Wordplay (DVD Movie)

Crossworders-quel subculture! I had no idea that this world was out there, this competitive bunch of crossworders, but I must say that I am indeed a better person for now knowing! The movie begins by introducing the audience to a group people who are the key players in an annual crossword competition held/hosted by Will Shortz, editor of the NYT crossword puzzle. In following these different people (literally from all walks of life-a homosexual, a mid-west family man, a college student, a single female) the audience almost becomes a part of their group. It was absolutely warming, to say the least (Ellen Ripstein has got to be one of my all-time favorite characters!). Oddly enough, rules of the crossword puzzle are given, and the difficult nature of actually solving one, especially the NYT, is revealed. After leaving the theatre I was determined to solve one (I am embarrassed to say that I started small and have finally solved a Monday puzzle, and am coming close to a Tuesday! It really is a new way of thinking!); it has been a really long road! Aside from being really well made, Wordplay was also salted with cameos from icons of American society such as Bill Clinton, Ken Burns and Jon Stewart. To watch them work on these puzzles was great-as well as putting their pants on one leg at a time, they (sometimes) struggle with the crossword puzzle too!What a great documentary, and how fun to watch. In an age of vulgar and ridiculous entertainment, there is a shining example of entertainment revolving around a group of inteligensia. Bravo, and two enthusiastic thumbs up!

So you occasionally tackle a crossword puzzle and perhaps have never really thought about how they are constructed or what is involved in producing one each and every day.Did you know that there are contests for solving crossword puzzles?Perhaps you recognize the name Will Shortz, or maybe like me, from time to time you attempted a New York Times crossword puzzle without noticing his name as the editor.This video takes us behind the scenes of crosswords in the United States. I was extremely surprised to find that I enjoyed watching it, and can still remember much of the video. I have a son-in-law who has been an editor for most of his life, and he loved it. I predict that anyone who cares about words, their usage, definitions, misuses - most writers - players of Words with Friends and certainly those obsessed with crossword puzzles will love this movie.Shot in a documentary ENG (electronic news gathering) style with decent production value considering the obvious use of hand-held cameras. If you enjoy words, or are looking for a gift for someone who does, buy this DVD. Looks fine when upconverted on a Blu-ray disc player to an HDTV.

The movie is a documentary about crossword puzzles, crossword puzzle makers and crossword puzzle solvers. It focuses on Will Shortz, the puzzle editor for The New York Times and the annual competition he started back in the 1970s. On the way to the competition you meet the folks who construct the puzzles and those who take great joy in solving them. And the solvers range from former US Presidents to major league baseball players to pop music stars to Jon Stewart. Believe me, watching Stewart plowing into a puzzle is worth the price of admission in itself.The less famous players are folks who can do annagrams on the fly, have sets of unabridged dictionaries, and can do the Times Sunday puzzle in four minutes or so. These are folks who have marvelous talents but are short of people skills. They're the ones who were bullied in the playground, but they have found something they can take pride in. And the film's makers treat them with respect and kindness.There is bonus material in which some famous puzzle makers show how they go about constructing these challenges.The film has much wit and real respect for the talents of its subjects.

I have seen many hundreds of movies in my lifetime, and I must say, this is very close to being my favorite.It is not a giant movie... it is a small documentary about one interesting subculture. While there are plentyof famous people in the movie and that makes it more entertaining, the real heroes are ordinary people,and the movie makes them all lovable when it could just as easily have mocked them. I am notthe least bit interested in doing crossword puzzles, but this movie is about a community,both virtual and real, from all walks of life, that loves to do puzzles, and the movie mademe like *them*.The movie uses brilliant visualizations to show puzzles being constructed and solved. Severalreviews in newspapers have mentioned the wonderful cover of a Talking Heads tune by ShawnColvin at a key point in the movie... I echo that. You will not be able to get it out of your headafter you see the movie.I would not expect a documentary about crossword puzzles to make me laugh out loud andcry in a theatre, but in fact it did both.

A lover of crossword puzzles, I'm so glad this movie was recommended to me, and I will do the same for others. This fun movie shows that puzzles are created by intelligent, imaginative and witty people, who have to follow the rules of puzzle making. The finished puzzle is submitted to the crossword puzzle editor, who does in fact edit it before publication. The most enjoyable scenes are of the contests, which begin with close-ups of participants - their backgrounds, tricks they use, etc. and then the suspense of the contests. You find yourself rooting for a particular person and share the agony/ecstacy of each round in the contest. Some players have won 1st, 2nd, 3rd places consistently. A 3rd place winner yearns for 1st place, and after many years, he....does he get it, or not? Check it out

A great documentary about a subject I didn't think would hold my interest for very long on the Big Screen(perhaps its just sour grapes on My part,given how terrible I am at Crosswords) but it did.The speed in which some of these Hardcore Word Worshippers complete their daily fix is Mind Boggling and when it comes to these guys entering the Championships you suddenly not only find yourself more drawn in than you were before but actually cheering on a player that You want to see win.An Excellent Doc.

In German but fine

A very enjoyable peek into the world of crossword puzzlers, and especially the subculture surrounding the NY Times puzzles. Anyone involved in any aspect of puzzling and competitions will recognize the archetypes and sympathize with one (or many) of the players. Great fun.

excellent