[SCA-AE] Queer Eye for the Medieval Guy

[timothy lawrence]

>Michael wrote:
>>    Someone, quite a few years ago, told me that the split of Acre from 
>>the SCA was the inspiration for some incidents in the plot of the film 
>>"Knight Riders". But that may actually be some sort of SCAdian urban 
>>legend...:)
>
>Not legend, fact.  The incidents in question were a fall East Kingdom Crown 
>Tourney held in BMDL (at CMU) in 1979, and the fall-out through the next 
>year.  George Romero (local boy) was either present at it or heard about 
>it, made the movie locally, and it premiered two years later, the same day 
>as Excalibur.  (Saw them both, same night.)  There are some other themes 
>making up the plot of the movie, but this was one of the major ones.
>
>                         -Aidan


Actually unfortunately, it is an SCA urban legend.  I had heard basically 
the same tale for years when I first got involved in the SCA and had assumed 
it was probably true , given that George Romero was making his films around 
Pittsburgh.

Having believed this for years, I had an opportunity this last April to go 
to the source itself.  Slippery Rock University was having its Warner Film 
Festival and as part of it on April 19 they started off the film Festival by 
having a showing of Mr. Romero's movie Creep Show.  Part of this, was also 
that they had Mr. Romero on hand to present him with the Keystone Award for 
Pennsylvania filmmaking.

Several actors from his zombie movies were on hand to talk about making 
those movies and working with Mr. Romero.  Afterwards Mr. Romero answered 
questions and signed autographs.  I had taken my VHS copy of Knight Riders 
and got him to autograph it.  I also used the opportunity to ask him about 
the stories that he had seen an SCA event and it had inspired Knight Riders.

Mr. Romero said he has been asked this question lots of times and that he 
knows who the SCA is from reading about them ,  but no he had never actually 
been to an SCA function and the SCA was not in any way the inspiration for 
his movie Knight Riders.

Having hung around to be one of the last four people to get ask him 
questions, I admit the answer was a little depressing, but at least it came 
from the one person who actually knows what the real story was.

Kyriell