Watched "Shaun of the Dead"

Question

Funny. I like British humor...err..."humour." And I also tend to like horror/comedy mixes. I didn't even realize there was a "rom zom com" (romantic comedy with zombies) genre, but I've got a feeling it is a fairly limited list.
Stupid, but funny.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Funny. I like British humor...err..."humour."[/nq]
How would you define that btw? As a Brit, it always seems a little odd to me when Americans refer to "British Humour". I mean I can understand someone saying they like slapstick humour, or witty banter humour or whatever - they seem like real categories. Unless one is an Anglophile generally does the mere country of origin tell you something about what you're going to get to the point that you know you are (more likely) going to like it?
See to me the idea that there's a category that covers both Monty Python and Benny Hill, The Office and Ali G, that is less broad than merely 'humour' seems a little odd. But maybe that's cos my cultural baggage prevents me from seeing the common ground.
If I said I like 'American Humour', you know movies like "American Pie" and "Annie Hall", would that at all raise an eyebrow?

Or perhaps it's just that we only export a fairly limited range of the type of humour we make?
[nq:1]And I also tend to like horror/comedy mixes. I didn't even realize there was a "rom zom com" (romantic comedy with zombies) genre, but I've got a feeling it is a fairly limited list.[/nq]
er, I think that the idea of a rom-zom-com genre existing was itself a joke.
[nq:1]Stupid, but funny.[/nq]
Yeah. Most people I know loved it but I found it a bit disappointing. If you ever get the chance to watch a sitcom "Spaced" (by the same team) it's much better - and full of sly movie references.
Shuggie

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[nq:2]Funny. I like British humor...err..."humour."[/nq]
[nq:1]How would you define that btw? As a Brit, it always seems a little odd to me when Americans refer ... about what you're going to get to the point that you know you are (more likely) going to like it?[/nq]
If I were to describe a common trait in a lot of British humour and it would be the kind of British humour I like is that it is "dry" or "understated" humour. It's the "take it in stride," muted, almost non-reaction to the absurd that gets to me.
[nq:1]See to me the idea that there's a category that covers both Monty Python and Benny Hill, The Office and ... merely 'humour' seems a little odd. But maybe that's cos my cultural baggage prevents me from seeing the common ground.[/nq]
"Monty Python" by itself covered a wide variety in styles of humour from silly slapstick to satire. But many of their skits also had the "dry" understatement that I mentioned above. That's the "Monty Python" stuff I liked the most.
[nq:1]If I said I like 'American Humour', you know movies like "American Pie" and "Annie Hall", would that at all raise an eyebrow?[/nq]
No. It would tend to be true at this point. Maybe that's why I like British humour or more correctly, humour from Britain.
[nq:1]Or perhaps it's just that we only export a fairly limited range of the type of humour we make?[/nq]
I don't think about it that much. I just enjoy it.
[nq:2]And I also tend to like horror/comedy mixes. I didn't ... I've got a feeling it is a fairly limited list.[/nq]
[nq:1]er, I think that the idea of a rom-zom-com genre existing was itself a joke.[/nq]
I guess you're probably right. I just found it funny that folks on IMDB used the term as if it were an established one.
[nq:2]Stupid, but funny.[/nq]
[nq:1]Yeah. Most people I know loved it but I found it a bit disappointing. If you ever get the chance to watch a sitcom "Spaced" (by the same team) it's much better - and full of sly movie references.[/nq]
I can believe it. My problem is, I don't get the "sly movie references" the reviewers on IMDB mentioned a few of them in "Shaun of the Dead" but they complete went over my head.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Funny. I like British humor...err..."humour." And I also tend to like horror/comedy mixes. I didn't even realize there was a "rom zom com" (romantic comedy with zombies) genre, but I've got a feeling it is a fairly limited list.[/nq]
"Shaun" is a wonderful woefully overlooked little gem of a movie that really deserved to do better here (though the fact that it even got a theatrical release at all in the States is something of a miracle itself). The germ for the movie can actually be found in an episode of the British comedy series "Spaced" (also directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg), about a bunch of loveable loser wannabe artists. The episode in question had a few brief Romero-esque zombie fantasy sequences, which I suppose inspired them to do "Shaun".
[nq:1]Stupid, but funny.[/nq]
I don't think it's stupid at all. In fact, I think it's a very shrewd piece of filmmaking that manages to work both as a comedy and as a horror film. The reason it avoids the pitfalls of so many horror-comedy films is because it follows what I call the "'Abott and Costello Meet Frankenstein' Rule" - the humans are funny while the monsters are played straight. It's a wonderful tribute/spoof of George Romero's films while also remaining very much its own thing.
Romero, by the way, was so taken with the film that he gave Wright and Pegg cameos in "Land of the Dead"... as zombies! Now that is gratitude.

Cheers,
B

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[nq:1]I can believe it. My problem is, I don't get the "sly movie references" the reviewers on IMDB mentioned a few of them in "Shaun of the Dead" but they complete went over my head.[/nq]
Now ya see, this is how cinematic collage-artists like Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie can get away with murder.
Cheers,
B

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[nq:2]Stupid, but funny.[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't think it's stupid at all. In fact, I think it's a very shrewd piece of filmmaking that manages ... the film that he gave Wright and Pegg cameos in "Land of the Dead"... as zombies! Now that is gratitude.[/nq]
By "stupid" I meant "silly." It's a good kind of stupid where people don't see what they obviously would see in real life. (And I realize that was the point of the movie and what made it funny.) I didn't really think it was that "horrible" because I couldn't take it seriously I was zoned in on the comedy side of it.
I don't think I've watched any of Romero's films. That's probably the reason I don't get most of the "sly" references I usually haven't seen what is being referenced.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]By "stupid" I meant "silly." It's a good kind of stupid where people don't see what they obviously would see ... was that "horrible" because I couldn't take it seriously I was zoned in on the comedy side of it.[/nq]
Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying.
[nq:1]I don't think I've watched any of Romero's films. That's probably the reason I don't get most of the "sly" references I usually haven't seen what is being referenced.[/nq]
"Shaun" actually doesn't owe as much to Romero's films as "28 Days Later", which lifts bits and pieces from all three of his zombie epics (along with a big chunk of "Day of the Triffids" and "Nightmare City" thrown in for good measure).
Do yourself a big favor and rent "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead" (the originals, not the remakes), both of which are classic, visionary horror films of the highest order. The third installment in the series, "Day of the Dead" isn't quite up to the standard set by the first two, but it's still a good, solid horror flick well worth investigating. However, Romero's best film (in my opinion and his) is "Martin" - a sad, strange, painfully personal little film about a disturbed young man who may or may not be an 80 year old vampire.
Romero is an American original, a true maverick who has never really gotten the respect and recognition he deserves, something that's especially ironic when you consider how popular his shambling revenants are these days. After years of struggling to get any of his films made (while making a fortune scripting unfilmed drafts of "The Mummy" and "Resident Evil"), Romero has finally gotten the chance to make his fourth zombie movie, "Land of the Dead", which is coming out this summer. Here's hoping it rocks the box office and that George gets to reap the rewards of the incredibly popular sub-genre that he invented.
Cheers,
B

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[nq:1]Do yourself a big favor and rent "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead" (the originals, not ... painfully personal little film about a disturbed young man who may or may not be an 80 year old vampire.[/nq]
Ok. I'll take this on as a "homework" assignment and report back maybe ask some questions. Are the original "Living Dead" movies easily findable at the local video rental places? And I would like to see "Martin" sounds like that might be a bit of a challenge in Twin Falls, Idaho, however.
Thanks.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

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[nq:2]Do yourself a big favor and rent "Night of the ... may or may not be an 80 year old vampire.[/nq]
[nq:1]Ok. I'll take this on as a "homework" assignment and report back maybe ask some questions. Are the original "Living Dead" movies easily findable at the local video rental places?[/nq]
They should be. Something you should be aware of is that the producers of the original "Night of the Living Dead" forgot to copyright the **** thing, so there have been literally dozens of different versions floating around on TV, video and now DVD. The version you want is the one from Elite, which has a startlingly crystal clear transfer of a movie that most of us grew up seeing muddy and dark. However, it's fine if you get one of the lest pristine transfers, as it actually gives the movie a scarier feel, as though you were watching a documentary or some kind of a snuff movie.

Likewise, there are also a few different versions of "Dawn of the Dead" out there, including a theatrical version, a director's cut and a European cut. The theatrical versions should be the easiest to find at the local video store and is probably the best place to start with the movie. "Day of the Dead" recently came out on a new DVD with a beautiful picture and a bunch of neat bonus features, including an unfilmed draft of the script, which I highly recommend (Romero writes the snapiest, most entertaining scripts I've ever come across.)
And I would like to see "Martin"
[nq:1]sounds like that might be a bit of a challenge in Twin Falls, Idaho, however.[/nq]
"Martin" is a stunning, haunting little movie that deserves to be better known than it is (maybe that'll happen with the inevitable big-budget Hollywood remake). You might have a little more trouble finding this one, but it's well worth tracking down.
Cheers,
B

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[nq:1]Likewise, there are also a few different versions of "Dawn of the Dead" out there, including a theatrical version, a ... unfilmed draft of the script, which I highly recommend (Romero writes the snapiest, most entertaining scripts I've ever come across.)[/nq]
Thanks. A quick check on Hollywood Video shows at least two versions of the 1968 "Night of the Living Dead" so I'm guessing it won't be a problem.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Watched "Shaun of the Dead"

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