Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope
| Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Morgan Spurlock |
| Written by | Jeremy Chilnick Morgan Spurlock |
| Produced by | Morgan Spurlock Thomas Tull Jeremy Chilnick Matthew Galkin Harry Knowles Stan Lee |
| Cinematography | Daniel Marracino |
| Edited by | Tim K. Smith Tova Goodman |
| Music by | Jingle Punks |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Wrekin Hill Entertainment NECA Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope is a 2011
San Diego Comic-Con International, directed by Morgan Spurlock.[1]
The film follows five subjects: aspiring comics artists Skip Harvey and Eric Henson; comic book dealer
Hollywood figures who share their experiences as fans
and their feelings toward the event.
Synopsis
The documentary explores the phenomenon of the
San Diego Comic-Con International, which began as a fringe comic book convention for 500 fans. The event has grown into an annual pop culture event that influences every form of entertainment and is attended by over 140,000 people. The film follows the lives of five attendees as they prepare to attend the 2010 convention, which is characterized as "the ultimate geek mecca":[2]
- Eric Henson and Skip Harvey: two aspiring illustrators who hope to find work by showing their artwork to publishers at the convention. Henson, who dreams of working one day for Marvel Comics, obtains a favorable portfolio review by the publisher Arch Enemy, which gives him work illustrating covers. Harvey, who tends bar at a sci-fi/fantasy/horror-themed bar, does not get work at the convention, but is encouraged to continue practicing his craft. He continues to run his bar while working on his graphic novel on the side.
- Holly Conrad: a costume designer and animatroniceyes and mouth, win the Judges' Choice Award. She is later hired to create other costumes based on video games and as a wardrobe consultant on an upcoming Mass Effect feature film.
- Chuck Rozanski: owner of Mile High Comics, a Denver-based chain of comic book shops for the past 34 years. Chuck is looking to sell a copy of Red Raven Comics #1 for $500,000 in order to pay off his debts. Although he does not sell the comic book, his booth at the convention generates more profit than last year's, allowing Mile High Comics to move into a new 65,000 sq foot warehouse.
- James Darling: a young fan who plans to propose to his girlfriend, Se Young Kang, at the convention. After acquiring a ring featuring a clock without hands to symbolize timelessness, he proposes her while at the microphone during a Q&A session with filmmaker Kevin Smith. She accepts.
The film also covers various aspects of the convention, such as discussion panels, the camaraderie among the attendees, and features one on one interviews with comics industry professionals such as
.Interviews
- Jon Schnepp
- Joss Whedon
- Kevin Smith
- Eli Roth
- Harry Knowles
- Corey Feldman
- Jamison Newlander
- Tim Bradstreet
- Thomas Jane
- Todd McFarlane
- Robert Kirkman
- Frank Miller
- Joe Quesada
- Scott Mantz
- Marc Guggenheim
- Seth Green
- Olivia Wilde
- Joel McHale
- Stan Lee
- Kenneth Branagh
- Matt Fraction
- Grant Morrison
- Guillermo del Toro
- Steve Sansweet
- Seth Rogen
- Morgan Webb
- Paul Scheer
- Henry Jenkins
- Edgar Wright
- Matt Groening
- Gerard Way
Critical reception
The film holds an 82% positive "Fresh" rating at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 51 critics' reviews,[3] and a score of 64 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic, based on 21 reviews.[4]
References
- ^ "Comic-Con: Episode IV - A Fan's Hope (2011)". AllMovie. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ "Film Synopsis" Archived 2012-10-31 at the Wayback Machine. Comic-Con Episode IV. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ "Comic-Con: Episode IV - A Fan's Hope (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope". Metacritic. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
