Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

[TheLuckyOne]

Feels like it's been a while since we've had a lengthy discussion about an upcoming movie, so let's try to get one going. What are people's reactions to the trailers and previews we've seen so far? Look great? Terrible? Crazy? No question, the source material was always going to be a challenge to adapt... from the limited footage we've seen so far, do you have faith that they've succeeded?

(Also, timed to coincide with the movie's release, the sixth and final Scott Pilgrim volume comes out July 21. Behold!)




-D

[Rett Mikhal]

I detest Michael Cera and his acting skills.

...But this movie actually looks amazing. I almost hate to admit it! It's like when your rival wins a gold medal... you have to give praise where praise is due.

[TheLuckyOne]

Undeterred by everyone except Rett's lack of interest in all things Scott Pilgrim, I'm borrowing a page from Mike's book and giving everyone the chance to Pilgrim-ize themselves. Just go here and make it happen!

Here's mine:



-D

[StarOpal]

I'd play along, Drew, but have completely forgotten how to post a picture.

[Rett Mikhal]

I may have messed with the title.

This was as close to my geek tan overcoat I could find. I should post pictures of that. Unfortunately my digital camera was struck by lightning back in 1955.

[TheLuckyOne]

Sweet. A nearby comic shop just announced they're opening tonight from midnight to 1 AM solely to sell Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, pre-release date.

For non-comic nerds, that's basically the equivalent of a book store opening specially to sell the last Harry Potter book a day and a half before the official sell date. Unprecedented, in my experience.

-D

[StarOpal]

the ultimate Scott Pilgrim Map!

"So, I decided to combine my twin skills of geographomancy and scottoholism to make a map of every single Toronto location in Scott Pilgrim. See, more than any other comic, Scott Pilgrim is deeply embedded in the city of Toronto (my city). Sure, Spider-Man does his hangouts in NYC, but you never see him arguing with Triple-J about where to get the best bagels (obviously, H & H Bagels on 46th). But Scott Pilgrim happens in Toronto. No generic street scenes for this comic, every location is carefully referenced, including the Reference Library. So, with the help of my dedicated assistant, I mapped out over 40 identifiable locations in the first 5 volumes and then counted up the number of scenes and panels in each location."

[CheshireKat]

So who's read finest hour? thoughts?

[TheLuckyOne]

Not sure if this will sway anyone, but for any Whedonites who are on the fence, your master contributed the back cover quote to SP6:

"Scott Pilgrim is the best book ever. It is the chronicle of our time. With Kung Fu, so, yeah: perfect."
~Joss Whedon

-D

[Hucklebubba]

I feel like this movie and/or entire franchise is trying to pull some kind of Br'er Rabbit reverse psychology crap on me. Like Rett, I find Michael Cera to be ineffably unstandable, I was put off to the point of literal physical pain by the trailers, and the godawful Powerpuff Girls slackermanga art style* displayed on that comic cover is the hideous cherry atop my hot bile sundae. Hell, I don't even like Joss Whedon. They've thought of everything!

Which, I think, may be why I find myself still intrigued. The array of things for me to loathe is too perfect. Too comprehensive. Too meticulously optimized. There's something else going on here, and I aim to possibly or maybe not get to the bottom of it.

*Kind of makes me glad I don't draw much anymore. Back when I did, I was always aiming toward improvement, which is clearly a road to nowhere. If I had it to do over, I'd scoot around on a sheet of paper with a pencil grasped betwixt my ass-cheeks, then sit back and wait for the movie deals to flood in. After removing the pencil, of course.

[TheLuckyOne]

Ah, Kaleb, I was once like you. Young. Foolish. Disdainful of Joss Whedon. (Whose track record currently stands as "good but far from perfect" in my eyes.) "Scoff," I scoffed. "Scott Pilgrim? What is this manga hipster nonsense? I'll have none of it!" A reading of the Free Comic Book Day one-shot only reaffirmed my opinion.

And yet... so damn many people whose taste I respected kept singing its praises that I finally sighed mightily, bought the first volume, settled in and prepared to hate as I had scarcely hated before. But oh, that glorious day when the veil was lifted from my stupid, prideful eyes and I saw the light! I couldn't obtain the (then two) other volumes fast enough, and the wait for the remaining three has been interminable. It truly is to indie comics what Harry Potter was to children's books.

Okay, I'm being slightly facetious, but SP really is the balls. Don't make the mistake of assuming from the simplistic art style that the guy can't draw; it's drawn that way for a reason, and damned if it doesn't grow on you. And above all, don't deprive yourself of something great just because it's become popular. If you want, pretend you're me and go back in time four years, to when no one except cool people has ever heard of Scott Pilgrim and a movie isn't even a vague pipe dream. In fact, forget the movie entirely, because it's something completely different that may or may not be great. But the graphic novels definitively are great, and you're only hurting yourself if you don't at least give them a chance.

Go, pick up the first volume and enjoy. Don't make me sic LeVar Burton on your ass. "You do have to take my word for it, bitches."

-D