Saturday 7 June 2008

Shameless Plug

So Lexi inspired me to go out and get a webcam, and I just filmed my first vlog... Figured I could get away with putting on this blog since I do plug the movie...

Anyway, hope you like it!

HETFET Unmask Big Red!

This just in from HETFET News, seems all those calls to the HETFET hotline paid off!

HELLBOY - DEVIL MAN UNMASKED!

Calls have been pouring in to the HETFET HOTLINE, confirming the existence of the red-skinned mystery creature whose recent sightings have put the nation on high alert. Citing a major breakthrough in the so-called “Devil Man” investigation, credible sources claim to have discovered his true identity. His name is apparently Hellboy, although it has been impossible to get confirmation of this from the so called “research and defense agents” who have suddenly stepped in to control the situation.

While it is still not clear exactly what a Hellboy is, HETFET has confirmed that he (or it) has been seen in conjunction with a large number of troll sightings around the globe. Hellboy’s intention is still unknown but those that have witnessed him in action report that he is often followed by a trail of destruction. The Hellboy sightings have increased over the last month and seem to be on the rise.

We would like to thank those brave enough to call the HETFET Hotline - your eye witness accounts have made it possible for us to better understand creature migration patterns as well as this strange Hellboy phenomenon. Although the Hellboy is still at large and somewhat volatile, we have enough evidence to know that he doesn’t seem to pose a threat unless antagonized.

As far as HETFET is concerned, Hellboy is one more creature that deserves ethical treatment and fair consideration from humanity.

Friday 6 June 2008

I Take ONE Night Off...

So last night I decided I'd go out, live my social life. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. I got these Twitter updates all through the evening from QuestShaun:

011101000110100001100101001000000111001101110101011011
010000110100001010
the sum

01100001001000000110011001101001011011100110000101101100
a final

01110010011001010110010001110101011000110111010001101001
0110111101101110
reduction

01101111011001100010000001110000011000010111001
00111010001110011
of parts

01111001011011110111010100100000011010000110000101110110011
00101001000000111010001101000011001010010000001
1010110110010101111001
you have the key

011100110111010001100001011000110110101100100000011101000110
100001100101001000000110001101101111011001000110010101110011
stack the codes

I couldn't really cut the evening short, but I was cursing the heavens that the game was obviously kicking off in my absence...

So, to catch up.

The last two Panatrog documents are up, you'll find them in the post in the right hand column. There's also a new video on the site, showing some Men In Black type dude 'cleaning' Lexi's room.

The Twitters referred to EVERY PREVIOUS CODE. If you take the sum of every first digit, then every second, and finally every third, then add the digits in each result (so the first sum is 203, which boils down to 2+3= 5), you get 5-1-3.

This'll then lead you to another puzzle, for which you'll need the Rune Chart (again, this is in the right hand column). You want to 'UNLOCKHBII'. Then you'll be treated to a little congratulatory message, and given the link to the sweeps.

You'll also get this, which is VERY cool (and thanks to 'anonymous' for uploading it!):


Find more videos like this on The Spill.com Movie Community


I'm still trawling through other bits and pieces to see if I've missed anything (there are some numbers on the bottom left corner of the final Panatrog document that interest me for example), I suspect we haven't seen the last of Lexi (or at least I hope not) - but very well done all of you guys, it's been a brilliant ride and I wish all of the US players the best of luck in the draw!

Thursday 5 June 2008

This Is What Red's Up Against

Here's some more production art, featuring the titular Golden Army. There's quite a few of these guys.

Gallery8 Image

Gallery7 Image

Golden Army Chamber Concept Art Francisco Ruiz Velasco: This chamber is where the Golden Army lays dormant, waiting for a new wearer of the crown to command them. Del Toro wanted a huge chamber, stadium-like, with hundreds and hundreds of golden eggs. Originally, the idea for this chamber was to be underwater. The huge gears are the mechanisms that pump the water out of the chamber. Guillermo del Toro: The original script for the film was much more ambitious - I wanted a series of underwater adventures that led to the Golden Army Chamber. At the end of the day, mostly due to budget, the idea changed. But the basics remained: I wanted the "folded" golden soldiers to be stored like eggs. The egg was an important motif in Elf/Goblin technology in the movie (see "Magic Bean Grenade") and as a basic shape it was easy to read and gave a clear view of the number of soldiers within the chamber: "Seventy times seventy soldiers".

Some Lucky Devils Have Seen 10 Minutes Of The Movie

Just found this article on IGN describing a 10 minute sequence at the beginning of the movie (and also telling me that the UK won't get the movie until August 22nd - which sucks). 

It's virtually spoiler free, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.

Wednesday 4 June 2008

It's All Kicking Off

Thanks to Corey for emailing me about this video (for some reason it didn't appear on my subscription updates...)



Running those three binary codes through the tool that thebruce pointed out to us the last time QuestShaun posted a video (the tool is here) gives you the following:

Title: manning
1st Line: stop them
2nd Line: find the photo

UPDATED

This post is gonna be a little messy, since it's all happening right now.

So 'find the photo' refers to this Photobucket account, with lots more base64 code hidden and jumbled up (thanks to djchristensen at HETFET for finding this). This'll give you:

d 2U gbX VzdC BpbnR lcmNlc HQgdGhl IGNyb3du

which translates to 'we must intercept the crown'.

You'll also find that QuestShaun has a Twitter account, and so does Manning866. Manning866 leads to a phone number (866-MAN-NING I believe, I dialled it, and the code you'll need is the 8th code, but I can't get any further since I'm UK based and therefore my number is longer than 10 digits - it's all on you lot!)

As if that wasn't enough, as I have been writing this, QuestShaun has Twittered twice with two more base64 codes:

1: cmUtdmlldw
2: cmUtY29kZQ

which translate to 're-view' and 're-code'. Sounds like a push to me.

THIS JUST IN!

The code is there, in the base64 code! (take the numbers from the photo and the twitter updates... that's all I'm saying).

YET ANOTHER UPDATE:

QuestShaun twittered ' YSBsaXRlcmFsIHBlcnNwZWN0aXZl' 'dGhlIHBob3RvIGlzIGtleQ' and 'YSBiYXNpYyByZXNwb25zZQ', which translates to 'a literal perspective' 'the photo is key' and 'a basic response'...

REALLY LATE UPDATE (on account of I need sleep occasionally)

More twitters from QuestShaun:

'01110100011010000110010100100000 011100110111010101101101' and
'01101111011001100010000001110000 01100001011100100111010001110011'
in binary translates to 'the sum' and 'of parts'

There was also this video from QuestShaun:



With the base64 'YmxhY2t3b29k' which translates to 'blackwood'.

(and thanks to Liam in the comments for pointing it out!)

Phew.

OK, so that seems to be everything. Except maybe this, a photobucket account belonging to lexivision that we need a password to access. I'm not sure if this is part of the game or not (and loads of you guys have already tried a bunch of passwords with no luck), but might be worth keeping an eye on.

The 10th light is active, so either we're missing something, or there's more to come. Either way, expect a fresh post as soon as I get wind of any new developments.

New Link

The game has been unusually quiet given how close to the end we supposedly are (barring Lexi's Twitter updates - what is she up to??).

Anyway, anyone who's done a little bit of digging re: the terms and conditions of the prize for this game knows that Universal provided a link to the sweepstakes page for those of you that don't want to see the game through. Since it's only active for around a week, I've posted the link in the right hand column.

I massively encourage people who are following the game to NOT 'skip to the end' and follow it, I'm more posting this for completions sake and as proof that new developments are imminently inbound.

Sunday 1 June 2008

The Beginning Of The End?

Lexi posted this video a few hours ago, no new TSD clues but we definitely need to stay sharp over the next 24 hours or so.

Extra! Extra! Augustine Is Down For The Count! Read All About It!

This just in! Looks HETFET just won a major battle:

AUGUSTINE CONVICTED OF TROLL CRUELTY

The ongoing war for troll rights takes another step forward, at the expense of Augustine Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the immensely anticipated anti-aging medication Uthyntrol. In what is surely a landmark victory, Augustine was convicted on seven counts of felony cruelty for using troll marrow as the “secret ingredient” in their new line of anti-aging products. In his closing statement, a notable District Judge thanked the organization known as HETFET for their vigilance, and admonished the entire Board of Augustine Pharmaceuticals for their “willful and unrepentant disregard for life–troll or otherwise”, ordering them to immediately cease production and destroy all inventory containing troll-based components.

With the surprising conviction on multiple counts, it was clear that the jury was unwilling to accept the defense’s argument that trolls are not entitled to the same rights as people or even animals. Throughout the trial, Augustine’s Defense Attorney contended that the United States constitution does not guarantee trolls’ rights. Legal analysts, meanwhile, have already begun to speculate what this will mean to the many other companies that, like Augustine, utilize questionable techniques and other allegedly inhumane techniques to gather and extract valuable organs and fluids from these special creatures.

It seems Augustine also had a hand in illegal pixie-farming operations around the globe, designed to take advantage of recent pixie dust demand, seemingly brought about by our own government. Controversy continues to swirl around this issue but AP seems to be at the center of it, according to our very own M. Herring.

At the post-verdict press conference, State District Attorney Olan said that the defense vastly underestimated the jury’s compassion for all living creatures. “Trolls and other of these so-called mystical beings are largely misunderstood and often feared, and the fact that the jury largely ignored the defense’s attempts to vilify and demonize them showed a remarkable empathy that made me proud to say I’m a human being!” said a tearful Olan.

In a separate civil case, the company has also been accused of concealing negative side-effects of Uthyntrol, including excessive hair growth, sun sensitivity, and, in some extremely rare cases, uncontrollable attraction to shiny objects.