A group of LARPers accidentally conjures a demon
from Hell and must figure out a way to destroy it. ACTION/COMEDY/FANTASY
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Knights of Badassdom (2013)Directed by Joe Lynch
Written by Kevin Dreyfuss and Matt Wall Starring Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage, Jimmi Simpson, Summer Glau, Tom Hopper |
Horror. Heavy Metal. LARPing. The first two go perfectly together. Like many, I’m a huge fan of both. But the third one. The one which is known as Live Action Role Playing. It shouldn’t work in this movie. Or any movie for that matter. But it totally does in this case. And how? I honestly don’t know, considering Joe Lynch famously disowned this film after the studio came in and re-edited the entire film. So, in all reality, this film shouldn’t work at all. But, somehow, Knights of Badassdom is one of the most entertaining, metal horror films I’ve had the joy of seeing.
As I already stated, this film is largely based around LARPing. For those that don’t know, this is where groups of people get together to act out like they are in a fantasy world of sorcerers and knights. So, if you absolutely hate anything to do with that, this is not the movie for you. But, if you’re like me, and view it as a harmless game, you’ll have a good time. A lot of the humor comes from LARPing and the people who participate. Nothing too mean spirited. The comedy works mainly due to the respect given to the people who participate in this in real life. And it’s super funny. The horror is also a lot of fun. There are quite some bloody moments and the monster looks pretty good by film’s end. And let’s not forget the metal. Nothing like having your conclusion use the power that is metal to defeat your terrifying demon. Knights of Badassdom is a lot of fun. Joe Lynch may have disowned it. And I don’t blame him. But, I still had a really good time with this movie. It mixes two of my favorite things into one movie while adding in the LARPing element for a unique angle. And you really can’t deny the awesomeness that is Peter Dinklage. If you’re a horror and heavy metal loving person just as myself, you can’t go wrong with Knights of Badassdom. |
While I’ve never been that interested in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D for those in the know) or Live Action Role Play (LARP), the people who engage in these activities have always fascinated me. They allow themselves to be fully immersed in their game experience, forgetting the world around them. To a certain degree I am jealous because I do this but only in the safety of my mind. Having said that, give me a story where some nerd buddies are out for a LARP event, throw in some demon mayhem (pun intended, Mr. Lynch), and I’m hooked!
The characters of Joe (Kwanten), Eric (Zahn), and Hung (Dinklage, pre-GoT) are buddies who grew up playing D&D as kids and stuck together (even living together) even as Joe appears to have grown out of it, choosing to pursue dreams of metal stardom. Any fans of metal, horror, and fantasy (read: fans of Dio) will enjoy the ‘dorkinese’ spoken by Eric, Hung, and the other LARPers throughout the film, even when the demon shit hits the fan. It is presented genuinely, and the characters aren’t mocked at all, they are endearing because the cast plays well off each other. There are cameos by Larry Zerner (Shelley from Friday the 13th Part 3) and comedian/metalhead Brian Posehn that are worth noting. The real star of the show is Peter Dinklage as Hung. He has some of the best lines in the film and plays up the LARP enthusiasm to 11. Joe Lynch’s films have great energy and move at a brisk pace while also incorporating music into the construction of his works that really shows his experience directing music videos. While this isn’t his exact vision on screen, he has mentioned this before on his podcast with Adam Green, The Movie Crypt, it’s a lot of fun. Lynch is a movie lover’s director and I highly recommend this as well as the amazing Mayhem which is available on Shudder (there’s even a separate version of the film with commentary and I could listen to Joe talk movies all day). |