of the first things Wyatt says before the giant starts chasing him is "I'm trying to leave." I almost cried once I realized that the giant didnt want Wyatt to leave him abandoned again.
Oh wow, that would explain why it wasn't aggressively chasing him initially. It was just slowly following behind him when he wasn't looking. Like the giant just wanted to follow him and be close to him, to feel like he has some company.
It's when Kane makes it clear that he's trying to leave, that's when the giant gets aggressive and start to really give chase.
I didn't see it like that before. Good call.
@GagGag-kc9hi ok?
Holy crap. That makes a lot of sense. 😮
Shouldn't have looked so fucking creepy then. What a dumbass
The giant wanted to kill him
what a fellow. such kind eyes. 😌
jokes aside, its sad seeing art of the past being torn down and forgotten, I think it's incredible that the legacy of the giant and mall is basically being carried on by The Oldest View. Awesome work, Kane.
100% agree
watch how kind he gets
honestly!! i have such a soft spot for art that wasn't made to be creepy but turned out a little creepy anyway haha. it's kind of sweet and misunderstood. it's really sad the giant got destroyed with the mall. he's really kinda cute :'(
It may be gone now, but it will never disappear from our hearts. To all the fine memories we've had in the past! May they never die.
Thanks to amazon we will never be able to experience malls in their prime again
After leaning the history of the dude, the statue is absolutely a wonderful creation. And I’m glad you’ve immortalized it with your art.
Nothing is truly immortalized. Everything will eventually fall into oblivion.
@@ChrisPezet ok
@@ChrisPezet If you actually believe that seek help
I’m curious, tell me what you learned.
@Disorder2312 that's when immortality itself ends, so no.
Never thought I'd relate so well to a giant puppet in a mall. There are many "Rolling Giants" out there, good people and places who were left to die after others stopped using them.
Great portrayal of the giant in a human light. It further adds to the feeling that we never really knew his true motives behind TOV3. Maybe he really just didn't want to lose the only company he had since the abandonment. The more you learn about him, the more questions there are. It makes him Backrooms right down to his soul. Amazing work with this whole storyline.
This was also my thought after watching this!!
maybe he just wanted a hug😂
My thoughts watching oldest view 3. Figured he just wanted to talk and was nervous at first that’s why he didn’t initially move.
Worst apology video ever. Just because he wasn't the center of attention didnt give him the right to harass him.
He's not harassing...he is basically a child that can't talk..and he wants a friend..he doesn't understand why you run...and why we're so fragile @@orreongman
The fact that this Giant has moved me to tears is so insane. He was everything to those people and that mall, and now he, like the place, are ghosts… his malice might not even be sinister. It’s pain. Injustice.
I feel for him.
It’s quite the tumultuous life story. Giants are friends and having one who is considered a great friend is truly a blessing. Giants have the distinct ability to love deeper than most humans, due to their large hearts and large brains that are typically nearly double the size of an average human’s brain. Quite incredible specimen who deserve to be treated as such.
I can't exactly feel the same, after seeing him being borderline the reason why our guy fell off and screamed to his death.
That’s what you assume. Just because he was following him didn’t mean he was trying to harm him. The thing can’t talk. For all we know it could have been trying to warn him NOT to go up there. The mall itself could have gone through an AWE and become its own evil entity.
@@Hanoveur "It's not a mall, its an ocean." ~ Alan Reverchon
I dont know if thats a joke or not. I seriously doubt the statue was much of anything to anyone. No more than a macy's float is anything to anyone, other than maybe the people who build them.
I like the idea that the mall itself grew angry through its abandonment. It did not become haunted. Through the mall’s solitude, it would do anything to retaliate against the world that left it to rot
Your words remind me of Jacob Geller's Control, Anatomy, and the Legacy of the Haunted House (amazing video by a really talented person)
@@Deeegenerate I love Jacob Geller. One of my biggest inspirations
@@davidmkennedy Yeah I figured XD I love the way he speaks and writes
it makes me feel like something terrible happened that caused the mall (or its worshippers, or a botanist with flowers for hands, etc) to reflexively make a “backup” deep, DEEP underground. it would’ve been before the teardown because the underground mall is in working-ish condition. i want to know what came to pass at that moment to freeze the mall in time.
@@maxharrison3733 I believe that ancient structure capping the video off could be the root of it since it also shows how the underground replica's AMC architecture resembles it to a T.
I'm not too sure why but this video moved me to incontrolable tears. I felt nostalgia and pity for things I never even experienced. Thank you Kane, magnificent experience.
From someone who grew up in Dallas and went to that mall a lot, this is both lovely and nostalgically sad for me. The giant freaked me out when I saw him the first time but then I had such a fascination with him. Every time I went to the mall (usually for the AMC theater- they had real good discounts) I had to go "say hi" to the giant. Now I find myself missing him.
i was just thinkin about how someone prob a lil relationship w him and i got sad but i am glad tht someone actually did appreciate him while he was here
I feel what you feel, he is still with us though. In our hearts forever.
Yea @@pioamorous
If you ever got trapped in the underground version of the Valley View center, those kind words would probably save you. He'd probably get you out tbh lol
@@BlazeTheFoxo it’s not underground it’s a mall 💀
The fact that he is working on a MOVIE and still has the time to make content like this and the Oldest View is honestly insane, so accomplished in such a short amount of time. Some of the best stuff I've seen on YT and in media in general. You're killing it Kane.
This is part of TOV. Also, the fact that this video is canon means that the mall actually was destroyed in the series just like in our timeline. This raises questions about the origins of the underground mall (it may not have teleported)
@@50Steaks68 TOV happens in our timeline how said Kane.
@@NeverGonnaG I don’t think a mall literally teleported two miles underground for no reason
I think his movie was out on hold and not in actual production
He is making a movie ?
This is very symbolic to the death of shopping malls and shopping culture in general. It's touching in a way. I never expected to feel such empathy for the Giant. 💚
I wonder if an 18 year old making this has the same feeling I have of wishing I could visit Japan as it was when I was 2?
Yeah, I spent my early 20's working in malls and during their hey day they were a fun place to be. Now I can't stand to go to the mall. (The one still left here) It is the end of a era.😔
Being lonely and forgotten will drive even the hardiest souls insane.
The following comment is about my ideas and feelings about this video and the videos about the giant. Is not my intent to write something about the true meaning of the video and his real porpuse:
This is the real deal about liminality and analog horror: nostalgia. I think this video would be a perfect ending to the Rolling Giant series. I don't know if Kane is personally bonded with those places, but this video feels like when the mall was destroyed was a hard time for Kane. Also showing the video where the head of the giant is detached from the body feels like a friend has died and a lot of good memories with him. Thank you Kane for this amazing piece of art, you make me feel nostalgia for places that I didn't know, for memories that I didn't live. As I said, the real deal with liminality and analog horror
The interesting thing is that Kane found out about the mall from researching the origin of an image of the giant that he found unusually terrifying.
There is no "Rolling Giant series", there's the third episode of the "The Oldest View" series, and this behind the scenes look into the inspiration for that video. And who says anything's over? Did Kane make some kind of announcement I haven't seen? Because there was nothing that read as finality to me in this video or the TOV video itself, and the end of TOV3 (the video with the giant in it) implied that the giant could appear again..
@@MCOmegaX123 I believe in Wendigoon's reaction to The Oldest View, when he was in a call with Kane, Kane said that he was burnt out from making the third part. If he makes a part 4, it will be a much longer wait, and the Backrooms movie will most likely be finished before then.
@@MCOmegaX123 Hey, I'm sorry to have upset you, that was not my intent. I was only sharing my view and my feelings about the videos. Anyway I've edited the comment to make it more clear. Sorry again
This honestly is one of the most surprisingly depressing things I've seen in a bit. I saw it originally on the wendigoon stream, and didn't think too much of it, but seeing it again now after watching the series, it really just hurts. It feels like the whatever the being was- the Giant, the mall itself, whatever- used to inhabit the original mall, the one that existed in real life. But what hurts about it was that it was happy. It loved the people who walked through its doors and its halls, filled the stores with art and took pictures with the Giant. It loved being there for people, being a place of art and happiness and community. It got what it wanted.
And then it was slowly but surely taken away from it. Like how the main character in the climax of the Oldest View got hope slowly stripped away, with the changing rules and blocked exits, the being within the mall was stripped of hope too- the mall became abandoned, people did not come, and it was left decrepit and ruined. And finally, when hope seemed close, when people finally came back- it was to simply destroy the place, and tear it down, leaving the Giant to die inside and stripping the Giant and the mall of the final bit of hope it had. It's like watching someone's downward spiral, and it's truly tear-jerking, as the mall and the Giant just wanted to be there, and to have people see and enjoy it. And now, it is gone, buried in rubble- just as the spirit buried itself deep beneath the Earth. It's such a good way of making us feel for a villain that doesn't even have a concrete personality, and it really made me sad. Excellent work Kanepixels.
I thought the same exact thing. It is soul crushingly sad. He even looked happy to be in photos with the people coming and going and all of that is gone and he was entombed alone in the dark mall. This vid had me weeping.
Beautifully written comment!
This reminds me of the game Anatomy.
Everybody asks 'what is the Giant?'
But nobody asks 'how's the Giant?'
😔
Poor giant, he just want a hug😢
😢
A meme comment template that, for once, I agree with 😔
🥲
The nostalgia that people who live in Dallas and went to this mall should be the BEST feeling ever!
I was neither in this mall, nor in the US, but even so, I feel sadness. After I've seen "the Oldest View", TH-cam's recommendations gave me videos of what this mall was, and to what it turned into after it was abandoned.
It wasn't my past, it wasn't in my country, but even so, I feel it. Great work, Kane!
Me too friend me to...
@Heluva3Man the video you linked has nothing to do with this one where is the rest please ?!!
@@dreamsaesthetic8869its a bot lol. Its not actually kane
@Heluva3bot
@@gingerdog8203 Oh yeah I didn't see lol 😂 Sorry
It’s cool to see that the giant was a symbol and a huge part of the mall. It’s pretty sad how the mall got abandoned and destroyed along with The Giant. Art really is something.
@YukoHouseknechttheir won't be a part 2 to your parents marriage though
At 2:13 it looks like the giant is crying. Generally the video makes him look very human. It portrays him as the good guy who was left behind together with his home the mall. If you ignore TOV part 3, this video makes you feel sorry for the giant. Great work Kane as always.
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Maybe he really did just want a hug. Dude was lonely
No one said he is bad. He never showed hostile behavior. He probably tried to get him out of the mall
@@aesthetic8780 Idk, at the end of TOV 3 that was pretty hostile, Julian was breaking the concrete structure Alex was stood on, if he hadn't kept moving the giant would have directly killed him. Generally, directly and purposefully causing someone's death is considered a hostile action
@@SmD-ff5xd Right, i still wonder about his real intent though. As another youtuber pointed out, the giant could have killed the explorer way sooner. Also i dont get the giants response at the end
How this and the rest of The Oldest View saga don't have millions more views is beyond me; this isn't just phenomenal analog horror but genius storytelling plain and simple! Thank you, Kane, for all the work you do and the care you show 🙌
hey, just saying, i dont think this should be considered *analog* horror. the guy recording is using a modern phone and even mentions tiktok at some point. (hopefully this reply wasnt too annoying)
The part of the mall shown in 1:46 has a stricking resembalance to the structure shown in the end, 3:26.
They both have stairs on the left and right going up towards the middle. They both also have a long central structure.
My theory is that the mall is somehow conntected to this ancient structure based on their resembalance.
Yep. The fact I had to scroll so far to find this is annoying, everyone is hung up on "oh maybe the giant is friendly and sad" like nah, watch the video, there's clearly more going on here that we don't fully understand yet.
the end is so intriguing. i gotta see more
FINALLY someone mentioned this! The structure at the end gives me Mayan-ish vibes, but I can't find any matches online so far. Following.
@@cowboystormchaser could this have been a sacrifice to bring back Reverchon through his work? very fascinating
it seems to me that this structure at the end of the video hints at a fire in it and after its demolition this structure looks exactly like a place with an elevator and the inscription AMC
For anyone wondering, Valley view mall took many years to tear down and for the area to be cleaned out. They’re planning a new shopping strip with apartments and other businesses, but this has been plan for about 2 years and they haven’t made any progress. It’s just an empty lot now with fencing around.
that's a fact it remained an empty promise and kept abandoned and untouched, justifies the giant's unyielding contempt towards everyone that abandoned it
The level of research you must've committed yourself to in order to perfectly duplicate the interior of Valley View Mall (especially since it was demolished and all you'd have to go from would be blueprints and old photos and videos) as well as your research of the giant's construction is honestly a beautiful and commendable level of work. Can't wait to see your professional career and artistic work continue to flourish over the coming years, Kane. 👏👏👏
It's already been said: he had someone else do the mall layout.
Please, PLEASE, read the descriptions of the videos -_-
@@DxBlackso??? he built the whole entire mall in duplicate on blender, a 3d program. that is so much dedication. why are you discrediting him
@@DxBlack Yet he had the vision to organize it and make it happen, even if he outsourced the work. He chose the setting and directed its execution, like any good filmmaker. When was the last time you said "don't praise that director, he didn't do the special effects himself."?
Well done!!! I have seen the Giant before at an event in Dallas and this is just so bittersweet. Thank you for this.
When originally watching "The Oldest View", I had no idea it was based on a real mall and that the giant was also based on reality. Afterwards I saw some videos giving the real-life backstory and the respect for how detailed the work was done went through the roof.
That's basically his signature at this point: Incredibly high-effort content.
Same, there's even a TH-cam video where these two guys explore the abandoned mall and you can tell from the jokes and and other details in it that it definitely inspired Kane
Kane, this is such a wonderful series about what real nostalgia is. I’ve never seen someone capture it so perfectly. Nostalgia doesn’t come from a specific property or thing, and it can’t be recaptured by getting that thing. It’s a longing for the feelings surrounding that thing or time period.
When I watched The Oldest View, I couldn’t help but feel like the Giant’s intentions weren’t the prominent circulating theories, like possession. The character being a business major, and the way you so lovingly captured the purely corporate consumerist intentioned environment of a mall meant something. That mall was a 3rd place, for people to go to (technically for free) and connect with others. But because it wasn’t making enough money, it was torn down. So many things like that are happening in our culture right now. And the lack of the ability to connect with others leaves us feeling abandoned and trapped. I think the Giant is experiencing the same feelings we are when we feel nostalgia, and that desperate point we reach to just feel something and see someone again.
What a beautiful series. Thank you for this. It’s a rare feeling as an artist to feel like you’ve done better than you last work that was wildly popular, but I think you did. This was amazing, and shows you have so much more to show the world. I’m excited to see where you go!
This made me cry. Being from the early 90s and growing up with malls and the art that inhabited them being so loved and respected and seeing the demise of such a strong part of American culture is so saddening. The mall used to be what social media is today, a place to get dressed up and go show off your style, meet people, have fun, be social, etc. You can see the vibrance and joy in the early photos with the people posing with the Giant. The collapse of the bustling and powerful American economy of the 80s and 90s that BUILT these malls is dead now. The Giant is lost, alone, spiteful, and full of malice like a lot of millennials, gen X and boomers over the state of the fallen empire. The colors and music and strong feelings of hope are all gone and nothing is left of malls but these callous shells of a bygone era with few to remember them.
... I am from the same era... and have fond-memories of these places, as well. However, the rise of the "shopping-mall" was not the sign of an economy being carried by burgeoning tale-winds... but rather... an American economy in early-stage decay. Enfranchisement of the once broad and thriving base of intellectual-properties, resources and means of distribution of goods that filled these malls to the corporate-investors that eventually looked to exploit them... was the last dying-gasp of the generational brick-and-morter businesses and industries that once sustained and offered foundation to the American Dream. The death of the American shopping-mall... while sad in some sense... was absolutely necessary. We lie in the wake of this destruction, at-the-moment; helpless and hopeless when envisioning long-term-recovery... but, perhaps, the seeds that once grew a thriving-nation can find root... somewhere... once-again.
Hey man, your videos on the Valley View mall are so touching. I myself never went there but this gives me a sense of eerie nostalgia. Thank you so much for your amazing content, as this lets many of us experience a mall from the 70's. This is making me cry 🥺
Kane I'm not gonna lie man, your ability to build a story based around a true event is impeccable. I have so many questions and so many feelings watching this series, literally on the edge of my seat hating whenever the character turns around but not able to look away. The work you do is impressive to say the least and you deserve all the credit in the world. Good luck man you're going places.
It's the turning around for me too haha. Every time he started to spin I was like oh no, but thankfully it wasn't every time he turned around.
Agreed. And the fact that the giant had such a sad ending. No wonder he stalked urban explorers after the mall fell into despair, he was simply lonely.
Even though i don't carry the same nostalgia that some people have for this mall, the heartbreaking realization that something you hold dear doesn't exist anymore is a very relatable one.
This was very unexpected. I went from being terrified to the point of being sick and petrified with fear while watching TOV 3 to a full 180 of being so sad and heartbroken for the giant during this vid. I know what loneliness is like but I cannot imagine the immense scale of loneliness the giant must have felt after the mall was blighted. The giant lived a good life and he will live on in our memories because of the masterpiece you created and showing us his past life.
for some reason this made me cry, poor giant he's so lonely :(
wow. this series needs more views. the work put into this masterpiece is incredible.
@niceday996 your trying to trick someone verified 💀
I see the giant no longer a monster, but a depressed monster. I picture him as a kid or dog that was abandon and waiting for someone to come and visit or to come back. When Wyatt says that he wants to go home. The giant didn’t want him to go home, he wanted him to stay because he didn’t want to get abandon again apparently.
I wonder if all the corpses that flashed were beings it made friends with but outlived.
Who cares? It's a monster, that's all.
@@Mrpersonman0 we care. who hurt you?
@@Mrpersonman0 You prefer one dimensional monsters?
@@lifevest1 when did it show a bunch of corpses?
Oh my fucking God man, BRAVO.
That was the perfect song choice. The instrumental version made us GenXers nostalgic back when it was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Some of us were too young to even understand what the feeling was that we were having. This series is a masterpiece. Holy shit.
I have never been to Texas, but you have managed to make me miss a mall that I've never been to. I live within walking distance of the first fully enclosed mall in the United States, the Northgate Mall in Seattle, WA. They have torn most of it down and replaced it with a hockey practice arena for the new hockey team. It's a shame, I went to see Santa there every year when I was a kid in the 1980's and now the local teens have nowhere free hang out indoors. My, how the time goes by.
This is a Masterpiece of its own.
All the Condolences to Juilen Revershons Family and to him.
I always feel it's kind of tragic how we can quickly forget the past, demolish it and move on to bigger, better and brighter. As someone who has grown up in the 80's, malls had a real vibe, an energy of it's time with arcades, food courts, kids hanging out, families going out, window shopping, going to the movies then dining at one of the malls restaurants after, dates, ect... I live in a small town and it was the place to be. I worked at the mall in my teens-20something and saw the start of the decline and by the 2000's, the near death of.
Nostalgia is what I'm getting at. The Oldest View brings it as well as telling the Giant's story. I feel I've learned a lot from finding out more of the origins of Kane's story and how it all came together, it's incredible. It's deeper than it's surface in so many ways and I'm thankful that Kane put so much work in to creating this series.
Some malls are still absolutely bustling with activity but they have to be in really convenient highly trafficked and advertised areas. I’m lucky enough to live 30 minutes away from a huge thriving mall
It's mostly just that online retail made malls nonviable in Suburbia. And Suburbia is basically designed to destroy any connection people have to their community. So the mall, grocery store, and church are basically the only place most people can congregate in Suburbia. And now the malls are gone from suburbia, so people have even fewer places to congregate now. Another reason why suburban life is fucking hell. Cities still have malls all over the world.
I don't see too many comments talking about the music choice.
The song (written by The Smiths, this version is a cover by The Dream Academy) is about someone being desperate to fulfill personal desires, such as happiness or love. In this case, it's most likely the latter, Morrissey (The Smiths' lead singer) adds a line to this song during his live performances:
“Please please please let me get who I want”
What if that's what the giant really wanted all along? To feel loved by people once again?
Im legit like, overwhelemd by lots of different emotions after watching this. It's rare that anything can make me really feel that deeply these days. Words fail to do justice to your immense talent and gift for expression, Kane. I absolutely cannot wait to see where life takes you next, as each milestone on your journey so far has been a total triumph. Also, I LOVED the sound mixing at the end where you made it sound as though the song was echoing through the abandoned mall. That was such a slick touch! The details are what make your work stand out, what makes it hit us in the most intimate of our cores as humans. Keep exploring those huge, ponderous, enigmatic questions, my friend. The world needs your voice now more than it ever has.
It was oddly sad, like a weird nostalgic feeling
@@artimus4198 that's 100% what he was going for as far as the Thematic elements of this series. Also, it's even more impactful when you consider the fact that that era is completely bygone, something that we will never return to because the world has changed so much. It had such a unique feeling to it, that only the people that were there and lived through it will really ever know that feeling and nothing will ever quite replicate that ever again. It's this really poignant mix of loss and yearning and joy. It's beautiful and I don't think I've ever seen anyone encapsulate that feeling so perfectly in my entire 36 years on this planet, with as much media as I have consumed. Kane is in a fucking League of his own.
@@dangerxbadger2300 yeah i was born in early 2000 so I got to experience the tail end of that era. Everything was just slower, nowadays the now feels fluid and non-solid just because of how many things you can choose to do and interact with and get something out of it. Talking about phones and internet. Anyway, I think you’re right I’ve been struggling to understand exactly what Kane is trying to say with this series for the past few months, but it seems to be a warning of nostalgia, having these false perceptions about the past (the giant, the reconstructed mall) will only serve to haunt you and keep you trapped in some miserable visage of what things used to be instead of trying to carry that torch on into the future. It’s a false escape
Edit: also the smiths song that plays in the background here is about aspirations and inhibitions, connect that how you will
He has planned a backrooms movie .. according to internet sources it's supposed to hit 2024 in cinemas.
@@garystinten9339 yep. I knew that. Have known it since it was announced. 😊
I listen to this on repeat. I love u, Giant. 😢💔🙏🏻
Love u too, KP. U're the GOAT. 🤟🏻💯🐐
I sad the giant is be so cute I love hem but I angry who is people broken this mall and giant I love this mall ❤❤❤😢😢😢
@@Ismary-mthe mall shut down 😢😢😢
thank you kane, for memorializing Valley View like this.... my circus troupe used to practice at nights in front the giant, the galleries.... I am at a loss for words, but you captured the feeling of melancholy perfectly. Thank you.
We dallas folk lucky as fuck fr.
I think I speak for a lot of people from the DFW area when I say that you did a really good job recreating Valley View Center. I hadn't been to Valley View in probably 15 years before it was demolished and it was so weird to have the memory flood back when I saw the video. Looking back at it, the memory has a nice serenity to it, knowing that it's a chapter of my life that's closed and done with. Thank you for creating a series that evokes such an enjoyable sense of nostalgia for people from the area.
After just 3 videos of this new series, I am highly invested in this. What Kane does on this channel is bar none amazing. The videos give me constant chills throughout
This is the fourth video in the series
@@cottoncandyreverie I know but I watched the first 3 videos and I’m hooked
The music of this piece is so perfect in capturing the sad nostalgic wonder that is the Rolling Giant. Kane is brilliant. All the real footage and the tune put together. I have watched and thought about this video for several weeks now. Really hits the feels, as the young folk say!
this is one of the coolest art projects I've come across, and probably my favorite work of yours. is not even nostalgia for me, it's just the appreciation of a small, insignificant to the public eye, piece; the recognition and revival of it. it's beautiful.
I don’t live in Dallas. I don’t live in Texas. I don’t even live in America, yet this video, after theorising what the Giant really is, I realised what he may have wanted. Which may be reflecting how the main line of the song is “Let me get what I want”. Stepping away from that, This video made me cry. I thought about how the giant may have felt, and he had an amazing run at the start of his life. Next think you know, he’s dismantled, broken and dead. In my eyes, all he wanted was to witness nature again, yet he couldn’t. Seeing as I don’t live here, this message alone shows how much emotion this video can give someone who has never seen the giant… And never will… Thank you, Kane.
Where do you live if I may ask?
@@BendosDoesStuff Where's that exactly?
I never expected to feel sympathy and genuine sadness for the Giant, considering how terrified I was of it a month ago.
There is a mall in Cincinnati that I wish someone would memorialize. I have so many memories there and it will be gone soon just like the Giants. A whole era full of engagement and social interaction gone, it just hits hard going somewhere with friends and one day it being so empty you can hear yourself everywhere. One day the glory of going to the mall will be gone, I feel lucky being able to go in and feel the nostalgic sadness.
Never thought I'd see another filmmaker utilize "Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" from Dream Academy in such a brilliant way as John Hughes did in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Kane, you impressed me so much with this latest series and especially this video that illustrates the tragedy that befell the The Rolling Giant and The Valley View Centre Mall. I can't wait to see how that ancient structure in the end connects to their resurrection miles beneath the earth considering the uncanny resemblance between it and the AMC section.
I was thinking of the Ferris Bueller art gallery scene the entire time I first watched this. I do think there are some parallel themes going on.
This song is by The Smiths/Morrissey
I was looking for a comment that mentioned the ancient structure at the end. I saw it as an explanation as to why the giant had life in the first place. It is some sort of ancient artifact/location that gave the life to the mall/giant? Love that you mention and connected John Hughes and FBDO!
it is originally yes, but this one used the film is by the Dream Academy. It sounds very much like Morrissey. @@MorshuGayming
Kane, this is beautiful and devastating. Your storytelling abilities are amazing, even in a video such as this which is just edits. I just feel the need to tell you that the masterpiece that was The Rolling Giant made me hyperfixate so hard on the Julien statue as both a real artifact and the characterization you have given him through your recent work. It has given me more to think about when it comes to abandonment, injustice, and the purpose of art.
Seeing this makes me think about how as I get older I am more aware of the passage of time and more fond of not only things from my past but for things from other people's past. As I see things change around me and stuff I used to love either change for the worst or just not how I wish it would be I am constantly reminded of a line from a song I listen to a lot, "If there's one thing I hate, it's change." Watching this video makes me feel sorry for the giant since I kind of get that feeling of seeing things change not always for the better. I'm not sure if any of what I wrote makes sense but this is so great and I can't wait to see more.
Well, I am now officially obsessed with this video, and with the vibe it projects. The perfectly appropriate song just keeps rolling over and over in my head; at home, at work, before sleeping. Since I live in Texas, I have started asking numerous coworkers if they ever visited the Valley View Mall. Many have, and many remember 'Big Julien'. I truly hope he somehow survived the demolition!! 😞
he didn't but he kinda did through these videos
Watch the video again and you see his metal skeleton stripped away from its cardboard skin in the end. He was destroyed
Wow. I can't tell if this series is supposed to be a tear-jerker or a panic-inducer. Either way, I love what this series is doing.
those things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive
After the back rooms, this Man still has gone on to make amazing stuff. Keep it going Kane
True I think.
Third
I don't know about amazing, they're ok.
Cringe
@HeluvaOfficial thanks HeluvaOfficial I knew I could count on you
This series made me feel nostalgic for something I never truly experienced. Seems like I missed out on many experiences that we all will most likely are never gonna see again due to how different society is compared to a decade ago.
The fact that we played airsoft in that mall a few weeks before it got torn down. It used to be lively back when I was little. Yes, the puppet sculptures were there, and they always had a weird/creepy vibe to them
The fact that for years I lived semi-close to this mall and I never payed one visit to see this tall, frightening yet artistically beautiful giant. And what better way is there to learn about his existence from a series that shares its artistic and beautiful qualities too. Fantastic work as always, Kane, so excited to see what more comes from this series! But take your time of course, good art always does!
If you had visited even once you might have saved us all but no.
Did anyone else get actualley emotional watching this? Because I did, which just goes to show what an amazingly talented creator Kane is. Thank you so much for blessing us with your amazing works of art kane ❤
me😭
Fly high rolling giant,you were the friend till the end to everyone. You'll be missed.
There is a happy ending. Kane is rebuilding the giant.
This song makes me feel a strange flavor of nostalgia I’ve never felt before
I agree
never heard of this man, this mall, or this statue before TOV. felt genuinely moved by this though. beyond Kane's touted skills with his fx work, he definitely has a talent for editting and storytelling as well. well done Kane 👏
Yes well done woohoo!👍
It really is tragic when art peices are abandoned and/or destroyed. Even if someone remade the statue irl, it wouldn’t be the same. It would be like a printed copy of the Mona Lisa, devoid of soul or creativity. Big Julien saw so much through the years. He was created to commemorate history and brought joy and maybe some fear to people. RIP, Big J, you Deserved better than Abandonment.
This is my favorite work of yours. The telling of two stories, one of the mall and one of the giant/botanist's history and nostalgia. It is so cohesive and makes it so that when you watch the first time, you come away with one story, and then do research on what is being shown throughout, watch it a second time, and you have an entirely new context for every event. This is cinema. This is art. This is what the future of Horror should be; there should be a message, and a good reason for the spooks. You nailed it, so fucking hard. I actually cried while watching this again with my mom (she also loved it, btw!!). Your storytelling is very special to me! I can not wait to see what your future endeavors look like!
Alright calm down
This is probably one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life, literally you have to be ready to disappear from people's memories, in our galaxy we are only grains of dust that will eventually disappear, but honestly it's the most beautiful series I've listened to, the message is so strong.
Kane, this is the best thing you've ever done and the 3d is crazy honestly it looks like it's real damn it and it's so immersive.
RIP Julien Reverchon 1837-1905
You have done something big for science.
I wasn't expecting to hear a Smiths song when I clicked on this but it fits the vibe and character so well. I love how the real life backstory of this guy ties into making him feel a bit more sympathetic in the story line, it's something I haven't really seen done much before. In a weird way, it's a dedication to the original art piece too.
This video made me weirdly emotional. I only ever saw the Valley View Center in its abandoned state back in like 2018 on a trip to Dallas. There was no security or anything at the time, so we drove around the building, it was so eerie that such a large building that should be filled with shops and people was just abandoned and the parking lot overgrown. I wish I still had my photos, but unfortunately that phone got messed up and I hadn’t backed anything up. Even though I never went in, that mall stuck with me, and I actually dreamt about it the other night, as I sometimes do from time to time. Seeing the journey of the Giant and the Mall is both lovely and heartbreaking, this video and this series as a whole was fantastic.
I’m sad to see the demolition has begun on the Valley View Center, I was really hoping to stop by and see it again on my trip to Dallas next spring to take new photos. I’ll probably still stop by to pay my respects since this place is one of my few reoccurring dream locations that I know where it exists in real life, or at least did.
Valley View Mall had such a unique feeling when talking through it. I truly do miss going there as a kid. The Giant was one of the final remnants of the mall, glad to see some of it's history being shown.
merci feldup de m'avoir fait découvrir cette pépite vrmt
Not only has Kane brought the Giant back, but he’s also brought the memory of Julien Reverchon back into existence, who I’m sure was a great man during his time and with his work.
Kane this is hands down your best work yet. As someone who grew up in the 90s when suburban malls were ubiquitous and has watched the majority of them slowly fall on hard times and/or get demolished this was an incredibly moving video to me. Learning the real life inspiration behind TOV has been a rollercoaster. This legitimately brought me to tears when I realized the giant was a real art installation and the sad demise of Valley View really happened.
It always happens in phases. Stores and restaurants that have been there forever start to go and get replaced with new trendy things like smoke shops that close up in a few months. And then they start adding weird shit to get people back like mini golf courses escape rooms and trampoline parks. I can see malls surviving if they start catering less to just shopping needs and just kind of providing a recreation hub with some restaurants and stores to supplement everything. That could actually be pretty cool, could have bars and movie theatres too. Bc people don’t really go to malls out of necessity anymore, its just kind of fun
Rest in Peace Juliene Reverchon Giant. Although he’s gone, I think he’d be happy to know that his memory lives on still. Everytime I see Wendigoon screaming in terror, I’ll think of him.
The song perfectly encapsulates the giant’s feelings, saying how the giant wants to get what he wants for once, to keep the mall open for people to see him again.
This Is truly an interesting creature that has a lot of lore and mysteries behind it and the fact that this Is based on a true location makes it even scarier and better and I hope you make more things like this In the future.
Keep up the good work!
Edit: I find it sad that the mall was demolished, I used to go here when I was a kid and watching this brings good memories of those past times.
Is not rlly based on a true event, the giant is not possessed.
@@ChrisPezetno 🧠??
bot ass comment
no shit?@@dreamypurrz
@@MrGuest7899 ??
Man this series was incredible. I don’t know if it’s over or not, but it seems like a good conclusion Atleast for a “first arc” kind of thing.
The way this made me feel a supreme fear and then immediately become depressed when I started to piece together what was happening.. it’s just amazing. I really hope Kane continues with his work cuz this isn’t just good, this is like genre defining even. Absolute potential to be one of the best artists of our generation
This feels like a tributary slideshow from the 90s/00s and I'm all for it.
Your production value is insane. I was born in Dallas but did not grow up there, but I did grow up in the era of the Mall. The nostalgia in your Oldest View videos and this video too gives me the chills. Malls were absolutely one of the best memories I have of my childhood.
I actually went and explored this mall (Valley View here in Dallas) last December with a friend, although it never dawned on me that TOV Part 3 was ACTUALLY just Valley View until this video. I've seen lots of people say the mall was demolished years ago, or that it burned down, but for the longest it sat abandoned with only one section near the food court demolished, otherwise the rest was fully able to be explored. Earlier this year in April it caught fire due to a homeless man IIRC but ended up fine, but was unfortunately truly demolished a few months ago.
It was very interesting to explore. It was my first experience going "urban exploring" in a truly abandoned place, but contrary to what you might think, honestly it wasn't very creepy at all. A bit sad that such a bustling hub of Dallas culture was dead, but interesting to see a legitimate run-down relic in the flesh. There was impressive art and graffiti everywhere, little funny jokes and IRL "easter eggs" you could come across in the smallest corners. The first time I went I guess some people had a full-blown party the night before, with some braziers full of ash and beer cans all around the main lobby with the fountain [correction; it was the area with the elevator and I believe it was for plants and not a water fountain], and every once and a while we'd see some people in the distance also exploring, so it definitely still felt lived-in, so to say. Probably my favorite part was the AMC theater in it. It was the last piece of the mall truly open to the public so it still felt fresh, and it was just flat-out weird that something that used to be used so much was pitch black with no one around. Apparently back when it was open there had been a rumour of one of the theaters being haunted and it had that reputation for years so I was a little bit excited to maybe "experience" something, especially since the rest of the place wasn't creepy, but honestly actually being there I never got the feeling that anything was "bad" or "wrong". Just a cool place trapped in the little bubble of time it was abandoned in. But overall it was one of my favorite experiences in general.
I went again with a 3rd friend a couple months later, but it felt a bit more cold and less interesting. More of the leftover furniture was gone, more leftover trash, decorations, and items were missing. Lots of the cool graffiti was sprayed over. The theater was a bit more "vandalized". To end that day, we actually came across a huge trail of blood coming from a leftover tent in one of the store sections. I was fully prepared to open the tent and see a body or something, but luckily there was nothing. I suppose somebody just cut their leg or foot on the lots of glass that was everywhere, but we called it quits after that just in case. Definitely an interesting juxtaposition to what the mall used to be in its heyday.
I feel like I've finally seen this giant in the way the creator originally intended, smiling with old, kind eyes down on us. Thank you for that; before this, even when I looked up the design on my own, I always saw it as bizarre and uncanny.
The fact Kane is 18 and he has already done many impressive things is amazing, mad respect