Still on zombies . . . consider June to be the Month of Zombies.
Today I’m looking at one of my more memorable encounters with zombies. Last week I touched on ‘Warm Bodies,’ this week I want to talk about Shaun of the Dead. A marvellous little romp starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in which Shaun (Pegg) decides to change his life around by getting back with his ex girlfriend (who dumped him because she thinks he’s useless). Only problem is, he decides to take this action in the middle of a poorly timed zombie apocalypse. Shaun now has to not only save his girlfriend, but everybody else before he zombies eat everyone.
Now . . . I know this film isn’t about the zombies (you knew that too, right? It’s a zombie movie where the zombies are actually by-the-by. It’s about Shaun and his journey towards growing the hell up and being useful and proactive for a change) but it’s a great look into how zombies don’t have to be scary to be entertaining.
I like my blood, gore and guts as much as the next person, but watching a zombie shuffle down the road missing an arm or smearing themselves against a glass conservatory door is funny and just as entertaining for me.
And, if that isn’t enough for you . . . I do believe the success of films like Shaun of the Dead made little gems like this possible:
. . . No, you don’t have to watch the whole thing.
There are also fantastic treats like Zombieland, Cockneys vs Zombies, Deadheads, Zombie Strippers (maybe skip that one) and Idle Hands (defo watch that one!).
I’m a bit saddened that my literary zombie intake has been and remains so low. I know there must be plenty of decent zombie books out there, so this year I’m going to be looking into: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at the very least as well as City of the Dead and The Rising (I firmly believe that anything by Brian Keene is worth looking at). Oh . . . and World War Z, I suppose though I’d probably choose the movie over the book, because, you know . . . Brad Pitt. *ducks* Don’t hate me!
Phew! That was pretty link heavy.
Anyway, zombies are funny and I wish there was more of them around. Vampires have been done to death now (*sniffle*) and while they are my preferred creature of the night, zombies deserve their props. I’m looking for someone/thing to do something new to them. Not necessarily Warm Bodies style (or zombies will end up glittery, angsty teenagers -_-) but different, y’know what I mean?
But . . . in the meantime, I’m happy to settle for this:
Pingback: IY: Fantasy Creatures – Zombies; Should Be Fucking Scary! | Writing: A Conversation Without Interruptions