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GeekNights 20100804 - Final Thoughts: Scott Pilgrim

MrPeriodMrPeriod
edited August 2010 in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, we present our final thoughts on Scott Pilgrim, the comic, in advance of Scott Pilgrim, the Movie, and Scott Pilgrim, the game. In the news, Scott is an old man, and Superman saved everybody (or something like that).

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Comments

  • SailSail
    Oh sweet, can't wait to listen to this.
  • VigaViga
    Yeah, totes!
  • TechparadoxTechparadox
    edited August 2010
    *opens iTunes and gets the new episode* I may be busier than I though in between packing sessions tomorrow.

    Expanded Notes:

    Geeknights 201000804 - Final Thoughts: Scott Pilgrim

    Expanded Show Notes - Show Run Time: 01:02:51

    Time | Notes
    ---------+----------------------------------------------------------
    00:00:00 | Intro
    00:00:24 | Opening Chit-Chat
    | - Scott's bad line and equipment upgrades
    | - Equipment limitations
    | - Scott Pilgrim Movie Ticket Contest discussion
    | - How many instances make a trend?
    | - The Detroit sports teams are so bad...
    | - Going to movies alone and Rym's old sabbatical
    | - Don't discharge your laser at a mirror - you might hit your eye
    00:05:34 | News
    | - Anime news repeat from Scott
    | - Superman (comic book) saved a family from house foreclosure
    | - How to (theoretically) make money off old comic books?
    | - Scott is news-less? No! Anime news!
    | - Scott watched Space Symphony Maetel & discussion
    | - Rym is watching Giant Robo and Hokuto No Ken
    | - Eden of the East and Ergo Proxy are in the watching queue
    00:12:51 | Things of the Day
    | - Bootleg toys
    | Scott - Bootleg Batman
    | - Missing things from Otakon
    | - No recording allowed in the concerts at Otakon
    | Rym - Otakon animation and concert bootlegs
    00:18:30 | Meta Moment
    | - Gen Con - Aug 5-8, 2010 - Luke Crane & Jared Sorensen will be there
    | - Mozilla Drumbeat - Aug 7, 2010
    | - Pax Prime - Sep 3-5, 2010
    | - NerdNYC Recess - Sep 11, 2010
    | - Maker Faire NY - Sep 25-26, 2010
    | - 10 10 10 Burning Con - Oct 8, 2010
    | - NerdNYC Boardgame Night - Oct 8, 2010
    | - NYCC/NYAF - Oct 8-10, 2010
    | - MAGFEST - Jan 13-16, 2011
    | - Studio equipment upgrade soon - more guests on the show!
    00:19:56 | Main Topic
    | - Review of Scott Pilgrim series
    | - Discussion of who would "get" Scott Pilgrim
    | - Message of the books is timeless for those who experienced similar things
    | - Book itself is not timeless like Eisner, Tezuka, etc.
    | - Other Brian Lee O'Malley projects
    | - Franchise has been handled very well
    | - Discussion of how the news of the movie and other media were well-received by fans at large
    | - Has been very true to the source books so far, very few complaints from the nerds
    | - Discussion of Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim
    | - Pre-release screenings are a great idea to help drive hype
    | - Debate on how pre-release screenings work - who is paying for it?
    | - Discussion on how movie theater proximity to candy stores screws the theater
    | - Alcohol and fine dining at theaters?
    00:32:20 | *** SPOILER LINE ***
    | - Rym wasn't surprised when Scott died and came back due to the 1UP
    | - Scott didn't re-read the volumes, so he forgot some details between releases
    | - "The Glow" was present even back in volume one
    | - Simon and the prelude came back in a big way at the end
    | - Scott has a tendency to forget things that he and Rym view or read if there are gaps in the viewing
    | - Rym was wrong about the glow - thought that it symbolized going back to the real world
    | - Bleed over from other media where there is a magic world and a real world tinted Rym & Scott's view
    | - How you view the world is affected by your own experiences
    | - Is a cigar really a cigar or is it a metaphor?
    | - The books are consistent both on the direct level and on the metaphorical level
    | - Comparison of how the art has improved over the course of the book
    | - Scott Pilgrim ranks above a lot of books and is as good as some of the better manga
    | - Rym ranks it as a "B"
    | - At the same level of Yotsuba&! and Azumanga Daioh
    | - Scott Pilgrim is NOT a slice of life book - it has an overarching story
    | - Discussion on Kim Pine & Knives Chau
    | - Discussion on Gideon
    | - Discussions on the other characters
    | - Scott would take Young Neil over Knives Chau
    | - Character interaction was very realistic
    | - Some interaction seemed to be more about the supporting characters bouncing off Scott
    | - The metaphors in the book weren't subtle, but they worked
    | - Scott's problems in the book were very similar to problems other people in this generation may have had
    | - Scott Pilgrim is NOT about Hipsters
    | - Discussion of Hipsters and how people misunderstand the term
    | - Characters in Scott Pilgrim are cool nerds or geeks
    | - Description of Hipsters
    | - Why are people threatened by Hipsters?
    | - Discussion of the ratio of trust-fund Hipsters to non-trust-fund Hipsters
    | - Scott Pilgrim's band sucks at the end of the books
    | - People who didn't get the ending missed the core message and just liked the action and video game events
    | - Rym wagers that most people don't know what "Clash at Demonhead" really is
    | - Knives' moment of closure was one of Rym's favorite parts
    | - Discussion of how old games and media don't hold up to the test of time
    | - Rym is looking forward to the movie about as much as NS2
    | - Scott is still looking forward to Tron
    | - Tron discussion
    | - What fantasy world would you live in?
    | - Hopes for Brian Lee O'Malley doing something cool in the future
    | - Would like to get Brian Lee O'Malley on the show
    | - Theoretical advertising on Geeknights
    01:01:55 | Outro
    Post edited by Techparadox on
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    Good thing you posted 2009's opening animation, 2010's was terrible.
  • NukerjsrNukerjsr
    I think in terms of the definition of "Hipster", you can define them by their looks, but I find the definition resonates more truly with "Elitist Asshole." And I think it somewhat applies to Scott Pilgrim, mostly because Scott's friends/bandmates are really irritable and sarcastic people who constantly look down on others and on the Scott Pilgrim himself. The series has somewhat of an attitude throughout the book and I feel like the mystical, yet real world can be viewed as Irony, which another factor of Hipsterism. Like, it's ironic that Scott is a total slacker, but he's the best fighter in all of Toronto and nobody cares.

    I do believe that Scott Pilgrim does have some great messages about growing up and great humor in it, but it does have a bit of a polarizing attitude and atmosphere that not everyone can positively experience.
  • ApsupApsup
    Am I only one who connects Hipsterism with being indie-music nerd. I call my roommate hipster for this reason. And Scott Pilgrim has lots of music references most that I missed, but my roommate enjoyed them like I enjoyed all the game references.
  • RymRym
    edited August 2010
    I feel like the mystical, yet real world can be viewed as Irony
    How is that irony?
    I find the definition resonates more truly with "Elitist Asshole." And I think it somewhat applies to Scott Pilgrim, mostly because Scott's friends/bandmates are really irritable and sarcastic people who constantly look down on others and on the Scott Pilgrim himself.
    But that isn't really related to "hipsters." If they're elitist, it's toward lo-fi and low-end, which is ironic. But disdain and sarcasm alone do not a hipster make. By that definition, half of the FRC are hipsters, which they clearly aren't.

    Have you ever met a hipster? Actually talked to one? They're a pretty well-defined group, much like Punks or Mods or what-have-you, at least compared to the generification the term has seen in popular culture outside of cities. Some indie-music people are hipsters. Some aren't. If you use the term too generically, then there's no point in even using the term in the first place.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • NukerjsrNukerjsr
    Am I only one who connects Hipsterism with being indie-music nerd. I call my roommate hipster for this reason. And Scott Pilgrim has lots of music references most that I missed, but my roommate enjoyed them like I enjoyed all the game references.
    I believe that if you relate Hipster-ism to movies, then it is true to an extent. Big movies like Juno and Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist can be looked at as hipster movies for their indie look/sound/budget and their huge music focus. They have reoccurring themes of music focus, being immature and growing up, sarcastic attitude, believing you are better than other people. A hipster attitude can also relate to reveling in the bad qualities or the irony of loving something bad, but it feels like there are some similarities. I don't think Scott Pilgrim has many music references, since most of them tie into games. And Plumtree, which was a big influence for O'Malley, is probably only known in Canada so there's a good chance we wouldn't get it.

    On that note too Rym, his name is pronounced Cer-A. Not, Será.
  • ApsupApsup
    I don't think Scott Pilgrim has many music references, since most of them tie into games. And Plumtree, which was a big influence for O'Malley, is probably only known in Canada so there's a good chance we wouldn't get it.
    Scott Pilgrim has lots of music references, those just aren't so in your face -type like the video game references. Let's see Scott (and maybe others) wear actual band shirts. Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness compared to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (album by The Smashing Pumpkins). Young Neil and Neil Young. Scott Pilgrim and Ramona both have songs of their name. There is probably lots more, but I'm not the music geek in this house (and my roommate is out of town so I can't ask him to help).
  • NukerjsrNukerjsr
    edited August 2010
    I feel like the mystical, yet real world can be viewed as Irony
    How is that irony?
    I find the definition resonates more truly with "Elitist Asshole." And I think it somewhat applies to Scott Pilgrim, mostly because Scott's friends/bandmates are really irritable and sarcastic people who constantly look down on others and on the Scott Pilgrim himself.
    But that isn't really related to "hipsters." If they're elitist, it's toward lo-fi and low-end, which is ironic. But disdain and sarcasm alone do not a hipster make. By that definition, half of the FRC are hipsters, which they clearly aren't.

    Have you ever met a hipster? Actually talked to one? They're a pretty well-defined group, much like Punks or Mods or what-have-you, at least compared to the generification the term has seen in popular culture outside of cities. Some indie-music people are hipsters. Some aren't. If you use the term too generically, then there's no point in even using the term in the first place.
    You can view it as Irony in the sense that a lot of the elements in the world are over-the-top and crazy, but no one takes it seriously because they are used to it. As a reader, it's kind of a jokey contradiction, but it can be viewed as Irony in the same context. In Book 6, I think the way they pull Scott's imagination of the past to explain the attitude really works, but at the same time, it brings up lots of other questions with how seriously you should take the world. I think that's why at the end, the character I love the most is Scott because he truly develops and understands himself.

    I have met hipsters, and I do not think that there is anything wrong with their physical definitions. It'd be the same as hating a Punk or Goth or Metalhead. But like judging those other types of people, they carry some stereotypes and the elitist asshole stereotype is usually one that carries over with the Hipster. It's not true for everyone of course, but it is true for some. I just don't live in a place like NYC, so I don't get exposed to them on a day-to-day basis. And Rym, you brought up a good point in the podcast where if someone was to just live a life without worry or responsibility, that you would just be hating that person because of jealousy. I know lots of people who hate Hispters just for their looks, because it gets them really hot chicks. I feel like jealousy can be attached towards Scott Pilgrim, since he lives a slacker life in a band with a girlfriend, so that's also why people would use the Hipster label.
    Post edited by Nukerjsr on
  • J.SharpJ.Sharp
    On that note too Rym, his name is pronounced Cer-A. Not, Será.
    Like the angel.
    image
  • SailSail
    Another music reference for those who care: There's a chapter in vol. 5 that is called "The Glow, Pt 2" which is the name of a Microphones album.
  • KoholintKoholint
    And there's a chapter in volume 6 called "Music Sounds Better With You"

    The music references are everywhere.
  • NeitoNeito
    Rym and Scott: The other book by Bryan Lee O'Malley you were looking for is Lost at Sea. It's actually pretty good, or at least speaks to me in a certain way. I think its the kind of thing you're going to be very "meh" on unless, as a teenager, you were exactly the opposite of Rym and Scott.
  • SailSail
    Lost at Sea is incredible. I reread it last night.
  • RymRym
    The Scott Pilgrim movie is fantastic. I literally have zero complaints about it.
  • CremlianCremlian
    The Scott Pilgrim movie is fantastic. I literally have zero complaints about it.
    This is like when I saw Serenity and then went down the shore for the week of awesome and couldn't talk about it ;-p
  • ChaseChase
    The Scott Pilgrim movie is fantastic. I literally have zero complaints about it.
    It's promosing that everyone who has seen it has said that. Ugh, have to wait until late August until it comes out in the UK, but I can't wait.

    Someone from IGN said they preferred the ending in the film, what say you Rym?
  • KieyKiey
    Lost at Sea is incredible.
    Lost at Sea is one of my favorite comics. I love how its told, and how it uses the medium. Up until reading Scott Pilgrim volume 6 I would say it was better then Scott Pilgrim, but now with volume 6 I think Scott Pilgrim is better.
  • RymRym
    Someone from IGN said they preferred the ending in the film, what say you Rym?
    They're the same message and mostly the same story. The movie is just faster and more concise.
  • NukerjsrNukerjsr
    Someone from IGN said they preferred the ending in the film, what say you Rym?
    They're the same message and mostly the same story. The movie is just faster and more concise.
    You know, that's one thing I've been rather curious about with the whole Scott Pilgrim series with it's length. I really have high hopes (Even more so now with Rym's review) for the movie for that reason, but I've been curious on how the novel would of been if it were longer and dealt with other issues. O'Malley does have a way of humor and setting up conflict, so it makes me curious what would of happened if this were longer or if his next series would be continuous.
  • WyattWyatt
    Scott Pilgrim vs The Animator to air on [adult swim].

    I'm considering watching this and then going to a midnight showing.
  • J.SharpJ.Sharp
    Scott Pilgrim vs The Animator
    This is actually what I expected the movie to be like before I heard it was live action. I'd do terrible, treasonous things to see the entire series animated like that.
  • KoholintKoholint
    Oh man, I read Lost at Sea for the first time tonight. What a great story. I think it resonates with me even more than Scott Pilgrim.
  • chaosof99chaosof99
    Finally got volume 6 today, read it in like 45 minutes, and then listened to the episode. Yeah, Pilgrim was great and I laughed my ass off on some parts in volume 6. "It was bad for everyone. That includes you." and "She's totally dead. -- I'm updating her Wikipedia as we speak." I'll probably reread the whole series next week or so.

    And yes. Lost at Sea is fantastic as well.
  • ErwinErwin
    I got the soundtrack today, it pushed me to run 9.81 km. It felt pretty awesome :D
  • MattMatt
    edited August 2010
    Curious to know the little details of Rym's screening. Going back to the debate on who pays for the screenings, etc., I won a radio contest back in 2001/2002, and got to attend a screening of Austin Powers 3 in the city. When we got there, we realized most of the other people there were media and critics, b/c the studio had free food, dring, and swag ready for everyone.

    Where the people at your screening similarly bribed in an effort to generate positive buzz?

    Edit: unrelated detail but I thought it would be funny to mention that the swag we got was a metal Goldmember symbol keychain, a white t-shirt with a giant goldmember logo screen printed on it, and some postcards (one asking us not to spread spoilers). I gave all of this away very quickly .
    Post edited by Matt on
  • gomidoggomidog
    Naw, since the comic shop was giving it away, I assume it was to generate good media buzz with the target demographic. However, they did not give us free stuff. We were happy enough to see the movie!
  • MattMatt
    Naw, since the comic shop was giving it away, I assume it was to generate good media buzz with the target demographic. However, they did not give us free stuff. We were happy enough to see the movie!
    I figured this was the case since there were just so many free screenings going on. Was hoping there was some awesome Scott Pilgrim swag I should be hunting down on eBay.
  • ColombianShadowColombianShadow
    At E3 there was a Scott Pilgrim party hyping up the video game, and they gave out some pretty sweet looking shirts. Alas, I was not able to get one, but I bet there might be some floating around on the eBay.
    In fact, here's one.
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