A ROMANTIC COMEDY. WITH ZOMBIES. 

As zombies invade London, a ne’er-do-well (Simon Pegg) takes charge of a group of survivors who are headed for a pub they assume is a safe haven.

This well-made spoof of Dawn of the Dead (1978) has a huge cult following. It may not be as interesting as the symbolism of George A. Romero’s classic, but it is unexpectedly hilarious, and that goes for the extreme bloodletting as well. No matter how outrageously absurd the situation gets, this group of Brits always keep a stiff upper lip – who can resist that?

The special effects are quite inventive and it’s easy to sympathize with Pegg as the 29-year-old who gets a chance to make something of his life. 

2004-U.K. 97 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Edgar Wright. Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg. Cast: Simon Pegg (Shaun), Kate Ashfield (Liz), Lucy Davis (Dianne), Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Rafe Spall, Martin Freeman, Matt Lucas, David Walliams. 

Trivia: Chris Martin, Rob Brydon, Wright and Joe Cornish appear as zombies. Helen Mirren was considered for a role. Sometimes labeled as the first in the “Cornetto” trilogy, followed by Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World’s End  (2013). 

Last word: “We didn’t want our characters to be particularly sassy or clever. We didn’t want Shaun to be like Ash in Evil Dead, you know, constantly coming out with these fantastic little one-liners. He’s not that clever and he’s not that bright. So I mean, we had to rein in the humor, and it came from them. They’re not particularly self-aware. They’re not very knowing, these characters.” (Pegg, About.com)