Warhammer documentary with Napoleon Dynamite actor

The film seems aimed at Warhammer diehards and newcomers alike, as the trailer opens with Heder looking for “the center of grim and all gnarly,” as the camera comically zooms out to reveal him standing in front of a huge statue of a Space Marine stands. . The film’s description implies that Heder’s quest began as a result of a “chance meeting in a game store,” but the admiration for the art of wargames is reflected in the trailer’s cinematic composition and editing. Shots of miniatures and core texts are interspersed with interview clips and medieval architecture that frame Warhammer and the culture surrounding it as esoteric and mysterious. Heder’s comical ignorance of the hobby balances the, pardon me, grim aesthetic, giving the trailer the sense that the final documentary will be accessible to even the most uninformed viewer.

The trailer ends with a directive to Heder: “If you want to talk to the Grandmaster, look for John.” This, of course, refers to artist John Blanche, who is credited with defining the visual language of Warhammer during his 46-year tenure at Games Workshop. Blanche retired last June and made rare media appearances on his personal blog. The trailer ends with a dramatic sequence of Heder knocking on what one might assume is Blanche’s front door, before quickly switching to an over-the-shoulder shot of a man, ostensibly Blanche, taking off his glasses in preparation.