Shaun of the Dead Analysis Tessa P., Yixia C., Johny L., Mansoor F. Character Summary Shaun is the main character. He is unmotivated and lazy. He spends his nights drinking and does not have very much purpose. Ed is Shauns best friend. He is also lazy, and he doesnt have a job. He is selfish and doesnt care about much else besides himself and his cigarettes. Liz is Shauns girlfriend, though she quickly becomes his ex Barbara is Shauns mother Phillip is Shauns stepfather, who Shaun doesnt get along with Plot Summary Shaun spends his days working at an electronics store and his nights drinking at a pub His unemployed best friend lives on his couch, which irritates Shauns roommate, Pete Shaun forgets his anniversary with his girlfriend, so she breaks up with him The world around Shaun starts to change as strange things start to occur Plot Summary cont. Shaun and Ed start to encounter zombies, and they realize they need to leave They begin their quest to obtain Shauns ex- girlfriend and mother and head to the pub he loves They make it to the bar only to find that it is the opposite of a safe haven Everyone except Shaun and his ex-girlfriend ends up dying or becoming zombified one way another In the end, the world is saved when society trains the zombies to be used for tools and entertainment The Rhetors Edgar Wright was the director and co-writer Simon Pegg was the co- writer and actor They wanted to make the movie unique The viewers get to know the characters pre- zombies much more than other zombie movies This makes the movie more effective because it makes the characters more real and relatable We see how it was for them in the beginning, not just how they survive with the zombies Audience Response Shaun of the Dead blends satire and horror Makes the viewer feel afraid but can also make him or her laugh Can be enjoyed both casually and with cult-like intensity The director and writers tried to keep the American audience in mind while still maintaining a British flair Conventions pt. 1 Slow walking Power in masses Things go from bad to worse Only mumble and groan, incoherent Almost everyone ends up dying Humans generally the only target Failure is the only option Only goal is to feast upon the living Eats flesh Scene Analysis Mise-en-scene: the destroyed setting behind Shaun is significant because he doesnt even notice it Long shot: Shauns body almost entirely fits in the screen in the shot, which shows more of whats going on around him Following shot: the camera follows Shaun continuously through the whole scene. It makes the viewer focus on him, and more importantly, his distraction from the world around him Rhythm: the pace of his walking, the music tempo, etc Shaun of the Dead and Other Zombies Shaun of the Dead can still be considered a part of the zombie genre people switch to survival mode and have to escape from zombies as they grow in masses Characters and viewers alike experience the horror of these monsters Shaun of the Dead separates itself from other zombie movies in that it is a satire of them They are also much more casual compared to Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil, etc Works Cited Shaun of the Dead Movie Review. About.com Hollywood Movies. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct kly/aashaun072804a.htm Shaun of the Dead (2004). Shaun of the Dead. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct m/shaun_of_the_dead/