Review: Shaun of the Dead

I'm not sure how many people have even heard of this movie. In fact, I think I only saw commercials for it once or twice. However, those brief introductions made me anxious to see Shaun of the Dead. Unfortunately, Oneonta only has one movie theater, and usually doesn't play those films that they only show in a few places, mostly artsy movie theaters, like the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.

But by some stroke of luck, they brought Shaun to the Southside Mall this week. Even though the movie was in the Top 10 last week, number six to be exact, it only made $2 mil and I didn't expect to see it anytime soon. But that's neither here nor there.



This movie was incredible. Easily the funniest movie I've seen this year, and in my Top 3 of 2004 (Kill Bill 2 and Fahrenheit 9/11 came out this summer). The plot revolves around two guys in England, one a skinny loser who works in a Nobody Beats the Wiz-esque store, and the other is a big fat guy who lives like a pig and just plays Playstation2 all day. It's unfortunate, but I can relate to these guys.

Skinny guy Shaun breaks up with his girlfriend, and the two go out and get drunk, not realizing that chaos has slowly broken out across the country. They wake up the next morning, oblivious, until they see a girl standing in their backyard. They shout at her and throw a rock or two, and she turns around all slow and zombie-like, moaning and all that good stuff. They laugh and think she's drunk. She goes after Shaun, which they read as a drunken makeout attempt. Shaun's friend gets a camera to get shots of his friend attacked by a drunk girl. She doesn't stop, blah blah blah, they find out she's a zombie. Hilarity ensues.

What I think I liked best about it is that the characters were very believable, regular guys, and their reactions to all the shit going on around them fits their demeanor. I know a few people who if zombies came to life, would laugh and take pleasure in killing them rather than being scared. You do, too.

Another of the great things about it was that they were able to also make the movie genuinely suspenseful without making it feel forced. The comedy and tension flowed perfectly.

I would say this is one of those movies I would see in the theater again, which almost never happens, and will be a definite DVD pickup when it comes out: A


Throughout the whole movie, I thoughtthat was a frat paddle.