Monster Camp
| Monster Camp | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Monster Camp | |
| Directed by | Cullen Hoback |
| Produced by | Aaron Douglas, Cullen Hoback |
| Starring | Shane Macomber, Dave Overman, Paul Vorvick, Fern Zimmerman, and Rebecca McNamee as The Strega |
| Cinematography | Cullen Hoback |
| Edited by | Cullen Hoback |
| Music by | Speechwriters LLC |
Release date | 2007 |
Running time | 79 Minutes |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
Monster Camp is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the tale of a LARPing (live-action role-playing game) organization on the brink of collapse[citation needed]; Monster Camp looks at the lives of the participants, and considers the pro and cons of escapism through fantastical outlets. Director Cullen Hoback documents the fantasy world, following several participants over the course of one year.
The group followed is a chapter of NERO, one of many live-action role-playing organizations in the US. Players create their own identities selecting from a variety of races and classes, similar to Dungeons and Dragons or World of Warcraft. Participants dress up and are involved as either PCs (Player Characters), NPCs (Non-Player Characters), or Plot Members.
It premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival in 2007, where it received the Audience Award for Best Documentary. [1] It was also in the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival, among many others.
Reviews
Production Facts
The film was shot largely at a State Park in Washington. While shooting, temperatures dropped to zero degrees. The main weekend chronicled in the film occurred during the coldest temperatures recorded in the Northwest in 50 years. Many of the costumes worn by characters are abnormal, as they couldn't wear anything scantly clad.
There was a split among the NERO organizations in 1998. This film follows one of the NERO Alliance chapters, not NERO International.