''Monster Camp'' is a 2007 documentary film that chronicles a
live action role-playing game
A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique feature ...
organization. Monster Camp looks at the lives of the participants, and considers the pro and cons of
escapism
Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or gener ...
through fantastical outlets. ''
Freedom State'' director
Cullen Hoback documents the fantasy world, following several participants over the course of one year.
The group followed is a
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
chapter of NERO Alliance (now
Alliance LARP), one of many live-action role-playing organizations in the US. Players create their own identities selecting from a variety of races and classes, similar to
Dungeons and Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...
or
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
. Participants dress up and are involved as either
player characters,
non-player character, or Plot Members.
It premiered at the
Cinequest Film Festival
The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It is ...
17 in 2007, where it received the Audience Award for Best Documentary. ''Monster Camp'' screened at the
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...
and the Corvallis da Vinci Film Festival. According to the film's site, it has screened in approximately 40 film festivals around the world.
Production
The film was shot largely at
Millersylvania State Park in Washington State. While shooting, temperatures in the region dropped below zero degrees. The main weekend chronicled in the film occurred during the coldest temperatures recorded in the Northwest in 50 years. Many of the costumes worn by characters during this filming were abnormal. The lower temperatures during filming made it impractical to wear purely character specific clothing.
The film's score is done by
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
band,
Speechwriters LLC
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also be ...
.
See also
* ''
Darkon''
* ''
Trekkies''
References
*
Monster Camp: The Story Of Nero Seattle by Dennis Harvey in ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''
*
Monster Camp by Felix Vasquez Jr. for ''
Film Threat''. 4 out of 5 stars.
*
Monster Camp by Dennis Schwartz for Ozus' World Movie Reviews. "B" rating.
*
Today schedule by Moira Macdonald for ''
The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...
''. 3 out of 4 stars.
*
A monster hit for Boston film fest by Brian Jewell for ''Bay Windows''.
*
They are their toughest critics by Brandy Hilboldt Allport for the ''Florida Times Union''.
*
by Jon Bosworth for the ''EU Jacksonville''
External links
*
*
*
* {{Rotten Tomatoes, monster_camp, Monster Camp
2007 films
American documentary films
Live-action role-playing games
2000s English-language films
2000s American films