Mazes and monsters is the best TV movie ever
July 6, 2007 2:27 PM   Subscribe

Behold, a tribute to the early work of Tom Hanks... Scene 1: OMG Minotaur! Scene 2: Attack of the Michael Jackson video dudes! Scene 3: Unintentionally poignant! Scene 4: OMG lost in NYC! Scene 5: Far out!
posted by Mister_A (20 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Previouslyish.
posted by Mister_A at 2:28 PM on July 6, 2007


Unsurprisingly neither his acting or choice of roles have improved.
posted by dobbs at 3:23 PM on July 6, 2007


OMG! I think I saw Mazes and Monsters when it first aired on television. IIRC, Tom Hanks ends up stabbing somebody for real. There's a scene where he's in a phone booth screaming, "I think I killed a gorvil!" Not bad performance, considering the material he had to work with.
posted by jonp72 at 3:30 PM on July 6, 2007


Jesus, it's also got Chris Makepeace and Lloyd Bochner in it.
posted by dobbs at 3:34 PM on July 6, 2007


I saw mazes and monsters on TV, when I was just getting into D&D, then later again in graduate school. The second time I watched it, I was amazed at how good Hanks acting was, even at such an early age, even in such a poorly written movie.
posted by absalom at 3:44 PM on July 6, 2007


Not to mention the poorly written crapola source material.
posted by blucevalo at 3:57 PM on July 6, 2007


This takes me back to the days when my born-again relatives were all convinced I was a devil worshipping psychopath preparing to go on a rampage. I can see that if you really buy into the religion thing, then it makes sense that roleplaying a character that worships pagan, even evil gods really is playing with fire. Sadly, they didn't have any luck talking my parents into having me committed.
posted by Manjusri at 3:57 PM on July 6, 2007


Imagine what you would think of a person who roleplayed a character that is a devout religious person, just for fun.

Done. It's fucking awesome.
posted by EarBucket at 4:12 PM on July 6, 2007


Jesus, it's also got Chris Makepeace and Lloyd Bochner in it.

I just watched C.H.U.D. straight through for the first time last night, and I was shocked at how many good, now-established actors had varyingly bit parts in it.
posted by cortex at 4:13 PM on July 6, 2007


Imagine what you would think of a person who roleplayed a character that is a devout religious person, just for fun. Now imagine that your own child became super gung ho into hanging out in his friends' basement rolling dice to pretend he is a televangelist's follower, having adventures based on the bible. You'd have him committed, my friend.

I'd think he was a loser, just like the kid that played the chaotic neutral warrior. Is it sad that I never played D&D, make fun of my friends who did (in a good-natured joshing way), yet at the same time know a lot about it?
posted by Falconetti at 4:33 PM on July 6, 2007


It's actually quite a good game. It manages to deal with religious fundamentalism without being either "JESUS SAYS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL!" or "LOL FUNDAMENTALISTS ARE TEH STUPID." Perhaps because it deals with a fictional religion (mostly inspired by Mormonism, but fictionalized) it's easier to take a step back.

And really, what's a weirder suspension of your own principles, to play a marauding adventurer, robbing tombs, killing people and taking their stuff? Or playing a traveling preacher trying to negotiate complex moral dilemmas and do right by everyone involved? Every time I've run Dogs In The Vineyard, I've learned new things about the other players, and they've often surprised me. It's a far less violent game than you'd think, too--the mechanics lend themselves far better to talking things out than to pulling out your guns and shouting "die, sinners!" It's designed so that combat, particularly with guns, is brutal and deadly. There aren't many RPGs out there that give the same kind of thought to the consequences of your actions.
posted by EarBucket at 4:38 PM on July 6, 2007


I actually own a copy of Mazes and Monsters on DVD. Yep, they released it, with a GIANT picture of Hanks' face on the cover. My dream is to meet Tom Hanks and tell him how much I loved him in M&M, then get him to sign the DVD case.
posted by papakwanz at 4:47 PM on July 6, 2007


When you say early Tom Hanks, I think "Who is it??"
posted by MtDewd at 4:50 PM on July 6, 2007


I remember when my dad somberly handed me the book as a cautionary tale.
posted by DU at 5:04 PM on July 6, 2007


Huh, I thought Mazes and Monsters was based on "The Dungeon Master", which I remember reading several times as a wee lad.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 5:20 PM on July 6, 2007


I actually remember seeing C.H.U.D. at a midnight movie in Westwood right after it opened in theatres. Good times.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:16 PM on July 6, 2007


Ahh I was wondering how long until someone mentioned Buffy and Hildegard.
posted by ilsa at 9:21 PM on July 6, 2007


Footage of firefighters setting up a command post in the lobby and mezzanine before, during, and after the first tower collapse.
posted by kirkaracha at 8:23 AM on July 7, 2007


In a bit of coincidental but spectacular good taste on Mister_A's part, I should point out that three of the YouTube video clips referenced in this post were uploaded by none other than my darling husband. He thought "Mazes and Monsters" was hilariously good in the way that only truly bad movies can be.
posted by Asparagirl at 1:53 PM on July 7, 2007


I was hoping for a link to the scene in the Man With One Red Shoe, where Hanks gets a dart in his ass, and cries for his mommy as he slips into unconsciousness. Don't know the film of which you speak, but I generally liked early Hanks.
posted by Goofyy at 7:47 AM on July 9, 2007


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