# The Dungeonmaster

The Dungeonmaster (originally Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights) is a 1984 American anthology fantasy film produced by Charles Band, and is split up into seven distinct story segments, each written and directed by a different person: Dave Allen, Band, John Carl Buechler, Steve Ford, Peter Manoogian, Ted Nicolaou and Rosemarie Turko. The film's theme was influenced by the popularity of Disney's 1982 film Tron and the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.
Principal photography began in 1983 but the film was not completed until 1984. The film features an appearance by the heavy metal band W.A.S.P. The film is known for the line of dialogue "I reject your reality and I substitute my own". A sequel to the movie was shot and edited in 1988, but never completed.

## Plot

Paul Bradford (Jeffrey Byron) is a skilled computer programmer who lives with his girlfriend, Gwen (Leslie Wing), and "X-CaliBR8", a quasi-sentient personal computer that Paul programmed and which he interacts with via a neural interface. Gwen is jealous of Paul's unusually close relationship with X-CaliBR8, to whom Paul has given a female voice, and fears that their relationship will be destroyed by Paul's reliance on X-CaliBR8 for his various day-to-day activities.
One night, Paul and Gwen are both transported to a Hellish realm presided over by Mestema (Richard Moll), an ancient, demonic sorcerer who has spent millennia seeking a worthy opponent with whom to do battle. Having long defeated his enemies with magic, Mestema has become intrigued with technology, and wishes to pit his skills against Paul's, with the winner claiming Gwen. Arming Paul with a portable version of X-CaliBR8 (which takes the form of a computerized wrist band), Mestema begins transporting Paul into a variety of scenarios in which he must defeat various opponents. Most of the challenges involve Paul using his X-CaliBR8 wristband to shoot people, monsters, and objects with laser beams.
After Paul completes Mestema's various challenges, the two engage in a final battle, which takes the form of a fist fight in which Paul kills Mestema by throwing him into a pit of lava. After Mestema dies, Paul and Gwen are transported back to their house, where Gwen expresses her acceptance of X-CaliBR8 and suggests that she and Paul get married.

## Cast

* Jeffrey Byron - Paul Bradford, a skilled computer programmer who invented X-Cal-BR8
* Richard Moll - Mestema
* Leslie Wing - Gwen Rogers, Paul's girlfriend
* Gina Calabrese - girl in dream
* Danial Dion - monster in dream
* Bill Bestolarides - monster in dream
* Scott Campbell - monster in dream
* Ed Dorini - monster in dream
* R. J. Miller - Mr. Cahane
* Don Moss - Don
* Alanna Roth - flower girl
* Kim Connell - dancer
* Janet Welsh - dancer
* Carol Solomon - dancer
* Jackie Gross - dancer
* Barbara Mueller - dancer
* Nina Baker - dancer
* Paul Pape - police officer (uncredited)

### Ice Gallery

* Cleve Hall - Jack the Ripper
* Kenneth J. Hall - wolfman
* Jack Reed - mummy
* Guy Simmons - African
* Jeff Rayburn - handman
* Lonnie Hashimoto - samurai
* Knowen - Einstein

### Demons of the Dead

* David Karp - Paul Branford's corpse
* E. Lee Nation - zombie
* Beverly Miko - zombie
* James Di Mino - zombie
* Curtis Lee Garrick - zombie
* James Chestnut - zombie
* Peter Kent - zombie
* John Carl Buechler - Ratspit (credited as Ratspit)

### Heavy Metal

* Blackie Lawless - W.A.S.P. singer
* Chris Holmes - W.A.S.P. guitarist
* Randy Piper - W.A.S.P. guitarist
* Tony Richards - W.A.S.P. drummer

### Stone Canyon Giant

* Sal Fondacaro - stone canyon person
* Phil Fondacaro - stone canyon person

### Slasher

* Eddie Zammit - policeman #1
* Mack Ademia - policeman #2
* Danny Dick - slasher
* Kurt Braun - audition dancer
* Suzanne Lelong - audition dancer
* Marika Zoll - audition dancer
* Brian R. Carson - Paul Branford's double

### Cave Beast

* Jerri Pinthus - cave beast
* Diane Carter - angel

### Desert Pursuit

* Michael Steve Jones - desert soldier
* Randy Popplewell - desert soldier
* Anthony T. Genova III - desert soldier
* De Ette Adams - Gwen's double
* Felix Silla - desert bandit (credited as Felix Cilla)

## Segments

* "Ice Gallery"
** Written and directed by Rosemarie Turko
* "Demons of the Dead"
** Written and directed by John Carl Buechler (credited as John Buechler)
* "Heavy Metal"
** Written and directed by Charles Band
* "Stone Canyon Giant"
** Written and directed by David W. Allen (credited as David Allen)
* "Slasher"
** Written by Jeffrey Byron
** Directed by Steve Ford
* "Cave Beast"
** Written and directed by Peter Manoogian
* "Desert Pursuit"
** Written and directed by Ted Nicolaou

## Release

Scream Factory released the film on DVD for the first time in October 2013, along with Contamination 7, Catacombs and Cellar Dweller as part of the second volume of their Scream Factory All-Night Horror Marathon series.
Shout! Factory released The Dungeonmaster on a double feature Blu-ray along with Eliminators in December 2015.

## In pop culture

In MythBusters, Adam Savage quotes this movie.