holy crap

Can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. August was full of peforming and then closing the play that our theater company was running. Then, to be honest, I was a bit crispy overall and had some family-type obligations that took up my free weekends.

I have been doing my homework though!
Last week I watched two docs - Air Guitar Nation and a pretty offbeat indie called Darkon.


Air Guitar Nation
Every August, the Air Guitar World Championships bring thousands of fans all the way to Oulu, Finland to see the world's best air guitarists battle it out for 60 seconds of mock stardom. For years, the USA was missing in action. Enter the first official US Air Guitar Championships. What starts as a friendly contest above a New York strip club becomes a battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, the world stage. captures the explosion of competitive air guitar through the eyes of former world champions, fans and media, and through the personal rivalries of those trying to attain the title of "The best Air Guitarist in the world."

I have to say, I really enjoyed AGN - the way the filmmakers framed the story, I couldn't stop laughing. Although, I keep prefacing my recommendation to folks with, "it's the most stoopid subject matter for a film, but it was so fun to watch." I mean, the idea of filming people playing fake geetars...it's just insanity. And yet, the filmmakers pulled it off. They framed the competition well and focused on a hero and anti-hero (not quite a true villian) - and the most important thing is that they caught the joy and enthusiam of the action.

Unfortunately, Darkon didn't quite affect me the same way.


Darkon
Ordinary folks trade in their street clothes for medieval costumes, faux weaponry and full-contact battles. Darkon, a group that acts out fantasy war games based on complex rules and customs. Padded swords clash, armies advance and a ruler crosses the line, while off the battlefield, participants open up about what keeps them coming back for more.


This is a great story about a really specific sub-culture. Beyond a live-action role playing (LARP) game, it's very specific to these folks creating this particular fantasy. There are a lot of influences: Tolkien, myth, historical figures and battles. Unlike Civil War re-enactments, they are not re-creating, but fantasizing in their creation.

There are parts to this film that I think are marvelous, but as a whole, it left me a bit wanting. Mainly, I think the folks being filmed were waaaaay too aware that they were being filmed and were very concerned about coming off as silly or cultish. There was a bit of stiffness that ebbs and flows throughout. And there are some scenes that were obviously staged to give the audience a more cinematic feel and to raise the stakes. Still, the Darkon folks really did let the doc crew into the middle of the fray. One of my favorite shots was during a huge war battle, a knight/warrior yells directly into the lens, "MOVE THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY WAY." Kudos to the filmmakers for leaving that in. Sweet.

While the crew had full access to the fantasy side of the story, all but one of the LARPers kept the camera crew at a pretty sizeable distance when it came to their real-world lives. You get flashes of home and work, but you don't get to see too much of the reality and other parts of their "normal" lives. It's mainly focused on Darkon and for 86 minutes...it gets a bit "Cliff Clavin" at times.

When they do show folks in the real world, it's mostly with them doing things that they are, well, bored by. Work, laundry, etc. And to the point, while this may be the only outlet that interests these folks, it made the people seem somewhat one dimensional at times.

In an effort to show how committed and/or serious they were to the "game," there seemed to be a lack of a sense of humor throughout. When I say humor, I don't mean to ridicule or mock these folks, but to get a sense of the LARPers sense of humor. There are tiny bits of it scattered, but you really don't get a feel for it.

The two main LARPers they worked with did an alternative commentary track which I found much more lively, relaxed and full of the sense of humor that was missing from the doc. Then again, at a certain point in the conversation, the Darkon-speak got really self-referential, to the point that I felt left out.


It made me wonder if us theater-types ever do that to our "civilian" friends.
How annoying. Oof.

Although, I did learn a lesson.
Never trust elf mercenaries.


These are both worth renting, by the way!