Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleatings, my beloved tribe! Shaun of the Dead is one of my favourite films of all time, and I honestly rate it as the best zombie film I’ve seen. So naturally, because I’m a major nerd, I know all sorts of weird and useless behind-the-scenes things about it – as per my tendency to finish watching/reading something I love, and then go down a research rabbit-hole. Here are 5 of my favourite bits of trivia!

5. Did you know… about all the references and Easter Eggs?

I don’t know about you, but I love little sewn in references to other stuff I like, and this film is packed full of them. From Bernie and John (who were the names of Simon Pegg’s real-life local pub landlords), to Spaced references, to nods and winks to the works and artists that inspired Shaun of the Dead (from Night of the Living Dead, to Lucio Fulci, to the store called Landis), this film is full to the brim of fun little things like this.

4. Did you know… about all the continuity errors?

As well as being packed full of references, Shaun of the Dead is also packed full of tiny mistakes. I was actually in defiant denial about this initially, because I personally think that Shaun is basically a perfect script. However, despite my blind and fierce loyalty, there are somewhere in the region of 60 continuity errors plaguing this PERFECT production. It’s still perfect in my eyes!

3. Did you know… about the mirror homages?

So, it’s probably not news to anyone that likes this film that it’s heavily inspired by the works of George A. Romero (as evidenced by the genre itself, as well as all those references I already touched on). However, it might delight you to learn that in turn, Romero was a fan of Shaun of the Dead, which is why he cast Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright in cameo zombie roles in Land of the Dead. The homage circle is complete!

Sidenote: I can’t imagine what it must have been like to meet Romero, being such a fan. I’ve been worshipping him as a god for decades. I was actually lined up to interview him once but he passed away before his travel plans to the UK came to fruition. The devastation… I can’t even tell you.

2. Did you know… about the fish?

Or specifically, the restaurant? When Shaun promises Liz that he’ll take her to “the place that does all the fish”, he was being quite literal. The place IS called The Place That Does All The Fish. I only wish that they spelled ‘”place” like “plaice”.

1. Did you know… we were robbed of a sequel?

It’s probably for the best, because without sequels, Shaun of the Dead will forever stand alone as an amazing movie that can’t be tainted by risking future, lesser works. However, Wright and Pegg did consider it and – this is what makes me sad that it never came to fruition – it would have been called From Dusk Till Shaun.

If you have any great Shaun trivia, please let me know! I need more! MORE!