THE DUNGEON MASTERS
Q&A with director Keven McAlester and film subject Scott Corum
Making a documentary on pop culture has many dangers, from nostalgia and overindulgence to smugness and condescension. THE DUNGEON MASTERS is a rare example of a film that avoids all of these pitfalls and portrays characters rich in complexity. It follows three Dungeons and Dragons gamers living in unglamorous corners of lower-middle-class America. Over the course of one year, we see how their real-life aspirations are fueled by the worlds of their imaginations. Scott, whose self-deprecating humour has not translated into success as a budding novelist, struggles to support his wife and son. Elizabeth, an attractive twenty-three-year-old who dresses as a dark elf, seeks companionship after a failed marriage. Richard, who has a penchant for killing make-believe characters, aspires to reconnect with the real stepson he abandoned. Even if you find it hard to identify with the role-playing fantasy lives of these individuals, it’s easy to empathize with their human selves.
The film reunites the talents of director Keven McAlester and cinematographer Lee Daniel, who is best known for shooting many of Richard Linklater’s films. The first collaboration between McAlester and Daniel, You’re Gonna Miss Me, explored the schizophrenic world of singer Roky Erickson, and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination. THE DUNGEON MASTERS shares that film’s discerning eye for detail. The opening scene at the annual gaming convention Gen Con establishes the milieu, as participants wander through Indianapolis dressed as magicians and swordsmen. The camera’s gaze may find the humor in the story, but it is also full of affection. The film’s mood is enhanced by a whimsical and haunting score by the band Blonde Redhead.
Seeking escape from life is a universal instinct. For some people, it takes the form of D&D; for others, film festivals. Our imaginations allow us to draw strength and courage to overcome life’s setbacks and surprises. In THE DUNGEON MASTERS, we’re reminded that all rewards come with a certain risk.
- Thom Powers, Toronto International Film Festival
Director: Keven McAlesterRunning time: 89 minutes
Release date: 2008
Screened: November 11, 2008 8:00 pm
Related Blog Posts: Dungeon Masters and other delights
Tell a friend about this film
Join the STF Mailing List »
Upcoming Screenings
Mar 16: DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY
by Jim McBrideThis landmark work blending fiction and reality made a deep impression on the 1970s generation of filmmakers. STF is pleased to show this rare big screen appearance, accompanied by a Q&A with the ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Apr 6: AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE
by Steven SoderberghAND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE provides an intimate portrait of master monologist Spalding Gray, as described by his most critical, irreverent and insightful biographer: Spalding Gray. Director Steven ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Apr 13: HORSES
by Liz MerminAn unusual, beautifully detailed documentary following a year in the lives of three charismatic Irish racehorses. Ireland’s horse-racing culture has produced some of the finest athletes in the ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Apr 14: FAMILY AFFAIR
by Chico ColvardWednesday Night Special Description from Sundance catalogue: At 10 years old, Chico Colvard shot his older sister in the leg. This seemingly random act detonated a chain reaction that exposed ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Apr 20: THE KIDS GROW UP
by Doug BlockIn his previous documentary, the internationally acclaimed 51 BIRCH STREET, Doug Block looked at his parents’ seemingly ordinary marriage and uncovered a universal story about an archetypal, ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Apr 27: CLEANFLIX
by Andrew James and Joshua LigairiDescription from Toronto International Film Festival catalogue: Mormons can be movie lovers too. The problem is that their religious leaders strongly discourage R-rated content. As one Mormon ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
May 4: PIN GODS
by Larry LockeInspired by the record breaking accomplishments of Walter Ray Williams, Jr., the reigning professional bowler of the year, three newcomers set out to chase their own dreams of pro bowling greatness. ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
May 11: LIFE 2.0
by Jason Spingarn-KoffDescription from Sundance catalogue: Every day, across all corners of the globe, hundreds of thousands of users log onto Second Life, a virtual online world not entirely unlike our own. They enter ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
May 18: MY PERESTROIKA
by Robin HessmanDescription from Sundance catalogue: The Bolshevik revolution, the cold war, and the collapse of the Soviet Union defined the history of the twentieth century. With such a past, what does it mean ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
May 25: MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA
by Dziga VertovSoviet director Dziga Vertov’s experimental film grew out of his belief, shared by his editor, Elizaveta Svilova (who was also his wife), and his cinematographer, Mikhail Kaufman (also his brother), ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Jun 1: HAYNESVILLE
by Gregory KallenbergHAYNESVILLE: A Nation’s Hunt for Energy takes place in the Louisiana backwoods, and follows the momentous discovery of the largest natural gas field in the United States (and maybe the world). The ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Jun 8: CLOSING NIGHT FILM: TBA
by ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
