Comic-Con Episode IV - A Fan's Hope

The world and lives of geeks are profiled in the entertaining and - dare I say it - inspirational documentary "Comic-Con: Episode 4 - A Fan's Hope." Directed by Morgan Spurlock with a title that reflects one of the best films in the "Star Wars" franchise, "CC:E4-AFH" is a loving tribute to an annual rite of passage for many people ages 8 to 80 - who all have a passion for... well... something in the pop culture pantheon. Because as you will find out, Comic-Con isn't just about comics anymore. Beginning in the early 70's, the first Comic-Con was attended by less than 500 people. Today, over 125 thousand people attend the San Diego based event each year - with tickets selling out months before.

Spurlock chronicles the 2010 convention by focusing on a handful of people: Holly, a self-taught costume designer attending the Comic-Con masquerade with costumes (both standard and animatronic) based on the video game "Mass Effect," two men with dreams of becoming comic-book illustrators, a young couple who met at Comic-Con in 2009 and where in 2010 a secret proposal is in the works, an avid collector of special edition action figures, and a comic dealer enthusiast with a "Red Raven" comic book he's trying to sell for half a million dollars.

Interspersed with candid interviews with a bunch of geeky celebrities like Joss Whedon, Seth Green, Eli Roth, Kevin Smith, and even Thomas Jane (who was apparently drunk during the filming), the film is a loving tribute to not only the event, but also the types of people that attend. The point Spurlock makes time and again is that Comic Con is a place for geeky people to come together and feel at home. No one judges them there and everyone understands on a deep level why they attend. Whether you are a "Star Wars" fan, a video game enthusiast, or (surprise surprise) a comic book lover, if you are passionate about something in the pop culture world, you will find it at Comic Con - and no one will make you feel like a dork for loving whatever that thing is.

The stories Spurlock tells are fairly emotionally riveting: costume designer Holly really becomes the star here as we watch the San Bernadino native's talent shine and wish for the best when she enters a costume competition. For her, and for the comic-book illustrators, this is their attempt to take their passion and get noticed. Here is where the film gets inspiring. Out of the three people vying for recognition, two will succeed and one will not. It is both saddening and uplifting to watch and as an audience member, you really do get invested.

While the film is consistently entertaining and fun, Spurlock and his producers - including Stan Lee (apparently the nicest guy on the planet) - don't actually do the convention justice. A lot of the "outside the convention center" footage was shot early morning which doesn't give you the sense of just how crowded this event is. Having attended this particular year, I can attest it is literally wall-to-wall people, not just inside the convention center, but on the street as well. Every hotel is jam packed and parking is so slim they run busses throughout town to shuttle people around. Even the Convention Floor where the exhibitors sell their wares isn't given the full scope of what it feels like to be there. For some reason, the footage feels strangely tepid, when in actuality, it is a crush of amazing and interesting people. Lines waiting to get into various panels (especially the legendary Hall H where the studios promote their upcoming film slate with appearances by dozens of A-List actors) just gets a few random nods. But what about exploring how you have to wait for hours just to get inside? Why do people do it? What do they get out of it? And what are the most popular costumes and themes that run rampant throughout the convention? (At a recent WonderCon I had to explain to someone what Steam Punk was - which is a very popular genre and deserved a bit more exploration.)

While we get to follow certain people and we learn what makes them tick, it's the regular Comic-Con attendee whose attendance is not really delved into. And even though Spurlock's subjects discuss the fact that the geeks of the world focus on certain pop culture "things" and obsess over it - collecting figures, posters, etc. - the psychology of this would have been a fascinating thing about which to banter. In fact, we learned more at the Q&A with Spurlock after the film, than we did during it. Other questions still remain unanswered, like *SPOILER ALERT* - why did the dealer decide not to sell the "Red Raven" comic when there were two interested buyers?

That said, "CC:E4-AFH" is a whole not of fun. The film never drags and it doesn't condescend those that are profiled. It might seem strange to those who know nothing about this world, but it (thankfully) doesn't make the event out to be a freak show. Because Comic-Con is anything but. It's part of pop-culture in general. It's become the "it" thing to do for geeks and "regular folk" alike, and "CC:E4-AFH" lovingly depicts that. Perhaps in Episode 5 (or really "2") someone can dive a little deeper. "The Geeks Strike Back."

Note: This film is playing in limited theatrical release, but is also available on iTunes worldwide and Video on Demand.