Sorry, sorry, sorry! that I've not been around much! My computer is bust at home, so I can't write :...
Sorry, sorry, sorry! that I've not been around much! My computer is bust at home, so I can't write :-( Hope you're all grand!
Member since:16.02.2001
Reviews:83
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Back in the late nineties, channel four commissioned one of the most interesting comedy series ever to hit British TV. Created and written by Jessica Stevenson and Simon Pegg, Spaced became a minor cult hit which has since grown in renown and helped to make its stars become an integral part of the comedy firmament. After two seasons, the series came to an end in 2001, and the actors moved off into other things. While Jessica bagged her own BBC1 series, Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright branched off into movies with this film, 'Shaun of the Dead'.
After filming an episode of Spaced in which Pegg fought imaginary zombies after an all night PlayStation session, Simon and Edgar decided that this was an avenue that they should pursue, and so came this: the first ever 'Zom-Rom-Com'.
Set in the suburbs of London, and filmed mostly around Crouch End and Barnet, Shaun of the Dead focuses on Shaun (fairly obviously), a 29 year old electrical store worker whose life is drifting away from him. Having been dumped by Liz, his girlfriend of three years, for having no ambition, he finds solace in the Winchester, his local watering hole, with best friend and flatmate Ed. The only problem is, by the time they leave, it appears that everything has started to get a little strange. Firstly, upon leaving, they encounter a shambling, groaning drunk. Then, upon arriving home, flatmate Pete, who they wake up with their electro (it's not hip-hop), tells them that he's been attacked earlier that evening, and bitten.
Discovering that things are not all they seem, and being bitten certainly isn't good for your health, Shaun and Ed are thrust into action, taking it upon themselves to strike before being struck - by rescuing Liz and Shaun's mum, and taking them to the safest place they can think of - the fortress Winchester.
So, the merry band of Shaun, Ed, Liz, Shaun's
mum Barbara, and Liz's flatmates David and Di, brave the nightmare world of the zombies, fighting their way through the back gardens of suburbia, through crowds of the undead, before a final confrontation at the local. Time gentlemen, please, indeed...
Shaun of the Dead is a twist on traditional zombie movies, being more of a black comedy than a horror, though that's not to say that there aren't some genuinely shocking scenes, and some particularly horrific deaths, not least the evisceration of one of the characters. The comedy is helped by the shambolic zombies - slow-moving, dim witted and nothing like the speed merchants found in the recent remake of Dawn of the Dead, as well as by Pegg and Wright's sparkling script which mixes humour and pathos beautifully. Conveying the mundanity of urban life ripped apart by extraordinary circumstances, it manages to bring many elements of realism to what is a very unrealistic scenario - the reliance on routine and places the protagonists know well, the infighting between Ed and Shaun and David, and the heartbreaking moments when the characters are faced with death and difficult decisions, as well as the brevity that particularly Ed tries to bring to the situation - all help to create a film which crosses the line from traditional low-budget British flick to instant classic (Shaun of the Dead has already ranked in the Top 10 of a Channel 4 poll to find the top 50 comedy films of all time) - hey, who wouldn't love a film that features a scene in which the pub's zombie landlord is battered with pool cues to the beat of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'.
Quite aside from the script, there are some wonderful central performances. Simon Pegg as Shaun and Nick Frost as Ed steal the film, shining in every scene, whilst Kate Ashfield as Liz lends a beautiful lightness to proceedings, and is convincing in both her exasperation and re-acceptance of Shaun. Lucy Davies (better known as Dawn from The Office) is superb as failed actress Di, especially when trying to teach everyone to act as zombies, and Dylan Moran, playing David, is fabulously acerbic in his scornfulness of Shaun and his plan. Penelope Wilton as Barbara is so 'mumsy' it hurts, particularly when it comes to the final analysis, and Bill Nighy turns in his usual lovely performance as Shaun's step-dad Phillip, finished off early in the movie by a gang of rampaging flesh-eaters.
Another fabulous aspect of the movie is the abundance of sight gags, which make it one that you can truly watch over and over again, getting something new every time (I particularly love the camera gag when Mary stands up in the garden), as well as the number of lines that just cry out to be stolen and used in everyday conversation. On top of all this, there are heaps of homages, mainly to the George Romero movies, so you can impress your friends with all your pointless knowledge (well, once you've found out what they are, of course).
Overall, then, this is one of, if not the, best British movies of recent years, and is up there with the likes of Withnail and I in the pantheon of classic British comedies. But what of the extras? Are they worth shelling out for?
In a word, yes. The disc comes complete with no less than four DVD commentaries - from Pegg and Wright; Pegg, Frost, Moran, Ashfield and Davis; Nighy and Winton; and some of the zombie extras - all of which add something to the film itself, and provide extra laughs. Still within the film itself, there is a trivia track, which is one of my favourite features on any film that actually has one, which is sadly not enough. This gives you snippets of information about the filming process, random trivia about cast, crew and script, and inform you of things that you may otherwise miss. For example, some little pieces from the trivia track here include: 'Shaun of the Dead contains 77 uses of the f-word'; and 'Simon Pegg actually like The Stone Roses "Second Coming" album'. This is alongside the standard English subtitles for the hard of hearing.
Elsewhere on the disc, you will find short video diaries by Simon Pegg, Lucy Davis and Joe Cornish from the Adam and Joe Show, who appears as a zombie in the film. There is also a 'making-of' featurette, make-up and sfx tests, showing how the film was created and nurtured through the long and difficult bringing-to-life process, which are an interesting diversion.
As well as this, the extended versions of pieces that play on television during the film are included, which include Vernon Kay interviewing Coldplay about their role in the charity Zomb-aid, a couple of segments from Trisha, as she talks to a woman who professes to still love her zombie husband, and Keith Chegwin getting very excited at a Game For A Laugh style zombie game show - well, they have to be used for something after the crisis is over!
My favourite extras, however, are the Missing Bits. In this section, there are plenty of outtakes, deleted scenes and extended scenes, as well as a couple of short scenes from the film - The Man Who Would Be Shaun, in which Shaun and Ed play a scene as Michael Caine and Sean Connery - diversionary, but funny - and another scene, Funky Pete, which was re-dubbed for use on airlines, with all swearing taken out, leading to such classic lines as 'It's four in the funking morning' and 'Funk, yeah!' On top of this, you get storyboard explanations for three of the film's plot holes, which is lovely, and really demonstrates the depth of work that has gone into the production of the DVD - nothing is left to chance.
Released in cinemas in 2004, Shaun of the Dead has been out on DVD since late 2004, and is now generally to be found in sales. You can pick a copy up from eBay for between £2 and £5 if you look closely enough, for £4.99 from dvd.co.uk, and I got mine ex-rental from Blockbusters for just £5, so it's certainly not expensive. For a great night in, any time, this is perfect. So settle back, and prepare to laugh, wince and possibly even cry - and if you've got someone to cling onto, or who might want to cling onto you, all the better.
Production Year: 2004 - Comedy - Director: John Hay - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jimi Mistry, Kate Miles, Dougray Scott
Production Year: 1992 - Comedy - Director: Tim Robbins - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ray Wise, Alan Rickman, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Robbins
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
wow...good review. this film is soooo funny! i love the extras too! these guys are 'funking' hilarious!
DannyBoy108 14.06.2006 13:10
Very very detailed great review well done
mongo_bongocat 28.05.2006 12:24
Brilliant film and a great review. Made me laugh more than any other film for quite some time. Alledgedly Nick & Ed got a cameo in George.A.Romero's Land Of The Dead because he was so taken with their zombie flick.
It's no disparagement to describe Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights zombie-rom-comShaun of the ... more
Deadas playing like an extended episode ofSpaced. Not only does the movie have the rather modest scope of a TV production, it also boasts the snappy editing, smar...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
It's no disparagement to describe Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights zombie-rom-comShaun of the ... more
Deadas playing like an extended episode ofSpaced. Not only does the movie have the rather modest scope of a TV production, it also boasts the snappy editing, smar...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A romantic comedy. With zombies! Shaun (Simon Pegg) is not quite your average ... more
twentysomething. Lacking any real ambition and drifting along in a job that he hates he drives his long-suffering girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) up the wall. Despite being...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Life is going nowhere for Shaun. He spends his life in his local pub, The Winchester, with ... more
his best mate Ed, has issues with his Mum and neglects his girlfriend Liz.When Liz dumps him, Shaun finally decides to get his life in order. He must win back th...
Advantages: A great Comedy, it's British, Not your typical Zombie film Disadvantages: May not be scary enough for people expecting a full on Zombie fest
Advantages: A great Comedy, it's British, Not your typical Zombie film Disadvantages: May not be scary enough for people expecting a full on Zombie fest
![Shaun Of The Dead [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78490290.jpg "Shaun Of The Dead [DVD] [2004]")
Mar 10th, 2006
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