A New Cheap Way to Get an Awesome Map for Your Game

Well, at least it’s new to me.  I’ve printed a whole slew of maps for various games over the years, but I’ve never really felt like I got what you could call a great deal.  That’s not to say I’ve never been happy with the Maps that I’ve gotten, just that the happiness has come with a hefty price tag.  However, I think those days may finally be behind me. 

I got an email recently from Nathan over at BannersOnTheCheap.com and he put me onto the idea of trying a map printed in vinyl as an alternative surface to paper.  I was a bit leery of printing on an alternative material, though I could think of several immediate advantages, but since they were looking for someone to review their product and spread the word throughout the RPG community and were willing to comp me a sample map, I saw no reason not to give it a try.

It was the right decision. 

For starters their website is a breeze.  It is a very straightforward process to upload your map, choose a banner size, preview your product, and checkout.  The whole process took about 2 minutes.  I was a little concerned about the shipping time because the free shipping option is 15 days, but the order went out the next day and I had my map in hand in less than a week. 

Already impressed with the speed at which I had received my product I opened the box and unrolled the map.  I had chosen the largest option, determined to test the limits of what these guys could do, so what I unrolled was a four foot by eight foot full color vinyl map.  One thing I had been concerned about was how vivid the colors would be, but as soon as I unrolled it those fears disappeared.  It was on first glance nothing short of beautiful.  The colors all looked true, there was no distortion, and the detail seemed to be there.  I was more even more impressed. 

I showed the map to my wife (a non-gamer) and she was impressed with the result.  I showed it to a local gaming group and they were floored, both with the quality and with the price point (something I’ll get into below).  What struck everyone, my wife included, was the quality of the printing on a durable surface like vinyl.  That’s not to say that everything about the maps were flawless though.  Here is a breakdown of the good and bad of this method versus traditional paper printing at a place like Staples or Walgreens.

The Good

• ·         The Color
  I printed two very different maps on one banner and then had a friend cut the maps apart.  The two I used were my Caliburn Map and the Southron Marches map.  The two maps, while they are both from the campaign are very different in style and color palette.  The Southron Marches map has very high levels of saturation that I didn’t think BannerOnTheCheap would be able to replicate, but they did.  Both maps displayed very rich colors true to the digital versions.
• ·         Durability
  One weakness of paper maps is their durability.  They can be easily ruined by tearing, folding, or someone just knocking over a drink, but not so with these vinyl maps.  They are tough and thick, and are capable of shedding water like a duck.  These maps can be reused over and over, and are usable, as far as I can tell, with wet erase markers (don’t use dry erase!).
• ·         Price
  This is a big one.   When I showed the gamers the map they all wanted to know how much it cost.  A couple of them thought it was a $100 plus product, but the fact is that the price point for this map was under $40.  Under forty bucks for a 4x8 map made of durable vinyl is pretty staggering.  I have had maps printed in the past and paid about $30 for a color map that was un-laminated, pixelated, and a fraction of the size.
• ·         Size
  Options for larger maps is often limited.   Printing large, especially in color, can be a pain.  But if you want a huge and epic map, say something in a 3x6 or 4x8, then these guys can accommodate you. 

This is a map I had printed and laminated at staples for $30

The Bad

• ·         Resolution
  Though the images I submitted with in printer resolution (300ppi) some of the smaller and more details items, especially the labeling on the Caliburn map, were blurred.   With these maps I would avoid anything two minute and would also go with maps of higher contrast as they seem to show up better.
• ·         The Grain
  These maps have a definite grain to them and it affects the final image.  It’s difficult to describe it but if you look at one of the close up images you’ll see what I mean. 
• ·         Fraying
  There is a slight fraying at the edges, or at least you can see little vinyl fibers on the edge.  The map isn’t coming apart by any means, but whether this would become an issue over years of use I’m not sure.  I haven’t seen any issues yet, but thought it worth mentioning. 

The Verdict

With the glare on this picture you can see the grain.

You can see the fraying I mentioned above.

As I said above I was compared the map I got, but I would have no hesitation, and indeed have every intention of, using BannerOnTheCheap in the future for printing maps for my games.  For battle mats especially, I think these guys produce an ideal product that is durable, customized, and very affordable.  Years ago I bought one the Chessex square grid battle mats.   I’ve used it for over a decade and have no complaints, but given that I paid $35 dollars for it and it is one third the size of the product I received for basically the same price, I think it stands as a testament to what a great deal you can get.  You should really check these guys out.  Have one of our free maps printed through them, or print out some of your own stuff.  I think you’ll be glad you did.  

Note: If you find that you do like the Banners you may also want to check out their sister sites, SignsOnTheCheap and MagnetsOnTheCheap.

If I Could Only Have One More Set of Dice For the Rest of My Life...

Just like most Gamers, I love dice.  I'm a man who feels that one can never have too many dice.  I own hundreds of dice and bring many of them each week to my group's game.

However, if I could only have ONE set of dice for the rest of my life I think it would be these beauties.  They come in different materials, but the ones I want to get are the ones pictured on the right, made of stainless steel.  

What is not to love about these dice?  They are excuiste, intricate, unique, and made of a strong and durable material.  

Well I guess there is one thing not to love about these dice...

They are F#%@ing expensive!  

Seriously, the Steel version costs $89.60.  The cheepest you can get is the white plastic set which can be had for the bargain price of $27.95.  

Brutal.  

But like the tittle says... If I could only have one set of dice for the rest of my life, I think it would be these babies.  One day they shall be mine!

Until then I'll just wish and drool. 

Ending a Long Campaign

Nothing is worse than playing a game for an extended period of time; months, years, decades, only to see it whither and die with no satisfactory conclusion.  When that happens it just leaves everyone who took part feeling very unfulfilled with no sense of closure.  When you have invested so much in a character you don't want to leave him right in the middle of a quest, you want to see him make it through it.  Unfortunately that doesn't always happen.

My group has been together a while now, but up until recently we just couldn't finish a game.  Now a big part of this was the philosophical debate within the group about whether or not a game should have an end and not just be a constantly running thing that ends only when the players have all lost interest.  I have always approached a game I am building as one might view a single season of a television show.  TV seasons have a beginning, middle, and ending, but that isn't to say that the cast won't reunite for another season.  If a game is successful there is almost always room for a sequel campaign. 

That was the approach I took during the last game I ran, Legacy of New Lago.  I wanted the end to provide not only a sense of closure, but a real sense of accomplishment.  I wanted the players to know, if they were victorious, that they had really achieved something special.  In short, I wanted a truly epic ending.  I got some advice from DNAPhil's article on Delivering the Goods over at GnomeStew, but I still felt I was missing something.  I wanted the end of the game to be truly special, to do something no one in our group had ever done.  Then the idea hit me... I would build out the battlefield.

I had a picture in my head of the final battleground.  An ancient ruined temple with weather worn statues and crumbling buildings, I figured I could give it a try.  I did some research online and got some helpful tips and set out to purchase or requisition what I would need.

Here is a picture of my supplies.  Nothing overly expensive here, in fact I was able to salvage a lot of it from my parents garage.  What?!  They weren't using it.  Some things, like the plaster of paris I did buy, but it was dirt cheap at Home Depot. I had to buy a massive board for a base and have them cut it so I had a ton of leftovers there.  My end board was 3 feet by 5 feet, the rest of the twin sized bed plank I never used.

Next is a look at my work area.  I'm not going to lie... it got pretty messy.  That pink you see is the left over  foam board I used.  Everything you see is made out of the foam board, it's really great stuff.  Don't try to use superglue on it though.  It dissolves the foam and releasing some really nasty (and more than likely toxic) fumes.

Here is the best picture I have of the whole terrain piece.  I took it when I put it into storage... also in my parents' garage... What?!  They weren't using that space anyway.  The PCs began the battle on the near side while their opposition began on the far side already "entrenched" in the ruins. 

The water is made of silicon, also very cheap and very smelly.

Here are some close up shots of the ruins.  Made of that pink foam board.

Again I'm going to mention the usual disclaimer... I have no artistic talent to speak of.  But just like with digital mapping you don't need it, sure it helps, but you don't have to be artistically gifted to make something that your group will love and that will create a long lasting memory.

This terrain is crap compared to what some people can make, but it did its job well.  My players realized that this was a serious battle, the fate of the world was at stake, to say nothing of the lives of their own characters.  They had fought battles against their arch enemy over the course of the whole campaign.  Some they won and some they lost, but none of it mattered as they stepped onto that final battlefield with everything on the line.  Even without these pictures to remind me I'll always remember this fight.  How Trogan and Klemdo hid behind the weathered obelisk, how Viola and Kain fought off Voraptis' minions while their allies charged ahead, how Alexis took cover behind some rubble while being blasted with spell after spell, and how Phineas who was hopeless the whole campaign rose the challenge and became a true hero.

That's what it's all about, the stories and memories we take away from the game.  No part of a story is as important as the end, it is the part that leaves a lasting impression in everyone's mind.  Next time you are working on a new campaign spare a thought for how the game will end and find some way to make it truly special and memorable.  Whatever it is your players will appreciate it and the end will be that much sweeter.

The Monster Manual 2 and Beyond!

One of my brothers called me the other day.  It seems that he had some of my gaming stuff in his closet at my parents house and wanted me to come pick it up.  The whole way over I was trying to figure out what this cache could be.  It must have gotten thrown in there as an emergency measure to ensure that they weren't found by my girlfriend and completely forgotten about.  Well it worked, and obviously too well for I also didn't find it... for about 4 years.

Review: Critical Hit Deck & Critical Fumble Deck

Gamemastery produces some interesting products for those who are still playing 3rd edition, decks for critical hits and critical fumbles. Essentially the decks of 52 cards that have various effects of a positive (critical hit deck) or negative nature (critical fumble deck).

The Critical Hit deck breaks down the various effects on each card by what type of attack caused the critical hit; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or magic (for ray spells). With these cards damage is no longer guaranteed to be doubled on a successful critical. Many of the cards include some type of status effect instead of enhanced damage, such as making the target sickened for 1d6 rounds. Not all cards are equal either. One particularly nasty card sees the target's hand severed and he takes bleed damage in addition!

The Critical Fumble deck works in much the same fashion as the Critical Hit Deck. It breaks attacks down into Melee, Ranged, Natural, and Magic (again for ray spells). Again a variety of status effects are used on many of the cards as penalty for critically fumbling. Some make you sickened, others make you fatigued or shaken. A number of cards also cause you to drop your weapon (for melee and ranged attacks), or cause you to draw an immediate attack of opportunity (for melee or natural attacks). Again not all cards are equal. One critical fumble card sees you struck by your own spell. A nasty surprise if you were tossing around the ever popular Disintegrate spell.

Overall, if you are tired of the same old double damage, or whatever critical fumble effect you use, the Gamemastery decks are a great way to mix things up. I used both decks for my last D&D campaign and got mixed reviews. Some players really enjoyed the randomness of the decks and felt that they kept things interesting, while others stated over and over that they would rather have had the normal double damage. My own opinions was that the decks were good, though not quite as good as I had hoped they would be when I purchased them. They certainly made for some very memorable moments, and really that is the point. By randomizing the effects even when someone scores a critical hit everyone is on the edge of their seat because no one knows what is about to happen.

If you check the Critical Hit Deck and the Critical Fumble Deck on Paizo's website you can see some sample cards for yourselves. Each deck is $10.99 over at their website.

Feedback

We've been getting some email from our readers lately, and we love it! Please feel free to send us emails with suggestions, comments, or questions that you might have.

One question that is very popular is in reference to the Dice Cradle. I would make them and ship them to people, but dammit, it's just so easy to make yourself. People seem to have trouble finding frames that will work for them. I'll get the name of the company that produces the frames that I use. I bought them at a dollar store, so it was really cheap. The clasp I use to keep Cradle shut can be picked up at your local arts and crafts store. I bought mine from Michael's and got two clasps for 99 cents. So it is easy and cheap.

Keep your feedback coming!

EDIT: The name of the company is Special Moments

The Dice Cradle

The Dice Cradle 2.0.19

In the last game I ran one of my players, Christian by name, came up with this simple, but great, innovation. What is it? It is a reference guide, a guarded rolling surface, a luck generator, and a dice holder all in one.

Essentially it is two frames, held together by two hinges so the glass sides will fold in on each other, thus protecting them from breaking while traveling. The two frames have a wooden edge that raised about half and inch. This provides enough space when folded together to keep dice inside safely. Under the two glass protectors one can keep any kind of information they feel important. Again, I took my cue from Christian's original design and placed important combat info on one side and a lucky signature on the other side.

A quick word about the signature... Christian used Gary Gygax's signature in his, and normally I would not deviate from that. But I am using my Cradle for a Hackmaster game so... Yep, I'm using Gary Jackson's autograph! I took out a little insurance though by keeping Gary Gygax's signature right underneath. Yeah, I know that is kinda cheating. But hey, one can never have too much luck. The fame rub (HMB p.142) has never been so easy to execute!

As for the other side of my cradle, I'm still new to HMB so I opted to put down all the 'Special Combat Moves' from the Combat chapter. This will mean I don't have to flip though the book to find out what my options are when things start getting hairy.

The final, and perhaps most useful feature of the Dice Cradle is that it is a guarded rolling surface. Rolling on one of the two sides (on the signature if it is a big roll, on the reference guide if not) means that your dice will not go falling off the table, or worse rolling onto another player's DRZ (Dice Rolling Zone). But seriously, the raised edges of the frames ensure the dice stay in and you don't have to go searching around to find out what you rolled.

Really the only improvement I made over Christian's design is the place a clasp on the opposite side as the hinges so as to be able to lock the cradle shut for safe and easy transport. This ensures that you never have to take your dice out and they can soak up the luck from that signature the whole week!

Now this article has been about my Cradle that I am using for Hackmaster Basic, but believe me this works well for any RPG. In fact, Christian's original was used in a D&D game. So regardless of your game, make yourself a Dice Cradle. It's fast and easy to make and an extremely useful game aid. Hey, the GM has his screen, why shouldn't you have something cool too?

Gamer Movie Review: The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising

Film: The Gamers 2: Dorness Rising
Year: 2008
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen Productions
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Matt Vancil
Staring: Nathan Rice, Brian Lewis, Carol Roscoe, Christian Doyle, Scott Brown, Jen Page


At last we have come to Dead Gentlemen Productions most recent film. This film has a larger budget, as well as larger ambitions than all previous DG films. I waited impatiently for many others while DG struggled to find a distributor so they could release the film.

This film was worth the wait.

Simply put this is DG's masterpiece. The Mona Lisa of Gaming movies. It outstrips even its predecessor, the original Gamers, in all respects. The story is very solid here is a mostly spoiler free plot summary...

Lodge is a struggling writer with a problem. He has written an adventure, but it is unfinished. To finish writing it he needs his gaming group to get through it, something they had been unable to do. After a few failed attempts Lodge decides to shake things up by introducing two new characters. One played by himself (Yes, the dreaded GMPC!) and one played by (Gasp!) a girl!. With these changes the group sets off again in an attempt to succeed where they have previously failed. They face goblins, demons, peasants, and chickens on their way!

That's as detailed as I want to get because I don't want to ruin the film for anyone who hasn't seen it.

This film truly is Gamer subculture on parade. If you pay close attention to such gaming favorites as Munchkin, Nodwick, and Knights of the Dinner Table. There is even an ode to the much beloved creator of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax.

True gamers will fall in love with this movie almost instantly... but what about non-gamers? The original gamer film gave insight into our hobby to those on the outside, but it didn't really stand up for them as a true film. For example, if one of them watched the original Gamers with no gamer there to explain things they would have been quickly lost and shut off the movie. Matt Vancil, the writer of both Gamer film understands that. So what does he do? He introduces a new player to the table. Any non-gamers watching the film learn along with her. This makes the movie so accessible to the non-gamer crowd that I know some people who have never slung dice in their life, but love the movie and bought it. This is a master stroke by Vancil to open his product up to people beyond the niche audience that forms DG's base.

The rest of the writing in this film is just as good. These are not one dimensional characters we see in this film. Yes, experienced gamers will see some gamer sterotypes, the rules lawyer, for example. But that isn't the only side of the characters that on display. We see them both at, and away from, the gaming table. We are given a view into their lives, hopes, and ambitions. I've written previously that Vancil has a lot of potential as a writer and director, here we see that potential realized. The quality of work is really beyond anything I would have thought possible a few years ago.

The acting is similarly much improved. Once again it is Nathan Rice who is the star of this movie, but the difference is that he doesn't have to carry the film. The others actors in the film are capable of keeping up with, and playing off of, Rice. And the end result is beautiful to behold. All the main cast are solid and have their great moments throughout the film. Flynn, played by Scott C. Brown always gets the most laughs. Brown does a great job, Flynn has some of the best lines, and the plot around the Bard is nothing short of hilarious. Honorable mentions should go out to the team of Christian Doyle and Jen page who share the character of Luster. With the combination of their comedic timing and so very clever writing Luster is a character will quoted for many years to come.

As for the rest of the film, music, scenery, costumes, etc, they are all excellent. The scenery especially really blew me away at times. The inn at Westhaven was one set in particular that I knew a little bit about ahead of time. Writer/Director Matt Vancil built the set for the inn in his garage, but you would never know it. That is how immersive the sets are in this film. It really makes me wonder what Dead Gentlemen Productions could achieve with a normal film's budget.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - This is one of my faovite movies, and is a must see for any and all Gamers!


Here is the trailer for Dorkness Rising... Enjoy!

Gamer Movie Review: The Gamers

Film: The Gamers
Year: 2002
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen Productions
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Matt Vancil
Staring: Nathan Rice, Matt Cameron, Chris Duppenthaler, Justin MacGregor, Emily Olson, Phil M. Price


The Gamers was the first film I purchased from Dead Gentlemen. I saw an add in the now deceased Dragon Magazine and it looked like something I would like. The add had a quote from Monte Cooke that claimed that The Gamers was the real D&D movie, so how could I pass it up? I ordered it from the DG website (they no longer run their own store but Paizo does it, and they do a great job) and eagerly waited.

When the movie arrived I immediately ripped open the packaging, barely sparing a thought for the cover, the plot summary on the back, or any of the special features of the DVD. Instead I delved straight into the film.

They had me right from the opening credits.

Classic fantasy sounding music played and the each of the five players character sheets were displayed. Newmoon the Elf, Nimble the Thief, Rogar the Barbarian, and Ambrose the Mage. Oh and Mark the Red, last of the Bloodfire berserkers! Almost forgot about him. I was baffled over what stat GLE was but in the commentary Monte Cooke asks and is told that the stat is Guile.

The movie opens with the gaming group standing around chatting about D&D related stuff like Lord of the Rings and Drizzt. Unfortunately their dorm mate Paula has a test the next day and isn't very understanding of their loud behavior she comes out to berate them. After being yelled at the group decides to retire to their game room and get started. From this point on the movie jumps back and forth between the real world and the game world inside the imagination of the players.

In the game world we see our four... I mean five heroes at an inn outside Dragonsmead where they receive a note from King The Reasonably Just. The King explains in his letter that the Princess has been kidnapped by THE SHADOW (I feel this name should always be capitalized you'll see why when you see the movie). The remainder of the movie contains the exploits of the four... uh... five adventures as they attempt to defeat the shadow and rescue the princess.

I'm going to try not to gush about this movie, but you should know that I am hardly an objective observer as I LOVE this movie.

This movie is rush around the edges, still being one of the earliest movies made by Dead Gentlemen. The budget of the film was a paltry $500, but the Dead Gentlemen were none the less able to make movie magic. The movie is flat out hilarious to any gamer. From start to finish they are able to satirize gaming and all of its idiosyncrasies as only gamers can. Their love of gaming and understanding the great parts of it that keep us all coming back for more is the key to the film's success. As Monte Cook said, this is the true D&D movie. It captures the game and the people that play it so much better than either of the poorly made D&D films could.

The music (Gamer Theme by Steve Wolbrecht in particular), scenery, and acting are all better in this film than DG's Demon Hunters series. The filmmakers are able to use a lot of wilderness scenes for the party's adventures. The actors are well chosen, with the possible exception of Matt Cameron who is pretty flat as the Gamemaster. The costumes and props are good, especially given the small budget. Matt Vancil's script is excellent and is paced very well. In addition Vancil also directed this movie, and did a phenomenal job. Unfortunately this is not a feature length film. It runs just 48 minutes, which is disappointing.

However, the film's main weakness is its lack of relevance to people outside its target audience. Non-gamers generally will not get most of the jokes presented in the film. That having been said, the jokes that poke fun at the most mainstream gamer geek stereotypes will be recognized by almost everyone and will retain their punch.

Also this film presents a great look into what it is that we do as gamers. I showed this film to my girlfriend who "didn't get it." After seeing the film she has an idea of what it is I do when I go out to game every Thursday. This ability to form a bridge to the non gaming community really helps people not only understand what we do but want to get involved themselves. Many people have started playing because they saw this film.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - This film is essential to any Gamer's DVD collection!


Here is the trailer for the film! You won't find it at the video store but you will find it over at Paizo!

Gamer Movie Review: Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake

Film: Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake
Year: 2004
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Don Early
Staring: Steve Wolbrecht, Nathan Rice, and Don Early





I eagerly awaited my signed copy of Demon Hunters 2 in the mail. It arrived on time and signed by one of the Dead Gentlemen as promised (Thanks Steve Wolbrecht!). After a few false starts (see previous review) I watched the first Demon Hunters film. I was not what you would call pleasantly surprised. Frankly I was actually disappointed. I wasn't expecting much from the first film, but I was expecting more than I got. Suddenly my desire to see Demon Hunters 2 had vanished. I decided to wait and forgot all about the DVD for about a week. But I was reorganizing (cleaning my god awful mess) when I came across the DVD. I decided to put it in while I was cleaning in an attempt to distract me from my work.

It worked a little too well.

Before I knew it I was doing much more movie watching than cleaning. I was pleasantly surprised, though my girlfriend was not when she saw the place was still a disaster.

This film is much improved over its predecessor on nearly all fronts. Let me give you an idea of the plot.

Gabriel and Chris escape what is left of Pacific Northwest University and head for Dead Camper Lake. A "Border Town" as Gabriel calls it, Dead Camper Lake lies on the border between Earth and Hell. Though they go there seeking refuge they get caught up in an adventure where the fate of the very world is at stake. Purple Ninjas, Christmas Trees, and Miracle Whip Mayonnaise all put in an appearance. The result being that general hilarity ensues.

The sets for the film aren't all that much better than the first Demon Hunters film. That is to say, once again the Dead Gentlemen had to take what they could get and use what was available. In the first film that meant Pacific Northwest University and in this film it meant a campground. Being that this movie, like its predecessor, was made on little to no budget the sets pretty much fit in with the feel of the rest of the film.

The acting is improved somewhat over the first film. Nathan Rice, who plays Gabriel, really carries this film. He has talent, that is obvious from the moment he appears on screen. Steve Wolbrecht does well in his role as the somewhat pathetic everyman character, Chris. Wolbrecht even has an unexpected musical number during the film when he performs "The Demon Hunter Blues." The song is funny and at the same time does a great job of recapping the plot of the first two movies.

Don Early resumes his role as Silent Jim, but his biggest contribution to the film is as Director. The direction of the film is vastly superior to the first film. I know DG plans on making a third Demon Hunters film and if they do I hope to see Early at the helm.

Now I did like this film, but it was far from perfect. Some of the acting in this film is downright terrible. Mostly I'm talking about Chris Duppenthaler who plays Gabriel's rival Ichabod. As far as I know this was his first film, however, and he improves greatly in each subsequent film he is in.

In addition to some sub par acting the cliffhanger like ending stinks for any fan of the series as the film was released in 2004 and though there are plans for a sequel no ground has been broken on the project as of yet.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - A giant step up from the first Demon Hunters film!


I really look forward to the third Demon Hunters film. Now that the Dead Gentlemen are an established troupe with a committed cult following I think a third film could far exceed anything they could have hoped to accomplish when they filmed the first Demon Hunters film.

For your viewing pleasure here is the song "Demon Hunter Blues" by Steve Wolbrecht!

Gamer Movie Review: Demon Hunters

Film: Demon Hunters
Year: 1999
Production Company: Dead Gentlemen
Writer: Matt Vancil
Director: Ben Dobyns
Staring: Steve Wolbrecht, Nathan Rice, and Don Early


When I bought Demon Hunters 2: Dead Camper Lake I was aware that the first Demon Hunter film was included on the disk. This would have been a red flag, but the people over at Dead Gentlemen are too up front to let someone buy their product with any misconceptions. Their site included a warning that both the Demon Hunters films were made on little to no budget with consumer grade equipment. I had no objections to this, having seen many films with massive budgets and the latest high tech equipment that sucked (I'm looking at you Transformers 2!) .

So it was that I began the first Demon Hunters film... and then fell asleep. So I started it again... and fell asleep again. The third time was the charm however and I finally made it through the film.

Where to begin?

Let's start with a plot synopsis. The film is set at Pacific Northwest University where Chris (Played by Steve Wolbrecht), a humble and ordinary accounting major, attends school. Little do Chris and the other students of the University know that below the school's library an ancient Demon sleeps a vile demon, Duamerthrax the Indestructible. One Thousand Years has passed since Duamerthrax was imprisoned, and the demon is freed to maim and spread discord at Pacific Northwest. The only thing stopping the Demon from breaking totally free of his bonds and going off into an unsuspecting world is Chris, and a band of Demon Hunters from the Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch. The Brotherhood chapter is led by Gabriel (Played by Nathan Rice). Together the Demon Hunters and Chris battle the Demon and try to destroy him once and for all.

This movie was made on no budget by college kids who catered to the only audience they ever expected, other members of their University. I can't say how well the inside jokes held up to their target audience, not having attended Pacific Northwest University where the movie was set and filmed. But like most inside jokes, they just aren't very entertaining to those on the outside.

It is for these reasons that the movie falls flat, and why it was hard for me to make it through it. The sets, actors, and what you might be able to call special effects are not up to snuff, even for a B rated flick you would pick up at the video store on a boring weekday night.

But in the midst of this sub par film you can see flashes of genius. True genius that just needs time to develop and room to grow. Matt Vancil's righting shows promise and some very witty comedy. Actor Nathan Rice who plays Gabriel shows raw talent and great comedic timing.

Though I regard Demon Hunters as a failure as a stand alone film it was the stepping stone necessary for Dead Gentlemen's later productions. Just as professional athletes take their lumps in lesser leagues before making their mark on the big stage, this movie was a necessary stepping stone for these filmmakers.

Overall Rating: 4/10 - Only true Dead Gentlemen fans should bother with this film