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Reviews
The Man Who Would Be Shaun (2004)
Comedy Short featuring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
This is a reenactment of the scene from 'Shaun of the Dead' in Shaun's flat, when he and Ed lay out their game plan. The lines are all the same, however Nick Frost does an impersonation of Sean Connery, and Simon Pegg does a dead-on impression of Michael Caine. The short is named for Connery & Caine's 'The Man Who Would Be King'. It's worth watching just for the look on Simon Pegg's face as he tries desperately not to burst into laughter. It almost looks like he's holding back tears. This, like all of the extra features on the American DVD release, makes me envious of anyone who was lucky enough to work on the set of 'Shaun of the Dead'. It must have been a riot.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
A film that defies genres and exemplifies comic genius.
After stumbling upon this film on HBO one night at home, I have become an instant Simon Pegg fanatic. His and Edgard Wright's brilliantly creative and comedic styles really stand out in every aspect of 'Shaun of the Dead'. It's very rare for me to discuss this picture without gushing about its genius. This is a film that can be watched over and over again, and each time you'll notice a new, subtle, yet stunningly clever detail that you missed the last time. The swift pace is consistent throughout the entire film and there's never a dull moment.
The delightfully engaging cast of characters is brilliantly portrayed by an assemblage of marvelously talented young actors, along with veterans Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton (who plays Shaun's adorable mum, Barbara).
One of my favorite characteristics of the film is the parallelism between the first segment of the film leading up to the zombie invasion, and the second segment during the crisis itself. It's difficult to explain without revealing too much about the film, so watch it first and see if you can point it out on your own. The idiosyncrasy that sets this apart from any other picture I've seen is that while the comedy aspect of it really is hysterical, the zombies themselves stay true to the horror genre.
'Shaun of the Dead' is destined to become a cult hit and I look forward to enjoying future works from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.