NFBT: GazReview: “Shaun of the Dead”

Gaz · 10-28-2004, 07:58 AM

Great bloody fun.

Our Hero, Shaun, is already a bit of a zombie. He lumbers through life, doing the same old same old, barely conscious of the world around him. When the dead rise up to eat the living, Shaun does not even notice. That provides some truly hilarious scenes as the realization finally hits Shaun and his even more boneheaded friend Ed.

The humor comes from the characters, rather than “Scary Movie” type slapstick. Once the characters of Shaun and Ed are established, their reactions to the situation are not out of place, but are very funny.

In one scene [before Our Hero has a grasp on the situation], a zombie is trying to bite Shaun’s neck, but he thinks she is just a drunk chick hitting on him. Hilarious.

Be warned though, this is a bloody movie. Blood and gore and guts and veins in your teeth. In an homage to the original “Dawn of the Dead,” zombies tear the intestines out of a screaming man and eat them as he expires. Despite the humor, this is not a sweet, fuzzy movie. This is, despite the laughter, a movie where the disfigured and rotting dead rise up and bite big bloody chunks out of the living.

There is also some drama. People you come to care about die in awful ways. “Shaun of the Dead” handles these scenes well. The next moment, a bit of silliness hits. You are kept on that roller coaster until the end.

The directing is fairly straightforward, although there are some cute bits where brushing one’s teeth or spreading jelly on toast is given a quick-cut visual style with some abrupt sound effects. The emphasis on these mundane tasks is not carried on to the gruesome horror stuff. A nice touch, I thought.

This is not a BIG SCREEN movie. It would work just as well on DVD, if you want to wait for it. I have been looking forward to this one since the first previews, so off we went.

This one gets maximum Hootage. 5 Hoots. Irreverent, charming, absurd, gruesome and funny. And it has zombies! What more can a moviegoer ask?

For those interested in the opinion of a non Zombie Homer, Mrs. Gaz liked this one.

xoxo~
Gaz
Had a whopping good time.

Swanman · 10-28-2004, 08:31 AM

She's so drunk!

**Baby Lee** · 10-28-2004, 08:43 AM

How big a part did Dianne [played by Lucy Davis] have. What a pretty girl, with a British accent to boot.

The one on the far right.

HC_Chief · 10-28-2004, 08:45 AM

I had a chance to see this one, pre-release but couldn't go due to lack of babysitter that night

I am anxiously awaiting its release on DVD!!

~HC = huge fan of low-budget gorefest horror/zombie movies

Gaz · 10-28-2004, 08:46 AM

It pains me to inform you that she is an incidental character.

And she does not get naked.

xoxo~
Gaz
Bearer of bad news.

**Baby Lee** · 10-28-2004, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaz

It pains me to inform you that she is an incidental character.

And she does not get naked.

xoxo~
Gaz
Bearer of bad news.

Not to derail the thread overly, but have you had a chance to see 'The Office?' A BBC production that is part "Office Space" and part "Spinal Tap." She plays Dawn, the receptionist.

**ChiTown** · 10-28-2004, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaz

And she does not get naked.

xoxo~
Gaz
Bearer of bad news.

So much for that movie.......NEXT!

jagerdrinker · 10-28-2004, 08:56 AM

"This one gets maximum Hootage. 5 Hoots. Irreverent, charming, absurd, gruesome and funny. And it has zombies! What more can a moviegoer ask?"

I have one question to ask, and it regards hootage. Is there ANY naked "Hootage" in this movie? My girl is quite shy when it comes to seeing other girls naked (which ruins any chance at having my dream consumated.)

Gaz · 10-28-2004, 09:01 AM

jagerdrinker-

No nudity. But lots and lots of gore.

xoxo~
Gaz
Saw no boobage at all.

Gaz · 10-28-2004, 09:02 AM

Baby Lee-

I saw about 15 minutes of “The Office” and was not captivated.

Do I need to give it another chance?

xoxo~
Gaz
Open to suggestions.

Abba-Dabba · 10-28-2004, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

How big a part did Dianne [played by Lucy Davis] have. What a pretty girl, with a British accent to boot.

The one on the far right.

British huh? Man, I thought I would never see a Brit with nice teeth. There goes my stereotype all to hell.

Megbert · 10-28-2004, 09:14 AM

At the screening when I saw this movie. Simon Pegg (Shaun), Nick Frost (Ed) and the director Edgar Wright were in attendence for a Q and A after the film. Simon and Nick have been offered roles in Romeros next zombie opus. The idea for Shaun came from an episode of SPACED, a comedy that stars Simon, Nick and some of the other actors from Shaun. In the episode Nicks Character is playing house of the dead on a "speed high" and starts imagining he's seeing zombies all around him. SPACED is out on DVD though it is region 2, they are working on getting it released in the states having problems with getting the rights to the some of the music they used in the show. I have all the episodes Tivo'ed so if any of you are in the Phoenix area and wan't to see them let me know. I have seen Shaun twice now and it holds up to repeat viewings.

**Baby Lee** · 10-28-2004, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaz

Baby Lee-

I saw about 15 minutes of “The Office” and was not captivated.

Do I need to give it another chance?

xoxo~
Gaz
Open to suggestions.

If you like "Office Space" and "Spinal Tap" I'd say definitely. I can certainly see only seeing 15 minutes of it and not being captivated. It has that mockumentary style that is dry and deadpan. Nothing is played as a joke. The humor is that the people are supposed to be real, not actors, and are so ridiculous, yet familiar. Also, a lot of the humor is in the background. The conversations or actions of people who are juts going about their business oblivious to the camera.
Also, the show isn't just about funny. It's about broad humor, schadenfreude, pop culture references, AND the occasional honest emotion that knocks you over like a mack truck. I won't get into specifics, but there are several moments through the series where you'll be laughing your ass off and something will happen that literally squeeze tears from your eyes. And you find yourself thinking about the situations days later, like they happened to a friend of yours in real life.
And, in the interest of not wasting TOO much of your time, it was a short run series by design. Instead of trying to fill the US 23 episode schedule, the series was specifcally written for two 6 episode seasons and a 2 hour finale. Both seasons and the finale are all available on DVD.

I've been on a real BBC comedy kick. Loved Coupling. LOVED The Office. Getting into The Young Ones, Trailer Park Boys, Men Behaving Badly, and Fawlty Towers as they come in on Netflix.

More than anything, the quality of The Office makes me pissed at American Reality-crap infested television.

jagerdrinker · 10-28-2004, 10:22 AM

Much appreciated Gaz...I'll be seeing this one, I think. Although, I will be disappointed the whole way through, while pining for bare-naked mams.

**Rausch** · 10-28-2004, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagerdrinker

Much appreciated Gaz...I'll be seeing this one, I think. Although, I will be disappointed the whole way through, while pining for bare-naked mams.

Gore THEN pr0n...

Your g/f makes it through that evening, buy her a ring...

10-28-2004, 07:58 AM
Gaz Defense Homer Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Rancho Gaz Casino cash: $10010793	NFBT: GazReview: “Shaun of the Dead” Great bloody fun. Our Hero, Shaun, is already a bit of a zombie. He lumbers through life, doing the same old same old, barely conscious of the world around him. When the dead rise up to eat the living, Shaun does not even notice. That provides some truly hilarious scenes as the realization finally hits Shaun and his even more boneheaded friend Ed. The humor comes from the characters, rather than “Scary Movie” type slapstick. Once the characters of Shaun and Ed are established, their reactions to the situation are not out of place, but are very funny. In one scene [before Our Hero has a grasp on the situation], a zombie is trying to bite Shaun’s neck, but he thinks she is just a drunk chick hitting on him. Hilarious. Be warned though, this is a bloody movie. Blood and gore and guts and veins in your teeth. In an homage to the original “Dawn of the Dead,” zombies tear the intestines out of a screaming man and eat them as he expires. Despite the humor, this is not a sweet, fuzzy movie. This is, despite the laughter, a movie where the disfigured and rotting dead rise up and bite big bloody chunks out of the living. There is also some drama. People you come to care about die in awful ways. “Shaun of the Dead” handles these scenes well. The next moment, a bit of silliness hits. You are kept on that roller coaster until the end. The directing is fairly straightforward, although there are some cute bits where brushing one’s teeth or spreading jelly on toast is given a quick-cut visual style with some abrupt sound effects. The emphasis on these mundane tasks is not carried on to the gruesome horror stuff. A nice touch, I thought. This is not a BIG SCREEN movie. It would work just as well on DVD, if you want to wait for it. I have been looking forward to this one since the first previews, so off we went. This one gets maximum Hootage. 5 Hoots. Irreverent, charming, absurd, gruesome and funny. And it has zombies! What more can a moviegoer ask? For those interested in the opinion of a non Zombie Homer, Mrs. Gaz liked this one. xoxo~ Gaz Had a whopping good time.
Posts: 5,911

10-28-2004, 08:31 AM	#2
Swanman It's a league game, Dude Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Itasca, IL Casino cash: $9967354	She's so drunk!
Posts: 4,719

10-28-2004, 08:43 AM	#3
Baby Lee Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $6838598	How big a part did Dianne [played by Lucy Davis] have. What a pretty girl, with a British accent to boot. The one on the far right. __________________ We need the kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics - E.W.
Posts: 95,642

10-28-2004, 08:45 AM	#4
HC_Chief That's just f***in' stupid Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: suburbia Casino cash: $3687107	I had a chance to see this one, pre-release but couldn't go due to lack of babysitter that night I am anxiously awaiting its release on DVD!! ~HC = huge fan of low-budget gorefest horror/zombie movies __________________ "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!"
Posts: 12,355

10-28-2004, 08:46 AM	#5
Gaz Defense Homer Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Rancho Gaz Casino cash: $10010793	Baby Lee... It pains me to inform you that she is an incidental character. And she does not get naked. xoxo~ Gaz Bearer of bad news.
Posts: 5,911

10-28-2004, 08:56 AM	#8
jagerdrinker Olympic Goat Roping Champion Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Pensacola, FL Casino cash: $9907706	"This one gets maximum Hootage. 5 Hoots. Irreverent, charming, absurd, gruesome and funny. And it has zombies! What more can a moviegoer ask?" I have one question to ask, and it regards hootage. Is there ANY naked "Hootage" in this movie? My girl is quite shy when it comes to seeing other girls naked (which ruins any chance at having my dream consumated.)
Posts: 421

10-28-2004, 09:01 AM	#9
Gaz Defense Homer Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Rancho Gaz Casino cash: $10010793	Safe as houses... jagerdrinker- No nudity. But lots and lots of gore. xoxo~ Gaz Saw no boobage at all.
Posts: 5,911

10-28-2004, 09:02 AM	#10
Gaz Defense Homer Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Rancho Gaz Casino cash: $10010793	BBCA, right? Baby Lee- I saw about 15 minutes of “The Office” and was not captivated. Do I need to give it another chance? xoxo~ Gaz Open to suggestions.
Posts: 5,911

10-28-2004, 09:14 AM	#12
Megbert New and shiny. Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: KC KS Casino cash: $9270260	At the screening when I saw this movie. Simon Pegg (Shaun), Nick Frost (Ed) and the director Edgar Wright were in attendence for a Q and A after the film. Simon and Nick have been offered roles in Romeros next zombie opus. The idea for Shaun came from an episode of SPACED, a comedy that stars Simon, Nick and some of the other actors from Shaun. In the episode Nicks Character is playing house of the dead on a "speed high" and starts imagining he's seeing zombies all around him. SPACED is out on DVD though it is region 2, they are working on getting it released in the states having problems with getting the rights to the some of the music they used in the show. I have all the episodes Tivo'ed so if any of you are in the Phoenix area and wan't to see them let me know. I have seen Shaun twice now and it holds up to repeat viewings.
Posts: 10,198

10-28-2004, 10:22 AM	#14
jagerdrinker Olympic Goat Roping Champion Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Pensacola, FL Casino cash: $9907706	Much appreciated Gaz...I'll be seeing this one, I think. Although, I will be disappointed the whole way through, while pining for bare-naked mams.
Posts: 421