User Reviews

Anyone who was hazarded into the world of gaming will appreciate this movie. But you need to either be a Gamer or know a Gamer to get any of the humour in this ... film ... I hesitate to call it a film because it's more like a long video skit then anything else. Production values are about as low as they come but they are more than made up for through enthusiasm and the genuine portrayal of all characters through the neophyte actors.

In the film you follow an all male group of D&D players as they Game in the campus dorm. You see them in real life joking around, annoying the hell out of their Dungeon Master by arguing rules, and getting harassed by the non-gamer female neighbour because of their over-enthusiastic role-playing (ie. yelling battle cries and victory dances). The real charm of this film lies in the portrayal of the D&D characters as they act out the actions of the table-top game. It's an opportunity for Gamers to see just how ridiculous some of the things they do in table-top sessions would be in an actual person were to do them in real life. For example, you cannot help but laugh as the thief steals the clothes off of a bar-patron without the man noticing simply because he has so many points in the skill that he cannot possibly fail.

Inside jokes aimed at the gaming crowd are the heart of this film. That heart beats fiercely and never misses a beat.

Warning: This movie is rife with quotable quotes. If you buy this DVD for a significant other who games be prepared to listen to hours and hours of quotes from this movie for the rest of your life. I'm not kidding.

Ending a movie about gaming is probably the biggest challenge the writer of this script had to face. The games Gamers play can go on forever so how do you wrap it up all nice and tidy for a feature film? Brilliantly that's how. The ending of this film is unexpected and simply brilliant.

This film is destined for the Cult Vault. Not very many people will see it -- but it will find a devoted following in the species known as Gamer.

"The Gamers", a story about a hilarious fantasy role playing session, is the best no budget movie I've ever seen.

I assume, it's the best thing you can do with $0.00, a cheap camera and a bunch of really motivated friends. Don't expect good acting, good costumes or anything like a complex script. So why do I give this movie 8 out of 10 points? Because it's funny. Really, really funny. You probably have to be gamer yourself, to get most of the jokes, but when you do, they'll make you laugh. Hard! Even years later you'll smile, whenever anybody mentions them.

I highly recommend this movie to every gamer out there!

Make no mistake about it; The Gamers is not a perfect movie. The script is wrought with hackneyed dialogue, predictable situations, and fan-boy in-jokes that serve to alienate most while entertaining few. But beneath all that is something you can't find in any Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster or Michael Bay monstrosity; genuine enthusiasm of storytelling. Every person involved in every element of this film clearly loved what they were doing. The sheer joy for the material leaps out of the screen and into the faces of the audience. You can't help but smile the whole way through this energetic and ebullient film. And for those of us to whom the film is directed, the current and former members of the cult of nerd, this film is a real treat.

The film is funny, not in the shocking way of a teenage sex comedy or the schmaltzy way of a romantic "comedy," but in the same way that real life is funny. You laugh at this movie for the same reasons you laugh at your friend's bad jokes; the humor touches a nerve at the collective subconscious of all geeks.

If you are now or have ever been a nerd, geek, dork, or dweeb, do yourself a favor and find this movie. And if you aren't, see it anyway. You may catch yourself laughing along with the rest of us.

I am a gamer, and this movie had me cracking up for the entire 48 minutes. It's short, but it gets its point across. From the looks of things, a comedy troupe made this movie. They obviously had a very low budget. The sets looked very fake, but it was okay. It sort of added to the humor.

Sometimes, with higher budget movies featuring big stars, the actors seem wrong for the parts. The guys in "Gamers" seemed exactly right for their roles, as if they really ARE gamers in real life. Each actor played two roles: a gamer, and his character. The gamers were funny at times and argumentative at others, just like real live gamers. The characters - a barbarian, an archer, a mage and a thief - were cheesy and overdramatic, just like the characters played by a lot of real live gamers. The film might as well have been a documentary about players of role-playing games. As I watched the silly drama unfold, all I could think was "This is how my gamer friends and I look to outsiders!" The idea made me laugh.

I'd bring this movie to a party or friendly gathering. It's not too long for the subject, it's funny, and it's almost true to life.

This movie is short and very low budget. But when I watched it for the first time, I spent almost the entire 48 minutes laughing so hard the tears were streaming down my face. I didn't laugh *quite* that hard the second time I saw it. Even today, months after the last time I saw it, thinking about a scene in the movie makes me laugh. Gamers are definitely the target audience, though you don't necessarily have to be a gamer to get it - my wife has played a grand total of one RPG session in her life, and she loved the movie too.

All in all, I would recommend this movie to anyone who has played an RPG at some point in their life, or has a sense of humor.

Hilarious! This is the *real* D&D movie. The switch from the real world of a bunch of college dorks playing D&D to the fantasy world of their characters acting out the action is appropriately seamful (the opposite of seamless). All of gaming's cliches are here; long-term gamers will see such gems as "Meeting the new party member", "What to do with the character of a player who couldn't make the game", "Hey--I rolled it", and "Well my *character* wouldn't do that".

Good stuff. Best watched with your old high school or college gaming group.

This little movie is vastly better than it had any real right to be. When sitting down to watch a movie made about fantasy roleplaying by gamers on a shoestring budget, I was ready to cringe. Instead, the whole thing was well-paced, always funny and professional in every way (given the budget constraints). The DVD purchase is highly recommended. I eagerly await the next Dead Gentlemen production.

Low-budget fun that really geeks out with the best of gamer-lore. Sure the effects are "special" (as in "short-bus special") but, really, this is a really fun film!

You can find this at most game shops. You can also find it at most conventions.

Using the word "most" should demonstrate just how popular this film is.

I would rate it higher but I'm rating it on a scale that includes mainstream films. It is better than most of them (despite being so short), though, and is worth the time ... especially if you know even a tiny bit about "Dungeons and Dragons".

"The Gamers" is the solution that the universe found for the atrocity that was the D&D movie. It chronicles both the real-world and fantasy-world exploits of some college guys as they try to rescue the princess while avoiding being sent packing by the campus police. The "natural 20" scene is not to be missed, and even non-gamers will likely get a laugh from it. The DvD has a commentary track my Monte Cook, and you can even get subtitles in Latin. If you check your local gaming conventions, you may even get to see a free screening of the film. It's well worth the trip.

Sad (or triumphant, however you look at it) as it may be, this short film actually out Dungeons-and-Dragons the official "Dungeons and Dragons" movie that came out years before. By brilliantly and hilariously segueing between the real players and the fantasy characters their actions affect, this film authentically captures what a true tabletop role playing game (RPG) session entails, and the fun of imagining how your decisions plays out in-game.

Despite the fact that this film had practically no budget, and all parties on both sides of the camera have little to no experience, the writing, direction, and editing more than compensate for these issues, as many of the jokes roll 20 and score a direct hit.

If you've ever cast the die, or were curious about what is the appeal of tabletop RPGs, then you must find a way to see this film at least once in your lifetime.

I'm big ol' nerd, if there was a suitable D&D group locally I'd want to be part of it. For this reason I really appreciate things like this and am saddened there aren't more! The last D&D themed movie I saw was the superior Zero Charisma (2013).

Here a group of friends are playing D&D on campus and the movie flits between them and their characters in game. I like the idea, I relate to everything present but I just didn't find myself really able to enjoy it.

The characters were alarmingly annoying, I could not play a game with them without sufficient amounts of alcohol that's for sure. And their in game personas really weren't much better.

It's really ugly, I know this was highly independent but it looks dire and the few SFX they had are so poor I don't understand why they didn't do a quick After Effects tutorial to deliver something better.

The humor is hit and miss, I won't lie I did laugh but I'm not entirely sure I was meant to at those parts. The misses are frequent, I just didn't find them funny in fact yet again to clarify I found them really annoying.

I relate to the creators, I relate to the subject matter and I really wanted to like it. I didn't hate it, I'm just disappointed that material so close to my heart didn't deliver on a level I expected it to.

The Good:

Some laughs to be had

I appreciate what they were trying to do

The Bad:

Oddly annoying characters

Really ugly in places

That ending

If you've played D&D, or just about any other role-playing game, check this out. The acting is for the most part, terrible (except the young lady: she conveys anger fairly well...). The special effects are not very special. The script is not too bad, though a little on the silly side. But, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The characters in some of the scenes could be replaced with nearly anyone who has played a role playing game in the past. And that's it's real charm. You can picture yourself in it. You've experienced it before. You can watch it and say to yourself; 'I've been there before.' Though, if you've never played a role-playing game before, then this film is nearly a complete waste of time. Also note: there is some strong language, so parents beware. Violence is implied, but not shown.

Having read the other comments there's not much I can add. Don't expect much in the way of production values. The acting... amateurish, but not nearly as bad as described by some. From the very first time I watched the film, I felt that I knew all these people. I have been at least half of them. I could identify with every 'in character' situation that came up, and almost all of the 'out of character' ones. (Disclaimer - I'm a woman who games, so much of the out of character interaction I haven't experienced directly, but I definitely recognized it...) The one thing I have to say is about the ending. YES! I've played in that game!!! (OK, it's more like 'yes, but...') The Latin subtitles are hilarious. I'm going to have to check out the 'empty' subtitles at some time, I suspect there's an easter egg there.

If you've ever gamed, you really ought to see this movie.

If you haven't, keep your eyes out for the next DG production.

Went back and watched this after seeing the "sequel." Definitely not as well-acted or put together as Dorkness Rising (which is amazing!), but the bright spots of the film made up for any of that. The budget for this couldn't have been much, but I still enjoyed watching it.

You can tell that the people who put it together have a real love for gaming themselves, and that goes a long way in how I view the film. While not overly polished, it comes across as a labor of love with nuggets of brilliance speckled throughout.

I recently found out that it comes in two versions, and that the later one has a "family friendly" option. If you have small kids or are offended by swearing, you'll want to go with that version--though it seems to me that most actual gamers have the mouths of the "uncut" version.

Worth picking up if you're a gamer, worth a viewing if you're not.

I've seen "The Gamers" at the Hawai`i International Film Festival. There it was great! I can't wait for the DVD to arrive! A friend of mine purchased the VHS (he couldn't wait). I saw myself in almost all parts of the plot.. from 'The Gamemaster' (most especially) to the irritated dormmate who has a big test the next day and someone making a racket playing a game. I give it a 10! (Actually I'd give it a 11, but the rating system only goes to 10.) Most of my friends can't wait to check out the DVD. (Might comment again when I receive it!) Anyone who has or knows a little about RPG gaming should purchase it. Anyone who doesn't.. well.. they might not get all the jokes.. but they should get enough of them to enjoy the show. The only problem I had was that i was too short! I wished it went on longer..

As others remarked, this is not really a movie, more like a long sketch. However there is a lot of humor in it and the people doing the film obviously had a lot of fun making it. It does look like and probably is a student film made for some art project or another, but I liked it.

The film, made by The Dead Gentlemen Production (there is a hint there, LOL), is about a fantasy role playing game. Five (and a bit) students are playing it based on a set of rules, each impersonating a character of their choice, the game progression being controlled by a game master. While they are playing, there are also scenes that enact their imagined journey. And there is a twist ending.

I can remember the days when I was like them, playing games that are inconceivably time wasting now to even comprehend, but that back then were my life! Could I believe back then that anyone would rather go out with a beautiful intelligent young woman than hang out with his best friends playing adventure games? No! So I was writing a review, right?

Bottom line: it needs a certain audience, that is for sure, but a film made with so much gusto should be difficult to not enjoy, even if you don't completely understand the characters. I loved it!

Fantasy is always a fun genre because you can do anything with it and just about anything can happen. This is another film from the that group I love "Dead Gentlemen" and they did it again.

Not much I can say it's parody on the RPG counter culture but it does it cleverly mainly on it's format which is kinda similar to the fantasy films "The Neverending Story" and "The Princess Bride"; it makes perfect sense because that's exactly what playing the game is like, roll the dice, make whatever moves your character can make, all to imagine the outcome of your actions.

The action is good, the choreography actually does look up to par. The music is also good though it's not as memorable, but their still good tracks. The make up work on monsters is good. The locations they used were solid, they worked well with whatever they could get. The special effects are decent, not too shabby but what can you expect from a low budget amateur film. But the really magic is once again in it's script, the dialog is just very good it's above average writing. I really like what the characters say they all have some good memorable lines. It's once again an example of verbal humor going together well with visual humor, and I'm a fan of verbal humor.

The only problem with this film is just simply that it was too short, may'be it was because of budget or this was how it was meant to be but still I really felt like the film could of had some more minutes in it, that campaign the characters were on could of been a bit longer.

But oh well, overall "The Gamers" is a solid fantasy film, so if anyone is a fan of RPG board games or video games, or even a fan of the fantasy genre then "The Gamers" is a game you can't lose.

Rating: 3 stars

As someone who has never really played an RPG, I'd just like to take the time to comment. I used to think of gamers as a pathetic lot who couldn't socialize in a real world and therefore had to find a fantasy land in which to associate with other introverts. Now I know I was right...but the movie was hysterical and I can sympathize a little better. Though short, the plot was catchy and the jokes, even if I missed a few were fairly apparent and quite amusing. With all the appropriate characters of any good story and a wit scarily similar to my own, I can honestly say I was at least giggling throughout the entire film. Just sit back and take it for what it is...a movie about life as a few know it made with $500 and a roll of the dice.

A hilarious, gut-buster! It has all the great inside jokes of role-playing while taking the audience into colorful fantasy world where the heroes fight bandits, ogres and rivers...all for the sake of saving the Princess (and the World) from their arch-nemesis, the Shadow!

It's an excellent telling of the absurd situations take place during a game and the typical players' attitudes which make everybody to laugh around the table. They will feel the same while this film goes on.

While you watch how the gamers' words came to alive and how their characters really act, you will realize something you can simply call REWIND on the DVD players. :-) The time is not a factual thing in RPG so it can be handled on a much flexible way as you never can do in the real life. And that means lots of weird but still very funny situations. I believe that it's hard to understand for non-RPG fans but the reality can change many times in the game since one simple moment or a short event could take up to few real minutes to discuss. That's the case when we push PAUSE button. The film makers had to meet these situation a thousand times to show them so precisely and very funny form.

Beyond the fun with the time, other extreme RPG situations like 'you can do it since there's no rule against this' and the power of dice - rolling 20 and hit in almost impossible circumstances and rolling 1 for a really easy task and fail)- are also well caught. And much more.

I'm quite sure that some players will recognize his own party members when look at the players in the film. The guy who just drop by, roll some dices and goes. The rule master who knows the rules better then the DM. They are so typical characters.

You won't get high profile fantasy scenes from this film like movies which created from a few million dollars, but The Gamers have a fair look and it's enough to tell the story. I especially liked its music which can be mostly created on a simple synthesizer. Doesn't matter. It gives the desired feeling anyway.

I think this film got the point in all sense. My vote is 10 because of its unique idea and for that nice hour I couldn't stop laughing.