Dark Dungeons: The Movie! Kickstarter

[james_davis_nicoll]

I won the lottery. Not the jackpot, "just" a thousand bucks, and being a typical middle-class middle-manager a thousand dollars is nice, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't going to change my life. So I decided to do something special with the money. I decided I wanted to spend it to bring something that would last; I would spend it to try and bring Jack Chick's epic 1984 graphic novel / tract to film.

I wrote Chick Publications explaining this to them and I'm super-excited to announce that I have obtained the video rights to make a movie based on Dark Dungeons.

Comments

[dragovianknight]

...is kickstarter being trolled?

[zeborah]

I think someone's being trolled. The FAQ has:

What is your favorite type of comedy?

I really like Stephen Colbert and the Onion.

and equally importantly:

Due to your obtaining the film rights to Dark Dungeon, will Jack Chick receive any money from this film?

No. Mr. Chick is not entitled to any of the money this film may or may not produce.

[eagle]

His whole presentation schtick is that he's entirely serious, which is exactly Colbert's schtick. I think that's his subtle way of reassuring people that, no, he doesn't actually believe this. (Some of the Kickstarter rewards make that clear too.)

As for the statement about money, I see no reason why that wouldn't be literally true. He already bought the rights, which is the money that Jack Chick received. That money has been spent; the success or lack thereof of either the Kickstarter or the film won't change anything about that (assuming there's no contract saying otherwise, and I assume he's not lying about that). He spent his personal $1000 on the rights, and agree or disagree with that, the movie itself and what happens going forward doesn't benefit Chick.

[eagle]

Oh, in fact, he didn't even have to pay the $1000 for the rights. (The filmmaker himself is over in the LJ comments.) Apparently he got them for free.

[zeborah]

I was probably not clear; the person I think he's trolling is Jack Chick.

Moreover Jack Chick didn't even get the $1000 - per the comments on the campaign, that money was spent on pre-production and the rights were given for free with the stipulation that attribution would be required.

[(Anonymous)]

JR Ralls (the guy making the movie) here.

Just to make sure things are 100% clear; Jack T. Chick and Chick Publications Inc. have not and will not receive any money from this film.

As I say in my video, you cannot PARODY a work of this magnitude. You have to present a sincere retelling of the comic without editorializing, with as much oomph and drama and authority as he possibly can put in within the _limits of the source material_.

This is a real movie that I am really trying to get made. The Kickstarter campaign to raise money for it is serious and will resort in real life movie that you can play on your TV and will hopefully have a world premier at Orycon. My intention is to make Dark Dungeons the movie as _true to the spirit and word_ of Dark Dungeons the comic as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings is to Tolkien's work.

Also, my stretch goal is to include Cthulhu.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

O.O A live-action film of Dark Dungeons? I'm not sure whether to giggle madly or hide under the covers until it goes away.

The Kickstarter page says he's in Portland OR; I have already sent a note about this to a theater major in Portland.

[jr ralls (from livejournal.com)]

Hi Scott,

JR Ralls here (maker of Dark Dungeons the movie) if you hear back from your theater friend have them message me on facebook;

http://www.facebook.com/authorjrralls

And I'll see if they can play a role.

Thanks!
JR

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

One thing you don't say - do donors get on-screen credits? There are several RPG companies that might be interested...

[jr ralls (from livejournal.com)]

Added!

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I can't tell is this person is taking this seriously or is doing some sort of hopefully hilarious send-up of the comic. It sounds like the second, but it's surprisingly difficult to tell.

[jayblanc.livejournal.com]

I think one of the reward levels being "Play the RPGs Are Evil: The Role Playing Game" may be suggestive.

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

The top entry in the FAQ is also suggestive:

What is your favorite type of comedy?

I really like Stephen Colbert and the Onion. When a comedian really knows his material and can present a situation that sounds pretty ludicrous but instead of just jumping up and down and saying, "I'm making fun of this!" he instead presents it completely strait-faced and in a serious manner while never breaking character, that is when true comedic genius can occur.

[mr-mediocre.livejournal.com]

The approach I expect is that no send-up is necessary. The source material is its own parody.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

He's doing both: A sincere retelling of the comic without editorialising, with as much oomph and drama and authority as he possibly can put in - which will, itself, be absurd.

And, as he notes in the comments, no many has or will go to Chick Publications for this. So there's that.

[kla10.livejournal.com]

So, wait, JTC gave this guy from nowhere movie rights to Dark Dungeons, for free?

I kinda wonder who's trolling who here.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

That's what he says.

And I can kinda believe it - in addition to his Ring Of Protection From Irony +4, Chick is shameless and opportunistic, and Chick's audience are clueless. Upon receiving a promise to literally and legitimately film the movie, I can easily see Chick agreeing to it on the theory that it will work as a Witnessing tool on exactly the same audience who take Chick Tracts seriously to begin with.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Having seen "The Devil's Advocate"*, I predict a great many fundies will take this movie seriously.


* - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118971/

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Likely. And this way, Chick gets it made without needing to pay for it or do any work.

And I'm still *okay* with that. I don't think the people who take Chick seriously are going to grow in numbers because of this movie.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Also, you really do have to be a special kind of idiot to work at Chick Publications in the first place. So there's that possibility.

[jr ralls (from livejournal.com)]

Correct. I received the rights to film Dark Dungeons for free. Cause I'm awesome. I go into some detail in the comments section of my kick-starter page on this but the real reason is cause I'm awesome.

Neither Jack Chick nor Chick Publications Inc. will receive any monetary compensation, or has received any monetary condensation, for my film.

Have you watched the video? What did you think?

[nathan helfinstine (from livejournal.com)]

I think your question is answered in the FAQ:

"What is your favorite type of comedy?
I really like Stephen Colbert and the Onion. When a comedian really knows his material and can present a situation that sounds pretty ludicrous but instead of just jumping up and down and saying, "I'm making fun of this!" he instead presents it completely strait-faced and in a serious manner while never breaking character, that is when true comedic genius can occur."

Basically, Dark Dungeons is self-parodying, so a straight version is all that is required.

[agent-mimi.livejournal.com]

I'll send him $5 if he promises to pay for semicolon lessons with it.

[jr ralls (from livejournal.com)]

Deal accepted!

[bedii.livejournal.com]

This walks the fine line between "You have to admit, my plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity" and "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[doc-lemming.livejournal.com]

He can't afford more famous performers, but now I'm contemplating the casting. (He's shooting for what, $12,000? So he's not thinking of anyone I could come up with. Heck, he couldn't afford them, except for maybe my second cousin Gina.) And frankly, by the time I think of them, they're too old for the part: most of the cast of Dark Dungeons would be teenagers, wouldn't they?

I remember Ms. Frost, Debbie, and Marcie. Oh, and cleancut boy who offers the light. A bunch of nameless people in hoods.

(Um. I think it would be awesome if, after they manage the Summon spell, they broke out some dice for a quick session of D&D...without remembering the Binding spell.)

[jr ralls (from livejournal.com)]

Can I steal that idea?

[doc-lemming.livejournal.com]

If it's useful. Don't bend your script out of shape for it.

Official permission: Go ahead, take it. It's free.