I'm sure there are folks who will be dismissive of the Darkon members, I don't think they understand it. I'm not one of them, I'm not of Darkon, nor anything like it. But there is something about it that connects. This is a documentary half way between "isn't this sort of cool" and "aren't these people weird?" It's probably too long, but that's a minor matter. I think the essential part of it is the point that some people in the modern world sort of miss our past. We live in a very high tech world, how many of us get angry as hell when the broad band goes out? And yet, fifteen years ago, there was no broad band.
And as hard and as difficult life may be, things like broad swords rather than broad band, really aren't a part of it.
I think this documentary, well, documents a part of our minds coming to surface -- that the cyber world doesn't necessarily satisfy all our instincts. These guys are kind of into Dungeons and Dragons, and Excalibur, and history, but also mythology.
I think you can call them just big kids, refusing to grow up, but I do like the way the movie progresses, a kind of drama is accorded to some things that are obviously silly, to one outside the society. I'm not in it, so I can hardly say, but I can see why they do these things. I think it helps break out of every day life, and touch the past, and touch the myths.
To answer why in the world these people do this is to answer why there is a mythology and stories of witches and fairies and goblins and on and on. I think these are folks who revel in mystery and history and alternate history, and maybe just plain old revel.
My take on it anyway.