Many fans of the zombie genre are turning away from the movies filled with dread and horror, and are focusing on the most recent trend in zombie pop culture: the Gore Comedy. I personally think that making light of the freaky stuff is a much better way to go, and I thoroughly enjoyed both of the above listed movies, but I still have to ask: If there was a category for best Gore Comedy at the Oscar's who would win? I think most people would automatically say Zombieland, but I think if given a closer look these two classics would prove to be much more evenly matched. Don't be mistaken by that statement because they are two very different styles, and the humor in both is very different, but I think their differences are what make them both so important to see.
I'll start with the high points in Zombieland first since it is the most recent. I think we can all agree that all scenes with Bill Murry were the peak of hilarity in this movie. The fact that they were able to combine zombies with Ghostbusters on some level made my life. And of course we can't forget the hilarious montage of people getting accosted, and eaten by zombies; it wouldn't be a good zombie movie with out it, and I think in this aspect Zombieland trumped Shaun of the Dead. Also the rules of survival added a level of whit to the movie that wasn't necessarily better than Shaun of the Dead, but it was certainly different. All in all Zombieland was much more geared towards what could really happen given a zombie outbreak; where Shaun of the Dead was more of a ridiculous narrative.
Shaun of the Dead is one of the first to pave the way for Gore Comedies, and in that aspect it is much more of a classic than Zombieland. I think the thing that makes Shaun of the Dead so funny is how ridiculous all of the situations are. The zombies walk like half a mile per hour so I'm pretty sure a two-year-old could outrun them which begs the question how did such a wide spread of zombies occur in the first place? If I had to choose which zombie world I'd rather be it would definitely be the world in Shaun of the Dead, considering a solid power walk would get me out of any dangerous situation. The Killer British whit, and hilarious situations definitely compete with the higher budget Zombieland.
I don't think I can pick a winner. I think the world would be a much less funny place without both of these movies. I like them both for different reasons, but maybe you have a favorite? Please feel free to leave your opinion in the comment section.
