Have any of you seen this movie? I hadn't heard of it, but watched it last night on cable (on OnDemand). If you like British humor and zombie movies, this one is for you.
I probably didn't get all the jokes, but some parts of this movie had me hysterical. If you're a fan of the Dawn of the Dead/Night of the Living Dead, etc., you'll probably really enjoy this movie.
Here's a review since I write crappy summaries:
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
movie review by Boo Allen, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Rating: FRESH
Finally, a good zombie movie with some decent fart jokes.
"Shaun of the Dead" (***) by Boo Allen
Rated R, 99 minutes, Opens Sept. 24
"Shaun of the Dead" is a zombie film for the ages even if that age is too young to gain admittance.
"Shaun of the Dead" is actually a funny, and at time clever, movie. And that’s surprising considering the vast amounts of blood it spills and the unbridled gleefulness of the main characters when they start whacking one monster after another.
But this "Shaun" is, if nothing else, aware of its roots, paying rightful homage throughout the film to those ghoulish pioneers who have come before. The film’s retro references owe more to George Romero ("Night of the Living Dead") and company than to recent silliness such as the "Scary Movie" franchises.
"Shaun" casually blends the two categories, and not always seamlessly. While offering the standard zombies-gone-wild plot, it still has time for abundant, irreverent humor. For example, "Shaun" may break ground by being the first zombie movie to rely for many of its effects on repetitive fart gags.
Simon Pegg plays "Shaun," 29 year old London loser. He works in a dead-end job, constantly irritates his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield), and spends entirely too much time with his stoner roommate Ed (Nick Frost).
With this early portrayal of Shaun, director Edgar Wright might look like he’s heading in the same thematic direction of classic zombie films; that is, painting the masses as zombies, people with dull lives who mindlessly follow daily routines.
And, although Shaun certainly doesn’t look like he has much of a future, that’s not where Wright is headed. Instead, when people everywhere start turning into stumbling, mumbling creatures with glazed-out eyes, Shaun and Ed turn into Laurel and Hardy.
The remainder of the film revolves around Shaun turning Alpha male and taking uncharacteristic control, gathering his mother, Liz, and her flat-mates and leading them to sanctuary.
It’s typical of the film’s wry humor that Shaun and Ed believe their safest hideout would be their local pub. If they’re not safe, at least they can get drunk and eat chips.
To satisfy the horror aficionados, Wright takes the time to include slight variations on the standard flick; such as, television reports sounding comical alarm while remaining strangely vague about the impending threat to, gasp, all of humanity, while, outside, streets fill with the walking undead.
Wright orchestrates several drop-dead hilarious scenes, probably heightened simply by appearing in a zombie movie. When first confronted by the stalking menace, Shaun and Ed get out an old record collection to fling the discs at their heads. But first, they have to critique each record before launching.
Beyond the extended comic bits, Wright shows skill with throwaway director touches, such as Shaun, sitting in front of the telly, channel surfing, in search of entertainment, completely missing the story of what’s going on outside.
Otherwise, Wright follows the habit of many young directors and stands guilty of erratically over-directing. He over-uses quick, flashy edits, overlaying loud whooshing sounds to needlessly accommodate some scene changes.
But, for a film with no computer generated images and a minimum of effects otherwise, "Shaun" is never funny but stays relatively fresh and funny. Especially if you’re too young to get in.
boo allen
I probably didn't get all the jokes, but some parts of this movie had me hysterical. If you're a fan of the Dawn of the Dead/Night of the Living Dead, etc., you'll probably really enjoy this movie.
Here's a review since I write crappy summaries:
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
movie review by Boo Allen, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Rating: FRESH
Finally, a good zombie movie with some decent fart jokes.
"Shaun of the Dead" (***) by Boo Allen
Rated R, 99 minutes, Opens Sept. 24
"Shaun of the Dead" is a zombie film for the ages even if that age is too young to gain admittance.
"Shaun of the Dead" is actually a funny, and at time clever, movie. And that’s surprising considering the vast amounts of blood it spills and the unbridled gleefulness of the main characters when they start whacking one monster after another.
But this "Shaun" is, if nothing else, aware of its roots, paying rightful homage throughout the film to those ghoulish pioneers who have come before. The film’s retro references owe more to George Romero ("Night of the Living Dead") and company than to recent silliness such as the "Scary Movie" franchises.
"Shaun" casually blends the two categories, and not always seamlessly. While offering the standard zombies-gone-wild plot, it still has time for abundant, irreverent humor. For example, "Shaun" may break ground by being the first zombie movie to rely for many of its effects on repetitive fart gags.
Simon Pegg plays "Shaun," 29 year old London loser. He works in a dead-end job, constantly irritates his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield), and spends entirely too much time with his stoner roommate Ed (Nick Frost).
With this early portrayal of Shaun, director Edgar Wright might look like he’s heading in the same thematic direction of classic zombie films; that is, painting the masses as zombies, people with dull lives who mindlessly follow daily routines.
And, although Shaun certainly doesn’t look like he has much of a future, that’s not where Wright is headed. Instead, when people everywhere start turning into stumbling, mumbling creatures with glazed-out eyes, Shaun and Ed turn into Laurel and Hardy.
The remainder of the film revolves around Shaun turning Alpha male and taking uncharacteristic control, gathering his mother, Liz, and her flat-mates and leading them to sanctuary.
It’s typical of the film’s wry humor that Shaun and Ed believe their safest hideout would be their local pub. If they’re not safe, at least they can get drunk and eat chips.
To satisfy the horror aficionados, Wright takes the time to include slight variations on the standard flick; such as, television reports sounding comical alarm while remaining strangely vague about the impending threat to, gasp, all of humanity, while, outside, streets fill with the walking undead.
Wright orchestrates several drop-dead hilarious scenes, probably heightened simply by appearing in a zombie movie. When first confronted by the stalking menace, Shaun and Ed get out an old record collection to fling the discs at their heads. But first, they have to critique each record before launching.
Beyond the extended comic bits, Wright shows skill with throwaway director touches, such as Shaun, sitting in front of the telly, channel surfing, in search of entertainment, completely missing the story of what’s going on outside.
Otherwise, Wright follows the habit of many young directors and stands guilty of erratically over-directing. He over-uses quick, flashy edits, overlaying loud whooshing sounds to needlessly accommodate some scene changes.
But, for a film with no computer generated images and a minimum of effects otherwise, "Shaun" is never funny but stays relatively fresh and funny. Especially if you’re too young to get in.
boo allen
