ALWAYS RUN FROM THE GORE!!

During the month of June a fake movie trailer promoting a typical zombie film is posted on select horror websites. At the end of the trailer a website for the film is given. After only a week or a month of existence the trailer is taken off of the internet completely.

Those who visit the films website are presented with a fairly simple page. On the site the same trailer which led them to the address is available in addition to a second trailer which features a detective. While the first trailer simply featured some neat shots and scare techniques the second trailer features a little more plot…

In the trailer the detective says something to the extent of “Follow the clues…they are right in front of you. And what ever you do… don’t give up. Always run from the gore.”

The clue is blatantly presented on text on the screen as well stating the films slogan “Always Run from the Gore”. Those who are looking for an ARG will immediately sign up for the sites mailing list at which point they will have been put into the game. The initial email will feature some bogus announcements regarding the fake films production and players will be asked to submit some needed information for the puppet masters including their locations.

Following this step a series of web based puzzles and clues will be presented to the player that will eventually get more and more difficult. Eventually players will be instructed to closely inspect everything that is sent their way. Players who last and play the game into the month of September will eventually be sent a series of junk mail catalogs in which an advertisement for the film will be given. Within the junk mail is an instruction to call the detective featured in the preview at a 1-800 number.

When the players call the number they will be asked to give a password which they have obtained earlier in the game. They will also have to answer a riddle based on some of the internet clues. If they answer correctly they will be asked to submit the location where they will be located in the next five days. They will be instructed to have transportation at hand and be able to accomplish a mission on any given night during the time period between the hours of 11pm to 6am.

When the players are called they will be told that an email has been sent to them with a map they need to follow. Once they get to the destination they will have to find a person whose name they are given.

The name will be that of someone who is deceased and the directions will lead them to cemetery. There, the player who has been instructed to bring a flashlight will have to search for the person’s grave. When the grave is found the player will be pleased to find two movie tickets to the world premier of the movie; one for them and one for a guest of their choice. Guest of the players have now become players themselves.

On the night of the screening the players will be treated with gift bags, good food, and a premier event like atmosphere. When they walk into the theater they will be treated to a film. At some point during the screening the projector will stop and the lights will remain out for a good two minuets. Players will sit in the dark theater in anticipation.

The detective featured in the original trailer found in the early stages of the game will yell to everyone that the theater has been infested with zombies. “We have to get the fuck out of here!”

Players will make a mad dash into the theater lobby where Zombies jump out from all corners and start chasing them. The Zombies will carry red balloons filled with fake blood to smash onto all of the players. All but one door out of the theater will be locked.

Any player that makes it out of the theater and has not been “killed” (no fake blood on them) will be called a winner and either take the entire grand prize or split it with any other players who also survived.
Copyright STEVE BURNS 2008