# Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555 "2012-11-01T12:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/21 "2012-11-01T16:13:34Z")
I would have to say Shaun for many of the reasons cited above. Observation: my son and I had seen Shaun. We were visiting a friend who had seen Zombieland. We decided on a double feature to share them - but started with Zombieland. Should’ve started with Shaun - if feels so weird to use this adjective to describe Shaun of the Dead, a zombie movie, but it was more subtle and character-focused - dammit, it was! 😉 Seeing Zombieland first got us more in big, whiz-bang action/funny mode so Shaun seemed like a downshift. If we had seen Shaun first it would’ve been a great opener leading to the big whiz-bang of ZL. IMHO, of course… ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/22 "2012-11-01T16:14:46Z")
I was just discussing both movies yesterday, saying to someone that if they liked Shaun of the Dead, they should give Zombieland a try. Both are fun and funny movies, but Shaun of the Dead is more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/23 "2012-11-01T17:55:27Z")
Shaun is REALLY REALLY good until like the last half-hour… and then it falls flat. Once you get to them trapped in the Winchester and they need to start killing off characters ‘just cuz’ I lose interest. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/24 "2012-11-01T18:01:44Z")
The scene in _Shaun_ where they are going through the record selection to pick what to throw at the zombie… holy balls! It really doesn’t get better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/25 "2012-11-01T18:02:11Z")
Another “liked _Zombieland_ loved _Shaun_” here. \*Zombieland \* was a bigger surprise because I really didn’t expect to care for it, but I still probably won’t see it again. _Shaun_ gets rewatched and loaned to friends, even those who don’t like zombie movies. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/26 "2012-11-01T18:07:06Z")
Shaun of the Dead! ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/27 "2012-11-01T18:54:58Z")
From start to finish, I found Zombieland to be funny/hilarious/great. Shaun had a lot of good scenes but also some that fell flat for me. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/28 "2012-11-01T18:56:42Z")
Enjoyed both immensely, but have to give the nod to Zombieland. I love the rules. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/29 "2012-11-01T19:01:43Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > The scene in _Shaun_ where they are going through the record selection to pick what to throw at the zombie… holy balls! It really doesn’t get better than that. I love that scene. _Purple Rain_? No. _Sign o’ the Times_? Definitely not. _Batman_ soundtrack? Throw it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/30 "2012-11-01T19:23:43Z")
> [@Cumbrian](#): > > Shaun. > > Let me state for the record though that a) I really enjoyed Zombieland and this does not imply that it is a bad movie. I thought it was really good but b) I’m British, so Shaun works for me more due to the inherent “Britishness” of it hitting my main cultural touchpoints. I can understand what you’re saying, but you know what? I was born in New York City, I’ve lived in Austin, Texas for 26 years, and I’ve known DOZENS of guys in Austin exactly like Shaun! Austin is filled with likable underachievers like Shaun and Ed. There are countless Austin males who graduated from college a decade ago, but are still living like college boys- sharing a squalid apartment, working jobs that are beneath them, spending their spare time drinking and playing video games, while their girlfriends (who’ve gotten high-paying executive jobs at Dell or IBM) are nagging them to grow up. Shaun used a few British words and phrases that I wasn’t familiar with, but I had absolutely no trouble relating to him. Incidentally, I first saw \*\*\*Shaun of the Dead \*\*\*at an Austin theater called the Alamo Draft House. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost must have visted a few days earlier, because the theater showed a quick promo video in which Nick and Simon welcomed the audience, and gave us a friendly “Hook 'em Horns!” ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/31 "2012-11-01T19:54:47Z")
Don’t make choose. Who would ever have guessed that I would have two favorite Zom Rom Coms? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/32 "2012-11-01T20:33:12Z")
My main issue with _Shaun_ is Ed. I’m aware that it’s comedy and parody, but the “obliviously stupid” character is one of my movie peeves. ---
**Author:** ![spymaniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@spymaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spymaniac)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/33 "2012-11-01T21:04:47Z")
Shaun Of The Dead easily. agree with the person that said to check out the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg/Nick Frost series ‘Spaced’ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/34 "2012-11-01T21:15:15Z")
Tough call. _Shaun_ is the far more intricately written and richer film, but I’m not big on popular music so many of those references simply escaped me. I found it also helped to turn the subtitling on for some scenes. And _Zombieland_ has Emma Stone… yowsa… But if I must choose… _Shaun_, barely. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/35 "2012-11-01T21:27:21Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > My main issue with _Shaun_ is Ed. I’m aware that it’s comedy and parody, but the “obliviously stupid” character is one of my movie peeves. Which is my problem with _Zombieland_ - everyone in it is obliviously stupid. Which kind of pissed me off, since the opening baited me with the idea that this movie would be about smart people dealing intelligently with zombie movie tropes and cliches, but ended up being about people who are markedly dumber than the standard horror movie victims. Still liked it all right, but it’s not a patch on _Shaun_. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/36 "2012-11-01T21:27:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > My main issue with _Shaun_ is Ed. I’m aware that it’s comedy and parody, but the “obliviously stupid” character is one of my movie peeves. This. Close race, but Zombieland wins by virtue of thinking through the ramifications of zombie apocalypse in a rather more realistic way, considering. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/37 "2012-11-01T21:43:07Z")
I have both, I love both, but I love Shaun more than Z-land. > [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > I like Zombieland a LOT. In fact, sometimes, I freak out in public restrooms, waiting for a zombie to come in under the stall. > > But I own a copy of Shaun of the Dead and watch it at least once a month. The list of lines that have fallen into our personal conversational lexicon is crazy. Two common ones: “Two seconds!” “It’s been a funny sort of day.” (My Fella’s favorite character out of all of them is Barbara.) > > Dammit! Now I’m going to have to go watch it again! Fuck a doodle doo! ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/38 "2012-11-01T21:45:00Z")
I was sorta meh about Land. Shaun all the way. ---
**Author:** ![spymaniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@spymaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spymaniac)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/39 "2012-11-01T22:11:45Z")
> [@Gozu\_Tashoya](#): > > Zombieland wins by virtue of thinking through the ramifications of zombie apocalypse in a rather more realistic way, considering. I’m liking the notion of a “realistic” zombie apocalypse here… by that token would you say Gremlins was a rather more “realistic” depiction of cute mischief-making alien creatures invading earth than Critters? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555/40 "2012-11-01T22:11:49Z")
Like them both but have to go for _Shaun._ Not many movies can make a fart joke both funny & poignant at the same time. \*I’m sorry, Shaun. \* It’s OK Ed. \*No, I’m _sorry_, Shaun. \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombieland-or-shaun-of-the-dead/639555.md?page=3)