George A. Romero Meets Monty Python

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2005)

I rented the DVD of SHAUN OF THE DEAD last night and found it very entertaining. The story is very clear and it moves at a brisk pace. Even though there are references galore to other movies, to TV shows and to the world of pop culture in general, the film makers obviously aren't using the references as a substitute for storytelling. The acting is very good; the characters are well-defined and there's a sense of reality in the midst of the unreality. While SHAUN OF THE DEAD refers often to George A. Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAWN OF THE DEAD, the two scenes with Shaun taking a trip to the store are reminiscent of Monty Python's skit A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A London STOCK BROKER. For a comedy to tip the hat so blithely to something so masterful is a bold move, but it works well. References to British pop personalities eluded me, but I don't think that's a flaw. It's helped me learn a little more about the UK. Two of the main characters look like Harry Potter and Britney Spears on a date, and that will make audiences laugh worldwide. The DVD itself is full of extras. There are two commentary tracks. One features the director and the star and the other features a bunch of the cast members. There are out-takes, flubbed lines and extended versions of peripheral bits seen on TV screens at different times in the movie. There is, in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD a moment when suddenly we're reminded of the actual horrors of the world at the time the movie was made. It's a brief moment and may not even have been intended as the jolt it always is; but it's part of what made that movie powerful. SHAUN OF THE DEAD has such a moment, equally brief. So, it's not just a comedy or a spoof. It's in a direct line with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.