***I was given some pointers in the comment section for updating my review, so I'll do so at the bottom of my original***

Watch Shaun of the Dead and you'll see that this is a running gag throughout the movie- directed towards the title character, Shaun (of the dead).

I chanced upon this movie one night while I was up with indigestion and fell in love with it. The movie- not the stomach pains. Okay, enough cheeky one liners. I'm a sucker for just about anything from the U.K.- except the food- and settled back for what I thought was going to be a British horror flick, because I'd actually never heard of it.

Let me tell you- this movie is unlike any other movie I've ever seen- and I've seen alot as I am a professional couch potato. This movie is great. It is original, it's romantic, it's emotional, it's horrifying, it's worth your time to watch it. The soundtrack, especially the opening credits music is contagious and is probably going to be on my shopping list in the next few weeks.

Hopefully I don't make a wreck of this movie review by revealing too much, this is my first epinion movie review, but here we go. Keep in mind that I am pretty sure you are aware this movie is a zombie flick.

Shaun is a Londoner in his late 20s, lives in flat with a friend from college, Pete- whose not very nice, and his best friend from primary school, Ed. Ed, who isn't on the lease, & the epitomy of everyone's favorite loveable yet worthless uncle or friend who always needs a sofa to crash on. Faithful but useless.

Shaun works in an electronics store and has a girlfriend, Liz, who wants more out of life than the everyday routine of going to the Winchester pub at night.

Dumped by Liz, hounded by his father- er- step father as Shaun points out- to go and visit his mum and bring something nicer than the garage court posies he brought last month, in the doghouse with Pete over Ed's pathiticness, and not respected at work while he fills in while the boss is ill- Shaun does not seem to notice the strange things that begin happening around him as most of London becomes zombie-fied.

Remembering some well deserved advice from Pete, Shaun decides to take charge once he discovers that some men who were "a bit bitey" have stopped by to visit his mum.

What follows is Shauns efforts to save those he loves, some he doesn't, and one heck of a great zombie/comedy/romance/action movie.

***Updated review part***

I was asked to comment on the special effects in Shaun of the Dead. Well, there's realy only 2 aspects of the movie to effect specially. Zombies and Zombie food, err victims. The movie did not seem cheap to me, and without revealing too much about the zombies' appearance, yeah, without ever having seen one up close and personal myself- they looked pretty believable to me- classic stereotyped funky eyes and flesh wounds. On the DVD you can see stills of the make-up process for them which might spoil the effect for you, as any "behind-the-scenes" featurette tends to do, but yeah- the skin looks rather decayed after a while on the zombies, most have chunks of flesh missing and it looks like real wounds, not ketchup spattered on them.

There's really only one gross-out kill, and I'll save that for you graphically to discover on your own- but it was pretty squirty and rather comical at the same time so it all sort of evened out- you'll be too busy laughing to notice if anything is out of place. There's no sort of what do they call them, CGI, I think- it's all rather old-school sort of hands on effects with makeup and props.

Music wise, well there's absolutely nothing in there that I've ever heard of. Possibly folks in the U.K. know it besides the movie, but I've never heard it before. The opening credits music I was refering to is rather upbeat instumental music, seems like goofy 60s beach/elevator music. Really can't be too graphic, I always hated and dropped music theory in college every time I was forced to take it for lack of other choices... But here is a list of the soundtrack as available on Amazon:

1. Figment
2. Blue Wrath
3. Mister Mental
4. Meltdown
5. Don't Stop Me Now
6. White Lines (Don't Do It)
7. Hip Hop Be Bop ( Don't Stop)
8. Zombie Creeping Fresh
9. Goblin Zombi/Zombie Nation Kernkraft 400
10. Fizzy Legs
11. Soft
12. Death Bivouac
13. Gonk
14. Envy The Dead
15. Ghost Town
16. Blood In Three Flavours
17. Panic
18. Everybody's Happy Nowdays
19. You're My Best Friend
20. You've Got Red On You: Shaun Of The Suite
21. Normality
22. Fun Dead

Hum, after reviewing all the songs on the list, I would say it appears they are all written for the movie. So that pretty much speaks for itself. Can't really add to that one.

Welp, this is the info I was asked to update- hope it helps, though I really don't think the music part of it is important, as it doesn't appear to be mainstream, simply written for the movie sort of stuff. The only thing I know is mainstream is the one called White Lines, but it's not really played, it's sung by Shaun and Ed... :o) cheers!


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8