Edgar Wright's horror-comedy film, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, follows the title character (Simon Pegg) through his mundane life in London. Joined by his immature and ever-present roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun excels at nothing except drinking pints of ale and watching television, which causes friction with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). Before Shaun can save his relationship, however, he's got to fend off a horde of zombies that are slowly taking over the city. Armed with a cricket bat and a vague sense of direction, Shaun must rescue his friends and loved ones, and bring them to the only safe place he can think of--the pub.
Cowritten by Wright and Pegg, SHAUN OF THE DEAD succeeds remarkably well at combining droll British humor with good, old-fashioned zombie cinema. While the movie is often hilariously amusing, it takes its horror pedigree seriously, offering up moments of genuine suspense, and even a healthy dose of gore. Pegg is oddly charming as the put-upon lead slacker, and Frost is appropriately oafish, but the living dead themselves also take up a fair amount of screen time, shuffling and limping in their best Romero form. For lovers of zombie films and other chills-and-chuckles outings like EVIL DEAD II and DEAD ALIVE, SHAUN OF THE DEAD is an instant cult classic.
UMD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Single Side - Dual Layer
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Full Frame - 1.33
Stars
Simon Pegg: Actor, director, SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Kate Ashfield: Actress, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Lucy Davis: British actress, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Nick Frost: Actor, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Penelope Wilton: British film & television actress, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Dylan Moran: Actor, SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Peter Serafinowicz: British actor, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Bill Nighy: British actor, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, UNDERWORLD
Director
Edgar Wright: Director, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Producer
Tim Bevan:
Eric Fellner: Producer
Screenwriter
Simon Pegg: Actor, director, SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Edgar Wright: Director, SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Cameo
Chris Martin:
Cameo
Jon Buckland: Member of the band Coldplay
Cameo
Martin Freeman: British Actor
Executive Producer
Alison Owen:
Review 1:
"[With] genuinely witty slapstick....A delight."
Source: Uncut
p.153 10/01/2004
Review 2:
"SHAUN has all the markings of a labor of love. It's a grisly but sweet ode to friendship, love and the George Romero zombie trilogy."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.E4 09/24/2004
Review 3:
"[The film] yields ironic dramatic dividends."
Source: New York Times
p.E20 09/24/2004
Review 4:
"The intense hilarity here is best enjoyed with a friend..."
Source: Premiere
p.112 03/01/2005
Review 5:
"[The directors] keep the blood and the laughs gushing....This blast of fright and fun best catches the spirit of George Romero..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.204 09/30/2004
Review 6:
"[T]he filmmakers, clearly fans of the genre, have got the zom and the com parts down cold..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.52 10/01/2004
Review 7:
"There are some funny scenes, particularly as the film's lead actors, a pair of Everyguys, fight off hordes of creepy flesh-eaters in creative ways and with unusual implements."
Source: USA Today
p.10E 09/24/2004