Now Very Bad…

Tag: #NowVeryBeholder

  • Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

    Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

    Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.

    Dungeons and Dragons

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Very few redeeming features to this absolutely awful picture that looks like a (bad) tv show, which it almost certainly should have been…

    Dungeons & Dragons

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Dungeons & Dragons:

    Look, let’s start from the premise that this is a bad movie, but not as bad as you’ve been told. Because it isn’t. Oh, it certainly isn’t good; it’s not even ok. But it isn’t the worst movie you’ve ever seen or even close. Damning with faint praise, I know…

    Dungeons & Dragons

    But I’m going out on a limb saying even that much. This movie is reviled and the reasons are all too obvious. Even if it didn’t have to overcome fanboy expectation and criticism it is by several yards quite awful. But upon my second viewing I did catch glimpses of things that, watered properly and with the guidance of a professional, could have borne fruit. Unfortunately, due at least partially to the meddling of TSR (former owners of the brand), the film was shepherded by a completely inexperienced team who are simply in over their heads.

    Rather than hashing out the plot and picking apart every boneheaded decision, I’m just going to include my notes, typed out while watching for the second time (the first time, years ago, I had my eyes closed for most of the time):

    • You know, if this was a made for tv project, no one would really complain.
    • It’s fine until people show up on screen and start talking.
    • Ridley & Snails – do we really have to follow these idiots through the whole movie?
    • Damodar – blue lips. Then later he gets bright red ears – how could any producer worth their salt allow this? I note with interest if not surprise that once they bring him back for the sequel the blue lips mysteriously disappear.

    Dungeons & Dragons

    • This worm thing in Damodar’s head is a deal-breaker. It’s gross and off-putting.
    • Profion – for every time you wonder why people use awful wigs in fantasy films, Jeremy Irons is here to provide the answer – normal haircuts just look weird in these movies.

    Dungeons & Dragons

    • The effects aren’t good but not awful either – for the time.
    • I’d like to say the acting is terrible, but really I’m not sure that’s fair. The actors are just doing what they’re being told. If they are given a dreadful script and bad production and poor direction, I don’t know how this could go any other way.

    Dungeons & Dragons

    • While this is mostly crap that looks like the producers have never played the game, just had it explained to them, there are elements that betray an actual involvement by the game creators. The maze sequence is actually quite excellent and very much in the spirit of D&D.
    • Some of the sets are pretty good, if filmed in a better light.
    • I admit that the appearance of the Eye of the Beholder about halfway through the movie is a welcome sight (heh, heh) for an old D&D fan. Ditto the quicksand rug.
    • As terrible as this movie is, with not a lot of work it could have actually been very good. They did a lot of the heavy lifting, but it’s deeply flawed. Just shooting the thing properly would have upgraded it to merely “not very good”. Losing a couple of the humor-first characters like Snails and the dwarf and would have at least have made it something fanboys could argue about.

    Dungeons & Dragons

    • Amazingly, it’s about an hour into the movie before the first real swordwork. And it’s brief at that – more fist fighting than anything else. Guess they didn’t want to spend the budget on sword training.
    • It is actually fun to watch Marlon Wayans get beaten to a pulp.
    • The mage has completely lost her ability to do any magic once there are boys around
    • Elf land is cool looking and best depiction until LOTR showed up a year later.
    • The elf’s breastplate is literally that. It even has nipples. Really?

    Dungeons & Dragons

    • 75 minutes in our hero enters a dungeon – this is the scene we’ve been waiting for. This hints at what a good D&D movie could be like.
    • Dragon on dragon fighting is why we are here.

    I’m not going to try to convince you not to hate Dungeons & Dragons. It’s cheesy, poorly filmed and directed and stuffed with poor attempts at humor. But if you squint you can find moments that confirm your belief that a good Dungeons & Dragons movie could be made one day. The made for tv sequels were worlds better, possibly because they punched their weight. Or in this case, fought beasts of their own level…

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: D (3 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Dungeons & Dragons Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” url=”http://dnd.wizards.com/” name=”Dungeons & Dragons” description=”The Empire of Izmer has long been a divided land. The Mages – an elite group of magic-users – rule whilst the lowly commoners are powerless. Izmer’s young Empress, Savina, wants equality and prosperity for all, but the evil Mage Profion is plotting to depose her and establish his own rule. The Empress possesses a scepter which controls Izmer’s Golden Dragons. To challenge her rule, Profion must have the scepter, and tricks the Council of Mages into believing Savina is unfit to hold it. Knowing that Profion will bring death and destruction to Izmer, Savina must find the legendary Rod of Savrille, a mythical rod that has the power to control Red Dragons, a species even mightier than the Gold. Enter two thieves, Ridley and Snails, who unwittingly become instrumental in Savina’s search for the Rod. Joined by a feisty Dwarf named Elwood, and helped by the Empress’s expert tracker, the Elf Norda, the young heroes go in search of the Rod of Savrille. From the deadly maze of the Thieves Guild…” director=”Courtney Solomon” actor_1=”Jeremy Irons” ]

    Main Cast Justin Whalin Ridley Freeborn, Jeremy Irons Profion, Zoe McLellan Marina Pretensa, Bruce Payne Damodar
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 08 Dec 2000 UTC
    Director Courtney Solomon
    Genres Action, Adventure, Fantasy
    Plot Profion, a tyrant, attempts to overthrow a peaceful kingdom ruled by a tough empress.
    Poster Dungeons & Dragons
    Runtime 107
    Tagline This is no game.
    Writers Topper Lilien (written by) &, Carroll Cartwright (written by)
    Year 2000
  • The Dungeon Masters (2008)

    The Dungeon Masters (2008)

    Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.

    Dungeons and Dragons

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Everyone involved in this predictable & possibly insulting documentary need to make a saving throw. Filmmakers message is really unclear…

    The Dungeon Masters

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Dungeon Masters:

    Our last Now Very Beholder review (for Zero Charisma) discussed the potential dangers of making a film about a particular group or interest – it’s very easy to get caught up in the effort to be funny and go for the cheap burns. There’s a fine line between portraying a group a little irreverently and making fun of them. In the case of The Dungeon Masters that line is behind them.

    The Dungeon Masters follows three hardcore gamers in what seems to be an effort to point out how sad and pathetic their lives are. I’m hoping that wasn’t the goal, that they were really trying to illustrate how struggles in gaming do not necessarily correlate to troubles in life, but it really does seem to be just embarrassing unsuspecting people.

    Well, here’s the synopsis from Antidote Films, one of the production companies: “An evil drow-elf is displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A sanitation worker lures friends into a Sphere of Annihilation. A failed supervillain starts a cable access show involving ninjas, puppets, and a cooking segment. These are the characters, real and imagined, of The Dungeon Masters: Against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, two men and one woman devote their lives to Dungeons and Dragons, the storied role-playing game, and its various descendants. As their baroque fantasies clash with mundane real lives, the characters find it increasingly difficult to allay their fear, loneliness, and disappointment with the game’s imaginary triumphs. Soon the true heroic act of each character’s real life emerges, and the film follows each as he or she summons the courage to face it. Along the way, The Dungeon Masters reimagines the tropes of classic heroic cinema, creating an intimate portrait of minor struggles and triumphs writ large.” I must tell you that the film only barely resembles that bit of marketing.

    The Dungeon Masters

    The tone of the doc wavers, from the beginning soundbites and snippets about the popularity of the game through to the chronicling of one of the subjects ninja cable access show. It’s really unclear if the picture is meant to be celebratory or sympathetic or played for the “stop and point at the weirdos” angle. Indeed, the mission of the film is completely lost on me. Eighty-seven minutes isn’t really a long time for a documentary, but it is if you don’t know what they’re going for.

    Regardless, the inclusion of only three individuals necessarily means that a lot of pressure is put on them to represent all gamers and that’s hard to do. It’s certainly no slander to suggest that these gamers are on the extreme end of things, and relying solely on those stories paints a very incomplete picture.

    Part of the problem surely lies in the production. The documentary was initially envisioned as a history of the game, but when the director met the three individuals who make up the majority of the film it seems to have developed a bad case of mission creep. All of a sudden it had turned into a character study of 3 people, where the game is only part of the story, and it goes out of focus with no real linear theme.

    The Dungeon Masters

    I don’t want to be too hard on the filmmakers, because I may be misreading their intent. I really don’t think this is supposed to be a hatchet job, but I do think that it comes off as an insulting picture more akin to reality television than documentary. If you think I’m being unfair, ask yourself this: do you imagine that the three people featured in this film were pleased at how they came off and proud to show the final product to friends and family? Me neither…

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test & The Representation Test Score: n/a

    [schema type=”movie” name=”The Dungeon Masters” description=”Against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, two men and one woman devote their lives to Dungeons and Dragons, the storied role-playing game, re-imagining the tropes of classic heroic cinema, creating an intimate portrait of minor struggles and triumphs writ large.” director=”Keven McAlester” ]

    Main Cast
    Rating Not Rated
    Release Date 2008
    Director Keven McAlester
    Genres Documentary, Drama
    Plot An evil drow-elf is displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A sanitation worker lures friends into a Sphere of Annihilation…
    Poster The Dungeon Masters
    Runtime 87
    Tagline This is how they roll.
    Writers
    Year 2008
  • Zero Charisma (2013)

    Zero Charisma (2013)

    Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.

    Dungeons and Dragons

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    2013 indie may hit a little close to home for gamers, but that’s a sign of how well the filmmakers portray genuine human foibles & passion.

    Zero Charisma

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Zero Charisma:

    Of all the human traits, possibly the hardest to portray on-screen is earnestness. Being sincere and passionate about something is nearly guaranteed to invite ridicule, both on screen and in life. It takes a combination of courage, confidence and thick skin to really put yourself out there and go for it. Film portrayals of such people generally show one of two tones, both of which reflect our own preconceived views: this genuineness is corny and trite (with an option on refreshing, depending on the film and the likability of the actor), or this intensity is disturbing and laughable. I have little time for the former and none for the latter.

    Zero Charisma

    It may come as a surprise to regular readers to hear that I value earnestness above almost all other traits in film. The ability to overcome the inherent limitations I mentioned mean that when you succeed you often end up with something truly special.

    I love snarkiness – I got my Boy Scout badge for snark, I wrote my thesis on snark. But while well-cultivated and practiced sarcasm is indeed an art, it’s often easy. Anyone can sit on the sidelines and take cheap shots – and no one enjoys it more than I – but eschewing the low-hanging fruit and going for satire beyond spoof is much more difficult and requires real skill. The rewards are worth it.

    Zero Charisma

    Such is the challenge with Zero Charisma or indeed any movie that handles a subject matter or interest that is frequently treated with derisive mockery. As with any movie about geek culture, you worry that the film is just going to make fun of the characters. When I settle in to one of these my radar is up from the start, looking for trouble – you have to stay frosty.

    Zero Charisma doesn’t shy away from the jokes or the obvious stereotypes, but it succeeds in doing so in an inclusive manner that feels more like self-deprecation than insult.

    Zero Charisma

    The main character of the story, Scott Weidemeyer (brilliantly played by Sam Eidson – I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of him) certainly checks off all of the predictable boxes: obsessive, overweight, under-sexed, leather wearing, dead-end job having, heavy metal listening, loser living at home while planning masterful campaigns of his own design for a small group of “friends” that he doesn’t respect and barely tolerates. Dungeon Master is an extremely accurate title for reasons that Gygax & Arneson probably couldn’t have anticipated.

    On top of that, he’s unbelievably rigid and arrogant in every facet of his life, severely stunting his ability to have success outside of the game. He’s pretty hard to like. But when one of his players quits the game in an effort to keep his marriage from falling apart and Scott finds that the only possible replacement player in town that he hasn’t alienated is a hipster whose presence disrupts the perfectly ordered group Scott has developed, even his game life begins to fall apart.

    Zero Charisma

    It’s interesting, but a number of the comments I read online about the film were very much pro-Scott and overwhelmingly negative to Miles, the too-cool-for-school hipster ably played by Garrett Graham. People went off on the “fake geeks” who are now into gaming because it’s cool. Clearly the filmmakers have hit a nerve. These same people acknowledged that Scott maybe took things a bit too far. He didn’t take things a bit too far – he’s over the edge and down the lane.

    But I completely understand the impulse to defend the intense Dungeon Master. We’ve all known a Scott. Truth be told, we’ve all probably been him to a greater or lesser degree at some point. Everyone knows what it’s like to care passionately for something that others are indifferent towards. Everyone knows the dreadful feeling when something you’ve always been in control of begins to slip from your grasp. No matter how wonderful your life is, we’ve all had moments when situations have changed for us and our sense of security or peace feels under siege. And that’s surely what is happening here. This isn’t a story solely about one man’s game being turned upside down. His world is being turned upside down, with his job & home life, and so when his one refuge, the one successful part of his existence is under threat from his own attitude as much as from the hipster interloper, it’s too much.

    Zero Charisma

    Zero Charisma is really cringe-worthy at times – it shows genuine human emotions in all of their ugliness. But it’s very funny and also enjoyable to watch. Along with Scott’s intensity there is also an accompanying trait of sincerity that endears him to you, for all of his behavior. Matters are helped remarkably by the performance of Eidson, who I hope to see a lot more of. Highly recommended.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: C (5 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Zero Charisma Representation Test
    [schema type=”movie” url=”http://tribecafilm.com/tribecafilm/filmguide/zerocharisma” name=”Zero Charisma” description=”As the strict Game Master of a fantasy role-playing game, Scott (Sam Eidson) leads his friends in a weekly quest through mysterious lands from the safety of his grandmother’s kitchen. But his mastery of his own domain starts to slip — along with everything else in his life — when neo-nerd hipster Miles (Garrett Graham) joins the game, winning over the group with his confident charm and dethroning Scott with an unexpected coup. Caught in delusions of grandeur, Scott must roll the dice and risk everything to expose Miles as the fraud he believes him to be. A darkly comedic fable of epic proportions, Zero Charisma is an ode to nerds from every realm.” director_1=”Katie Graham” director_2=”Andrew Matthews” actor_1=”Sam Eidson” actor_2=”Brock England” actor_3=”Garrett Graham”]

    Main Cast Sam Eidson Scott, Brock England Wayne, Garrett Graham Miles, Anne Gee Byrd Wanda
    Rating Not Rated
    Release Date Fri 11 Oct 2013 UTC
    Director Katie Graham, Andrew Matthews
    Genres Comedy
    Plot An overgrown nerd who serves as Game Master of a fantasy board game finds his role as leader of the misfits put into jeopardy when a new initiate enters the group.
    Poster Zero Charisma
    Runtime 86
    Tagline
    Writers Andrew Matthews (written by)
    Year 2013
  • Mazes and Monsters (1982)

    Mazes and Monsters (1982)

    Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.

    Dungeons and Dragons

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Yikes! Hunting down obscure things you thought were rumors seldom ends well. Barely watchable – for historical interest only… #FarOutGame

    Mazes and Monsters

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Mazes and Monsters:

    In yesterday’s Now Very Beholder review of Dark Dungeons, I advised you to go watch this movie instead if you wanted a humorous look at the Dungeons & Dragons paranoia. While I stand by my assertion that this tv movie is a more interesting time capsule, I want to make it very clear that I am not suggesting that you watch this movie. I don’t want that on my conscience…

    Mazes and Monsters

    It certainly is true, however that Mazes and Monsters is an entertaining diversion when you want to laugh openly at the foolishness of fundamentally scared and ignorant people. If you lived through this time and know better, it’s terribly amusing – unintentionally of course. Sort of like watching Reefer Madness or old government “duck and cover” educational films. It probably makes for a fantastic drinking game, too…

    Mazes and Monsters
    “I am the maze controller. The god of this universe I have made. The absolute authority. Only I know the perilous course which you are about to take. Your fate is in my hands.”

    Possibly the only reason non-gamers would have sought this out is its unfortunate inclusion at the top of Tom Hanks’ filmography. The man has produced a great body of work and has nothing to feel bad about, but it must be a little bit galling to have this on his record. Maybe he could apply to have it removed?

    What’s interesting, actually, is that he is definitely Tom Hanks in this one. Often when you see a now famous actor in an early role they are barely recognizable. Visually you see it, but they don’t have any real presence. But this really is a starring role and  you can definitely see the outline of what he’s going to become.

    Mazes and Monsters

    The story of Mazes and Monsters is as absurd as its premise deserves. Back in 1979 a young student named James Dallas Egbert III disappeared from Michigan State University. He went into the steam tunnels that ran under the school and didn’t return. His parents hired a private investigator, William Dear, who didn’t let the fact that he had never heard of  D&D before, nor the fact that Egbert’s friends had no knowledge of Egbert playing the game, prevent him from speculating to the press that Egbert had become obsessed with the game and went into the tunnels to play a live-action version of the game. While LARPing did exist in the late 70’s, coming up with this theory requires quite a LARP of faith (ar, ar, ar…)

    Mazes and Monsters

    Nevertheless, the press ate it up and reported it as fact. Never mind the fact that the boy was isolated, depressed and left a suicide note, Dungeons & Dragons must be the cause. Egbert had indeed gone to the steam tunnels to commit suicide, but was unsuccessful. He hid afterwards for weeks at friends’ houses before heading to Louisiana for a second failed suicide attempt. The youth did reach out to the PI while down there and asked Dear not to reveal the story, before a final suicide attempt in 1980 succeeded. Dear kept his promise to keep Egbert’s true story secret until 1984 when he published his account of the incident in the book The Dungeon Master.

    Mazes and Monsters

    Despite not being true, the idea that D&D and RPGs could cause a person to lose their identity and be unable to distinguish fantasy and reality was simply too good to pass up, and author Rona Jaffe didn’t, publishing the 1981 novel Mazes and Monsters, a barely fictionalized account of the apocryphal Egbert story. The made-for-tv movie that I’m only now getting around to talk about is similarly uninspired drivel.

    Mazes and Monsters

    Hanks plays the youth (Robbie) who goes off the reservation. He’s new to the college, having been booted out of his last school for playing too much Mazes and Monsters. All four players in the campaign are troubled, of course, providing some backstory but mainly just padding the runtime. One of the players, Jay Jay (Chris Makepeace) discovers the off-limits steam tunnels and rigs them with theater props to create a live-action campaign for the others. While in there, Robbie freaks out during a trippy sequence where he believes he slays a mighty monster and becomes his character, Pardieu the cleric. After that he’s no fun at all, breaking up with the only girl who plays the game in order to maintain a cleric’s vow of celibacy and obsessing about jumping off the Two Towers (being New York’s WTC).

    Mazes and Monsters

    Being able to laugh at how nutty a movie is only takes you so far in my experience. Your mileage may vary. If you like watching movies “so bad they’re good” you might have more stamina than I. My mistake may have been watching it by myself and/or not turning it into a drinking game. I’d recommend this game only to serious RPG fans and even then only to watch it with a group of same, preferably while partaking of mead…

    The reviews for these two paranoia films may seem a bit unfair to the filmmakers and fans of Dark Dungeons as it appears I’m applauding in this film what I disliked about the other. The difference is entirely in the context; this movie is a relic of a time when this was a serious concern. The only thing at all wrong with Dark Dungeons (to me) is that throwback never plays like the original…

    Mazes and Monsters

    Check out these guys who have actually created an RPG called Mazes and Monsters: http://blogofholding.com/?page_id=370

    Poster:

    Mazes and Monsters

    Trailer:

    Actually, I think this is the whole movie. I couldn’t find a trailer…

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (2 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Mazes and Monsters Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Mazes and Monsters” description=”Bound together by a desire to play “Mazes and Monsters,” Robbie and his four college classmates decide to move the board game into the local legendary cavern. Robbie starts having visions for real, and the line between reality and fantasy fuse into a harrowing adventure.” director=”Steven Hilliard Stern” actor_1=”Tom Hanks” ]

    Main Cast Tom Hanks Robbie Wheeling, Wendy Crewson Kate Finch, David Wallace Daniel, Chris Makepeace Jay Jay Brockway
    Rating PG
    Release Date Tue 28 Dec 1982 UTC
    Director Steven Hilliard Stern
    Genres Fantasy, Drama
    Plot Bound together by a desire to play “Mazes and Monsters,” Robbie and his four college classmates decide…
    Poster Mazes and Monsters
    Runtime 120
    Tagline Danger lurks between fantasy and reality.
    Writers Rona Jaffe (novel), Tom Lazarus (teleplay)
    Year 1982
  • Dark Dungeons: The Movie (2014)

    Dark Dungeons: The Movie (2014)

    Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.

    Dungeons and Dragons

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Live-action short film version of the completely ridiculous scare-mongering comic pamphlet of the same name should be funny, but it isn’t…

    Dark Dungeons

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Dark Dungeons: The Movie:

    Occasionally I read about projects that are seemingly perfect, only to be underwhelmed by the result. I wholly applaud this idea and the effort that went into it. I just really didn’t enjoy it at all.

    Dark Dungeons was an alarmist comic strip put out in 1984 by an evangelical nutjob whose name I won’t repeat because I’d hate for even one person to increase his web traffic. His company puts out “tracts”, series of pamplets, often in comic form that are the ideological and well-reasoned equivalent of the guy walking through the train station screaming at the top of his lungs about going to hell. It’s probably genuinely intended to help people but as well-meaning as it may be, it’s hateful, ignorant stuff that generally gives respectful Christians a bad name.

    In 1984 Dungeons & Dragons was white hot and wackos everywhere were getting concerned that this stuff was satanic and dangerous. I eagerly look forward to a time when all right-thinking people will be able to look back on this type of propaganda and see it for the shameful fear-mongering rubbish that it is.

    Dark Dungeons

    So on paper, the idea of doing a satire based on this material seems to be a surefire hit. This is ripe for spoofing. But I’m sorry to say that as much as I wanted to enjoy Dark Dungeons: The Movie I found it joyless and tiresome – even at only 40 minutes.

    It just isn’t funny. I may have completely missed the tone they were going for here, and if so, hey, my bad. I thought this was supposed to be a send-up. Maybe I misunderstood – they may have been playing it completely straight so you could see for yourself how ridiculous these fears are. And if that’s the case – nailed it. Because it’s really well done. The production quality is great for the short money they spent and just succeeding in making a film for so little cash is impressive. But it sure seemed to be marketed as a comedy – every piece I read talked about how funny it was.

    Also, isn’t going after a 30 year old bit of trash a little like making Richard Nixon jokes? It is possible to turn the lens on an ancient stupidity well after the fact (see Life of Brian or Cradle Will Rock) but middle distances are much harder and unless there is a modern allegory you had better have a very sharp pencil to make it work.

    I really wanted to like a picture with such a great premise, that of sticking it to ignorant people by using their own words against them. Sadly, I couldn’t get behind the execution. The film is so faithful to the original work that they received permission for this adaptation. When the people you’re trying to insult are perfectly happy with what you’re doing, who’s getting the last laugh? Spewing out hateful doggerel verbatim for 40 minutes simply did not achieve a sense of amusement or satirize the original work. It just grated. Go watch Mazes & Monsters instead…

    Poster:

    Dark Dungeons

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test & The Representation Test Score:

    I’m not doing these for this thing; it fails automatically based on the source material.

    [schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.darkdungeonsthemovie.com/” name=”Dark Dungeons: The Movie” description=”Innocent students Debbie and Marcie arrive at college eager to save souls, but will they be able to save their own when they’re seduced by the exotic and sinister world of role playing games?” director=”L. Gabriel Gonda” ]http://www.darkdungeonsthemovie.com/

    Main Cast Alyssa Kay Debbie, Anastasia Higham Marcie, Tracy Hyland Mistress Frost, Trevor Cushman Mike
    Rating
    Release Date Thu 14 Aug 2014 UTC
    Director L. Gabriel Gonda
    Genres Short, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
    Plot Two college students are seduced into the evil cult of role playing games.
    Poster
    Runtime 40
    Tagline
    Writers Jack Chick (comic), JR Ralls (as Ralls Jr.) (screenplay)
    Year 2014