Darkon | 
 enlarge | Director: Andrew Neel;luke Meyer
Actors: Skip Lipman, Kenyon Wells, Rebecca Thurmond, Daniel Mccarthur
Studio: PorchLight Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $12.73
You Save: $14.25 (53%)
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Rating:  9 reviews
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: PCHD1020D
UPC: 810863010203
EAN: 0810863010203
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW sealed shipped daily. International Shipping via Air Mail.
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Product Description
Studio: Porchlight Ent Inc Release Date: 01/06/2009 Run time: 90 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 hilarious and fascinating May 28, 2008
dawg
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I realize that the intention of the filmmakers isn't necessarily to make fun of the gamers, but I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. This movie is fantastic!
Do yourself a favor and watch this and King of Kong in the same weekend for a hilarious (and truly fascinating) does of nerdity overload.
To be fair, these "LARPers" sure have creative imaginations, and there are some genuinely touching moments in the film. It's great to see how some of them have actually gained confidence or lose weight through their gaming, helping them in their other (real) lives...
But honestly, you haven't lived until you've seen a Dark Elf trying to buy a supernatural death poison with his pretend money.
 Tooooooo looooooooooooong................ March 15, 2008
The Cynical Reviewer (Chicago, IL)
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
There is no reason for this documentary to be as long as it is. An hour would have been sufficiently to covered the topic.
The Secret Worlds of Massively Multiplayer Outdoor Role-Players March 13, 2008
James John Bell (Union, WA USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Darkon follows the drama of a live action fantasy role playing game (LARP) with a sword and sorcery setting. The game depicted in the film is very similar to SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) which recreates pre-17th century Western European history and culture. The plot focuses on in-game drama, both in live action battles and the role playing of diplomacy among the various player created nation-states. The documentary aspect cuts away from this in-game drama to explore the real lives of the players and look into their motivations for playing. A tension is created between the lives of players in-game and out-of-game especially when allegiances among the players shift.
The historic moment in-game that the film follows is similar to the plot of Braveheart. An imperialist empire, called Mordom (pronounced "more dumb"), is controlling more and more and more territory and destroying or enslaving smaller nations for wealth and power in the name of freedom (hmmm...Mordom, kingdom, freedom). A small kingdom decides to fight this empire by forging an alliance among start-up and fallen states. In RL (real life) these rebels are low-wage workers, a single mom, stay-at-home dad, and Iraq vets. Those who lead the side of the empire in real life are corporate white collar types. At one point a player in the rebel alliance comments that the Alliance is like the terrorists and Mordom is like America. The tension builds through the film in-game and out as the final battle approaches, one that determines the fate of the realms.
Darkon is extremely well edited and thought out. Like in other such live action games, like Vampire: The Masquerade LARP, the goal is to not let the rules of the game get in the way of the story. In the same way the film makers shoot and edit each scene so that the non-gamer can enjoy it perfectly fine, but there is tons for the hard core gamer as well. Interviews, especially with the players on the alliance side, tend to repeat the same reasons for playing the game, i.e. escape from a crappy life. This mantra adds to the in-game tension as it raises the stakes for victory. Intentionally, or not, the film has something to say about societies losers and winners, and who are the real heroes.
Enjoyable Look at Live-Action Role-Playing February 29, 2008
Kasey Driscoll (Raynham, MA United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Being a fan of documentaries first and foremost, and knowing very little about live-action role-playing games, I have to say that the very subject itself was surprisingly unique and portrayed in a straight-forward non-judgmental fashion. For that, I enjoyed Darkon tremendously. I am partially familiar with the same sub-culture that quotes Monty Python incessantly and throws around multi-sided die. In fact, at some stages in my life I've been among them with great enthusiasm. Let me just say that I do believe the filmmakers behind Darkon to be genuinely interested and respectful of their documentary's subject, but that doesn't automatically make the scenes of grown men stumbling about through a soccer field in suits of armor, taunting one another in melodramatic accents, any less comical. To me, the way the action is framed here in this film shows that the creators take it as seriously as the live-action role-players themselves. I wouldn't want to be introduced to this subject in any other way, so good for them.
Darkon is a Wargaming Club in Baltimore, Maryland. By this, I mean that it is a group of people who go away for the weekend to role-play with one another while dressing up in the traditional RPG medieval garb. The documentary goes over several in-game conflicts in great detail and features some closer looks at some relevant players, both in the game and outside of the game. Darkon isn't just a bunch of people running around hitting each other with sword-shaped pillows either, there are very specific rules in Darkon and how seriously the players seem to take these rules is remarkable. The film really offered some decent insights into why people escape from reality, why people enjoy role-playing, and how they might justify it philosophically. This movie could've easily fallen in danger of exploiting its subject and at times it could be perceived as doing so, but I'm not convinced that is intentional. This documentary is good for live-action role-playing, as it seems to want its audience to understand the attraction. I used to play Dungeons and Dragons and I still enjoy video games now and then, so it wasn't really difficult for me to both enjoy and respect what these people are up to. On the other hand, some people might watch Darkon and just laugh at and judge its subject, and for them I wouldn't recommend it.
Overall, I definitely recommend Darkon if the subject is an interest to you, if you're interested in knowing more about the subject, or even just knowing why people do this sort of thing. I watched it with my wife who was kind of mocking them at first, which I discouraged. By the end she was dreaming of going away for a weekend and pretending to be a Elven princess, which I encouraged. A good buy overall and the Elvish is conveniently subtitled.
The Right Mindset February 20, 2008
Grant Beecher (Athens, GA USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Darkon does have redeeming value if the watcher considers the film as a kind of psychological profile/phenomenon. Personally, I found it fascinating. One does not watch Darkon for its literary value or to gain respect for its dysfunctional, obsessive characters. The film instead seems to intend to document a community of social rejects who have found a common interest and a place to 'fit in.' If you like documentaries and interesting, subtle psychological profiling, definitely give this film a chance.
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