Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashcroft, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran
Director: Edgar Wright
Screenplay: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Running Time: 99 minutes
I’D heard really good things about this movie, but the genre is one I’ve never taken to, so like most objective and unbiased reviewers I was determined to hate it – boy was I in for a piece of humble pie.
Comedian Pegg is in his element as the Shaun in the title. Stuck in a dead-end job with a loser flatmate and a girlfriend having just left him, life couldn’t be more pathetic for him until some unexplained incident turns the local population into flesh-eating zombies. Suddenly our once flaccid everyman turns into a hero as he goes about rescuing his mother, step-dad, ex girlfriend and assorted hangers on from a fate worse than life.
Like similar fare such as George Romero’s plethora of zombie movies, and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead/Army of Darkness, there is enough blood and gore to make the squeamish squirm, without turning it into a stereotypical parody.
What makes this a standout from your usual zombie pic is a smart script that races along nicely with crisp delivery from the leads and great direction from Wright. Actors hit their marks perfectly and DP David Dunlap cinematography is masterful at giving the classic English urban setting a sinister undertone as the zombies start to take over. All-in-all, thoroughly enjoyable.
Side note: Pic also allows movie nuts to play a little game of Spot the Cameo….
4 stars out of 5
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... instead, they use genre elements to augment their original story. It's a wonderful effort!
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