Tangent: A quite humerous and adorable blog post about the rumorative power held by Facebook can be found here. It may be of interest to frequent readers and those who know me personally.
I went and saw Scott Pilgrim vs the World on Saturday and I love, love, love, LOVED it! It’s the kind of movie a comic book/video game/hopeless romantic/kinda stupid nerd would love, and I think that description defines me pretty well (except for maybe not the stupid part – you decide!). If you grew up playing games in the 80′s and 90′s, and you love movies that make you laugh and are insanely different than anything else Hollywood does, do yourself a favor and see Scott Pilgrim. I promise, you’ll love, love, love, LOVE it! And if not, lie to me and say you did.
I’m saddened that the film is “failing” in the eyes of the movie industry, and I think there are 2 legitimate reasons why.. Every movie blog within the blogosphere has come up with their own guesses, but I only really consider a these 2 to be legit:
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is hard to categorize. This is one of the aspects of the story that I really love, but it has to be a marketer’s worst nightmare! The posters with Scott rocking out on the guitar have been slammed for making people think the movie was about a rockstar, which is not the case, but they do make sense if you already know the story. You also can’t sell it as a love story, because that’s only one component of the whole. And an action movie? With Michael Cera? That won’t fly… So, how do you categorize this film if you’re Blockbuster Video? It doesn’t even fit in with the goofy punk/skateboarder movies I remember from the 80′s and 90′s (Gleaming the Cube, anyone?)… Universal Pictures tried, but mixed messages left potential audiences confused, which is a shame.
2. This movie was made for a small subsection of the population – the comic book/video game/hopeless romantic/kinda stupid (maybe) nerds of this world. I honestly don’t see this movie having a strong appeal to the masses when you consider the ever rising barrier to entry for this kind of thing (e.g. the $9 movie ticket). Those who have read the comic, which is supremely delightful and highly recommended, will be immediately drawn to the move. Those who love Michael Cera (a dwindling fan base) might be drawn. Those who love Edgar Wright (the director) may have been drawn… Aside from some of those pretty small fan bases, you’re lucky to pull in the occasional straggler (like my buddy Spencer, who was a rockstar for coming with the lady and I). Does the movie deserve a wider audience? YES, but that doesn’t mean it will automatically have one.
If you’re reading this and find anything I’ve said interesting, go see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and love yourself for it. It will treat you to something wholly different than anything else Hollywood has produced in a very long time. I thought the acting was good, the writing was witty, the transition from page to screen was handled marvelously, and I finally got to see a girl kick some butt with a giant hammer (+5 against girls).
K.O.
