Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead (2004) is an extremely creative and entertaining film created by famed director Edgar Wright. Showcasing some of the snap-zooms and whip-pans that would later serve as his trademarks, as well as his use of dark humor and gags, this is a film that shows a master of cinema in the making while paying tribute to a genre that has long been rehashed. Hilarious (and even, at times, touching) performances from Pegg and Frost to boot - just good ol' bloody fun!

The first of the Cornetto trilogy, sees Shaun, his mum and a small bunch of friends battling a hoard of flesh eating zombies.

I'm staggered to see an IMDb rating of 7.9, what on Earth have some people seen, that I haven't, it's an out and out classic. Shaun of The Dead is an absolute riot, a mix of horror and comedy, with a very British flavour.

It's one of those films that simply doesn't get tired, it doesn't matter how many times you watch it, it is just so appealing.

Can't decide what the best bit is, there are so many contenders, but final encounter in the pub, and zombie girl in the garden, there are a hoard of moments that can be chosen.

Zombie comedies had been tried before, and have been tried since, but none even come close to this, Pegg and Frost nailed it.

10/10.

Shaun of the Dead is quite a surprising and brilliant piece of work which I suspect will achieve the accolade of instant cult status as word of mouth snowballs this film to richly deserved recognition.

Simon Pegg, both the joint writer and the main star of the film, has been a comedic force for some time, most notably in the fantastic BBC2 series 'Hippies' (which inexplicably bombed in the ratings) and the cult Channel 4 series 'Spaced'. Both programs hinted at Pegg's saliently dead pan comedic manner (and writing skills) which comes to full fruition in 'Shaun of the Dead'.

In a nut shell, this film is a romantic comedy with zombies (or zom-rom-com) who appear for no good clear reason (although some tantalizing clues are offered). The film is an amazing blend of the funny, the violent and the poignant.

Pegg has cast himself as one hell of a serious loser in this film. And not in the 'American' form of: 'I am a loser but I work in TV and have Jennifer Aniston as my wife' kind of loser as portrayed in tripe such as 'Bruce Almighty' or dozens of other US 'loser' films. Pegg's Shaun is a genuine loser and extremely recognisable too, he's an everyday man who works for an electrical retailer and his life is just plain dull and disappointing - and this is where all the comedy comes from in this film. There are two scenes in the film which seem to summarise this (and also shine a light of Simon Pegg as a very clever and funny writer) and both scenes simply involve Shaun walking to the nearby corner shop. The first time Shaun plods semi-comatose to the store we simply get the feeling that he is a loser. However, by the time the film shows him making the same journey again we realise that there is a lot more going on! The scene is played with such exquisite subtleness that it has to be one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in any film! Not that this film is subtle however, there is a stunning array of visual comedy, one liners and (best of all) some digs at other films from the horror genre. The funniest being a very subtle snipe at Boyles `28 days later' - see if you can spot it!

The only problem with reviewing this film is that there are so many funny moments in it that it is hard to pick any to write about without spoiling the film. All I can say is that I cannot remember a film ever being this consistently funny with probably five or six serious laugh-out-loud moments. It was a joy to watch and my only disappointment is that I can never watch this film for the first time ever again - every viewing will forever be a repeat viewing.

Shaun of the Dead is not very everyone though - the language from the beginning is strong and the violence was quite surprising for a 15 certificate film (in the UK). This film is definitely going to be most appreciated by horror fans who know a huge back catalogue of horror films. It will also be enjoyed by teenagers (who filled the cinema when I viewed this film which was terrific, as they laughed loudest). Finally, I do have some criticism of this film and that is there is some wasted talent in the movie. Black Book's (channel four) star Dylan Moran seemed a bit wasted and so was Martin Freeman (from BBC2's The Office) - who would have made a terrific zombie! Also, did I spot Matt Lucas (from BBC3's 'Little Britain') in this film? I am not sure as I was laughing too hard maybe!

These problems however are so minor and can easily be forgiven. My suggestion is to go and slowly shuffle down to your local cinema to see this film and give Simon Pegg the money and recognition he deserves so that he can go on and make more films that are this good including what the UK papers have suggested as his next project - `From Dusk 'Till Shaun'.

Shaun's nearing 30, stuck in a crappy sales job, and his girlfriend Liz is unhappy with the amount of time he spends with his ultra-slacker B-class drug dealer friend, Ed, at their local pub, the Winchester. When Liz dumps him, Shaun's so glum he doesn't even realise that London's been overrun with flesh-eating zombies. But somewhere within his console-happy lazy self, a hero is born.

I can't even begin to emphasise how cool this quintessentially British film is. The amount of time it takes for Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) to realise anything's wrong is priceless. Director Edgar Wright, who co-wrote the film with Pegg, also demonstrates that there's little difference between glassy eyed commuters and their undead brethren.

The plot rips along beautifully and parodies both the romantic comedy and zombie genres, while at the same time remaining true to them. Hopefully a new genre, the romzom com, has been born – incidentally, that's where you can go to find out more about the movie – romzom.com. The fabulous supporting cast includes Bill Nighy (Love Actually) as Shaun's supercilious stepfather, Penelope Wilton (Calendar Girls) as Shaun's absent-minded mum, Dylan Moran (Black Books) as Liz's snooty housemate David and Lucy Davis (The Office) as wannabe actress Diane.

Shaun of the Dead was partially inspired by the classic zombie flick, Dawn of the Dead. Its creator George Romero was reportedly so impressed with Shaun of the Dead that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are taking on cameo roles in Romero's latest instalment, Land of the Dead.

Shaun of the Dead is one of the best comedy of 2004 and a must-see for all rom zom com (romantic comedy with zombies) afficionados. ****½/***** stars.

Shaun's life is a dead end. Shaun (Simon Pegg) spends his life in the town tavern, the Winchester, with his close friend Ed (Nick Frost), arguing with his mother (Penelope Wilton) and he does not get on with his stepfather Philip (Bill Nighy); in addition, he neglects his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). When Liz stands him up, Shaun decides to put his life in order: he has to win back the heart of his girlfriend, mend his relationship with his mother and face the responsibilities of being an adult. But Shaun's humdrum existence takes a turn for the interesting when the undead take over london. Unexpectedly, he has to face an army of zombies. Leaping into action, Shaun gathers his loved ones in the safest place he knows. Shaun, his mum and her boyfriend, his girlfriend, Liz, and his flatmates Ed and Pete fight off a fate worse than death from the local pub. It's just one of those days when you're feeling a little...dead. Buy Milk. Ring Mum. Dodge Zombies Shuffling into theaters September 24th. A romantic comedy. With zombies. Ever felt like you were surrounded by zombies?. In a time of crisis a hero must rise...from his sofa. Bought coffee. Called Mom. Dodged zombies. This September, aim for the head.

An amusing and funny film about a Zombie invasion including thrills , chills , violent events, lots of humor with tongue-in-cheek, guts and blood. This English film of Terror Zombie is a parody with some romanticism and large doses of black humor well directed by Edgar Wright who comes from the world of television and who wrote the script together with his friend, collaborator and protagonist of the film, Simon Pegg, with the one who would join forces in subsequent films.

Packed with film references , the picture mines most of its laughs from the collision of the naughty bunch of friends and the village inhabitants ways , a backwater of English naffness that suddenly experiencing in crescendo of Zombie attacks, disarmingly incredible chase secenes and violent fights . Forming a trilogy: ¨Shaun of the dead¨,¨Hot Fuzz¨, ¨The World's End , director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost teamed up to parody classic film genres . If the first combined romantic comedy with terror and the second was a parody of police genre , this last of the stupendous trilogy is an acid apocalyptic comedy . With a script like the two previous ones by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg , the film is magnificently performed by an ensemble cast in which the actors who give life to the unfortunate roles stand out. Simon Pegg's straight-faced acting -amid high-calibre cast comedy stalwarts and legit luminaries- holds the plot together while reflecting the movie's essentially respectful attitude towards the action movie . Joining them are great actors , such as: Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Matt Lucas, Rafe Spall and brief appearance by Martin Freeman

The editing is sincerely frenetic and the violence , though sometimes ridiculous , strong and bloody . Evocative ambiance and appropriate settings , excellent special effects , enhanced by the brilliant and colorful photography carried out by a good cameraman: David Dunlap. Being shot in The Gardener's Arms Public House, Letchworth , The Cork Public House, Welwyn Garden City, The Peartree Public House, and Parkway Bar, Welwyn . As well as exciting and nail-biting musical score from Dan Mudford and Pete Woodhead . This is an acclaimed and notorious film from director Edgar Wright who delivers the goods with skillness and aplomb enough . Edgar is an English filmmaker , screenwriter, producer, and actor . He is best known for his comedic Three Flavours Cornetto film trilogy consisting of Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World's End (2013), made with recurrent collaborators Simon Pegg, Nira Park and Nick Frost. He also collaborated with them as the director of the television series Spaced and his last hit was : Last Night in Soho (2023). Rating Zombies party: 7/10 . Better than average . Worthwhile watching.