SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD K.O.s Harry!!!

Why is SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD leaps and bounds above everything else that has hit this summer? Why is it THE FILM you must rush out to see immediately? Sheer Imagination. Pure Kinetic Energy. A Genuine Visual Expression of the Essence of Rock N Roll Upon Geek Culture. This is that film. A movie that absolutely nails the genuine dream one has of life. The single most effective and truly new musical that I’ve seen in multiple generations. And it does that by revealing the soundtrack, score and cultural mind-track that our memory steals. The sound bytes you hear in your head as you do the things or think back upon the things we do. Edgar crawls into that sense of rocking self that great rock empowers one’s own ego to dare to dream. And these aren’t James Bond riffs. This is something wholly new. An action film without the meta-sapiens we’re used to. This is simply that story about kicking ass whoever the fuck you are. If you walk this Earth, breathe this air, read these words and watch these films… this is your film. There’s a sly disdain and mad crush upon hipster culture, but from a higher geek vantage view. When you’re stealing specific sound effects from all of our favorite television and film loving lives… and then CORRECTLY and UNCRASSLY applies them, it informs the sound memory of another sentient being telling the story of SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD. Then his comic book sensibilities correctly animate the dream of rock venue memories. You know that force wave that you feel in a rock venue… specifically those smaller venues, when that wall of sound hits you. And if you’ve ever been in a great club venue, you know what I mean… and how it changes on every beat. Edgar illustrates and animates those waves, and the reactions of the physical actors in those scenes are perfectly captured and interactive with the very effect itself. You know that scene of Marty McFly in front of Doc Brown’s super-amp? Less overtly violent, but viscerally and visually delightful. Remember ROGER RABBIT? Remember Bob Hoskins? I can’t even begin to touch just how fucking visually powerful this device is. Those nights when music, love, passion and a scene collide? That’s SCOTT PILGRIM. And it does it without feeling artificial. This isn’t GREASE, but it kind of is. If GREASE got with the times, married a completely particular animated illustrative visually kick ass WEST SIDE STORY as if a Ferris Bueller type was put into a KILL BILL sort of aesthetic! This is a movie that gets ya high, that gets ya drunk – and it does it with sheer musical and visual fury. It is all of us and it is laughing hysterically at it all. And when Edgar Wright references PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE when he talks about SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, I completely get it. If you haven’t seen Brian DePalma’s genius masterpiece, or if you don’t happen to agree about that statement… then I would say this. See this movie, then watch PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. They’re amazingly equitable works after thirty years of cinematic and graphical senses have evolved into SCOTT PILGRIM. Is it a younger sensibility? I’m not sure younger is the world. Cuz, Father Geek fucking went gaga for the film tonight and he was born in 1945. It put a great cheer in his face, after the film he was rocking the night out and that’s the kinda vibe this film gives off. Really this is a musical vibe. And the music here rocks. NOW – that’s just the veneer of the film. The most tip top shell of this amazingly intricate new and unique film. Next layer. Have you ever dated a girl that when you were trying to navigate that precarious moment of falling in love, when you discover… the baggage? The girl that has a scene, history and places where you meet and help her battle through that baggage till it no longer matters? Where you got past the drama, past the insanity and finally you can be at that point where it stops being crazy and you can just be. When the dating is over and you’re ready to build a life. Get a house. Think about life. All that? Well, that’s this too. This isn’t a story about just some hipstery geeky guy. It takes Scott’s shape and form and Michael Cera’s shape and form – as if to say… if this scrawny lil kid can train with Jackie Chan’s fight team, have the very best soundtrack in modern memory and killer visual effects… and he can find a girl above his possible social reach, then anybody can fight through whatever that initial rocky start and be the beginning of possibly something more. That any of us can land the girl of our dreams if we man up and don’t cower in the corner. I’d be lying if I didn’t say this isn’t a strange film. It is. It has a very quirky comedic style that is made out of pure montage. This is something to be expected from Edgar Wright’s visual oeuvre. The snappy way he has to illustrate in a series of very brief & perfect gags – that illustrate different moments of stalking, fighting, playing music, investigating… He controls the rhythm of the flow of these moments with exquisite precision. For example – the way that Scott is getting ready for his big showdown with Jason Schwartzman… it recalls George Cosmatos’ sequence that had Rambo getting ready to kick ass in FIRST BLOOD PART II, but when it gets to the shoestring tying on the shoe… he shoes that Scott slows down when tying his shoes and the gag is irresistibly funny. One of the great heroes of this film is Bill Pope, we love his work with Sam Raimi and the Wachowskis… I also thought his work on TEAM AMERICA was pretty amazing. But here… I think his work will seem overshadowed by the visual effects work – but I can’t separate that here because all the words and animated visual gags cast light and shadow upon all the real world sets and characters – resulting in something that is wholly real visually. But again, I’m back talking about the aesthetic of the film, when I want to begin talking about how much I love the characters in this film. I think you’ll get that when you see the film. The visual style is so powerful that it is hard not to get taken away with it. In the after party, I kept asking folks who their favorite character was – and I was shocked to find that no matter who I talked to, I couldn’t get an agreement about who was the favorite. Everybody instantly and enthusiastically answered with a different character. My fave? Honestly – I love Knives Chau as played by Ellen Wong. Of course… I fricken married my Knives Chau. If you want to see why I fell in love with Yoko, she’s pretty much an even better version of the Knives Chau in that film. When Knives gets absurdly excited – and her face lights up like something out of an anime? That’s Yoko. The way that Knives is drunk in love with musical discovery? That’s kinda how Yoko is about everything in life, but never more so than with Music… and Disneyland. Michael Cera’s SCOTT PILGRIM is kind of amazing. This isn’t Michael Cera or anything close to a character he’s played before. Here he’s far more pro-active than he’s been before. But also – this is a very stylized character and performance. Before seeing the movie, having read about his performance – people kept talking about how “Comic Book” it was – but actually – it’s more like some crazy young Peter Sellers performance. If Peter Sellers could rock and kick ass… and of course Peter Sellers could rock & kick ass… he just didn’t necessarily have the role of Scott Pilgrim. Cera is primarily a dreamer. His hipster & geek lifestyle takes second stage to this guy’s dreams. He’s a grown up Calvin. He gets distracted, obsessive and often gets stuck in his own imagination. He reminds me of some gawky early twenties aged Buster Keaton in this SHERLOCK JR inventive smorgasbord of cinematic tricks. I just think Scott would have been happier with Knives. Then there’s Ramona – and ya kind of have to love Ramona too. She’s just that cool chick that has an imposing history of previous boyfriends, whom she is constantly haunted by. She’s a beautiful woman, no more so than Knives, but in a completely different, more sophisticated manner. You can watch her be amused with Scott, his puppy dog love – and it sets her at ease. She loves to feel worshipped, to have simple dates and to just hang out. The other EXs all seem awfully high strung, high powered and well… they’re heavy baggage to deal with. But Ramona is that girl you ache for, she’s the whole package. She knows how to dress, how to have fun with her hair, how to make love, but that admires your attempt at Garlic Bread. She is the Ramona from the Frank Black song. And that song and this character are eternally linked. Much like Knives and Broken Social Scenes’ ANTHEMS FOR A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL. Then there’s those Seven Evil Exes. The Twins are the least fleshed out, essentially just being shown in their musical showdown, but you get no sense of who they were with Ramona. But the other 5. Well, hell – I love them too! And they’re the EVIL characters. They’re evil only in the sense that they can’t truly let go of Ramona. Well… and they want to fight and destroy Scott Pilgrim, of course. Chris Evans, Brandon Routh & Jason Schwartzman are my very favorites, but Mae Whitman’s Bi-Furious Roxy Richter is kinda classic – and how she loses her fight with Scott is absolutely hysterical. But then there’s Satya Bhabha’s Matthew Patel – who is epic as the first Evil Ex to fight Scott. His Bollywood powers are to be seen and enjoyed. And the Demonic Hipster Chicks, hysterical. But in terms of pure funny – Chris’ self-involved Lucas Lee and Brandon Routh’s Vegan powered Bass Player and Jason Schwartzman’s Satan as a Music Producer… well, they collectively rule. And ya know what – that’s not it. Also in the amazing character route is Brie Larson’s ENVY ADAMS – the girl that Scott is still truly hung up on. But I love it when she finds out that Scott’s new girl friend is the very same Ramona that her current boyfriend, Brandon Routh, is probably constantly going on about. I mean, dude – he is in a league of evil-exes of Ramona Flowers. And that this very same girl is dating her Scott Pilgrim. It kinda drives her crazy – and I love her for that. I also love the redheaded freckle-faced drummer for Sex Bob-omb, Kim Pine played perfectly by Alison Pill. She’s one of the faces that’s constantly judging Scott, as one of his exes. Kinda like Aubrey Plaza’s Julie Powers – who has had it up to here with Scott and Scott’s Drama. Then there’s Scott’s gay roommate Wallace Wells played by Kieran Culkin in one of the best gay characters in film. Just fantastic. And I love how he is like psychically connected via Direct Messages to Scott’s sister, played by the crazy cool Anna Kendrick. But I also love Young Neil as played by Johnny Simmons – he was out fucking standing in JENNIFER’S BODY as Chip – kind of the perfect high school boyfriend in that film, but here – Young Neil is in the shadow of Scott. He looks up to Scott, wants to play Bass like Scott, learns all his parts – and is even the boy that might pick up Scott’s leftovers – but this is just an actor to watch. He has mad charisma on camera and is just getting going. There’s actually a few other characters I could chat about, but you’re beginning to get the idea about how rich this film is in terms of characters. I have no pretense to believe this film will blow the box office away – there’s just a ton of people that are not giving this film a chance just based upon the baggage they attribute to Michael Cera, the Hipster culture and a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with the film. This is great cinema and exciting cinema. This isn’t something than languishes on screen, it rocks on screen. Rock-n-Roll Musicals have always been a tough sell, add to that the crazy comic sensibilities and the unique look of the film – and there’s folks that just don’t think they’re “hip enough” or the right “type” of person to get and love this, but the action is better than anything this year. The comedy and laughs are as rock solid as what you’ll find in a Pixar film. And the film can make you feel younger and cooler while you’re watching it. But if this film happens to be exactly your thing, you’re going to go bonkers in love with it. Seriously. Just crazy drunk in love. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD is Edgar Wright’s very best work to date – and SPACED, SHAUN OF THE DEAD & HOT FUZZ are nothing to sneeze at, but here… he found a new beat and it fucking rocks. Do you like to rock? I do. Then see this film and rock with someone you love. It is a film where your girlfriend will squeeze your hand, nestle up with you and that you’ll both love. That was my experience.