By Chris Kavan - 07/24/10 at 09:01 AM CT
If the near-riot caused by free tickets to a preview screening are any indications, Scott Pilgrim will be the summer's most geek-tastic film. It still remains to be seen if it can summon up box office numbers, such films with a vocal but small fanbase have been burned in the past - notably Serenity and Snakes on a Plane come to mind.
Still, in order to get in that total fanboy state of mind, you must prepare. So I present the best way to unleash your inner nerd and get in the right state of mind:
1) Marathon Series - You have to have a passion - Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, I'll even allow Twilight. It doesn't matter if you like super heroes or Captain Jack Sparrow or Marty McFly - find the series that makes you happy, and watch THE WHOLE THING - straight through if possible, broken up over a weekend if longer.
2) John Hughes - My personal choice is Weird Science as that is the most off-the-wall Hughes film, but feel free to pop in Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles or whatever you feel like. Hughes had a way to make nerds and outcasts winners. It's a good mood booster.
3) I Love the 80s - If Hughes doesn't fill your needs, go with Revenge of the Nerds, Say Anything, Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Tron. The 80s are a treasure trove of nerd gold.
4) Quote Me - There is nothing nerdier than endlessly quoting movies - so throw in Caddyshack, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Office Space, The Big Lebowsk, SuperTroopers or any other film you find yourself quoting out of the blue. It's annoyingly fun - but usually only for the one doing the quoting.
5) Modern Nerd - You're probably safe going with Judd Apatow - Knocked Up, Superbad, The 40 Year Old Virgin or something in a similar vein like The Hangover. There are plenty of examples of nerds in modern films - find the one you like and go with it.
If you do all or part of the above, you will be on the verge of nerdgasm and shall be more than prepared for Scott Pilgrim. I know my inner geek is already simmering, and I hope Pilgrim doesn't disappoint.
