I've memorized about 30,000 seven and eight letter words in the last month, so I'd say I'm well prepared.

Wow! This is how documentaries should be made. Word Wars was fantastic. Unlike Dogtown and Z-Boys this is a movie that knows what its subject is. You may think it's scrabble, or how to play competitive scrabble, or the tournements involved. The movie covers all those things, but really only as background to its real subject: the wacked out guys that are addicted to competitive scrabble as a lifestyle.

The movie follows four of them, and they really have fallen off the deep end. Three of them don't have jobs, they just study and play scrabble - travelling to tournaments where they hope to make back their travel expenses. Their big dream is to win the intensely competitive national championships - where they would pocked the monstrous sum of 25 grand. There's really no way to describe these guys except to say they've become addicted to scrabble.

It was totally mesmerizing to watch. The determination these guys have, working after a goal most of us don't understand. Just the single minded focus they have. It's tragic and odd all at the same time.

I don't think you need to know scrabble to enjoy this movie (I'm certainly no expert) but I think you do need to have a certain affection for and understanding of geeks. This makes sense, since scrabble isn't the focus of the movie - it's the players the movie pays attention to. And while I'm often called a geek (I admit it, it's true) these guys are more than out of my league - we're not even playing the same game.

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