Shaun Of The Dead [2004]

Shaun is a loser, stuck in a dead-end job and held back by his slacker pal Ed. Girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) is exasperated by his lack of ambition and unceremoniously dumps him. As a result, Shaun misses out on what is apparently the end of the world. In a series of beautifully choreographed and edited scenes, including hilarious tracking shots to and from the local shop, he spectacularly fails to notice the death toll and subsequent zombie plague. Only when one appears in their back garden do Shaun and Ed take notice, hurling sundry kitchen appliances at the undead before breaking out the cricket bat. The catastrophe proves to be the catalyst for Shaun to take charge of his life, sort out his relations with his dotty mum (Penelope Wilton) and distant stepdad (Bill Nighy), and fight to win back his ex-girlfriend. Lucy Davis from The Office and Dylan Moran of Black Books fame head the excellent supporting cast. --Mark Walker

I didn't see the film in the cinema, so it was all new to me. Given British TV's habit of spawning naff films I was a bit wary, but needn't have worried. The first part of the film is really just like a big screen version of Spaced with only a few little hints in the background of the trouble brewing and lots of big laughs. The film then moves into the slightly strange territory which Spaced sometimes inhabited when the main characters start to realise that there are really Zombies on the move. When the action really starts the overt comedy is reined in a bit to let the pace pick up, which is about right: by then you are more interested in what happens next than in where the next joke is coming from.

Simon Pegg makes the transition from small to large screen well, and more surprisingly Dylan Moran does too. Much as Black Books is brilliant, Moran is still basically acting out his stand-up persona. here he is much more rounded character.

Fans of recent British TV comedy will have fun spotting all the actors from The Office, League of Gentlemen and Black Books turning up in roles ranging from major to blink-and-you-miss-it.

I can't really comment on the picture quality as my TV is on the way out, but the use of surround sound is very effective on this disc. During the seige scenes there is a permanent presence of zombie moans and scratching coming from all around to add to the atmosphere.

So, the film is a hit, but what about the disc? Its as good as you would expect from writers and directors who are big fans of the DVD medium, and one of the most loaded single discs you are likely to come across. The extras include 4 full-length commentaries, video diaries from several actors, outtakes and extended scenes as well as the now traditional photo galleries, making-of, TV spots and trailers.

Some of the less conventional extras are a run through of the original story idea on a flip chart, plot holes explained in comic strips with actor voiceovers, and one scene acted in the styles of Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King. The flip chart extra is especially interesting as it pre-dates the filming, and even the full script-writing. Some of the original plot ideas or back story details didn't make it to the film, but its impressive how many details from the original conceptual stage made it all the way through, which says something about the completeness of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's original vision.

The thoroughness of the extras is exemplified in what the menu calls the "TV Bits". At various points in the film the characters watch a bit of television, and even though only a few seconds might appear in the film they actually made TV segments of several minutes which are included in full on the disc. And there are some 2000AD comic strips, poster designs, and loads more. There are even some extra extras, not listed on the box, which are tucked away in the sub-title options - a storyboard comparison and the Zomb-o-meter. The zomb-o-meter is a trivia track which lists everything from what the music is on the soundtrack and where a scene was filmed, to what films are being referenced and what game is being played on the Playstation. (Just like the feature on the DVD of the 2nd series of Spaced but even more informative.)

I am already more than satisfied with this film and disc, and I haven't had time to listen to the commentaries yet. Pegg already proved on the Spaced DVDs that he can do an essential talk track - essential to point out all the film references if nothing else - and he features on two of the commentary tracks: one with co-writer and director Edgar Wright, and the other with the main actors. The third commentary is my Shaun's parents (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton) and the last track is by actors who played Zombies.

In a recent interview Simon Pegg mentioned that George A. Romero himself liked the film, and if its good enough for him its certainly good enough for me. Roll on the sequel!


One of the funniest films I've seen for a long time   June 7, 2005
Sally-Anne (Leicestershire, United Kingdom)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

The banality of Shaun and Ed's lives is the usual sort: they have no specific ambitions - they're just sleep-walking towards middle age, keeping themselves entertained down the pub and messing about with their computer games. They are quite content in their comfortable rut. When pushed on the subject, Shaun dallies with the idea of doing something decisive in some vague future, to achieve oh ..., something, but not just yet - in a year or two, perhaps. It's driving Shaun's girlfriend mad. He blows his last chance with her and she dumps him. He's very unhappy about it and spends the evening drowning his sorrows with Ed. When they leave the pub, they're amused to see a couple who seem to be 'devouring' each other. Then a man who appears to be drunk joins in with the chorus of the song they're singing, with an incoherent bellow. When Shaun wakes with a hangover the following day he doesn't notice all the odd things happening around him as he stumbles down to the shop. There are people lurching about with gimpy legs and floppy heads. There's blood. Shaun's oblivious to all the signs. And his failure to observe his peril isn't entirely the result of his hangover. The fact is, they don't look very different from what he normally sees, apart from the blood and the shambolic gait. The vacuous, disconnected look isn't out of the ordinary - though he might've noticed the eyes look a bit peculiar if he was paying attention. No wonder it takes a while to register that something's wrong. When the boys do notice the growing population of hungry dead, they snap into action and, finally, shut the front door. After that, the real fun begins. They've been catapulted out of their comfortable rut. Things are serious. They need a plan. The plan is agreed and they're off ..... not to save the whole world, but at least some of the bits they care about.

It's very very funny and I enjoyed it enormously. It's a zombie film and I liked it in spite of the fact that I don't usually like zombie films. Of course, the story is daft. But the acting is excellent. The comedy element is comical, the horror element is horrible and there are a few very touching scenes. The combination, in my opinion, is extremely entertaining. It still makes me laugh even though I've watched it several times. I recommend the film.


British Comedy at its best.   May 3, 2006
H. Pierce (UK)
15 out of 18 found this review helpful

It all starts one cold morning in North London. Shaun (Simon Pegg) gets up, goes to work and comes home. During this snapshot into Shauns monotonous existence, he manages to fall out with his step-father, break up with his girlfriend, and find himself the one responsible for the impending eviction of his best friend Ed (Nick Frost). Whilst he's absorbed in his own problems, and let's face it - they're bad enough, he's completely oblivious to the rise of the dead all around him.

All around him people are being infected with this virus, by being bitten, and as a result are dying. However, in true horror style, they don't stay dead for long and return to 'life' as zombies, intent on passing on the virus.

Shaun is first alerted to their existence and the crisis at hand, when a pair of these zombies wander into his back garden. And Shaun, and Ed, are soon making plans to save themselves, and those important to them, and find a safe place to hole up until the danger passes.

From the very start of the film it is apparent that Shaun of The Dead is destined to be more than your average horror flick, breaking the mould of traditional Hollywood horror, in favour of a more British angle.

Leaving aside the comedy of the script, Shaun of the Dead is anything but brainless. (no pun intended) This is a clever zombie movie both well-scripted and well-executed (Ok I couldn't resist that one!).

Shaun of the Dead comes across as a terrific satire on life in the city as well as a fantastic parody of the zombie-movie we all know and love. How it manages both, I can't even begin to understand; but its exquisite cast, perfect scripting and on-form directing will likely have a lot to do with it. Shaun of the Dead will appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes, and is a fine example of British comedy done well.


A Slice of Fried Gold!   July 20, 2004
Mr. C. McMartin (Ayrshire, Scotland)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

I saw this at the cinema at the same time i saw the remake of Dawn of the Dead, and while this is a very different style of zombie movie, its equally as good.

This is through and through a classic British comedy. Anyone whos familiar with the work of Simon Pegg and the show Spaced will instantly recognise the style of humour, such as the straight male love between Shaun and Ed, the way Shaun fails to notice the blindingly obvious signs of zombie invasion, and the appearance of practically every major Spaced actor/actress in the movie.

The plot is fairly simple. Shaun breaks up with his girlfriend Liz and sulks back at his flat with his long-time roommate Ed. The following morning they awake to find the country, and possibly the world, has been overrun by undead zombies. What follows is a hillarious adventure as Shaun and Ed set out to rescue Liz, Shauns mum, and a few hangers on and hole up in their local pub until things blow over. Naturally, things dont go exactly to plan....

This is a much more lighthearted movie than most in the genre, although it does still contain several scenes of gore which are quite realistic. Anyone who enjoys a good comedy/horror movie should definetely buy this. As Shaun would say, its a slice of fried gold!