While many comedic filmmakers are simply content to roll the camera and let the actors riff until the director yells “cut!,” Edgar Wright is renowned, via films like “Hot Fuzz” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” for a sharp understanding of camera movement and audio/visual editing. What you might not know is that Wright also uses cinematic technique to his advantage when it comes to explaining the plot of his films.
The Pitching Room has produced a deep dive into the opening scene of Wright’s 2013 apocalypse comedy, “The World’s End.” The opening, in which Gary King (Simon Pegg) is in an AA meeting giving the group (and the audience) the backstory of his quest to conquer “The Golden Mile,” lays the groundwork for everything that is to come in the entire film. The first video below presents a side-by-side presentation, with most of the imagery from Gary in his later years matching up perfectly with the introduction. The second video breaks down exactly how it all syncs up, and you’ll be surprised to find out it’s more than just mirror imaging.
Grab a pint (or twelve), and check out the videos below.