Beautiful Symphony of Comedy and Horror

Rating: 9/10 (27 July 2016)

Shaun of The Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004), is part of a three-part series which involve many of the same cast members throughout each film. The trio is called The Cornetto Trilogy, and it is (in my opinion) the best series of film comedy to date. Shaun of The Dead, however, is the first film I saw f the series and is still my favorite of all three (Hot Fuzz in VERY close second). This parody of the American-Made zombie film cult classics, fuses comedy and horror better than any other film in its genre. The film begins by giving the viewer a glimpse into Shaun's (Simon Pegg) systematic and unimaginably boring lifestyle. We follow Pegg's character as he (literally) trudges through his daily grind. We see throughout the day that he is in his mid-thirties and a low-level electronic store manager with step-daddy issues. If that doesn't explain his dull life, then knowing that he lives with two roommates from college (Ed, Nick Frost, who sells weed for a living and Pete, Peter Serafinowicz, who is a tight-ass) and his love life is in shambles. Once we are given the initial tour of Shaun's personal life, things start getting strange. The film does an excellent job of giving us subtle hints that foreshadow the events of the next day. The next morning, Shaun goes back to his initial routine (as shown the previous day). This time, however, the environment has changed dramatically. The same extras that we saw roaming the streets are now either dead or aware of the horrific situation. It is hilarious to see Shaun being so oblivious (and almost robotic in nature) that he has no idea that anything is wrong until he makes it back to the house. This is when the violence and starts to ensue and the way the characters interact with each other and the surrounding environment is perfectly executed, mixing comedy and horror together in one beautiful symphony. Don't get me wrong, the film is fairly gruesome. If you get queasy from the sight of blood and guts, be sure to have a barf-bag near. The language is also quite graphic and there is a pinch of lewd (back-of-the-middle school- bus humor) that isn't foreign to other Edgar Wright films. The movie will bring out every emotion in you from laughter induced crying to sadness induced crying. In all, this film is an instant classic from comedy lovers and horror lovers all the same. Wright did an excellent job directing the second addition to the three-part series. From the casting to the camera work, he spared no expense to ensure the proper execution of a romantic-comedy-horror (which is a genre that is typically filled with atrocities).