www.sonypictures.com/movies/identity
When I first went to check out the Web site for Identity, Sony's April thriller movie, I was a little underwhelmed. Basically, there was a synopsis, some trailers, and the words "enter site." With nothing else to do, I dove in, and I'm glad I entered; this site put me more on edge than the scary movies I've watched this year. It gave me a sense of what (presumably) the movie is going to be without telling me a thing about the actors, their previous roles, or how much the director liked working with them -- all of which I can get from other sites.
The Identity Web experience expands darkly to fill your screen, and has flat, eerie music to accompany the blood-spattered, glacially-paced visuals. The first and last thing you see is the movie's opening date, but that's the last reference made to the large screen in this text-light site that provides something akin to a cinematic experience. It will take you a long time to go "through" it all, and there are no indications I could find that tell you what to click on, whether you're missing something, or even why you're being shown the things that appear. Set aside some time, because you can't come directly back to the middle of this site, you've got to dive in again from the top.
One last point: Sony's site lets you sign up to receive email updates, but you can't limit it to this movie; the form says clearly that you're consenting to emails about "Identity and other upcoming events, promotions, sweepstakes and more." I can't fault them for being honest, but it would be nice to have a little more control over the relationship.
Got a site to share with me? Email tfsmith@reedbusiness.com
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