Shaun of the Dead (2004) |
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Shaun of the Dead (2004) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Comedy |
Main Menu Introduction Menu Animation & Audio Audio Commentary-Simon Pegg And Edgar Wright Featurette-Simon And Edgar's Flip Chart Featurette-SFX Comparison Featurette-Make-Up Tests Featurette-EPK Featurette Gallery-Photo Gallery-Poster-2000 Ad Strip Featurette-Funky Pete Featurette-The Man Who Would Be Shaun Featurette-Plot Holes Outtakes Deleted Scenes-With Optional Commentary Teaser Trailer-2 Theatrical Trailer TV Spots-2 |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2004 | ||
| Running Time | 95:14 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Language Select Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 2,4 | Directed By | Edgar Wright |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Universal Pictures Home Video |
Starring |
Simon Pegg Kate Ashfield Nick Frost Lucy Davis Dylan Moran Nicola Cunningham Keir Mills Matt Jaynes Gavin Ferguson Peter Serafinowicz Horton Jupiter Tim Baggaley Arvind Doshi |
| Case | Amaray-Transparent | ||
| RPI | $39.95 | Music |
John Deacon Steven Patrick Morrissey Dan Mudford |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (160Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.30:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles |
English for the Hearing Impaired Icelandic English Audio Commentary |
Smoking | Yes |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
The horror/comedy is a tough genre to get right. Many directors have tried to blend these respective genres over the years, but there are only a few examples where the end product emerged victorious. An American Werewolf in London, Return Of The Living Dead, Evil Dead 2, Fright Night, The Lost Boys, Dead Alive and more recently Bubba Ho-Tep immediately spring to mind as perfect examples of the genre. I'm happy to report that Shaun Of The Dead can now join this illustrious list as it is the best example of the horror/comedy to come down the line in quite some time.
Shaun (Simon Pegg) is your typical everyday slacker. He is content to drift through life with a minimum of effort and spend his evenings at the local pub with his overweight slob of a best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), and long suffering girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). However, Liz is becoming frustrated with their relationship and demands changes, especially concerning their social agenda. Shaun, determined to save his relationship, has to convince Liz that he will get his priorities in order - the only thing stopping him is the fact that the dead have risen and are walking the earth.
Director Edgar Wright's Shaun Of The Dead is the best horror/comedy in years and it's a perfect mixture of laughs and undead mayhem. Co-written by lead actor Simon Pegg, the film's cult classic status is assured. The film was obviously made with the horror fan in mind and there are tons of references to other greats of the genre including George Romero's Dawn Of The Dead, and Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. The screenplay is both satirically and slapstick funny, but also has a well-rounded romantic drama as its core. That being said, the film doesn't shy away from gore scenes and there are some absolute shockers found here. Personally, I find there is nothing better than seeing an obnoxious, whiney nerd getting ripped apart by a swarm of salivating zombies, but that's just me.
So, if like me you're looking for a riotous time and you want to see one of the best horror flicks in quite some time, then spend a rewarding evening at the Winchester with Shaun and Ed.
Shaun Of The Dead has been given a quality transfer.
The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2:40:1 and is 16x9 enhanced.
Sharpness levels are reasonably strong. However there are a few minor aliasing anomalies found in the opening twenty minutes of the film. They are very minor and do not distract from the film. Shadow detail is exceptional, with abundant levels of depth and contrast. Grain is also noticeably absent from the image and there are no low level noise problems.
Colours are rendered with care. From the green lawns of the terraced neighbourhood to the bloody evisceration of the locals at the hands of rampaging zombies, the colours leap off the screen.
Universal have delivered a very pleasing picture for this DVD release.
The RSDL change is at the 78.04 minute mark and is well placed.
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Shaun Of The Dead has been given a first rate audio track in English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. There is also a 2.0 audio commentary track.
Dialogue is always clear and never loses clarity amongst the on-screen carnage, of which there is plenty. There were no audio sync problems.
The film's score suitably fits the material and is lovingly enhanced with several Queen songs, one scene in particular is a showstopper and uses Queen's Don't Stop Me Now to brilliant effect. I won't spoil it for you, but a jukebox malfunction at the Winchester was the highlight of the film for this reviewer.
Surround channel usage is first rate. The rear channels get a solid workout during the many zombie attack scenes and the directional field is clearly defined.
The subwoofer adds a potent reverberation to the sound effects throughout the film.
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NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
All versions currently available are basically the same.
Director Edgar Wright's Shaun Of The Dead is the best horror/comedy in years and is equal parts comedy, blood and guts gore fest and sweet romantic interlude - figure that one out. The disc is very well presented in both the audio and visual areas and there are plenty of extras. This is a definite keeper.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-535, using Component output |
| Display | LG 76cm Widescreen Flatron Television. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Sony HT-K215. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Sony HT-K215 |
| Speakers | fronts-paradigm titans, centre &rear Sony - radio parts subbie |