Love crappy movies but are too ashamed to admit it? Are you a big Rob Schneider fan but you're tired of being burned? Not sure if you want to waste your money on the same old movie? That's why you have Joe.
Joe Loves Crappy Movies is by Joseph Dunn. Joe willingly goes to see the very worst that Hollywood has to offer. Whenever a crappy movie comes out Joe will be there to see it, make fun of it, and actually review it. Nothing is safe, and nothing is sacred. From the big budget action disasters to the low brow fart based comedies, to anything starring Martin Lawrence? Joe will tear it apart.
With each entry you'll get not only a comic poking fun at the movie, but also a detailed review. Joe's not educated in film or cinematography or acting, he's just a guy that draws comics and likes movies. So if you're looking for the everyman perspective and a little joke in comic form... you're in the right place.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Starring: Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Mae Whitman, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Keita Saitou, Shota Saito
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Universal Studios
The Official Site of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Discuss Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on the boards!
When I was 17-years old I went on a double date to see the American début of some new overseas sensation named Jackie Chan. I had no idea what I was in store for that night but, even with my budding teen hormones in full freak mode, I could not for a second be persuaded to sneak a kiss or cop-a-feel (I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be hyphenated but it feels right) for fear of missing a second of the magic that was happening on screen. What Jackie Chan does in Rumble in The Bronx was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The old school charm of classic Hollywood’s grand dance sequences with face kicking and ladder-attacks in place of the Charleston and Waltz. It was a mesmerizing and rejuvenating cinematic experience. There would be no back-of-the-theater fooling around because I was too busy coping-a-feel on Jackie Chan. Coping-a-feel with my eyeballs. There’s just no way to say that without sounding super creepy….
On a less creepy note, I had a similar experience tonight with my screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a version of John Hughes charismatic coming-of-age slackerdom told with A.D.D from within a video game. Sound effects are written out across the screen, roaring from whatever produced them; flaming swords are ripped from thin, fragile chests; and like any good movie – love rules all. It defies expectations. It’s truly like nothing we’ve seen on any format, platform or fever dream. This is a good thing of course. Ask any of the folks that have seen it and you’ll hear about the original approach and the sheer magic of faithfully adapting 6 graphic novels into one non-stop plot locomotive of a film. It’s good to the point where you should hop aboard the praise train and save a seat for the latecomers when this thing explodes into cult status.
The great difference between my reaction then and my reaction now is that Jackie Chan by 1995 had already built up a career of films in Hong Kong cinema just like Rumble. With Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley and director Edgar Wright have created something truly unique. A genre-warping template to be admired and mimicked for generations.
You can sense something special about Scott Pilgrim the second a snappy, young adult conversation is interrupted with a band’s battle cry and their pop infectious "yeah yeah”’s leading you into the film's opening credits. The perfect energetic intro to Toronto based slack-ass Scott Pilgrim and his rowdy group of friends. The film’s story follows Scott, newly in love with the mysterious Ramona Flowers, who must deal with defeating her 7 Evil Exes in battle while also helping his band Sex Bob-Omb (tasty tunes provided by Beck) wiggle their way through the battle of the bands.
I’d heard Edgar Wright compare Scott’s journey to the labors of Hercules, sort of this epic to-do list that he has to deal with one at a time. ¬¬ One by one the 7 Exes appear as Scott and Ramona’s relationship evolves. The demons of Ramona’s past bring with them slightly sexier demons from Scott’s past. It’s a remarkably complex collection of characters all interweaving with each other. The more people we meet the more we learn about the players that matter the most. Sadly in the process of the adaptation we lose some of the nuances of these secondary characters but the important stuff all floats to the surface.
That source material, 6 beautiful comics, hundreds of pages of chaotic bliss, is a dense journey of self-discovery and weird night terrors for both Scott and Ramona. Both go through changes that, in some cases, the film only touches upon. It’s difficult. It’s a lot of material to condense. While the film goes through pains to be faithful in things like setting and composition of frame, it takes some liberties with character and structure in course of trimming the fat.
Book 6, “Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour” was released less than a month ago so the events of the conclusion are fresh in my head. I’d read a lot about how the unfinished series influenced some last second changes in the film’s ending. Even still there are some severe differences between the two. It’s one of those things… This isn’t a Zach Snyder adaptation (300, Watchmen) where the source material is a bible that shall not be besmirched. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is very much Edgar Wright’s interpretation of the universe. Kind of like what Frank Miller did with The Spirit except something we could all enjoy.
In the end all we can ask for is that the characters and the world are well represented. We don’t need to know the back-story on Knives’ father as long as we feel her heartbreak and vengeance. Some things are easier to let go of than others but they ultimately put together something remarkably satisfying. A tight adaptation that honors the spirit of the source and arguably improves upon it.
(For more on the adaptation there’s a great salshfilmcast interview with Wright about his process developing the film.)
I love Cera as Scott. I was part of the camp that wasn’t sure if the awkward shyness he’d displayed in every other role he’s ever played was going to be a comfortable fit with the spastic and socially moronic Scott Pilgrim. As much as I’ve loved him in the past it was hard to imagine George Michael Bluth both rocking out and busting ass to Zelda sound effects. He is after all an actor though and we should at least give him the benefit of pretending he can head butt someone convincingly. Turns out he can. Plus in the process of bringing Scott to life Cera actually showed to me some of the Cera-like characteristics the character had all along. Scott’s just as humbly innocent and awkwardly uncomfortable with the world around him, he’s just able to express it faster and with better sound effects.
The rest of the cast is just as successfully matched. I was most pleased with the girls. Of Mary Elizabeth Winstead I will say that she surprised me with how well she embraced both Ramona’s aloofness and vulnerability. I think she was a better wig away from being really perfect in the role. Ex-girlfriends Knives Chau (17 years-old) and Kim Pine (Ellen Wong and Alison Pill in the flesh) have always been favorite characters of mine and when hearing initial casting I was lukewarm to where things were going. I gotta say that they nailed both of them. Wong is bubbly and fierce; the definition of first love, a broken heart and scarfed-revenge. Pill brooded like an all-star teenager but hooked me the second she screamed Sex Bob-Omb to life. There’s nothing finer that a chick drummer with a sarcastic bite.
Without dragging on about the impressive and extensive cast list let me just say that I underestimated the importance of Wallace Wells, played here by Kieran Culkin. He brings a kind of easy-breezy sass and levity that keeps things moving and is hilarious on screen. Great casting. Great execution. I’m thinking I may have forgotten how important he is to the series because in both the books and film Wallace sort of vanishes in the final chapters. Things get all kinds of focused on “epic showdowns” and “tying up loose ends” that all of the sudden characters like Wallace, Stacey and Julie sort of vanish into obscurity. It’s one thing to have the Evil Exes recede from the spotlight after being crushed into coins but we have an incomplete experience when not everyone gets a final word. Even a cursory one.
A minor complaint in a film that shines as one of the saviors of 2010. A rare experience that should not be taken for granted. Once in a blue moon a foreigner will introduce us to Kung Fu or a Brit and a comic geek will manage to make Canada the coolest place on Earth. We should cherish these accomplishments as much as we do the less obvious occurrences like an Ironed warrior redefining super hero origins or Keanu Reeves saving the world in bullet time. Scott Pilgrim is as significant a success and we should be freaking out accordingly.
Audiences as a whole were unwilling to throw their support behind Scott Pilgrim this weekend as it pulled in just over 10 million taking the number 5 spot. This would be something to worry about if we were eager for a sequel but I think fans as a whole wouldn’t want to taint the purity of the series by adding to it. No one wants to watch Scott Pilgrim fight 7 Evil Record Executives to try and get his band a deal. Let it be.
The truth is that 10 million is great. The film will scratch out a profit and then explode on home video. It’ll be a cult hit for the ages that will be rediscovered for generations by lost souls sick of the same old movie-going experience.
I'll be saying this for the rest of my life but the DVD format is dying. If I'm going to buy something as opposed to just waiting for it to show up on cable or Netflix Watch Instantly than it’d better be something exceptional. Something unique that demands to be revisited. I’ve heard that Scott Pilgrim doesn’t lose a step in repeat viewings and that in fact there are a slew of musical cues, visual gags and inside jokes that demand you see it again. I’m not convinced round 2 would be as dynamic as the nut-crunching first viewing but I can’t just rule out the value of watching this film on demand. It’s too much damn fun.
Pure joy is difficult to bottle but after a dry spell this year, 2010 may have finally cracked the formula.
The Scott Pilgrim comic developed over the course of years and in that time there was a lot of speculation of whether or not Ramona would at some point have to fight Scott’s Exes to gain his love? As much as I would have loved to see Kim Pine cut loose I’m kind of glad they didn’t go that way. Women are civilized and if they cross that line it becomes catty. I’d prefer to hold them to a higher standard, which is why I told this boner joke. That should be read sarcastically because it’s just a ridiculous sentence, but please read the comic as it was intended – men are fools and all jokes should be held at our expense.
That’s a wonderfull wall of text for you guys to dig through. Thanks so much for taking the time. More soon.
Joe – The creator of the strip who has embraced giving crappy movies the chance they deserve. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - The Introduction
Yeo – Yeo is Joe’s wife and often the voice of reason in the strip. Having her act rational allows the rest of the cast to embrace being in a comic strip which primarily involves randomly punching people, interacting with fictional characters and talking about boobs. Yeo is smart, beautiful and way too good for Joe. Don’t tip her off.
First Appearance - Fever Pitch
Irv – Joe’s movie-going sidekick who’s always down for watching Jason Statham crescent moon kick some thug through a plate glass window and getting some drinks before after and during a Vin Diesel movie. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
Agent 337 George Jones – A government Agent that took over for Joe after he was bad-mouthing President Bush in the V for Vendetta strip. George ran the show for over a month bring a much needed sense of patriotism and justice to both the strips and reviews. He eventually got too attached to his work, empathizing with Joe’s plight to give crappy movies a fair shake. In a way he came to love crappy movies as well and was pushed out of the position. He spiraled out of control and ended up in prison. His adventures will be told in the limited series JLCM Presents: 337 Locked Up which is set to début Christmas of 09.
First Appearance - V for Vendetta
Other Notable Appearances: Stay Alive, Ice age 2, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Slither, Here Comes Guest week, Let’s Go To Prison
Leonidas – The former king of Sparta who has traveled into the future and is having trouble coping with the modern times. Yelling loudly and kicking people into giant holes doesn’t really work the same way it did in the olden days. As time as gone by he’s adjusted but it’s a safe bet that he’s always one bad message away from throwing a spear through someone.
First Appearance - 300
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Strip# 300, The Golden Compass, Rambo, Untraceable, The Ladies of Max Paybe
Palpatine – Former Senator, Emperor of the Galactic Empire, Sith Lord... He shows up in the Joe Loves Crappy movies galaxy on occasion to let people know that they’re being stupid. No one’s really sure how he shows up in this universe but chances are it breaks all kinds of copywrite laws.
First Appearance - Episode III: The Dark Side
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Night Watch, Saw 3, Are We Done Yet
Slow Billy – Billy is a sweet kid but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. If you’re watching him for the day be prepared to explain to him the plot of the movie or how popcorn works or, not so much where babies come from, but what babies are. He’s a complete moron.
First Appearance - Four Brothers
Other Notable Appearances: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Da Vinci Code, Vantage Point, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Kyle the Movie Snob – Be careful what fun facts about movies you tell your friends at a friendly gathering or in line for the latest blockbuster, because if you’re even slightly wrong, Kyle will be more than happy to let you know. He usually gets what’s coming to him though. Poor guy has cracked three ribs since joining the JLCM cast.
First Appearance - Ultraviolet
Other Notable Appearances: 16 Blocks, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Transformers, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jean-Luc Picard – Another lawsuit waiting to happen is Jean Luc Picard who, towards the end of the strip’s first year, became the go-to background character. If there was ever a seat to fill or a random person to place wandering around in the background, nine times out of ten it was Picard. While Picard has crossed paths with Irv he and Joe have never met. Perhaps they will some day but for now just can an eye on the background.
First Appearance - The Producers
Other Notable Appearances: I’m not telling you, that’s no fun. It’ like Where’s Waldo – go find him!
Ice Cream Sandwich – Delicious and… deadly? Usually when you see someone eating an Ice Cream sandwich, someone else is experiencing a substantial amount of pain. Still, how nice is an ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day?
First Appearance - Saw IV
Other Notable Appearances: Bee Movie, Run Fatboy Run, Saw V
