Film Roar

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I have a pet peeve about movies where the trailer includes all the best scenes from the movie. Although Shaun of the Dead (2004) falls dead into this category I have nothing but praise for the innovative Zombie-Comedy. The movie is co-written by Edgar Wright and the brilliant Simon Pegg who collaborated before on the British sitcom Spaced (1999). Wright directs Shaun while Pegg stars as the ultimate looser redeeming himself. The movie is full of sometimes blatant and often subtle references to Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (both the original 1978 and recent 2004 remake), 28 Days Later... (2002) and many other cult favorites (including Star Wars (1977) and Clockwork Orange, A (1971) and many others). Each reference, like the jokes in the movie, is delivered with a subtle tongue-in-cheek deadpan style that is wonderful.

I am generally too squeamish for monster or horror movies and squirmed in my seat more than once as characters were decapitated, eviscerated or quartered on screen but I simply could not turn my head away from fear of missing some well-delivered retort of character reaction. Who knew comedy and guts went so well together. Apparently Edward Wright and Simon Pegg did.