horror comedy works...Hollywood take note!

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2006)

First came Abbot and Costello Meet...
Then came Young Frankenstein...
Then American Werewolf in London...
Return of the Living Dead... and now...Shaun!
The history of horror comedy if filled with gems and this takes the cake. Not only is it consistently funny, gory and filled with Romeroesque social satire, it far out does any of the mass market slapstick Will Ferrell/Jack Black comedy and the endless output of predictable copycat horror that American studios keep shoving down the public's throat. Shaun of the Dead digs at everything from the zombie genre to the zombie-like existence of the general shuffling public. Shaun may be a loser in some sense, but when you really look at the film, most men will find that at some point in their lives the could be the character. In fact, Shaun is the epitome of the twentysomething, working class male of the 21 century. Come on, how many of us would not like to be ably to hang at the pub, down pints with our long time pals and play video games all day. Don't forget the hot girlfriend and the drama that comes with that. Throw in the opportunity to bash the skulls of some zombies and play the hero of the day and you've got the perfect existence, right?
That's basically what you get when Shaun rises from his couch to take on life. Shaun and the assembly line existence of the service industry level emplotment that forms the majority of the working class are already zombies, they just don't see it as illustrated by Shaun's daily routine at the beginning of the film. What differentiates Shaun from the rest is the dormant motivation he possesses to change that which consumes the rest.The zombies are a great allegory for the challenges of growing up, maturing and the demons we all must overcome in order to salvage our lives from the mundane. You either sit back, make no moves and become a zombie or you fight back and make the changes in order to succeed and rise to the top of the pack. Shaun's struggles are no different than our own and it is fun to watch from the safety of the theatre or your own couch with the DVD playing in your PlayStation as the zombies attack.
What makes this clever RomZomCom different from the films in the comedy and horror genres of recent years is that the setting is not a fantastic world or an upperclass suburban white neighborhood filled with movie star beauty. It is a real place that exists in every city, populated with realistic people making it easy for the average person to relate to. The humor is sharp and intelligent instead of being in you face vulgar and mindless. There is not attempt to capitalize on the trends of mainstream comedy to rake in the bucks. The horror is not reliant on expensive yet obvious CGI effects or recycled masked killers that are as outdated as 80's style high bangs and leg warmers. This movie goes straight to the gut, whether for laughs or repulsion. It is worthy of the films it parodies and makes fun of. You will have fun picking out the minor characters from the beginning of the film after they have become zombies. Notice that other than the craving for human flesh the undead versions of the individuals is not much different than their pre-zombie lives. Shaun of the Dead is a gem that will hopefully make American studios take notice of and explore.