Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Having spent most of the day working on yard work and updating my Etsy shop, I decided to take some time and relax. In doing so, I discovered that Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among  Thieves was streaming on Paramount+. So, let the campaign begin.

Plot: A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

I went into the new Dungeons & Dragons not knowing what to expect. While i haven't played in years,  i was one an extremely avid player and have been looking to get back into it.  What i found amazed me.  This is an is an absolute blast of a movie. Ther cast and performances are outstanding, the storyline is lighthearted and fun, and the action sequences really work. Best of all, it can be enjoyed by everyone, even those that have never enjoyed the fun and mishaps that take place within a real campaign. Yes, some of the CGI is uneven, but that is easily overlooked. Personally, i loved the small nods to the lore of the series and would hope all of fans pict it up. This is a great journey into a combination of action and comedy, and a movie i totally recommend.

Shakma (1990)

Although I planned to watch 7 Witches last night, the remote for the DVD player again seemed to disappear. So, instead, I decided to dive into Shudder for the 1990 creature feature Shakma.

Plot/ An experimental drug that is supposed to reduce aggression has the opposite effect on a baboon that is being experimented on by a group of medical students and their professor. While they are playing a fantasy role-playing game in their research facility, the baboon escapes and begins hunting them down.

Coming off the slasher craze of the 1980s, this creature feature takes on that genre in an amazing way. Yes, it is mindless and full of some awesome baboon induced blood and guts, but it is in no way anything more than a midnight low-budget schlockfest (although, the Dungeons and Dragons LARP is a nice twist). Even with the mild level of gore and a storyline that is rather predictable and cliché (other than the baboon madman), this movie is fun to watch and on par with some of the classic straight-to-video flicks of the era. Yes, the performances are uneven (Roddy McDowell is perfect though), the storyline is unbelievable, and overall the age of the film shines through in the technology, but that in no way makes this movie any less entertaining. In fact, after these decades, the movie is still just as cheesy and laughable as it was the first time I saw it. In the end, if you are searching for some campy fun, full of schlock and cheesiness than give this one a shot. Plus, it is on Shudder, so there is really nothing to lose if you have that service.

Knights of Badassdom (2013)

After taking some time away from my computer attempting to catch up on some stuff, I decided to get back at it. Of course, finding the right film to kick off August with was a bit of a challenge. With the world being totally upside-down and most of society acting as if they were from another planet, I decided to pick a comedy.  My first review for the month of August is the 2013 flick Knights of Badassdom.

Plot/ Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake and they must deal with the consequences.

I saw the preview of this and imagined that it would be hilarious. While it was not sidesplitting hilarity, it did have some funny moments and was rather entertaining in its own way. Of course, the LARPING themes will not resonate with everyone, and may turn some people off. There were some interesting themes, decent effects, and a tremendous low budget schlocky feel. Unfortunately, the characters were flat, the direction uneven, and the overall feel felt lacking. In the end, while this one entertained me, there was the potential in place for the flick to be so much more. If you enjoy LARPING or Dungeons & Dragons, give it a shot, if not there are other horror/supernatural comedies out there that will give you more laughs.