Over/Under Movies finishes its third and final Halloween-themed episode with a double feature of zombie comedy mayhem. On this episode, my co-host Oktay Ege Kozak chose “Shaun of the Dead” as the overrated movie, and “The Return Of The Living Dead” as the underrated. As usual, I’m joined by co-host Ryan Oliver as we try to navigate the murky waters of what actually makes a good zombie comedy.
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Edgar Wright‘s feature-length debut (if you don’t count “Fistful Of Fingers“) is beloved, and for good reason. It’s a lovingly made homage to the films the director and his co-writer/star Simon Pegg (their working relationship kicking off with the also awesome BBC show “Spaced“) hold dear. It shows in the execution of the tonal balance and the energy in the performances along with the film’s exciting energy. But my co-hosts argue that “Shaun of the Dead,” while enjoyable, is the least successful of Pegg and Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy.
“The Return of the Living Dead” is an odd one. Though it’s not directly connected George Romero‘s series of ‘Living Dead’ titles, it does come with a clever, not-too-cloyingly winking meta approach that sees the original “Night Of The Living Dead” get referenced within the world of the movie. The narrative plays out as though it were a dramatic recreation of true events, adding another bizarre but fun stylistic conceit, but writer/director Dan O’Bannon keeps things light and bathed in pure ’80s goofiness. It’s another crazy tonal balancing act, a movie that may play better with a group of like-minded movie fans, but one worth seeking out even if Halloween has come and gone. After all, any time is a good time for BRAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNS.
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