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Shout Out / Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

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This page is for Shout-Out examples from the movie. For instances from the graphic novel and video-game, see here. For the anime, see here.

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    Clothing 
  • As horrible as it is, Scott's SARS shirt. Anyone from Toronto can appreciate it.
  • Scott Pilgrim wears a The Smashing Pumpkins T-shirt during the first scene. Scott and the band's initials are both SP.
  • In the Rockit, Scott wears a yellow T-shirt for Plumtree's second album Mass Teen Fainting. Scott is named after the the band's song "Scott Pilgrim", which inspired the graphic novels.
  • From the "Seinfeld" scene to the second ex fight, Scott wears a Diesel Sweeties Pixel Skull T-shirt.
  • Young Neil wears a Sloan shirt, a shout out to band member Chris Murphy, who tutored the cast in playing instruments.
  • Ramona's "24 Unstoppable" T-shirt during their conversation about Scott and Envy's break-up is in reference to the late Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant.
  • In the scene where Stephen Stills mentions "distressing news", Scott wears a Tetsuwan Atom era Astro Boy T-shirt.
  • In the arcade, Scott wears a Sharpie (brand of marker pen) T-shirt. The T-shirt was made specially for the film.
  • One of the partygoers in the party where Scott meets Ramona is wearing a T-shirt from the band Calexico.
  • Young Neil's T-shirt in the second Sex Bob-Omb rehearsal scene is for Movement, New Order's debut album.
  • Todd Ingram wears a The Punisher Skull T-shirt (specially designed by Bryan Lee O'Malley) during the Black Sheep performance.
  • Wallace's date (after Scott and Ramona break up) wears a Threadless Rocking 80's Spaceman T-shirt.
  • The elevator hipsters wear Bat T-shirts designed by D.I.E (Denim Is Everything).
  • In the scene where Stephen Stills talks about the Katayanagi Twins, Scott wears a 4½ T-shirt - a moniker given to Reed and Sue Richards' son Franklin in the Fantastic Four.
  • Scott's T-shirt during the Katayanagi Twins battle is the bass symbol from Rock Band. Fitting, as Scott plays bass.
  • In Ramona's apartment, Scott wears a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 'exploding' logo T-shirt.
  • 'Crash' wears a The Kinks T-shirt (Word of Mouth album).
  • In the second arcade scene, Scott wears a Match Pik T-shirt. They are a well-known brand of plectrums.
  • In the scene where Stephen Stills is telling everyone about the TIBB, Young Neil's T-shirt features the logo for the Nintendo 64.

    Music 
  • The first scene (in the kitchen) features music from A Link to the Past. Close inspection of Young Neil's Nintendo DS Lite reveals a Game Boy Advance cartridge sticking out the bottom, and that game was ported to the GBA.
  • Early in the film during the bathroom/school dream sequence, a choir can be heard singing the menu/Fairy Fountain theme from The Legend of Zelda.
    • This music is a Nigel Godrich orchestrated rendition, with Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey from Supergrass singing the harmonies. This cover version required personal clearance from Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
    • The snippet starts playing during the unfilling the PEE BAR scene in the bathroom, which creates a sort of Fridge Brilliance if you equate the Great Fairy of the fountain as an Epiphany Toilet figure, since that scene does lead into a new big development in the next scene.
  • After Scott breaks up with Knives, he boasts that he learned the bass from Final Fantasy II. Michael Cera is actually playing "Final Fantasy II Battle I" by Nobuo Uematsu live on the bass.
  • Scott opens the bass battle with the battle theme from Final Fantasy II, which he was learning to play earlier in the movie. Todd counters with the opening bass riff from the song "Around the World" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
  • The Seinfeld bass stinger plays in the scene after Scott spends the night with Ramona (the whole scene being a take on Seinfeld).
  • The music cue that scores the beginning of the Lucas Lee fight - titled "Rumble" on the film's score soundtrack - is heavily stylized after the score from The Warriors.
  • Scott throws the Clash At Demonhead CD on top of the Beck section of the CD store. Beck wrote Sex Bob-Omb's songs for the movie.
  • According to Edgar Wright, he and composer Nigel Godrich are huge Doctor Who fans, and some cues from the film's score (most noticable during Scott's "This IS a nightmare") are in reference to The Sea Devils serial, a stretch of episodes known for an improvisational score using synthesizers.
  • The track "The Vegan" that plays when Todd first activates his powers is a tribute to John Carpenter.
  • This isn't the only time (Young) Neil went on to join a trio of musicians headed by Stephen Stills.

    Other 
  • The Item Get! theme from The Legend of Zelda is used at least twice.
  • The Zelda "fanfare" sound effect plays when Knives Chau opens the door.
  • Gideon Graves' personal logo (most noticeably painted on Chaos Theatre's door in the last scene) resembles an upside-down triforce. This could be seen as the video game equivalent of an upside-down cross. The three triangles are also G's, in reference to the initials of Gideon Gordon Graves, and if you count the letters, you'll see another Satanic reference— 666, and the G's also look like 6's.
  • Many other video game sound effects are used too, notably the ring sound from Sonic the Hedgehog.
    • Quite a few pop up during Roxy's fight.
      • When Roxy gives Scott a look just before he "gets it", the sound effect is a single star from the intro to Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
      • When Scott "gets it", the sound that plays is from Sonic the Hedgehog, when your score total has finished rolling over at the end of an Act.
      • The 'entering a bonus stage' warp sound from Sonic is used when Ramona brandishes the huge hammer.
  • A Sonic the Hedgehog ring pickup effect soundtracks the "He Really Doesn't" caption.
  • Gideon's health bar is accompanied by the mushroom power-up sound effect from Super Mario Bros..
  • The Sex Bob-Omb name is a mixture of "Sex Bomb" and Mario Bros enemy "Bob-Omb".
    • The Sex Bob-Omb's logo (as seen on the bass drum skin) looks like the Serious Sam logo.
  • After the bus ride where Scott learns he's dating Ramona, the next scene at the apartment opens with a Seinfeld bass stinger. The whole scene feels very Seinfeld-esque in general, complete with Laugh Track.
  • Sound effects after Scott first mentions Knives's name are from Link to the Past on Young Neil's Nintendo DS Lite.
  • Lucas Lee's message tone is the alert sound from MGS.
  • Todd Ingram says "That's bullroar" when the Vegan Police call him on his gelato and chicken-related crimes.
  • Sound effects and sprites from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game were added to the film in post-production (most noticeably in Ramona's comic book-style flashbacks) because the director was impressed with the game developer's work.
  • The scene where Scott asks multiple people to describe Ramona is similar to the way Regina George is described in Mean Girls.
  • The monster Scott summons with his bass is rather similar to the one from Forbidden Planet. Given that the monster from FP was an extension of a character's Id and Scott's creature is probably driven by his jealousy upon seeing Ramona with Gideon (hence his and the monster's Green-Eyed Monster green eyes), it's not too surprising.
  • The green-eyed Yeti summoned by Scott's Bass in the penultimate Evil Ex battle (As well as Scott's bass itself) was covered in light blue lightning.
  • In the scene just after the opening credits Young Neil, can be seen reading the webcomic Achewood on his computer.
  • Because the movie's script was written before volume 6 was published, The Power of Understanding doesn't make an appearance. To make up for it though, we get Knives looking almost exactly like a certain Action Ninja from the same series.
  • Gideon uses Kuji-in (used in various points in Japanese culture, and most well known these days from Naruto) to summon his 8-Bit Katana.
  • ...Her? CONFIRMED.
  • Ninja Ninja Revolution.
    • The exact same scene features a cameo by an actual In the Groove machine in the background as well.
  • Some form of Street Fighter is present. Well, actually it's more like every fighting game in existence with all those 'Scott vs. (insertenemyhere)' type screens. Fun fact: That KO! sound you hear? It's from Street Fighter Alpha.
    • The KO! sound effect is also used in the Scott Pilgrim game.
  • The fight between Ramona and Roxy is pure Soulcalibur. Roxy's razor belt sword whip is a tribute to the weapon of Ivy Valentine in the Namco game Soulcalibur, and her outfit's even ripped to match. Ramona has Rock's Onslaught.
  • When Roxy smashes the disco ball, the shards of glass line up in the style of menus of many fighting videogames, showing the players facing off in opposing windows.
  • The Roxy fight where Ramona puppeteers Scott is inspired by a 2006 Free Comic Book Day story that O'Malley wrote, where the two fought actress Winifred Hailey and her clones. The fight, choreographed by Peng Zhang, is a tribute to Jackie Chan's inventive fight sequences. Many shots were filmed at 22fps.
    • Mae Whitman performed the scene with a ribbon utilising her high school skills as a rhythmic gymnast.
    • Once the weapons are removed from the picture, both Ramona and Roxy use Jin/Hwoarang's Heel Drop move from Tekken.
  • Subverted in Scott's first meeting with Roxy.
    Scott: "I'm not up for this right now, come back later."
    Roxy: "Oh I'd love to darlin', but I'm afraid I just cashed my last raincheck."
    Scott: "What's that from?"
    Roxy: "My brain!"
  • After Scott is convinced to go get Ramona back, Edgar Wright uses his mundane Lock-and-Load Montage parody, a favourite technique of his in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. And then subverts it brilliantly.
  • The dramatic leaping sword clash between Scott and Gideon is nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the opening cutscene of Ninja Gaiden for the NES.
  • Gideon's pixellated beam katana could be a reference to Travis Touchdown's from No More Heroes.
  • One combo lasted to up to 64, possibly referring to the 64-bit games or Neji's 64 trigrams.
  • Before the final confrontation with Gideon, Wallace tells Scott to "Finish Him".
    • May also count as Book Ends of sorts, since the very first evil ex duel started with Wallace screaming "FIGHT!".
  • The fight between the Katayanagi Twins resembled Pokémon battles, where there are people from separate sides controlling large Mons and battling it out.
    • The Katayanagi Twins' released dragons resemble Hyorinmaru's Shikai form.
  • Scott blocking and countering Matthew Patel is very reminiscent of Dead or Alive's "reversal" system.
  • Ramona's hair colors. Although the actual shade of Ramona's first dye-job is debatable, if you think it's red, the color combination of Red, Blue, and Green could be a reference to many things:
  • Envy's hairstyle while singing in the club looks exactly like Misa's from Death Note. She even wears a similar outfit to one of Misa's.
  • When Knives dyes her hair blue, her appearance becomes rather Rei-esque.
  • The sound effect when Ramona and Patel kiss in their flashback is the Mac startup sound.
  • According to Edgar Wright, the Chaos Theatre pyramid from which Gideon sits on top with Ramona is partially inspired by the original arcade Donkey Kong game. It even shares a red and black aesthetic.
  • The original version of the 1-UP/second-run sequence, as seen in the Deleted Scenes on the DVD, featured a number of Super Mario World sound effects.
  • After Scott fails to break up with Knives, at rehearsal he plays what seems to be a variation of the Game Over theme of Super Mario World on his guitar.
  • Most of the evil exes resemble characters from famous fighting games:
  • When Scott enters the Chaos Theatre for the second time, Comeau can be heard in the background making a rather paradoxical statement: "Their first album was better than their first album." While it comes across as a parody of hipsters and music snobbery in general, it's also a subtle reference to the band Metric, which wrote the song "Black Sheep" that appears earlier in the movie. Due to trouble with their record label, the first album they recorded - "Grow Up and Blow Away" - was released six years late, during which time they started from scratch and released two other albums. Thus, two albums that were technically first (first released and first recorded).
  • The part where Scott calls Knives from a phone booth and starts glancing around resembles a similar scene in the 2002 movie Phone Booth.
  • Scott's (really Wallace's) home phone rings in the exact same manner as Tim and Daisy's in Spaced.
  • The platform Gideon is sitting on in the final fight looks like a scene in The Killing Joke.
  • Probably just coincidence, but one of Crash and the Boys' members is a ten-year-old Asian girl, in a band with adult men, much like Noodle of Gorillaz.
  • The Battle of the Bands posters proclaiming "TWO BANDS ENTER, ONE BAND LEAVES" took the hint from the chant in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome ("Two men enter, one man leaves").
  • Could be a coincidence, but the scene where Gideon makes Scott DEAD is rather reminicent of Homestuck.
    • Seeing as Homestuck started that after Scott Pilgrim was released, it was probably Homestuck referencing Scott Pilgrim, if anything.
  • Stephen Stills' living room features a Guitar Wolf poster on the left.
  • The first song Scott Pilgrim suggests Sex Bob-omb play is "Launchpad McQuack", who was the pilot character in Disney's DuckTales.
  • Reference points for the titles included 2001: A Space Odyssey, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Sesame Street.
  • In the scene after Sex Bob-omb's first song, Young Neil is reading the web-comic Achewood.
    • With Windows sounds punctuating the conversation in the room.
  • Amongst Wallace's games console collection are a NES, SNES, Nintendo Zapper, and many classic games— all in working order.
  • Stacey Pilgrim's bio box says "rated 'T' for Teen", which comes from the ESRB ratings board for videogames.
  • Scott Pilgrim is wearing an original X-Men logo patch on his parka.
  • During the second Sex Bob-omb rehearsal scene, Young Neil can be heard playing Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • After the "drunk Wallace" scene, Wallace wakes up to the Windows '95 shutdown sound.
    • Later in the same scene, we hear the Windows '98 error sound when Knives Chau appears.
  • Star doors were originally seen in Super Mario 64.
  • Ramona's number has a real 212 area code for New York - this exact number has been seen before in Munich and Definitely, Maybe.
  • The 'DRUM' skin on Crash and the Boys's drum kit is a tribute to The Monkees' film Head.
  • Interior monologues (such as Scott's when he notices Knives about to tell Ramona how he and Knives met) are a staple of Japanese cartoons to minimise the precise lip-synching of the characters' mouths.
  • Patel's demise is inspired by legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby and his famous 'Kirby Crackle' signature style of dot filled explosions.
  • Fake Lucas Lee posters include "Let's Hope There's a Heaven", "You Just Don't Exist", "The Game Is Over 2", "Thrilled to Be Here" and "Action Doctor". All except the final one are named after Plumtree songs.
  • In the record store after Lucas Lee's movie clip, notice the hanging display for Thom Yorke's solo album The Eraser, which was produced by Scott Pilgrim's composer Nigel Godrich.
  • When Scott and Ramona are making out after the "45 MINUTES LATER" text, note that their embrace matches the famous image of Kiss by Tanya Chalkin behind them.
  • The castle where Lucas Lee is shooting his movie is Casa Loma in Toronto, which has been featured in many films including X-Men, Strange Brew, Chicago, The Tuxedo, The Pacifier and The Love Guru.
  • The term 'competish' is trade publication slang from Variety Magazine.
  • Nigel Godrich's awesome cue "Rumble" when Lucas Lee's stunt team shows up pays respect to Barry De Vorzon's score for The Warriors.
  • There are seven stunt doubles for Lucas Lee, a nod to the amount of doubles that Keanu Reeves had on The Matrix films.
    • That said, they are also Chris Evans's actual stunt doubles.
  • The exchange of 'Big fan' and 'Why wouldn't you be?' was taken from a real life backstage encounter between Edgar Wright and The Hives singer Pelle Almqvist.
  • The Uma Thurman movie Jimmy refers to is My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
  • Both breaking hearts in the Todd Ingram flashback have the sound effect of the Mac trash sound.
    • After Ramona tells Scott that he's just another Evil Ex waiting to happen, when Scott closes his eyes the same trash sound plays.
  • Kim's eyebrow arching just before Scott apologises to her (during "Round 2") makes a Mac error sound.
  • The laminated list of Exes is a little nod to Kill Bill.
  • TIBB (Toronto International Battle of the Bands) is a riff on TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival.
  • The stage where the battle with the Katayanagi Twins takes place is called Ninth Circle, referencing the final level of Hell in The Divine Comedy.
  • The Twins' amplifiers are called 'Twinn' in a tribute to Sunn Amps.
  • The twins crank up their amps to eleven, referring to Spinal Tap's famous amps.
  • When Gideon kisses Ramona's glowing ring (during the Katayanagi fight) we hear the sound of Ming's hypnotic ring from the 1980 Flash Gordon movie.
  • The name 'G-Man' is in reference to well-connected rock producer Ronnie 'Z-Man' Barzell from Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
  • The five way reaction split after Gideon stabs Scott was inspired by Japanese anime shows.
  • "Nega Scott", the dark version of Scott, looks similar to "Dark Link" from The Legend of Zelda series (black with red eyes).
  • At one point, the caption "ABOUT TO E-X-P-L-O-D-E" appears, taken from the third book.

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