Don't die laughing!

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2005)

Even if you are a horror movie fan, you have to admit that many movies in this genre are rather lame, and I happen to be one of those people). Those that are successful (meaning they have gained cult status) usually are so because of their emphasis on humour (Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson's splatter-fest Dead Alive comes to mind) than gore or jump-out-of-your-seat terror. Shaun of the Dead, an offering from the UKs Edgar Wright is one such flick. Your local B-movie aficionado would likely mention it in the same sentence as their Troma favorites, even with its mainstream appeal.
Shaun of the Dead is essentially a love story with zombies lurking about in the background. Its unlikely hero, Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a late 20s slacker who works in an electronics department. He lives a loser's life, and is looked down upon by his co-workers, is estranged from his mother and stepfather who are disappointed in his under-achievement, and his favorite hobby is sitting around playing video games and smoking pot with his flatmate, Ed. The only thing he looks forward to in life is hanging out with his friends at the Winchester, a local pub which is rumored to contain a cache of firearms.
Things start to roll when Shaun's girlfriend Liz decides she's had enough of his dithering and lassitude and leave him. Shaun wants to win her back, but isn't sure how. People start acting strangely, staggering around with vacant looks and biting at passers by, though Shaun is oblivious to all this unusual behaviour. To him, it's little different from seeing striving capitalists heading off to their desk jobs. After he finally realizes what is going on, (though no explanation is ever given for the zombie phenomenon), he takes action and decides to somehow save his girlfriend from the living dead and rescue his mother from the stepfather he despises, who has also started to show signs of zombie-fication.
As mentioned, the movie has plenty of humour and wit (though one might have to be British to understand a lot of it), with little gore and few scary moments. One particularly funny scene has Shaun's group making its way to the Winchester Pub through a throng of living dead by mimicking their mannerisms, thereby not drawing any attention to themselves. Another involves Shaun and Ed using Shaun's records like ninja throwing stars to stop the dead in their tracks. As befits what is essentially a romantic comedy, the movie has a happy ending, with a surprising epilogue as well. Several Queen classics in the soundtrack make for an additional treat. This movie might even be good for a first date. Make sure you don't die of laughter. 8/10