Playing Columbine
Encyclopedia
Playing Columbine is a 2008 American documentary film
produced and edited by Danny Ledonne
, an American
independent filmmaker. The film follows the video game Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
in which players experience the Columbine High School massacre
through the eyes of the killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
.
, Doug Lowenstein, Jason Della Rocca
, Jenova Chen
, Ian Bogost
, Tracy Fullerton
, Brian Flemming
, and the hosts of Free Talk Live
. Arguments are made to support the game's inclusion in a growing movement of videogames with social agendas, referencing other independent games such as McDonald's Videogame, Darfur is Dying
, JFK: Reloaded
, and those made by Persuasive Games
.
Supporters of video games such as Greg Costikyan
note that the medium of the video game is undergoing the same reactionary criticism as previously experienced by comic books, rock and roll
, and Dungeons and Dragons. Some argue that video games will gain more mainstream acceptance as more video game players are in positions of power. The film argues that the medium of the video game should no longer be viewed as a child's toy
but rather as a mature form of art
(see art game
).
The film also examines the link drawn by the Toronto Sun
and other media outlets between the Columbine videogame and the 2006 Dawson College shooting
. The shooter, Kimveer Gill
allegedly listed Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
as his favorite game. Two students at Dawson College
during the shooting, Melissa Fuller and Joel Kornek, are interviewed and both dismiss the game's role in the shooting. However, Jack Thompson maintains that the game is a "murder simulator" that "trained" the shooter. The link between the game and the shooting is regarded as an "easy out for society" by then IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca
.
The final section of the film documents the 2007 controversy at the Slamdance Film Festival
in which the Columbine videogame was pulled from the Guerrilla Gamemaker Competition by festival director Peter Baxter. In response, University of Southern California
pulled its sponsorship of the competition and half of the other game developers pulled their projects out of the festival. The Slamdance documentary jury attempted to award the game a special jury prize but Baxter prevented the award from being given. Eventually, the game screens at other events such as Living Game Worlds in Gijon, Spain and a gallery installation at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
.
- which the film notes during the end credits. Ian Bogost
at Water Cooler Games observed that "It's certainly no surprise that those 'subjective decisions' would include the rejection of the film, which is openly critical of the festival."
on November 7, 2008.
It has also screened at Artfutura, the Bradford Animation Festival, the Denver Film Festival
, and the Santa Fe Film Festival
.
It has been screened in academic venues such as University of Texas at Dallas
, Emerson College
and Worcester Polytechnic Institute
.
The film has been released online via Amazon Instant Video, iTunes
, and Netflix
.
wrote at the gaming site Kotaku
that, "Judging by the rather short trailer, it feels like the documentary is a little too much about Ledonne and not enough about the very real and complicated issues involving both the shooting and the idea of tacking serious subject matters with video games."
A first look screening of the film at Gamecity
in October 2007 prompted Daniel Etherington to write on BBC Collective, "fascinating documentary... Isn’t it time that games were taken seriously?"
He continued:
A review by Anthony Burch at the videogame blog Destructoid wrote:
The film was reviewed by Andrew Barker of Variety
in November 2008 and noted:
Mark Fulton of Film Threat
wrote:
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced and edited by Danny Ledonne
Danny Ledonne
Danny Ledonne is an American film director. He is a 2004 graduate of Emerson College's film program in Boston, Massachusetts. He is known for creating the controversial video game Super Columbine Massacre RPG! that replayed the events of the Columbine High School massacre...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent filmmaker. The film follows the video game Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Super Columbine Massacre RPG!, abbreviated SCMRPG!, is a role-playing video game created by Danny Ledonne and released in April 2005. The game recreates the 1999 Columbine High School shootings near Littleton, Colorado...
in which players experience the Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
through the eyes of the killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
.
Film content
In the documentary, critics and supporters of the game are interviewed, including Ledonne, Jack Thompson, Hal HalpinHal Halpin
Hal Halpin is an American computer game executive and entrepreneur, and is the president and founder of the Entertainment Consumers Association .- Background :...
, Doug Lowenstein, Jason Della Rocca
Jason Della Rocca
Jason Della Rocca is the former executive director of the International Game Developers Association : Della Rocca supervised the daily operations, outreach initiatives, and membership programs of the organization from September 2000 to March 2009...
, Jenova Chen
Jenova Chen
Xinghan Chen , known as Jenova Chen, is the designer of the award-winning games Cloud, Flow, and Flower, and is co-founder of Thatgamecompany. Chen is from Shanghai, where he earned a bachelors degree in computer science and a minor in digital art and design...
, Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost is a video game designer, critic and researcher. He is a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a founding partner at Persuasive Games...
, Tracy Fullerton
Tracy Fullerton
Tracy Fullerton is an American game designer, educator and writer. She is currently an Associate Professor in the USC Interactive Media Division of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab. In December of 2008, she was installed as the holder of...
, Brian Flemming
Brian Flemming
Brian Flemming is an American film director and playwright.- Early career :Flemming was born and raised in California's San Fernando Valley, and studied English at the University of California, Irvine, graduating in 1998...
, and the hosts of Free Talk Live
Free Talk Live
Free Talk Live is an American call-in radio talk show heard seven nights a week. The program is hosted by Ian Freeman and Mark Edge on Tuesday through Saturday, Mark Edge and Stephanie Murphy on Sunday, and Ian Freeman and Dale Everett on Monday. It is a chiefly libertarian political talk show and...
. Arguments are made to support the game's inclusion in a growing movement of videogames with social agendas, referencing other independent games such as McDonald's Videogame, Darfur is Dying
Darfur is Dying
Darfur is Dying is a flash-based browser game about the crisis in Darfur, western Sudan. The game won the Darfur Digital Activist Contest sponsored by mtvU. Released in April 2006, more than 800,000 people had played by September...
, JFK: Reloaded
JFK: Reloaded
JFK: Reloaded is a "historical simulation" quasi-video game, designed to recreate the John F. Kennedy assassination. It is noted for its controversial subject matter, and was released November 22, 2004 by Scotland-based Traffic Games...
, and those made by Persuasive Games
Persuasive Games
Persuasive Games is a video game developer founded by Ian Bogost, a professor at Georgia Tech. The company focuses on making advergames with strong opinions. They have created the first computer game to be included as part of a newspaper's editorial, Food Import Folly for the New York...
.
Supporters of video games such as Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan, sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X" , is an American game designer and science fiction writer.Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including hex-based wargames, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games, online games and mobile...
note that the medium of the video game is undergoing the same reactionary criticism as previously experienced by comic books, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, and Dungeons and Dragons. Some argue that video games will gain more mainstream acceptance as more video game players are in positions of power. The film argues that the medium of the video game should no longer be viewed as a child's toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
but rather as a mature form of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
(see art game
Art game
An art game or arthouse game is a video game that is designed in such a way as to emphasize art or whose structure is intended to produce some kind of reaction in its audience. Art games typically go out of their way to have a unique, unconventional look, often standing out for aesthetic beauty or...
).
The film also examines the link drawn by the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
and other media outlets between the Columbine videogame and the 2006 Dawson College shooting
Dawson College shooting
The Dawson College shooting occurred on September 13, 2006 at Dawson College, a CEGEP in Westmount near downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The perpetrator, Kimveer Gill, began shooting outside the de Maisonneuve Boulevard entrance to the school, and moved towards the atrium by the cafeteria on the...
. The shooter, Kimveer Gill
Kimveer Gill
Kimveer Singh Gill was the Canadian perpetrator of the Dawson College shooting at Dawson College in Westmount, Quebec, Canada on September 13, 2006. He killed one student and wounded nineteen others before he committed suicide.-Background:Kimveer Gill was a 25-year-old Indo-Canadian born in...
allegedly listed Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Super Columbine Massacre RPG!, abbreviated SCMRPG!, is a role-playing video game created by Danny Ledonne and released in April 2005. The game recreates the 1999 Columbine High School shootings near Littleton, Colorado...
as his favorite game. Two students at Dawson College
Dawson College
Dawson College was the first English CEGEP and is located in Westmount, just west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dawson College is located near the heart of downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on 4.85 hectares of green space...
during the shooting, Melissa Fuller and Joel Kornek, are interviewed and both dismiss the game's role in the shooting. However, Jack Thompson maintains that the game is a "murder simulator" that "trained" the shooter. The link between the game and the shooting is regarded as an "easy out for society" by then IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca
Jason Della Rocca
Jason Della Rocca is the former executive director of the International Game Developers Association : Della Rocca supervised the daily operations, outreach initiatives, and membership programs of the organization from September 2000 to March 2009...
.
The final section of the film documents the 2007 controversy at the Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
in which the Columbine videogame was pulled from the Guerrilla Gamemaker Competition by festival director Peter Baxter. In response, University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
pulled its sponsorship of the competition and half of the other game developers pulled their projects out of the festival. The Slamdance documentary jury attempted to award the game a special jury prize but Baxter prevented the award from being given. Eventually, the game screens at other events such as Living Game Worlds in Gijon, Spain and a gallery installation at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a campus of the University of Colorado system, the state university system of Colorado....
.
Slamdance Festival rejection
The film was rejected from the 2008 Slamdance Film FestivalSlamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
- which the film notes during the end credits. Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost is a video game designer, critic and researcher. He is a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a founding partner at Persuasive Games...
at Water Cooler Games observed that "It's certainly no surprise that those 'subjective decisions' would include the rejection of the film, which is openly critical of the festival."
Release
Playing Columbine premiered at AFI Fest in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on November 7, 2008.
It has also screened at Artfutura, the Bradford Animation Festival, the Denver Film Festival
Denver Film Festival
The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily in the Tivoli Union on the Auraria Campus and the new Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver Colorado...
, and the Santa Fe Film Festival
Santa Fe Film Festival
The Santa Fe Film Festival is a Non-Profit Organization which presents important world cinema in a non-commercial context that represents aesthetic, critical and entertainment standards highlighting New Mexican film, new American and foreign film including revivals, retrospectives, independent...
.
It has been screened in academic venues such as University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
, Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
and Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
.
The film has been released online via Amazon Instant Video, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, and Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
.
Reception
Reacting to the trailer for the film released in July of 2007, Brian CrecenteBrian Crecente
Brian Crecente is an American journalist and columnist, the Editor-In-Chief of Kotaku, and the writer of Well Played, a weekly column internationally syndicated by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services....
wrote at the gaming site Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
that, "Judging by the rather short trailer, it feels like the documentary is a little too much about Ledonne and not enough about the very real and complicated issues involving both the shooting and the idea of tacking serious subject matters with video games."
A first look screening of the film at Gamecity
Gamecity
GameCity is an independent, annual videogame festival in Nottingham, England. The festival is aimed at the general public, and many events allow members of the public to participate freely. The festival receives little funding from the commercial video game industry, and is concerned instead with...
in October 2007 prompted Daniel Etherington to write on BBC Collective, "fascinating documentary... Isn’t it time that games were taken seriously?"
He continued:
A review by Anthony Burch at the videogame blog Destructoid wrote:
The film was reviewed by Andrew Barker of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
in November 2008 and noted:
Mark Fulton of Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
wrote:
External links
- official site of Playing Columbine
- Playing Columbine on iTunes
- Playing Columbine on Amazon Instant Video
- Danny Ledonne and Jack Thompson debate on Free Talk Live radio
- "These Games Really Push Our Buttons" MSNBC article featured SCMRPG and Playing Columbine
- SpoutBlog interview with Danny Ledonne
- Independent Films Direct interviews Danny Ledonne