Stranger Sinema: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

 

Ramona: "What kind of tea do you want?"

Scott: "There's more than one kind?"

Ramona: "We have blueberry, raspberry, ginseng, sleepy time, green tea, green teas with lemon, green tea with lemon and honey, liver disaster, ginger with honey, ginger without honey, vanilla almond, white truffle, blueberry chamomile, vanilla walnut, constant comment and...earl grey."

Scott: "Did you make some of those up?"

-Scott and Ramona humorously going over tea options during a date, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World



Something Niche.Blogspot.com 

presents....


Stranger Sinema




  Come one, come all to a midway of the most bizarre in pictures!  Journey into the unknown through the deepest depths of celluloid film!  Bear witness to some of the most unique and peculiar stories and characters!  Dive into a rabbit hole a leave behind your mundane world for a glimpse into the upside-down world...of Stranger Sinema!

    Welcome back, Young and Young-at-Heart explorers, to Stranger Sinema!  The show on Something Niche where we take a deep dive into the strange world of cult cinema, discovering the most madcap, bizarre, or just strangely obscure parts of the film world!

    Since it is February, the month of commercialized love and appreciation, perhaps it's time we covered one of our favorite love stories!  And a true modern classic of the genre at that.  A classic tale where a wannabe rockstar boy and an Amazon delivery girl meet and fall in love.  And where the girl's multiple exes come back to get even with her new boy toy...using a multitude of strange, supernatural powers that include anime-inspired weapons, stunt double clones, and even a posse of "Demon Hipster Chicks".  That story is actually a film that you may have actually heard of!  It's a little ditty called Scott Pilgrim vs. The World!

    Indeed, coming to use from the incredibly talented Edgar Wright, and based on a set of cult graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Mally, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is right up there with Gone with The Wind as one of the greatest love stories ever told!  Ok, maybe that's just our humble opinion, but it's still a fun romp that'll put a smile on the faces of just about everyone!  But it's not just because of the mushy stuff. No, as Scott Pilgrim also serves as more or less the ultimate geek fantasy, referencing everything from classic gaming to Shonen anime; two of my most favorite things in the world!  And it even has a little bit of pop punk styling thrown in for good measure!

    Over the course of 112 minutes, we see the lines between the mundane and the extraordinary become blurred as we see Scott's ordinary life turn crazy when Ramona's Evil Exes challenge him to flashy, video game inspired battles.  Lens flares dominate the screen and retro gaming tropes become rampart. 

    Plus, we get treated to a bevy of quotable lines, a rocking soundtrack befitting the Hot Topic era, an excellent ensemble cast, and of course, plenty of laughs.  Some of which only become even more hilarious to geeks like me!  All of these elements combine to create a comic book movie that's truly as much of a comic book as it is a movie, and exudes personality at every frame!

    Sure, some aspects of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World do make it something of a product of its time, but it's still an enjoyable, quirky little delight with plenty of visual flair to spare.  And like Invader Zim before it, while it was initially met with little fanfare upon its debut, it has managed to beat the odds and become not only a hidden gem of a cult classic, but a mainstream darling loved by many.  Just as Invader Zim was the little show that could and eventually did, Scott Pilgrim Vs, The World is the little movie that could and eventually did.

    But how exactly did a movie like this manage to beat the odds and become a modern classic?  And is it a film that's truly worthy of its reputation, or is it really just flashy smoke and mirrors razzle dazzle underneath?  Maybe it's time we should find out, as we prepare to rewatch the match of the millennium; Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World!




Insert Coin


    Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World wastes no time setting itself up as a flamboyant movie with personality to spare, literally beginning with an 8-bit-inspired version of its distributor Universal Pictures' logo, mimicking the feel of a classic gaming title screen.  The story then begins in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, where our titular protagonist (brought to life by Michael Cera) lives a rather mundane life with his roommate Wallace Wells (brother to Kevin McAllister-and now Oscar winner-Kieran Culkin) and little sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick).  He plays in a band known as "Sex Bob-omb" with friends Kim Pine (Allison Pill) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and is in a relationship with Knives Chau (Ellen Wong).  The film then gets flashy once again as Scott and his band play a little ditty for a small crowd as an indie-inspired title sequence flashes across the screen.

    Scott's life starts to change when he meets a strange American Amazon worker named Ramona Flowers (played adorably by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) at a party thrown by his friend Julie Powers (Audrey Plaza).  After they become infatuated with one another, Ramona invites Scott over to her place, where they hit it off over some tea.  While there, Ramona gives Scott her number, but the note also contains a set of seven different Xs.

    Little does Scott know that these Xs are actually a warning.  They represent her seven exes, who have banded together to form an evil legion that attempts to bring Ramona back.  After encountering the first ex, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) and engaging in a brawl set to Bollywood music, Scott ends up finding out the truth a little too late.  He now must fight for his life against the remainder of the League of Evil Exes as they progressively come back to challenge him.  They include blockbuster movie star Lucas Lee (future Avenger Chris Evans), Vegan rocker Todd Ingram (everybody's least favorite Superman Brandon Routh), bisexual ninja girl Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman), the silent twin DJs Ken and Kyle Katayanagi (Keita and Shota Saito), and their nerdy leader Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

    Along the way, Scott Pilgrim must also deal with plenty of issues in his home life and come to terms with his vulnerability and the mistakes he has made with his record deal-seeking bandmates, family, and especially Knives.  Eventually, also must learn self-respect and self-acceptance as he prepares for the final battle with Gideon.

    However, all of this is just a CliffsNotes version of this truly out of this world movie.  Every one of Scott's battles features fantastic sights that will leave you gasping in awe and wondering what exactly was used during the brainstorming sessions of this film and its source material.  Memorable scenes include a skateboard match from hell, a battle between giant beasts conjured by the power of music, and plenty of bad guys exploding into piles of coins. 

    Plus, there's a few additional faces that round out the cast, including a pre-MCU Brie Larson as Scott's ex and Todd's current Envy Adams, Johnny Simmons as Sex Bob-omb's biggest fan "Young" Neil Nordegraf, and an off-screen fighting game inspired voiceover provided by future Losers Club member Bill Hader!  There's even a brief appearance by the "Vegan Police"!




Just Like the White Winged Dove


    
       Although his most famous endeavor in popular culture came into the world in 2010, the story of Scott Pilgrim had been around for a few years prior.  Scott Pilgrim began his life like many of the most successful movie Ips of the last few decades; as a comic book!  Or, perhaps to be more exact, as a graphic novel.  Scott Pilgrim's first volume was published in 2004, and the series was created by Canadian artist Bryan Lee O'Mally.

    In terms of inspiration for the series, O'Mally took a lot of his influence form Japanese manga, a style that has become quite commonplace in recent years, but was only starting to make its way to the Western world at the time of the graphic novel's publication.  One particular influence on the art style for the comic was Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2, which you may recognize from its recent anime adaptation on Netflix.  He also took heavy inspiration from the lesser-known satirical title Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga, written by Kentaro Takekuma and Koji Aihara.  He also reflected a lot of his own personality onto Scott.

    "I mean, he's sort of a personal wish-fulfillment character, at least from when I was that age."  O'Mally reflected in a 2006 interview.  "I wish I was a little white indie rock kid, that sort of thing.  And there's that sense of being a part of a new group of friends, the identification factor, which I guess is probably part of the reason the series is getting popular or whatever."

    Plans for a potential movie adaptation date back to then as well, as after the first volume was published by Oni Press, that company eventually came into contact with producer Marc E. Platt on the possibility.  O'Mally initially had mixed feelings about the possibility of a film adaptation, feeling that the movie would focus on the comedy and cut out much of the action, as well as cast "some actor that he hated."  However, he eventually relented, admitting "I was a starving artist, and I was like "Please, just give me some money!"

    Edgar Wright, who had just come off the successful zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, was hired to helm the film as far back as 2005, but the development for the film would last for a couple more years.  Wright stated that he took direct inspiration from Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik when designing the film's visual style, in addition to lifting much of the dialogue and visual cues from the source material. Befitting the show's multitude of video game references, he also cited a few notable inspirations from the industry as well.

    "The beat-'em-up video games from the 80s and early 90s-Street Fighter and Marvel Vs. Capcom, which I remember playing in the arcades-they're bananas." Edgar Wright reflected in an interview about the film close to its release.  "They move so fast, I think they're designed to give you epilepsy!"
    
    And the film would have multiple references to video games among its multitude of popular culture references.  During the climactic battle against Gideon, the pyramid tower where Gideon sits on his throne upon was directly modeled after one in the original Super Mario Bros.  Sound effects and music cues from The Legend of Zelda and Mario 3 were also utilized in the film, used after the filmmakers received permission from Nintendo after longtime developer Shigeru Miyamoto saw an early cut of the film, and was impressed.

    The screenwriters also had a few of their own influences on the film's creative progress as well.  These included cult musical films such as Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Dig!, and in particular, Phantom of the Paradise.  The final version of the script was submitted at midnight just before the beginning of a writer's strike, which further delayed production.

    As we just mentioned, the screenwriters closely adapted a lot of the source material, but there were still a few changes implemented.  These included reducing Kim Pine's role in the film, as well as removing a subplot that explained the Gideon had the ability to control Ramona's mind with a substance called "The Glow".  Furthermore, no material was taken from the final volume of the series, entitled Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, meaning that the ending to the movie was completely different.  Several endings that were suggested but ultimately scrapped included one that revealed that Scott had become a mass murderer, and that all of the video game attributes to his fights against Ramona's exes were all in his head!




In Lesbians with Ramona


    
    After development on the screenplay had been completed, casting was underway shortly afterwards.  Initially, production company Universal was lobbying for Seth Rogen to play Scott, having just found success with him on Knocked Up a few years prior.  However, Edgar Wright stuck to his guns and wanted to cast Michael Cera in the role, having become a fan of his after watching him in the show Arrested Development.

    "I loved Seth, but I couldn't get my head around that."  Wright reflected in a 2020 cast reunion.  "Michael Cera was the only person who came to mind.  I loved Arrested Development, he's Canadian, he's scrawny, he plays guitar, and the idea of Michael as a Romeo is just inherently amusing."

    Similarly, Mary Elizabeth Winstead had been his number one choice to play Ramona, having met her during production on Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.  "When Death Proof came out, I was hanging around with Quentin Tarantino and his circle for a while." Winstead explained during the aforementioned reunion. "Edgar was a part of that."

    One character who notably had multiple candidates for the part was Ramon's second Evil Ex, Lucas Lee.  Before Evans was ultimately cast for the role due to being a fan of Wright's work, several notable actors were also considered, including Evans' future MCU co-star Sebastian Stan.  Several actors were also considered for the role of Kim Pine, including Rooney Mara and Zoe Kazan.

    Knives Chau's actress, Ellen Wong, had auditioned for the role three times before being officially cast.  She had a green belt in taekwondo at the time, which helped her get the role.  Edgar Wright found herself intrigued by her, calling her a "sweet-faced young lady" who was a "secret badass."

    Despite objections from Universal Studios, Edgar Wright was insistent on filming the movie in the real-life Toronto.  Wright lived there once and had a familiarity with the city.  Many locations across the city were used in the film, including the famous Baldwin Steps and the Casa Loma Cathedral, the latter of which had been used in multiple other movie productions in the past.  Several small businesses and chain stores were also used during several scenes, including a Goodwill location and the Lee's Palace music venue.

    "We relied extensively on the graphic novel for inspiration", Production Designer Marcus Rowland reflected in a 2023 interview.  "The books were always based around real locations in Toronto and the drawings were surprisingly faithful to these locations.  That's not to say that we didn't visually expand from the books, but it was just always the first point of reference."

    During production, Edgar Wright took a brief hiatus from working on a screenplay for an Ant-Man film for Marvel.  Over two months were also spent working on the fight choreography, which was led by Bradley James Allen and Peng Zhang, both of whom were members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team.  And many of the cast members shared strange and fond stories about their time working on the film's stunts. 

    "I got kicked in the throat during filming." Cera recalled in an interview done around the time of the film's release.  "I expected it to be excruciating, but it didn't hurt at all, which was really confusing.  I was probably just so pumped with adrenaline that I just didn't feel it.  I'm just a walking ball of adrenaline waiting to explode!"

 


Bread Makes You Fat?



    Scott Pilgrim's post-production would be overseen by visual effects supervisor Frazer Churchill, who faced multiple challenges and took inspiration from multiple sources.  Much of the most challenging work in particular came-predictably-from the fight scenes with the Seven Evil Exes.  Blue screen technology was particularly rampart, particularly during the fight with Roxy Richter.  

    However, perhaps the most challenging of the fights to film were the first with Matthew Patel and the final battle with Gideon.  When elaborating on the former, Churchill explained "It's the most piecemeal in construction.  Lots of blue-screen photography, matte painting, stunt work, and CG. When Scott jumps off the stage into that manga-esque vortex, that's made up of motion picture photography done on-set, digital still photography, and graphics and speed lines drawn by hand from what Edgar's brother, Oscar Wright, who was the concept designer, gave us. I shot with the second unit DP for an entire day just to get the scrolling backgrounds."

    For the latter scene, Churchill reflected, "Oh my God-we were on that pyramid for weeks.  The heat rises.  It was so intense. Again, we had visual manifestations of the digital effects-a lot of photo flashes, and Scott's sword had red LEDs, and we added flames to the sword.  All the stuff that looked like manga was shot on a blue screen.  There was a ton of choreography and stunt work.  There are just these additional layers of craziness."

    While the film was in post-production, Universal Pictures poured a lot of money into a huge marketing campaign for the film.  Two different soundtrack albums were put together.  The first was an album of the film's indie rock inspired score, composed by Nigel Godrich in his debut.  The second contained a set of original songs recorded from the film, including several by Scott's fictional band Sex Bob-omb, which were actually performed by 90s rocker Beck.  Songs from groups like Kid Koala were also included, as were songs that were performed by Brie Larson as her character Envy Adams.

    Close to the film's premiere, an animated short film titled Scott Pilgrim vs The Animation was produced by Titmouse, Inc, best known for their work on the Cartoon Network cult classic Megas XLR.  Michael Cera and Alison Pill both reprised their roles for the short film, while Mae Whitman and Jason Schwartzman also returned to voice characters different from their roles in the film.  The short aired on Adult Swim early in the morning on August 12th, 2010.

    However, perhaps the biggest marketing push for the film would come in interactive format.  Ubisoft would develop Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game, a side-scrolling beat 'em up in the style of classics of the genre like River City Ransom.  A screenshot from the game is depicted above.  The story of the game retold the events of the film's story, with boss fights against each of the seven Evil Exes.  The game would receive rave reviews from critics and fans alike and would eventually develop its own cult following.  So much so, that after being delisted in 2015, it would eventually be brought back for a re-release in time for the film's 10th anniversary.  A sequel titled Scott Pilgrim EX would also be released a few years later.

    With all of the major backing, not to mention a large level of hype around it, it would seem that Scott Pilgrim was a shoo-in to be a major box office hit, right?  Right??



Chicken's Not Vegan?



    Upon it's release on August 12th, 2010 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World received rave reviews across the board.  Critics and fans alike praised the film for its visual style, delightful sense of humor, and overall uniqueness.  A.O. Scott of The New York Times notably made the film a "critic's pick", and even humorously called it the "best video game movie of all time."

    The film would also receive glowing praises from many noted figures in the entertainment industry.  Cult filmmaker Kevin Smith for instance saw an early screening of the film and sung his praises.  He called the film "spellbinding" and assured that "nobody is going to understand what the f&$% just hit them."  It was also well-liked by filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Jason Reitman. 

     Furthermore, when the film was released in Japan, several figures in the country's gaming scene openly sung their own praises about the film.  Suichi Goda of cult developer Grasshopper Manufacture for instance said "I love Scott Pilgrim for celebrating video games, comics, and guitars as the pinnacle of pop culture.  The movie made me a fan of Edgar Wright, as well as Brandon Lee O'Mally.  And finally, a huge fan of Sex Bob-omb!"

    Sadly, however, this couldn't translate to box office glory despite initial hype among the general public.  The film was chewed up and spat out at the box office, so to speak.  It only made back around $47 Million of a budget that sat between $60-$85 Million.  

    Much of the film's lackluster financial returns was blamed on the film's marketing, which didn't give a clear picture about what the movie was about.  Edgar Wright noted that trying to advertise the film in small bits caused a lot of information about the film's story to be lost in translation.  Others blamed the marketing for being too niche, often targeting solely the geek community while ignoring much of the general public.

    It also probably didn't help that the film opened on the same day as The Expendables, a highly anticipated action movie that had many notable stars to its name.  Further competition from the ever-popular Inception and Toy Story 3 only made things worse for poor old Scott.

    However, this bump in the road proved to be short-lived, as the film became a massive hit after being released on DVD, and the film continued to be considered one of the best hidden gems of its release year.  Its flashy visuals earned it a spot on the 83rd Academy Awards' shortlist for Best Visual Effects, though it ultimately failed to receive a nomination.



Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Resurgence





    And so, the years passed, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World continued to gain more and more fans.  Fans who would continue to give the film it's due diligence after its initial lack of financial success.  Many people would come to appreciate the film for its embracing of geek culture and incomparable visuals.  Quotes from the movie became popular in Internet culture, and plenty of fan-made content ran rampart across the web.

    It eventually became so popular, that during the film's 10th anniversary in 2020, several celebrations were held in its honor.  A 4K cinematic re-release was planned, but had to be delayed to 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage on.  Several virtual cast reunions were also held that year, including a script reading with the majority of the cast that rose money for the charity organization Water for People.  As mentioned earlier, the Scott Pilgrim video game was also brought back to gaming marketplaces after having been de-listed for years due to copyright issues with the comics' original publisher Oni Press.

    In 2023, a new adaptation of the franchise was also announced, with the entire cast from the movie returning to reprise their roles.  This new adaptation was Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, an anime series that was produced for Netflix.  However, while critical reviews were generally positive, changes from the source material led to a mixed response from the fanbase.

    And Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World continues to be celebrated to this day.  And it shouldn't be hard to see why!  The movie has a style and charm all its own, combining some of the greatest elements of popular culture to create a flashy experience with memorable characters and quotable lines.  Not a single moment in this film comes off as dull, almost putting the audience in a spellbinding trance for its entire runtime.  A few film scholars have even taken a liking to it, even labeling it as a work of "transmedia" narrative.  This is a work of fiction that combines aesthetics from multiple mediums in order to tell its story, which we can see through the film's multiple visual references to manga, comics, video games and everything in between.

    Granted, some parts of the film may be a bit dated by today's standards-such the age gap between Scott and Knives-but it's still a fun film with plenty of laughs and plenty of thrills, not to mention plenty of Easter Eggs that'll have blown the mind of your inner geek.  

    Plus, not everything about the film is necessarily outdated and problematic.  Towards the end of the film, we see Scott make amends with the people he's unintentionally hurt, and we see him learn to accept his faults.  And we ultimately see him become motivated enough to make his life better for himself in the process.  That's something that always ages well!

    But above all else, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a movie that's proudly made by nerds for nerds.  It's a movie that's unapologetic about what it is and isn't afraid to wear it's love for all things retro or geeky on its neon-tinted sleeve. Something that I feel a lot of movies nowadays sadly aren't, including a lot of geek culture movies.  Nothing about the film comes off as artificial, and it provides the ultimate fantasy that can give hope to all the social awkward people in the world, me included.



Freakish Fun Facts



    Before we play the final song on our metaphorical playlist for tonight, its time for us to dive into some Freakish Fun Facts! This is the part of Stranger Sinema where we dump a few more strange and quirky behind-the-scenes fun facts about our subject in question.

    We've already shared a few earlier, but here's a few fun factoids about Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World straight from subspace!

  • The character of Scott Pilgrim received his name from song recorded by the band Plumtree, a favorite of original creator Bryan Lee O'Mally.  Carla Gillis, who was the band's lead singer, applauded the movie, feeling that it conveyed the same bittersweet message as the song.

  • During filming, Wright requested that his cast not blink while being filmed.  This was done in order to further heighten the anime-esque qualities of the film.

  • Ramona's phone number in the film is 212-664-7665.  This number was acquired by Universal Studios for use in their movies, and has also appeared in films such as Munich, Definitely Maybe, and The Adjustment Bureau.

  • The film's marketing campaign not only included the aforementioned tie-ins, but also a memorable celebration at San Diego Comic Con in 2010.  This event notably included free garlic bread being handed out to the attendees, referencing the now famous "Bread makes you fat" exchange between Scott and Ramona in the film.

  • Early in the film, Scott tells a story about the localization of Pac-Man.  He was originally called Puck-Man in Japan due to being shaped like a hockey puck, but his name was changed out of fear of vandalism.  This was actually a true story!

  • Chris Evans invited several of his real-life stunt doubles to his character Lucas Lee's stunt doubles in the film.

  • Matthew Patel's actor, Satya Bhabha, is the only actor in the film to be British.  While he is of Indian descent, like his character, he grew up near Edgar Wright's hometown.  He auditioned with an American accent, doing so because Edgar Wright wanted to cast American and Canadian actors for his first Hollywood production.

  • Before the cast started working on the movie, they were given a list of 10 secret things about their characters.  One of the few that was released to the general public was that Julie Powers had a massive crush on Scott during college.


The Power of Self-Respect!




        So, in the end, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is truly a film with a reputation that precedes it.  It's a movie that has truly come a long way from where it began, amassing a cult following that continues to grow to this day.  And like I said before, its truly not hard to see why!

    The film has a visual style that's sure to cast you under a nerdgasm-induced spell, with dazzling effects that call back to everything geeky.  Fists fly, 8-bit sound effects reign supreme, and not one story beat is wasted.  Everything about this movie makes you feel like a witness to a Shonen anime-inspired video game come to life in the real world, complete with a rapid-fire pace that ensures that boredom will be non-existent.

    But it's not just the crazy visuals that have given Scott Pilgrim renewed longevity after its initial shortcomings at the box office.  The movie is also not afraid to touch on subjects of toxic relationships and self-growth.  We see Scott grow to make himself a better person and stand up against bullies, not to mention find out who the true girl of his dreams is.  And we ultimately see Scott come to term with his flaws, and find much-needed self-respect.  It truly is the very definition of a nerd movie, considering things like this are a part of a nerd's everyday life.

    With all of this in mind, it's heartwarming to see how far Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World had come in the pop culture zeitgeist.  Many people have come to appreciate the film for its uniqueness, ability to seamlessly mix multiple aesthetics, or just for the pure fun factor of the movie.  True, like a lot of the movies we cover on this blog, it's probably not going to be everybody's cup of tea (that is why we call this show STRANGER Sinema, after all!), but for those who are willing to get a little weird, there's far worse things you could watch this Valentine's season!

    But that's just what I think.  What about you?  Have you seen Scott Pilgrim Vs The World or read the comics it was based on?  Did you personally like them, or did you find them to be overrated and think I'm just shilling?  Are you interested in tracking either the film or comics down after hearing my thoughts about them?  Would you even be open to a possible follow up movie?  Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below and share my blog on your preferred social media.  I've been really trying to make a name for myself this year, and I'd be welcome to any feedback!

    Thanks for coming out, everybody!
    


Sources:

Beresford, T. (2020, August 14). John Hughes meets “kill bill”: Memories behind “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/edgar-wright-shares-making-scott-pilgrim-world-1305252/

Collis, C. (2010, August 10). The making of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”: Edgar Wright and Michael Cera describe how they brought us the year’s most hard-to-describe movie “epic.” EW.com. https://ew.com/comic-con/2010/08/10/scott-pilgrim-cera-wright-making-of/

Collis, C. (2020, June 24). “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”: An oral history of Edgar Wright’s super-powered cult classic. EW.com. https://ew.com/movies/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-oral-history/

Collis, C. (2020, June 26). “Scott Pilgrim” cast reunites for 10th anniversary script read-through for Charity. EW.com. https://ew.com/movies/scott-pilgrim-script-read-reunion/

Corcoran, N. (2020, August 13). Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a 2010s indie rock time capsule. Homepage. https://stereogum.com/2094280/scott-pilgrim-music-anniversary/franchises/interview

Ditzian, E. (2010, August 16). Scott Pilgrim: Inside the creation of the Six Fights. MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/1645800/scott-pilgrim-inside-the-creation-of-the-six-fights/

Dowd, T. (2025, August 10). 15 years ago, the only thing better than ’Scott Pilgrim’s movie was his retro video game. Inverse. https://www.inverse.com/gaming/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-anniversary

Down, L. (2010, August 20). TLOBF interview // Bryan Lee O’Malley. The Line of Best Fit. https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/tlobf-interview-bryan-lee-omalley-34542

Fernandez, S. M. (2011, January 6). “inception,” “Scott Pilgrim” on Oscar visual effects shortlist. The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/inception-scott-pilgrim-oscar-visual-68810

Fischer, R. (2010, August 3). Exclusive: First video from the Scott Pilgrim animated short produced by Adult Swim. SlashFilm. https://www.slashfilm.com/510446/exclusive-video-scott-pilgrim-animated-short-adult-swim/

Fleicher, D. (2010, November 9). Reel Toronto: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Torontoist. https://torontoist.com/2010/11/reel_toronto_edgar_wright_talks_scott_pligrim_vs_the_world/

Giroux, J. (2010, March 4). [exclusive] Kevin Smith talks “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” The Film Stage - Your Spotlight On Cinema. https://thefilmstage.com/exclusive-kevin-smith-talks-scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world/

Goldberg, M. (2010, June 21). Full tracklist for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Soundtrack revealed; includes 4 new songs from Beck. Collider. https://collider.com/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-soundtrack-revealed-beck-new-songs/

Goslin, A. (2021, March 24). Scott Pilgrim is coming back to theaters with updated Dolby Release. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/movies/2021/3/24/22348198/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-theaters-trailer-dolby-4k-bluray/

Hudson, L. (2011, July 14). Bryan Lee O’Malley talks “monkey manga” with the men who influenced “Scott Pilgrim” [exclusive]. ComicsAlliance. https://comicsalliance.com/bryan-lee-omalley-manga/

Hutchinson, S. (2014, November 19). 15 things you probably didn’t know about <em>Scott Pilgrim vs. the world</em>. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60108/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-scott-pilgrim-vs-world

Laman, L. (2023, April 5). How “Scott Pilgrim” went from box office bomb to pop culture touchstone. Collider. https://collider.com/scott-pilgrim-movie-cult-classic/

Leader, M. (2010, August 23). Scott Pilgrim Press Conference: Stunts, comic books, Ant-Man and more. Den of Geek. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/scott-pilgrim-press-conference-stunts-comic-books-ant-man-and-more/

Locations, M. (2010). Filming locations for Edgar Wright’s adaptation of the graphic novels Scott Pilgrim vs the world (2010), around Toronto, including such landmarks as victorian folly Casa Loma, Baldwin Steps and rock venue Lee’s palace. The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/Scott-Pilgrim-Vs-The-World.php

Martens, T. (2010, July 15). Comic-con 2010: “Scott Pilgrim” is ready to put up a fight -- and rock out. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/hero-complex-blog/story/2010-07-15/comic-con-2010-scott-pilgrim-is-ready-to-put-up-a-fight-and-rock-out

Miller, N. (2010, June 22). Director Edgar Wright, Star Michael Cera, Crack Wise About Scott Pilgrim. Wired. https://www.wired.com/magazine/

Numbers, T. (2010). Scott Pilgrim vs. the world (2010) - box office and Financial Information. The Numbers. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Scott-Pilgrim-vs-The-World#tab=summary

Perpetua, M. (2010, August 12). Interview with Scott Pilgrim Creator Bryan Lee O’Malley! Fluxblog RSS. https://www.fluxblog.org/2010/08/interview-with-scott-pilgrim-creator-bryan-lee-omalley/

Rosen, C. (2020, August 11). How Scott Pilgrim vs. the world assembled its all-star cast. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/08/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-casting

Scott, A. O. (2010, August 12). Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Movie Review. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/movies/13scott.html

Snyder, G. (2005, May 25). “Pilgrim’s” progresses. Variety. https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/pilgrim-s-progresses-1117923467/

Staff, E. (2010, August 11). The many influences behind “Scott Pilgrim.” San Francisco Examiner. https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/the-many-influences-behind-scott-pilgrim/article_6ba2f110-c71a-5b0a-8394-0ea50f62e039.html

Sweardloff, A. (2010, July 16). The Girls of Summer. Paper. http://www.papermag.com/the-girls-of-summer-1425697866.html

Tapken, E. (2020, June 17). A look back at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 - san diego comic-con unofficial blog. SDCC Official Blog. https://sdccblog.com/2020/06/a-look-back-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010/

Trumbore, D. (2020, May 21). Scott Pilgrim cast photos, trivia revealed by Edgar Wright’s watch-party. Collider. https://collider.com/scott-pilgrim-cast-behind-the-scenes-photos/

Trump, B. (2023, November 14). Scott Pilgrim: The movie vs the comics. Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/scott-pilgrim-movie-vs-comics/

Webster, A. (2023, November 20). Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off isn’t an adaptation - it’s a remix. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/23963700/scott-pilgrim-takes-off-review-netflix

Weiss, J. (2024, September 16). Scott Pilgrim vs. the world’s production designer on building Edgar Wright’s frenetic masterpiece. SYFY. https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-production-designer-retrospective

Winning, J. (2010, June 2). Q&A; Scott Pilgrim Creator Bryan Lee O’Mally. GamesRadar+. http://www.totalfilm.com/news/q-a-scott-pilgrim-creator-bryan-lee-o-malley/page:3

Wright, E. (2010, August 10). Scott Pilgrim Vs, The World-Original Score. Edgar Wright Here. http://www.edgarwrighthere.com/2010/08/09/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-original-score-digital-release-10th-august-2010/

Wright, E. (2011, March 1). Scott Pilgrim Vs the World-Notable Japanese Personalities’ Tributes to the Film. Edgar Wright Here. http://www.edgarwrighthere.com/2011/03/01/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-notable-japanese-personalities-tributes-to-the-film/

Wright, E. (2013, January 23). The 50 best comic book movies of all time. Time Out Worldwide. https://www.timeout.com/film/the-50-best-comic-book-movies

Zeitlin Wu, L. (2016, August 9). Transmedia adaptation, or the kinesthetics of Scott Pilgrim vs. the world | adaptation | oxford academic. Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/adaptation/article-abstract/9/3/417/2503868?redirectedFrom=fulltext






Comments