Originally posted by renaldow
Shaun of the Dead was a good movie.

Have to disagree with you almost entirely on Undead though. Marion is definitely not an 'everyman' and is nowhere near being like Ash. As for wondering how a 'hick like Marion learn to deal out lead punishment like that?!' then I'd advise you to watch the movie again. All the clues are there, I won't state the painfully obvious for fear of making uneeded spoilers for those that haven't watched it. Why you would compare it to EDII, I don't know, as it's definitely not even styled liked EDII. You might as well compare it to Star Trek or Beaches. No offense, but I don't think you quite got this movie.

Originally posted by renaldow
And you don't think Raimi copies others? The humor I found in your comparison to EDII is that movie itself is so derivative of many other films. And while you may be able to make a comparison between directing styles, that doesn't mean the movies themselves can be compared. It's an apples/oranges situation.

I finally got around to checking this one out, and I was very happy with what I saw. If you like any sort of zombie movie, the Evil Dead series, Dead Alive, and stuff like that then you really need to check this Australian flick out sometime. I don't know what the budget was exactly, but it is said to have been very little, but by watching the film you never could just guess such as that. They did a great job on such a small budget. They did better than some films that I've seen that had a huge budget.

The Spierig Brothers did a great job on every aspect of this, from the lighting, effects, sound effects, score, and on and on. This is a B-movie zombie movie, and every single thing about it makes sure you understand that. Well, everything but the effects, that is just great. The acting is fine also, aside from a little problem that I had with the main cop in the film. Just like in other films like this, it's just "too" over the top for me. Everyone else did great in my opinion.

What's so odd though, is that this is really unlike any other zombie type movie that I've ever seen. I don't really want to say much about the plot and what happens, but just rest assured, it's very much a roller-coaster ride with things that you just don't expect to happen, happening left and right. It's just flat out a film that'll have you saying "holy crap, now that was bad ass" over and over again.

Dog Soldiers.

28 Days Later.

Haute Tension.

Undead.

Over the past year or so, it seems that just about all of the great horror films have come from everywhere but the USA. With the release of Shaun of the Dead, that streak seems to want to keep on keepin' on.

Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that I now have a brand spankin' new "favorite zombie film ever". We've talked about this in a few threads so far this year, have it be about the trailer or whatever, and I just now got the chance to watch this instant classic.

The film starts out somewhat slow, a rather odd pacing for a film of this sort. We are introduced to all of the characters right off the bat, in a way that feels more like a drama or a romantic comedy than any sort of horror film. Then again, as the tagline says, it is basically a romantic comedy...with zombies. Starting out, I was questioning the way it began, but once it was all said and done it made the start of the film just feel perfect to me. You had enough of all of the characters by the time the real action started, that all of the characters actually meant something to you.

I appreciate that, especially in a film of this sort. Many filmmakers never take the time to allow the viewer to have any sort of understanding of any of the characters in a film like this, with the exception of one or two main stars.

So yeah, a romantic comedy...with zombies is basically what we have here, and by God it's absolutely perfect. Even at the start, when the plot seems to be going at a slower pace, there are things in the background letting you know what is to come, various little things where you see the zombie epidemic starting up, and it's just a riot. Shaun doesn't seem to expect anything, and why should he? Afterall, who in their right mind would actually take small details and come to the conclusion that zombies must be a comin'?

I can't remember the last time a "horror" film had such a perfect mixture of, well, everything. Laughs (a lot of laughs), sentimental moments, straight up action, gore gore and more gore, a great script, a fantastic and simple plot, and every other thing you could ask for. It's all here, and it all comes together unlike any film in recent memory.

Oh yeah, the zombies in this film...they aren't kung-fu stars, they don't run up and down the streets, and they aren't superhuman. What we're dealing with here are old school, hard-core, wanting nothing but YOUR flesh zombies who can hardly stand up or walk.

Just the way I like em.

Without even needing to think about it for even a second, without second thoughts, this gets an instant 10/10 rating from me. Dawn of the Dead? House of 1000 Corpses? House of the Dead? I don't think so, nothing like that can even touch this film, it's not even a contest. Hey, I loved Dawn of the Dead just as much as the next guy, it was great also, but Shaun just blows it out of the water in my opinion.

It's weird, in Shaun I literally do not have a single complaint. There wasn't even a character that I hated, like there almost always is in a film like this. I either flat out loved every character in the film, or I loved to hate them. If this one is released in theaters here in the USA, you can be sure that I'll be the first one standing in line. I already want to see it on the big screen, and I really want the DVD right now.

Yeah, I say it's my favorite "zombie" film, but it's much more than that also. I mean, I have the same sort of feeling now that I've seen this film that I had after seeing flicks like Big Fish and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind earlier this year. That feeling being of 100% satisfaction.

And pray to God for a sequel of some sort, or at least another feature film from the duo of Simon Pegg (main star) and Edgar Wright (director). They also co-wrote the script with one another, this being their first major feature film. So that's all for now, I'm sure I'll make more comments on this as the thread goes forward. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest before bed.

We can't allow films like these to go unnoticed.

I was going over various horror movie sites a few months ago, and over at Bloody-Disgusting I found a review for a French film, Haute Tension (English title, Switchblade Romance). After weeks and months of trying to find some way to see it, this evening I finally got around to watching it.

And I'm very glad that I did.

The film is just A grade quality all the way through. The performances of the two girls being stalked Cécile De France (Marie) and Maïwenn Le Besco (Alex) are great, while Cécile does an especially good job. Then we have the protagonist, Philippe Nahon (Le tueur), who does just perfect in the role of the insane madman. This character is smart, creative, and you will hate his guts.

While watching Tension, I had the same feeling that I get when watching films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the such. It's more than just a cheap teen slasher flick. It's smart and frightening. The level of tension throughout the film starts with the very first frame, and it stays high throughout the entire film. Something like that is rare in horror these days, so that is yet another reason I loved this one.

The score fits perfectly in this film, and as the guy over at Bloody-Disgusting said, "The film also contains the most brilliant score I've heard in a long time. It is in the tradition of the 70's horror classics with a touch of Goblin from Argento's work.", I agree with every word of that.

Then we have the director. This horror flick is Alexandre Aja's first dive into the genre, but he has a film here that makes it feel like the guy who directed it had been working on this type of film for years. He did a supurb job, and I can't wait for his next horror film, if he decides to continue down this same road.

In my opinion, this Tension is better than any horror film released in the US in the past few years. If you haven't seen this one yet, then go find it. I give it a 9/10 rating, it really is that good.