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Secret "Ring" site

post #1 of 19
7/23/02 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 
From the <a href="http://chud.nexcess.net/board/ubbhtml/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=007718" target="_blank">Main Sewer</a>, cos I know some of you are afraid of the light up there wink ...

It appears that there are some secret websites online to promote the US remake of Ring. Go to <a href="http://www.ring-themovie.com/" target="_blank">the official movie site</a> and view the Source Code for the front page. Scroll to the bottom and cut and paste the "Morgan Ranch" links into your browser window.

If you've seen the original movie, you'll be able to figure out how the site fits into the Ring mythology, but it's still quite cool.
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post #2 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
OK. I take it back. I've just visited the second URL from the source code and it reveals who the US version of Sadako is, and basically ruins half the movie by revealing who and what she is.

If you have any intention of enjoying this film, or the Japanese original, please don't visit the second URL.

Just reading the American description of "Samara" made my heart sink. They're not building the mystery, they're spoiling it.
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post #3 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:07pm
I was about to say the same thing Dan. Now I'm really worried about this whole movie...
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post #4 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:15pm
SPOILERISH

Are Dreamworks responsible for that or is it an unofficial fan site? it looks like it was written by a 6 year old (so Samara "watched too much television"? wow, what a neat way to set up Ring's money shot... )
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post #5 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:19pm
Thread Starter 
STILL SPOILERISH - SKIP ON PAST, RING VIRGINS...

Quote:
Adam_72:
SPOILERISH

Are Dreamworks responsible for that or is it an unofficial fan site? it looks like it was written by a 6 year old (so Samara "watched too much television"? wow, what a neat way to set up Ring's money shot... )
It's a promo site designed to look like a "real" website. The fact that the URLs are in the source code of the official Dreamworks Ring site, and will presumably be live links at some point, suggests that it's an attempt to copy the AI online phenomena.

Given that the original movie is largely about working out what the video is, who the mysterious girl is and where she came from, that site just blows all that mystery away in a few pages. "Electronic Demon"? Oh sweet Jesus on a pogostick...
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post #6 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:20pm
here's another related link that was posted at Ringworld.com:

<a href="http://www.katiespage.com/" target="_blank">http://www.katiespage.com/</a>

Again, it's hardly Blair Witch standard web marketing...
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post #7 of 19
7/23/02 at 5:47pm
As part of the promotion for the US version, there are unlabeled video tapes popping up in various places that apparently feature the video that kills folks. I don't remember if I read that at an actual movie site or somehwhere else.

Anyhoo, I feel the immense need to see this film right now. Is there any way an American with little-to-no disposable income can see this flick now, i.e. renting it.
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post #8 of 19
7/23/02 at 6:49pm
go sell plasma

take money from plasma sell and buy movie

there.. that should do it.
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post #9 of 19
7/23/02 at 7:28pm
I followed Dan's suggestion and looked at the source code for the site. There are 78 (!) hidden links, but all the ones at the ring-themovie.com lead to the videotape screen right now. The two that lead to the morgan ranch site are these:

<a href="http://www.themorganranch.com/ranch.html" target="_blank">http://www.themorganranch.com/ranch.html</a>
<a href="http://www.themorganranch.com/samara.html" target="_blank">http://www.themorganranch.com/samara.html</a>

It looks like they're doing a sneaky web campaign mystery game like they did with A.I. last year.
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post #10 of 19
7/23/02 at 11:06pm
This whole thing is depressing...

Leave well enough alone. I swear they'll 'Americanize' the Hell out of this concept. This will RUIN everything.

I truely hope as many of you that can will see the original before this version is released.

I hate to give off negative 'vibes' towards a film before it is released. You know that I reserve judgement until I get to see it.

Just worried.
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post #11 of 19
7/23/02 at 11:12pm
I have never seen Ring. Is there a place where I can find a copy?
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post #12 of 19
7/23/02 at 11:19pm
Go to EBay. Easiest thing in the world.
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post #13 of 19
7/24/02 at 5:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
trippingbillie41:
As part of the promotion for the US version, there are unlabeled video tapes popping up in various places that apparently feature the video that kills folks. I don't remember if I read that at an actual movie site or somehwhere else.
You may have read it on this crummy site <a href="http://www.creature-corner.com/news2/jul19ring.php3" target="_blank">HERE</a> wink .

I saw it first on Dark Horizons, but the people who submitted the scoop to Garth were from some production company and said that "some guy" had found a blank video in a parking lot after a concert, taken it home and played it and it turned out to be a copy of the "Ring" killer video - but with a Dreamworks ident at the end.

Sounds like a pretty clumsy attempt to build a Blair Witch/A.I. internet urban legend. But, of course, the minute you try and deliberately create an urban legend like that, when others have already done it successfully, you tend to come across as slightly desperate and out of touch.
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post #14 of 19
7/24/02 at 7:47am
Y'know, I fail to see how anyone can be surprised by these depressing developments after knowing who's involved with the remake. In its original incarnation, RING was a dark, thoughtful, and provocative horror film.

So who does Hollywood hand the remake chores over to? The writer of SCREAM 3 and the director of THE MEXICAN - both confirmed hacks. This movie is going to be complete ass, and the only good that's likely to come out of it is a Region 1 DVD release of the original film.

God forbid we actually see some *original* scripts produced in this country.

--MM
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post #15 of 19
7/24/02 at 7:52am
I should be getting a copy of this tape soon, with the 'Ring' video on it, I mean, and damnit it had better be longer than the one playing on the site.

Well, if you're not interested in ruining too much of the movie, you may not want to look at all those sites, true. But as of now the links are hidden and I'm sure Dreamworks doesn't expect everyone to go off and find 'em in the code, but who knows. Personally I don't think the fact that she's got psychic abilities is that much of a big deal as far as plot wise, 'Ring' is all about the atmosphere of dread that is felt from beginning to end. If Verbinski can pull THAT off, I'll be happy.

And thanks for gettin' my back with the linkage, Dan. You are a golden god.
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post #16 of 19
7/24/02 at 9:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Johnny Butane:
But as of now the links are hidden and I'm sure Dreamworks doesn't expect everyone to go off and find 'em in the code, but who knows.
I think the fact that someone has been spreading the word about these "hidden" links is probably part of the marketing mix. Given all the other stuff they're doing - blank videos sent to people like SJR, the mock "Believe It Or Not" adverts in comics - it just seems incredibly convenient that word is only now spreading about links embedded in the source code of the official site. How many people casually browse website source code looking for stuff like that? Nah, it stinks of a set-up. We're meant to be seeing this stuff now.

Quote:
Personally I don't think the fact that she's got psychic abilities is that much of a big deal as far as plot wise, 'Ring' is all about the atmosphere of dread that is felt from beginning to end. If Verbinski can pull THAT off, I'll be happy.
It's not just the revelation about the psychic abilities though. Those websites basically tell you everything about "Samara" - stuff that the original film dangled and teased you with until halfway through. Most of the film was a detective story, trying to find the origin of the tape and then decipher the images on it. One of the things I loved about the Japanese film was the way all the threads were slowly pulled together - I didn't even know who the girl was, or what she did, until it was revealed.

These sites suggest that the US remake intends to get that over with as quickly as possible. I really, really want to give this film a fair chance - but the whole idea of it just seems wrong from the outset.

Quote:
And thanks for gettin' my back with the linkage, Dan. You are a golden god.
Dan Whitehead: worshipped by Ewoks since 1983...
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post #17 of 19
7/24/02 at 9:45am
About the psychic thing, I didn't actually read through every single site that was "hidden", so sorry about that. If the psychic thing was all they gave away, I think we'd be fine, but giving away the whole story is just ridiculous. I'll check that out.

And you're right, it IS a strange coincidence that it would all come out now...hmmmmm...perhaps someone else is pulling our strings...

Either way I'm beginning to agree that they're approaching it all wrong. If they woudl've just stopped with the circulatioon of tapes and maybe one site about the phenomenon, that would've been cool. But giving away all those details is just stupid. Of course, that's what American filmmaking is all about...
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post #18 of 19
7/24/02 at 9:59am
Thread Starter 
I'm trying not to post examples, so as not to spoil it for people, but it's the sort of information that will make people watching it for the first time say "Oh right, that'll be Person X, so she must be Person Y, which means that A, B and C must happen next".

If that makes any sense...

Put it this way, it would be like the website for The Sixth Sense having pages and pages of info about ghosts who don't know they're dead, usually killed in traumatic circumstances, leaving behind unfinished business and only able to speak to a select few people - often children - who can see the dead. If you'd read that and then watched the film, you'd figure it out straight away.

That's what these sites do for the Ring story. I'm glad I'd seen the original before seeing them, put it that way.

RING VIRGINS - AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!
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post #19 of 19
7/25/02 at 4:14pm
another (I think) related site, not sure how it ties in with Ring but at least one of the videos for download is quite interesting/freaky:

<a href="http://www.sadakoisdead.com" target="_blank">http://www.sadakoisdead.com</a>
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