[DVD]: The Dungeons & Dragons Experience, reviewed by Aeonite (5/4)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10617.phtml

Michael Fiegel's Summary:

This 60-minute-long DVD is a serious documentary which approaches gaming from a more scholarly point of view than others like it. However, if you do not play Dungeons & Dragons, this DVD will likely not interest you.

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by Dan Davenport at 2004-09-01 09:11:42
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Another great review, Michael.

You know, I'm not sure I could bear to watch a serious documentary on D&D. I mean, I don't want to see the hobby outright mocked, but presenting a bunch of folks sitting around a table talking in funny voices and rolling funny dice as a serious endeavor makes me wince.

--
Dan Davenport

Post originally by Dylan Horrocks at 2004-09-01 14:00:52
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So what's the story with Dave Arneson's Dragon in the Basement? I remember it being discussed a while back but got the impression it was unfinished. Yet here you mention that it was showed once. Did anyone actually see it? And is it notorious only because of its obscurity? Or was there controversial content? Does anyone know what it was like?

And lastly, does anyone know its current status?

Great review by the way - as were the other two DVD reviews. Many thanks!

Post originally by Jeb at 2004-09-01 14:21:46
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A serious documentary would be interesting, if it kept its sense of humor and highlighted the humorous aspects of the hobby.

Thanks for the review.

Jeb

Post originally by Jeremy at 2004-09-01 18:06:30
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The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Larry Davis Experience
The Mr. T Experience
and now this

Post originally by EvilNight at 2005-02-15 12:56:01
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It did indeed air at GenCon 2000. I saw it there myself along with a room full of gamers. It was in very rough form (played directly from a PC onto tape, very rough editing), however it was overall absolutely excellent. The entire film was cut from interviews with the originators of the industry, including Gygax, Jackson, the fellow who created Traveller (he was hilarious), and numerous others. It reminded me very much of computer documentary films like Triumph of the Nerds and Revolution OS.

It was good enough to get many laughs and cheers out of the assembled gaming crowd, particularly with the origins of gaming segment and the segment over the truth of what happened in the 1980's with the media demonizing RPGs. I stumbled across this post looking for information on it because, as the review states, it seems to have been shown that one time only and vanished from the face of the Earth.

That's a damn shame. Hopefully it'll get released someday, as a torrent or DVD, I don't much care. I want it in my collection.

Post originally by Dylan Horrocks at 2005-02-15 16:48:02
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As do I! In fact, I'm trying to do research on all this stuff for some comics I'm doing about RPGs and their history etc. This legendary lost documentary would be like gold for me!

Sigh...