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Unfinished D&D movie footage Leaked To Net
Donsimus writes "French distributor, SND appears to have leaked a 30 second quick time teaser for the D&D movie that was showing in French theaters in front of Gladiator and MI2.
The unfinished footage was not authorized by the producers for net distribution, beacuse it contains unfinished CGI and none of the final sound efects. The original download has been yanked, but Mirrors for the teaser continue to distribute the footage.
A list of mirror locations along with a blow by blow analysis of the teaser can be found at DnDMovie.Com"
> why...did it get shown to ANYBODY?
<conspiracy_theory>Because when your trailer gets "stolen" and posted all over the network and you file an injunction against the carriers, it becomes "news" and lots of people hear about your forthcoming movie at zero advertising expense to yourself. And lots of people rush out to download and view a trailer that you didn't even have to spend the money to finish.</conspiracy_theory>
If there is any truth to the conspiracy theory, this smacks too much of vaporware operations, so perhaps we should not get too excited about ever seeing the movie released. It would be most interesting to know whether they are looking for more investors.
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Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
And most important of all, buy the endless supply of collectibles that you can get out of the genre:
--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
If you ever played D&D, this downloadable movie is a riot.
D&D is currently facing its thrid incarnation (not including the various "AD&D" flavors, as was announced at GenCon(World's largest gaming convention) last year.
Magic the Gathering(tm) is not a successor in anything but devoted fans (addicts), as it is a card game, not a roleplaying game.
(Us purists do make distinctions between these things.)
The real issue is Wizards of the Coast, who make M:tG and who bought out TSR (makers of D&D) early last year. Seattle-based WotC became so profitable from its loyal Magic junkies that it decided to start buying up other companies. The fate of D&D (and the profits dervied therefrom) now rest solely in Wizard's court.
BTW, wasn't there an article about "open source" D&D posted not too long ago?
In the event that the first Dungeons and Dragons movie is a success, TSR/WOTC will licence the studios to produce two sequels. Unlike the recent rash of back-to-back sequel filming (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings), these movies will be filmed in different decades. Tentative working titles are "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition" and "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 3rd Edition".
Laissez lire, et laissez danser; ces deux amusements ne feront jamais de mal au monde. - Voltaire
You invoke a strange scroll labeled 'LEGAL THREAT'.
The Net Community utters some magic words which you have never heard before. Suddenly, you are surrounded by copies of the orb of teaser footage!
Inventory: You have a +2 cloak (being worn) and a strange scroll labeled 'LEGAL THREAT'.
You invoke a strange scroll labeled 'LEGAL THREAT'. One of the orbs dissapears.
You see: 512 copies of the orb of teaser footage, and a +20 Net Community.
why, if the trailer is such an embarassment for the producers, as is evidenced by its swift denunciation and retraction, did it get shown to ANYBODY?
This is a daily rush of the trailer. The sequences in it don't have the current (final?) CGI fx.
I don't think it's possible for the movie to be anywhere near what it's like to play a game. What made AD&D so fun was social interaction, watching your own character grow and develop, having something to do one (or more) nights a week, etc.
How can you replicate that in a movie??? You can't!! Most people think D&D is dorky and stupid (not my opinion, just thinking of Joe Q Public) so they're going to avoid a movie with D&D in the title. The D&D fans are going to rush in, watch it, and be disappointed because it didn't give them the same feeling. You're watching someone else's character unfold, not your own.
All they're doing in this movie is just making a fantasy movie. They CAN'T bring D&D to the screen. For this movie to be succesful (Hollywood definition) there has to be lots of exciting action, lots of one-liners, girls with two square inches of leather armor, etc. That is NOT D&D, except maybe for the girls with skimpy leather costumes.
This movie might be good as a fantasy flick, but I would bring popcorn and sodas into the theatre, not d10s and character sheets.
Buses stop at a bus station
Trains stop at a train station
On my desk there's a workstation....
Download here.
:(
Related to D&D, Mountain Dew, etc. [grin] It is Blink format in EXE.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
More powerful than a Temporary Restraining Order...
:-)
Its the slashdot effect
[ now choking servers anywhere a DnD movie is rumoured to be posted ]
the AC
Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
They're claiming on their homepage to have an MPG version (penguin-friendly, as they say) available now.
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
First, the reason Dungeons and Dragons: The Movie is the title is because of the name. People know it's a fantasy movie. It carries an immense amount of branding as well, for good or bad.
From reading comments here, it seems people are thinking this is going to be some sort of view of a RPG-session. It's not. It is a movie done somewhat close to the rules/spells/etc. of DnD.
One of the biggest flaws in other fantasy movies (besides the lack of actors and actresses who could, well, *ACT*) was the lack of any real idea what the boundaries of magic are. By basing it on DnD, Corey ("the man" behind the movie) has given *SOMETHING* to the magic system besides "well, he can do magic!"
We aren't going to be watching someone DM any more than X-Men was watching someone GM in the Marvel Universe (I've got the Marvel RPG).
Give it a shot. It's just a movie, after all, and hey, it may be quite cool.
--
Ben Kosse
Remember Ed Curry!
This is about as "unauthorized" as those new G4 cube shots. Companies have gotten smart - they realize that they can get more publicity by releasing something and "trying" to shut it down than by just releasing it and waiting.
It does look pretty cool, though. One hopes that they've learned lessons from some of the recent big-budget deritative flops and actually cast decent actors.
This isn't as much "normalization" as it is "don't take so many drugs when you're designing tables."
When was the last time you watched other people play D&D?
About once a month, when Kenzer & Co.'s Knights of the Dinner Table comes out.
If you want a cool sample, check out the animated shorts based on KODT. (Warning: requires recent Flash plug-in.)
Jay (=
It's disgusting. Don't you know SALAD IS MURDER!
Those defenseless plants have no chance to fight back against free-pod agressors -- they're rooted in the ground, for Darwin's sake!
Plants evolved to their current state in a more innocent, harmonious environment -- before the need for self-protection and defensive capabilities (such as being able to run away).
You...ambulatorist!
I, my wayward friend, am a carnivore. I eat meat. That's it. Only those beings which have the potential to defend themselves. Survival of the fittest, yes, but give them a chance!
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
Whilst I know that I'm going to find scant support amongst a demographic known for its irreverance and disdain for tried and tested knowledge,
and a plethora of trolls who wouldn't know tried and tested knowledge if it bit them on the butt.
(But hey, I'm bored...)
I have to say that I'd honestly thought that Dungeons & Dragons had gone the way of the dodo many years ago.
That's why there's not one but two computer games based on the game system, with more to come?
When was the last time that anyone heard anything about D&D or its equally dubious successor, Magic the Gathering?
Well, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing the 3rd edition for Dungeons and Dragons in about 2 weeks, so expect to hear more about it. As for Magic the Gathering, well, they show the tournaments on EPSN2 of all places.
I had thought that roleplaying was an eighties fad whose time was thankfully past,
Not bloody likely.
Now the cycle of fantasy starts again, as this is sure to turn more youngsters from wholesome persuits to playing a game which teachings that violence and dark arts are tools for success, and that the acquisition of wealth makes you a better person.
God would I have loved to have been the first to post with the NFL crack, but there was a good point -- there are far more "socially acceptable" hobbies and interests which teach some rather poor morals.
In fact, Tracy (Dragonlance trilogy co-author) Hickamn wrote an excellent essay on morality and role-playing that I show to people whenever this topic comes up.
I'm with BADD on this one - these games teach dangerous morals to the people that are most vulnerable.
It's funny you should mention BADD -- Michael Stackpole (genre author and part of the Industry Watch segment of GAMA, the gaming industry's trade association) compiled The Pulling Report which investigates the claims of Pat Pulling (the founder of BADD) and rather expertly debunks her allegations and attacks her credibility as a "cult crime investigator".
For more on GAMA's point of view, check out their Q&A about role-playing games, with the rather interesting factoid:
"One of the more persistent claims is that role-playing games has caused teens to commit suicide. The Center for Disease Control conducted an extensive study of teen suicide and found no evidence to link role-playing games with suicide. Investigations by the Association of Gifted and Creative Children (Dublin, CA), the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (the Bronx, NY), and the American Association of Suicidology (Denver, CO) have likewise found no evidence that games encourage suicide.
Moreover, researchers point out that the most heavily weighted factor in determining a child's suicide potential is whether or not he is a loner. Participation in a group activity of any sort sharply reduces that potential. It also provides a circle of friends who can pick up on any unusual behavior and encourage their friend to get help when there is a crisis."
Jay (=
Now the cycle of fantasy starts again, as this is sure to turn more youngsters from wholesome persuits to playing a game which teachings that violence and dark arts are tools for success, and that the acquisition of wealth makes you a better person.
When did we switch topics to the NFL?
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I
Learning to fly, Pink Floyd.
I really do hope this movie is good. The shots from the trailer do look like they have at least halfway decent production values; and the shots that looked completed, really did look pretty good. (It's amazing what a few million dollars will do these days.)
That said, the thing I fear most about this movie is that it will upset the legions of D&D fans in the world. Not that it will suck; but rather that it seems nearly impossible to capture the "feel" of D&D in anything except actually playing the game! Even Baldur's Gate, fantastic as it was, did not feel exactly the same as sitting with friends, delving into a dungeon. This is not to say that it's a "bad" thing that it isn't exactly the same; just that a lot of people are going to be expecting the same feelings they'd get from playing the game, and won't, and will be disappointed or even angry.
I also hope this movie succeeds, to show that the fantasy genre really is viable for movies. If both this and the Lord of the Rings trilogy succeed, I think we'll see a huge resurgence in fantasy film (which of course will also bring the countless bad copies), and I know I'm all for that.
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
The trailer can also be downloaded from this site: movie-list. To winnow out stupid people, I have not linked directly to the trailer but rather to the front page of the site. If you can't find it from there... you probably don't deserve to. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased