Shaun of the Dead (UK/France, 2004)

After finally deciding to put his life in order and win his girlfriend back, Shaun (Simon Pegg) has to deal with the more pressing matter of zombies.

Zombie comedy at its best. Though it might not satisfy the gore fans, Shaun of the Dead tackles the zombie genre in a fashion that reflects today’s everydayl life. It takes Shaun quite a while to notice the undead, even though they are all around him. The movie gives us an image of people living like zombies, and the transition to being actually undead does not change their behavior much. Except maybe for the acquired tasted for human flesh, which comes gradually as Shaun begins to notice the zombies themselves.

Well made, with all the classic elements of the zombie genre and in bonus : believable acting ! Good British deadpan humor that does not go over the top. It is a very well achieved blend. Not to be missed.

Contains four movies :

Beyond the Law (Italy/Germany, 1968)
Death Rides a Horse (Italy, 1968)
God’s Gun (Italy/Israel, 1976)
Cry Blood Apache (USA, 1970)

The first three films star Lee Van Cleef and are spaghetti westerns. As for the fourth one, well, it doesn’t star Lee Van Cleef and certainly is not a spaghetti western. Why it is in the boxed set is a mystery.

Beyond the Law is about a bandit (Van Cleef), and his two partners, who becomes the town’s sheriff after hepling getting rid of another gang of bandits. The plan is to accept the job in order to steal a stockpile of silver from the town.

A fine exemple of the genre. Very entertaining to watch for western film fans, but might leave others unsatisfied. Well made and Van Cleef makes for a good performance.

Death Rides a Horse is a tale of revenge. A boy, named Bill (John Phillip Law), saw his family slaughtered by an outlaw band at a young age and vows to avenge them, wich he goes on doing several years later. That is when he meets Ryan (Van Cleef) who is trying to get even with that same gang for an entirely different reason. Eventually, they team up to go against the outlaws.

Excellent theme song ! A very good spaghetti western, even if the look of Bill’s character is a clear rip-off of Clint Eastwood‘s man with no name, down to the jacket and the pose. Anyway, it makes for a very good time and is most enjoyable.

God’s Gun tells the story of a priest (Van Cleef) who is murdered after helping his town to get rid of an outlaw gang. The gang is in for a surprise as the priest’s aid goes and gets help from a man named Lewis who used to live in that town.

That one is a treat. Though today some of it might seem farfetched and clichéd, it must have been very original at the time. Van Cleef’s charisma seems very strong in this film, his presence fills the screen. A must see for genre lovers.

Cry Blood Apache is a flashback. The whole movie is a flashback. It is about a gang looking for gold and how unscrupulous they are in achieving their goal.

Mostly irrelevant, really. Bad acting, directing, fighting and characterization. Forgettable.