Another U.K. zombie flick
Join now! Unfounded opinion
by Adam Goldstein
The Metropolitan
The upcoming release "Shaun of the Dead," like the recipe for a good salad, incorporates a wide range of cinematic flavors and ingredients: a dash of the wry British humor of "The Office" here; a pinch of the muted and melodramatic romance of the BBC series "The East Enders" there; and finally, a strong base of the freshly green living dead.
Yes, for all intents and purposes, this is a zombie movie, but the refreshing mixture of humor, romance, and reflections on the nature of friendship distinguish this film from recent zombie flicks, and even sets it apart from the George Romero staples that serve as its inspiration.
Set in a drab and dreary suburb of London, "Shaun of the Dead" establishes a clear mood from the outset. Indeed, it seems as if this film is as much about urban, middle-class decay as it is about the hosts of the living dead who come to plague the city.
The main character, Shaun, is so helplessly adrift in the doldrums and dramas of his painfully ordinary existence, that he takes no notice as the sickness breaks out and the dead rise to stumble along in the streets. He pays no heed to growing warnings on television and in print of a mysterious and deadly outbreak, and his attention is instead focused on his dead-end job, his ne'er-do-well best friend, his crumbling romantic relationship, and his strained dealings with his mum and stepdad. It is only when he and his best friend find a zombie in the backyard that he begins to panic.
Despite the dramatic elements at work in this film, there is still plenty of good, old-fashioned gore. Yet, the intrepid Shaun and his fellow zombie-killers are faced with a dilemma in their battle: the absence of readily available firepower to combat the ghoulish hordes. American audiences, accustomed to the second amendment to the constitution and the gun shops it fosters, will find this cultural nuance refreshing, if unfamiliar. How does one effectively fight zombies without proper access to firepower? Shaun and his gang are innovative in their use of everything from LPs to garden tools to face the threat.
The very fact that the film incorporates so many different aspects is refreshing, but at the same time can become overwhelming. It is difficult to be stirred by a sappy mother/stepfather/son reconciliation scene in a zombie movie, and at times the filmmakers get ahead of themselves in trying to include so much. Still, most of the time, "Shaun of the Dead" deftly juggles the living dead and the drama of the living, and inspires some laughs along the way.
Another U.K. zombie flick
Join now!
Review
by Christopher R. Mena
The Metropolitan
The dead now walk the earth feasting on the living, tearing skin and muscle from the bones of their prey in hopes of quenching an insatiable appetite. What do you do? You grab your lazy, weed selling, beer guzzling best friend and attempt to save the day.
Simon Pegg, both co-writer and star of the film "Shaun of the Dead", plays Shaun, a 29-year-old who finds himself caught between his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, and his best friend Ed, who is played by the hilarious Nick Frost.
Then the zombies come. . .
I felt a little apprehensive about seeing this film, especially after hearing that it was a comedy ... with zombies. But it worked so well. The zombies weren't particularly funny, but the situations they were put in were. Imagine trying to kill a living dead person with vinyl records ...
Even with all the gore and intestine chewing, director and co-writer Edgar Wright did a phenomenal job of making a comedy with zombies that far surpasses the high expectations I had for "28 Days Later" and the remake of "Dawn of The Dead."
It was a breath of fresh air to sit through this film. Wright and Pegg have raised the bar in zombie story telling by taking a whole new approach to the genre. When was the last time you saw a comedy based on a world inhabited by the living dead?
"Shaun of the Dead" has something for everybody. Looking for a laugh? No need to search any further. Looking for action? Turn your gaze this way. Looking for romance? Bat those eyelashes here.
It's hard pinpointing exactly what I liked most about this film because there is so much to wrap your arms around, embrace, and take a bite of.
The film has equal parts comedy and action, a dash of romance, and is sprinkled with enough surprises to keep you glued to the seat for the duration.
What I can say is that I can't remember a movie being this funny in a long time and it even had me laughing after it was over.
Early into the film, Shaun and Ed come across a female zombie in their backyard. Thinking she is a drunk woman, they decided to investigate the situation.
At first they stand back calling to her, then eventually throw a rock at her trying to get her attention.
It works.
The girl turns around slowly and lunges toward Shaun. He pushes her away and inadvertently impales the girl on a jutting pipe. The expression on Shaun's face is priceless, especially when the girl lifts herself up and he can see a gaping hole were her stomach one was.
Once again, the zombie lunges for Shaun and tackles him to the ground. Ed runs back into the apartment and emerges several seconds later with a camera. As Shaun struggles with the zombies, Ed decides to capture the moment on film.
The movie will be stumbling its way into theaters this September.
The dead now walk the earth feasting on the living, tearing skin and muscle from the bones of their prey in hopes of quenching an insatiable appetite. What do you do? You grab your lazy, weed selling, beer guzzling best friend and attempt to save the day.
Simon Pegg, both co-writer and star of the film "Shaun of the Dead", plays Shaun, a 29-year-old who finds himself caught between his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, and his best friend Ed, who is played by the hilarious Nick Frost.
Then the zombies come. . .
I felt a little apprehensive about seeing this film, especially after hearing that it was a comedy ... with zombies. But it worked so well. The zombies weren't particularly funny, but the situations they were put in were. Imagine trying to kill a living dead person with vinyl records ...
Even with all the gore and intestine chewing, director and co-writer Edgar Wright did a phenomenal job of making a comedy with zombies that far surpasses the high expectations I had for "28 Days Later" and the remake of "Dawn of The Dead."
It was a breath of fresh air to sit through this film. Wright and Pegg have raised the bar in zombie story telling by taking a whole new approach to the genre. When was the last time you saw a comedy based on a world inhabited by the living dead?
"Shaun of the Dead" has something for everybody. Looking for a laugh? No need to search any further. Looking for action? Turn your gaze this way. Looking for romance? Bat those eyelashes here.
It's hard pinpointing exactly what I liked most about this film because there is so much to wrap your arms around, embrace, and take a bite of.
The film has equal parts comedy and action, a dash of romance, and is sprinkled with enough surprises to keep you glued to the seat for the duration.
What I can say is that I can't remember a movie being this funny in a long time and it even had me laughing after it was over.
Early into the film, Shaun and Ed come across a female zombie in their backyard. Thinking she is a drunk woman, they decided to investigate the situation.
At first they stand back calling to her, then eventually throw a rock at her trying to get her attention.
It works.
The girl turns around slowly and lunges toward Shaun. He pushes her away and inadvertently impales the girl on a jutting pipe. The expression on Shaun's face is priceless, especially when the girl lifts herself up and he can see a gaping hole were her stomach one was.
Once again, the zombie lunges for Shaun and tackles him to the ground. Ed runs back into the apartment and emerges several seconds later with a camera. As Shaun struggles with the zombies, Ed decides to capture the moment on film.
The movie will be stumbling its way into theaters this September.
The dead now walk the earth feasting on the living, tearing skin and muscle from the bones of their prey in hopes of quenching an insatiable appetite. What do you do? You grab your lazy, weed selling, beer guzzling best friend and attempt to save the day.
Simon Pegg, both co-writer and star of the film "Shaun of the Dead", plays Shaun, a 29-year-old who finds himself caught between his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, and his best friend Ed, who is played by the hilarious Nick Frost.
Then the zombies come. . .
I felt a little apprehensive about seeing this film, especially after hearing that it was a comedy ... with zombies. But it worked so well. The zombies weren't particularly funny, but the situations they were put in were. Imagine trying to kill a living dead person with vinyl records ...
Even with all the gore and intestine chewing, director and co-writer Edgar Wright did a phenomenal job of making a comedy with zombies that far surpasses the high expectations I had for "28 Days Later" and the remake of "Dawn of The Dead."
It was a breath of fresh air to sit through this film. Wright and Pegg have raised the bar in zombie story telling by taking a whole new approach to the genre. When was the last time you saw a comedy based on a world inhabited by the living dead?
"Shaun of the Dead" has something for everybody. Looking for a laugh? No need to search any further. Looking for action? Turn your gaze this way. Looking for romance? Bat those eyelashes here.
It's hard pinpointing exactly what I liked most about this film because there is so much to wrap your arms around, embrace, and take a bite of.
The film has equal parts comedy and action, a dash of romance, and is sprinkled with enough surprises to keep you glued to the seat for the duration.
What I can say is that I can't remember a movie being this funny in a long time and it even had me laughing after it was over.
Early into the film, Shaun and Ed come across a female zombie in their backyard. Thinking she is a drunk woman, they decided to investigate the situation.
At first they stand back calling to her, then eventually throw a rock at her trying to get her attention.
It works.
The girl turns around slowly and lunges toward Shaun. He pushes her away and inadvertently impales the girl on a jutting pipe. The expression on Shaun's face is priceless, especially when the girl lifts herself up and he can see a gaping hole were her stomach one was.
Once again, the zombie lunges for Shaun and tackles him to the ground. Ed runs back into the apartment and emerges several seconds later with a camera. As Shaun struggles with the zombies, Ed decides to capture the moment on film.
The movie will be stumbling its way into theaters this Septembe |
