Darkon

Sort of like Civil War re-enactors, live-action role-playing gamers act out the battles and intrigues of imaginary fantasy realms. The engaging documentary Darkon introduces viewers to fantasist-players in the titular Baltimore-area game, in which multiple kingdoms—some good, some almost evil—meet on battlefields on weekends to fight for supremacy. Said battlefields are typically schoolyards or local parks (it's pretty funny to see players decked out in medieval finery while their 21st-century cars are parked in the background), the weapons used are padded so no one actually gets hurt, and everyone appears to be having a blast. Filmmakers Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel admirably avoid making fun of these folks, while also pointing out that these guys (and girls—the game is a lot more feminist than the actual Middle Ages were), who dress up and pretend to whack the crap out of one another for fun, don't take any of it too seriously...except when, maybe, it actually helps build skills that transfer to real life. Rather, the players are fully self-aware, and pretty self-deprecating—unlike their more socially acceptable counterparts: those guys who paint themselves in team colors and jump up and down half-naked in football stands in subzero temperatures. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one by the directors; the other by players) and deleted scenes. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a winning doc.] (M. Johanson)