In conjunction with Reading Cinemas and Fantagraphics Books, the San Diego Film Critics Society will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Terry Zwigoff’s 2001 film Ghost World with a 35 mm screening at 9 p.m., Saturday, July 23, at Reading Gaslamp Cinemas in downtown San Diego. As an added attraction, actress Thora Birch will be in attendance.

Upon its release, the San Diego Film Critics Society awarded Ghost World with Best Picture honors at the end of the year and gave Birch the Best Actress award. The screening will take place during Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic book and pop culture convention. Tickets for the event are only $5, and Comic-Con badges are not required.

According to Anders Wright, president of the San Diego Film Critics Society, not every movie adapted from a comic book or graphic novel is about superheroes. “Ghost World proves that comics and movies can stay closer to reality and still have a major emotional impact," he insists. Wright calls Daniel Clowes’ original graphic novel “funny and strange and touching.” He believes that Zwigoff captured the spirit of Clowes’ work on film.

The Ghost World movie follows two recent high school graduates (Birch and Scarlett Johansson) who impulsively play a nasty prank on a middle-aged middle-manager  (Steve Buscemi), which results in a friendship between one of the young women and the manager – a friendship that will have a lasting impact.

Several members of the San Diego Film Critics Society will be on hand for the screening, and will host a discussion after the movie.

Reading Gaslamp Cinemas is located at 701 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA, 92101. Tickets will be available when the box office opens on Saturday, July 23. Or buy tickets online via Fandango. 

(Photo: Thora Birch at the 2002 San Diego Film Critics Awards Ceremony)