REVIEW: Shaun of the Dead -
Excellent movie. Simon Pegg is a believable 29-year-old bloke who hasn't quite come to grasps with growing up. He still spends too much time playing video games, drinking beer and laughing with flatulant, party-down roomies. Several other british actors pop in (including Bill Nighy - the almost 9th Doctor). The guy from Black Books is also in it, playing a rather annoying character that you want to get eaten (and he does, in probably the bloodiest scene ever filmed, upstaging Fulci himself for utter tastelessness).
Overall, I would recommend the film to anybody who can stomach the marriage of fringe british comedy and zombie/gore flicks. If seeing nasty stuff on the screen is not your thing, then you probably ought to avoid this move. My wife loved it as much as I did, though, so perhaps the comedy element displaces the shock value somewhat? Nevertheless, it's still disturbing, and not family fare.
It's not rip-roaring comedy; most of it's low-brow, chucklish humor and surreal situations. And it tries to be serious as well, sometimes too serious - and this does reduce the film's cinematic effect. Don't go in expecting a date movie or a barrel of laughs. It's equally a zombie movie; this ain't just a parody film, my friends.
My favorite part was very odd. The co-star shouts into the phone at the lead's mother "Sit tight. We're coming to get you Barbara." My wife and I laughed quite loudly, and even though there were a hundred people in the theater, we were the ONLY ones that laughed. It's a shame that americans don't know their trashy pop culture as well as we do (what other culture do we have, besides the Native American culture that we've all but wiped out, eh?). Or maybe we were surrounded by a busload of high school students that have a tough time watching anything in black and white? Whatever the case, it was odd to be the only people laughing at the most obvious in-joke in the film.
Looks like Simon Pegg has also landed himself a 'cameo zombie' role in the upcoming Romero 'living dead' sequel, Land of the Dead. Lucky guy.
I bet there's a sequel.
I probably shouldn't post things at 3:10 in the morning, but I didn't want this one to get away from me. Go check it out.
posted by novachild @ Sunday, October 03, 2004,
