New Column: Filmic Gaming Fodder

I was a Film major in college, and while that didn't do much for my employability in later years, it certainly did contribute to my gaming vision, both as a player and as a GM. Now, I'm not saying one needs a Film degree in order to appreciate movies, even at a deeper level than your average moviegoer, but I have to admit that it does change your perspective when it comes to watching a film - you find yourself pondering the lighting and the angles, the writing and the editing and the production values, blah blah blah blah. Of course, this can ruin films for you just like having a degree in Classical Studies might make you loathe a movie like 300. I know an Art History professor who was so disgusted with the depiction of the Colosseum in Ridley Scott's Gladiator that he couldn't finish the rest of the film. I was just glad to see Sven Ole Thorsen still getting work.

Anyhow, to the point at hand. I want to take a look at a number of films, some of which are stock favorites among a lot of gamers, and some that are less conventional "gaming movies", but offer some interesting game-related insights, particularly in the areas of interesting scenes, characterizations, story themes, and game-inspiring moods and tonalities. A lot of these films will probably fall outside of the more common sci-fi/fantasy/action movie genres as well; one of the things I hope to accomplish with this column is also an interest in gaming outside of more conventional settings and genres.

As for how these movies will be organized or discussed, I'll probably just cherry-pick from some of my favorite movies and not worry too much about an over-arching theme for this column or flimic timeline - I'm just not organized enough for that kind of long-term thinking. I'd like to do at least one a week, but only time will tell if I can pull that off.

Hopefully today I can bang out my first F.G.F review...