By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Today I needed a comfort movie. If I was the average middle-age gal having an off day that would probably be a fuzzy Hallmark flick, but alas I am not. For me, SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) is my warm blanket to cuddle with. It brings me solace and an escape when I need one.
I can’t imagine there are still those who haven’t seen this flick, but maybe some of the younger cats out there haven’t gotten around to it yet. It’s fabulous. It’s a love letter to George a. Romero’s classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), but beyond that it stands on its own as a well-written, brilliant horror comedy filled with a cast of endearing characters and countless ingenious moments.
As I live in the states, I saw this flick before I ever had the joy of watching SPACED (1999) a marvelous British series put together by the same group of folks. If you haven’t seen that yet, get to it. That said, my introduction to Edgar Wright as a director and even Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in any acting capacity.
The film opens with Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) having some relationship problems. Liz is upset about Shaun’s lack of ambition and his bro friendship with best bud Ed (Nick Frost). Further complicating the relationship is smug douche-bag David (Dylan Moran). Seriously, fuck David!
David is dating a full fem goddess in Dianne (Lucy Davis). She’s sweet, funny, charming, supportive and puts up with his goddamn obvious crush on Liz. Admittedly, Liz is great, but so the fuck is Di. Di is gorgeous. She has long blonde hair, a wonderfully stacked body and seems to be sensual to the max. David is hitting FAR out of his league with this gal, but it’s not good enough for Davey boy. Nooooo! He wants to throw a wrench in Shaun and Liz’s courtship so he can weasel his way in. Have I mentioned, I hate David because I do. I hate him so much.
Everyone else is pretty cool though. Shaun has issues with his step-dad Philip (Bill Nighy) which sucks because Phil is a nice guy and Shaun is just being a mama’s boy. He’s a very cute mama’s boy, but he’s being a bit naughty about the whole thing. I feel for Phil. Thankfully, Shaun comes around. Despite, his minx-ie ways – he has a good heart.
I see why Shaun is protective over his ma though. Barbara (Penelope Wilton) is a delightful fem. She’s an older woman, but she’s got some vamp and style to her. She can rock & roll when the zombies start after her.
Oh yeah, the ZOMBIES! So while all these familial dramas are occurring, a zombie outbreak has occurred. I love this aspect of the film. Our leads are so self-involved that they come across zombies several times and don’t even notice it. They’re just so absent of their surroundings and it’s a fantastic commentary about how removed we have become from one another -even our neighbors.
Don’t fear. It’s not too heady. While all the buildup to the zombie showdown is going on there are so many foreboding mechanisms utilized. As this is a comedy, it’s a hammer-to-the-head, but a very welcomed one as it makes for a lot of hilarious bits.
When the group of friends do come face-to-face with the undead, their combat methods are the greatest. I don’t want to give anything away to the few who haven’t seen it, but my God for all of those who have, it just brings a smile. It’s so funny.
I can’t suggest this enough. I love the cast and the characters. It’s unique in that the women and men are equal participant in the take-down. Generally, the men will be portrayed as stronger and the fems as damsels or recently there’s been a lot of the vice versa. SHAUN OF THE DEAD doesn’t play that game. It shows the human emotion of each individual. The men can cry and yet can still pick up a gun and fight. The fems will jump on a dime and get in front to kick some serious ass. It’s equal footing and it’s fucking brilliant. I love it. I don’t think there was a way that this could be any better. It’s a rare perfect movie that just warms my heart every time I see it.
You’ll laugh, you may even cry (I do. I’m a sap), but by the end you’ll feel good. You’ll care about the characters and that’s the key to any good film.
Scared Stiff Rating: 10/10
