Shaun Of The Dead (2004) ~ Unrequited Screen

Director: Edgar Wright; Screenplay: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; Cinematography: David M. Dunlap

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

Shaun of the Dead is a zombie-themed romantic comedy or simply "rom zom com". But don't be fooled by the walking dead who are out to get us. This is not your typical zombie movie nor is it a bad remake of Dawn of the Dead with crappy special effects and even worse casting. Shaun of the Dead is sappy, clever and it will keep you laughing until the next day or so. It does not entirely focus on the fact that zombies are taking over and you might not live to see another day.

The story circles around an average guy named Shaun. He is nearly 30 and his biggest achievements have yet to come. He spends his days working in an electronics shop as an appliance salesmen and he absolutely hates it. Throw in the much younger co-workers and the total lack of respect towards Shaun and you get a real dead end job. Then there is his best friend Ed. He is a slob, a B-class drug dealer, who spends his days slacking around and being...well being useless. He doesn't clean up after himself and he is unemployed with no intention to even find a job. His girlfriend Liz is dissatisfied with their relationship, primarily because it revolves around going to The Winchester, Shaun's favourite pub. After failing to keep his promise to take her out some place nice for once, he gets dumped. To ease his sorrow, he and Ed go to ..You guessed it, The Winchester. But the next morning the undead are walking the streets of London and the world is in need of a hero. It is Shaun's mission to save his ex-girlfriend and his mom from the flesh-eating zombies. He also thinks of it as a good opportunity to show her that he too can man-up and step out of his comfort zone.

So along with best buddy Ed and the other merry men of the band, Shaun armed with a cricket bat and an attitude, takes on the hordes of zombies.

Everything about this movie will have you laughing out loud. Starting with the masses of lumbering dead and the fact that the so-called zombies are like from a really old and bad zombie movie. But they are simply a comic effect throughout as the "heroes" seem to have plenty of time to think about things before being attacked. Which brings me to this. I have never really gotten the whole idea of it. The undead are slow as they stagger around and make noises similar to Lurch from The Addams Family. It shouldn't be that hard to get away from them..even if you walk. So how come they always catch us? It was a real fun thing to watch how everyone had time to spare even if the dead were after them.

Through out the movie I enjoyed the ridiculous situations and the sarcasm. The characters were somewhat idiotic but at the same time they were well drawn and likable. Not a minute went by without a very good joke and despite the light-heartedness, there are satisfyingly scary moments. Every facial expression is pure gold and that gives a pretty good idea just how clueless they really are.

Shaun of the Dead certainly has it's own style. The directing and editing of the movie give a good visual impact and the writing is genuinely funny. Shaun of the Dead scores highly in it's respect for the original material. Most spoofs just mock the original, but Shaun of the Dead delicately pokes the fun and keeps up the idea that if something is worth parodying it must have some value.

The movie is notable for the number of British comedians and sitcom actors present in the cast. I personally am a huge fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. These guys are hilarious, but if you put them together you will have something out of this world. The fabulous supporting cast includes Penelope Wilton as Shaun's ditsy mom, Bill Nighy as the cheeky stepfather, Dylan Moran as Liz's uppish roommate David and Lucy Davis as an aspiring actress Diane.

I recommend this movie to everyone who enjoys good and well-written British sit-coms and understands black comedy. It has great dialogue and some of the best quotes.This movie was written for my taste and I'll keep watching it until I am old and grey...