So i saw zombieland earlier and loved it, it was the most fun ive had watching a film in a while, being a zombie comedy i instantly thought of comparing it to shaun of the dead and i honestly found myself liking zombieland more. Thing is im sure it wont be the same for most, but i think i know why. At least in part its a generational thing. both films are great, they both have good effects, performances, soundtracks, there both incredibly funny but still have tense moments. The only difference i can think of in terms of leaning is on the viewers part.
bear with me hear, i might ramble.
Now i think people forget sometimes im actually one of the youngest people on her, along with mo' and craig and a few others we make up a much smaller younger generation of people on here, and honestly i think the shaun zombieland split is above 25 in favor of shaun, below might favor zombie land.
The key reason, for me at least, is the music. Though this is more a shaun thing, but a valid point to make. A prime example is the song "zombie nation" a techno/trance style beat in shaun, thats an example of the divide im talking about, im old enough to recognize these references to turn of the century culture, i'll still find them funny, but its that specific era were its not the music of your parents, which everyone hates when there younger but learn to dig in later years, its not "your music" its the music of kids a few years older who you think "what the fuck are you doing?" a lot of the stuff in shaun is like that, i get the joke and the reference, but just because i was there to experience it doesnt mean its "mine" like stuff about 5 years later y'know? its a sort of divide that zombieland, the more recent one doesnt have, i'll chuckle in a knowing way with the online games and mountain dew gags than up after 3 after a lock in scratching on lp's, because honestly i know tons of people who play videogames online, none except for dj's who even own lp's anymore. Its not just the subtle culture touches however.
Theres the zombies, the guns and the cars. now i first saw romeors flicks, the obvious shaun inspiration what?, 10-15 years ago for the first time? for older viewers thats a much shorter associative time compared to themselves. When people here first saw dawn when it came out in there early teens i saw 28 days later, so its a much more comfortable transition to have faster, more vicious zombies as its been the mainstream equivalent for the most part for my youth. for older viewers this is a pisstake compared to what they know and love, and it takes them right out of enjoying the movie, sometimes making it absurd, which is why im also not throwing undead into the zom-com ring tonight
But shaun isn't that, its familiar, its your zombies, your notions, for all intents and purposes if wright and romero shook on it and agreed shaun was part of the original trilogy's canon most people wouldn't bat an eye because it has what you love and grew up with.
Which brings me to the technology. most older zombie flick fans will see shaun, a guy in a suburban area, with one gun by the end, some friends and enemies and feel familiar with it, then look at the people of zombieland, with big suv's and hummers, ridiculous weapons they find by happenstance and all these expensive things as, again, a pisstake. Where an older viewer might just think "why is Tallahassee wasting those bullets?" younger viewers will just see the normal excess of our generation and more readily accept it, because people in the 30s grew up in a "shaun" world, drinking at the pub, going to work and hanging out with mates, its approachable. Seeing the likes of hummers as rich folks toys, playing videogames over the internet and recording some disaster on a camerphone or handycam is less familiar. They see it all around nowadays, like everyone, but its not the world they grew up in. Its the major difference between shaun and ZL. the england of shaun is anywhere in the world for older viewers, its what they grew up in, its ingrained on there being. For younger viewers the same is true for zombie land, we have grown up in a world where its second nature to send messages electronically instead of by mail. to have the luxury of outrageous clothes and cars, everyone does, but its the younger generations natural environment, they grew up in it, as opposed to older viewers, where it grew up around them.
I hope im getting some semblance of coherency across but too compare the two, shaun is the zombie comedy of the current adult generations, zombieland is the example for us younger people. at least in my opinion. i love them both, there both excellent movies, but whichever you prefer i think honestly relies on which side of the age line you are, specifically around the turn of the century and the following change in the zombie as a movie monster. i love them both, but zombieland felt like the make up of the film was something i could easily accept, to be blunt i think its not as easy to sit down and get into for older viewers.
Of course its everyones opinion too, theres going to be older folks who love it, younger people who wont compared to shaun, this post isnt really to argue which is the better film, why i voted ZL, just why i think it may appeal to you, whichever member you happen to be reading this right now.
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Originally Posted by DjfunkmasterG
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