# Dark Dungeons full trailer!



## Kramodlog (May 20, 2014)

I remember the first time I was slap... 

Article from Wired.

[video=youtube;8qc9JiIiOSQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qc9JiIiOSQ[/video]


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## Scott DeWar (May 20, 2014)

A sad misconception. I have never seen a game like that.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (May 20, 2014)

Awesome.  It's ... XTREME ROLEPLAYING!!!1!!1

D&D might have a lot more participants if that is what roleplaying is really like.


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## Scott DeWar (May 20, 2014)

Olgar Shiverstone said:


> - * edit * - D&D might have a lot more participants if that is what roleplaying is really like.




you are probably right


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## biotech66 (May 21, 2014)

I am SO happy I kickstarted this thing!


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## Kaodi (May 21, 2014)

I am looking forward to seeing this movie. A lot.


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## Morrus (May 21, 2014)

So from all the stuff I've heard so far, along with the "it's not a parody, we're showing it straight as written" stuff, I'm pretty sure JR Ralls ("won't discuss his position on the matter") is pro-Chick. I can't think why else he would be so secretive about his opinion. Or why the director would need to describe himself as a neutral "third party" between Ralls and the pro-gaming production company ZOE. 

In which case, it's all gonna be a big gotcha at our expense. Gamers funding a serious anti-gamer tract.

I could be wrong, but the parody sheen has fallen off it. If presented to a certain section of the population, this "straight-up" filming of the Chick-tract with no other context  could actually be intended to do damage.

Dunno. Am I being paranoid? If Ralls were to just say "I don't believe in the message this tract is sending" it'd be better.


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## Kramodlog (May 21, 2014)

Morrus said:


> If Ralls were to just say "I don't believe in the message this tract is sending" it'd be better.



Would it expose him to being sued by Chick? If he asked for the rights by deceiving Chick, maybe that could be bad news for him.


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## Morrus (May 21, 2014)

goldomark said:


> Would it expose him to being sued by Chick? If he asked for the rights by deceiving Chick, maybe that could be bad news for him.




I guess that's possible, yeah. Maybe he presented himself as a Chick supporter who wanted to help get the message out.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (May 21, 2014)

If it's legitimate parody, he doesn't need the rights (AFAIK, IANAL, YMMV).

On the other hand, I have a hard time imagining any way of "playing it straight" that won't in the end come off as parody whether intentional or not.  So either way gamers win.


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## Rabulias (May 21, 2014)

I am fairly sure that he is making this movie for gamers to enjoy in the same vein as we enjoy _*reading *__Dark Dungeons_.

The movie was made in partnership with Zombie Orpheus (the folks behind _The Gamers_) and it's premiering at GenCon. Looking at other Kickstarter projects he has backed we can see The Dice Shield (which I had also backed... too bad it did not fund), Story War: The Storytelling Party Game, Professional MP3 Background Loops for Role-Playing Games, and Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series (KODT: LAS).

All this tells me we are in good hands.


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## The_Silversword (May 21, 2014)

Scott DeWar said:


> A sad misconception. I have never seen a game like that.




What kinda lame D&D games were you involved with!?


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## Scorpio616 (May 21, 2014)

> I could be wrong, but the parody sheen has fallen off it. If presented to a certain section of the population, this "straight-up" filming of the Chick-tract with no other context  could actually be intended to do damage.



Pretty sure those folks would have to be drinking _Dionysus_'s blood pretty hard to not recognize that worse that SY-FY "acting" as _anything_ but a parody. Because their own deity's blood ain't got the alcohol % to make them _that_ plastered.



> Dunno. Am I being paranoid?



Yes. Would you like a tinfoil hat? I have extra.



> If Ralls were to just say "I don't believe in the message this tract is sending" it'd be better.



Some folks need that.







			
				Michael Jackson said:
			
		

> "Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult"
> [video=youtube;sOnqjkJTMaA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA&feature=kp[/video]



But I say let those folks think Jonathan Swift is  baby eating cannibal.


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## Scorpio616 (May 23, 2014)

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/dark-dungeons-movie/


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## Zombie_Babies (May 23, 2014)

Morrus said:


> So from all the stuff I've heard so far, along with the "it's not a parody, we're showing it straight as written" stuff, I'm pretty sure JR Ralls ("won't discuss his position on the matter") is pro-Chick. I can't think why else he would be so secretive about his opinion. Or why the director would need to describe himself as a neutral "third party" between Ralls and the pro-gaming production company ZOE.
> 
> In which case, it's all gonna be a big gotcha at our expense. Gamers funding a serious anti-gamer tract.
> 
> ...




Let's say it is pro-Chick, what then?  Honestly, what damage could it really do today?  Nobody cares about that stuff anymore and I doubt some movie no one is gonna see will change that.  I just don't think there's anything to be concerned about.


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## bone_naga (May 25, 2014)

It doesn't really matter if it's intended to be a parody or not because Chick is so far out of touch that his vision is already a parody.


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## Morrus (May 25, 2014)

bone_naga said:


> It doesn't really matter if it's intended to be a parody or not because Chick is so far out of touch that his vision is already a parody.




Since when has "out of touch" been a barrier to spreading a negative opinion about a group? Factual accuracy isn't the weapon of propaganda.


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## bone_naga (May 25, 2014)

Morrus said:


> Since when has "out of touch" been a barrier to spreading a negative opinion about a group? Factual accuracy isn't the weapon of propaganda.



Facts have nothing to do with it, but I think a movie makes it harder to take it seriously than the comic. Chick's vision is pretty sketchy even in abbreviated comic book form. In a move, I think it's going to look so incredibly far fetched from reality that people will see it as fiction rather than a religious message. This doesn't look like a Mazes and Monsters type of movie, where someone not familiar with the game might buy into what they see, it looks so over the top that the only people who would take it seriously already have their minds made up.


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## Fast Learner (May 25, 2014)

Though I've not seen the film, the trailer makes me feel certain that the only people who will see this as an actual condemnation of RPGs is those who already believe it.


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## Morrus (May 25, 2014)

Fast Learner said:


> Though I've not seen the film, the trailer makes me feel certain that the only people who will see this as an actual condemnation of RPGs is those who already believe it.




That's a very brief dismissal of the practice of propaganda reinforcement!  Yes, most targets of propaganda are having their beliefs reinforced. It works.


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## Fast Learner (May 25, 2014)

Morrus said:


> That's a very brief dismissal of the practice of propaganda reinforcement!  Yes, most targets of propaganda are having their beliefs reinforced. It works.



Is that your concern about it being a serious-seeming film, that the very small number of people who believe this now will have their beliefs reinforced?


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## Morrus (May 25, 2014)

Fast Learner said:


> Is that your concern about it being a serious-seeming film, that the very small number of people who believe this now will have their beliefs reinforced?




"Concern" is a strong word. I'm in England; I don't really care what your Bible Belt thinks or does - it has no impact on my life.  I'm insulated from it by a geographical and cultural ocean. It's more a mild interest in the motives of the film-maker; or more why he keeps his motives hidden, even when asked.  I find that curious.


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## Fast Learner (May 25, 2014)

Here's why the filmmaker is being cagey, as near as I can tell:

In order to actually produce a true "Dark Dungeons" movie — something that gamers around the world have heard of — he had to get Jack Chick's permission. Yes, he could do a true parody, but then he'd be opening himself to lawsuit from the Chick folks.

Additionally, though, he's a gamer, one who knows the whole "Dark Dungeons" thing is utter BS. He knows, like all of we gamers do, that the DD tract manages to parody itself in its absurd sincerity. By writing a script that not only includes all of that but even takes it further (Cthuhlu is real, etc.), he keeps the Chick folks happy while making it even more obvious to the rest of us how absurd it is.

If he says, "no, this is serious, I believe that RPGs are dangerous" to appease the Chick people, he'll drive off his actual intended audience, gamers. If he says, "this is a parody, of course, this stuff is completely nutty" then he loses the Chick permission.

By not taking a stance he can more-or-less satisfy both crowds: Chick thinks he's serious and he assumes we'll have the insight to recognize that he's totally making fun of it.


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## Morrus (May 25, 2014)

Fast Learner said:


> Here's why the filmmaker is being cagey, as near as I can tell:
> 
> In order to actually produce a true "Dark Dungeons" movie — something that gamers around the world have heard of — he had to get Jack Chick's permission. Yes, he could do a true parody, but then he'd be opening himself to lawsuit from the Chick folks.
> 
> ...




 I guess it's possible he lied to Chick, yeah. I don't think that defrauding him is better.


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## Fast Learner (May 25, 2014)

Morrus said:


> I guess it's possible he lied to Chick, yeah. I don't think that defrauding him is better.



Yeah, not saying it's ethical, but it sure seems to be the case to me.


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## Kramodlog (May 27, 2014)




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## Gog (May 28, 2014)

After reading the web site my opinion is that. The whole thing is satire but it's satire by playing it straight. They are showing the anti-D&D stuff EXACTLY as presented because the anti-D&D stuff is so over the top already that it's already satire.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (May 29, 2014)

And most people will get it, except for the 10% who are deluded enough to believe their own propaganda. You couldn't dynamite that 10% out of their positions, though, so its not worth trying.


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## Ryujin (Aug 23, 2014)

A little threadcromancy.

Just received my DVD and looking forward to watching it over the weekend


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## Raunalyn (Aug 23, 2014)

Ryujin said:


> A little threadcromancy.
> 
> Just received my DVD and looking forward to watching it over the weekend




Do tell us how it is...and please, be careful. If this movie is how I think it's going to be, you may rupture something laughing...that, or your brain cells will suffer a slow, agonizing death from the derpage.


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## Ryujin (Aug 23, 2014)

Raunalyn said:


> Do tell us how it is...and please, be careful. If this movie is how I think it's going to be, you may rupture something laughing...that, or your brain cells will suffer a slow, agonizing death from the derpage.




Well I've been a viewer/supporter of Zombie Orpheus Entertainment/Dead Gentlemen Productions for some years, now, so I've build up a little resistance to actual gut bustery. Still, the first web instalment had my eyes aching from rolling, and a bit of back pressure to the brain built up from stifled snickers.


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## Ryujin (Aug 23, 2014)

Well they played the story straight up which made it ironically hilarious, rather than satirically hilarious. I could actually see Jack Chick starting a speaking tour behind this movie. Beware! You may well suffer ocular damage from the numerous eye rolls involved 

There are also a number of Easter Eggs to be found, in the movie, that hearken to references from various DG/ZOE productions (The Shadow? The Shadow. The Shadow!), that are worth trying to suss out.

Of particular interest is the commentary, by JR Ralls, on his experiences in making his first low budget movie.


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