Shaun of The Dead (2004)
Ticket to Rise
Starring: |
Simon Pegg |
Released By: |
Rogue Pictures |
Released In: |
2004 |
Rated: |
R |
Reviewed By: |
Adam Mast |
Grade: |
A- |
Shaun of the Dead is a glorious fusion of horror and comedy that pays respect to the zombie film genre in a way that the lackluster Dawn of the Dead remake (or re-imagining - whatever the hell you want to call it) could only dream to. Everything that should have been included in that "zombie picture for people with no attention span" Shaun of the Dead has in spades.
This zany zombie-fest tells the hilarious story of the hapless Shaun. Like those around him, his daily life consists of dull, repetitive routines. In affect, he's living life like a "zombie." What's more, he can't seem to get things right with his girlfriend (Kate Ashfield). While he clearly loves her, he constantly seems to be making mistakes that could permanently injure their already fragile relationship. So, along with his smart-ass of a best friend Ed (Nick Frost ), Shaun goes about his boring existence until one day, a plague starts bringing the dead back to life - pressing Shaun into duty as a reluctant hero. He and Ed must somehow manage to protect and defend his girlfriend as well as his loved ones.
Now, most of you out there are probably all well aware of the zombie drill. These ghoulish, lifeless individuals (who were once human) walk around eating the flesh of the living and turning others into zombies. Ultimately, they become the majority which turns the non-zombies into paranoids.
Writer/director Edgar Winter and co-writer and star Simon Pegg, have much love for this particular brand of film. It's perfectly clear that Edgar and Simon have seen every zombie film ever made (as well as other movies of the horror genre - watch for a couple of nifty winks at the Evil Dead series). But while Shaun of the Dead works as a creatively brilliant ode to zombie films of the past, it also succeeds as a wicked, laugh-out-loud comedy - laced with dark humor, romance, true horror and moments of unexpected drama.
Winter and Pegg are also responsible for the British sensation Spaced which, I must confess, I've never seen (I have no excuse). But after watching Shaun of the Dead, one thing is certain. I will seek out Spaced. If that show has even an ounce of Shaun of the Dead's creativity, it has to be worth a look.
As is the case with many British comedies, Shaun of the Dead has an impeccable sense of comic timing and a grand sense of humor (as well as subtle yet witty references to other zombie pictures). Stars Pegg and Frost generate real chemistry (Pegg also has moments of real drama in this picture), and the way they play off of each other (and the living dead) is picture perfect. Just as an example there is a scene where Shawn and Ed are being stalked by a pair of zombies in their backyard. While the flesh-eating creatures are approaching our fearless heroes are clearly aware that they have all the time in the world to outwit the slow, methodical fiends, so they take their time in locating the ultimate zombie defeating weapon (which is hilarious in itself).
And the gore!!! God bless the gore!!!! As I watched Zack Snyder's boring (although I was impressed by the first ten minutes) take on George Romero's brilliant Dawn of the Dead, I kept thinking to myself; "Where the hell is the big chomping scene! Why haven't I seen anyone getting eaten?" That movie was more interested in routine action than the social commentary and the grand sense of horror that make Romero's films so beloved. Shaun of the Dead delivers the goods in a blood-soaked ball of gory fury, and I loved every second of it. My hat is off to make-up effects wizards Brian Best, Stuart Conran, and Dan Fraye. I'm sure these guys have made Tom Savini (and other such effects make-up icons) proud. And happily, it has been reported that the film will not be cut when it makes it's U.S. bow in September. This is good news, because as I watched the glorious gore on display in SOTD, I feared that it would be a picture that the MPAA might eat alive.
Shaun of the Dead evoked the kind of participation from an audience that I haven't experienced in a long time. I recently spoke of an Asian picture called Gozu in which the more audacious the picture got, the more the crowd erupted. This was also the case with Shawn of the Dead, but here, the cheering was far more constant. With overrated films that claim to be a return to form (i.e. the mildly amusing but not at all scary Cabin Fever), this one actually lives up to the hype. Back is that diabolical blend of horror and comedy that meshes perfectly and took me back to the 80's when this sort of film was far more common (think Evil Dead 2, American Werewolf in London, Return of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, The Howling and Creepshow).
I absolutely adore this movie. I'm so jealous of the U.K. They've had it since last April which means our good buddies over at the outstanding thehollywoodnews.com have probably seen it multiple times. Lucky bastards!!!! Here in the states, we have another couple of months to wait, but that will give ample time to spread the word about this immensely entertaining love letter to the zombie genre (as aint-it-cool-news.com and other film sites have been doing for the last several months)
Shaun of the Dead drips with a pure love of horror. It succeeds because in addition to being one of the funniest movies of the year - it respects the zombie mythology (as presented by master George Romero), rather than bastardizing it. True, much of the proceedings are comical, but the zombie mythos is in tact and Winter and Pegg opt to remain quite faithful to Romero's rules of the undead. And again, SOTD is further proof that for my money, the slow moving zombie is far more terrifying than the speedy one. Simply put, this is one of those terrific experiences that validates my love for movies. There's nothing quite like seeing a gem of a film, then having the opportunity to turn around and share it with other people. That's really what it's all about.
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