I have actually known people who involve themselves in this brand of idiocy, and watching this movie was like having engage in a lengthy conversation with one (or more) of them again. These people, by and large, are 34+, make less than 10$'s an hour, make up history as they go along, and develop these strange delusions of grandeur based on the idea that *you* are "mundane" in all facets, and they are not.They will refer to each other in public settings as "Knight", "Master", "Lord", or "King"... You know what, pardon me as I explain.My first run in with this breed of individual outside of the ren-fair, was while I was kickboxing and had gotten involved with a weapons team. You could just enroll in the class, it was 40$'s a month, but it was a real deal "the guy that is teaching us has been training in these weapons for 30+ years" kind of class. We had a few members of the "SCA" (Society for Creative Anachronism) join up... Who also decided to show up in class as their "alters". They balls out fabricated huge sections of history, and claimed themselves scholars of the medieval period; they all regaled us with lengthy stories of their tribulations experienced becoming "Masters of the (insert weapon here)" and how the class was meant to refine their already terrible and deadly skills. They all were allegedly training with black belts of various exotic martial arts, they all were at least 90lbs overweight, and they were all underachievers with damaged egos. I left that class @ 17 with a sullied opinion of these "men", any one of which I could have beaten within an inch of his fat life despite their bardic tales of awesomeness. Later on in life I dated a girl who was into it, and I relayed my opinions of it all, she said "Oh that was just a bad experience". It wasn't, it was a normal experience. If there is one thing "Darkon" does really well, it's prevent this side of their "war games group" from bleeding through to the viewer. This film documents how pathetic, and debased these people are. From a psychological perspective, it's nothing more than a lesson in how far someone will go to escape reality when their real lives are in dire need of attention, this is just as bad as alcoholism, it's just not as obvious or widespread. It's nothing more than World of Warcraft LARP'ed (Live Action Role Playing)out by people who exhibit the same kinds of personal and societal failings. These people aren't "gamers", this isn't something only a "gamer" can understand... These people are dressing up in cheap (read: 450$ V 2000$ breastplates) metal armor and hitting each other with foam rods at public parks and local school or community soccer/football/baseball parks. If you saw these people doing this you would at first wonder if it was some professional reenactment groups... When you found the truth out, you'd laugh, and not in a good way. Further, to hear one of these fat dudes prattle off with "It's sickening that even out here, there is still that real world mentality that makes people need to better than someone else... and it ruins it!" Or to hear one of these floppy chicks blather on about how "I used to be a stripper (i'm sure she made a killing) and now I live in my parents basement at 28, but you know, even though other people my age have houses or can support themselves, at least I've got some station to be proud of." It's mind boggling that anyone sat down and watched this and felt anything other than pity for the people involved. The main subject, even eventually tells the true story of why he was cut out of his fathers business after he passed, for hitting one of his other brothers in the face with a phone... Because that's what honorable men do when their feelings are hurt. The only people who really make this "thing" interesting (Read: Fun to watch), are the Dark Elf players, who don't get nearly enough time. If this whole documentary had been about them, or really, just about "Darkon" itself, and not the people behind the characters, it might have been more entertaining and less ridiculous.Bottom line: Watch this if you're curious, but don't let the idiocy of the fact that this is what these people really do with their lives escape you. These people aren't to be admired, they're to be viewed with curiosity and studied from a distance. If one these people was your kid, you wouldn't be "proud" of them, you'd be seeking the best psychotherapist you could afford.

I'm sure there are folks who will be dismissive of the Darkon members, I don't think they understand it. I'm not one of them, I'm not of Darkon, nor anything like it. But there is something about it that connects. This is a documentary half way between "isn't this sort of cool" and "aren't these people weird?" It's probably too long, but that's a minor matter. I think the essential part of it is the point that some people in the modern world sort of miss our past. We live in a very high tech world, how many of us get angry as hell when the broad band goes out? And yet, fifteen years ago, there was no broad band.And as hard and as difficult life may be, things like broad swords rather than broad band, really aren't a part of it.I think this documentary, well, documents a part of our minds coming to surface -- that the cyber world doesn't necessarily satisfy all our instincts. These guys are kind of into Dungeons and Dragons, and Excalibur, and history, but also mythology.I think you can call them just big kids, refusing to grow up, but I do like the way the movie progresses, a kind of drama is accorded to some things that are obviously silly, to one outside the society. I'm not in it, so I can hardly say, but I can see why they do these things. I think it helps break out of every day life, and touch the past, and touch the myths.To answer why in the world these people do this is to answer why there is a mythology and stories of witches and fairies and goblins and on and on. I think these are folks who revel in mystery and history and alternate history, and maybe just plain old revel.My take on it anyway.

This is a documentary about Live Action Role Players, a rather noble and delightful type of gaming, that some people may find a little too far out of their realm to understand. It is interesting and enjoyable for any nerd and is also a unique type of documentary. I recommend this to anyone who has every played d&d, enjoyed magic, or any other type of role-playing endeavors. :) It is fun and light-hearted. It is not sad at all. Afterwards you feel admiration and respect to the people who can stay "in character" for a weekend straight -certainly not an easy task to pull off. I would consider this film a great accomplishment for gamers out there. :)

Everything a Doc could be.Seriously... "Darkon" Directors Andrew Neel & Luke Meyers manage to cover all angles of a relatively unfamiliar topic – a full-contact adult war-gaming society – practically leaving no questions unanswered. Who are these guys? Who marries them? And what of their kids? It's all there and it's all worth it. It's also a very fair outlook on their lives, making it easy to both sympathize with them AND laugh at them. e.g. It's pretty ridiculous to watch these characters swinging foam swords 20 meters from a parking lot of minivans, and yet when the picture noticeably receives a boost in budget halfway through, suddenly incorporating sweeping crane shots, one can't help but feel happy for these guys, who are finally starring in their own epic.www.manwithavan.blogspot.com