Midweek Mention... Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

Dan: reduced team on the midweek mentioned this week? Side

Sidey: three is the magic number. That's right.

Yeah,

Dan: it is. And Given us this to watch Scott Pilgrim versus the world. Is that a longer title? Yeah, I, I managed to

Sidey: watch the race? You watch it Was this your first time?

Dan: It was my second time watching

Reegs: I'd seen this a couple of times here.

Sidey: Gravy. So I was toying with the idea of like an all musical episode.

and It didn't do that but I picked this. It, was just kind of a musical

sort of

Reegs: yeah.

Sidey: We can get into it. I have all the comics that this is based upon.

Reegs: Do you all right? Okay. Big fun then.

Sidey: Yeah, well, no,

Reegs: no, no. I just have

Sidey: I just, yeah, I just, I just

thought I should have,

Reegs: I haven't read them. How are they?

Sidey: there's sort of just visual. There's no dialogue The Almost to speak. of

Reegs: Is this a faithful adaptation?

Sidey: I would say so.

Reegs: yeah. Okay.

Dan: So sorry. Is this based on a book then that I didn't know

Sidey: a comic series.

Dan: right. I didn't know that.

Sidey: Yeah.

I'll bring them along one day

Dan: so, um, what I do know is this is, um, Edgar, Wright's kind of nerdy film of Scott Pilgrim, who is. A bass player in a rock band.

he's found a girlfriend,

Sidey: by several.

Dan: His,

her

Sidey: but the Legion of evil Xs. Yeah.

Yes. It's Michael Sarah plays Scott Pilgrim and he is dating a high school girl when we first meet him called knives, chow

who?

is played by Ellen Wong and she is super hot

Reegs: Yeah. But he's 22 and she's 17

Sidey: not in real life in real life, in this she's three years older than

Reegs: Yeah.

Sidey: So it's Okay. to think that she's attractive.

Reegs: sure. But it's immediately a little.

Sidey: Yeah. And his friends were like, what you're doing. that's like inappropriate.

Dan: well, he does say that we don't even hold

Sidey: We held hands once. I think he says, yeah.

And I, like I said, I couldn't play video games and stuff, but he has a vision and a dream or just a dream uh, where he sees a girl roller skate past him is your roller skates or roller

Reegs: skate So then,

Sidey: These guys, Um,

it's,

he's immediately drawn to finding out who this person is.

Reegs: She's got blue, blue hair, I think.

Sidey: Yeah. It does change several times throughout the movie. Yeah.

Um,

Dan: pink.

Reegs: she's an Amazon delivery girl. yeah.

Yeah.

Sidey: So he sees, her, I think at a party,

Dan: Uh, library first, I think isn't it. Is it coming down the stairs? We have knives and he sees her, um, in her job

Reegs: she doesn't seem

Dan: signed away.

Reegs: like she's not super into him, but he's like absolutely

Sidey: by

Reegs: instantly.

Dan: he sees the girl that he saw in his dream the night before. And, you know, as you would, you'd probably. Thank you in a dream again. And

Reegs: Yeah. But she hand waves that away is like, oh, I can travel through mine.

So it's, I don't think you can do that here or wherever. And you're just like, yeah.

Sidey: Well the realism, in this film

Reegs: yeah.

Sidey: tenuous.

Reegs: Yeah. Well, what we probably haven't mentioned is the like visual style that's happening all the time around we're describing the plot base to look at there's loads of video game sounds and text boxes flashing up and like music being made notes coming out of speakers

Dan: Super

Sidey: Is it universal or someone because that logo is an eight bit

and it has the

noise.

It's all the noises from Zelda.

 Yeah. So it's

got that there's words and things flash up on the screen a little bit Batman, let you know, camp that men from the sixties style

Reegs: And like you were saying, everything's tying to a rhythm, you know, all the shots are cut to a rhythm. Um, so that's good, right style. So yeah, you've got all that going on. And then you've obviously got this story of, um, the slackers there's terrible band C they say about.

They should do a secret show and they're like, yeah, all our, so it shows the secret.

Dan: Yeah. I, there, there are some fantastic lines in this and it,

Sidey: the L word,

Dan: they are word or lesbian

Sidey: the lesbians.

Dan: Yeah. Um, there's, there's tons of, kind of funny chortling along lines like that.

Sidey: sort of shares an apartment, Uh,

and buy shares.

I mean, very much

shares because they sleep in the same bed, his gay roommate, even when his roommate has guests,

over and he tells

Reegs: cocaine, basically being the same character that he is in succession. Pretty much, um,

Dan: I really liked that character Wallace.

I thought he was really

Sidey: just so dry. Hey, I think it's him. He tells him that Ramona works for Amazon, so instantly order something and she delivers it and he's just really awkward.

Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Well, he's super, super awkward, but he also seems to have this magnetism or, or draw that, you know, girls are offering themselves to him or he's

Reegs: Yeah. 17 year old Catholic school girls get an infatuation with him. Yeah. And he teaches her pretty mercilessly. She comes around to see him and he leaps out the window to,

Sidey: Yeah. Hey, but he doesn't ditch as soon enough because there is an overlap

is quite

important because. he Starts to see Ramona at the same time that he is still sort of dating

Dan: break. He can't break knives, his heart. And he can't say the words, I don't want to be with you anymore.

So, um, and he also can't stop chasing this other girl. So yeah, he's on the wrong side of that. And, um, but he's yeah, uh, quite.

Would say geeky looking character is his band might see he was going out with one of the girls. Wasn't he in the band as well at one point,

Sidey: Alison pill who played the drummer chem.

Dan: Yeah. And, um, I mean, it's.

it,

starts getting a little bit more ramped up and weird, I guess in the fact when he meets the F she doesn't tell him that there's gonna be all these seven boyfriends from hell coming

Sidey: No, They're going to perform at the battle of the bands, which is sponsored by someone called

Um, Which we keep hearing the name,

Dan: loads of characters in this film, loads of people that just

Sidey: cost is really something, because we haven't mentioned it, but you've had Aubrey Plaza is a sort of friend.

She works

everywhere.

It seems.

Yeah. And

Reegs: She abuses him,

Sidey: yeah, it's great. his sisters by. by Anna Kendrick, it just pops up for like, just a few lines of dialogue here and there

Reegs: mostly to berate him for how

Sidey: Yeah. just

instantly, just off on the telephone. Um, so they're going to perform anyway, their first show at the battle of the bands and mid performance, is mid performance, right? mid performance, He, the first attack happens.

Dan: Then plays out a little, like a video game,

Sidey: you haven't seen. And you weren't like aware of what was going to happen. It's like

what the hell?

Dan: Yeah.

Sidey: Because he just flies out of nowhere,

Dan: because everything's quite normal to this point. And then you get this kind of supernatural. Um, I say normal there's those

Sidey: it's super stylized Yeah. But then it becomes a

fighting video game. Like seeing, you know,

Reegs: who is the first one.

Yes,

he does the Bollywood dance thing as well. Right. There's the music. And all

Sidey: that.

His name

Reegs: Yeah. And they have a pretty convincing, you know, they sort of do a half decent job of making Michael Sarah look a little bit tough by doing kicks and whatnot.

Sidey: great.

All the way through.

Reegs: Yeah. And then it's super stylized, like you say, and ripping off street

Sidey: fighter

Reegs: all sorts of

Dan: I think anybody who grew up with Sega or Nintendo they'll get a lot of the references.

It's not absolutely necessary that I think that you would. I did. So I, there. A hundred percent, but I think you could get away with watching this film without those

Reegs: Oh, there were tons of references that went over my head, but I'm sure lots of people would have really enjoyed.

Um, I think, I dunno. I mean, I don't know how much we want to get into it. My favorite is the fight with the, um, with Lucas. Which is Chris Evans is a

Sidey: Can you do a thingy?

Yeah. He doesn't even some of them, he doesn't really even beat by fighting

So Lucas Lee, he makes him, he asks him or dad's in to do a

skateboarding, trick in front of the

Reegs: Yeah.

Well, first of all, he has a fight with him and his stunt doubles, which is just a really cool idea. And it's a bit like the matrix or whatever, where he's just fighting them and the other guys popping up or whatever. And then, yeah, he does say he's trying to impress the girls.

Sidey: So He's, uh, I think of doing about 300 something miles an hour. By the time he finishes his, Uh, his rail thingy um, and explodes. And Every time you get the point score, appear on the screen and it goes up by a thousand each time it's villain that he beats,

Reegs: and they shatter into coins. Did we say that? I can't remember.

Dan: What does that kind of linked with the computer games? He's playing with knives and there they are those characters who win points in a video game to the, that becoming real life. Then it just kind of flips over doesn't it. Um,

Reegs: there's also, um, There's also another subplot that ties in, which is, uh, Scott's ex girlfriend who fronts the band, the clash at demon head or T dark. Um, and he has to fight the super powered vegan basis played by.

Um,

Sidey: Brandon

Reegs: yeah, so that's like to soup it. We've had Superman and captain America in this and,

Sidey: captain Marvel,

Reegs: she's captain Marvel. He's ex girlfriend. Yeah, I read this week. She's a bit of a 12, I, you know, a bit now.

Sidey: Um,

Reegs: Which would be a shame if it were true, because every time I've seen her, she seems really nice and the characters are cool.

So she's really good. Actress room was

Sidey: Yeah. She's into NFTs and

stuff, which kind of makes you think,

But anyway.

um, yeah, hit the.

Todd by discovering that he's not actually vegan, Well, he is, but he's eating meat products,

Dan: Can't believe chicken's not vegan

Sidey: chicken Parmesan. Yeah. three strikes. You're out. So He loses his powers.

Reegs: Uh, that's a little cameo from the vegan police and it was Thomas Jane, the Punisher.

Sidey: All right. Okay. Um, so basically it becomes clear and Ramona says, Jim, If you want to date me, you have to defeat

my

seven evil Xs. And he says,

ex boyfriends and she's like just access.

Reegs: and my ex

Sidey: so then the girl turns up. I can't remember her name.

Reegs: No, but she was in, um, something I watched, I can't remember the name of the.

Dan: Wow That

Sidey: is a proper fight.

They they have a fight Ramona and her flight, and then she's like, no, he has to defeat me. And so she teaches, she tells him where her favorite spot was when they were making out which words him out. But he does it to defeat her.

Reegs: behind the

Sidey: Yeah It took us over a hundred.

Reegs: So she kind of orgasms to death.

Sidey: Yeah, just by the knee.

That seems quite full-on. Anyway,

Dan: The magic spots.

Reegs: Uh, there's a bit where she says, uh, Ramona says I was a little bi-curious and Roxie says, uh, I'm a little by furious.

Dan: Yeah. There's some nice pond, some nice lines and some good writing in, in this. Um, I dunno, I think, um, going through it, I was like one X, two X, three X I'm starting by the, towards the end of this thinking.

Yeah.

It wasn't

Sidey: well, you got the twins, So she's, she's had a thing with some twins and then it's

Gideon.

who is the main man. So he offers them, he just sort of,

just Jason Swatchman, he's just really manipulative and just

seedy. And he's like just going to buy them off. by offering him a record contract. Uh, Scott says, no I don't fucking want your record contract. I'm not selling out. And they were like, well, So he's out of

the band,

young Neil, Who's the. sort of understudy, uh, takes over. They completely see. and go and perform at his new super club, which is this sort of

the

passwords are really good, uh, whatever.

And, uh, but it's some underground thing with, uh, basically.

a huge

pyramid star thrown there. he sits on a Lord's that over everyone Well, knives, not knives, Ramona just stands next to him. just kind of lifeless and

dad

Reegs: she's been plugged in the matrix by him somehow. So, yeah. Okay.

Dan: yeah, that's it, it takes a little leaps that you just go with this film and, um, I didn't really have any problem following it, you know, as far as the plot and everything, I thought that was pretty, pretty. Some really nice white and good lines stylize the first hour, this, I think I was really enjoying, you know, it was, um, it was set at a good pace and things.

It changed after that for me, or maybe it just dragged a little bit, um, one way or the other. Um, but I mean, going go through it, you know, as, as we get to the end, obviously he's he's

Sidey: well, he dies.

Reegs: Yeah, he does.

Sidey: Gideon, Gideon beats him

Reegs: he, beats him. Yeah. And he does. But, um, he managed to get an extra

Dan: little extra

Sidey: That's right. So he comes back and at first he had leveled up by admitting that he was in love with Ramona. But this time he levels up even further by saying, no he's fighting for himself. and he, Yeah.

that's right.

The power of suspect. So then he goes, it's all in fast forward

Reegs: and he's got a lightsaber at this point.

He just, yeah,

Sidey: Yeah. he brings the And then as a flashback to. The video games, was playing with knives where he has to fight the negative version of himself. Um, so they leave them to it and the door opens and the two of them just walk out together. just chatting, like, Yeah. man.

It's

Reegs: I'm going to meet him for brunch next Tuesday. Um, so nigga Scott was probably the okay.

Scott and our actual Scott is the decade. Maybe.

Sidey: Yeah. Kind of a ticket. Yeah.

Reegs: Yeah. Um, and then, um, there's an apology to knives and there's the, um, Ramona and him do kind

Sidey: Ramona just says, no, I'm going to leave.

She just goes, and he does, like you said, he does the apologies knives and knives says you got to go and get her. So she's the one who gives him the pep-talk to save the relationship.

you fighting, you know, you've literally been fighting for her. You got to go and get the girl

Reegs: and they kind of leave it. Like, uh, well, let's start from now. Yeah. Reset things and start

Sidey: from the video game.

Reegs: don't know, it's not exactly a, oh, they all lived happily ever after, but it's, they're going to try and see what happens.

Sidey: Yeah. Yeah.

Reegs: Yeah Uh, so yeah. What did you

Dan: So so there was lots of nice messages at it. Just dragged a little bit for me. I must admit sort of lost

Sidey: the second one, the second viewing.

Dan: on first fume was a while back and it dragged for me then as well.

And so when I was watching it this time, I was here a few years down the line, give it another go. Um, and I, I really enjoyed, there was good white in, I liked the stylized bits. I liked the idea. I just thought it,

There was something else it could have. The seven was too many. I don't know whether they, it just seemed a little bit like it could have been 15 minutes short or they had done something else and it might just carry the pace of the first half.

But, um, now I'm really for, it was, it was definitely a, a solid semi enjoyable comedy. Um,

Sidey: I love it. Yeah. I really love it. Um, I mean, Aubrey Plaza is in it and I love her. she's done it very much, but when she is in it, she swears, but it's kind of bleeped out. Um, which I just found really funny. And if you like that,

Um, you should check out a song called juicy Luke Vibert by wagon Christ's highly recommended.

Cause this SIM similar style, Um, the music was all written by Nigel Godrich, who is the

sick member of where your head. He has produced all their records

and like,

is, you know, hugely influential on them and I think the music is great in it. I mean, it. it's that kind of.

humor that

you know, I could easily understand where somebody might find it quite irritating.

And I think Michael, Sarah just epitomizes this style and if you don't like him, then yeah,

Reegs: yeah, I do quite, I don't mind Sarah. I think

Sidey: I like him. But he seems to vanish off the face. of the earth.

Reegs: Yeah. It's probably me too dizzy something. Don't look into it. The whole thing I do enjoy this as always something to look out or enjoy, and the soundtracks are really good.

And there's loads of like, you know, when this was made, these weren't. He assembled a really good cars that have all gone on to do stuff. Since

Dan: well, I must say that the characters, um, Kieran Culkin is Scott, the, the kind of sneaky gay roommate thought he was really good. Really liked knives. Ciao. I thought she was brilliant. And what a great name knives.

Sidey: She, Alan Wong plays a character in glow. Yeah.

Great series should definitely

Dan: Yeah.

Reegs: The only thing that kind of bothers me about it a little bit is that he's kind of a jerk and it's hard to really get behind him. And, there's a whole kind of sitcom style, like, oh, I learned something thing at the end and it's not really clear what anybody's learned about anything.

And like, you know, the whole thing with the younger girl is a little bit, so yeah.

But it's all

Sidey: the second thing they actually use The base line thing from Seinfeld is out. And they, that was the actual one, they got permission to use that. the whole cast got together in lockdown to do a read through on zoom um, for everyone's viewing pleasure. So they're all into it.

It didn't really find an audience because the budget for this was 60 million us. What do you think it took at the box office?

Dan: We've Edgar. Right? You would think that, that, you know, he's obviously done, Sean at a dead and hot fuzz and a tongue of it. Brilliant movies. I would have thought this must be getting close to achieving budget. Um, maybe if. Alright, box office. I would have thought by now it's clawed back. Some of that, just with the geek and the cult kind of follow him, but if we're just going box office, I think it probably lost a few

Reegs: yeah. Lost, but I would see it and say, what year was this?

Sidey: 2010? I

Reegs: Yeah. I went to see this at the cinema and like I did, and I was like convinced for about a week that this was the best film that was ever made.

So like,

Sidey: yeah. I'm excited, really enthusiastic about it as well.

It only took 49 million at the box office. So it is a loser, unfortunately, but it happens

sometimes.

Dan: I think it must have clawed back money by, by now, because I think, I've seen, I didn't go to the, to the cinema and watch it.

So,

Sidey: it's your fault.

Dan: yeah, yeah, maybe, maybe that's why.

Didn't really drag me in, but I liked the, all the characters. It just didn't keep the pace with me. and I've watched it twice. So, y'all ever going to,

Reegs: can I borrow the car?

Sidey: Yeah, I'll tell you, I'll just go to the loft To find them.

but yeah, you kind of

Dan: maybe, you know, having seen the comment, you'll read the comics and things.

Sidey: No, that won't help You to enjoy the film. I have to say that

Dan: I really okay.

Sidey: just recognize some some panels from the comments that are recreated, like for like in the film,

Dan: but

Sidey: it won't do anything to,

Reegs: well reading about this, I read about some of the plots of that that are quite different.

Knives goes on to try and attack him and all sorts of stuff in the, in the

Sidey: I would have to revisit to remember all of the stuff. Um, they're up there in a box somewhere.

Dan: I know this is six and a half seven for me, this film, you know, it's not terrible. It's not it's um,

Sidey: I still really, I still really like

Dan: but yeah,

Sidey: I'm in I'm

Reegs: six and a half seven is a good score. That's above average. Yeah.

Dan: Yeah. I would certainly, maybe I just, I wanted this to be better because of,

Sidey: when I was doing, when I was doing my exams, 50% was the pass mark. And if I go any higher than 50, I thought I've worked too hard.

So in in, in a way 65,

is overachieved.

Dan: getting by perfect.