Are Katie and her friends the first to watch the video?
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 11, 2016 10:28 AM)
The tape's origins can be pieced together by what the film provides (and by sampling, albeit very minimally, from its source material).
First, the power of Samara (or the spirit that possesses her body) that is relevant to the tape, and to the trouble she caused while she was alive, needs to be made clear. The Japanese term is
Nensha
, or projected thermography. It is a form of telepathy where one not only imprints images into another one's mind, but also onto surfaces (ex: film). Careful viewers will catch the movie establishing this through the scenes presenting Samara's case files and video-captured study at the institution, in addition to the accounts of the local villagers.
It is safe to argue that she cannot use this power to a considerable enough range; otherwise she would have continued to wreak terror much more easily and more consistently throughout the years trapped in the well. This, as well as the desolation around the well, the time it would take before Shelter Mountain Inn began operating (let alone added VCRs to their service), easily explains the long dormancy period. As for what she was doing in the well, we can only guess that she was trapped and unable to do anything with the lack of any nearby human presence, which only further enraged her over the years.
The tape Katie and her friends saw is easily explainable given this information. We know that they wanted to record a football game at the inn, and they just happened to be unfortunate enough to choose Cabin 12, which was built directly over the well. So while they thought the match was being recorded on a random blank VHS tape they brought, Samara used her projected thermography to instead create the curse on it. Thus began the vicious cycle of the cursed tape.
Again, given the following factors, including conditions that need to be satisfied, the probability does not support the tape having existed even a few years:
-The well is in a very secluded, rural area surrounded by forest
-Shelter Mountain Inn needs to have been built
-The inn has at least 12 cabins to choose from, one of which is built above the well and is therefore the only relevant cabin
-VCRs need to become affordable to the public, which doesn't happen for several years after Samara was thrown down the well
-The inn, with its poorly active business, needs to be able to afford television sets, let alone the VCRs some time later
-The inn is clearly nowhere near an active business
-The visitor(s) would need to choose cabin 12 specifically, from pure chance, out of all the others
-In addition to the previous factors, said visitor(s) would need to bring a VHS tape with them to view at said cabin -
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 14, 2016 02:49 AM)
So you're basically telling me that the moment the teenagers used the random VHS tape to supposedly record the football match, Samara immediately burned images onto the tape? Wouldn't that take a long time though and wouldn't the teens notice her powers going into effect? Also, if they were the first ones to watch it, how did Becca know the story already which Katie was so upset to hear about (which couldn't haven been since if she was part of the group of that watched it first and spread the story around school, she wouldn't be as shocked with someone else retelling it).
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 14, 2016 02:34 PM)
Yes, that is basically what I'm saying. The one possessing Nensha/thoughtography is able to project the images/thoughts onto the surfaces and it isn't at all a long process; the rapid sequence of images that the movie presents when Katie and Noah die alludes to this. The kids brought a blank tape to record the football match, and Samara's evil spirit took this opportunity to burn those images onto the tape. However, I should clarify that the spirit could have burned the images onto the tape at any time it was inside that cabin (ie, near the well and therefore, the spirit), not necessarily while they were trying to record onto it.
This isn't like a cartoon where supernatural phenomenon is always accompanied by visual or auditory cues/hints/effects. The use of Nensha could be entirely invisible and silent. So, the creation of the tape happened right in front of them and they were completely oblivious to it.
Keep in mind that 7 days passed when Becca recounted the story to Katie; 3 others besides Katie watched the tape and any one or more of them could have spread it around. However, although the story would spread fast, it's very possible that Katie did not become aware of the proliferation until Becca told her that night. -
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 15, 2016 05:11 PM)
So where was Katie during the 7 days? How could've she've NOT known that the story about the tape was a viral topic amongst many of her friends? As far I'm concerned, she seems like a popular girl and she shouldn't been so shocked if her friend told her about the legend since she already has knowledge of it.
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 15, 2016 09:07 PM)
Nobody has a a definite answer of where she was in those 7 days. I try to work with what is given and what is most plausible than simply relying on conjecture, such as her popularity. Keep in mind that she was afraid and likely disturbed during that week.
It's actually pretty easy to be oblivious to a story spreading around; just because it happens fast doesn't mean EVERYONE learns about it, let alone in less than a week. Given what she experienced in the cabin and during those 7 days, it's not at all unlikely that isolated herself from most people.
Personally, I think shock is a very appropriate reaction if I were to hear someone retell a story involving something terrifying I experienced, 7 days later when the "7 days" bit was part of the experience. Especially if I was unaware any of the other 3 that also experienced it told others. -
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 16, 2016 05:05 AM)
Ok now I get the gist. I was thinking about this earlier but maybe why Katie was so shocked about Becca retelling an experience she already experienced with her friends was because she literally isolated herself from the world in those 7 days, hence why she didn't know how the story became so popular. As you can in most of Samara's victims, they often isolate themselves and become paranoid with nightmares and mindlessly draw images of her so its safe to presume that Katie had to skip school because of it. And this probably explains why Katie was able to confide to Aidan about her experience with the curse even though its obvious that a popular high school student involved in a secret love affair like her would lack the time to geuninely spend some alone time with her relatives, let alone one that is a child.
Teenagers often have to talk with younger people because they're obliged to by their parents but in the case of Katie, its a different situation so that further proves my point on how serious the situation she was in. Man, its sad when you realise that Katie died on the day she finally got to have fun and hang out with her best friend on their sleepover on a fricking Saturday night. -
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 16, 2016 12:37 PM)
That's a very plausible scenario. To add to it, it could also be that whoever of the other 3 friends who told the story did not do so until near the end of their 7 days. This would be fitting because they, like Katie, may have still been shaken up by what they saw; so they may have spread the story much later, when they felt a bit better after some time had passed and warmed up to the possibility that it was a prank. Hence, the story may not have gained traction right away, but certainly soon enough to make the rounds.
In the context of Katie, you're right, it was a difficult situation for her. She couldn't confide what happened as that would have to include disclosing spending the night with Josh, which she didn't exactly want to talk about.
I kind of feel like that sleepover was somewhat on Katie's request, as she may have been afraid about what might happen to her on that 7th day. And again, she couldn't really speak to anybody (save for Aidan) about what she was experiencing. So imagine the dread and terror if one of your close friends recounts the cause of your troubles as if it were an urban legend; just as you thought it was safe to unwind. -
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 16, 2016 10:18 PM)
I kinda agree with you but this still doesn't explain why Samara would wait so long for her revenge in the well. She looks like a person that would easily snap in a murderous rage and I used to think that during her time in the well, she was using her hate and powers to keep herself alive (like the Japanese version) or was mutating into a humanoid ghost.
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 17, 2016 12:43 PM)
I already went over why she "waited", which is not necessarily what she was trying to do. She struck at the very soonest opportunity, which unfortunately for her was decades away. Based on what the movie shows to the viewer, the spirit's power works in the confines of that telepathic power, or needs to involve it. She can't just conveniently place the curse on a tape, or other piece of media, whenever she wants and wherever said tape is. It needs to be within the functional range of her power (therefore, the well). That part, I also went over in previous replies. In extension, we only know that she employs thoughtography. Nothing in the movie remotely suggests the spirit uses other powers, or anything that works beyond the vicinity of the well. Assuming such is only speculation.
Maybe she could have snapped in a murderous rage, but that was if Samara was still alive (ie, outside the well and not confined). In fact, her power is actually broadened and less limited when Rachel physically unsealed the well and "set [Samara] free", which Aidan condemned at the end.
I don't think it was Samara herself who became the ghost/spirit. Personally, it is more likely that this evil spirit that dwelled within the body of Samara took her form subsequently, including in the decomposed, terrifying form that attacked Noah. This is in line with what happens and is revealed in the sequel. -
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 18, 2016 10:24 PM)
The same way she imprinted imagery on a videotape even though she was inside a well. It's the same kind of telepathic power, though the application on phones is a lot less common. As for how she remembers who and how many watched the tape, you're thinking too much in the real world about a fictional character who possesses supernatural powers.
-
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 19, 2016 03:15 AM)
It would be hilarious if Samara kept tallies on the walls of the well to determine whether or not it is time to kill her next victim. I always thought that Samara was an omnipresent entity but I think that's too far of a stretch. Wasn't she half demon?
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 19, 2016 07:17 PM)
I don't believe it's the girl Samara herself who is the demon, but rather the demon spirit took over Samara's body as a host (either at birth or shortly thereafter), going by the sequel. The spirit still takes Samara's liking whenever it appears, but this might be attributed to the fact that the girl Samara died while the spirit was still within, and it was trapped in that body for so long, thus it adapted to her form. Alternatively, the demon induced its host to take its form as she grew. We see that it takes over Aidan's body, but Rachel succeeds in freeing him of it without killing him.
-
edwintrinh09 — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 04:58 AM)
Oh that makes sense. That's why when Rachel retrieved Samara's body from the well, she actually released the demon spirit within her into the world which is what made Aidan panic so much. Maybe the demon spirit is from her father's side and if this is the case, how can she kill her victims if they are nowhere near a TV on their 7th day? Is she omnipresent or something?
-
termigreen — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 02:59 PM)
Yes, I made a bit of a theory about how Rachel opening the well and setting the spirit free changed the way the victims die on the 7th day.
While not full-fledged omnipresent, she seems to imprint her mark on the minds of whoever watches the tape, holding their lives at stake. A couple of the victims who died at the hands of the 7-day curse were not near televisions on the 7th day; however, they may have suffered a heart attack, another vital sign stopped, or their minds assaulted to oblivion with frightful imagery, in the middle of whatever they were doing, which led them to their death. One of the victims was driving and they got into a fatal accident; another apparently fell from a roof or another high point.
This goes in line with the nightmares, visions and other manifestations Rachel and others experienced after watching the tape. It's also a heck of a way for the spirit to work within its limitations. -
nicksaysboo — 9 years ago(February 03, 2017 06:15 PM)
A great fact that the filmmakers seem to have forgotten about in the sequels. Her crawling out of the television is shown ONCE in the original film, and merely implied with Katie. The other three teenagers had different forms of death according to the reports that Rachel finds.
Meaning she can kill you without you being near some sort of screen.
Furthermore, it does beg the question of what exactly did Rachel finding her in the well do? Aiden implies it was wrong that Rachel helped her, but why? What has now changed? -
nicksaysboo — 9 years ago(February 03, 2017 06:11 PM)
It's never stated that Katie and her friends brought the tape with them.
If anything, it's more implied that they took the tape from the front desk when they checked in, hence it being back there when Rachel finds it.
That way I understood it was that they grabbed the tape (most coverless tapes at the time were considered blank tapes to record things on) and tried to record the game over it, however, as it was the cursed tape, it didn't work.
It's never once stated that Katie's friend purchased a tape and brought it with them.