This one’s to make us all feel old. On this day 10 years ago, we were granted the release of the British comedy-horror Shaun of the Dead. It’s only right to applaud its anniversary after presenting its audience with such entertainment and beyond for a whole decade. So in celebration, lets once again appreciate all the wonderful things that this zombie fantasy still offers even after endless viewings.
Shaun (Simon Pegg) is an electrical stores salesman in his late twenties who still lives with his old college buddies, Ed and Pete. Ed (Nick Frost) is a crude unemployed slob who only leaves the couch to head to the pub, and Pete (Peter Serafinowicz) is the uptight businessman. Shaun’s girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) rightfully becomes frustrated while he tests her patience. Liz is smart and ambitious - completely opposite to Shaun, who his content in his dead-end retail job where he gets more leisure time to drink with Ed. Liz gives him the ultimatum after failing to fully commit to their relationship – it was her, or the pub. Her two housemates Di (Lucy Davis) and David (Dylan Moran) influence this decision after admitting they think that he would chose the pub over Liz also.
After 10 years it could be assumed that repeated viewings of the same comedy and gore could get a little stale. This is definitely not the case with Shaun of the Dead; we need those extra viewings to try to catch and hear the things we missed from laughing so hard the previous times around. The witty and inventive script counterbalances the gory humour. The vision of ravenous corpses staggering and groaning with insatiable hunger for human flesh and blood alone is worth a snigger;
“Like a drunk who’s lost a bet.”