Dark Dungeons (film)
Dark Dungeons | |
---|---|
Jack T. Chick | |
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Sam Graydon |
Edited by |
|
Music by | Randy Torres |
Production companies |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 40 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Dark Dungeons is a 2014 American short film that was directed by L. Gabriel Gonda, written by JR Ralls, and based on the Chick tract of the same name.[1] The film had its world premiere at GenCon on August 14, 2014 and was also released on VOD through the film's official website.[2][3]
Synopsis
The film opens with a group of sinister robed figures discussing how they are encouraging darkness to overtake the world through such factors as
The two girls decide to attend a wild party and
Before the game gets truly started, Mistress Frost is contacted by the robed figures, who tell her that one of the two girls must commit suicide in order to help the Dark One rise. During the game, Marcie's character ends up dying after she gets shot by a poison dart. This devastates Marcie, but Debbie is unable to offer any support without breaking character. As a result, Marcie returns to their dorm room alone, where she commits suicide. When Debbie informs Mistress Frost of Marcie's death, the woman is dismissive. This shocks Debbie, especially after she learns that Marcie was only used in order to summon Cthulhu via the Necronomicon during the LARP game – and that she herself was instrumental in summoning the deity. Debbie initially tries to venture into the college's steam tunnels to defeat him, only to find that this makes the entities stronger. Just as she is about to be trapped by the demons, she asks God to help her, which enables her to escape. Back in her dorm she's approached by Mike, who invites her to come to a religious meeting as only Jesus can fight evil. At the meeting she repents and takes part in the destruction of RPG and occult materials (which includes books by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien), which foils the robed figures' plans to raise Cthulhu.
Cast
- Alyssa Kay as Debbie
- Anastasia Higham as Marcie
- Tracy Hyland as Mistress Frost
- Trevor Cushman as Mike
- Jonathan Crimeni as Nitro
- Kaleb Hagen-Kerr as Preacher
- David Anthony Lewis as Professor
Production
Writer J. R. Ralls came up with the idea of filming an adaptation of Dark Dungeons while in college, but plans never came to fruition.[4] After winning $1,000 in a 2013 lottery Ralls once again considered making the film and contacted Jack Chick for permission to create an adaptation, which was granted.[4] Additional funding for the film was raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign, which also managed to bring the proposed film to the attention of the production company Zombie Orpheus Entertainment.[5]
Reception
Critical reception for Dark Dungeons has been positive, with most critics interpreting the film as a satire of its source material.[6][7] Wired remarked that Dark Dungeons was not filmed as an outright parody, which they felt strengthened the movie as the source material was "made by people who believe that Cthulhu is real and coming for your soul. You can't satirize something so far out of touch with reality."[4] Comic Bastards made a similar statement in their favorable review for the film, stating that "Everyone plays it competently and straight and that's why it works so well."[8]
References
- The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Ohannessian, Kevin (2014-08-16). "New 'Dark Dungeons' film shows the totally real danger of role-playing games". Tech Times. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Bricken, Rob (2014-03-19). "Finally, A Movie Based On The Classic Anti-D&D Screed "Dark Dungeons"". io9. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ a b c Edidin, Rachel (2014-05-20). "A Fearmongering Anti-RPG Comic Gets the Film Adaptation It Deserves". WIRED. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (2014-04-21). "Some Genius Made a Film Adaptation of an Amazing 1980's Christian Tract About D & D". The Wire. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Khaw, Cassandra (2014-08-15). "'Dark Dungeons' movie shows the sexier side of D&D". The Verge. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Sims, Chris (2014-05-20). "Jack Chick's Religious Anti-Gaming Comic 'Dark Dungeons' Is Getting A Film, Is Most Anticipated Comic Book Movie Of 2014". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ^ Roe, Brian (2014-08-15). "Review: Dark Dungeons". Comic Bastards. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
External links
- Official website
- Dark Dungeons at IMDb
- Dark Dungeons comic at Chick.com