31 Movies for Halloween: Shaun of the Dead

Welcome back to my little series “31 Movies for Halloween.  If you’ve been keeping track at home it’s day 22 and that means I’m nearing the end of my list.  So, if you just stumbled upon this blog, you would normally find security and fraud related posts, but I’m going on a little tangent for this month.  Also, if you just stumbled on over here, I need to catch you up with yesterday’s movie (Actually 3 movies).  I discussed the “Evil Dead” trilogy directed by Sam Raimi of Spiderman fame.  Each movie in the series grows progressively humorous; ending with “Army of Darkness” which has the perfect blend of horror, comedy and action.  Today’s movie is blew me away when I first saw it that is a unique blend of horror, comedy, romance and zombies.  Join me below and let’s take a peek at this British gem.  By the way, you’ve got red on you.

The Movie: Shaun of the Dead

Released: September 24, 2004

Directed by Edgar Wright

MPAA Rating: R

The Main Players:

Simon Pegg as Shaun

Nick Frost as Ed

Kate Ashfield as Liz

Lucy Davis as Dianne

Dylan Moran as David

As always check out the link to the film for the full cast and crew billing.

The Synopsis:

Shaun is a twenty something stuck in a rut when it comes to life.  He works at thankless job, his relationship with his girlfriend Liz is on the skids, his roommate is uptight and the only one he can rely on is his slacker friend Ed.  Oblivious to the zombie apocalypse, Shaun makes it his goal to save his relationship with Liz, but those zombies keep getting in his way.

Why I like this movie:

First off, if it deals with zombies, I’m pretty much there, but that’s only a tiny part as to why I love “Shaun of the Dead.”  The film is not a parody or cheap rip-off of existing films in the genre.  Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” is referenced, but in subtle ways, so that those who have seen the zombie classic will get the joke.  That’s another thing, the humor is well crafted that has laugh out loud moments, but is also filled with the dry British wit.  The character development is also well structured and the Pegg/Wright writing team deserves kudos for creating a tight genre bending zombie movie.  There are so many great moments that it would ruin the movie if I gave everything away.  One of my favorite moments, though, is when Shaun goes to the corner convenience store to grab something from the freezer and he slips on some blood on the floor.  The way scene is set up is great and Pegg’s off balance wobble when he slips gets me all the time.

If you’re looking for a zombie film that’s funny, or a romantic comedy that’s intelligently written and gory, definitely check out “Shaun of the Dead.”

And, for your viewing pleasure, here are some more honorable mentions: Zombieland, Trick ‘r Treat, Idle Hands.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully this gives you some ideas for your Halloween movie nights.  Happy viewing.