Shaun of the Dead

Went to see Shaun of the Dead this evening with Julie, Mike, and Michelle; I guess our Friday Movie NIght was rescheduled. Now I was a little concerned about going to see it; I had hear that it was really funny, and had expressed my desire to see it. But then Michelle told me that she had heard that it was pretty gory, and that maybe it would be best if I didn't go to see it. In addition to being a bigger fraidy cat than most guys my age, I have always actively avoid any and all zombie movies; the flesh-eating is always more bothersome to me than most any other gore. Michelle showed me the original "Dawn of the Dead" at a party in high school, which I watched through my fingers; and I saw the latter half of "28 Days Later", and was too busy not liking the movie to be scared. I have never had the nerve to watch the original "Night of the Living Dead", although I know the story. So I went into the theater with a fair amount of trepidation. I'm glad that I did.

I absolutely loved the movie. I'm not even certain why I liked it so much; it wasn't nearly as gory as all that -- well OK, so someone is ripped to shreds and his innards are eaten, but maybe my threshold for nausea has increased a great deal. But the guy playing the eponymous character did a really wonderful job of making his character believable and actually human. In a way, the movie can be seen as a coming of age (this age being 30) for the main character; the first scene he's in, we see him basically being told that he needs to grow up, and through everything he goes through, he really does. At the same time, he is not the sort of hero that suddenly has knowledge about things he has no need or right to know. He just muddles through it, surviving partly by chance, and partly from his sheer determination not to die. (BTW: Beware: there may be *SPOILERS* about.) And, of course, his need to save his leading lady. I watched the movie, assuming that the ending would be the requisite incredibly bleak ending -- I mean, how else can a zombie movie end? -- but then, suddenly, they are saved. The zombies don't go away, exactly, but they become a part of everyday life in a way that makes complete sense to me. Suddenly rock bands are performing at ZombAid, and TV shows are produced with zombie contestants. It's not a happy ending, exactly -- too much has been lost for it to be happy -- but it isn't bleak, either. The apocolypse came, people survived, and then a bunch of pundits and news shows beat the whole thing to death with endless talk about "Z-day". And grocery store managers discover that zombies are perfect for bringing in carts from the parking lots. Sounds about right.

I also like the idea of having a sort of mirror image, living a symettrical life to you, occasionally crossing paths at key moments. Yvonne of the Dead, anyone?

Also watched The Ladykillers and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb tonight; an evening heavy on dark comedies.