Shaun of the Dead.

Hey so apparently I have done 150 posts, when you think I've been running this blog about three years I don't know whether that is really much of an achievement. But anyway, I'm hungover and fancied watching a film I actually liked to cheer me up. Then I realised it's been about a week since I did a review being that I've been in Coventry seeing family for Easter so I decided to really challenge myself and distance myself from a film I enjoy and attempt to approach it critically. Enjoy!


Going into Shaun of the Dead, it's hard not to be excited. Simon Pegg is easily one of the best British comedians around and the cast and the director reunite the whole 'Spaced' team and mix it with zombies and a wide range of British funny men and women. And I mean who doesn't love zombies? This sounds like a crazy mix but one made in heaven.

With a brilliantly talented cast of British funny men and women you can understand that this is an absolutely hilarious film that'll have you laughing from the getgo. That isn't to say the film doesn't have its darker moments, it is a zombie film after all and the casts ability shines no matter the tone of the scene. There are some genuinely hard hitting drama moments spotted throughout too and the emotions feel incredibly real. The scene where Shaun finds out his mother has been bitten, well his entire reaction is much how I think people would react if this was real.

There are other things that make it obviously just how talented everyone is. The writing is insanely sharp and witty and the entire construction of the film is just brilliant. It's the little touches, whether it's the allusion to zombies with the way people act before they even turn into zombies (as zombies were created as a critique of mindless human consumerism), the walking to the shop sequences, the scene where Shaun flicks through the channels and we get some exposition through the connection of the different bits of footage is to name just a few - it's just brilliant. It just really uses the film medium to the max to convey its meaning through really clever and often rather artistic cinematography and editing. It manages to be so much more than just a British Comedy with zombies, it's a beautiful film in its own right.

Obviously if this is your first viewing you won't notice but after seeing this as many times as I have it's obvious to see that this film was incredibly well thoughtout with huge amounts of foreshadowing. It's nice to see so much effort being put in.

Despite being almost ten years old, Shaun of The Dead still has some great special effects, truly proving the worth of practical effects over CGI. And although this is primarily a comedy movie, the action sequences are still bloody brilliant. The Queen scene being a highlight.

So do I recommend this? Shaun of the Dead is in my mind nothing less of a masterpiece. I know it's easy to dismiss cult movies like these but don't be fooled it's incredibly well put together, incredibly well written and is just all round a bloody great movie. Expect loads of laughs, possibly some tears and some great fun. If you somehow haven't seen this yet, go fix that, right now!

Think About It!

-Locke