Audre Myers is offering up an unusual-for-her pick in this week’s edition of Myersvision—a comedy horror flick! Given the time of year, it’s even more unusual, but who says yuletide can’t become ghoultide? [I originally had this review scheduled for the week leading up to Christmas, but pushed it to January due to the various Christmas movie reviews Audre, Ponty, and I wrote in December. I liked my “ghoultide” pun too much to revise it, and it is technically still the Christmas season through 6 January 2023, Epiphany (and Audre’s birthday!). —TPP]
Ponty picked Shaun of the Dead (2004) as his Number 9 Best Film, so it’s interesting to compare his review to Audre’s. Ponty (and myself, I should add) loves this film; Audre’s take is altogether different.
I don’t want to spoil too much of her—let’s call it “scathing”—review, but I’m going to chalk up the difference of opinion to the generation and gender gaps. While I have known plenty of women who enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, it definitely has more of a “guy” vibe to it. I find Pegg and Wright’s antics hilarious, and am a big fan of their so-called Cornetto Trilogy, of which Shaun is the first installment.
I also think that the title character does show some growth and transformation, going from being little more than a shuffling zombie himself to rising to the occasion to help save his friends. The duress of a zombie outbreak forces this loser to change his ways to protect himself and his loved ones, even if he makes mistakes and reverts to old habits along the way.
But I digress. Audre offers up a good counterbalance to the fanboyish enthusiasm of Ponty and myself.
With that, here is Audre’s review of 2004’s Shaun of the Dead:
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