Reviews of this movie abound on the net. Obviously, Cabin in the Woods has been christened the holy grail of horror movies by fan boy types (including me). Ironically, the Visual Companion Guide - which covers just about every facet of the movie you could imagine in great detail - somewhat detracts from the fun of it all because it’s so self conscious (exploitative?) about the geekdom factor.

That said, I would still highly recommend this book to anyone who liked the movie. The prelude interview with Joss Whedon and Drew Goodard (director) is unusually honest. For example, Joss talks about how one actress they both liked refused to do the nudity required for the Jules character (p. 22). He goes on to state that her stubborn refusal to show her boobies was one of his and Drew’s more “uncomfortable” moments in the casting process. (The role eventually went to Anna Hutchison.) The whole section comes off as a subliminal dig at whoever this actress is from the director of the 3rd highest grossing movie of all time (e.g., The Avengers).

There is also an interesting little bit about how they had to fire the first casting director because of a lack of simpatico (p. 20). I find stuff like this fascinating for some reason. I’ve always disliked those interviews where the cast and crew of movies say they got along great. (Yawn.)

You've probably heard of the movie but have you ever read the original graphic novels for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? If not then I think you should and now's the perfect time to pick them up, better than ever. Oni Press started printing a new colorized edition in August 2012 with future volumes scheduled for release every six months. And since I haven't read it either or have any plans coming up for the next three years, I figured that I might as well start picking them up too.
 
Hey don't judge me. At least the writer/artist Bryan Lee O'Malley understands. Plans, commitments, pursuits, that stuff's complicated and I don't even like to buy bananas when they're still green. Neither does Scott Pilgrim. He's just your average twenty-something slacker who's drifting through life on a few bucks, playing in a garage band and splitting his friend's futon mattress. Really what more do any of us need other than a slice of pizza, some tunes and a place to crash?
 
Sex, you say? Companionship? Enter Ramona Flowers.
 
But her affections are not easily won. Not only does Scott have to convince Ramona to date him (even though he's already dating a sweet catholic school girl whom he hasn't quite gotten around to dumping), but he also has to fight Ramona's seven evil exes in order to keep dating her. So it's a good thing that aside from being your average twenty-something slacker, he also happens to be the greatest fighter in Ontario Canada.
 
Scott Pilgrim quickly moves into surreal territory, drawing upon themes and cues from the cartoons, movies, video games and comics people of Scott's age experienced while growing up. From the name of his band "Sex Bob-Omb" to the X-Men patch on his jacket, it is all a love letter from O'Malley to an entire subculture.
 
Even Scott's having to fight seven evil exes is a reference to shonen style manga like Dragon Ball. But that's not what it's about, even if O’Malley drops many references about things from his time growing up. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is about growing up. It's about fighting for things in life because just skirting by can hurt the people around you and leave you really alone whether or not you've realized it yet.
 
This edition is also hardbound and comes with bonus material from the creator, discussing the origins of the characters and conception of the series. So for the many of us who missed out on this critically acclaimed graphic novel the first time, this volume entitled "Scott Pilgrim''s Precious Little Life" is a great place to start on a journey of our own.

Tags: Scott Pilgrim, Bryan Lee O'Malley