RPGs at the movies

[Psychic Skeksis]

Let's compile a list of references to RPGs in popular culture. I'll start.

1. E.T. (1982): the famous D&D game at the beginning (well, famous to us RPG geeks, anyway.

2. Taps (198?): early Tom Cruise/Sean Penn/Timothy Hutton film (great film, BTW) about military cadets taking over their academy by force. Early in the film one of the characters asks another, "Are we playing Dungeons & Dragons tonight?"

3. Cloak and Dagger (198?): Often mentioned by retro-video game dorks because of the Atari 5200 content, but early in the film the kid (main character, whatever his name is) is playing a Top Secret-style RPG (complete with miniatures).

Carry on...

 

[C. Baize]

Let's not forget that great scene where Dabney Coleman is chased down the road by a giant D20...

 

[C. Baize]

Also... in the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they're playing some sort of FRPG.
In the Spiderman movie (with Toby MacGuire), Peter Parker has a D&D poster on his wall (complete with the 3.0 logo).

 

[Dirigible]

Are we going to discount the ones where:

1) it turns people into homocidal maniacs / devil worshippers?
2) the GM turns out to be a homocidal maniac / devil woshipper?
3) Jack Chick?

 

[Pevishan]

Are we going to discount the ones where:

1) it turns people into homocidal maniacs / devil worshippers?
2) the GM turns out to be a homocidal maniac / devil woshipper?
3) Jack Chick?

Also Mazes and Monsters.

 

[Henry]

...And awaaaaay it goes! (moving to Books/Movies & TV)


Not movies, but the following are "pop culture":

--How about the famous G.E. commercial (where the geek gives the supermodel a Players Handbook as a birthday present?)

--Or how about the short-lived Hank Azaria show, where one of the office staff misses going to Dragon Con because of a late deadline, and the staff appeases him by wearing costumes and playing an RPG that suspiciously plays like D&D?

--People have mentioned several references seen on Andy Richter Controls the Universe, but I'm afraid I missed them, not watching the show.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Homer Simpsons references D&D in the episode where he goes back to college and gets tutored by a trio of geeks.

"We played Dungeons & Dragons for three hours. Then I was slain by an elf."

Also, there's an episode of the Simpsons where Comic Book Guy is wearing a shirt that says "Dungeon Master."

 

[C. Baize]

Oh yeah! In the Newspaper Comic Strip "Foxtrot" Jason Fox and his friend often play D&D.
(as an aside, my wife e-mailed the author, once, and he said the only reason he doesn't, now, is a lack of time)

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Oh yeah! In the Newspaper Comic Strip "Foxtrot" Jason Fox and his friend often play D&D.
(as an aside, my wife e-mailed the author, once, and he said the only reason he doesn't, now, is a lack of time)

I love the on-going D&D and LotR referrences in Foxtrot, it's my first strip I go to onlibe.

 

[Kai Lord]

Haven't watched it in many years, but I believe one of the "Dream Warriors" in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 refers to himself as the "Dungeon Master" and invokes magical powers when fighting Freddy in the dream.

I know Freddy tended to kill people according to their specific fears and weaknesses. Does anyone remember if that kid met his end in some sort of D&D related fashion?