Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"Dark Dungeons" is a 40-minute short film that actually consists of four episodes which were released in August and September 2014. Episodes 1-3 run for eight to nine minutes, while the final episode is slightly longer, but also includes end credits. The director is L. Gabriel Gonda and the writer is JR Ralls. The entire thing is based on a Jack Chick comic from several decades ago. Lead actresses are Alyssa Kay and Anastasia Higham, while Tracy Hyland plays what you could consider the main villain. The film is about two girls who enter the world of RPGs, but actually in real life where they become characters you usually find in fantasy games. When one character dies, serious consequences happen. But this is also where the film is at its weakest. Not only do these fantasy elements in the last episode feel completely out-of-place, also the fact that tragedy strokes is just a minor thing apparently. The game leader doesn't care. Her best friend still keeps playing and lets be honest. These were two normal girls, they did not seem prone to addiction. The moment when the game master hits one of the girls in the face should have been where they stopped it immediately. And the girl who kills herself never seemed like an unstable character. You cannot justify this by the generic "sometimes things are not the way they seem". So yeah, these last 14 minutes almost destroyed this solid film. I do believe they really messed up the final developments. But I also do believe that it is a solid watch before that final chapter, thanks to the solid acting in here. Overall, i still give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.
SinisterTwist
If you go into this expecting a great film, you're going to be disappointed. This is based off of a Jack Chick pamphlet, so you know that it's not going to be serious business. What makes this film is that everyone tries to play their roles as straight as possible. There's no Leslie Nielsen-esque romping or Jim Carey mugging for the camera. Calling this a parody isn't entirely accurate, however it's not entirely *inaccurate* either. The source material here is so absurdly ridiculous that there's no need to lampoon the fact that some religious groups are over the top ridiculous when it comes to "demonic" material because they do it for you. It's like petting a cat: you just put your hand down and it does all the work for you. The end result is a film that can arguably be called "bad", but bad in all of the right ways. The acting is decent and the script, while ridiculous, is pretty hilarious. So far there are only two avenues for getting this film, either a DVD via Amazon or a direct purchase from the official website. It's absolutely worth purchasing at least via the website and it's a shame that it's not more well known than it it currently is.
majmooby
OK... I just took the time top watch a fan film or real film I don't know based on the CHICK Track Comics called Dark Dungeon... Yeah, someone made a film out of it... If you never read it back in the early 1980s, you know that it's about what every IFB minister was preaching. That Dungeons & Dragons games or any RPG's were of the devil promoting witchcraft & demon worship... For the record I've played D&D, AD&D, Vampire, Mage, Star Wars, Star Trek, Paranoia, Trinity, man list goes on & I personally have never had any dreams or desire of being a witch or even worshiping the devil... They are games that let you use your imagination as if you were part of that universe... True there are those out there that don't know how to separate the fantasy w/ reality.. But then again they must have other mental issues too... Anywho... The movie tries to be serious but modernizing the story to today's youth. Sadly the acting on the evil characters is so one sided & performed badly that it takes a lot to get thru the whole film w/o laughing or shutting it off... To give you an idea here we go...Things You May Learn From Watching This Film.... 1. College jocks are nerds too.... 2. Colleges always show outdated hygiene films to help freshmen get settled into college life. 3. College parties don't just drink, drug, & dance, they play D&D with over 40 year old want-to-be teenagers. 4. The Necronomicon & Cuthulu are real. All they need to enter our world is a make believe teenage elf wizard to enchant them here. 5. When your character dies in the game, it's time to go hang yourself. 6. LARP's are demon possessed interactions to the unknown. 7. When trying to make a point, Bulge out your eyes as much as you can. 8. "Mistress Frost needs acting lessons badly, She's about to die.... Ohhhhhhhhhh..."The only saving grace is that this film only took 40 minutes out of my life to watch it... 1 hour& 15 minutes less than Cabin Boy or Superstar...I give this film.............. 1 mooooo,
PompeyV
In the 1980s, Jack Chick Publications produced an extremely fundamentalist Christian tract denouncing the dangers of playing RPGs. This film is hilarious precisely because it is so self-aware in following the fantastical tract, even one-upping it at times(LARP and Cthulhu, anyone?) The story follows two Christian girls, Marcie and Debbie, as they go off to college and become ensnared by the glamorous, underground bacchanal that is Dark Dungeons gaming. But things are even darker than the bags under the girls' eyes after playing all night -- Mistress Frost seeks to use the girls to call forth demons into our world. Watch who lives, who dies, and who falls to their knees to accept Jesus as their personal lord and savior.Above all, watch for the references to gaming, to other Zombie Orpheum productions, and to Maven of the Eventide from the That Guy With The Glasses website.
