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The Film Nuts Podcast
Your host Taylor D. Adams talks to artists, musicians, writers and others about their favorite films and shows, and asks them to share how they have been inspired or affected. Hopefully we can get to the root of why we love what we watch, why we’re crazy about a movie or *nuts* about a show…get it?
The Film Nuts Podcast
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD with Megan Turner
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Ever wonder how a single film can alter your view on life's big questions, like love and personal growth? That's the kind of revelation Megan Turner experienced after getting lost in the world of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. In this episode, Megan, a trailblazing filmmaker and one of the forces behind Synced Together: AMVs & Their Editors, shares her filmmaking odyssey ignited by the narrative ingenuity of Scott Pilgrim. We unwrap the often-unseen influence of anime on Western culture and how AMVs serve as a portal into the addictive art of video editing, leading many down their own creative rabbit holes.
Notey Notes:
Synced Together: AMVs & Their Editors
Edgar Wright - How To Do Visual Comedy
AMV - Weebstagram - White Woman’s Instagram
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If we're going to date, you may have to defeat my seven evil exes. You have seven evil ex-boyfriends, seven evil exes, yes, and I have to fight, defeat, defeat your seven evil exes if we're going to continue to date. Pretty much. So what you're saying right now is we are dating. Uh.
Megan Turner:I guess I really love this film because it takes issue with when you're in a relationship you really have to go through and be real with each other. Right, you have to go through the baggage. I also love the packaging because I'm a huge Edgar Wright fan. I love how he directs with the edit in mind, rather than, you know, getting into the editing suite and saying, ok, what do we do with this footage? Every single shot. It's like he's seen it already.
Taylor D. Adams:Hi, I'm Taylor and welcome back to the Film Nuts podcast, a show about why we love what we watch. When's the last time a movie opened up your world? Not because you actively closed yourself off or anything, but because the movie showed you something you hadn't even thought of before, and the more you watched it, the more you grew to appreciate it and the more inspired you became. Scott Pilgrim vs the World, directed by Edgar Wright, is a quirky, fast-paced visual kaleidoscope of young adult angst and video game homages that, over time, drove my guest today into a filmmaking career. Megan Turner is a content creator and entrepreneur who is working with a team to produce the documentary Synced Together AMVs and their editors and if you're asking what an AMV is, don't worry, we answer that quickly. Megan and I chat about how anime influences Western media, how Scott Pilgrim vs the World handles complex characters and who Megan might have become had she not seen this movie. So let's hit start.
Megan Turner:The big thing I'm working on is documentary and it's called Sync Together AMVs and their editors.
Taylor D. Adams:Okay.
Megan Turner:So, but to explain this, I have to ask you a question first. Do you know what an AMV is?
Taylor D. Adams:Anime music video. Yeah, okay, all right, cool Good.
Megan Turner:Good, did you look that up, or did I tell you that before?
Taylor D. Adams:I want to, now that you talk about it. I think you sent me some stuff a while ago, okay, but in the subject line I said AMV and that's the first thing that came to my head, but I was like, I just thought of it as like a super niche thing that not a lot of people are aware of, and I think that's still true, but yeah, now you're working on something about it. Tell me about it.
Megan Turner:Yeah yeah, it's actually the very first documentary about AMVs ever, so that's really exciting. It's been seven years in the making, so really it's been a long time, yeah yeah.
Megan Turner:And what's been crazy is so the team that's been making this right. It's a pretty big team, but the core team started seven years ago and every step of the way was the first time for everything. They had never filmed anything before, we never edited a feature length documentary before, and so now it's really beautiful to have it out in the world. We're doing community screenings, so at anime conventions, which have gotten just incredible reception and feedback from people and how really special and unique it is. So I'm actually in the documentary and also on the team behind the scenes, so that's, you know, a really interesting dynamic. And so we're screening it now in conventions and then we're working on DIY distribution. So that'll be the next step and that's even more exciting because then you can share it with people who don't come to conventions and aren't big nerds like us.
Taylor D. Adams:Can you, for the audience that isn't aware of AMV, anime Music Video?
Megan Turner:can you?
Taylor D. Adams:describe what it actually is.
Megan Turner:Sure. So an AMV is essentially you take an anime that you love and a song that you say, hey, this actually goes with this, and you make a music video with them. So, for example, you can do something where, okay, well, you love Dragon Ball Z right, this is really common.
Megan Turner:I also love Linkin Park right, this is kind of how it started and they were like okay, well, we'll put them together and make something unique, kind of this fresh video version of fan art, but also you can subvert it right, which is really fun. And the first amv actually that was ever made was with um, an 80s anime called battleship yamato. I I really hope I didn't butcher that and it's this brutal, you know space war kind of anime and the guy who edited it, who just passed away last year, he's the first AMV editor and he paired it with All you Need Is Love.
Taylor D. Adams:By the Beatles. Yes, okay, and so it's this comedy right.
Megan Turner:It's like people dying everywhere and all you need is love.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, okay, yeah Okay.
Megan Turner:Yeah, so it's a really beautiful, interesting kind of art form that subverts tradition and you know breaks the rules a little bit, which I think you know falls in line really well with Scott Pilgrim, to be honest.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah.
Megan Turner:But, but yeah. So a lot of these AMV editors taught themselves how to edit videos by doing this hobby and that's how I learned how to edit too. So we're all really passionate about it. We want to see it. You know, grow and change and you know the international community get closer and all those things. So the documentary is really like a love letter to AMVs and to editors and the community and everything.
Taylor D. Adams:That's really cool. One of the ones, one of the ones or the clips I've seen from any of you that makes me laugh every single time is the Dragon Ball Z. Whitney Houston. I will, I will always love you. I die laughing every time I see that one. Yeah, it cracks me up so much.
Megan Turner:It's so good we did so. My husband and I both edit AMVs. Sorry, scott, I have to tell people. He doesn't like it when I tell people.
Taylor D. Adams:Why.
Megan Turner:But well, it's such a nerdy thing, right? A lot of AMV editors are really anonymous about it. They're really private. That's sad it is. I hope it'll change. But you know so we, during the pandemic, everybody had their project right to like cope with that. So me and him watched um Bo Burnham's Inside oh yeah, loved it yeah loved it so, so much.
Megan Turner:And so when, when we heard and saw the song A White Woman's Instagram, we're like, okay, we've got to do something with this. Right, we've got to do something. And I said, you know, it'd be great if we did that. And did you know a multi-source like all these different anime and replicate every single shot?
Megan Turner:right of of Bo Burnham's music video yeah and I said that'd be so great, but I would never do it because it'd be so much work to recreate, like Instagram UIs and things like that. And my husband was like, well, I'll do that part. So. So we made it together. We made an. Amv and it's called Weepstagram and it's it's so good, it's so good.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, this. Well, this actually, I think, ties in perfectly with your choice of film you wanted to discuss today. So, outside of the similar connections between AMv and scott pilgrim versus the world, why do you love this movie?
Megan Turner:so I think there's two reasons right there's the content and there's the packaging of the movie right. So the content I really love um this film because it takes issue with when you're in a relationship you really have to go through and be real with each other. Right, you have to go through the baggage, the evil exes right.
Megan Turner:You got to deal with this stuff if you're really going to be in an authentic relationship, in something deep and real. And so I love that and I love the you know dismantling of this idea of Ramona as this perfect person and you realize that she's not right.
Megan Turner:Scott's not for sure but that you can still have a relationship with imperfect people, right? I love that. I also love the packaging, because I'm a huge Edgar Wright fan. I love his work, I love how he directs with the edit in mind, and so, rather than, you know, getting into the editing suite and saying, okay, what do we do with this footage? You know every single shot, it's like he's seen it already, you know. And so all the in-camera transitions and you know, beautiful, just synergy of the audio mixing and design and the visual and the graphics and the acting and everything. It's just, it flows together so, so well and I feel like he's such an unsung hero in film, to be honest, you know it was. It was shocking to me. You know, we just saw the oscars not too long ago and I was like you know what.
Megan Turner:I don't think edgar wright's ever won an oscar and I looked it up I was like no, he's never been nominated no for an oscar. I was like this is atrocious, so that's why I wanted to talk about it mr pilgrim, it is I, matthew patel.
Clip:Consider our fight begun.
Clip:What did I do? What do I do Fight.
Taylor D. Adams:Fight. I feel like, yeah, I personally love his style as well. I think it's incredibly unique and provides a lot of action where there isn't action. I think there was a every frame of painting video essay on, uh, how he edits non-action into action and it's really great. I mean, a lot of people haven't been a lot of great filmmakers, have never been nominated or won an oscar hitchcock number one, an oscar really yep, I did not know.
Megan Turner:Yeah, that's wild I hope so.
Taylor D. Adams:I just said it.
Megan Turner:I'm like we'll fix that.
Taylor D. Adams:Um, I'll fix that post, uh, so tell me about. So this movie came out in 2010, so tell me about. Yeah, tell me about the first time you remember seeing this movie, like who were you? Where were you with? What was that experience like?
Megan Turner:Yeah, so I I actually don't remember the specific first time that I saw this movie, but I know the context because, um, in 2010, I was in college. It's like forever ago. Uh, I was in college and I was not into anime and I didn't play fighting video games, right Like. So the two kind of things you need to love to love this film at least you know, from an aesthetic standpoint Right.
Megan Turner:Yeah, I didn't love, but I was surrounded by people who did. You know, all of my friends were anime nerds, and so it was kind of destiny that I I would become one too. But but you know, I was rooming with my best friend and we regularly would have these movie nights, right especially because one of our um roommates was from china and so we were trying to introduce her to all these western films. We poor thing she sat through lord of the rings and hated every second what she hated it was so slow.
Megan Turner:You know, whatever I love Lord of the Rings, but, um, but one of the movies that we watched was Scott Pilgrim and I think that in future watches, especially you know, when, um, when my husband and I started talking and becoming closer friends, you know we watched it again and it was like every single time that I'd watch it again I'd love it more, you know, um, just because I was kind of being sucked into that community and also because I was becoming more aware of film, right, and realizing what it took to make a film like this.
Megan Turner:You know, in 2010, I wasn't even in film yet you know um I was still, you know, acting in theater and it wasn't until 2011 that I really got introduced through screenwriting, to, you know, the world of film and kind of the other side of the coin, right from theater, and really fell in love with it then. So, yeah it's, it's a movie that I started out kind of kind of interested, kind of curious about, and just every single watch has grown on me even more what about?
Taylor D. Adams:it has grown and kind of like, yeah, with that, what has made you, or what made you come around to like loving film? Uh, as much as you do yeah, yeah, I think it was.
Megan Turner:It was two things. So when I first got started doing film, I was a pa and you know this because you hired me.
Taylor D. Adams:What shoot was that? That was forever ago. I was trying to remember.
Megan Turner:That was Brian. I think that was 2012, maybe.
Taylor D. Adams:That sounds about right, cause I put out Brian in 2013. Nobody looked that up, cause I don't like that. I don't like watching that movie anymore.
Megan Turner:It doesn't exist, Just ignore. No, but you I was thinking about this recently, man, you know, sometimes like the first loaf of bread I baked was not any good, but you had to do it. You know, I feel like, as filmmakers like you got to just start somewhere.
Megan Turner:And that was. I think the beautiful thing about that era of my life was that it was like, you know, getting your feet wet and being on set late nights and early mornings and coffee, and kind of grow to love it, even though it's kind of wild and unpredictable and you're, you know, beating your head against the wall trying to make something good. Um, and so I love the production side from that end. So also bringing my husband into this. So when I got married to him and I moved to Virginia, I had absolutely nothing to do, I beyond nothing to do, because I didn't have a job. I didn't know a single person in the town we moved to, and so I was like, well, what else am I going to do? I'll learn to edit.
Megan Turner:So he taught me how to use Premiere and it was terrible. We had so many fights because he's like, well, hit the cut button. And I was like these are hieroglyphics, they mean nothing to me. You know, um, but I edited my first AMV. And you know, um, but I edited my first amv. And you know that was when I started really understanding what it took to create a pace and a flow in an edit and really like respect and understand the effort that goes in on the back end to all the post-production um, and at that point, you know I was kind of hooked. You know I started making amvs and and going to contests and the crazy thing is so I had my first child in 2018, which was awesome. But long story short, I ended up having to quit my job the morning she was born.
Clip:Oh shoot.
Megan Turner:Yeah, yeah, I went in and talked to my boss and I was like look, I know, swore up and down for nine months, I wasn't going anywhere, but my child care canceled.
Clip:So sorry, oh wow.
Megan Turner:And that night she was born, and so the next month, not the next day, good Lord. The next month I started my business, poppy Plum Media, because I couldn't go back to work. I had to be home with her and I knew we had to bring in an income. This was the only thing I knew how to do now. So from there it just kind of took off and and now I'm inextricably linked to film forever.
Taylor D. Adams:That's awesome. Um, so your business popular media um, as well as your work with documentaries and everything, you're very much content creator. You run your own business. Do you think that the style of this movie shaped your movies and content and TV that came after it?
Megan Turner:I do. I think it was ahead of its time, so what?
Clip:can I f***ing get you? Is there anywhere you don't work. They're called jobs, something a f***ing ball like you wouldn't know anything about. And, by the way, I can't f***ing believe you asked Ramona out after I specifically told you not to f***ing do that. How are you doing that with your mouth? You never f***ing mind how I'm doing it. What do you have to say for yourself? Can I get a caramel macchiato? You know what? Maybe it's high time you took a look in the mirror before you wreak havoc on another girl.
Megan Turner:It broke ground in this style of you know kind of rebellious filmmaking, right, breaking the fourth wall, breaking the rules, breaking you know form and still telling a story that was you know not shallow by any means, like this is a deep story, but it's told in a way that's so accessible, right, I think of even like current films that do this right, like we just recognize Barbie as an Oscar nom right and.
Megan Turner:American fiction as an Oscar nom, and, and these are films that have really important messages, but they're also palatable to watch, right? They're not bashing you over the head with it. It's really accessible for the average person and so, yeah, I think it impacted that. I think it also impacted pop culture, right?
Taylor D. Adams:There was this huge.
Megan Turner:I mean obviously box office flop, because of course. But you know, after it came out, you know this rise in this kind of alt-punk after it came out you know this rise in this kind of alt punk, you know acceptance in pop culture and and all of these things. And you know, even in hipsterdom, which I was definitely accused of being hipster Um, but of course I wasn't because they just didn't get it.
Taylor D. Adams:They just didn't get it yeah.
Megan Turner:It was just deep.
Taylor D. Adams:So sorry for the interruption, but I will be brief. I am so grateful that you decided to listen to the Film Nuts podcast today. If you are enjoying what you're hearing, please consider supporting the show on Patreon. With a small monthly amount, you can get access to behind the scenes goodies, early access to full episodes and you can vote on what movie we watch the first Monday of every month on the Nuthouse Discord. The Nuthouse itself is free to join and is full of other film and TV lovers, so you'll fit right in. You can check out info on all these things in the show notes, and if all of this sounds like a bit too much, that's totally OK. But if you want to keep up to date on all our episodes, please be sure and subscribe on your favorite platform of choice, and if you're listening on Apple podcasts, go ahead and leave a rating and review so we can get in front of other awesome people like yourself.
Taylor D. Adams:Okay, enough of me rambling back to the good stuff. The thing that I was noticing this time around watching it is I hadn't seen it since, uh, around the time it came out. Um, I remember it. I remember, uh, appreciating it, but not like loving it, and I think I still feel that way. But I'm looking at it now and I'm like, visually and aesthetically, this was like way, like we're seeing stuff in the past three years that visually looks like this movie.
Megan Turner:Yeah.
Taylor D. Adams:Like, especially with visual effects, um, and even and and and beyond, like content you watch on your phone, like like, uh, tik TOK stuff and Instagram filters and stuff like that. But like I immediately actually thought of, uh, into the spider verse, with just the way that it incorporated graphic novel language, like having that on screen. One of my favorite bits in into the spider-verse is like someone gets hit with a bagel and bagel shows up. Yeah, yeah, that's one. And so, like watching this movie, I was reminded a lot of that, a lot of that aesthetic that I really loved, and this movie to me, like I'd forgotten how visually striking everything is. Like like in my, my head I was like, yeah, no, yeah, duh.
Taylor D. Adams:But like watching it and I was like, oh yeah, this had a lot to do and there are a lot of really like funny, clever jokes in it too as well. Um, but one of the thing going back, we were talking about, how the stuff you, you weren't into like, uh, the pop culture, nerdy, video gamey type stuff like this, obviously, movies, this has all of that. Oh, yeah.
Taylor D. Adams:But a lot of what is incorporated, especially with the visual effects, stuff is very like eight bit oriented and very things that can trigger nostalgia in a lot of people. Things that can trigger nostalgia in a lot of people. What kind of power do you think nostalgia has over an audience, both with this movie and maybe just in general?
Megan Turner:Yeah, I think that you know. Obviously we see a lot of companies trying to capitalize on nostalgia right now and you can tell when it's fake and you can tell when it's real. And I think when it's real, and at its best, it's not necessarily a longing for that thing that you're nostalgic for. I think it's a nostalgia for the person you were when you engaged with that thing first, right.
Megan Turner:So you know, I mentioned we have kids and so we're introducing them to not just current, like Mario and gaming, and stuff but also like they played mario 64 heck yeah, it's like, right, they're cool, they're cool um great parents you are thank you, I know, I know, uh, so I think it's, it's really nostalgic for us to to give our kids this thing that we played when we were kids and or at least I played when I was a kid but, um, it's, it's this kind of connection between you know this, I guess, reconnecting with your childhood and then also passing it on right to the next generation, and I think for me.
Megan Turner:When I see films like Scott Pilgrim, it reminds me of one of the best versions of myself, right. Who I was in in 2010, like in college, before all the complications you know come up of life of the heaviness of a mortgage and things like that.
Taylor D. Adams:When you say like the better version, is it like? Do you mean like just more innocent with less responsibilities, like the more fun, like the more carefree, a little?
Megan Turner:bit, a little bit, I think. I think there was just so much more freedom to like be creative, Like I. There's there's a word that I always associate with that era of my life, and it's moxie.
Clip:Okay, right, but it was like.
Megan Turner:No one told me I couldn't, so I was just going to do it. You know, I was just, you know, gonna walk barefoot all over campus because I thought maybe it was bringing awareness to kids without shoes. Right, like right, you remember that.
Taylor D. Adams:Oh, I remember judging those people.
Megan Turner:Yeah, that was me. That was me, I'll admit it, but it like I wasn't judged, but I was worried.
Taylor D. Adams:I was worried.
Megan Turner:Yeah, it hurt, it hurt. No, but that like courage of conviction.
Megan Turner:Right right of like, just without restriction, being yourself and and I think now you know that's lost a little bit, at least for me personally, because you know I'm a mom, I'm I'm the business owner and I'm old or at least I feel older and and it feels like there's so much consequence for being yourself, right in a certain way. I think in some ways we've tried to open that up as a society, but also I think it's been hampered a lot by how much social media has grown between like 2010 and now and the ways that it's pivoted into like monetizing yourself. So living in that age where you know I didn't have to monetize myself, I didn't have to worry about my brand image, you weren't worried about an algorithm.
Megan Turner:Yeah, no, I was not worried about an algorithm at all. I didn't even know that an algorithm existed. You know, I was just having fun and being silly, and yeah. And so I think you know we go back to these pieces of content, that we go back to these touchstones to try to regain that piece of ourself, right, and you always look back with rose colored glasses, right, like make no mistake, but but I think that to me, that's what nostalgia really does and why I love it.
Taylor D. Adams:What do you, what do you think we can do to Hold on to who we used to be? Like you know, it's nice to have reminders you know of, of the people we used to be, the the times in which we used to exist, but, like, surely there's gotta be a way to retain that, some of that who we are. I just I recently did this video essay on memory and how, even if we forget, like the events of things, like we're still shaped by, like what actually happened to us and what we participated in. So I mean, I did not send you the question ahead of time, because I just thought of it.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, is there, is there. Is there a way you think that we can both remember who we were and hold on to those things we found important back then and and and keep them going now, especially like raising a younger generation?
Megan Turner:Yeah, yeah. Well, I think it's a balance right, like you want to look back fondly and take with you the pieces of of yourself that you want to keep right, that you want to preserve, but also recognize that that it wasn't perfect, right? I?
Taylor D. Adams:mean.
Megan Turner:Scott Pilgrim is a great example of this right of Ramona looking back at all her you know chapters of her love life right and saying like wow, I was kind of a bitch.
Clip:You're going.
Clip:I should probably disappear After all that. I still need a new life. I came here to escape, but the past keeps catching up. I'm tired of people getting hurt because of me.
Clip:I'm pretty sure I'm going to get over it. I don't mean just you, no.
Clip:I understand. I should thank you, though, for what?
Megan Turner:For being the nicest guy I ever dated the fact that she's coming to terms with that fact that that the past use or whatever like there was good and bad right, and I think the way to take the good with you is is to, one, see it for what it was right, but then also to recognize that you are still that person right, that that, as much as you know, there's been times in my life where I didn't feel like, but then also to recognize that you are still that person right, that, as much as you know, there's been times in my life where I didn't feel like I had an Emoxy right, but recognizing that I can look back at especially content I created, journaling that I did right.
Megan Turner:Those tangible pieces, even pictures, and say like that person is still in here, you know, like you can be that again, you can be the parts of that you want to be again. You know, and I think especially I don't know to me post pandemic. I think that's especially important because we lost so much during the pandemic that now trying to regain, even four years past the beginning of it, right, which is still wild to me to think about.
Taylor D. Adams:That was four years, I know, right it started four years ago.
Megan Turner:I've been thinking about this a lot lately, Right, and I'm like man, that's that's crazy.
Taylor D. Adams:It feels like last year and 10 years ago.
Megan Turner:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think that you know that's a really important exercise for us to do now to like go back and say like, yeah, we can do these things, we can be these people again. Right, I have a friend who went to a concert alone, uh, this past weekend. She was so proud of herself and I was like I'm so proud of you, like I wouldn't do that.
Taylor D. Adams:I go to the movies alone all the time. That's awesome. That's awesome yeah.
Megan Turner:And it's it's regaining that like I can you know, so I will.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, so I'm glad you brought that up about ramona, because, like scott is, basically, he's not a good person, he's a trash person I was like watching this I was like I don't remember him being such a dick, yeah but like dating a high schooler thing didn't age well either like, let's be, yeah, that should never age.
Taylor D. Adams:Well, anyway, uh, but yeah, the whole. But watching again, I was like, no, but it makes sense that he is a jerk in this movie because of the, the journey that he goes on, like that makes sense and I think, yeah, touching on that, I think yeah, the reminder was like yeah, basically I get so distracted with this movie because there's so much, there's so much going on visually.
Megan Turner:Yeah.
Taylor D. Adams:And even from a sound design perspective, like oh my gosh, it's bananas that sometimes I like forget to look and see what the movie's actually doing. So yeah, showing this like attraction to, uh, ramona is like, basically, scott like coming to realize that he's the problem.
Megan Turner:It's me, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. And then, like dealing with that, and I think you know there's always been some controversy over the ending and did they handle it well and stuff, and you know that's obviously there. But I think also I really love it from our perspective now of having seen the anime that's on netflix right, which I don't that's right.
Taylor D. Adams:So that's right okay it's so good I forgot that came out. Okay, I'll I'll need to check that out you've got to watch it.
Megan Turner:Yeah, it's so good, and I I think it's so good too, because it revisits the the story with fresh eyes okay that say like okay, well, maybe we shouldn't kill our exes, maybe we should like make peace with that right um, doesn't sound as fun. Oh, I promise you it's still fun. It's still super fun. Um, I loved what they did with it very cool and especially getting the whole cast back together, like who can do that nowadays, you know? Yeah like the whole cast I think it.
Taylor D. Adams:You say that, but I feel like there are things coming out within the past, like two or three years, like these, like reboots and like let's get the gang back together, let's get the band back together, kind of thing, which I'm I'm all for in certain contexts, so like, but the fact that they did it with and they changed the it's, it's all animated, right, it's all anime. See, I like that when they, when they change the format of things, keep it fresh, yeah.
Megan Turner:I, author of the graphic novels, right um, was inspired by anime to make the graphic novels, and there's obviously a lot taken from, you know, traditional anime style in that sense. Then you know, the film was made and now, with the anime being made, they actually got an anime studio to produce it. So it's technically, I will fight you on this it is technically anime, which is amazing and incredible, and and the only thing non-anime about it is the fact that the idea was originally written by a canadian right that's literally it.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, I, I just love when there are these so many intersections. It's on on media, like you can have a canadian graphic artist who is inspired by a japanese anime. Then that gets turned into a north american feature film with a British director Like it's like all of that. I think I love when stuff like that.
Megan Turner:I love it. I love that cross-cultural connections, you know, because it makes something so completely unique that nobody could have made like on their own.
Taylor D. Adams:Yeah, you know, so what's your favorite moment or scene from the movie?
Megan Turner:This was such a hard question. I was thinking about this, rewatching it, because it's hard to pull any of the scenes out of context because they're so connected you know it all just flows so much I think if I had to pick one, I really like the sequence where he's meeting Ramona for the first time. Hey, what's up?
Clip:Nothing. Hey, you know Pac-Man, I know of him Well. Pac-man was originally called Puck-Man. They changed it because, not because Pac-Man looks like a hockey puck. Pacu-pacu means flap your mouth, and they were worried people would change. Scratch out the P, turn it into an F, like yeah, that's amazing. Um, am I dreaming? I'll leave you alone forever now.
Megan Turner:Thanks, we go into the party scene and you've got all those insane cuts. You can't even like you'd have to pause it to like count them all and the way that they're cutting. And even you know, I was watching with family and friends um last night and some of them hadn't seen it before- and my brother was like man. This is so refreshing, the pacing of this party scene is fast. It's so fast. It's so fast because it's like okay, let me tell you what you need to know.
Taylor D. Adams:Right, what do you know? What a party is? Yeah, high school party. We've seen all of these.
Megan Turner:We know exactly what happens yeah, like you don't need to see all the party, you just need to see scott making fool of himself, you know. Like that's all you need to know. And the I don't know the, the intersection. I feel like it's such a good um encapsulation of the whole film. The way that the graphics are used and like where he's sliding in and covering up the words to be next to Ramona, the payoff of the Pac-Man joke, right, it's like it. It's just such a great microcosm for the film itself. And and also like, as much as Scott is a terrible person, he's also really adorkable.
Megan Turner:So I love that, I love that we were actually, so this was funny. We were watching it last night and and again, there were people who had never seen this film before and they stopped like midway through the beginning. Right, we hadn't even gotten to Matthew Patel yet, right?
Taylor D. Adams:Okay.
Megan Turner:Very early and they go. I know why you like this film.
Taylor D. Adams:And I was like what are you talking about?
Megan Turner:You know, I like this film and they're like there are some similarities with with your husband Scott, and I was like I know they are.
Taylor D. Adams:I know they're hopefully not the problematic reasons no, no, that like that adorkable energy.
Megan Turner:You know big nerd, really shy, like oh yeah, that's, that's him, yeah, so yeah. But I, I really love that scene and and the interaction of the characters and especially aubrey plaza, like I love introducing people to this film because they are so taken aback by all the star talent.
Taylor D. Adams:This is stacked. It's a stacked cast.
Megan Turner:Brie Larson's in this. Yeah, chris Evans is in this. I'm like yes, yes they were in this and it was before you know. A lot of them were really big too, so it's crazy.
Taylor D. Adams:So for you, recently watched for the first time with your family Like yeah they.
Megan Turner:it was their first time yeah.
Taylor D. Adams:What were? Did you say anything to get them to watch it? Or you're like, hey, I'm going to watch this movie for a podcast. Do you want to watch it with me?
Megan Turner:Yeah, I mean, I basically rolled up yesterday and was like, all right, I'm watching this tonight, you guys are watching with me.
Clip:OK.
Taylor D. Adams:What did they think?
Megan Turner:of it. Um, I think I think it was a positive reaction. My mom is not the target demographic okay so. So her reaction was a little, a little different, that you know. I think they laughed at a lot of the jokes, so that was good, but I think there was also very much a like. I recognize who this is for and it's not me, so it is. I think it is one of those films that it's like it's a cult classic for a reason. Right that it resonates with some people and it just not me.
Clip:So it is.
Megan Turner:I think it is one of those films that it's like it's a cult classic for a reason, right that it resonates with some people and it just doesn't resonate with others, and that's okay. There are other Edgar Wright films for them, so they can watch Shaun of the Dead or something.
Taylor D. Adams:I was actually a question I was going to ask. You was like, if you had a double feature with this and another Edgar Wright movie, what would you pair it with?
Megan Turner:Oh man, do I want to be funny or do I want to get a good pairing? Because I also really love Last Night in Soho, but that is I do too but, a lot of people don't like it.
Megan Turner:Oh no, oh no. That's a hard watch man. Some of those scenes are brutal but still just gorgeous. Editing Just amazing. I would probably pair it with I don't know, because if you want to do a sweet and salty kind of thing, you can do scott pilgrim last night in soho, but if you wanted to do something more accessible, I'd probably do shauna the dead. I feel like that's generally pleasing to most people you know yeah and gets at that humor yeah right, yeah so if you had to?
Taylor D. Adams:people who watch and listen to this podcast. This thing is full of spoilers, so like hopefully people are watching this, listen to it, know exactly what happens. But if you were recommending this movie to someone, what would you say to get them to watch it?
Megan Turner:okay, I would. I would tell them that they need to watch Scott Pilgrim vs the World because it covers a lot of themes that you get in a rom-com right, it covers those really digestible themes of dealing with relationships, but in the most fun way possible. And I would say the one word of caution is that you need to sit down and buckle up and just embrace and let it happen, because it's a ride, right, and you, it was just in Scott's mind and everyone else was just seeing him like fight these people, right, right, and I was kind of like no and yes.
Megan Turner:You know, like it doesn't matter if it's real or not and I think that's the perspective you have to have coming into the film is that it doesn't matter, like the magical realism, like it doesn't matter if it's real or not, just let it happen, you know I'm.
Taylor D. Adams:I'm stealing this question from a podcast that I was on. They asked me and it's really great um, if you hadn't seen this movie, what person do you think you would be like? Who do you think you would be if you had not seen this movie? Boring, probably you know.
Megan Turner:That was my answer on the podcast boring I I feel like the strength of this film is that it it gives you permission, right, it gives you so much permission, um, that you see, like these flawed, these flawed, crazy, like you know stereotypes and caricatures of people, and you say like, well, you know if those characters can figure it out and like have life and have relationships and it's messy, but they work through it. Then, like it's okay to be messy, you know, it's okay to admit that you were wrong, it's okay messy, you know it's okay to admit that you were wrong, it's it's okay like. I think one of the most powerful things for me is near the end, where scott has to actually like confront his wrongdoings and like admit what he's done. Um, that there's there's this freedom of like, oh well, now that, now that we've spoken it, right now that we have said I did this and it was wrong and I hurt you and I'm sorry.
Taylor D. Adams:Bigger Scott.
Clip:No, this is something I have to face Myself Solo round this incredible French toast with, like bananas on it. You get bacon on the side. I'm liking that, yeah, oh, let's do it next week. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, all right, be good. Yeah, hey, what happened? Oh, nothing, we just shot the shit. He's just a really nice guy. We're gonna get brunch next week. We actually have a lot in common.
Megan Turner:The weight just completely lifts, right, yeah, that there's just this open path forward, and I think you know there's so much freedom when you're able to not take yourself too seriously and admit that you're messy. And so I think if I hadn't seen this film, I probably would be really boring and still trying to like, I don't know, be a normie. Um, yeah, probably I dyed my hair. Did I tell you that?
Taylor D. Adams:Uh, after the movie.
Megan Turner:No, no, no, no, no, like after during the pandemic like. I dyed it, so it was like purple for a while. And then it was like hot pink for a while yeah, yeah, and it's. It's like those things that it's like I was always so scared to do things, was it every week and a half or? No, it wasn't every week and a half. That's expensive.
Clip:No man, she does it at home.
Megan Turner:That might make it easier, but no, no. But I think, like those those little tangible things that you know, at the end of the day it doesn't like, it doesn't mean anything right it's just your hair color right, it's not a big deal, but it gives you that permission to kind of step outside the box.
Taylor D. Adams:Well, Megan, this is great. Thanks so much for coming on. I had a lot of fun revisiting this movie.
Megan Turner:Yeah, thanks for having me Go watch Scott Pogba.
Taylor D. Adams:Do it. I think it's a really fun idea to think about what got us into our chosen career paths or interests. I mean, it doesn't have to be a movie, but it says something about the power of art if our exposure to it can lead us down any number of paths in life, especially if it takes us into uncharted but rewarding territory. A huge thanks to Megan for chatting with me today and a vegan super powered size. Thank you to you for joining us. Please check out the links below to see some of the AMVs we referenced in our conversation, as well as more information on Megan's documentary synced together AMVs and their editors. If you enjoyed the show today, please go ahead and subscribe to stay up to date on all of our episodes on your favorite podcast platform of choice. And if you happen to be listening on Apple Podcasts, please pretty pretty please leave a rating and review. That helps us get noticed by more awesome people like yourself. If you really enjoyed the show today and you are enjoying all the episodes the Filmhouse Podcast has to offer, please consider supporting the show on Patreon. You can get access to some really cool perks and help the show grow to be bigger and better than it is now. You can check out the link to that below or visit patreoncom.
Taylor D. Adams:Slash Film Nuts. Our theme this season is brought to us by the Deep End. Our artwork is designed by Madungwa Sibohudi, our head of production is Keaton Lusk, and all episodes of the Film Nuts podcast are produced and edited by me, taylor D Adams. If you want to get in touch, you can email filmnutspodcast at gmailcom or follow us on Instagram, tiktok and Twitter at filmnutspodcast. And don't forget to join the Nuthouse Discord community absolutely free by checking out the link in the show notes.
Clip:Thank y'all again. Free by checking out the link in the show notes. Thank you all again. So much for joining us today, but for now I got to take off.