“We’re Going to See This Through to the Bitter End”

The World’s End is the third installment in the Cornetto Trilogy by writing duo Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Building upon the same formula of their previous successes (Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz) The World’s End adequately delivers laughs and embraces Wright and Pegg’s writing talents.

Image by Focus Features via imdb
Image by Focus Features via imdb

Instead of fighting zombies (Shaun of the Dead, 2004) or being a by-the-book cop (Hot Fuzz, 2007) Simon Pegg plays Gary King. Gary is a low life who peaked in high school who is hoping to re-ignite the good times he remembers having. At the start of the film, Gary tries to gather up his old high school buddies to revive an old tradition they did called “The Golden Mile.”

“The Golden Mile” involved going around and drinking a pint of beer at each of 12 pubs in the characters hometown of Newton Haven. Shortly after starting the quest, Gary gets into a fight with an odd acting teenager in a bar bathroom. Gary knocks the teen against the wall causing his head to fall off and exposing him as a robot.  The chaos starts to ensue shortly afterwards when Gary and his friends notice that the whole town of Newton Haven is infested with human-looking robots filled with blue ink.

Characterization is great in the film. Simon Pegg successfully play a drunk and druggie who is looking to have a good time with friends. Nick Frost (Pegg’s partner in crime in Shaun of the Dead) pulls off a solid performance as the reserved one of the group. Martin Freeman from the movie The Hobbit is also in the film.

The film project formed from an early screenplay that director/co-writer Edgar Wright wrote when he was 21. The original story involved a group of teenagers visiting several pubs. Wright reworked the script with Pegg to have a story that embodied the “bittersweet feeling of returning to your hometown and feeling like a stranger.”

Enjoyment will come from watching the film if the viewer liked the first two films in the Cornetto Trilogy. Crazy antics and surprisingly cool action scenes help keep the viewer watching. A sign of relieve can be given for the fact that the film does not employee the standard apocalypse movie format of people just running around and screaming.

Whether you have a love of sci-fi, action, or comedy, The World’s End employees all three while still giving new things to laugh at. The World’s End is a slapstick comedy that gives more to love from the creative minds of Pegg and Wright.

Flops that became Cult Classics

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Dazed and Confused

When Dazed and Confused left theaters it had grossed just 7.9 million from its 6.9 million budget. The movie starred a string of then-unknown stars like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and Milla Jovovich. Although underperforming at the box office, the film went on develop a cult following by people who identified with its themes of rebellion and going against conformity. The film has been put on many critics list of best cult films and recently got a Star of Texas award from the Texas Film Hall of Fame for its 20th anniversary.

Donnie Darko

The science-fiction drama film with its somewhat confusing nature went on to be one of the top favorites for hipsters nationwide. It did moderately okay, grossing 7.6 million against a 4.5 million budget. Despite the film’s less than stellar box office receipts, it helped launch the career of lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal. In the movie Gyllenhaal’s character Donnie, aims to find the significance behind his troubling doomsday visions.

Wet Hot American Summer         

Although it had sold-out screenings at its Sundance Festival premiere, Wet Hot American Summer failed to attract many distributors for pick up. It went on to gross just $295,000 againsta $1.8 million budget. It didn’t seem to matter much. The film developed a cult following with strong DVD sales. The film starred many up and comers including Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Bradley Cooper and Elizabeth Banks. Director David Wain has confirmed a sequel with the original cast returning.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Despite positive reviews from critics and fans, Scott Pilgrim flopped at the Box Office making $47 million against a $60 million budget. Fear not, the film shot up to the first spot for blu-ray sales on Amazon the day it became available on DVD. Comic book lovers and hipsters developed a love for the film that showed Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) meeting the girl of his dreams and defeating her “seven evil exes.”