Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Post Release - Page 5

This is basically what comes to mind whenever I see Jane in anything now.

Did the opening credits remind anyone else of the opening credits of Enter the Void? That very loud, very colorful, in your face kind of thing?

I need to rewatch this on its own terms. The books are too fresh in my memory for me to not compare it to the film. I felt like while watching it, it was basically perfect, but at the same time I missed a lot of Ramona's development from the book. Specifically, she never gets her own flaming katana. I thought that was a particularly important moment for the character. More Kim and Envy would have been nice too, but ya can't have it all.

They completely nailed that amazing scene backstage at the Clash at Demonhead show though. My god it was great. And that shot where the caption goes out of focus was so well inserted into the film. A lesser director would have botched it by calling too much attention to it.

Now that you've pointed it out, I can see the similarities. But while watching the movie, not really. Honestly, I don't think anything could ever 'top' what Noe's film's credits did there.

It's his catchphrase, he even used it in Hung.

If anything I would have figured Pegg and Frost would have had cameos in the movie, so seeing Jane and Collins was great.

Plus, there's a Don McKellar cameo, which kicks this close to a 10 outta 10 for me.

Way OT but I got this for my friend at Emerald City Comic-Con this year:

Stuff like that is why I like Jane. His cameo with Clifton Collins Jr. was great, especially their high-five exit.

Anyway, having had some more time to mull over the movie (it's still tied with Inception for movie of the year), here's my laundry list:

-Satya Bhabha and Ellen Wong are the two great unknown finds for this: Bhabha sets the goofy, wildly enthusiastic tone for the rest of the Exes and rocks the shit out of his mini-musical number, and Wong is just adorably hyperactive.

-Oh, and so is Johnny Simmons. I was watching him closely throughout and everything he does is gold, especially his hilariously agonized "You punched the highlights out of her hair!"

-Anna Kendrick as Stacy actually came close to stealing away the movie for me at some points; much like the comic, she really does seem like an older sister to Scott even though she's technically younger, and her interplay with Culkin yielded some great moments.

-I liked how the use of the actual Universal logo music as Lucas walks out of his trailer almost serves as a callback to the 8-bit logo joke.

-I can't wait to see what Brandon Routh does next.

-Mary Elizabeth Winstead deserves a lot of credit for making Ramona work, as it's a very tough role to play. But she makes Ramona sympathetic even when she's being frustrating and mysterious, and so, like the books, I had a legitimate interest in Scott and Ramona's relationship.

Did you have to pay for him to sign your DVD case? Just curious because when he was at Emerald City Comic Con earlier this year (I didn't go), he was one of the only big names not listed as charging for an autograph.

Scott Pilgrim is a lovable movie. I have a hard time imagining anyone under 35 not falling in love with it right away.

Andrea Rothe talks about an off-the-cuff scene that alludes to a year passing. How did I miss that? When did this happen?

The credits honestly reminded me a bit more of Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People. Which makes since as a reference point for a movie that trades heavily in indie music.

I asked the exact question in the thread for that article. 2 people replied saying they're certain that this didn't happen. After watching it twice, I'm pretty sure it didn't happen either.

I need a second viewing. I feel like I couldn't honestly give an impression of this thing while I'm overwhelmed by all the BRILLIANT.

Right now, all I can muster is that I'm trying to reconcile this with the same Edgar Wright who made Spaced, Shaun, and Hot Fuzz, and I swear to Christ I didn't see him. This is a work from a guy operating on an entirely different level. Between this and Inception, I'd be absolutely daunted to be a genre filmmaker these days. The bar feels goddamn stratospheric.

Also, oddly enough, I found myself very easily able to put the book out of mind for this film, which I was worried about. I knew the basic framework, sure, but the streamlined, focused journey of maturity for Scott and Ramona is telling this story in very different terms than the books do. Simpler terms, but it makes seeing what these two are really gaining from each other a lot easier to ascertain, and really makes their screw ups and victories hit home.

Lastly, from the gamer standpoint: I knew from that Wired article they were using music cues from Zelda in the film. The Link to the Past cue and the random effects drops were fine, but the Fairy Fountain/Load screen music scoring Scott dreaming of Ramona is just perfect in a way I can't even describe. I had the goofiest, happiest grin on my face when that kicked in.

....ah, hell, I may have to go again TODAY.

I can't tell you how hard I geeked out over that. "Am I really hearing the Fairy Fountain music arranged as part of the score for a major motion picture?"

I didn't. Magical, fun and enjoyable but not a love of mine. However, I do find it extremely educational as the technical prowess on display is something to behold, specifically with the cinematography.

Is that vocalized Zelda game save cue on the score CD? It was gorgeous.

Saw this last night, in a packed theater. Crowd reaction was great. Laughs at all the right places, even the guy who yelled 'Don't Say It!' before Knives says love was in the spirit and the crowd chuckled. Loud applause at the end. The Escape Through the Window, I Need to Pee on Her, and Knocked her Highlights off, slayed the crowd. There was a pause for the behind the knee joke, but when Roxy exclaimed 'You will never make her feel this way' the audience cracked up. Fantastic film. Did I not read something about alternate endings, as in their could have been two different theater reels? One with Knives and Scott, the other with Ramona and Scott. I could be insane.

I have not read Scott Pilgrim, so it looks like I will be picking that up.

The ultimate conclusion with Ramona and Scott was added late. The earlier cut ended with Knives and Scott together.

Nope. He also signed my Blu-Ray of The Mist, the extended version of The Punisher, and Face/Off for me.

I loved this movie to pieces. Saw with what's got to be the ideal crowd--downtown Toronto on opening night. (It was packed.) (Though oddly, there aren't as many theaters showing it as I would have expected--even here.) Saw it with my new girlfriend who I'm crazy about. Pretty much the perfect night at the movies.

Buuuuut...if I'm being truly objective, I'm going to have to state that this is probably a weaker effort than Shaun and Hot Fuzz. What keeps it from true greatness are two things. One is Ellen Wong's performance--she goes too far over into annoying and pathetic with her mannerisms, so that while I felt sympathy for her, the final scenes, and particularly the "I'm too cool for you anyway" moment, which should have KILLED, fell a little flat.

The other is what Tyler said. I cared about the Scott/Ramona relationship, but I have to admit I think a lot of that is ported over from the comics; I'm not sure Wright earns it alone, and their chemistry isn't so great that it would feel natural that he'd be into her. It's an interesting choice to make it so that the relationship can't really start until the Evil Exes are defeated, but I'm not sure it really works (for instance, the Roxy Richter/"airing our dirty sexy launrdy" business feels more like something a couple would go through after they had been together for a while, not when they were still starting out). There really needed to be, at minimum, another scene of them happy together and falling in love. I actually think that was a big misstep, to have Ramona run away after Lucas Lee, when they probably should have been coming together around that point--it makes it seem like their relationship is wall-to-wall problems, with none of the good stuff. Even their first date came of as an actual, honest "disaster", with no chemistry until Ramona was suddenly snogging with him, as opposed to the bonding experience that it seemed like in the comics.

I'll need to see it again. But it seemed like, without some heroic work by Winstead, movie-Ramona would have been totally unlikeable.

Still, this is the kind of movie you love first and find fault with later, without it impacting your enjoyment at all. I haven't seen a movie like that in a looooong time.

Classy dude!

I just noticed that both Justin and Chris have basically the same avatar and status message. You guys seriously have a Scott/Young Neil and/or Ramona/Knives thing going there. It's great.

Great film. I was floored by the scene transitions in the film and how they seemed to create a forward momentum in the film. Both the editing and direction was superb. Almost every performance was at least above average, with Winstead, Culkin, Pill, and Simmons really standing out.

Some people are comparing Scott Pilgrim to Speed Racer, which I have not seen. Is SR worth a Blu-Ray blind buy, if I loved this film?

Love Speed Racer to death. That said, I think you should give it a rent before you buy it. It's a gorgeous blu-ray that's hindered by a regular Dolby Digital track.

Holy Shit, this movie fucking kicks ass! Will chime in later with more detailed thoughts.


High five, Edgar!

You crazy! Though I recall reading a similar criticism of the character in the comics as well... which I thought were also crazy. "Too cool for you" moment really worked for me, because I thought it was true.

I wish there was a little more closure about the way Knives was just as callous as the other characters in the way she used Young Neil to make Scott jealous.

As for her over-the-top mannerisms and how pathetic she gets, she probably embodies the spirit of the comics and the movie the most.

I thought Scott and Ramona's first 'date' played as well as it did in the comic. But that could be me bringing my feelings of the comic to the movie. But I certainly didn't think of it as legitimately disastrous. I do agree with the rest of your points about the way their relationship is portrayed. Could've been stronger, but I had no problems while watching it.

A few more random thoughts...
I know the 8-bit Universal logo and the use of Zelda music is awesome, but I had those surprises spoiled for me. The moment I KNEW I'd love the movie while watching it was when the camera starts to pull waaaaay back as Sex Bob-omb rocks out. Love that shot.

Aubrey Plaza should get some praise here. MOST of her performance reminded me a bit too much of her character on Parks & Recreation, but she knocked it out of the park where it really mattered: the scene in the backroom with Envy. She hit her few moments perfectly.

I saw Speed Racer in theaters and felt sort of underwhelmed. I saw it a few years later on Blu-Ray and was blown away. It will crack your brain open and spew Pixy Stix into it, and re-seal it in a blast of dazzling lights.

Thanks for the feedback on Speed Racer. I will derail the thread no further!

Was anyone else reminded of Death Proof's last moments as Scott and Knives teamed up and started pounding Gideon's face in?

Also, the 'cast of Breakin' that Scott had to fight twice had me immediately thinking of Anthony Michael Hall's goons in the Christmas episode of Community. A lot of flipping.

Which reminds me of that fantastic overhead shot of Scott spinning and flipping with the sword. Amazingly fluid moves by Cera's stunt double. Wright/Pope's camerawork really enhanced that motion.

There's a lot of funny stuff in this movie, but I laughed the hardest at the NEGA SCOTT punchline. "We have a lot in common!"

Based on tweets from @jamesrocchi and @scott_tobias, I think the film just needed to drop some of the gags from the books that are in the movie just because they're gags from the books, and trim the final fight, and there'd be enough room for more Scott/Ramona intimacy without much effort. The gag about all the teas. It's funny, but it doesn't say anything about anyone. I think a ruthless trimming (no outright cuts but trimming) of everything at the Chaos Theater and jettisoning a few of those jokes would have made plenty of room.

But it's not a big deal, and the film as it is is great. I just dislike Rocchi's suggestion that 3 of the exes should be cut/merged.

Speed Racer is a great movie, but pretty much the exact film I had in mind when I said I wouldn't push for a longer cut of Scott Pilgrim. Seth Green, of all people, summed it up perfectly in that the movie really climaxes with the mountain race, then has 20 or 30 more minutes of perfectly good, but wildly unneeded movie. I'm also more impressed with Wright's transitions because he does it in a more analogue fashion (or at least it appears that way). Speed Racer's cutting and momentum is brilliant, but it feels like a bunch of special effects (which, of course, it is) rather than a practically stream of conscious movement from plot point to plot point. I'm loving the reviews that are comparing it to French New Wave, because I'd never have put that one together myself.

The Twins battle was visually amazing, but besides the 1-Up get, I didn't think it was crucial to the story. They're the only X that feels like a gag rather than a revelation about Ramona. I would've also liked it if the win came from Bob-Omb pulling it together instead of Scott jealousy-raging at Gideon, but the monster fight makes up for it.

I don't think they should have cut any of the X-s, but I can understand why some people felt battle weary leading up to the Gideon battle.

I like this idea. I think that's what so jarring about the last scene, it seemed like all that stuff peeled away.

I thought of Kill Bill at Routh's "we have unfinished business."

Actually, that was one of the few things I didn't like. In the book, Scott merging with NEGA SCOTT is such an important part of his evolution and acceptance of the fact that he did some pretty cruel, thoughtless things in his life that I hated seeing it reduced to a joke about getting brunch.

I think you could see the movie interpretation as a different angle on that idea. It's played for laughs, but it shows he's comfortable with that part of himself now, and the dialogue all but says he's decided that he actually wants to be a nice guy rather than a self-focused bumbler.

I haven't read the books (though I've got plans to start), but in the movie he's already found peace with himself by then, so fighting it out or accepting what Nega Scott represents would just be hammering the same nail.

Don't you talk to me about grammar!

I just read a bit of Vol. 3 and was surprised to see some of the moments/lines that were transferred from one character to another. I had completely forgotten that Ramona kneeing Gideon in the balls was actually a moment between Envy and Todd. That was the moment that had Todd proclaiming that he can hit girls because he's a rock star.

I loved the way Nega-Scott was handled. At that point in the story the movie tells, it makes complete sense and goes with the tone of the movie. It's funny... I was fully prepared for the eventual confrontation when the movie was clearly setting it up as Scott and Knives were playing that dancing ninja game. Having read the comics, some of those lines and references were so on-the-nose that it was funny. Then the movie continued and I was so exhausted by the end that I completely forgot about Nega-Scott. As I mentioned above, I knew Wright was too smart to extend the finale THAT much, so I got a huge kick out of that resolution.

That line slayed me. It was the perfect way to show Scott excepting his dark side without going about it in a long protracted fashion. Plus the use of a mutually calm and friendly resolution was a great juxtaposition against the many fights that preceded it.

I know nothing about the book, but having Scott casually befriend Nega Scott is an elegant and funny way to express this acceptance, especially after the SELF-RESPECT scene and his apology to knives.

Speaking of which: it may have been an easy one to pull off, but pretty much all of the black box gags, especially Envy's, killed.

Sadly, it killed in a not even quarter full theater, but still. I'm hoping for more when I go tonight.

By the way, anyone else stick around through the end credits? Those of you who've been playing the PSN game should get a tiny kick out of it.

I stuck around. I was hoping for some extra scene, but it was fun to see 8-bit Scott get his theatrical debut.

Julie's last line of "Fuck Pilgrim" was nice.

It's the same resolution. He made peace with himself.

It's something I thought about when I saw the trailer for the film months ago, but I really appreciate how natural Winstead's body looks and how it manages to look very much the way Ramona is drawn by O'Malley.

This is hard to express without making it sound like I'm saying Winstead is fat, so bear with me. Basically, she's not some super-curvy pin-up type, nor is she a stick. And she's great.

I'm not at all attracted to the primary-colored hair look in real life, but Winstead makes it super-appealing and wears it naturally. I'm now so accustomed to her look in this movie that I see very little resemblance between Ramona and photos of Winstead that show up if you google her name.

It's more of an event in the book. He comes out of the confrontation having gained the insight that enables him to understand Gideon and defeat him. In the film it's just a very funny joke after everything's already been resolved.

I wouldn't say that his merging with Nega-Scott was a resolution in the comic. It was more of a catalyst (that had gotten developed over the last... 3 volumes, I think?) that got Scott off his ass to confront Gideon (and even then, he still had more growing to do).

In the movie, it's like a little bonus resolution that's played as character-driven humor. Just to let the point hit home.

If this movie had a face, I would punch it.

I haven't felt this left out in a long, long time. Just got back, this was a very good movie, objectively excellent in most regards and deserving of praise, and I enjoyed quite a bit of it... In the end I feel like I should like it, but instead I kind of hate it and I never want to see it again. I can't put my finger on why. I can't remember ever having this reaction to another movie.

The editing is pretty cool, though.

(The discussion of the differences is kind of making me want to try reading the comic again.)

I actually liked the handling of Nega-Scott BETTER in the movie than in the comics. It was not only funnier, it felt, in a weird way, more resonant. And it had that nice mix of absurd comic/video gameyness with the mundane that the comic does so well.

I think I like the movie Gideon better too. I mean, as a part of the movie, I don't LIKE him, of course. He needs facepunching very badly. I'm actually sort of torn on how Gideon has Ramona captive at the end of the movie, as opposed to how it works out in the comics. On the one hand, I feel like the movie kept things more focused on the video game metaphor by doing so. On the other hand, the story SHOULD sort of drift away from video games, to make the point that life isn't like that, and it did, as mentioned, make Ramona kind of passive. It's not that they didn't overcome that fairly well, but I would have liked a bit more of a "you can't actually solve your problems by beating people up until they explode into coins" beat. (Predictably, a lot of stupid critics are missing that this IS the point of the movie and complaining that it glorifies the rescue-the-princess mentality of relationship movies.)

I have to admit...it might have been smart to drop the Twins and have Todd/Clash at Demonhead be the band they had to defeat at that point, thus leaving more time to develop the other characters.

Also, did anyone else think that Schwartzman seemed to be morphing into Steve Carrell in his last couple of scenes?

The petulant whining he's doing as he starts to glitch out? I didn't, but now that you point it out, I can't stop thinking about it.

I walked out of the theater with a huge smile on my face.

I dug Romona's aloofness, as much as her stunning looks.

The reason I thought Kim was hot was because she was so bitter.

My favorite Wallace scene is when he is texting while passed out.

"You know how long it took to get all the contact information? LIKE TWO HOURS!" even sounded like Carrell.

"You made me swallow my gum! It's gonna stay in my digestive tract for 7 YEARS!!!!!!"

Hahahaha. Love Schwartzman. He stole Fantastic Mr. Fox and nearly stole this whenever he was on-screen.

Some attention to Matthew Patel... am I wrong to think that the shot of his fancy footwork (swinging his legs side-to-side) was a tribute to Ken Lo in Drunken Master II? I think even the sound effects were the same...