There are a lot of great movies out there that really capture the spirit of a LARP. They can be funny, epic, serious, or even a little scary. Some are the obvious classics that make us go, “Heck Yeah! Slaughter some Orcs!” Some are cult classics, and some are the dark horse sleepers that come at you from no where. All of them can be a great source of inspiration for basic character concepts, or even just to play in the back ground while you’re working on making some weapons or garb.
The Top 5 Movies for Fantasy LARP Inspiration
1. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy
If it isn’t absolutely obvious that the Lord of the Rings is the most influential fantasy series ever created, then, allow me to explain why this is such a great series to watch (and read) for inspiration in most fantasy settings.
Despite being the basis for most modern fantasy, the Lord of the Rings series is also the inspiration for the setting for most fantasy role playing games in general, a practice that has carried over into the Live-Action gaming scene. It’s got an epic storyline, great dynamic characters, and not just a small amount of brilliant dialog. In fact, the only real criticism I can say of Tolkien’s work is that he tends to be a bit overly descriptive at times. It can be a little hard to get through when you read it.
Fortunately for you, Peter Jackson took all that work out of the equation and left you with a great trilogy of movies that not only have some amazing special effects, but can be a pretty awesome source of inspiration on garb and weapon design.
Just do everyone a favor and don’t get too caught up in technicality of it all. A lot of LARPs have struggled hard to break away from the Lord of the Rings because it is so influential. It takes a lot of work to become a unique fantasy LARP and not just another “Tolkien Game.”
2. A Knight’s Tale
A Knight’s Tale is a bit of a cult classic. I’m sure there is some die hard historical accuracy buff out there right now raving like a madman and setting his monitor on fire because I’ve put it on this list. That’s pretty much why I love it, though.
Too often players put way too much emphasis on trying to sound like they’re living in the middle ages, and it can be clunky and nerve wracking. It takes a lot of practice to get down the lingo, let alone make it roll off the tongue like you’ve been speaking that way your entire life.
A Knight’s Tale is a great movie that shows us that we can still have a fun, period time without worrying too much about being historically accurate. I’d stay away from it if you’re in a die hard period LARP, but for a casual fantasy game or a period boffer combat game, it’s pretty much the exact atmosphere we’re looking for. I know that in the game I play, we use it as a great example of how you can still maintain character without worrying too much about anachronisms.
3. Willow
The moment I hear, “Madmartigan, you are the greatest swordsman in the world,” I smile and think about my first event ever. Not only is Willow a fun movie that everyone should just watch because it’s awesome, it has some great characters. It doesn’t take itself to serious, and it just oozes fun. That’s exactly what you should be looking for in a LARP, right?
Besides, it’s got Warwick Davis, and that’s enough of a reason to love any movie.
4. The Lion in Winter
Lion in Winter is a movie about the Winter Court of Henry II. It’s a great movie about political intrigue, posturing, scheming and all that other great character interaction that really drives the drama of a story home. It might as well be an episode of the West Wing set in the 1100s. The costumes are all fairly historically accurate, and the entire plot is driven with very little actual fighting, which goes to show that with the right motivation you can run an entire event combat free.
Plus, it has Patrick Stewart sporting a pretty jaunty wig. Don’t pass that up.
5. Gladiator
Gladiator is probably the least historically accurate movie you will ever see quoted as a source of information on Roman culture, but none of that really matters, because it has two things going for it: Blood and Bad Ass Quotes.
Sure, you could spend a lot of time researching real roman culture, or, if all you care about is being a bad ass gladiator, watch this movie. The title says it all. As far as most LARPs go, this is going to be as accurate as you need to get. Remember, the rule of cool goes a long way. Just don’t go trying to replicate Maximus if you find yourself at and SCA event or with another re-enactment group. This is not an accurate depiction of Roman culture. Not even a little.
Honorable Mentions:
There are a ton of other great fantasy/period pieces out there, and a handful of really terrible ones that can still be a great inspiration to LARPers. All of them might be worth a watch, especially if you have a group over to work on the tedious task of making some armor.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - Do yourself a favor, mute the movie and look at both the pretty costumes and the tasty weapons. Really, you’re better off this way than trying to explain why the American actor portraying the Persian prince has a British accent.
Robin Hood - Russell Crowe likes to make movies that have people getting murdered by a renegade, outlaw hero. Once again, historical accuracy is a naughty word here, but you’re looking for the b.a. factor anyway. Of course, you’re probably better off watching the BBC’s Robin Hood Series anyway. It’s not as epic, but it has a lot of that same “modern in period” feel as A Knight’s Tale
Braveheart - I’d be a bad man if I didn’t put this on the list, and all of my skirt wearing warrior friends would probably throw logs at me.
Of course the list can go on and on. Any fantasy or period movie can inspire someone. The important part is to remember that you’re looking for inspiration, not imitation. Take a character archetype you like, and then make it your own.
No comments:
Post a Comment