It is mind-blowing to think about how much the film had an impact on film history. The film introduced us to the director, actors, and crew of the show Spaced. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver are some of the most innovative and exciting films of Wright's generation.
It would be silly to list them in the movies and shows they have appeared in. The film was followed by two pseudo sequels, Hot Fuzz and The World's End, setting the bar for genre mashups moving ahead. Their friends and San Diego Comic-Con helped them out.
io9 is excited to offer an exclusive excerpt from the new book You've Got Red On You by Clark Collis, which is available now. About 60 other people are also involved in every aspect of the creation and reception of the film. The film community at large, and an event at San Diego Comic-Con, set the stage for everything to come in this excerpt.
When writing You've Got Red on You, I was surprised by how much support the film received from American filmmakers before it was released in the US. George A. Romero gave a thumbs-up to the movie and provided a quote for the poster, as did Robert Rodriguez, Sam Raimi, and Quentin Tarantino, who hosted a screening of the film at his house. At the 2004 San Diego Comic Con, make-up effects legend and future Walking Dead executive producer GregNicotero and Hostel director EliRoth were on hand to lend their support to the movie.
San Diego, where the annual Comic-Con was held on the weekend of 22 and 25 July, was the most important stop on the tour. Major studios began to realize the potential of the event in the past few years. Batman Begins, Alien vs. Predator, Robert Rodriguez's Sin City, and Exorcist: The Beginning were some of the upcoming films that had a presence at the 2004 Comic-Con. The star and director of the film were invited to attend Comic-Con by Focus Features. The first Comic-Con that I attended was by Pegg. We had never seen anything like it before. I remember going into the main hall and being like, "Holy crap, this is Mecca for nerds." People came and got autographs after we did signings. I met a woman named Carrie Fisher. I lined up and talked to her while she was doing a signing.
The movie was to be shown in its entirety at Comic-Con, an unusual strategy for a major studio release. The publicity chief for Focus says that Comic-Con was a big part of their launch. Without star power, going there would be difficult. We were going to only screen once, but we added two more showings. We kept adding screenings because it was important for us to not turn anyone away. It was amazing, given that we were unknown quantity. It played through the roof of the packed houses. The Comic-Con screenings were a highlight of the entire experience. The film was a huge hit at Comic-Con. Americans are more open in their laughing. I remember us standing at the side after we did our introduction, looking at each other like we were loving it. It got a rapturous reception. At one of the screenings, an ebullient Wright had a little prop comedy. The director says that a huge cardboard cross promoting the Exorcist prequel was in the movie theater. I came in with a huge cross, which was 12 feet tall. There was a lot of hijinks.
Ken Foree was the star of Dawn of the Dead, and Greg was at the screening with him. The pair of Brits were delighted to meet the man, and he profusely apologized for buying an unauthorized DVD of their film. "I said, 'Listen, guys, I love the movie,'" says the man. I was a little embarrassed to tell you that the movie was not available on DVD, but I thought it was funny and brilliant, and I talked to George about it. They said don't worry about it. I told the guys that I would do anything they needed me to do to promote the movie.
Jeff Walker was the publicist for the two people. Walker says they hit it off immediately. They were introduced to the whole world of Comic-Con. This was a love affair between fans and filmmakers that I had never seen before. The panel was moderated by Walker and took place on the Sunday. The only way we could get them in was on a Sunday because the Comic-Con schedule was already full. Comic-Con isn't usually a big panel day, but we had a good crowd on Sunday. The panel was rambunctious at times. At one point, the audience member heckled Wright and Pegg because they thought their film was a rip-off of Dawn of the Dead. The heckler was the writer-director of the 2003 horror hit Cabin Fever, Eli Roth.
At the Empire Awards in London in February, Wright met the American director, who was nominated in the Best Newcomer category. The person says he loved Wright. We got each other right away. During a trip to Los Angeles in May, Wright and Roth were able to reestablish their relationship. He says he took Edgar as his date. I took him to the red carpet and he said that he had made the most brilliant new film. The man was laughing. He asked if he had seen the movie. I told you to show me the movie and it had to be good.
The screening of the film was put on by the director's agency. He says he loved it. Edgar and Simon are very smart. Peter Serafinowicz is a genius. He is a major part of that team. The cast was great. You think about the comedy genius of the others, and then throw in everybody else. Lucy Davis. Bill Nighy. The conclusion of the film was taken very seriously by Roth. The director says it was sweet. If there was a full-on zombie attack, Gen X-ers would do this. You would keep your roommate chained up. Absolutely. Why wouldn't you? You have someone to play games with. It was great.
The first time I saw the show was at San Diego Comic-Con. The audience I was a part of had no idea what they were in for. The film was fresh, fun, and surprisingly emotional, and it instantly felt like it was everyone's favorite movie. I left San Diego that year and was very fond of it. I am sure many others did the same. The rest was history.
You've Got Red On You is available now.
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