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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Documentary Director: Cullen Hoback |
Many people may think that “Monster Camp,” the latest documentary release about Live Action Role Players, also known as LARPers, is
a rip off of a similar documentary film “Darkon.” Both films tell viewers about the crazy world of LARPing, “Monster Camp” takes place
in Seattle, while “Darkon” takes place in Baltimore and was released a few months before “Monster Camp.” Either way, both films
should be respected for their bravery in documenting on grown adults that feel the need to, and enjoy dressing up in medieval, fantasy
clothing, pick up fake swords and maces and beat the hit points out of each other for fun in their free time.
“Monster Camp” is sure to become just as popular that the documentary “Trekkies” had become back in 1997, after all it does that that
it will be right on the front of the DVD case. “Trekkies” was similar in that is followed crazy Star Trek fans and the crazy antics that make
them crazy was a phenomenon that would fill any viewer with awe. It also helped the viewer to understand why fans of the series would
go through so much effort to look and act like the characters that they loved from the show. “Monster Camp” shows that fandom can
range over a variety of different shapes and forms, clearly being shown by the characters that viewers meet in “Monster Camp,” and
their love for fantasy role playing with other fans. Unfortunately, “Monster Camp” doesn’t go as in depth as “Trekkies,” but it does offer a
little bit of insight into the world of LARPing.
Director, Cullen Hoback introduces the viewers to some of the folks who play in a game called NERO, which stands for New England
Role-Playing Organization but there are chapters of this organization to be found all around North America, and gather together for
weekends of fantasy in the state parks of Seattle where players are able to fully immerse themselves in the world created for them.
There is a wide variety of people to meet that participate in NERO: the typical gaming fanatics that want more out of the games they play,
the bored adults looking for something to fill their time with, the teenagers with over active imaginations that need to run free and many
others. Every person that participates has to have a lot of imagination and guts to dress the way they do, while creating a characters
and staying in character while hitting each other with fake weapons. Hoback makes a point in his commentary that those that are
successful in NERO are those that are very intelligent and have a background in improvisation. Players must be able to memorize the
rules of the game, which can be very complicated at times, as well as all of the magic spells that can be thrown around at monsters
over the course of an entire NERO gaming session.
As with any other game that has ever been invented, there are a select few players who take the game further than it needs to be,
though there is a sense that these are the addictive personalities who would get hooked on anything that they participate in, if they were
given enough interest in it. One older gentleman in the film admits to the fact that his daughter complains often that he spends too
much time playing the online massive multiplayer role playing game World of Warcraft, which is a game that many players of NERO
seem to spend a lot of time with. She says that her father doesn’t spend enough time with her. What is his solution to this problem?
Try to get his daughter set up with a gaming account in the game as well so they can play the game together. Later in the film viewers
will see that his addiction to the game probably won’t end any time soon.
One of the most interesting elements of the film is the relation between the fantasy world that is created for the players, and the reality
that must be faced when working on the outside of the game. Hoback follows around Shane, who owns the NERO chapter and
organizes the games and never gets to participate in the game himself. Instead, he is far too busy trying to keep everything together
and worry about things like insurance and trying to determine if he will be able to get any sleep during a game weekend. It is very
interesting to hear the director say that although he loves the people that he makes films about, he doesn’t always believe what some
of them say. “Monster Camp” proves that Hoback does have a lot of sympathy towards Shane and the work he does. It makes for a
very interesting look into the fantasies that people create in order to take themselves away from the realities that need to be faced in
everyday life.
Viewers will also find two shorts films by Hoback on the DVD, the unrelated “The Everything Machine,” which is an interesting Twilight
Zone type cautionary tale about an amazing game system from the future, and “Dragons Are Real,” which was shot to raise money for
the production of “Monster Camp.” Some footage from the short was used int eh feature film, which is used as a lesson in how films
get made on a tight budget.
Though “Monster Camp” won’t appeal to everyone, but anyone who is a fan of fantasy videogames and card games will probably enjoy
the film. It is an interesting look into another world that many don’t know about. Though it may not be worth buying for everyone, it is
recommended that everyone should at least rent it because it can be quite humorous.
a rip off of a similar documentary film “Darkon.” Both films tell viewers about the crazy world of LARPing, “Monster Camp” takes place
in Seattle, while “Darkon” takes place in Baltimore and was released a few months before “Monster Camp.” Either way, both films
should be respected for their bravery in documenting on grown adults that feel the need to, and enjoy dressing up in medieval, fantasy
clothing, pick up fake swords and maces and beat the hit points out of each other for fun in their free time.
“Monster Camp” is sure to become just as popular that the documentary “Trekkies” had become back in 1997, after all it does that that
it will be right on the front of the DVD case. “Trekkies” was similar in that is followed crazy Star Trek fans and the crazy antics that make
them crazy was a phenomenon that would fill any viewer with awe. It also helped the viewer to understand why fans of the series would
go through so much effort to look and act like the characters that they loved from the show. “Monster Camp” shows that fandom can
range over a variety of different shapes and forms, clearly being shown by the characters that viewers meet in “Monster Camp,” and
their love for fantasy role playing with other fans. Unfortunately, “Monster Camp” doesn’t go as in depth as “Trekkies,” but it does offer a
little bit of insight into the world of LARPing.
Director, Cullen Hoback introduces the viewers to some of the folks who play in a game called NERO, which stands for New England
Role-Playing Organization but there are chapters of this organization to be found all around North America, and gather together for
weekends of fantasy in the state parks of Seattle where players are able to fully immerse themselves in the world created for them.
There is a wide variety of people to meet that participate in NERO: the typical gaming fanatics that want more out of the games they play,
the bored adults looking for something to fill their time with, the teenagers with over active imaginations that need to run free and many
others. Every person that participates has to have a lot of imagination and guts to dress the way they do, while creating a characters
and staying in character while hitting each other with fake weapons. Hoback makes a point in his commentary that those that are
successful in NERO are those that are very intelligent and have a background in improvisation. Players must be able to memorize the
rules of the game, which can be very complicated at times, as well as all of the magic spells that can be thrown around at monsters
over the course of an entire NERO gaming session.
As with any other game that has ever been invented, there are a select few players who take the game further than it needs to be,
though there is a sense that these are the addictive personalities who would get hooked on anything that they participate in, if they were
given enough interest in it. One older gentleman in the film admits to the fact that his daughter complains often that he spends too
much time playing the online massive multiplayer role playing game World of Warcraft, which is a game that many players of NERO
seem to spend a lot of time with. She says that her father doesn’t spend enough time with her. What is his solution to this problem?
Try to get his daughter set up with a gaming account in the game as well so they can play the game together. Later in the film viewers
will see that his addiction to the game probably won’t end any time soon.
One of the most interesting elements of the film is the relation between the fantasy world that is created for the players, and the reality
that must be faced when working on the outside of the game. Hoback follows around Shane, who owns the NERO chapter and
organizes the games and never gets to participate in the game himself. Instead, he is far too busy trying to keep everything together
and worry about things like insurance and trying to determine if he will be able to get any sleep during a game weekend. It is very
interesting to hear the director say that although he loves the people that he makes films about, he doesn’t always believe what some
of them say. “Monster Camp” proves that Hoback does have a lot of sympathy towards Shane and the work he does. It makes for a
very interesting look into the fantasies that people create in order to take themselves away from the realities that need to be faced in
everyday life.
Viewers will also find two shorts films by Hoback on the DVD, the unrelated “The Everything Machine,” which is an interesting Twilight
Zone type cautionary tale about an amazing game system from the future, and “Dragons Are Real,” which was shot to raise money for
the production of “Monster Camp.” Some footage from the short was used int eh feature film, which is used as a lesson in how films
get made on a tight budget.
Though “Monster Camp” won’t appeal to everyone, but anyone who is a fan of fantasy videogames and card games will probably enjoy
the film. It is an interesting look into another world that many don’t know about. Though it may not be worth buying for everyone, it is
recommended that everyone should at least rent it because it can be quite humorous.
