Freaks and Geeks: Morgan Spurlock celebrates comic culture in his new documentary

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that even the first Comic-Con (then called the Golden State Comic Book Convention), which was held in San Diego in 1970, attracted ardent fans dressed up as their favorite superheroes. Comics inspire that kind of devotion, something director Morgan Spurlock captures in Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, his documentary about the annual convention.

Spurlock follows a number of comic fans at the 2010 convention, letting several stories unfold over the course of just a few days. The doc details the experiences of passionate folks like the owner of Mile High comics, who aspires to sell a rare comic for $500,000, and Skip Harvey, an artistic bartender who goes to Comic-Con hoping to have his portfolio reviewed and picked up by a comic book company.

Spurlock also finds another fan who, having met his girlfriend a year earlier at Comic-Con, proposes to her during a panel discussion featuring director Kevin Smith. We see the baby-faced fan pick up the engagement ring and pop the question in front of thousands of fans. Smith offers encouragement and his services saying, “I’m an ordained minister.”

Interspersed with the life stories and the spectacle are the musings of recognizable figures like directors Joss Whedon (Cabin in the Woods) and Eli Roth (Hostel), who attest to their love for the culture of Comic-Con. While some pundits express concern that major movie studios have taken the convention over, film critic Scott Mantz asserts “Comic-Con has been a pop culture convention for years now.” Fans continue to flock to their favorite celebration, still basking in the “warm sense of belonging” it creates and making it seem that it’s as much about community as it is content

The film provides an affectionate, insider’s look at a true phenomenon. And the best part of it – Spurlock, who can often be overbearing, stays behind the camera.