Oct 8th 2013, 19:23, by Kevin P. Sullivan
For a culture as prevalent as it is, nerds have never really gotten their due. It's usually all glasses and acne and high-waisted pants left over from "Family Matters" and "Revenge of the Nerds." In a lot of ways, pop culture hasn't updated its image of the ultra geeky in decades.
That's why "Zero Charisma" is such an important movie.
The new indie being released by Chris Hardwick's Nerdist Productions, their first, tells the story of Scott (Sam Eidson), an avid RPG gamemaster, who feels the mainstream world creeping in when a new, hipper player joins his game. It's a touching, often hilarious story that anyone who has ever felt like an outcast will be able to relate to.
With nerd culture moving toward the mainstream, we decided to ask the directors of "Zero Charisma," Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews, how they feel about the current state of the most popular geek staples.
"Star Wars: Episode VII"
Andrew Matthews: That's tough. I guess I'm numb.
Katie Graham: You're too hurt.
AM: I did camp out. I spent the night in front of the theater. Katie did too. She was a real trooper. She camped out with me in front of the theater the night before the "Phanton Menace" came out. I was telling people, "Oh, this is going to win Best Picture." I was very optimistic about that. I was obsessed with "Star Wars" for a long time.
KG: Let's just say that was a very hard walk back to the car.
AM: For someone who was expecting a Best Picture, it was a little harsh. It's weird. It was such a sacred thing for me growing up. Now that there are so many variations of it — there's "The Clone Wars," video games, and now origin stories. I'll give it a shot. I'll absolutely see it, but I guess my hopes and expectations aren't that high.
"Avengers: Age of Ultron"
AM: I have to admit. This is big confession time. I'm not a huge comic book guy. There were only a few storylines I read as a kid. I was probably more reading science fiction books at that time. Luckily, we had a lot of people working on the film, both crew and cast, of people who could fill in those blanks of comic books. I've never been into them, at least not the traditional comic books like X-Men and Avengers. I enjoy the movies, but I'm not as hooked into it.
"The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug"
AM: This might be sacrilege for a filmmaker to say, but I really dug the 48 frames per second. I hope I can see the new one in that same format. I thought it was crazy. It kind of blew my mind. It's not like every movie should be like it. I was like, "Hey, it's a new format. It's a new experience to see in theaters. I'm down with that."
KG: My only wish for "The Hobbit" is that it wasn't three films. Maybe two. One would have been great. I'm excited for the dragon. I know that's simple.
AM: Benedict Cumberbatch? He's going to be an awesome dragon.
"Zero Charisma" is available on VOD now! Go watch it.
