Dustin: Hey! I'm here with D.J. and D.J.'s beard. The subject of this installment of “Spoiler Warning” is... Shaun of the Dead.

DJ: My beard... ? I don't have a girlfriend. ... Oh, never mind. Uh, yeah! We're doing a “Spoiler” on one of my favorite movies ever! (I'll just get that right out of the way.)

Dustin: One sentence in and you've already lowered our standards. I applaud you.

DJ: It's how I roll. What can I say? (Insert fart joke here.) Waka waka waka!

Dustin: Dude, you're a gas.

DJ: YES! I applaud you! Wait... why'd I start this? I hate fart jokes. Though the one in Shaun of the Dead is tolerable. Say-- Shaun of the Dead! We're supposed to be chatting about that right now, aren't we?

Dustin: Yeah. Shaun is a delightful little film, blending several genres of film like a three-bean salad. It was described by its creators back during its release as "A romantic comedy. With zombies." And it really is that. Of the three, I'd say romance figures in the least and comedy and horror kind of are neck and neck. I could probably illustrate that better with a pie chart.

DJ: I like pie... Mmmm... pie... yummy. What's your favorite kind of pie, Dustin? Mine's blackberry!

Dustin: Apple for me. The brief synopsis of the plot... residents of a London suburb mysteriously begin turning into zombies, which really isn't the problem foremost on hero Shaun's mind at the start of the film. You see, he's having relationship issues, not just with his girlfriend Liz, but also in association with his long time best friend Ed. The zombie problem becomes an issue when Shaun and Ed are attacked by a pair o' the undead, setting in motion a campaign of rescue and survival as Shaun and Ed go round to collect Shaun's mom, step-dad, the now-estranged Liz, and as it happens, her two friends.

DJ: And all kinds of genre bending hilarity ensues! I let the cat out of the bag early; I adore this crazy little limey flick. What about you, sir?

Dustin: Really, it's a pants-moistening good time.

DJ: Yes! I like that phrase and will use it often without giving you credit unless someone asks (because I cannot tell a lie).

Dustin: I should point out that this is an entry on an ever-growing list of films that my wife wouldn't see with me because it's not "her kind of funny,” which is ridiculous because on occasions when she's used that before (Dodgeball and The 40-Year-Old Virgin), she's ended up liking the movie more than I did after the fact. But I had to go and see this one by myself, which is a bit of a misleading statement since "by myself" doesn't account for a theater full of people like me. The peeps, they like themselves a good zombie flick that also brings the funny.

DJ: I find this film to be hilarious and like it much more as a comedy than anything else. I'm not a big fan of zombies. If this were just about Shaun and his pals and g-friend and mom and step-dad and shitty job, etc-- I'd still be down. The zombie stuff is fun and gross and full of little shocks, but the human comedy and characters are what do it for me.

Dustin: No argument with that, but you can't deny that there's a rich history of films like this, what with Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, and Dead Alive coming well before it. Now each of those uses varying combinations of horror, comedy, and romance, but they've set up a blend that Shaun really has refined. The zombies are more of a plot device than something meant to inspire genuine horror, though, even if the effects themselves are really quite stellar. The comedic aspects probably are the best draw to this film.

DJ: Indeed and well said, my friend. It's been commented many a time about this flick, but I do so love that while it's mostly a romantic comedy, it doesn't skip on the zombie horror. It is legitimately a zombie picture. I personally focus more on the comedy and characters, but this has some serious zombie shit. People are hurt, there's blood, characters die. The tone shifts impressively, especially near the end of the picture.

Dustin: In more ways than one. We end up seeing that it's not just a romance about Shaun and Liz, but also the platonic romance between Shaun and Ed. There's deep relationships both ways, and really a lot of the underlying point is a love triangle between Shaun and Ed and Liz.

DJ: Yes, that's a recurring theme in the work of stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Man love can be hilarious. Next to Dante and Randal from the Clerks flicks and JD and Turk on Scrubs, I think Shaun and Ed are my favorite heterosexual man couple.

Dustin: Well, there's our obligatory Kevin Smith reference.

DJ: What the-- yay! And make note that I didn't include Jay and Silent Bob in that list because, despite their claims, I'd bet they've done "it" at least once or twice.

Dustin: I don't have a lot to say about the acting in this-- it was, at a minimum, above average for all involved, and Simon Pegg as Shaun really ends up with an emotional tour de force.

DJ: Oh, hell yeah. All the performances are so entertaining. Pegg is REALLY good. Really talented. The humor and fun is great, but you're right, he turns it around near the end. It's intense, which is surprising for what is essentially a comedy. I love this whole cast and the director (Edgar Wright) and will watch anything they do together.

Dustin: I think the real connective tissue with everything we've talked about now is the writing... the script is damn good from the nuts and bolts of dialogue up to the broad aspects of avoiding typical zombie movie clichés while at the same time spoofing many.

DJ: Oh, this script is clever as all hell. There are TONS of nods to zombie films of yore (especially those of master George Romero), and that's fun, but you mention it being connective tissue, and that's exactly right. EVERYTHING pays off in this movie, from the visuals at the beginning to Ed's drunken ranting in the bar when he's cheering up Shaun... It all ties together. No throw aways. Oh... I need to watch this again...

Dustin: Yes, yes you do. So do all of you! You, out there! Beyond the fourth wall!

DJ: This is a love fest. We're just rubbing our naughty bits all over this movie and purring like kittens, which is all deserved, but... do you have any criticisms?

Dustin: None worth mentioning. As much as I enjoy criticizing, I'm actually going to save it for better uses this time.

DJ: Really? Honestly... I think that some of the joy runs out near the third act. I appreciate how things get intense while having humorous moments, but the VERY climax, I think it falls apart a LITTLE bit. Just a little. Am I talking out of my ass here?

Dustin: Probably not. And speaking of ass, those pants make it look really fat. See? I'm issuing criticism again!

DJ: You’re an emotional abuser, DGrove! Shaun would never say something like that to Ed… They are so goddamn funny, yet it's not all about the quips. Like we’ve touched upon, it’s actually kind of deep.

Dustin: Like you’re belly button.

DJ: Your words hurt, so I’ll ignore them and change the subject… I've also been enjoying their pre-Shaun TV show Spaced thanks to the magic of YouTube (because it's not available on Region 1 DVD, and I don't have BBC America). It's got all the fun without the zombies. Lots of familiar faces and a style that you see honed over the course of the show and perfected in Shaun of the Dead.

Dustin: I think I get BBC America. I'll have to look for it. Oh, and I definitely get the internet...

DJ: I can't wait for their follow up: Hot Fuzz. Have you seen the trailer to that?

Dustin: I have, and I'm eagerly waiting for the day when I can suggest it to my wife... and she'll say it's not her kind of thing.