WAITING FOR TOMMY: SHAUN OF THE DEAD REVIEW
By Richard Johnston

I saw a preview of Shaun Of The Dead last night. Today, the 2000AD with the Shaun of The Dead story by the star/co-writer Shaun Pegg, director/co-writer Edgar Wrightand Frazer Irving comes out. Okay, comic relevance over with.

Shaun Of The Dead is a British romantic comedy zombie movie. Which makes it pretty unique. Using the cast and talent of Spaced (as well as rounding up people from the best of the best British comedy shows, Black Books, The Office, League Of Gentlemen) it takes the modern state of urbia and suburbia as a place where zombies seem incredibly natural. Stuck in a dead end job, as the days, weeks, years past without anything changing, we're all zombies.

 

JOHN ROMITA JR'S GREY AREA #1 - SIGNED BY ARTIST JOHN ROMITA JR.

So when the zombies do start to rise, the central character Shaun wanders past them and tells them he doesn't have any change.

This is also not a film where the main characters save the day. That story belongs to another group of people. Shaun's story is only about how he tries to save his relationship. As an action hero, he's pretty bad and managed to "exacerbate" every situation he gets involved with. It would have been better if he'd left things alone. Waited for things to "blow over". But he's in love. And people in love do funny, silly, often terribly, terribly selfish things.

Shaun of The Dead is a very funny movie. Anyone who's seen the TV show Spaced will feel very comfortable in this world. It's a world where in-jokes are there for everyone to see. Where multiple things happen simultaneously and the director relies on the audience understanding what's happening before the cast do, as opposed to that happening by accident. Like Spaced, it uses direction to tell jokes, something rarely used. Unlike a Richard Curtis film, you believe these places exist -- this is a London you can believe in and a zombie population that feel too, too real. They're your neighbours after all. Which is why it's also a moving film, and despite its comedy base, the film does not shy away from the realities of death, or indeed living death,

My wife hates zombie films. She's not an aficionado of Romero, and couldn't give a stuff about the Living Dead. She loved, loved, loved this film. Possibly not as much as me, but you know, that was never going to happen. Shaun Of The Dead is released in the UK, nationwide, this Thursday. The US should get it.one day.

Oh, and Spaced fans? Simon Pegg is meeting with Jessica Stevenson this weekend to talk about stuff. Spaced 3 will be part of that discussion.

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The Waiting For Tommy Archive

WFT Edition on October 13, 2004 WFT Edition on July 30, 2004 WFT Edition on June 23, 2004 WFT Edition on June 16, 2004 WFT Edition on June 9, 2004 WFT Edition on May 26, 2004 WFT Edition on May 5, 2004 WFT Edition on April 6, 2004 WFT Edition on March 31, 2004 WFT Edition on March 17, 2004 WFT Edition on March 10, 2004 WFT Edition on March 3, 2004 WFT Edition on February 25, 2004 WFT Edition on February 19, 2004 WFT Edition on February 12, 2004 WFT Edition on February 5, 2004 WFT Edition on January 28, 2004 WFT Edition on January 21, 2004 WFT Edition on January 14, 2004 WFT Edition on December 31, 2003 WFT Edition on December 24, 2003 WFT Edition on December 17, 2003 WFT Edition on December 10, 2003 WFT Edition on December 3, 2003 WFT Edition on November 26, 2003 WFT Edition on November 19, 2003 WFT Edition on November 12, 2003 WFT Edition on November 5, 2003 WFT Edition on October 30, 2003 WFT Edition on October 23, 2003 WFT Edition on October 16, 2003 WFT Edition on September 17, 2003 WFT Edition on September 3, 2003 WFT Edition on August 27, 2003 WFT Edition on August 20, 2003 WFT Edition on August 13, 2003 WFT Edition on August 6, 2003 WFT Edition on July 31, 2003 WFT Edition on July 24, 2003 WFT Edition on July 17, 2003 WFT Edition on July 10, 2003 WFT Edition on July 2, 2003 WFT Edition on June 25, 2003 WFT Edition on June 18, 2003 WFT Edition on June 11, 2003 WFT Edition on June 4, 2003 WFT Edition on May 28, 2003 WFT Edition on May 21, 2003 WFT Edition on May 14, 2003 WFT Edition on May 7, 2003 WFT Edition on April 30, 2003 WFT Edition on April 23, 2003 WFT Edition on April 9, 2003 WFT Edition on April 3, 2003 WFT Edition on March 26, 2003 WFT Edition on March 19, 2003 WFT Edition on March 12, 2003 WFT Edition on March 5, 2003 WFT Edition on February 26, 2003 WFT Edition on February 19, 2003 WFT Edition on February 12, 2003 WFT Edition on February 5, 2003 WFT Edition on January 29, 2003 WFT Edition on January 22, 2003 WFT Edition on January 15, 2003 WFT Edition on January 8, 2003 WFT Edition on January 1, 2003 WFT Edition on December 25, 2002 WFT Edition on December 17, 2002 WFT Edition on December 11, 2002 WFT Edition on December 4, 2002 WFT Edition on November 20, 2002 WFT Edition on November 13, 2002 WFT Edition on November 6, 2002 WFT Edition on October 30, 2002 WFT Edition on October 23, 2002 WFT Edition on October 16, 2002 WFT Edition on October 9, 2002 WFT Edition on October 2, 2002 WFT Edition on September 25 , 2002 WFT Edition on September 18 , 2002 WFT Edition on September 11 , 2002 WFT Edition on August 30, 2002 WFT Edition on August 23, 2002 WFT Edition on August 17, 2002

OTHER NEWS
ON THIS DATE 5 YEARS AGO...