GEEKOLOGY 101: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. Man, how I love and live that movie

First off, let me say one thing, for all of you that turned out and said goodbye to Movie Magic one last time, you are awesome! Just plain awesome.

It was a magical time and I had the privilege of being Movie Magic’s last customer.

It was great to see old friends there and make a couple of new ones as well.

Geeks will always find other geeks.

While I am in that mindset I couldn’t  help remember how fond I am of the movie The Gamers: Dorkness Rising.

If you are a gamer and you haven’t seen this film, then you are not a gamer. Or you ARE a gamer and you just haven’t seen the film because of how obscure it is.

Gamers, we don’t judge.

Anyway...

The movie follows the exploits of a gaming group and their inability to get past the final villain in the dungeon master’s elaborate campaign.

The dungeon master, Lodge (Nathan Rice - hey that’s funny) is trying to get his cohorts to finish through the game so he can overcome writer’s block and get his module written and submitted to the makers of Dungeons & Dragons for publication.

What makes the film great is how it separates the characters into very stereotypical and very real caricatures of real life gamers.

There is Lodge, the ubber-serious gamer who believes that the rules can be bent in favor of the story itself.

Then you have Cass (Brian Lewis) who is the “rules lawyer” and plays by a by-the-book style and prefers a hack & slash over elaborate storytelling. Kill the NPCs and ask questions later!

Also, you have the two funny guys/girls in Gary (Christian Doyle) and Leo (Scott C. Brown) who will forgo gameplay and rules if it makes them laugh and have a good time.

Finally, there is Joanna, the newbie. This character who cares more about moving the story line and portraying her character as true to life as she can.

When you look over the characters it is not hard to see that these could be turned into your own outlook on life.

Maybe that is why I find this film so enjoyable.

Plus, I can almost tell you exactly whom everyone in my gaming group is and what category the fall into.

Guys, don’t ask me on Monday to fess up, I won’t tell you.

Me, I think I am more of the Joanna type of gamer. I don’t really care about the accolades that may be bestowed upon me in the game, I just love playing the game.

And I am like that in life. I just want to enjoy what God has given me and not worry about self-promotion or rewards as they come.

If they were to come to me, then I would welcome them, I don’t need to seek them out.

I have my family and friends as my rewards and that is what keeps me motivated and keeps me carrying on.

Plus, I have my gaming brothers. This little group of friends who welcome me back week after week. There is no judgement there, there is only fun, jokes, caffeinated drinks and horrible-for-you snacks that no person should eat as late as we eat them.

Maybe that is why I love the movie Dorkness Rising. It reminds me of how the world should be. A mix of different characters, all with different attributes to give, spending time together and enjoying what the other person brings to the table.

Maybe if the world was more like that, then we would all be in a better place.

A place where all are welcome at the table.

Just don’t forget to bring your 20-sided dice and your Mountain Dew.

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody, may it be special for all.

Gary Darling is the geekiest employee at the Maryville Daily Forum. His email is:

gdarling@maryvilledailyforum.com. Drop him a line sometime!