I subscribe to one of the coolest online services known to geeks, since the invention of the 20-sided die: Netflix. While perusing their offerings for “watch instantly on your PC/TV” I stumbled across this odd film. Netflix seemed to think that due to my undying love for Princess Bride, I’d enjoy The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. I read through the description and wanted to see a bit more:

When a group of fantasy role-playing friends can’t get their characters into any action beyond seducing tavern wenches and tormenting villagers, the dungeon master introduces a girl who also plays a sexy character in their game. Now the adventurers must pull it together, both at the table and inside the game, to defeat the necromancer Mort Kemnon and save their beloved gaming group. Matt Vancil directs this entertaining parody.

Netflix included reviews by other members and all of the viewer reviews had some good things to say, so figuring I had nothing to lose, I added it to my Instant Watch Queue. I still thought I might end up moving onto something tried and true, like Real Genius or Nightmare Before Christmas. Much to my delight, I was immediately charmed by the cheesy, low tech envisioning of the players, as their characters, in the classic dungeon crawl scenario. At this point, I should interject that I was a devoted tabeltop RPG Gamer Gyrl for well over a decade. (I still game, using my computer and this game, World of Warcraft. Some of you may have heard of it. But I digress…) So watching this movie, I could immediately relate to the scenario – the one in the dungeon, and the one around the table. I swear I remember having the identical arguments, down to the debating about system rules versus the game master’s storyline, and the loss of alignment. (As me sometime about my creative use of a dead bad guy as a shield, in a Worlds of Darkness game, wherein I still lost humanity points. But I’m digressing, again…)

Dead Gentlemen Productions was the creative power behind the film. The plot is simple, but completely believable. More importantly, the actors really made their characters – in and out of game – come to life. This is exactly what you’d expect a bunch of good role player gamers to do; invest the character with spirit, humor and individuality. Nathan Rice, who played Lodge/Sir Osric, and Brian Lewis, the dissenting player Cass/Brother Silence, really shine in the film, too. By half way through the movie, I was thinking, “damn, I want to roleplay, again, and I want to roleplay with THESE guys!”

And the potential double entendre in that last statement segues directly into the other element of the story and the performances that appealed to me, as a female gamer. They bring in a newbie; a woman who has never gamed, before, but brings her own style and sensibilities to their game. Female gamers aren’t quite the ‘creature of myth” they once were, but we’re still well into the minority of gamers around the world. (I’m told that any woman that can speak geek fluently – much less multiple dialects of geek – can have her pick of the fan boys – I’m still waiting for it. Okay, back off the digression train track…) Carole Roscoe played their gamer girl, and she was wonderful. She did fun, flirty and intelligent convincingly. I’d love to roleplay with her, too.

The movie is touted as being a “loose sequel” to The Gamers. Sadly, Netflix isn’t offering up The Gamer, yet. I’m hopeful, though, that with the good response it seemed Netflix was getting, they might have it, eventually. I don’t think you need to have seen it,or even be a gamer to enjoy this film. I didn’t feel I’d missed any plot element that kept me from enjoying Dorkness Rising, so I’d say get thee to Netflix, and watch this movie. Support Independent film makers. Then get out your dice and roleplay with the ones you love this weekend.

Dorkness Rising Trailer

Waffles, HO!