The Real D&D Movie
Yesterday I saw a really cool movie. No, it wasn't a sneak preview of The Two Towers (I wish...) or anything like that. It was a movie called The Gamers put out by a group called Dead Gentlemen. I saw it at a special screening at Wizards of the Coast (which hardly any actual employees showed up for, but I won't get into that because I don't do rants anymore).

Anyway, the premise is this: A bunch of college guys are in a room playing D&D. The movie switches back and forth between them playing the game, and showing what their characters are doing in the fantasy world. Of course, the same actors play their characters, so you know who's who. But this is a comedy, not some sweeping fantasy, because these guys are playing D&D the way people really play it. That means they crack jokes, they change their minds, their characters do unwise things now and again, and they argue with the DM. And when they do, it affects what we see in the fantasy world.

For example, there's a great scene (I'm sure you've seen it in your own game) where the rogue character is walking down a hallway and sets off a trap and dies. Cut to the game table, where the player argues with the DM. "Come on," he says, "I'm a master thief. I'm not going to walk down a hall without being careful." The DM says, "You just did." But the player argues and argues, and finally the DM gives in. They replay the scene, with the rogue moving carefully down the hall, and he still sets off the trap and dies. Of course, there's more arguing, and they replay the scene again. When he still sets off the trap and dies, the player has a fit, so in the end they send the barbarian down the hall and just sucked up the damage.

The movie is so smart, and so gamer-savvy, that it even has the running of joke of "Mark." Mark couldn't show up that night, but his character is still along on the adventure. So in the fantasy world, Mark's character just stands in the background, staring blankly into space, never really doing anything. Occasionally, he seems to fade away completely, until someone remembers that he's around, and suddenly he's there again.

I joked after the movie that it's actually not a bad way to introduce someone to what role playing is. The transitions between what people are saying and doing around the game table and what's going on in the fantasy world make it all crystal clear to even someone who's never heard of roleplaying (although they'd miss all the in-jokes).

I should be honest -- this is a low-budget movie. This is no Hollywood special effects extravaganza, and the actors are, well, clearly a bunch of gamers. Going into the movie knowing that, however, you'll have a great time.

I laughed a lot in The Gamers. If you're really into gaming and willing to poke a little fun at yourself (in a "Knights of the Dinner Table" sort of way), I think you'll like it too. I understand that right now it's being shown at various conventions, but eventually it will be available on VHS and DVD. At home, at a con, whatever -- just try to see this movie.