I consider myself a fan of most things in pop culture these days. I own comic books, I've written fan fiction, I am an avid attendee of local fan conventions in the city. By the standards of most people, I would be at least a little outside of normal. In being viewed that way though, I tend to get lumped in with the crowd who go to these things and wear strange costumes. Those big elaborate things that people wear and get looked at strangely for. Even in today's society where the content these costumes are based on get made into huge blockbuster films that make millions, sometimes billions of dollars, they still make people uncomfortable and are seen as outside of what normal people do. It bothers me on occasion to be lumped in with them because I don't do that kind of thing but I realize that feeling that way is just another form of societal pressures to conform. People don't like the idea of conformity. It's been a growing trend in society since at least the 50s if not before. However even I can't imagine myself going out and LARPing. It just seems kind of weird to me.Being part of what is referred to as fan culture, I am generally more up on the trends and ideas that the culture produces. I heard about LARPing several years back whereas I am sure there are some who still haven't heard of it today. It's the act of getting together with a group of people in costumes and fake non-lethal weapons and acting out fantasy scenarios in real time. Now when I say fantasy scenarios, I am not referring to the traditional view which suggests most people would go out and do something sexual or violent to another person, although that does sometimes come into it depending on the rules of the game being played. I'm talking about fantasies involving goblins and ghosts and other powerful beings that you read about in books like Lord of the Rings. Where most people just imagine the scenarios in their heads to enjoy the fantasy, these people actually go out and do it. Part of me can understand doing that. As part of the culture I've seen it, looked into it and had a general fascination with it, but I have never felt the need to try it.Perhaps it's because I prefer to put my imagination into creating my own worlds through my writing rather than living out my fantasies through someone else's. Whether you understand it or not though, I think that Monster Camp is a movie worth watching. This type of thing is becoming more common, and with so much of the population growing into a culture like this, it's better to be in the know then weirded out. If you've never heard of it, see it and find out what makes these people tick. If you know about it or are part of it, see it as it's in a lot of ways a validation of the culture and the hobby as part of life. The filmmakers really take a step back and try to show you the world and at times explain it, rather than tell you how you should or shouldn't feel about it. It's definitely a film worth watching.To check out more of my reviews, go here: http://andrew-heard.blogspot.ca/

This was a fun documentary that shows a group of people playing a live action role playing experience (LARP for short). It is like Dungeons and Dragons acted out with real people playing each characters. Some people are the adventurers trying to get through the story, and some people play the monsters they have to fight and kill to move forward. It's called Monster Camp because that is like the base of operations where the people who are putting it on work out of. The owner of the camp comes across as being very stressed by the responsibilities of running the game, and actually ends up selling the company (NERO). Apparently, it is a lot of work coordinating everything for the three or four days that the customers stay to play. It was hard to understand exactly how the game works, or what the story is behind it (I never was sure what the players were trying to accomplish), but they do explain that characters get killed in battle when they get hit by weapons a certain number of times. Whenever one player hits another with their foam weapon, they call out a number, which is the amount of damage they can do. When a player gets hit enough times to equal the number set on their character, they die, although they can be resurrected back into the game. The movie lets you get to know a little bit about some of the players and some of the people putting the camp on. It was an interesting look into an experience I would probably never otherwise have seen. It would be interesting to see a follow up documentary on the camp. I would even watch another movie about a different group, in hopes that it would be as well made and interesting as this one.

So I was also a participant in this documentary when it was shot, and I've played at a few different chapters across the country.Actually, when I saw the film I was surprised at how even-handed it actually was. There's a lot of drama queens that LARP, and there's no way any film made about a NERO chapter would have appealed to all of them. I mean, there's so much drama in the NERO universe that there's controversy over who started NERO in the first place.Some of my family members have watched this movie and now finally have a grasp on what it is I actually do with some of my weekends. More importantly, they came away from the film with a greater sense of understanding.Another NERO member said that the lizard guys in the photo quit shortly after shooting, which is true. To that point, oddball types float in and out of the game all of the time, and they usually play the monsters who don't know the rules well. The film covered the die-hards and the more pathetic participants (even though they really do get a chance to speak for themselves).NERO is a community. It attracts all types. Sure the film doesn't follow the in-game plot; but come on fellow Larpers, that stuff is only interesting to us. This film seems to have been crafted to appeal to people besides just us. It focuses on real drama that comes with trying to make our fantasy work! That's probably why it was more than just another you tube video showing people hitting each other with padded weapons.Of the characters profiled in the film, I knew about 40% of them. While they are more complex than the film reveals, I didn't think that they were misrepresented. I thought it did a better job at providing an even-handed perspective for them than King of Kong did for Billy Mitchell. Additionally, those I have talked to who were in the film by and large were satisfied with how they were portrayed.I'm glad I was documented in this project. If nothing else, I'd say watch it and see for yourself.

I absolutely loved this movie! Not only does this film open your eyes to a world of gaming that you never knew existed, but it provides hours of comedy. You can't help but enjoy hearing and experiencing the out of this world realms where people pretend to be characters and battle to see who the winner will be. If you are familiar with World of Warcraft this film takes you to a whole new level of game play.The movie meets a dual purpose: broadening one's intellect and tightening their stomach muscles.