Directed by Courtney Solomon
Written by Topper Lilies & Carroll Cartwright & Carroll Cartwright
Game: Gary Gygax

Justin Whalin .... Ridley
Marlon Wayans .... Snails
Thora Birch .... Empress Savina
Zoe McLellan .... Marina
Kristen Wilson .... Norda
Lee Arenberg .... Elwood
Bruce Payne .... Damodar
Jeremy Irons .... Profion
Richard O'Brien .... Nilus
Dave Arneson .... Cameo
Tom Baker .... King of the Elves
Edward Jewesbury .... Mage Vildan
Robert Miano .... Azmath

Produced by Bob Dahlin (associate), Ann Flagella (associate), Thomas M. Hammel Kia Jam Mark Leahy (co-producer), David Minkowski (CO-producer), Joel Silver (executive), Courtney Solomon, Matthew Stillman (CO-producer)
Original music by Justin Caine Burnett
Cinematography by Douglas Milsome
Film Editing by Caroline Ross

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence.

Empress Savina represents the legitimate power. She stands for equality: "All people should be free and equal."

On the issue of equality between a master, like Savina, and servants, the Bible says in Job 31:13-15: "If I have been unfair to my male or female servants, if I have refused to hear their complaints, how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me about it? For God created both me and my servants. He created us both." -NLT

Profion represents illegitimate power that resists change and equality. He conspires to over throw the Empress Savina.

Jeremiah 7:24, "But my people would not listen to me. They kept on doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward." -NLT

The final scene is a statement about how absolute power corrupts absolutely. A good realization and a good moral.

This is a simple story. It has a simple message. It promotes no evil. I took two of my children to see it, ages 10 and 13. They thought it was a so-so movie. Although, my daughter wanted to see it again with a friend. There are some strong female role models.

I suspect I will be raked over the coals because I do not throw rocks at Dungeon and Dragons -a supposed evil role playing game that feeds youngsters into Satanism and witch craft. Oh well.

LIKE MOST THINGS, IT'S WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT
Subject: Dungeons and Dragons
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 17:22:32 -0400
From: Steve

David- I read your tragic-sounding final statement in your movie report about dreading being raked over the coals about not throwing rocks at D&D. I have not seen the movie, but I wanted to give you some hope and commisseration.

I have designed and led D&D gaming sessions now about monthly for almost 20 years. My wife and I get together to play with three other Christian couples who have a shared artistic/dramatic bent and have a marvellous time. We have found that the so-called "geeky teenager" game unravels much more richly as adults. The game's genre is uniquely about cooperating together on common goals, solving puzzles, coming to eachother's rescues, role-playing outrageous or real-life scenarios, and thinking on our feet in a way that few other games allow. Coming together for game playing is not an unusual pastime for Christians; but in how many games do you all work together as a team for the benefit of everyone, where teamwork, creative problem solving, collaboration, and innovation is rewarded? It is the antithesis of the Survivor/Weakest Link phenomenon, and actually allows for some of the "one-anothering" admonishions in the New Testament to happen during a game. Everybody wins or loses together.

The makers of the game have indeed set up a mythos of deities loosely based upon pagan myths and ancient stories. Magic exists, and your character may be of a type that can cast spells. For us, in no way has this ever smacked of the occult or made any of us even the slightest bit interested in it. Players don't cast spells, the characters do. It's not real, or even acted out. We have easily minimized this aspect of the game... but it is after all FANTASY in the Tolkien / C.S. Lewis / King Arthur / Lloyd Alexander / Renaissance Fair / Sleeping Beauty vein.

I suppose there is a way kids could get to the occult from the game, but is it really in any more a directed fashion than video games, books, movies, or other avenues? I suppose it can be abused like many other things - but I feel it has an overly bad reputation among Christians, and I have encountered that. When the game was on its rise in popularity in the early 80's, my denomination's weekly magazine investigated, dissected, and playtested the game and rendered it harmless but suggested adult supervision and guidance. There are some people for which any type of role-playing is probably not recommended.

I wonder what is really more damaging to relationships and fellowship... cooperating together and brainstorming solutions and doing creative puzzles while playing a game like D&D or playing Monopoly where the object is to get rich while bilking your so-called friends. More Monopoly games seem to end in fights, hurt feelings, and trash-talking than not. In this way, we have found that D&D is a wonderful party game where everyone works together and has a good time.

The game has its potential problems, but that is only if you cannot distiguish form from content.
Steve

DON'T UNDERSTAND
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001
From: Twinky

Hey David. I love your website, I'm on here almost daily. Just can't get enough of Hollywood Jesus! I've never seen the Dungeons and Dragons movie... but I know a couple people that have "played" the game or whatever it is... and I really don't understand. Christians that have played it are very hesitant to admit that they have, and say it's Satanic or dealing with witchcraft. One of my friends said that her friend played it and is now Wiccian because of it... I thought it was just a role-playing game. I really know nothing about it, so I was hoping that you could help me. If not, do you know of somewhere (website?) that could? I really would like to know what's behind this whole fear of Dungeons and Dragons.
Thank you. (please do not post my e-mail address)

Responses: The Wiccans have not benefited from Dungeons and Dragons. Nor, has any other religious group. The movie is harmless.

THE EVANGELICAL TRAP
Subject: Thank You
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000
From: "Wes Wilson"

Thank you for not falling into the evangelical trap of condemning Dungeons and Dragons on the sparce accusations of few convicted felons and spiritual schizophrenics. I lived a very religious youth and remember many fond all-nighters with my friends playing Dungeons and Dragons in my parent's basement. I have read too many ill-advised spiritual warnings based on disproven urban legends and am tired of hearing this elaborate tabletop game equated to a satanic set of training wheels. Your even-handed approach is a welcome, and your search for guidence in the mundane is to be applauded. I hear this movie is trite garbage, but I'll probably go see it for the special effects alone. Just the name makes me dream of dungeon crawls and political intrigue. Even as an adult, I yearn to find time to play again... because is my youth, we wrote our own adventure novels.
Wes Wilson