Title: Big Thumbs Up for SHAUN OF THE DEAD (spoilers)
Doug Bassett - October 17, 2004 10:26 PM (GMT)
I'm sure most everybody here has seen it, but if you haven't, by all means check it out. Makes my top ten for the year -- I think in large part it's the movie that the KILL BILL movies were trying to be. (Both a celebration of genre conventions and a play on them.) I can honestly say the only time this year I've actually gotten misty-eyed at the movies was here, watching Shaun say goodbye to his mate.
doug
William S. Wilson - October 18, 2004 04:42 AM (GMT)
I completely agree with you about SHAUN OF THE DEAD. I thought the build up to the discovery of the zombie outbreak (clues on the TV, things he noticed on the way to work, etc.) was one of the best I have ever seen for a zombie film. And the film had a joke about The Stone Roses so therefore it is truly a masterpiece!
Henry Hopper - October 18, 2004 06:39 AM (GMT)
Simon Pegg's performance in this was among the best I've seen in a genre pic. I think he has a real potential to branch out from comedy and become a dramatic actor. It'd be comedy's loss though.
Dean Harris - October 18, 2004 03:29 PM (GMT)
I love zombie films but had strong reservations about this one. The preview clips I'd seen did nothing to impress me. Lucky for me I was dragged to see it and ended up loving every minute of it.
The film makers seem to have gotten everything exactly right. The humor was spot-on without being sophomoric, as I think the humor in zombie films tends to be, there was just enough well-placed gore, and the actors all seem to have had a terrific time making the film.
I had no desire to see "Shaun of the Dead" initially, and now I'm looking forward to an R1 dvd release!
-Dean
Richard Harland Smith - October 20, 2004 02:41 AM (GMT)
Another thumbs up for SHAUN OF THE DEAD. There were subtle moments in the first third that were better than most stuff you see in straight zombie movies, which aren't of course noted for their finesse. The film came apart for me in its last third (which I consider an hommage to 28 DAYS LATER), but the laughs for frequent and from the belly.
"It's been a funny sort of day, hasn't it?"
RHS
Robert Richardson - October 20, 2004 06:53 AM (GMT)
Beyond the comedic nature of SHAUN I was genuinely touched by how the film incorporates Shaun's relationship with both his Mother and Stepfather. The subtle tone of Bill Nighy's performance was for me one of the film's highlights. In fact, it's the value of the relationships among the characters in SHAUN OF THE DEAD that really help make it a better film.
I also loved the notion of an LP collection as an impromptu tool of defense. The lesson is to always have your albums sorted so that you know what's immediately dispensible.