Shaun of the Dead Context Flashcards
Who directed Shaun of the Dead?
Edgar Wright
What was the budget of Shaun of the Dead?
$5 million
How much did Shaun of the Dead make at the box office?
$38 million worldwide
What production companies were involved in making Shaun of the Dead?
Universal Pictures, StudiCanal, Working Title Films, Big Talk Productions and Film 4
Where did the idea for Shaun of the Dead come from?
It came from an episdoe of Edgar Wright’s ‘Spaced’ where Simon Pegg’s character hallucinates a zombie invasion after playin a game. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright all worked together on Spaced.
What is the trilogy that Shaun of the Dead is a part of?
The Cornetto Trilogy - the other two films are ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘ At World’s End’
What makes Edgar Wright an auteur?
His style includes whip pans and fast paced editing.
What are the politics behind Shaun of the Dead?
The film does not explicitly reference the politics of the time. The country was under right-wing rule and we can see Edgar Wright’s views on this implicitly through the film. Shaun of the Dead is a satire on modern life in the UK and represents consumerist culture.
What do the zombies represent in Shaun of the Dead?
They are the fear of doing nothing with your life. People in society have becoem like zombies, living monotonous lives in which they barely seem to be conscious. The zombies are also a manifestation of Shaun’s fears of losing his girlfriend Liz due to his own zombie-like behaviour.
How can we see that Shaun of the Dead is a culturally British film?
The film is set in England with a mostly British cast and crew. British music such as ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen is used and it is shot on location, which is a common feature of British films.The pub is also a key location which is somewhere associated with British people.The film uses dry, niche humour such as sarcasm.
What film is Shaun of The Dead a homage to?
Dawn of the Dead by Oscar Romero.
What is the genre cycle of the zombie film?
The experimental stage - This is when the conventions are established
The classical stage - conventions reach their equilibrium and are mutually understood by the artist and audience
The revisionist stage - some stylistic details are used and some of the conventions are questioned/revised
The reflexive stage - when the embelishments become the substance of the film and they are usually more comedic. This is where Shaun of the Dead fits in.
