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May 2, 2006
Review: Darkon
It may seem like an odd pastime for non-initiates, but the live-action role playing (LARP) game Darkon is not only pervasive, but remarkably fascinating. Set in Baltimore, Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel take us through the world of elves and kings and gold pieces, all being acted out by everyday adults dressed up in homemade costumes and wielding weapons that were painstakingly hand-crafted. Darkon introduces us to the legions of warriors that assemble every weekend to battle and scheme for maximum domination over their lands, but also lets us delve into the psyche of the LARPer and understand their motivations.
Skip Lipman, or perhaps Bannor of Laconia, is the star of Darkon, and it is immediately clear why: both he and his alter-ego are infectiously engaging. Using this charismatic central character to power the plot of the documentary, Meyer and Neel explore not only the game of Darkon and LARPing in general, but also probe into the general human propensity to act on fantasy. After all, in the world of Darkon, you can be whoever you want to be. The film is comedic and insightful, and never lags. In fact, Darkon functions just as well as a sports-ish movie than it does as an exploration of a bizarre game: you’re dying to know who wins.
The LARPers in the audience received many more questions than the filmmakers during the Q&A, which is a testament to the power Darkon has in humanizing the players and making them sympathetic to the audience. Despite being a quirky and bizarre game that may not be for everyone, there is hardly anyone out there that will not enjoy this movie.
