Godsend Controversy part 1

[Ash]

(This the first of a 2 part thread on Godsend.)

There's a little controversy surrounding websites that are pretending to be a site when they are actually there to promote a movie.

You might remember the old site someone here dug up about The Matrix.
It was a website for the company that Mr. Anderson/Neo worked for in the first Matrix film.  (I can't remember the site...if any of you remember, please post that link on here.)

Anyway, it seems that the makers of Godsend have also created a similar type of site that has caused a bit of controversy.  
This was all on ABC News this evening...4-30-04.

Go here to check it out:  

http://www.godsendinstitute.org/

If you click on the lower left where it askes you to test your eligibity, it takes you here:  

http://godsendthemovie.com/

Many are appalled at all of this.
They're outraged and saying that it's totally misleading and fraudulent.

I disagree.

I think it is ingenious.
A very smart idea and a great way to make money.
It starts a buzz about the film and gets people talking about it.
The fact that people may or may not find it fraudulent in some way is just a subtelty to be disregarded in my opinion.
And that's how the advertisers and other people who made this probably feel also.
They do not care so long as the money comes pouring in,,,which it most definitely will.
I would not be surprised at all if Godsend takes the #1 spot this coming weekend.

I hope they continue this practice of what the media have dubbed, "Trojan Horse Advertising" and create even more detailed and creative websites. (Do a Google search for that term to find more info about it)

I think it's kind of fascinating.  

What's your take on all of this?
Do you think these websites are a good or bad idea?
Do you believe that they're fraudulent and misleading?



Post Edited (04-30-04 20:30)

[jmc]

It's not anything new....there were a ton of websites out there dealing with THE RING [the remake.]  Though I guess the Matrix one predates that but I've never seen that site.  

What's funny about THE GODSEND is that I remember seeing previews for it months and months ago and it's only now being released...always a sign of a really terrible movie.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Ash, I'm 100% with you about the site!  Friggin genius!  

As for the Matrix site you mentioned, all of the info can be found on an earlier post:

http://www.badmovies.org/bbs/read.php?f=2&i=52223&t=52223

[lester1/2jr]

It looks stupid.  like a parody of a sixth sense type movies.  rebecca romain stamos is a b movie actress at best

[JohnL]

Going even further back, the Blair Witch Project had a web site that was made to look like a tribute to the three missing filmmakers. The original Earth Final Conflict web site treated the show as if it was real, and after each episode aired, you could go to the site to read "news" stories like announcments of some new alien technology that had been released. At least until season two started and they decided to throw all the mystery out the window in favor of a standard us vs. them story.

[Genetic Mishap]

I remember the old Freakylinks website. I actually thought it was legit until I saw the show on Fox. Too bad the site's gone.