Boob Toob: Darkon – LARP Documentary

That’s right I said it.  LARPing has it’s own documentary.  I stumbled upon this masterpiece in human suffering one day while flipping through the pages of the web’s friendly Netflix.  I couldn’t pass it up and watched it while lying in bed.  Two hours later I came up for breath and realized no matter what happens, life ain’t that bad.

Now you may be thinking, “Come on Jon, how bad could it have been?”  Oh it’s bad my inquisitive friend, it’s bad.  Like makes you want to come home and drink a liter of Jameson while taking a hammer to your great grandmothers china collection just to dull the pain from the social and personal suffering you get off watching the people and their characters in this film.

Now I never had the opportunity to LARP per se, nor did I want to.  I did run around in the woods growing up with sticks and played soldier or swords and wanted to bash some goblins.  I was close once to joining the SCA.  Even got fitted for armor.  But no my friends I never LARP’d.  Where I grew up LARPing was the top tier of geekdom.  Even the smelly WotCphiles who sat sorting their rare and ultra rare magic card collections on a Tuesday afternoon in the back of the Green Dragon FLGS shook their heads at the mention of LARPers.  Of course it may have been the threat of physical activity and a cause to practice some basic hygiene, but still.

Barbarians care of larpalliance.net

After watching this film, I now understand why it was a good thing I never got into LARP.  Now this may be a bit of a sensitive subject around the parts of GC seeing as we have some individuals with experience in this field hanging around here in the shadows and looking innocuous enough whilst wrapping their foam weapons in a fresh layer of styrene.  And before someone confuses simple dress up practices at conventions (cosplay) with the complex and not so well respected form of Live Action Role Play, it’s not the same (you’re welcome Carmen).

Pretty cool Fallout LARP pics over at englishrussia.com

So to keep this about the actual documentary, it’s amazing in a train wreck sort of way.  If you have two hours of your life to spend, it’s worth using it on this movie.  More than an actual story about LARP, Darkon is an interesting observation on the psycho-social complexities to those individuals finding themselves on the fringe of society and hobbies or activities deemed “socially acceptable.”

If you’ve ever LARP’d what did you think about it?