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You've Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life
Softcover edition contains all-new hand-drawn cover artwork by HagCult! As featured in The New York Times , Rolling Stone , Entertainment Weekly , MovieMaker , SYFY , Fangoria , Yahoo's "It List", SFX , Mental Floss , Total Film , Mashable , and more! How did a low-budget British movie about Londoners battling zombies in a pub become a beloved global pop culture phenomenon?
You’ve Got Red on You details the previously untold story of 2004’s Shaun of the Dead , the hilarious, terrifying horror-comedy whose fan base continues to grow and grow. After speaking with dozens of people involved in the creation of the film, author Clark Collis reveals how a group of friends overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to make a movie that would take bites out of both the UK and the US box office before ascending to the status of bona fide comedy classic. Featuring in-depth interviews with director Edgar Wright, producer Nira Park, and cast members Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Bill Nighy, Lucy Davis, and Coldplay singer Chris Martin, the book also boasts a treasure trove of storyboards, rare behind-the-scenes photos, and commentary from famous fans of the movie, including filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth, Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero, and World War Z author Max Brooks. As Pegg’s zombie-fighting hero Shaun would say, “How’s that for a slice of fried gold?”
You’ve Got Red on You details the previously untold story of 2004’s Shaun of the Dead , the hilarious, terrifying horror-comedy whose fan base continues to grow and grow. After speaking with dozens of people involved in the creation of the film, author Clark Collis reveals how a group of friends overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to make a movie that would take bites out of both the UK and the US box office before ascending to the status of bona fide comedy classic. Featuring in-depth interviews with director Edgar Wright, producer Nira Park, and cast members Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Bill Nighy, Lucy Davis, and Coldplay singer Chris Martin, the book also boasts a treasure trove of storyboards, rare behind-the-scenes photos, and commentary from famous fans of the movie, including filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth, Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero, and World War Z author Max Brooks. As Pegg’s zombie-fighting hero Shaun would say, “How’s that for a slice of fried gold?”
424 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2021
105 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 14, 2024
I wanted to read this in 2024 because it’s the 20th Anniversary of the movie. (Which seems crazy!) “Shaun of the Dead” is a favorite of mine. It’s for sure my #1 zombie movie, and a favorite comedy in general. I was eager to find some interesting behind-the-scenes stories and interviews. I got those, but there was quite a bit of what I would personally consider to be filler as well.
I totally understand that when I read a biographical book, I’m going to get facts like: “So and so was born in this town on this date,” etc. And, “these were his parents’ names, and he went to this Elementary School,” and so on and so forth. But I’ve gotten to the point where this sort of thing absolutely makes my eyes glaze over. I only care about the really interesting stuff. In this case, I wanted to hear about the stories specific to the movie and only that, please. This book is a LOT of “This is how this person met that person, and what they were doing in their lives when they met.” For a large chunk of the book, every time I picked it up I got sleepy.
Example: it includes the entire history of Working Title Films. Certainly important to the series of events leading to “Shaun of the Dead” getting made, but I just wasn’t invested.
Some of the more interesting bits, to ME, were:
- Edgar Wright’s early working friendship with Matt Lucas and David Walliams
- A bit of behind the scenes from “Spaced,” Wright and Pegg’s TV series that I watched forever ago and really enjoyed
- So much of the story and script for SOTD came from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s actual friendship and riffing off of each other when they were roommates
- They had so much trouble just getting the film made/getting people to believe in the “commercial viability” of it, despite how good the script was
- It was nice to hear that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were super nice to all of the zombie extras, who were essentially fans of “Spaced” who did the gig for $1. (Couldn’t do that sort of thing now because of Unions, as the book states multiple times!)
- Simon Pegg’s troubles with alcoholism. I only say this is “interesting” because I had no idea he struggled so much during the making of SOTD, and this certainly informed his character and performance later on in “The World’s End.”
Edgar Wright really knows what he’s doing as a visual director (Duh.) However, it’s clear after reading this that working on a movie with him has got to be exhausting. Many people said that he’s a really nice guy and excellent to his crew, but he’s so particular about getting a LOT of footage and very specific shots that you will be stuck on that set for at least three times as long as you were supposed to be. Most of the people involved in the production said they loved their experience on that set, but I don’t know if I would have had the energy!
There’s a lot of drama included about how Wright and his Director of Photography did not get along. The DP is given plenty of opportunities to defend himself, but to me it sounds like he just denies a lot of the conflict or downplays his behavior. Wright did throw an actual tantrum at one point and trash his own office, though. How embarrassing!
I personally could’ve done without the little interviews with Eli Roth. (“I told my BFF Quentin Tarantino about the movie and then we screened it at his house with a bunch of our other famous friends!” Is essentially what it boils down to. Sorry, not a Roth fan.)
I eventually got more into this and was able to finish it fairly quickly once I focused. I honestly do think the author did a great job of researching every single aspect of the film and the production process, and took great care to include absolutely everyone who was involved. (And many people who were adjacent to the movie!) You will find out what every single person involved in the production of the film has been up to since the movie was made. And although SOTD was released in 2004, the book covers everything that’s happened as a result all the way up to how COVID affected Edgar Wright in 2020. (Remember what I said about there being too much unrelated detail?)
The hardcover book itself that I have is beautiful. The edges of the pages are a glittery red, and it will look very nice on my bookshelf. I AM glad that I read it, even if parts were a bit dense. Anyone who is hoping to learn as much as they possibly can about how “Shaun of the Dead” came to be will find this to be a valuable resource. But as an overall reading experience, I’m giving it a 3.5.
One thing I’m still very confused about: How did Greg Nicotero *accidentally* buy a pirated dvd copy of the movie online before it had even been released in theaters, and also not even realize he was buying a pirated copy?
I totally understand that when I read a biographical book, I’m going to get facts like: “So and so was born in this town on this date,” etc. And, “these were his parents’ names, and he went to this Elementary School,” and so on and so forth. But I’ve gotten to the point where this sort of thing absolutely makes my eyes glaze over. I only care about the really interesting stuff. In this case, I wanted to hear about the stories specific to the movie and only that, please. This book is a LOT of “This is how this person met that person, and what they were doing in their lives when they met.” For a large chunk of the book, every time I picked it up I got sleepy.
Example: it includes the entire history of Working Title Films. Certainly important to the series of events leading to “Shaun of the Dead” getting made, but I just wasn’t invested.
Some of the more interesting bits, to ME, were:
- Edgar Wright’s early working friendship with Matt Lucas and David Walliams
- A bit of behind the scenes from “Spaced,” Wright and Pegg’s TV series that I watched forever ago and really enjoyed
- So much of the story and script for SOTD came from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s actual friendship and riffing off of each other when they were roommates
- They had so much trouble just getting the film made/getting people to believe in the “commercial viability” of it, despite how good the script was
- It was nice to hear that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were super nice to all of the zombie extras, who were essentially fans of “Spaced” who did the gig for $1. (Couldn’t do that sort of thing now because of Unions, as the book states multiple times!)
- Simon Pegg’s troubles with alcoholism. I only say this is “interesting” because I had no idea he struggled so much during the making of SOTD, and this certainly informed his character and performance later on in “The World’s End.”
Edgar Wright really knows what he’s doing as a visual director (Duh.) However, it’s clear after reading this that working on a movie with him has got to be exhausting. Many people said that he’s a really nice guy and excellent to his crew, but he’s so particular about getting a LOT of footage and very specific shots that you will be stuck on that set for at least three times as long as you were supposed to be. Most of the people involved in the production said they loved their experience on that set, but I don’t know if I would have had the energy!
There’s a lot of drama included about how Wright and his Director of Photography did not get along. The DP is given plenty of opportunities to defend himself, but to me it sounds like he just denies a lot of the conflict or downplays his behavior. Wright did throw an actual tantrum at one point and trash his own office, though. How embarrassing!
I personally could’ve done without the little interviews with Eli Roth. (“I told my BFF Quentin Tarantino about the movie and then we screened it at his house with a bunch of our other famous friends!” Is essentially what it boils down to. Sorry, not a Roth fan.)
I eventually got more into this and was able to finish it fairly quickly once I focused. I honestly do think the author did a great job of researching every single aspect of the film and the production process, and took great care to include absolutely everyone who was involved. (And many people who were adjacent to the movie!) You will find out what every single person involved in the production of the film has been up to since the movie was made. And although SOTD was released in 2004, the book covers everything that’s happened as a result all the way up to how COVID affected Edgar Wright in 2020. (Remember what I said about there being too much unrelated detail?)
The hardcover book itself that I have is beautiful. The edges of the pages are a glittery red, and it will look very nice on my bookshelf. I AM glad that I read it, even if parts were a bit dense. Anyone who is hoping to learn as much as they possibly can about how “Shaun of the Dead” came to be will find this to be a valuable resource. But as an overall reading experience, I’m giving it a 3.5.
One thing I’m still very confused about: How did Greg Nicotero *accidentally* buy a pirated dvd copy of the movie online before it had even been released in theaters, and also not even realize he was buying a pirated copy?
December 2, 2021
As someone who was invested in the idea of Shaun of the Dead from the first rumblings of it back in my days of lurking on Spaced-related forums, I kind of fell into the trap this book describes of assuming its journey to screen was an easy one; a foregone conclusion. This book really goes to great lengths to tee-up the context for how it ever came to be, and does so right from the main creatives’ childhoods. It sounds excessive but, particularly in the case of Edgar Wright’s experience on A Fistful of Fingers, it’s all crucial to the narrative being told. The making of the film itself is great nuts and bolts stuff from all echelons of the production and a fascinating blend of technical breakdowns and anecdotal flavour. What Clark Collis achieves in contextualising its place in the landscape, when it feels like it should be too recent to have any critical distance or wide enough perspective, is pretty remarkable. And it never forgets to remind you that the journey is meant to be entertaining, so the prose is sparky and regularly employs neat turns of phrase that enliven potentially-drier sections — something ably abetted by the interviewees, who aren’t short of a pithy turn of phrase themselves. There’s a surprising amount of conflict involved, which I wasn’t expecting, but it’s even-handed and doesn’t demonise any one party. It slightly loses momentum once the film is completed and out in the world, and the wrap-up is arguably too exhaustive, but it’s hard to complain when even the summary of post-Shaun careers mines fascinating seams of information about other projects. This is a film I have loved since day one and it’s a joy to discover new information and fresh angles on such a film, which I already figured I knew enough about from interviews, bonus features and commentaries. I was wrong.
February 2, 2022
This one gets my highest recommendation, for fans of both the movie and filmmaking in general. Fantastic.
April 13, 2022
I’m not a horror movie fan in general (I don’t like being scared, nothing fun about it for me) but I love Shaun of the Dead. Maybe it’s because it has a “happy” ending, or maybe just because it’s funny, or maybe because the main focus aren’t the zombies, but Shaun’s emotional arc, and the jokes of course. Whatever the reason, it’s great. When I was listening to Screen Drafts last year they were doing an episode about zombies, and author Clark Collis was on as one of the drafters. I hadn’t seen any of the movies except Shaun of the Dead, of course, but I still very much enjoyed listening to the episode. At the end, Collis plugged his new book, coming out within weeks, all about the making of the film, stuffed full of exclusive interviews from the lowest zombie extra all the way up to hours with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. Boy, I clicked per-order so fast.
When the book arrived, somewhat as a surprise weeks later, I was very happy to see that the book itself was physically gorgeous, with heavy paper tipped with shiny red edges, lots of pictures, and a faux-vinyl album on the endpapers.
The book itself was pretty good, too.
Honestly, you see the cover, that’s what you’re getting. Collis is thorough, writes in clear prose, and has a knack for inserting just the right quote from the right person at the right time. You like the movie, you will like this book. And it also details the origins of the movie, and the origins of both Pegg’s and Wright’s careers. On the other end of the spectrum, it spends quite a bit of time on the impact the movie has had since 2004.
If you like behind the scenes stuff, this is definitely a book to check out, and if you like Shaun of the Dead in particular, I thought it was well worth the price of a hardcover. I am actually home sick from work today, and treated myself to a screening of Shaun of the Dead for the first time in several years as a way to work myself up to finally writing this review, and it was just as great as I remembered it being.
When the book arrived, somewhat as a surprise weeks later, I was very happy to see that the book itself was physically gorgeous, with heavy paper tipped with shiny red edges, lots of pictures, and a faux-vinyl album on the endpapers.
The book itself was pretty good, too.
Honestly, you see the cover, that’s what you’re getting. Collis is thorough, writes in clear prose, and has a knack for inserting just the right quote from the right person at the right time. You like the movie, you will like this book. And it also details the origins of the movie, and the origins of both Pegg’s and Wright’s careers. On the other end of the spectrum, it spends quite a bit of time on the impact the movie has had since 2004.
If you like behind the scenes stuff, this is definitely a book to check out, and if you like Shaun of the Dead in particular, I thought it was well worth the price of a hardcover. I am actually home sick from work today, and treated myself to a screening of Shaun of the Dead for the first time in several years as a way to work myself up to finally writing this review, and it was just as great as I remembered it being.
November 17, 2021
I want to greatly thank the folks at 1984 Publishing for giving me a chance to read this book ahead of it's release, via Edelweiss. This book is a perfect behind the scenes look for zom-cinephiles like myself. Yes, this book covers the entire journey of the making, filming, release, and legacy of Shaun of the Dead, but it's also much more than that. Collis also interweaves the importance of the genre of zombie films and those who came before, as well as the industry connections that led to future masterpieces. In my undergraduate education, I had the opportunity to take a course entitled Anthropology of the Undead: Mummies, Zombies, and Vampires, and I was constantly reminded of it throughout this book, because of the rich important filmmaking history that Collis provides. I learned several new things about one of my favorite films (and number one zomromcom), and even more about the people who helped make it happen.
October 25, 2025
Now I will put my hand up and say that Shaun of the Dead is one of my all time favourite films - if for no other reason what I came out of nowhere (well to me it did) and totally shock up the whole Zombie films in a manner that no one thought would work - but it did.
So this is the story that takes you from the end of Spaced (the TV series that really acted as a spring board to this project) right the way up to very recently with a retrospective over the lasting impact that this film has and where everyone is now.
So yes the book does seem to go in to a lot of depth (at time sometimes a little too much I felt) giving the back grounds to each new individual who is brought in to the story.
The film sheds a lot of light on the whole process and I will admit I learned alot of about both the creative process of bringing the film to life (no pun intended) as well as what was going in with the main characters personally and professionally.
So this is the story that takes you from the end of Spaced (the TV series that really acted as a spring board to this project) right the way up to very recently with a retrospective over the lasting impact that this film has and where everyone is now.
So yes the book does seem to go in to a lot of depth (at time sometimes a little too much I felt) giving the back grounds to each new individual who is brought in to the story.
The film sheds a lot of light on the whole process and I will admit I learned alot of about both the creative process of bringing the film to life (no pun intended) as well as what was going in with the main characters personally and professionally.
August 19, 2022
I'm a sucker for any in-depth book about the making of a classic film, and this is another very strong example of the form. So many of these books are about big-budget films from established directors, so all the stuff here about the difficulties of an up-and-coming director making a low-budget film felt fresh. I also appreciated, amid all the (deserved) cheerleading and back-patting, the sections that focused on the conflict between young Brit Wright and his older, American director of photography who never seemed to believe in the film.
October 22, 2022
What a gas. I mean, the opportunity to be exposed to the inside scoop on the behind the scenes machinations and tribulations on the making of one of the films I can't stop re-watching (either in combination with "Spaced", as part of a dive into the "Cornetto Trilogy", or just as a stand alone) is not something I was ever going to ignore. What made the book for me was the backstory of how the team came together, and the connections they had amongst themselves in the incredibly fecund world of British comedy in the early years of the new century.
August 17, 2024
Edgar Wright is, hands down, my favorite director, and Shaun of the Dead is the movie that shot him to stardom. Reading a book about how my favorite director made one of my favorite zombie films was just a joy from start to finish.
November 19, 2021
The story of Shaun Of The Dead is not one which can be told purely in isolation, as it charts the convergence of the three key players, as their paths cross, and they discover they have shared passions for nerd culture as well as such genres as sci-fi and horror, which draw all of them together. As such, Collis gives us a rundown of the important formative years and the careers of Pegg, Wright and Frost...
Full Review: https://setthetape.com/2021/11/18/you...
Full Review: https://setthetape.com/2021/11/18/you...
May 22, 2022
Boy, this was fun.
I watched Shaun of the Dead for the first time in, maybe, my teens or early twenties, back when I was toying with the idea of writing a screenplay. Being a big fan of British comedy, and having studied some of the greats through film and television, I was immediately drawn to its humour, cleverness, and unique editing style. Every detail is so choreographed that, for a film about a zombie apocalypse, it’s astonishingly organised. So naturally I became very invested in director Edgar Wright’s other works. This means, of course, that I jumped at the opportunity of reading Clark Collis’ gorgeous book (seriously, the hardcover is so worth it) without giving it a second thought and it was such a pleasant experience.
The writing style often reads like a documentary, so it’s like you’re watching an interview with the cast and crew in your head. But it’s much more detailed than a two-hour recording. You get all these little stories about how Wright and Simon Pegg were both completely obsessed with George Romero’s work growing up, which, obviously, was a huge contributor to the development of the entire concept of their film; how there were so many issues at the start due to production conflicts and the possibility of having the whole thing shut down and how that affected everyone involved, especially the director; and, in what probably is the most defining aspect of what people know nowadays as the Cornetto Trilogy, the way that what started as a wild idea conjured by two good friends became a landmark in independent cinema and a cult film. Making cool things with your mates is what is at the heart of Pegg and Wright (and Nick Frost!)’s collaborations and a lot of their success is due to that camaraderie and I think this book captures that vibe. It’s perfect not only for fans of the film, but for people who are interested in cinema in general as well - although I would recommend, naturally, that you watch the film before you read this book, unless you’re not bothered by spoilers.
I watched Shaun of the Dead for the first time in, maybe, my teens or early twenties, back when I was toying with the idea of writing a screenplay. Being a big fan of British comedy, and having studied some of the greats through film and television, I was immediately drawn to its humour, cleverness, and unique editing style. Every detail is so choreographed that, for a film about a zombie apocalypse, it’s astonishingly organised. So naturally I became very invested in director Edgar Wright’s other works. This means, of course, that I jumped at the opportunity of reading Clark Collis’ gorgeous book (seriously, the hardcover is so worth it) without giving it a second thought and it was such a pleasant experience.
The writing style often reads like a documentary, so it’s like you’re watching an interview with the cast and crew in your head. But it’s much more detailed than a two-hour recording. You get all these little stories about how Wright and Simon Pegg were both completely obsessed with George Romero’s work growing up, which, obviously, was a huge contributor to the development of the entire concept of their film; how there were so many issues at the start due to production conflicts and the possibility of having the whole thing shut down and how that affected everyone involved, especially the director; and, in what probably is the most defining aspect of what people know nowadays as the Cornetto Trilogy, the way that what started as a wild idea conjured by two good friends became a landmark in independent cinema and a cult film. Making cool things with your mates is what is at the heart of Pegg and Wright (and Nick Frost!)’s collaborations and a lot of their success is due to that camaraderie and I think this book captures that vibe. It’s perfect not only for fans of the film, but for people who are interested in cinema in general as well - although I would recommend, naturally, that you watch the film before you read this book, unless you’re not bothered by spoilers.
January 10, 2022
This 400-page beastie follows the creative journey of the movie’s talent – and how they all came together – from inception through to the production, the distribution and reception, and the evolving place the movie and its creatives have found themselves in during the nearly two decades since. Collis accomplishes a lot in this work, providing what will likely become the bedrock of definitive biographies of the main artistic contributors to the movie, as well as deep dives into the genre of horror movies, and zombie movies in particular, which influenced Wright and Pegg as they conceived and wrote the screenplay giving the reader the necessary information to understand both how they got there, but also what an uphill climb it was to get this movie financed at the time when zombie movies had gone out of fashion. Further, he paints a picture of both the movie production landscape at the turn of the last century, as well as the nascent days of online film journalism.
full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
January 4, 2022
Fun in-depth look at the making of this cult classic. I'd never really thought about it until I started reading 'You've Got Red On You', but Shaun of the Dead has to be in the mix if I ever wanted to try and figure out my all-time favorite film. It's in the upper-echelon of movies I've watched the most, along with: This Is Spinal Tap, The Abyss, Big Trouble in Little China, Star Wars, The Shawshank Redemption and The Sting.
Besides covering all the nuts-'n'-bolts of making the film, YGRoY also provides detailed backgrounds of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg & Nick Frost and their respective rises from humble directing/acting starts to the varied careers they all have today.
And it should come as no surprise to those that recognize his greatness, but Bill Nighy was generally recognized as being the most fun & gracious of the cast during filming. (Not counting that Simon & Nick kept everyone entertained on-set by just being the knuckleheads they are.)
Besides covering all the nuts-'n'-bolts of making the film, YGRoY also provides detailed backgrounds of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg & Nick Frost and their respective rises from humble directing/acting starts to the varied careers they all have today.
And it should come as no surprise to those that recognize his greatness, but Bill Nighy was generally recognized as being the most fun & gracious of the cast during filming. (Not counting that Simon & Nick kept everyone entertained on-set by just being the knuckleheads they are.)
November 29, 2021
Add this to the list of books that remind me that making films is heartbreaking and torturous and only very rarely do they work.
Really in-depth break down and the writer is entertaining- solid read
Really in-depth break down and the writer is entertaining- solid read
October 3, 2024
Shaun of the dead is a perfect film and this is a perfect accompaniment. A wonderful retelling of the troubled production that goes above and beyond its scope to include fascinating details about cinema, horror British cinema and all sorts. It’s packed full of information for Shaun fans or just horror fans in general.
December 14, 2024
Just a delight to read.
December 22, 2021
I had forgotten that I pre-ordered this book a few months ago so it was a VERY pleasant surprise when it was delivered to my doorstep recently. Before I review this book, it’s important to know that I LOVE “Shaun Of The Dead” (I know I’m not the only one). I watch (and rewatch) a lot of movies and this beloved cult classic horror-comedy (comedic horror?) is in my all time Top 5. Yes, it’s funny, and yes, it has some genuinely unsettling moments but, what makes it really stand out, in my opinion, is that it’s so intricate. There are SO many callbacks and subtle bits of foreshadowing and clever stylistic choices. After reading Clark Collis’ “You’ve Got Red On You: How ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ Was Brought To Life,” I have an even greater appreciation Edgar Wright’s breakout (not debut!) film.
Diving deep into the history of the movie and its creators, specifically writer/director Wright and writer/actor Simon Pegg, “You’ve Got Red On You” is everything a “Shaun” fan could possibly want to know about the flick. From how an episode of “Spaced” kickstarted the project in earnest to how the film got financed to casting to the behind-the-scenes struggles of filming it to the surprise accolades, this book leaves no stone unturned. It’s packed full of insightful interviews, silly stories, and a whole bucketful of gory details (pun intended). Simply, for any “Shaun Of The Dead” aficionado, this is a must read.
For family movie night, my 13-year-old picked this because I’d been talking it up for a while. I’m happy to report that he loved it and thus “Shaun Of The Dead” continues to delight audiences new and old.
Diving deep into the history of the movie and its creators, specifically writer/director Wright and writer/actor Simon Pegg, “You’ve Got Red On You” is everything a “Shaun” fan could possibly want to know about the flick. From how an episode of “Spaced” kickstarted the project in earnest to how the film got financed to casting to the behind-the-scenes struggles of filming it to the surprise accolades, this book leaves no stone unturned. It’s packed full of insightful interviews, silly stories, and a whole bucketful of gory details (pun intended). Simply, for any “Shaun Of The Dead” aficionado, this is a must read.
For family movie night, my 13-year-old picked this because I’d been talking it up for a while. I’m happy to report that he loved it and thus “Shaun Of The Dead” continues to delight audiences new and old.
October 9, 2021
trigger warning
Today it's a cult classic movie with a huge following, but back then it was this weird thing a few no name Brits were doing.
I am talking, of course, about Shaun of the Dead. If you haven't watched the movie yet, I encourage to do so, it's a horror comedy gem - and if you want to read this book, you should have watched it at least once.
I have to admit that in the beginning, I was quite bored. The first two chapters are about what the people involved did beforehand, and while I think that it makes sense to give the full picture, if this hadn't been an arc I would probably have leaved through those and only read the main chunk - which was so much fun.
I have had the chat open while reading, as I do so often, and have been giving tid-bits to my friends. Like: The person who was responsible for coordinating the zombie extras somehow wound up being called zombie master. The first Cornetto was relatively random, but at the premiere, they got free ice cream and joked about making another movie with a Cornetto to get more. The actors were pestered by wasps as it was summer and the blood was make out of syrup - and the neighbors of the set were annoyed that their parking spaces were taking up by random gore. Which also would mean that there were frequent visits by the police because the gore looked so real, and there were suspiciously-looking people with what looked like blood stains on their clothes.
These anecdotes are what I came for, and after being bored in the beginning, it quickly went to being a page turner. As I opened the book I was baffled by it being 432 pages and thought it must be down to the amount of pictures in there, but nope. There are pictures, don't get me wrong, but the author is just so into Shaun of the Dead he could go on and on and on and his passion translates so well to the page that he drags you with him.
I have to confess that I only watched the movie once and have yet to see the third one in the Cornetto trilogy, but after reading this, I don't think I will wait long to get that hole in my knowledge fixed.
I am now pondering whether to get the dvd from the library to introduce my father to it.
So okay, obviously I am going to recommend this to Shaun fans or Simon Pegg fans in general, but I think this might also be of interest to cinema buffs. This movie was shot as cgi became a big thing, but they didn't have a massive budget and cgi is expensive, so they made do.
It might be interesting to people who are into marketing, we have two marketing sections in this book: One for UK and one for the USA, because while those markets influence each other, before the internet was the thing it is today, they basically had to start over fresh when bringing the movie oversees. They didn't even know whether Shaun would make it to the American cinemas or would be a direct to dvd title, so there was no time for the usual press campaign and they had to improvise. And obviously, it worked, somehow.
There are references to Comic Con before it was mainstream to love Comic Con.
No footnotes, but sources for all the pictures. References to two academic works that include Shaun, and I will have to take a peek again and look those titles up because I want them in my life.
And now I feel the urge to become an extra as a zombie in a movie. See what you have done.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Today it's a cult classic movie with a huge following, but back then it was this weird thing a few no name Brits were doing.
I am talking, of course, about Shaun of the Dead. If you haven't watched the movie yet, I encourage to do so, it's a horror comedy gem - and if you want to read this book, you should have watched it at least once.
I have to admit that in the beginning, I was quite bored. The first two chapters are about what the people involved did beforehand, and while I think that it makes sense to give the full picture, if this hadn't been an arc I would probably have leaved through those and only read the main chunk - which was so much fun.
I have had the chat open while reading, as I do so often, and have been giving tid-bits to my friends. Like: The person who was responsible for coordinating the zombie extras somehow wound up being called zombie master. The first Cornetto was relatively random, but at the premiere, they got free ice cream and joked about making another movie with a Cornetto to get more. The actors were pestered by wasps as it was summer and the blood was make out of syrup - and the neighbors of the set were annoyed that their parking spaces were taking up by random gore. Which also would mean that there were frequent visits by the police because the gore looked so real, and there were suspiciously-looking people with what looked like blood stains on their clothes.
These anecdotes are what I came for, and after being bored in the beginning, it quickly went to being a page turner. As I opened the book I was baffled by it being 432 pages and thought it must be down to the amount of pictures in there, but nope. There are pictures, don't get me wrong, but the author is just so into Shaun of the Dead he could go on and on and on and his passion translates so well to the page that he drags you with him.
I have to confess that I only watched the movie once and have yet to see the third one in the Cornetto trilogy, but after reading this, I don't think I will wait long to get that hole in my knowledge fixed.
I am now pondering whether to get the dvd from the library to introduce my father to it.
So okay, obviously I am going to recommend this to Shaun fans or Simon Pegg fans in general, but I think this might also be of interest to cinema buffs. This movie was shot as cgi became a big thing, but they didn't have a massive budget and cgi is expensive, so they made do.
It might be interesting to people who are into marketing, we have two marketing sections in this book: One for UK and one for the USA, because while those markets influence each other, before the internet was the thing it is today, they basically had to start over fresh when bringing the movie oversees. They didn't even know whether Shaun would make it to the American cinemas or would be a direct to dvd title, so there was no time for the usual press campaign and they had to improvise. And obviously, it worked, somehow.
There are references to Comic Con before it was mainstream to love Comic Con.
No footnotes, but sources for all the pictures. References to two academic works that include Shaun, and I will have to take a peek again and look those titles up because I want them in my life.
And now I feel the urge to become an extra as a zombie in a movie. See what you have done.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
June 6, 2024
This book was a fascinating look into how Shaun of the Dead was made, well researched and containing all the information I wanted as a longtime fan of Wright, Pegg and Frost.
The more in depth look into Spaced in the early chapters was an unexpected treat.
The more in depth look into Spaced in the early chapters was an unexpected treat.
June 28, 2022
The book covers the making of Shaun of the Dead, from the early work of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg through to a brief chapter on their later careers. Overall if you are a big fan of the movie, it is a good read. If you are going to buy it, get the hardback edition rather than an ebook because the book itself is quite beautiful.
The book is very good at giving a blow-by-blow account of what the production was like. It relies on interviews with dozens of cast and crew members with (as far as I noted) no obvious people missing. I don't think there are many stones left unturned, and despite being exhaustive the book is never exhausting- it rattles along at a good pace.
I did have some criticisms however. For one thing, the book is rather shallow. It felt like maybe there was enough content for a 300 page book, but it runs to 450 pages instead. One crew member is interviewed and says the same thing as the last crew member. For example several different crew members at different times all list out how the extras were not paid much, but they were big fans so they did it anyway. The repetition gets a bit amateur and slows the pace down and feels like the author was trying to hit a word count.
Equally when the film is finally made, the "reception" section is pretty bland. It seems to consist of one person after another (Tarantino, a publicist, Romero, Pegg's friends, a crew member, an extra etc) watching the movie then saying how good it is. There was surely a better way of explaining this.
A real missed opportunity I think is how the author deals with the constant clashes between Edgar Wright and David Dunlap (the extremely talented cinematographer of Shaun of the Dead). Dunlap had worked on a number of big movies before (Goodfellas for example) and much older than the young director. The clash between Wright desperately trying to build his creative vision and Dunlap being more pessimistic of what can be achieved felt like it deserved more than the occasional line here or there. It felt as though the author, having been granted interviews with so many of the film's stars, didn't want to rock the boat and focus on negative aspects. It would have been good to dwell longer on what particular members of the camera crew thought of Wright, and the extent that some people did not like him. As it stands, the books hints a number of times that Dunlap was actually correct (and only got on Wright's nerves because Wright had placed so much pressure on himself) but pulls its punches.
Overall this missed opportunity is a symptom of the type of book that You've Got Red On You is- it is a book for massive fans of the film who want to hear light, funny, easy to read stories from the production - and this book is full of them. It never really indulges in a serious criticism of the movie, and more negative aspects (Dunlap v Wright, Pegg's apparent alcoholism) are mentioned a handful of times but never again.
One for serious fans.
The book is very good at giving a blow-by-blow account of what the production was like. It relies on interviews with dozens of cast and crew members with (as far as I noted) no obvious people missing. I don't think there are many stones left unturned, and despite being exhaustive the book is never exhausting- it rattles along at a good pace.
I did have some criticisms however. For one thing, the book is rather shallow. It felt like maybe there was enough content for a 300 page book, but it runs to 450 pages instead. One crew member is interviewed and says the same thing as the last crew member. For example several different crew members at different times all list out how the extras were not paid much, but they were big fans so they did it anyway. The repetition gets a bit amateur and slows the pace down and feels like the author was trying to hit a word count.
Equally when the film is finally made, the "reception" section is pretty bland. It seems to consist of one person after another (Tarantino, a publicist, Romero, Pegg's friends, a crew member, an extra etc) watching the movie then saying how good it is. There was surely a better way of explaining this.
A real missed opportunity I think is how the author deals with the constant clashes between Edgar Wright and David Dunlap (the extremely talented cinematographer of Shaun of the Dead). Dunlap had worked on a number of big movies before (Goodfellas for example) and much older than the young director. The clash between Wright desperately trying to build his creative vision and Dunlap being more pessimistic of what can be achieved felt like it deserved more than the occasional line here or there. It felt as though the author, having been granted interviews with so many of the film's stars, didn't want to rock the boat and focus on negative aspects. It would have been good to dwell longer on what particular members of the camera crew thought of Wright, and the extent that some people did not like him. As it stands, the books hints a number of times that Dunlap was actually correct (and only got on Wright's nerves because Wright had placed so much pressure on himself) but pulls its punches.
Overall this missed opportunity is a symptom of the type of book that You've Got Red On You is- it is a book for massive fans of the film who want to hear light, funny, easy to read stories from the production - and this book is full of them. It never really indulges in a serious criticism of the movie, and more negative aspects (Dunlap v Wright, Pegg's apparent alcoholism) are mentioned a handful of times but never again.
One for serious fans.
July 19, 2022
A fascinating look at the story of how Shaun of the Dead came to our screens. The book traces the journey, from Edgar Wright's obsession with films, and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's path to comedy and becoming best friends, through the early work they did together, the writing of the film and then the very, very bumpy road that it went on to get funded, filmed and distributed.
The book is well written, with plenty of interviews both with the main 'movers' behind the film, and with many of the extras and bit-part players. Definitely recommended for anyone who is a fan of the film, and for anyone who wants a look at the behind the scenes process of bringing a story to the screen.
The book is well written, with plenty of interviews both with the main 'movers' behind the film, and with many of the extras and bit-part players. Definitely recommended for anyone who is a fan of the film, and for anyone who wants a look at the behind the scenes process of bringing a story to the screen.
July 13, 2022
Any Shaun of the Dead fan absolutely should read this book.
It is a little slice of fried gold.
It is a little slice of fried gold.
January 20, 2022
A quick and interesting read about the making of Shaun of the Dead. Despite the 400 pages it goes fast due a straightforward and uncomplicated writing style.
It's a great film, and I enjoyed learning about the surprisingly steep hill they had to climb to make it happen. The arguments with the DP, the challenge of casting unknown Nick Frost, and watching them puzzle piece the script together through screen craft study and stealing from their own lives. The heartbreaks and triumphs are well documented and it's fun to remember a time (only 20 years ago) when independent and interesting original films could be made.
On the down side, the book does fall into a bit of a repetitive rut and it reads like an extended Wikipedia article. It sticks to facts and uses quotes from the people involved constantly - so it ends up feeling like a very straightforward journalistic approach to remembering how the film came together.
This is perfectly fine, but it lacks the sort of narrative structure that can be gained if you are willing to make a more artistic non-fiction book. One that has a more active voice or attempts to paint a picture more. The simplistic journalistic language does make for a fast read, but lacks the punch and life of a novel. Regardless it's worth a read if you are familiar with the film and filmmaking.
It's a great film, and I enjoyed learning about the surprisingly steep hill they had to climb to make it happen. The arguments with the DP, the challenge of casting unknown Nick Frost, and watching them puzzle piece the script together through screen craft study and stealing from their own lives. The heartbreaks and triumphs are well documented and it's fun to remember a time (only 20 years ago) when independent and interesting original films could be made.
On the down side, the book does fall into a bit of a repetitive rut and it reads like an extended Wikipedia article. It sticks to facts and uses quotes from the people involved constantly - so it ends up feeling like a very straightforward journalistic approach to remembering how the film came together.
This is perfectly fine, but it lacks the sort of narrative structure that can be gained if you are willing to make a more artistic non-fiction book. One that has a more active voice or attempts to paint a picture more. The simplistic journalistic language does make for a fast read, but lacks the punch and life of a novel. Regardless it's worth a read if you are familiar with the film and filmmaking.
August 29, 2021
You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead was Brought to Life by Clark Collis is a behind the scenes look into the making of the 2004 movie.
I really enjoyed this book. I love Shaun of the Dead and this book provides a fascinating look into what it took to make the movie. I appreciated how extensive Collis’ exploration of the movie was. By dedicating a chapter to each aspect of the film making process, he has made sure that every detail is covered.
I really liked Collis’ writing style. It is informative and engaging, which makes the book really entertaining to read.
Finally, I loved how this book features interviews with the cast and crew. By interviewing all of the main cast as well as a considerable amount of the crew, Collis has ensured that a variety of perspectives and opinions are discussed as everyone reminisces on their time working on the movie. The book is filled with hilarious and interesting anecdotes which I really enjoyed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Shaun of the Dead and is interested in learning more about how the film was made.
You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead was Brought to Life by Clark Collis will be released on October 19th 2021 from 1984 Publishing.
I really enjoyed this book. I love Shaun of the Dead and this book provides a fascinating look into what it took to make the movie. I appreciated how extensive Collis’ exploration of the movie was. By dedicating a chapter to each aspect of the film making process, he has made sure that every detail is covered.
I really liked Collis’ writing style. It is informative and engaging, which makes the book really entertaining to read.
Finally, I loved how this book features interviews with the cast and crew. By interviewing all of the main cast as well as a considerable amount of the crew, Collis has ensured that a variety of perspectives and opinions are discussed as everyone reminisces on their time working on the movie. The book is filled with hilarious and interesting anecdotes which I really enjoyed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Shaun of the Dead and is interested in learning more about how the film was made.
You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead was Brought to Life by Clark Collis will be released on October 19th 2021 from 1984 Publishing.
June 6, 2022
Very good. Ending went on a bit much. Mandatory reading for any fan of the movie.
June 16, 2022
This is an excellent look behind the curtain of one of my favorite films, Shaun of the Dead. If you love the movie you’ll love the book.
June 18, 2022
For every Shawn nerd, a fun read.
July 5, 2022
Yes yes yes! Loved every second of reading this.
March 5, 2022
I remember seeing Shaun of the Dead in the theater the night it premiered. I dragged my parents and my grandma. I’m sure they were concerned and dreading being forced to sit through another horrible horror film.
Instead, we were all blown away by this amazing film. I immediately became obsessed with Edgar Wright and every actor in the movie. I did my best to find ways to watch anything Simon Pegg had been in. But back then it was hard to get some of it in the US.
I was apart of an online campaign for both Shaun of the Dead and Land of the Dead. I was able to meet people who were just as obsessed as I was with zombies. In high school, I was known as the Zombie Girl. My school uniform was a black graphic tee sporting a horror film and eyeliner. I would do zombie makeup constantly to take new pics for MySpace.
I remember making friends watch the movie. And cringing when the not so funky Pete scene would start. One parent actually made us turn on the movie but we quickly turned it back on once they left.
This book brings you back to the wonderful craze and jumpstart horror/zombies got during those years. I remember picking the Dawn of the Dead remake over Hidalgo and I never went back after that. I loved this book because Edgar, Nick and Simon all shared the obsessed of horror.
George A. Romero was a huge idol for me. No one at my school had any idea who he was and still to this day I find myself educating people. I was brought to tears with every mention of him in this book. I love how they paid tribute to the King of Zombies.
The construction of the book itself is amazing. The red lines pages!! Truly a work of art that I will proudly display on my shelves. I could honestly go on and on about how amazing this book is but that would almost be a book of its own.
Instead, we were all blown away by this amazing film. I immediately became obsessed with Edgar Wright and every actor in the movie. I did my best to find ways to watch anything Simon Pegg had been in. But back then it was hard to get some of it in the US.
I was apart of an online campaign for both Shaun of the Dead and Land of the Dead. I was able to meet people who were just as obsessed as I was with zombies. In high school, I was known as the Zombie Girl. My school uniform was a black graphic tee sporting a horror film and eyeliner. I would do zombie makeup constantly to take new pics for MySpace.
I remember making friends watch the movie. And cringing when the not so funky Pete scene would start. One parent actually made us turn on the movie but we quickly turned it back on once they left.
This book brings you back to the wonderful craze and jumpstart horror/zombies got during those years. I remember picking the Dawn of the Dead remake over Hidalgo and I never went back after that. I loved this book because Edgar, Nick and Simon all shared the obsessed of horror.
George A. Romero was a huge idol for me. No one at my school had any idea who he was and still to this day I find myself educating people. I was brought to tears with every mention of him in this book. I love how they paid tribute to the King of Zombies.
The construction of the book itself is amazing. The red lines pages!! Truly a work of art that I will proudly display on my shelves. I could honestly go on and on about how amazing this book is but that would almost be a book of its own.
May 19, 2022
The middle third of this, about the trouble the crew had with financing, producing, distributing the film, is really interesting.
The first and final thirds however, are less so. For the most part, they are pretty boring, conflict-free accounts of what great friends everyone involved were. I'm sure that's true! I'm a huge fan of the cast and crew of this movie. In fact, on two separate occasions, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright made an extra effort to be nice to me when I met them. Still, I found the breathless praise the book heaps on the cast and crew a little exhausting. Pegg and Wright came from the exact environments you would think they have, and the chapters dedicated to the legacy of the film are full of things that are relatively self-evident if you're already a fan. Maybe it would be more interesting if you weren't a fan, but I don't think so.
Frost's story, on the other hand, is more surprising. I didn't know that he was thrust into acting at the behest of his friends, and the way he recounts his anxieties around appearing on film for the first time are very interesting. Ditto the book's most compelling conflict, the tumultuous relationship between Wright and cinematographer David Dunlap, which keeps the book's production section suspenseful.
Too often though, Collis seems to avoid diving into too much emotional detail. Simon Pegg's struggles with alcoholism are mentioned, but quickly brushed over. Not that Pegg needs to open his personal struggles up to Shaun of the Dead fans, but the fact that this detail sticks out so much suggests to me that Collis never found a great angle on this entire story.
I still devoured the book however, and a lot of the nuts and bolts of indie filmmaking are interesting and well covered. It's inspiring to see how such a young team put together a comic masterpiece with so few resources.
The first and final thirds however, are less so. For the most part, they are pretty boring, conflict-free accounts of what great friends everyone involved were. I'm sure that's true! I'm a huge fan of the cast and crew of this movie. In fact, on two separate occasions, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright made an extra effort to be nice to me when I met them. Still, I found the breathless praise the book heaps on the cast and crew a little exhausting. Pegg and Wright came from the exact environments you would think they have, and the chapters dedicated to the legacy of the film are full of things that are relatively self-evident if you're already a fan. Maybe it would be more interesting if you weren't a fan, but I don't think so.
Frost's story, on the other hand, is more surprising. I didn't know that he was thrust into acting at the behest of his friends, and the way he recounts his anxieties around appearing on film for the first time are very interesting. Ditto the book's most compelling conflict, the tumultuous relationship between Wright and cinematographer David Dunlap, which keeps the book's production section suspenseful.
Too often though, Collis seems to avoid diving into too much emotional detail. Simon Pegg's struggles with alcoholism are mentioned, but quickly brushed over. Not that Pegg needs to open his personal struggles up to Shaun of the Dead fans, but the fact that this detail sticks out so much suggests to me that Collis never found a great angle on this entire story.
I still devoured the book however, and a lot of the nuts and bolts of indie filmmaking are interesting and well covered. It's inspiring to see how such a young team put together a comic masterpiece with so few resources.
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