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DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS concept image

hmmm... by Battleflag	Dec 20th, 1999 03:59:50 AM
Is it just me or do you all agree that the lead should be a wizard instead of some thief, I mean give the guy some power. Jeez...
dnd movie by psycoticloonie	Dec 20th, 1999 04:20:53 AM
As a long time player of the game, I have high hopes, and an oscar winner in the cast is good, but does the plot seem weak to anyone else? And do we need an Amidala knockoff a year after TPM. Dragons fighting should be cool. Cross your fingers.
If they handle this right... by Dave_F	Dec 20th, 1999 04:59:00 AM
...it could be the Star Wars of fantasy films - the film that Willow wanted to be but wasn't. By my count, there have only been three really good fantasy films: Conan the Barbarian, Dragonslayer, and Excalibur. Anyone who dares to mention Dragonheart gets crucified on the Tree of Woe by James Earl Jones. Now the movies I mentioned all take themselves quite seriously, and that's a good thing...for those particular movies. But what I want to see in D&D is a good rip-roaring, balls-to-the-wall adventure move, on the order of Star Wars. Quasi-archetypal characters and roots in mythological precepts...but also lotsa cool action, kick-ass would be nice too. Truth is, though, I know nothing about how this flick is being handled. Anyone care to escapes, and slick special effects. Some witty dialogue enlighten me? Will it be set in the Forgotten Realms or just be generic D&D stuff? Serious or campy? What's the BIG PICTURE?
by The Great One	Dec 20th, 1999 08:16:57 AM

looks like the cathedrals here in Germany by ectelion	Dec 20th, 1999 09:39:12 AM
looks like the cathedrals here in Germany, e.g. in cologne. Really gothic. to psycho: the director mentioned that the movie is no copy of TPM and don
dnd vs lotr by devil0509	Dec 20th, 1999 10:00:20 AM
I'm an old fan of both - 28 years old now, played d&d up through the early part of high school, must've read LOTR about 15 times by now. So I have alot of fondness for both the game and Tolkein's masterpiece. I have alot of faith in the LOTR movies, despite the Sean Astin situation (I figure the other Sean involved (Bean) makes up for Astin), but I find myself feeling skeptical about the D&D movie. Just wondering if any other fans of both d&d and LOTR are feeling the same way. Also, I kind of think LOTR is going to bury D&D, rather than D&D actually getting a little synergy from LOTR. What do you all think? Will LOTR give D&D a boost, will it bury D&D, or will the two not affect each other at all?
Just a quickie... by Tids	Dec 20th, 1999 01:07:17 PM
...cause I'm off down the pub. But Re: Jeremy Irons, sell out bitch. We've all got to pay the bills and this sure beats delivering pizza!
Audience by EvilTommy	Dec 20th, 1999 01:12:21 PM
As far as who this film will attract, there are some 20,000,000+ people in the USA alone that have played RPGs. If only half show up, and only half of them bring their kids, the film might make a tidy sum. As for the conceptual castle, it's outstanding to say the least. Gothic yes, and rather intimdating, just the thing for a D&D evil villain. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as well for this package to come across with success and not join the ranks of cheesedom (Beastmaster & Co.).
Maybe it won't suck after all . . . by Lord Shell	Dec 20th, 1999 01:38:38 PM

Well... by Twisted Mentat	Dec 20th, 1999 01:40:15 PM
I rather hope this is a Forgotten Realms movie. Heh..maybe Ray Park decked out in a White wig as Drizzt Du'Urden. But anyways this could be good, and fairly successful if its done well, and not just some cheesy attemt to cash in on something many of us remmeber from out youths. I mean..alot of the people i played D&D with are now running ISPs and developing games.
Maybe it won't suck after all . . . by Lord Shell	Dec 20th, 1999 01:42:41 PM
. . . then again, it might. I'll see it just to see Tom Baker again. Where the hell has he been hiding himself? He was the only reason Dr. Who didn't suck. Every time I tried watching a non-Baker Who episode I realized just how CHEESY the series was. I never had that prob with Baker. He kept it afloat on sheer charisma. Hope he shows up some more.
Fan, shmam... by Dolfanar	Dec 20th, 1999 03:57:44 PM
D&D has never produced much in the way of what could be called "great" stories. With the possible exception of the DragonLance Trilogy. This movie will tank BIG. I've never been a slavish fan to tolkien (I find his writing style rather tedious after a while), but atleast LOTR are a STORY, not a marketing ploy. D&D the Movie is a Game-Movie, (Can anyone say Wing Commander?) and is doomed to failure because the participants will and can not take it seriously. All this is, is a movie that will tie in to the 3rd edition of the game due out next august (Which will also coincide with no less than 2 video game releases). Finally, what for me is the nail in the coffin, is the fact that this will be a "generic" D&D world and story. Rather than draw upon previous Worlds with well developed backgrounds, this will be an "everymans" D&D made to appeal to the masses. Which is ALWAYS code for "What we do normally, and got us here sucks, so here is some trite pablum". Hell, i'd be surprised if this even makes it to Blockbuster.
Looks like GreySkull.... by StoneMonkey	Dec 20th, 1999 06:16:16 PM
Very cool. Very impressive. Looks alot like the redesign of Castle GreySkull from the Live/Action 'Masters of the Universe' film. Without the skullface of course. Very much like the castle my writing partner and I envisioned for the screenplay we just finshed. All I can say is WOW!!
Game Movies by Sorcerer	Dec 20th, 1999 07:25:54 PM
I dunno, being a movie from a game didn't hurt CLUE any, and RPGs are so open-ended that I can easily envision a movie from D&D working. Will this be it? I'm not sure, but I hope so. I haven't seen Jeremy Irons give a bad performance yet, so that's a good sign, and the design is interesting so far- not just generic fantasy. Personally, I'm glad that there are two full-blown fantasy productions out there (four if we count LOTR as the whole trilogy, even if it's being filmed all at once)- good times for the genre.
just wait... by Shrubbs	Dec 20th, 1999 09:27:07 PM
... till they start on the sequel, D&D, Second Edition!
FYI by donsimus	Dec 21st, 1999 12:30:31 AM
The tower is inspired by the High Gothic designs from some German and French (like St. Ettiens - Bourges, France) Notice the really crazy flying buttresses. Most of the city of Sumdall is influeced by either gothic or byzantine designs and whole thing has a very eastern-european exoticness to it. the movie is not set in a "generic" world, but a new world all togther, with it's own rich and complex socio-political makeup and history. As for marketing tie ins, TSR/WoTC optioned off the rights for this years ago and has had no financial stake or creative control. You might try actually doing some research about the project before you make snap judgements. You might be surprised.
dnd for geeks? well a high iq and imagination is needed so the a by Mr Danger	Dec 21st, 1999 12:38:18 AM
i have and still play dnd. ive played for 14 years. and i dont live in my moms basement, im not a virgin and i was never in the av club in high school. those who bash dnd are those without the capacity for a game that doesnt have a board. i got a chance to see lots of screen shots and set designs for the dnd film this past summer at the largest rpg convention in the states..gen con. it looks great and the bone temple will be a sight to see. as far as the story and the acting well will see. fantasy films are finally getting some just do here in the age of the shortest attention spans and pokemon. i really am looking forward to the dnd movie.
D&D movie or Marketing Bonanza by Alraune	Dec 21st, 1999 04:25:04 AM
Wizards of the Coast/TSR has been desperately trying to revive this sad and dying licence for years, and the movie is part of the attempt to gain a credibility with the mundane world that they just don't have. Now that the company belongs to Hasbro, how can anyone honestly still believe that this project doesn't exist to sell merchandise and to get little kids in Toys R Us screeching for the game books, action figures, and so on? After all, the product has been sanitized for safe use by children and the infirm of mind or morals. No more "Mazes and Monsters" jokes, this is a fun time for the whole family, assuming little Johnny can learn to say "polyhedral." No matter how cool D&D might have been Once Upon A Time, and no matter how many Pokemon toys they sell to give money to the production values and actors, this corporate grab at legitimacy is just not going to save the industry.
To Marketing Man by Monkey Lord	Dec 21st, 1999 12:11:00 PM
That's interesting... I graduated high school 5 years ago, and I have every interest in seeing this movie.... Most of the people I know that have played graduated anywhere between 1 and 8 years ago. Are we geeks and freaks? We are all now either computer techs, college students, high school teachers, or working for IBM. We're real people making real money with girl friends and wives, lovely little homes and a life. At first, I was a bit insulted by your droll... But afterall, it appears that you, sir, are talking out of your ass, thus only making a fool of yourself. However, I find that it's only fair to point it out to you so that you might not make the same mistake twice.
Literacy, the ONLY requirement to play D&D... by Dolfanar	Dec 21st, 1999 02:30:31 PM
And even then, not MUCH is needed. Look I've gamed for 10+ years, and I've seen all kinds of people game. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here with the "inherant" superiority of gaming. As for this being a "sanitized" fantasy experience, well you can bet on it. Hasbro is NOT, I repeat NOT going to take a chance on D&D being branded as Satan's recruitment manual again. So expect lots of nods to American 20th century politically correct ideals and ideas. This will be lucky to out-gross Kull the Conqueror (Which was riding on the coat tails of no less than two highly succesful franchises... Herakles and Conan)
Teenage Dungeon Master Geeks and Goblins by Rogman	Dec 21st, 1999 04:44:01 PM
Looks to my weary, cynical old eye-balls like the Walt Disney castle, in silhouette.
Hope it's good by Red_2	Dec 21st, 1999 06:54:10 PM
I hope this film is good. I've been a long time player and I've said it before and I'll say it again. They should make a Dragonlance Chronicles movie. I think to have TSR (sellouts) or whoever owns them, introduce another campaign world in a movie format is a executive decision to market a bunch more shit to the public. They are, however, doing something that I think should have been tried long before this. I only hope this film is good and survives vs. LOTR so that the DL movie can get made. I just hope it's not a trumped up Hercules episode with super cheese fight scenes fighting for life on the rental circuit.
It's oh, so lovely on the Tree of Woe by photon_wordsmith	Dec 24th, 1999 03:36:09 AM
to Cormorant: DRAGONHEART DRAGONHEART DRAGONHEART DRAGONHEART DRAGONHEART!!!!! to the talkback in general: I have my scepticism, but if Dungeons and Dragons turns out to be HALF as good as the reports we've been hearing in AICN and elsewhere, then it will be one of only a handful of really good medieval fantasy films.
whoo hoo! by SugarLips	Dec 27th, 1999 01:44:52 AM
okay, first i heard about LORD OF THE RINGS, then FINAL FANTASY, now DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS?! ohmigawd it really must be xmas time!!! i'll admit, i'm a huge geek at heart, but if being a geek means loving anything sci-fi/fantasy/horror, and nearly wetting my pants upon hearing these classic games/books will be made into movies, then a geek am i! thanks for brightening up my day with this info., harry! :o) (by the by... i once heard back in the '80s don bluth was going to make a real-life dark movie about DRAGON'S LAIR... hmmm... now if THAT got made into a movie, i could die in a warm flood of happy thoughts! hehehe... oh well, just a thought....)

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