Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #683 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-06
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's no disparagement to describe Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s zombie-rom-com Shaun of the Dead as playing like an extended episode of Spaced. Not only does the movie have the rather modest scope of a TV production, it also boasts the snappy editing, smart camera moves, and deliciously post-modern dialogue familiar from the sitcom, as well as using many of the same cast: Pegg’s Shaun and Nick Frost’s Ed are doppelgangers of their Spaced characters, while Jessica Stevenson and Peter Serafinowicz appear in smaller roles. Unlike the TV series, it’s less important for the audience to be in on the movie in-jokes, though it won’t hurt if you know George Romero’s famous Dawn of the Dead trilogy, which is liberally plundered for zombie behaviour and mythology.

Shaun is a loser, stuck in a dead-end job and held back by his slacker pal Ed. Girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) is exasperated by his lack of ambition and unceremoniously dumps him. As a result, Shaun misses out on what is apparently the end of the world. In a series of beautifully choreographed and edited scenes, including hilarious tracking shots to and from the local shop, he spectacularly fails to notice the death toll and subsequent zombie plague. Only when one appears in their back garden do Shaun and Ed take notice, hurling sundry kitchen appliances at the undead before breaking out the cricket bat. The catastrophe proves to be the catalyst for Shaun to take charge of his life, sort out his relations with his dotty mum (Penelope Wilton) and distant stepdad (Bill Nighy), and fight to win back his ex-girlfriend. Lucy Davis from The Office and Dylan Moran of Black Books fame head the excellent supporting cast. --Mark Walker

Special Features

• Missing Bits: extended bits, out-takes, The Man Who Would Be Shaun, Funky Pete, plot holes
• Raw Meat: diaries from Simon, Lucy and Joe; Edgar and Simon's flip chart; SFX before and after; Make-up tests; Epic adventure featurette
• TV Bits: T4 with Coldplay; Fun Dead; Trisha--Your Nine Lives Are Up; Trisha--I Married A Monster; Jeremy Thompson interview
• Trails of the Dead: trailers
• Zombie Gallery: photo gallery, 2000AD strip, poster designs
• Audio Bits: Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright; Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Kate Ashfield and Lucy Davis; Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton; the zombies

Synopsis
Pub regular Shaun certainly needs a drink. He's fallen out with his Mum and his girlfriend's dumped him. Determined to get his sad life back on track, he decides to pull himself together only to be confronted with an unexpected obstacle, an unrelenting swarm of suburban living corpses. Who'd've expected that down the boozer, eh, except perhaps after one too many shandies! SPACED's Simon Pegg plays Shaun with relish, swinging his cricket bat at the invading cadaverous hoardes, knocking them for six. With an array of celebrity cameos and featuring some contemporary comedy names, this is a rare beast, a rom-com zombie spoof.

Customer Reviews

Great comedy horror film
This film is superb fun, and has plenty of really good laughs as well as brilliant scenes with zombies. It's a very inventive film that lifts the horror-comedy movie to a level that hasn't been seen for a long time.

This is a really enjoyable bit of nonsense that I'd recommend to anyone. Great stuff.

Zombie Realism
Before I saw the movie, I thought it was made to mock all the other zombie movies (especially by Romero)...boy, was I wrong!! First of all, it is damn hysterical, but it would be small-minded to label it as a comedy because there are so many different aspects to this story (romance, friendship, family relationships, etc.)

I also enjoyed the characters - very believable (I'm sure you'll be thinking of your friends and family when you watch this one)...and if you are wondering about the zombies themselves, they walk slow and run fast depending on the situation. When I finished watching this movie, I thought to myself: "this is probably how a lot of people will react when zombies walk the earth."

If you know anyone who is afraid of zombies, take them to see this movie - it will probably be the only zombie movie you can enjoy together!

So nearly great
This is so nearly a great film but just misses the mark ever so slightly.

Bad points: Some of the dialogue is a bit laboured ("Shaun, you've got red on you") and the plot's skeleton can be seen through some of the thinner parts of the story.

The tone of the ending feels bizarrely jarring with the preceding 90mins and the wooden/dull lead actress really is an odd choice, considering the excellent Jessica Stephenson was on hand.

Good points: A British film the not made by Richard Curtis which the UK can be proud of. Genuinely laugh-out-loud funny with excellent performances from Simon Pegg and (best of all) Nick Frost.

By the time the same team made Hot Fuzz, they'd really hit their stride.