This documentary was a fan favorite, and won Best Documentary at SXSW in 2006. It follows a group of LARPers (Live Action Role Playing) in Baltimore, MD. It is alternately sweet, funny, exhilarating, and awkward as hell. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, I'd really recommend it. Here's the trailer from youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BHWfXd9Ky8
I could imagine this as being too painfully awkward to watch, but the trailer certainly plays it snark-free. I can kinda dig that. Might give it a look.
ReplyDeleteI was... not a fan.
ReplyDeleteKnow what the funniest thing about that trailer was?
ReplyDeleteIt's categorized as "Sports."
But- if it's done all seriously... I couldn't watch it.
Or- that might make it that much funnier! :D
I thought it was just 'okay'. Not nearly as awkward as I was expecting (or hoping for).
ReplyDeleteDan and Murphy - what did you guys dislike about it? I thought the interviews were very well done, and a lot of the players had some pretty insightful things to say without being overly quixotic. It's easy to dismiss arguments like "There's no magic left in the world anymore" but it's harder to understand why, as one of the players comments, the only games that are socially acceptable for adults are board games. I'm not trying to start a big Darkon debate, but I would like to hear more about what you liked and didn't like.
ReplyDeleteOh, real quick, in response to Cindy's comment: to me the documentary seemed tongue in cheek. Most of the players recognize that they are huge geeks, and the documentary highlights some of the more absurd fantasy aspects by staging scenes with pre-battle speeches, dramatic charges, and silhouette poses. Although this kind of cinematic flair is probably running through the players heads every day they unsheathe their styrofoam swords. It makes for an interesting "day in the life of"
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