Review of Darkon (2006) by Chad D — 24 Jan 2010

Priceless. Pure priceless documentary. Live Action Role Playing (or LARPing) is the act of living out the actions of a traditional table top wargame. Instead of rolling dice and moving miniatures, LARPing involves the actions of men and women physically moving and 'fighting' across the field of battle (ie. state parks, sporting fields, and the like) with wooden, steel, and foam weapons and shields.

Darkon is a documentary about a fictional land (little more than hexes drawn on a map) and the struggles of the 'inhabitants' of that land, Darkon. This is no joke to the people involved. Darkon is a chance for them to let loose and live another life of their own creation. Darkon (the movie) takes a glimpse at this land and its citizenry - both in and out of the game.

Yes, there are many stereotypical geeks in Darkon, and a few that are not so much. What I found myself thinking, in the end, is that, while the LARPers shun the outside world for being 'too serious' about reality, these same people do the exact same thing about Darkon. So, while they attempt to be 'better' than those who may look at them sideways (in the real world), they do much the same in Darkon.

This doc is not a joke, and approaches its subject matter with the same serious attention to detail as "Food, Inc" or "an Inconvenient Truth" or "Letters From Vietnam" ... however, the subject matter seems to get lost in the layers that the LARPers tend to build around themselves.

If nothing else, this is a great look into an area of society that is greatly unknown and unexplored. Definitely check it out.