Perhaps the most ubiquitous presence at Comic-Con this year has been Universal’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” The film held a traditional panel Thursday evening, was screened three times to audiences including the public, was fully visible with a massive ad on the north side of the Hilton Bayfront and took over the Hilton Gaslamp with “The Scott Pilgrim Experience,” a smörgåsbord of marketing mojo fit with T-shirt printing, video game test drives and autograph sessions.
I saw the film at the first screening Thursday. Following the Hall H panel, director Edgar Wright led the march from the convention center through downtown San Diego as a hundred or so lucky fans got the chance to partake in the event at the Balboa Theatre.
Inside, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala were filling everyone’s eardrums with funky beats as the crowd filed in. It was interesting to note that many didn’t even seem to realize they were witnessing a show people would pay good money to see, assuming it was just another DJ set or something. Hardly.