Dear Simon,
Forgive me for resisting your charms for so long.
People told me years ago that I should watch SHAUN OF THE DEAD, but I didn't because it's a zombie movie and I sort of have a thing about blood. I even taught a course on British Humour without having seen it. I gave in finally when my friend Courtney said that I simply had to see it. Simon, you are a fine actor, an exemplary comedian, but above all, an incredible writer. While your character wasn't exactly my type, the movie you created with Edgar Wright is exactly what I want in a movie.
Sure, there's blood, but there's also the most amazing narrative economy, the most touching scenes, the great mix of high and low humor, the allusions and the allusions to allusions, the ode to friendship . . .
SHAUN OF THE DEAD was what led me to see HOT FUZZ (another collaboration with Wright). My son like this more than SHAUN, but I have to rebel from him in some ways. HOT FUZZ does have everything I love about SHAUN OF THE DEAD, but for some reason doesn't touch me in quite the same way. Perhaps because your character here is a little more together than Shaun, and therefore a little less likable. Of course, you made sure that he, like Shaun, is incomplete and needs to find some hidden qualities deep in himself, but Shaun's transformation means more to me (even though his transformation seems more temporary).
After these two fine films, I should have seen SPACED immediately. I know, I know, I feel bad about it now. I mean, it's a cult classic series and it's British and wonderful. And I 
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did buy it, but then I was working and so I didn't get to it right away.
But when I finally did put that first DVD in, I had to keep putting them in. And thus I found myself watching the entire series AND the documentary on the last disc all in one day. This was the start of it all—the work with Wright, with your frequent co-star Nick Frost, and the cult of which I am now a member. Who would have thought a BBC series about a couple of semi-losers who have to pretend to be a couple to rent a flat would be such a winner? Who would have thought that that description doesn't at all begin to describe what that series actually was?
And then came RUN FATBOY RUN, which I heralded in my column from April 9th, 2008, in which I discussed the re-discovery of British Humour 
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(http://www.matchflick.com/column/1655). This was a departure from your regular crowd, and I have to admit that I was worried about it. David Schwimmer as a director? Again, I doubted. While FATBOY was no SHAUN, you won me over. Of course, having Hank Azaria play your romantic rival helped. Having him be such a twat was very necessary for your character to be redeemed for the ex-fiancé, but you managed to make your twat of a character sympathetic.
Even if I'd never seen any of these works, I would have fallen for your Scotty in the latest STAR TREK movie (despite your jar-jar-esque sidekick). In fact, that movie should have been all about you. Screw Spock and Jim. (Or just let them screw in "slash" fiction).
Simon, I vow never to doubt again.
Waiting for your next movie,
Karma
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 | Tim
Aug 27, 2009 12:42 PM
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| Yes, SHAUN was brilliant (who would have thought one film could be a great comedy and great horror?), FUZZ was amazing – particularly the last half hour – and FAT BOY without Pegg would have been mediocre at best. I have yet to see Spaced (though I definitely will now), and I pretty much only saw the new STAR TREK because of Pegg. |
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| Comedies with Dr. Karma |
Every other Wednesday
Dr. Karma discusses all things comic, from the classics to what may become classics. Laugh with, but not at, her, please.
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| Karma Waltonen |
Dr. Karma is a silly, nerdy know-it-all, but in a good way. She brings all her overeducation to discuss that which truly matters: comedy. As some famous guy once said: “And if I laugh at any mortal thing, ‘tis that I may not weep.” Or something like that.
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Aug 27, 2009 3:24 PM