My top 30 films - No.2

2. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - "A romantic comedy. With zombies."

"Buy milk. Call mum. Dodge zombies." Sounds like a normal daily routine.

Shaun of the Dead was written by the duo of director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) and actor Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). Together, they worked on a TV series called Asylum, a series called Is It Bill Bailey? and, most famously, the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced. The two of them both had an appreciation for the Dead trilogy by George Romero and decided to write a zombie film, inspired in some way by an episode of Spaced called Art, in which Pegg's character has been playing Resident Evil for hours and starts hallucinating zombies (this is mainly due to a combination of speed, alcohol, tiredness and Twiglets). Shaun of the Dead also features many of the same cast members as Spaced, including Pegg, Nick Frost (The Boat That Rocked and Attack The Block), Jessica Stevenson/Hynes and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), accompanied by some of Britain great comedians and comic/sitcom stars, including Dylan Moran (Black Books), Tamsin Greig (Black Books, Green Wing and Episodes), Lucy Davis and Martin Freeman (both The Office).

The plot: everyday is groundhog day for Shaun. He has an awful job as a salesman, a conflicting relationship with his mother (Penelope Wilton) and his step-father (Bill Nighy), a flatmate (Ed) who sits on a couch all day whilst dealing drugs and playing on a PlayStation and an unsatisfied girlfriend (Liz, played by Kate Ashfield). Liz dumps Shaun, mainly because she wants to live a little rather than the monotonous lifestyle of spending every night with Shaun, Ed and her flatmates (David and Dianne) in their local pub, the Winchester. The next morning, Shaun wakes up to discover a couple of zombies in his garden. It becomes clear that the same is happening everywhere, so Shaun decides to rescue both his mother and Liz and take them to the safest place he knows - The Winchester.

The film poses the question "how would you survive a zombie attack?". Shaun and Ed answer this question by arming themselves with a selection of mundane household items turned potential weapons, including cricket bats, spades and, in one memorable scene, "the second album I [Shaun] ever bought". Watching Shaun and Ed desperately arguing over records they don't mind sacrificing to fight with as two zombies edge closer is undoubtably one of the funniest scenes in the movie. The scene where the friends hide in the deserted Winchester only for the power to come back on and the jukebox to alert the zombies to their presence, leading to cinema's only zombie attack to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, is similarly hilarious. The character of Ed provides much entertainment with a selection of amusing one-liners and utterly laid-back attitude amidst the chaos. Observant viewers will particularly enjoy his drinking plan and how it describes the subsequent events. Essentially much of the film's humour comes from its very ordinary setting, characters and relationships...but with zombies.

It is fair to say that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are film geeks, with Shaun of the Dead being full of references to classic horror films. The scenes of Shaun waking up in the morning are a reference to the opening of Day of the Dead; the short closeup shots of various items are from An American Werewolf in London; there are seminal electro-horror scores as a homage to John Carpenter; Dylan Moran's character was inspired by David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) from the original Straw Dogs; there is a mention of "rage-infected monkeys" (28 Days Later...) and the title and many scenes are spoofs of Dawn of the Dead. Many non-horror films are also reference: Shaun wears a red bandanna on his head similar to Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter; at one point Liz calls Shaun "Flash" (Flash Gordon); there is a 360-degree pan shot in the Winchester similar to one in Alien and there is a "Mexican standoff" such as the one at the end of Reservoir Dogs. This lovingly made homage to the horror/action genre is definitely one of the film's greatest strengths to the more eagle-eyed viewer.

In 2007, Pegg, Frost and Wright came back together to release Hot Fuzz, something of a modern day interpretation of The Wicker Man - small, remote community, creepy villagers. Whilst I do like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead set a high bar which I don't quite think the later film reaches. Indeed, Hot Fuzz pays homage itself to Shaun of the Dead with the infamous 'fence-scene' featuring the line "Never taken a shortcut before?" For anyone wanting to make a comedy horror film, the benchmark is so high because of Shaun of the Dead...
P.S. What was the second album you ever bought? I think mine was The Invisible Band by Travis. Edgar Wright's was "Doctor Who Sound Effects".
P.P.S. Can dogs look up?