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Trailer here. (http://www.uip.co.uk/films/shaun_of_the_dead/video/shaun_of_the_dead_new_med.mov)
Release date: April 9th (UK), September 4th (US)
Director: Edgar Wright (UK's 1998 TV Series: Merry-Go-Round, Fistful of Fingers)
Screenwriter(s): Simon Pegg (Free Jimmy, Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It), Edgar Wright (UK's 1998 TV Series: Merry-Go-Round, Fistful of Fingers)
Actors: Simon Pegg (Shaun), Nick Frost (Ed), Kate Ashfield (Liz), Dylan Moran (David), Lucy Davis (Dianne), Bill Nighy (Philip), Peter Serafinowicz (Pete), Penelope Wilton (Barbara)
Plot: Described by writer Simon Pegg as a naturalistic comedy about the zombiefied existence of late twenty-somethings, crossbred with a full-scale zombie invasion wherein a group of friends encounter a literal night from hell at their local pub.
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That was an interesting trailer
I've been wanting to see this for a while. I was hoping I would find an early release of sneak peek in Edinburgh or London, but no dice.
after that preview and a couple of ejaculatory AICN reviews, i am really excited about this now. why do i do this to myself?
Over at www.vcdquality.com, this appeared as a release yesterday (a CAM), implying that a copy is floating around somewhere. But now it's gone. Hmm....
This looks pretty hilarious.
I saw it last night, and I thought it was very good, very British and very funny.
I thought the writing was brilliant.
It's an excellent mix, well balanced, kind of a buddy romantic action zombie horror comedy movie!
I expected it to be full of references to other horror/zombie films but I only noticed a couple.
My mate's main complaint was that it took to long to get started.
But I didn't think so. Watch it you'll see. I don't want to say too much. Just go see it, I don't think you'll disappointed.
I'm probably a bit bias as I am British and I do love spaced.
We all left the cinema groaning like undead and you will too. I don't know why who would want to be a zombie!
That will do for now, I really need to see it again to comment further.
This was great fun. But I loved Spaced, too.
Well, I saw the movie even though I live in the US (hint: the Internet is my friend), and I really liked it. Someone said that there weren't many references to other horror/zombie movies in this, but there are a ton; most of them are pretty subtle though. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are great, and the movie has a ton of cameos by pretty much everyone who's ever been in a funny show in the UK. I can't wait to see the movie on the big screen when it comes out in the US (Focus has the US rights to it and is still trying to decide on a release date).
good news for peeps living in the u.k.
Those good folks over at Zeta Minor have posted details on Shaun of the Dead which stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Kate Ashfield and Lucy Davis. The film, described as a romantic comedy - with zombies, will be available to own from the 6th September this year, priced at around £19.99. Extras will include an audio commentary by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, a second commentary by Pegg and co-stars Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Kate Ashfield and Lucy Davis, a third with stars Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton and a fourth by the zombies themselves! The disc will also feature extended bits with commentary, outtakes, a Man Who Would Be Shaun feature in which Simon Pegg and Nick Frost impersonate Sean Connery and Michael Caine and a new Funky Pete sequence in which Pete's swearing sequence is re-dubbed. But wait, there's more. Three comic strip sequences will fill in some of the plotholes (such as how did Ed get from the cellar to the shed) and a TV Bits feature which carries extended versions of the TV shows within the movie (Coldplay on T4, It's a Knockout Zombies, Trisha etc). Completing the set will be A Raw Meat making of featurette, five trailers and TV spots, three Zombie pic galleries, a storyboard comparison and a Zomb-O-Meter trivia track.
dvdanswers.com (http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=4406&n=1&k=shaun&burl=r%3D0%26g%3Dinfo%26s%3D1%26k%3Dshaun)
Pretty good movie, I expected a little more being a fan of Spaced. It gets its US release on the 24th. I hope it does well.
The Prince album joke in the trailer is enough for me to go.
brilliant, i thought it was a parody judging by the trailer. but there were some serious stuff as well. but it was overall very funny. don't miss this one!
saw a sneak preview of this tonight and i FUCKING LOVED IT. seriously, i've got to go back and take my dad (horror fan) next weekend. this movie was a hilarious comedy and a hardcore zombie movie. and it works. and its great. for once, the AICN reviews did not exaggerate / overhype the enjoyment out of this one. they were all right.
it was just clever as hell and packed to the gills with in-jokes and subtle hints of things to come. i was laughing outloud throughout most of the entire film. the previews give the impression of more of a lighter film or spoof, but the movie doesnt pull any punches with gore/horror. it has real scares, characters you ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT, and its also really funny. amazing. this movie rules. :shock:
put this as my second favorite film of the year behind Eternal Sunshine so far....
Omigosh now I'm getting so excited! I already made plans to see it, but I was doing okay until you just riled me up! I am committed now, yes, I will most definitely see it.
Somehow, I never let this film get on my radar -- I went into it tonight without having seen a single preview or really even reading a review, having only heard the buzz from the print ads on AICN and elsewhere. The last time Peter Jackson flipped for a horror film, it was Cabin Fever, and I dug that, so I figured I'd really like this.
Well, everything that themodernage said is true. It's a riot.
My friend who went with me, however, had been following the hype and watching all the trailers and he was super excited, and he said it wasn't quite as cool as he wanted it to be.
We both dressed up as zombies because the ad in the paper said that anyone with makeup got a free hat. So now I've got a cool knit cap and since the movie rocked and my friend payed for my ticket, I had an all around great evening.
If you like it a lot check out the television series that preceded it, made by and starring the same team - SPACED . It will definately appeal to Cinephiles with a 'Shaun' sense of humour. There's a 3 discer coming out soon.
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Quote from: ®edlumThere's a 3 discer coming out soon.
that's awesome, i caught the first season and half of the second. very good references in each episode and various hilarious moments/storylines, recommended.
but that dude on the last page said to lower ur expectations if ur a fan of the show.. :?
this is what i think is the funniest scene in the movie:
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Quote from: GhostboySomehow, I never let this film get on my radar -- I went into it tonight without having seen a single preview or really even reading a review, having only heard the buzz from the print ads on AICN and elsewhere. The last time Peter Jackson flipped for a horror film, it was Cabin Fever, and I dug that, so I figured I'd really like this.
see, i was underwhelmed by Cabin Fever so i approached this one with caution although i thought the preview was promising. but its true. it really was a riot. like, the audience in the theatre was just loving it. laughing, getting scared and grossed out. just loving it. i dont think any of us knew what we were in for. i really want to see Spaced now.
This is DEFINITELY more crowd pleasing than Cabin Fever -- a completely different type of movie. I was laughing pretty much non-stop through this, but the great thing is that, even though it's hilarious, it works really well as a horrific zombie movie too. Far better than Dawn Of The Dead (the remake), and that was no slouch either. The 'money shot' when it comes to the gore is really terrific.
Quote from: mogwaithis is what i think is the funniest scene in the movie:
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I was dying in my seat at that part.
hey deadhead take a bite o'peach
I don't get it.
I also saw the sneak preview last night and I loved it. Absolutely hilarious. It is a funny zombie movie rather than a parody of zombie movies. I saw the preview once a few weeks before, so I didn't remember anything about it while watching.
Is Spaced going to be released on DVD in the US? It seems that mostly BBC comedies get DVD releases here.
Quote from: Ravi
Is Spaced going to be released on DVD in the US? It seems that mostly BBC comedies get DVD releases here.
Not sure about DVD but....
...get hold of that primo new SPACED DVD set from the UK (or tune in to watch the series starting next week on Trio)...http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=18396
If that makes sense then at least you can see it that way. I presume Trio is a TV channel.
This movie was fucking great. I laughed my ass off. The whole crowd applauded at the end. I can't wait for the dvd.
How much did this movie cost to make?
This is the kind of horror movie I've been waiting for for a while. A good old-timey laugh out loud romp mixed with grade-a gore. The combination reminds me of Dead Alive, for one. I am eager to see Spaced. I am also eager not to see a sequel of Shaun which would ruin it. A wonderful movie.
FYI
At www.cdwow.com the Spaced series (PAL, R2) are selling for £7.99 each and the primo collectors ed is £16.99, with free world wide delivery.
They also have Shaun Of The Dead for £11.99. which is the cheapest I found it!
You can't go wrong!
The first 30-40 minutes were just fucking brilliantly funny and packed with NotLD Series references. I was very pleasantly surprised that it was funnier than expected. I'd guess that it'd be even more fun on a 2nd viewing, with time to catch all the little details like severed heads littering the streets, etc. The demands of the plot subtracted from the funny somewhat, but this never stopped being totally entertaining and full of NotLD/Romero cred.
I especially appreciated the music-related jokes (the record collection, Queen on the jukebox, Morrissey singing "Panic on the streets of Birmingham....") Awesome.
Jumps up near the top of my Best of 2004 list easily.
Speaking of music-related jokes, anyone catch "Zombie Nation" playing on the bus when Shaun is going home from work? That was my favorite.
Quote from: RaikusSpeaking of music-related jokes, anyone catch "Zombie Nation" playing on the bus when Shaun is going home from work? That was my favorite.
Also, the first music you hear is "Ghost Town" by The Specials.
They shoulda got L7's "Pretend We're Dead" for that "Fake-Out-the-Zombies" part.
I am going to see this tonight.
I am excited.
A date with the undead
"Shaun's" makers think its blend of horror and humor makes it a treat for couples. Source: Los Angeles Times
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A zombie date movie? That's just one way of looking at "Shaun of the Dead," which has been described as a romantic zombie comedy.
To build awareness and good word of mouth about their odd blend of horror and humor, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the British star and director, respectively, spent a good part of their summer introducing and screening the film for preview audiences around the U.S.
A recent hit in the U.K., where it out-grossed "28 Days Later" and the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead," "Shaun" is that rare hybrid of horror and humor that actually works. Pegg and Wright, who co-wrote the screenplay, have found that the mix translates just fine to this side of the Atlantic, and they think it's a great date movie. It's not that farfetched, when you consider the high proportion of young females in audiences for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Ring."
"There are some bits which go down better here than in the U.K., which is interesting," says Wright.
One difference in audience reactions is that "Americans seem much more inclined to express themselves vocally than English people do," adds Pegg, who plays the film's title character.
Shaun is the film's everyman hero who, at age 29, finds his life in a rut. He lives in squalor with his unemployed pal Ed (Nick Frost), his job as a salesclerk in an electronics shop is a dead end, and his longtime girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) has grown tired of spending every evening at the local pub watching Ed knock back pints and make rude remarks.
The Friday night that Liz issues Shaun an ultimatum to change turns out to be the beginning of a not-so-ordinary weekend. Not that Shaun notices right away, but strange things are occurring in the streets. People are collapsing from unexplained illnesses, throwing the city into chaos, the dead are rising from their graves and by Sunday morning, Shaun's north London neighborhood is under a full-fledged zombie invasion.
Pegg, 34, and Wright, 30, had previously worked on the Channel 4 sitcom "Spaced" (airing on the cable network Trio). A short dream sequence in one episode features Pegg's character, Tim, trapped in the video game "Resident Evil 2" and fending off zombies.
"It was so much fun to shoot and a sort of boyhood ambition fulfilled," says Wright, "and we're both big fans of the zombie genre. We looked at each other and said, 'Maybe there's something more in this.' "
"It wasn't a trial run for the film, but it certainly sparked [our] enthusiasm for the project," says Pegg. They began writing the screenplay in 2001.
Balancing the comedy and the horror wasn't difficult for the two.
"When we finished the script the first time," says Pegg, "we started to identify where it needed a bit more blood, where it needed a few more scares, where it needed a few more laughs. Even after the shoot, when Edgar was in the edit, he was able to see the film as a finished thing and identify anything we missed where there might be too many jokes at a crucially dramatic moment. It wasn't difficult, but it took a lot of care."
"Growing up as part of the 'Star Wars' generation," explains Wright, "it's interesting how easy a jump it was to wanting to see 'Alien,' 'The Thing' and 'An American Werewolf in London.' I think we both became big horror fans through that. Seeing 'Dawn of the Dead' as a 16-year-old was a religious experience."
Though both are originally from the West Country, Pegg and Wright met when Edgar moved to London in 1997 after making independent films and became involved in directing comedy on television. Pegg, who came out of stand-up comedy, and Frost go back even further.
"Simon and Nick knew each other for 10 years and shared an apartment for seven years," says Wright, "so a lot of that chemistry is real."
"You have to go through an acclimatization period when you work with new people," says Pegg, "whereas we can walk into something and know exactly what the others are thinking and save a bit of time, which we desperately need because we always write things which are far more ambitious than the resources we've got." Those ambitions include wanting to tell a story that went beyond the typical horror genre and have broader appeal.
"If the film had just been about Shaun and Ed," says Wright, "we'd have had a following with the college/slackers/stoners crowd, but it goes further than that. It has Shaun's relationship with his mum and with Liz, so we tried to create a rounded world and strike more than one chord.
"We're pleased that it gets a good response from horror fans; at the same time, we didn't want to make it specifically for a horror audience. It's a romantic comedy that has a lethal injection of zombies."
"We wanted it to work on a level whereby it's an emotionally valid film," says Pegg. One in which "you believe in the characters and you feel sorry for them when they go through pain."
"It's the zombie film that you can take your girlfriend to," laughs Wright. "We thought it would be funny if somebody went to see 'Shaun of the Dead' on their first date so they could say, 'I met my future husband and I saw a man disemboweled for the first time.' "
Just saw this, loved it. I was laughing my head off.
This is probably my favorite movie of the year. Saw it last night. Loved it. My girlfriend loved it which excuses the fact that she admitted to me yesterday that she "kinda [has] no desire to ever see Jaws."
And where can I sign a petition to get Spaced released on DVD in the US? I've been watching it all week on Trio and it's the sitcom I've been waiting for all my life!
Not gonna lie, first fifteen minutes I was annoyed. I was like, "Last night GT is here and I'm watching this shite". But then that 15 minutes was over and I was laughing the loudest in the theatre. Brilliant movie.
SPOILER
I loved how the ending made the zombie attack so anti-climactic. The news reports and such. It was so true, that is exactly how the world seems to deal with disasters. Hilarious.
What a cute movie
I can't stop thinking about it :oops:
Quote from: ThrindleNot gonna lie, first fifteen minutes I was annoyed. I was like, "Last night GT is here and I'm watching this shite".
so do you call him GT in person then?
QuoteI loved how the ending made the zombie attack so anti-climactic. The news reports and such. It was so true, that is exactly how the world seems to deal with disasters. Hilarious.
So true. Next thing you know, zombies will be on Opra getting makeovers and talking to Dr.Phil about how to deal with people talking down to them.
Quote from: londonQuoteI loved how the ending made the zombie attack so anti-climactic. The news reports and such. It was so true, that is exactly how the world seems to deal with disasters. Hilarious.
So true. Next thing you know, zombies will be on Opra getting makeovers and talking to Dr.Phil about how to deal with people talking down to them.
I appreciate the feedback, but you just quoted my spoiler. :P
As for calling GT, GT... He's more private than I am... I just respect his privacy I guess by not saying his name.
commendable :-D
Funny shite of a movie.
Yeeeah booouuy!
saw Shaun for the second time on sunday. i still LOVE THIS MOVIE. (although the sound mix in my theatre this time was terrible and detracted from the scares/excitement by having the balance all wrong). but it could not stop the movie from ruling. i hope it continues to build word of mouth and make some money cause it didnt do too well. not that it matters too much, it was already a huge hit overseas and if american audiences are too slow to catch on i suppose it doesnt matter much. its status as a great cult film at the very least is guaranteed. i hope more people on here get a chance to see it. let me just say this loudly...
THE PREVIEWS DO NOT PROPERLY REPRESENT THE FILM. IT LOOKS GOOFY LIKE SOME SORT OF "SCARY MOVIE" PARODY. ITS NOT, ITS MUCH MORE CLEVER THAN THAT. DO NOT BE DETERRED.
also, i've been Tivo'ing SPACED and going through the episodes. i think i just got to the start of series/season 2. (daisy just got back from asia with blonde hair). its very funny and totally geeky with the sheer number of references and parodies they toss into every episode. also very weird, but i like the cast and am up for ANYTHING different, which this certainly is.
Is Spaced seriously better than Shaun?
that was what i had heard from EVERYWHERE before i started watching, but SO FAR, IN MY OPINION< no. there are seedlings of lots of shaun buried all over spaced though. perhaps my mind will be changed by season/series 2, so i'll let you know....
i saw and really enjoyed this. I think more viewings will uncover more hidden comedic gems.
Quote from: SleuthIs Spaced seriously better than Shaun?
That's kind of like asking if Beavis and Butthead is better than Office Space. OK, bad analogy but they're two different entities, that's my point.
Spaced is a top-notch sitcom, easily one of the smartest and funniest I've ever seen, and Shaun is a top-notch all-around geek fest, easily the funniest and smartest sci-fi/horror film in ages. You'd be doing yourself a great service by watching both.
They were showing the pilot for Spaced before Shaun and it was really quite good. How are we not getting this in the States?
Quote from: RegularKarateThey were showing the pilot for Spaced before Shaun and it was really quite good. How are we not getting this in the States?
We are. It's on Trio. Tonight at 10 (est). http://www.triotv.com/spaced/
Quote from: ranemaka13We are. It's on Trio. Tonight at 10 (est). http://www.triotv.com/spaced/
Sorry, I meant to say:
Quote from: RegularKaratewhy are we not getting this on DVD or on a channel I get?
Quote from: RegularKarateSorry, I meant to say:
Quote from: RegularKaratewhy are we not getting this on DVD or on a channel I get?
If you have a multi-region player, the DVD of the entire series apparently just came out in the UK. It's SO worth it.
the writer/director commentary is hilarious. here's a sample:
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simon pegg (shaun): "nick looks like he's entering me anally there."
so i just finished Spaced. oh too soon... man they really have short seasons in the uk. it was very funny and packed with more geek references than any normal half hour could handle. the thing i didnt expect about the show (and the film) is how subtley you actually begin to get wrapped up in these characters lives as ridiculous as the tone is sometimes. by the end of it you arent ready to let go, because you want to see what happens to these characters! argh, please let there be a Season 3! but it was really good and safe to say i will be watching for ANYTHING these guys do oh, for the rest of their lives.
Then I'll definitely not see it
I just got back from this and I thought it was terrible.
Ugh..
However, it was barely watchable enough that I couldn't leave the theater. I do not recommend this to anyone.
haha, whatever
Quote from: Pubrickhaha, whatever
I'm entitled to my opinion.
The first 15 minutes of this film were perhaps the most painful and poorly paced I have ever seen. I was squirming in my seat waiting for a moment to laugh or have the movie move along. I am a big, big fan of dry British humor. So, it wasn't a matter of "not getting it" like I'm sure some people would say.
I tried to come up with something short to describe it afterwards but all I could come up with was "Blah!". That's how it felt to me. By the time they reached the Winchester Pub (which is just a ridiculous sequence), the whole thing had me thinking,
"This is supposed to be a comedy?"
Somebody outside the theater said to me,
"Well, it's alot funnier if you've seen any of the old Romero zombie movies."
I'm thinking, so the only way this thing succeeds is if I go out and watch some
other movies made by some other director? You are kidding me, right?
It's totally cool for a director to honor a genre and set out to make a
good film at the same time. But try and do both at once or don't bother at all.
no, it succeeds on its own. its enhanced further if you know anything about zombie movies. it works without it though as a hilarious satire/horror/comedy anyways though. i dont think there was anything wrong with the pacing in the first 15 minutes but i was laughing through the whole thing. humor is subjective, so i guess it wasnt funny to you. if you'd like to point out anything else that was 'wrong' with the movie, i'd be happy to argue some of the finer points with you.
It was a story, partly of love (romantic love and familial love) about a guy who showed his real mete through the supernatural occurrence of zombies. Was Shaun really the zombie in the beginning and everyone else was living? Sleep walking through his waking life. Perhaps this movie is simply a hero's journey, a self-actualization combined with lots of funny jokes and great english humor although the latter is my own bias.
Quote from: MyxomatosisQuote from: Pubrickhaha, whatever
I'm entitled to my opinion.
relax dude, no one said u weren't.
i don't agree with ur recommendation, so i dismissed it by saying 'whatever'.
mini-mac has made all the best points about it, i'm sure he'll argue with whatever specific problems u had with the film.
i don't think it's too much for a film to ask that u hav sum awareness of other films like it. especially a movie dealing with zombies, it's inevitable that it will reference its predecessors. and it's not like they expect u to hav seen shit movies, it's actually a good thing to go out and watch sum romero films.
at the very least, the satire can be appreciated as playing off the established genre archetypes. and like mod said it succeeds on its own regardless. my recommendation and opinion, which apparently i'm entitled to, is: if u don't like it, well then ur probably not that interesting anyway.
Quote from: Pubrickmy recommendation and opinion, which apparently i'm entitled to, is: if u don't like it, well then ur probably not that interesting anyway.
:lol: ....Jeez...Ok, well I think I shouldn't have laughed at that because now I feel guilty. But anyway, I really enjoyed this film and everything that Mod said I completely...um...agree with...so, yeah...Although I throughly enjoyed the experience there were two men behind me who would laugh big hearty laughs and it was slightly annoying....But, great flick.
Quote from: Pubrickif u don't like it, well then ur probably not that interesting anyway.
:yabbse-cry:
You had me at hello..
;)
Seriously though. I donno. I just didn't like it. Notice I never said it was a bad film. I only said for
me I didn't appreciate it the way other people have. I went and saw Napoleon Dynamite and got into a similar arguement on another board. Somebody was asking me how I could possibly imagine anything about that movie being funny. I just couldn't understand how he
couldn't find Napoleon Dynamite hilarious. So, I can see where you are coming from. It is all a matter of opinion and yeah, you are probably right. I should see some Romero films.
On a lighter note, I have seen Bad Taste and found that whole thing funny. But, I was like 14 or 15 when I saw that so I guess it might be different now.
Quote from: MyxomatosisI should see some Romero films.
*pats on back. it's going to be okay i think. you've got 30 days to rent the Romero trilogy and meet us in the horror thread. theres hope for you yet!
I wouldn't mind seeing this movie. But I doubt it'll come to the south (or at least any time soon).
Okay, SOTD is an entertaining movie, but I don't quite understand all this hyperbole from Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, etc. over it. Best film of the year? I don't think so.
Yeah, it's probably the second or third best
Quote from: themodernage02and meet us in the horror thread.
who's us? :wink:
Boy oh boy, glad I saved the ten bucks and just blind bought the region 2 dvd, I absolutely loved this movie. The only gripe I have is that it's too short! I could have spent all day just hanging out with Shaun and Ed. I'll refrain from repetitive gushing.
And despite Wright/Pegg's misgivings about a 'From Dusk Till Shaun' movie, I pray they do it one of these days.
Quote from: RaviOkay, SOTD is an entertaining movie, but I don't quite understand all this hyperbole from Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, etc. over it. Best film of the year? I don't think so.
i hadnt read the tarantino one till today. its pretty funny...
"Not only is it the best movie of this year, any year from here on in, when i watch 'Shaun of the Dead', i'll be watching the best movie of the year!"
Quote from: RegularKarateYeah, it's probably the second or third best
yeah i'd say second at this point.
Quote from: Weak2ndActAnd despite Wright/Pegg's misgivings about a 'From Dusk Till Shaun' movie, I pray they do it one of these days.
whatsthisnow?
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: Weak2ndActAnd despite Wright/Pegg's misgivings about a 'From Dusk Till Shaun' movie, I pray they do it one of these days.
whatsthisnow?
In many interviews promoting the movie, Wright/Pegg have mentioned doing a vampire movie (not a sequel, but a companion in tone/style) with that title.
Maybe it is just excited hype from the success of SOTD. I hope not though. I think another movie with these guys could be good. Look at how far the American Pie movies went. And it is a good title.
Wright/Pegg or Wright/Penn? :o
saw this a few days ago and it was mostly good, but hardly brilliant. ultimately very disappointing since i was so excited about it
Quote from: MeshThe first 30-40 minutes were just fucking brilliantly funny
agreed, and if the film had kept this up, it would have turned out excellent. unfortunatly it didnt. for the most part, the whole film was pretty good, but i was dissapointed at how dry the gags got. everthing just fell apart during the last act in the pub. no way is this one of the best films of the year. still, i cant wait to see spaced.
the brilliant scenes-opening scene & credits
-tracking shot of shaun walking to the store and back home without noticing the zombies and demolition
-ed and shaun trying to figure out a plan
-"its not the end of the world"
-shaun writing everything he needs to do down before passing out
-checking if the coast is clear
-scene mogwai mentioned
Quote from: brocklyagreed, and if the film had kept this up, it would have turned out excellent. unfortunatly it didnt. for the most part, the whole film was pretty good, but i was dissapointed at how dry the gags got.
not to argue every single dissenter here, but elaborate. which gags were dry? how did it not keep it up? did you not like how more serious horror elements took over from the all comedy setup of the beginning? did you not think the queen song was hilarious? or the payoff to 'im sorry, shaun.' or 'would anybody like a peanut?' or the dart in the head?
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: brocklyagreed, and if the film had kept this up, it would have turned out excellent. unfortunatly it didnt. for the most part, the whole film was pretty good, but i was dissapointed at how dry the gags got.
not to argue every single dissenter here, but elaborate. which gags were dry? how did it not keep it up? did you not like how more serious horror elements took over from the all comedy setup of the beginning? did you not think the queen song was hilarious? or the payoff to 'im sorry, shaun.' or 'would anybody like a peanut?' or the dart in the head?
to expand on the dart...the way everyone kept throwing badly
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: brocklyagreed, and if the film had kept this up, it would have turned out excellent. unfortunatly it didnt. for the most part, the whole film was pretty good, but i was dissapointed at how dry the gags got.
not to argue every single dissenter here, but elaborate. which gags were dry? how did it not keep it up? did you not like how more serious horror elements took over from the all comedy setup of the beginning? did you not think the queen song was hilarious? or the payoff to 'im sorry, shaun.' or 'would anybody like a peanut?' or the dart in the head?
the second half just didnt make me laugh any where near to the extent as the first half. and it wasnt just the gags that got dry. like you said, the film started to take itself (and not just the horror elements) seriously. this just didnt work for me. for example, the scene where david is pointing the gun at shaun's mom because she's about to turn into a zombie was way too dramatised and serious to work in this movie. not to mention we've seen this scene done so many times before. the reason why the first half was so fresh and enjoyable for me was that it wasnt relying on any traditional zombie-movie elements. it celebrated everything that is lame and unthreatening about zombies. example: shaun walking to the store without noticing or being attacked by any of the zombies, or shaun and ed throwing records and what not at them from only a few feet away without the threat of the zombies reaching them. i liked dawn of the dead and 28 days later, but i really didnt want to see another modern age zombie movie unless it was going to take a different direction. this film only did that to an extent.
as far the the dry gags go, the queen song, everyone constantly missing (as Sleuth mentioned), repeatedly hitting the red neck zombie dude with pool cues and that david guy persistently being an asshole are some examples.
merry christmas to me...
Title: Shaun of the Dead
Released: 21st December 2004
SRP: $29.98
Further Details
Universal has set an official release date for Shaun of the Dead which stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. This hugely popular zombie flick will be available to own from the 21st December this year. The retail price will be set at around $29.98. The film itself should be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen along with English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. I'm afraid that the extra features have yet to be confirmed by Universal, although we're pretty sure that the disc specs will be more or less identical to the region two release. Therefore you should expect four audio commentaries with the cast and crew, extended bits, makeup tests, video diaries from Simon Pegg and Lucy Davis, trailers and more. For the full specs, please refer to the region two related article at the bottom of this page. We're also hearing that the US disc will include a couple of exclusive features, although we're still waiting on confirmation. We'll bring you further details on this one, including a look at the official artwork, shortly. Stay tuned.
I knew Mod would be happy about that. I saw that earlier this morning and I am just as psyched as he is.
better late than never.. moha haha haa!
Quote from: themodernage02merry christmas to me...
Title: Shaun of the Dead
Released: 21st December 2004
SRP: $29.98
I just made in my pants!
I went to see it a second time this weekend back-to-back after Team America. Great night!
Cover art:
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Had a weird dream yesterday that Criterion gave this film the 2-disc treatment.
Funniest thing I've read all week.
Saw this tonight, and I didn't like it, it was just stupid, and slapsticky, it didn't have any wit. The worst thing about it for me was the character of Ed, he was so annoying and to the point where he was fucking up the movie for me, I was hoping he would die. It didn't work on anything as far as im concerned, not on comedy, satire, drama, or anything. I didn't care about any of the characters. The gore was pretty cool but that's about the only thing this movie had that I can give it credit for. Some people were calling it the best movie of the year and I just do no get that, I won't go as far as to call it one of the worst, but it's definetely close.
hahaha, yeah right. i'd almost be inclined to believe you were serious if you didnt just like Napoleon Dynamite.
Quote from: themodernage02hahaha, yeah right. i'd almost be inclined to believe you were serious if you didnt just like Napoleon Dynamite.
I'm serious, I just didn't dig the flick, the humor didn't work for me and the movie just got annoying after awhile. So they are trying to find a way to evade the zombies and Ed talks on his cell phone? What's so funny about that? The only part that made me chuckle is when they run into bizarro them.
I forgot to comment on this: Ah, it was OK. When I saw it, I was in need of some entertaintment and it did its thing. A couple scenes were really funny, but like Club Dread, it tried too much to be its own horror film. I wanted a full on spoof! The first encounter the two main guys had with a zombie seems only to really qualify and that scene was magnificent. Everything else was just OK.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI wanted a full on spoof!
well, see that is YOUR problem. (or perhaps the previews for selling too goofy). if you want a full on spoof, rent scary movie! they suck fine. this never had any intention of being a spoof, its a horror comedy. it is what it is.
saw it again today and i liked it much less on second viewing. i dont think i laughed once this time round. a few smiles here and there, sure, but this thing really doesnt hold up on multiple viewings. im at the point now where i really dont like this film
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI wanted a full on spoof!
well, see that is YOUR problem. (or perhaps the previews for selling too goofy). if you want a full on spoof, rent scary movie! they suck fine. this never had any intention of being a spoof, its a horror comedy. it is what it is.
maybe if the horror scenes didnt suck so much it would have worked as a horror comedy. the last act, in particular, is horrendously bad
Quote from: themodernage02hahaha, yeah right. i'd almost be inclined to believe you were serious if you didnt just like Napoleon Dynamite.
u honestly think this piece of shit is funnier than Napoleon Dynamite?
I've seen the movie a bunch of times, and I always still laugh at the 'Electro' scene after the guys leave the bar.
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI wanted a full on spoof!
well, see that is YOUR problem. (or perhaps the previews for selling too goofy). if you want a full on spoof, rent scary movie! they suck fine. this never had any intention of being a spoof, its a horror comedy. it is what it is.
then it is a lackluster horror film that fancies itself funny the first half (sorta true) and occasionaly the second half (not at all). Fine. After realizing my difficulties, I'll accept them over the movie's own.
I knew GT wouldn't really like this. There's something missing about his taste in movies (this isn't meant as a burn, seriously).
As for the comment "u honestly think this piece of shit is funnier than Napoleon Dynamite?"... It is a far better movie than Napolean Dynamite.
Not just funnier (maybe it's not funnier, if so, just a little bit), but it's an actual movie with a story. ND is just funny shit happening and that's it.
Quotebut it's an actual movie with a story. ND is just funny shit happening and that's it.
And whats wrong with that? I'll take a movie that's funny with nothing going on, over a movie that tries to be funny but untimately fails imo.
comedy is tough like that because its subjective and maybe british humor isnt your thing. but a 1 & 1/2hour mtv commercial with no story and flat characters spouting various catchphrases is not a movie. its 1 joke stretched to ridiculous limits of being not funny till eventually its funny again, but its not smart and its not clever. SOTD is very smart, and very clever, and very funny and it actually has characters that arent COMPLETELY ridiculous cartoons. sometimes it pays to see a movie like this with an audience for a better experience.
Quote from: themodernage02and it actually has characters that arent COMPLETELY ridiculous cartoons. sometimes it pays to see a movie like this with an audience for a better experience.
Wait, Shaun Of The Dead had characters that werent complete cartoons? It seemed that's all it was. If anything I see SOTD as more of an MTV movie with a british twist. SOTD was complete cartoon. The roomate Ed, and Shaun were like Ren And Stimpy. Napoleon Dynamite while not being GREAT was able to keep my interest and make me chuckle, something SOTD failed to do, and I don't think it's that I don't like british humor, it's just that SOTD was dumb and not very funny, tell me the parts that you thought were funny?
Quote from: RegularKarateI knew GT wouldn't really like this. There's something missing about his taste in movies (this isn't meant as a burn, seriously).
As for the comment "u honestly think this piece of shit is funnier than Napoleon Dynamite?"... It is a far better movie than Napolean Dynamite.
Not just funnier (maybe it's not funnier, if so, just a little bit), but it's an actual movie with a story. ND is just funny shit happening and that's it.
Actually, one of the worst things about Shaun of the Dead is that it does follow an actual story and thus regulates itself to many cliches of the genre. For me, that predictability made me that more bored. Napolean felt spontaneous, alive, and totally within its own world. I think it helped the comedy better. I also mentioned being dissapointed by Club Dread and that means something because seriously, I expected more from it. I really liked Super Troopers and hown it felt different from the other because of how much it focused on just the dumb jokes (and they were dumb) but hell, it had an odd spirit to it that really helped the film. Another excellent comedic film, Elf, hardly has a story til the last 15 minutes. The majority of the film is based on situations of Will Ferrel as the Elf and only that.
while occasionally hilarious, elf is really not very good at all. and the last 15 minutes are just awful. like, the fact that they had coasted that long with too many characters/story threads but very little story and then tried to cram in some ridiculous christmas climax totally abandoning the tone of the rest of the film is just horrendous. despite good intentions elf is some of the sloppiest storytelling barely squeaking by on ferrells (awesome) comedy.
GT, did the fact that this movie is a satire not occur to you? the fact that they were hitting all the major zombie moments on purpose? its not familiar because it cant think of anything else to do, its familiar because they were taking something thats is as familar as a zombie movie and doing something new with it. have you seen american werewolf in london?
Quote from: themodernage02while occasionally hilarious, elf is really not very good at all. and the last 15 minutes are just awful. like, the fact that they had coasted that long with too many characters/story threads but very little story and then tried to cram in some ridiculous christmas climax totally abandoning the tone of the rest of the film is just horrendous. despite good intentions elf is some of the sloppiest storytelling barely squeaking by on ferrells (awesome) comedy.
I never got the impression there were too many characters or story threads in that movie. What do you mean?
Quote from: themodernage02GT, did the fact that this movie is a satire not occur to you? the fact that they were hitting all the major zombie moments on purpose? its not familiar because it cant think of anything else to do, its familiar because they were taking something thats is as familar as a zombie movie and doing something new with it. have you seen american werewolf in london?
Thing is, it really didn't feel like a true satire. Sure, some moments were meant to undermine the genre, but more moments simply seemed to follow the genre. How often did the film fly go beyond zombie movie reality and hit its own universe? True satire has the subject beneath it and operates in its own world. Shaun of the Dead felt as satirical to zombie films as comedies are to comedies. No comedy is truly just a comedy, all comedies seem to nudge at the absurdity of its own genre these days while still serving to it at the same time. Shaun of the Dead seemed to exist in this world.
underdeveloped storylines & characters in elf...
1. buddy the elf comes to nyc to experience the city after discovering hes a human.
2. buddy connects with long lost father, current asshole James Caan.
3. buddy connects with long lost fathers new kid, his step brother.
4. buddy find a girlfriend, teaches her to get over fear of singing in public.
5. buddy helps save christmas after it is revealed in the final minutes that apparently NYC was having a crisis of faith.
NONE of these storylines (save the first one) are developed enough. its too much going on, and they arent able to make a coherent story out of any of it. like i said, its fun because of ferrell, but its a mess. the fact fav's was able to coast by into decent/good reviews and tons of money is amazing considering the movie. to streamline the film, james caan should've not had a current family. they added nothing but further waste of time to the film other than giving kids someone they could relate to in buddys little brother, and a snowball fight lifted directly from the odious Jack Frost (keaton version). that way, caan and ferrell would've had more time to believably connect and it would've furthered caans 'scrooge' all work persona that had to be cracked by ferrells persistent happiness. as the film stands, we get one scene that shows caan to be sort of a dick when he is introduced cutting pages from the book. his turnaround at the end in the boardroom is completely not believable as a character arc. and as mentioned the whole santas sleigh ending with the scary horses is just inexplicably misplaced and awful.
SOTD was also a satire of or zombie culture from the setup at the beginning and shauns initial walk to work after the infection has spread, the idea that you (or he) wouldnt even notice. ed plays video games all day, so at the end of the film, hes not really any worse off. its these sort of ideas that are playful but elevate it above your average horror film or comedy.
Quote from: themodernage02underdeveloped storylines & characters in elf...
1. buddy the elf comes to nyc to experience the city after discovering hes a human.
2. buddy connects with long lost father, current asshole James Caan.
3. buddy connects with long lost fathers new kid, his step brother.
4. buddy find a girlfriend, teaches her to get over fear of singing in public.
5. buddy helps save christmas after it is revealed in the final minutes that apparently NYC was having a crisis of faith.
NONE of these storylines (save the first one) are developed enough. its too much going on, and they arent able to make a coherent story out of any of it. like i said, its fun because of ferrell, but its a mess. the fact fav's was able to coast by into decent/good reviews and tons of money is amazing considering the movie. to streamline the film, james caan should've not had a current family. they added nothing but further waste of time to the film other than giving kids someone they could relate to in buddys little brother, and a snowball fight lifted directly from the odious Jack Frost (keaton version). that way, caan and ferrell would've had more time to believably connect and it would've furthered caans 'scrooge' all work persona that had to be cracked by ferrells persistent happiness. as the film stands, we get one scene that shows caan to be sort of a dick when he is introduced cutting pages from the book. his turnaround at the end in the boardroom is completely not believable as a character arc. and as mentioned the whole santas sleigh ending with the scary horses is just inexplicably misplaced and awful.
Understandable, but I couldn't apply that degree of criticism to a film as fluff as this one. That was a dissection worthy of a serious dramatic work and Elf wasn't even trying to be that. It wasn't trying to be anything but a heartfelt comedy. You can argue how heartfelt it was. I bought into it because there is no way I could be that serious about the film. I'd feel like I would also be stepping over every film Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin ever did and missing the point.
Quote from: themodernage02SOTD was also a satire of or zombie culture from the setup at the beginning and shauns initial walk to work after the infection has spread, the idea that you (or he) wouldnt even notice. ed plays video games all day, so at the end of the film, hes not really any worse off. its these sort of ideas that are playful but elevate it above your average horror film or comedy.
Again, that idea feels like just a dent into the zombie genre. I'm talking about the entire film in length. Compare a Mel Brooks film to any and every type of film they spoofed and then look at Shaun of the Dead and with the latter you'll see a film that only goes so much for satire. Doesn't matter the worth of each Brooks satire, he at least really went for it. Its also comparing the balls of Coen's Big Lewbowski to their Intolerable Cruetly. One is entirelly unique while the other feels just a minor step beyond its genre. And I don't even like Big Lewbowski. Its just I can appreciate what its doing.
haha, well any real film criticism applied to elf was accidental i swear! i went into it with a few weeks of good reviews/buzz behind it last year hoping for a funny new christmas movie and came out thinking it was a great first half and disappointing second half. when we rewatched it this year, (as required by the laws of christmas), my dad and i couldnt get over how stupid certain bits were, mostly the ending. i didnt want to be so harsh on it, but the reviews were so astoundingly positive for the most part (even around here) i wasnt prepared for the levels of sloppiness and mishandled storytelling that awaited me. i can watch a lot of fluff, but apparently i still have to draw the line somewhere. i dont have a problem with someone liking elf but moreso saying its an excellent film, which it cannot be.
The outtakes on the DVD are hysterical... provided that you liked the movie, of course.
Quote from: Stefenand I don't think it's that I don't like british humor, it's just that SOTD was dumb and not very funny, tell me the parts that you thought were funny?
-When Shaun tells david to 'fuck off four eyes' in liz's flat
- the pajama clad zombie being used as a basis for the gang's zombie miming
- Shaun almost killing phillip when he was sitting in his chair
- the entire drive to the Winchester
-the ending sequence complete with zombies PS2 play
- Pete the roommate
- The late night electro dj set
- "there's a girl in the garden, in the garden there's a girl"
- the myriad of day, dawn and night of the living dead references and in-jokes
ah screw it, the whole movie is hilarious and if you can't see that, I pity you.
Quote from: analogzombie- Shaun almost killing phillip when he was sitting in his chair
and the sequence setting that up where they planned out how they were going to do everything... and they kept speeding up the killing of phillip.. so funny.
Quote from: cinephileQuote from: analogzombie- Shaun almost killing phillip when he was sitting in his chair
and the sequence setting that up where they planned out how they were going to do everything... and they kept speeding up the killing of phillip.. so funny.
oh yeah I forgoty about that:
"go to mum's, kill phillip, 'sorry phil', take mum to liz's etc..." haha that was one of the best parts fo shizzle dizzle
Quote from: analogzombieQuote from: Stefenand I don't think it's that I don't like british humor, it's just that SOTD was dumb and not very funny, tell me the parts that you thought were funny?
-When Shaun tells david to 'fuck off four eyes' in liz's flat
- the pajama clad zombie being used as a basis for the gang's zombie miming
- Shaun almost killing phillip when he was sitting in his chair
- the entire drive to the Winchester
-the ending sequence complete with zombies PS2 play
- Pete the roommate
- The late night electro dj set
- "there's a girl in the garden, in the garden there's a girl"
- the myriad of day, dawn and night of the living dead references and in-jokes
ah screw it, the whole movie is hilarious and if you can't see that, I pity you.
Yeah, those parts were funny! Hilarious really. Cripey, I just soiled my pants thinking about them, can I borrow your handkerchief, lad? Or your hand.
Saw it last night. I really liked. Very Funny :-)
How'd I miss this thread?
Just saw SOTD two weekends ago at a friend's house. I'd avoided seeing it because I thought it looked dumb, and instead I liked it a LOT, to the point that I want my own copy to watch again.
I don't generally like "spoofs," but this one was smart and funny as hell. Zombie movies (esp. the Romero trilogy) are some of my favorite, favorite films, and it was great seeing people who obviously love those movies as much as I do, paying homage to them AND making them funny.
That said, I'd hate to see it inspire a string of imitators like Scream did (mind you, I liked the first two Scream films a lot, too); SOTD was funny and well done. Hollywood does NOT need to make a half dozen shoddy copies of it. Thank you.
2LB
PS- the friend who showed me this movie did so because she said Shaun reminded her of me. :saywhat: I felt better later, when she said it was because of the "sorting through the record collection" scene. (I thought the guy playing Shaun was a real cutie, though, so I didn't completely mind the comparison... heh!)
this is NOT A SPOOF!
from the dvd extras with Simon and Edgar "we didnt want to do a spoof"
Quote from: themodernage02this is NOT A SPOOF!
from the dvd extras with Simon and Edgar "we didnt want to do a spoof"
Ah... that must be why I liked it. :yabbse-grin:
2LB
'Dead' Spoofmeister Gets a 'Life'
English filmmaker Edgar Wright, who co-wrote and directed the recent horror spoof "Shaun of the Dead," is in negotiations to shoot "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life."
The Universal Pictures project tells the story of a young slacker who meets the woman of his dreams but finds that he can win her only by first battling and defeating her seven evil ex-boyfriends. It is based on the graphic novel "Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life."
Wright recently directed a music video for Charlotte Hatherley's "Bastardo," which is styled as an homage to classic British girls' magazines.
Quote from: MacGuffin'Dead' Spoofmeister Gets a 'Life'
The Universal Pictures project tells the story of a young slacker who meets the woman of his dreams but finds that he can win her only by first battling and defeating her seven evil ex-boyfriends.
Wow, this sounds awesome. Seriously. No sarcasm.
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SHAUN OF THE DEAD won Best British Film at the Empire Awards. i'm not sure i recall the girl to the far right being in the film.... it looks like everyone waiting till hermoine comes of age, that simon pegg has the jump on you.
This beat Vera Drake for best British film?
:saywhat:
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Edgar Wright is the luckiest guy to be associated with zombies since George Romero first released them on the world back in 1968. Wright is the co-writer/director of the new horror comedy Shaun of the Dead starring co-writer Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. All three worked on the hit UK sitcom Spaced.
For those of you too stupid or lazy to ever look at the internet here is what Shaun of the Dead is about. Two normal English guys, Shaun [Simon Pegg] is a retail worker at an electronic store is always making excuses to his girlfriend for his lazy drug dealing couch potato friend Ed. But all of that gets put aside when London is overrun by the walking dead. Shaun must now take control of his life and become a leader or become dinner.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hello Edgar, have you heard of SuicideGirls?
Edgar Wright: I have actually. Eli Roth is a good friend of ours now and he told me about it. He told me he did an interview with SuicideGirls specifically so he could get a password.
DRE: He wouldn’t stop emailing me. He said, lets do the interview come on!
EW: That’s funny. SuicideGirls gets a lot of press in the UK.
DRE: How was that dinner with Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth?
EW: It was great. It was me and [producer] Nira [Park]. Then we hung with Quentin the next night as well. The other person that Simon Pegg and I met at San Diego was James Duval from Donnie Darko. Tarantino brought David Carradine to a screening of Shaun of the Dead. They said they were coming but went to the wrong cinema so they showed up 20 minutes late. When we didn’t see them sitting there we assumed they weren’t showing up. But Quentin didn’t want David Carradine to see it 20 minutes in so we went to have a drink. We ended having a drink with Caine for two hours. I got drunk with Frankenstein from Death Race 2000.
DRE: A lot of times people think that the creators behind this kind of movie sit around smoking pot, drinking and writing jokes.
EW: That didn’t really happen but there may have been a couple of times when we sat in the pub, The Shepard, which inspired that pub in the movie. I’m not a big of a drinker as Simon or maybe I should say that I can’t hold my drink but I remember sitting in the pub going “If we were holed up in here how would we defend ourselves?” Pool cues are good, stools are good, hat stands are good, and Molotov cocktails. So we did sit around thinking what we would do in the face of the apocalypse.
DRE: Did you ever read Max Brooks' book, The Zombie Survival Guide?
EW: Not before we made the film. But I did read The Worst Case Survival Guide.
DRE: I heard that George Romero has seen Shaun of the Dead.
EW: We sent him a print and we’ve spoken to him a number of times. When we sent the print they had to send a security guard from Universal which is very funny. Like George Romero is going to pirate. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a headline in Variety saying, George Romero sentenced to prison for pirating Shaun of the Dead. He’s never made money off his own films but off Shaun of the Dead he will.
To get a nod from him is like getting a nod from the Pope. A benediction from the zombie king.
DRE: So your television show, Spaced, is very popular over in the UK.
EW: It is, but to put it into context, it gets about half the viewers of The Office which is about 5 million so Spaced gets about 2.5 million viewers. But it’s big cult hit on DVD.
DRE: When is the Spaced DVD coming out over here?
EW: I don’t know because it gets wrapped up in legal stuff because we used a lot of music. The music is so integral.
DRE: Shaun of the Dead gets very serious towards the end. Was that always the way it was going to be?
EW: Yeah because though it’s predominantly a comedy you spend a lot of time getting to know and love the characters. To treat their demises in a jokey would have descended the movie into camp. We wouldn’t call the movie a spoof but it is a horror comedy so the horror is horrible and the comedy is funny. We wanted to literally stick to our guns so when a loved one goes it’s a nasty thing. We wanted to have the more tragic elements towards the end and we wanted the treatment of the problem and the events to be weirdly realistic.
DRE: I have this conversation with many zombie fans, my building is pretty secure but we would have trouble getting food.
EW: That’s the thing. In the beginning of the film Shaun and Ed are just a couple of lovable losers who go to their neighborhood bar to escape all their troubles with work and their love life then they do the exact same thing when the zombies come. Where do they feel safe? The pub. They can drink there, eat there and there are big locks on the doors. It’s a lousy idea.
DRE: When did you come up with the title?
EW: It was pretty early on. At one point it was called Teatime of the Dead then we thought Dave of the Dead sounded too ordinary. It could have been Dwight of the Living Dead, I think Shaun came up as working title then certain people began writing about it and it just stuck. Even though Variety magazine called the title the worst joke in the film I like it now. It shows that we are totally wearing our love for those older films on our sleeve. It’s almost intended as a companion piece.
DRE: I really liked the idea that not only is it Romero’s rules but it could very well be in the same universe.
EW: That’s what is happening in Pittsburgh and this is what’s happening in North London. In the film it’s not entirely clear whether it’s a local, national or global thing.
DRE: What made you not want to use the new fast moving zombies?
EW: Slow zombies are like the classic Reebok trainers. You can’t have a scene with a fast zombie. You can’t walk through a crowd of fast zombies or have a discussion about Prince’s career if two of them find you.
DRE: It’s a small town so I guess there’s not as many zombies there.
EW: It’s just the beginning of the situation. It is set in London but it’s North London. It’s not the London you see onscreen. It’s not Richard Curtis’ London or Guy Ritchie’s London but the actual London where most people live because it’s the suburbs. It’s kind of Mike Leigh’s London, ok it’s a Mike Leigh film with zombies. What’s great about the slow zombies is that one on one you are alright. If you only keep running they are going to get you, if you get cocky they are going to get you and when you fall asleep they are going to get and that’s what great about them, there is a lovely creeping horror to it like quicksand. It always annoys me that you can just run away from zombies just the way the Dalek can’t get up stairs.
DRE: You seem like a personable fellow but can you stay focused on a set with people who you’ve known for years are making very funny jokes? Do you laugh or just say, that was good let’s move on?
EW: A bit of both. With such a low budget ambitious film there was never a light day of shooting so sometimes you don’t get a chance to muck around with the guys. It’s a shame but you’ve got to get on with it so I go into Kubrick comedy mode, just laser focus! The real bonus is that Simon and Nick not only are best friends in real life but they used to be flatmates so you could not buy their onscreen chemistry.
DRE: Did you ever think about shooting this on video instead of film?
EW: We thought about it but we did the TV show on video so we wanted to do film. When you make a movie you want to do it on film. I’m not against digital filmmaking because sometimes it works really well like in the movie The Celebration [directed by Thomas Vinterberg] and I’m a big Robert Rodriguez fan but I didn’t like the look of the second and third Spy Kids films and I certainly didn’t like the new Star Wars film.
DRE: Did you watch any specific movies to prepare for Shaun?
EW: Yes but weirdly enough not zombie films because we’ve seen those so many times. But we watched things like Assault on Precinct 13, Straw Dogs and The Birds. The Birds has a very similar structure to Shaun in that it’s a good half hour before it kicks in and you get your first bird attack. We also watched movies that had a lot of setup and payoff like Gremlins, Back to the Future and even Die Hard. The first action scenes in Die Hard don’t happen until 40 minutes in.
DRE: The structure of Die Hard is brilliant and that’s why people rip it off so much.
EW: Right but they always get it wrong in the rip-offs. They always want to start with a bang which is why there is no explicit violence in the first 25 minutes of Shaun. At the first test screening an executive noticed that the first death went over so well. Then he wanted to cut straight to the first death. We told him that it was because of the buildup.
DRE: I think my favorite scene is when the two groups of people in hiding bump into one another.
EW: Sure in Dawn of the Dead you’ve got Stephen, Fran, Roger and then in any one mile radius you will have ten others of those groups. There are eight million stories in the naked city. In fact we did comic strips that were origins of the zombies. We did the checkout girl and called it There’s Something about Mary and the guy who has one arm and is dressed as a best man which we called My Best Friend’s Wedding. Then everyone’s life intersects and it became like Raymond Carver zombie Short Cuts.
DRE: I read you might be doing an action comedy next.
EW: That’s the idea. Current titles include Hot Fuzz, RosenFuzz and Hard Fuzz.
DRE: So it’s a movie all about Nick’s genitals [co-star Nick Frost shaved his genitals for Shaun of the Dead].
EW: [laughs] We want to do a cop action film in the UK because there has never been one.
DRE: Isn’t that because only one in five cops have a gun?
EW: Well you have to be with a special armed unit. Most street cops wear armor but not guns. We want to do an action film without any guns!
Quote from: MacGuffinDRE: Shaun of the Dead gets very serious towards the end. Was that always the way it was going to be?
EW: Yeah because though it's predominantly a comedy you spend a lot of time getting to know and love the characters. To treat their demises in a jokey would have descended the movie into camp. We wouldn't call the movie a spoof but it is a horror comedy so the horror is horrible and the comedy is funny. We wanted to literally stick to our guns so when a loved one goes it's a nasty thing. We wanted to have the more tragic elements towards the end and we wanted the treatment of the problem and the events to be weirdly realistic.
who would've thought? :yabbse-rolleyes:
i just now saw this.
i thought they overused the backwards stinger or whatever you call it as a sound effect and those quick cut sequences were annoying.
does anyone have a screen capture of the blonde girl's arse at the end?
i watched it in school. it's one of my more fond high school memories.
the juke box sequence alone was hilarious... not to mention everything previously listed.
i liked the coldplay interview in the special features.
Comic-Con 2006: Shaun 2 Unlikely
Director Edgar Wright nixes sequel talk.
At a panel at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con, Director Edgar Wright dispelled rumors of a possible Shaun of the Dead 2, long rumored to be subtitled From Dusk 'Til Shaun. Nick Frost added his own humorous title: Night of the Living Ed. However, humorous titles aside, it looks like the sequel will not be happening.
"Shaun of the Dead 2 seems unlikely," Wright said. "We don't want to do a cash-in."
Comic-Con 2006: Shaun of the Dead SE?
Director Edgar Wright comments on the rumors.
Although it has been rumored that a possible Special Edition of Shaun of the Dead may be headed to DVD, Director Edgar Wright put those rumors (mostly) to rest at this weekend's Comic-Con.
"To be perfectly honest," he stated, "there isn't much more to put on a DVD." Throughout the Con, he made statements that he isn't into bringing out products just to cash in. "We put the kibosh on it 'cause we didn't want to rip you off."
Well I'm glad there isn't an SE on the way, seeing as I just bought a copy today for cheap. Not only that, but there really isn't anything more you could ask for as far as the special features go. Not to mention it has one of the coolest DVD menus I've ever seen.
I do hope they eventually decide to make a sequel, though.