Bursby's Blog

Blog

Shaun of the Dead: Comedy with Character

Shaun of the Dead is considered one of the best examples of a “cult film”. What is a cult film? Cult films are films that have massive communities that support the film, the cast, and its creators. Many cult films face box office disappointment or complete failure, but growing large followings over time. A famous, recent examples are the Star Wars prequels. The Star Wars prequels (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) were met with harsh critique with minimal praise for Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. 15 years later, the films have been met with praise for the stellar story telling that George Lucas brought to the big screen once again.

Shaun of the Dead is a film directed by Edgar Wright released in the year 2004, with star actors like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost playing the main characters. Shaun of the Dead is a soulful comedy focusing on a loser and outcast, Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his man child friend Ed (Nick Frost) and their mission to rescue the ones they love and survive the newly sparked zombie outbreak. After a series of misfortune and neglect of priorities in Shaun’s life, he finally gets to redeem himself and his relationship with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield).

What do I think of the film? To me, personally I love the films clever and witty dialog and expertly shot cinematography. The humor appeals to me because the execution is well thought out and timed perfectly. The way the movie subtly hints towards the zombie apocalypse through the television media and through the everyday actions of Shaun provides a fresh, satirical play on a zombie film. Edgar Wright shows his mastery of film making with his quick wipe cuts and pacing of film which he has proven he is a master at.

What is the underlining meaning of Shaun of the Dead? Shaun of the Dead is an allegory for Shaun’s life and the change he creates in his life. Ed symbolizes Shaun’s childish side and Shaun’s other roommate; Pete symbolizes the blue collar side of Shaun. Both are killed in their own respective was to show how Shaun can be himself and find balance in his life and commit to his relationship with Liz.

Zine Research

Before creating our zines we must do proper research before.

50 Things: Find 50 zines and publications that you love. Document them as part of your research. Answer the following questions:

—   who made it?

                —   who is it for?

• Is there a website for it? Include links
• What’s it about?
• What’s the format (size and binding method if able to tell)

Physical zine, magazine, or publication: If you have this already, great! If not, you do not have to try to go out and buy something right now. Find something online to use as your example. Why did you choose it? What makes it special and interesting?

TOP 10

1. Wings – The buffalo wing was invented in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY
2. South Park – South Park is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for the Comedy Central television network. The series revolves around four boys—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and their exploits in and around the titular Colorado town. The show became infamous for its profanity and dark, surreal humor that satirizes a wide range of topics towards a mature audience.
3. Edgar Wright – Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English director, screenwriter and producer. Recognized as an auteur, he is famous for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical genre films, which feature extensive reliance on music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zooms and a signature editing style that includes transitions, whip-pans and wipes.
4. Football – Gridiron football (French: football de grille), also known more rarely as North American football (French: football Nord-Américain) or, in North America, simply football, is a football sport primarily played in the United States and Canada. American football, which uses 11-player teams, is the form played in the United States and the best known form of gridiron football worldwide, while Canadian football, featuring 12-player teams, predominates in Canada. Other derivative varieties include indoor football, football for smaller teams (most commonly eight players), and informal games such as touch and flag football. Football is played at professional, collegiate, semi-professional, and amateur levels.
5. Oculus VR – Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. Applications of virtual reality can include entertainment (i.e. video games) and educational purposes (i.e. medical or military training). Other, distinct types of VR style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality.
6. Akira – Akira (Japanese: アキラ Hepburn: Akira) is a 1988 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic cyberpunk film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, produced by Ryōhei Suzuki and Shunzō Katō, and written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, based on Otomo’s 1982 manga of the same name. The film had a production budget of ¥1.1 billion ($9 million), making it the most expensive anime film of its time.
7. Air Max 90’s – Known as the Air Max III until 2000, when it was reissued taking its name from the year of its launch. The original colourway of white/black/cool grey with infrared was chosen to exaggerate the thickness of the sole air cushion. The upper featured Duromesh, synthetic felt and synthetic leather. Nike specially designed a pair of Nike Air Max 90s for President George H.W. Bush. Images of the customized sneakers have been seen around the Department of Nike Archives, and feature AIR PRES branding along with what appears to be a unique colorway.
8. Rock – Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as “rock and roll” in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly from a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.
9. Bernie Sanders – Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007 and as U.S. Representative for the state’s at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history, though he has a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career. Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president and is running again in 2020. Before entering each race, he pledged to serve as a Democrat if elected.
10. Horror Films – A horror film is a film that seeks to elicit fear for entertainment purposes. Initially inspired by literature from authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley, horror has existed as a film genre for more than a century. The macabre and the supernatural are frequent themes. Horror may also overlap with the fantasy, supernatural fiction, and thriller genres.