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Have you ever wondered why Shaun of the Dead is so much fun to watch over and over again? Sure, it’s hilarious, but there’s more to it. Shaun of the Dead is one of the best movies out there when it comes to using something called “visual callbacks.”
What is a Visual Callback?
A Visual Callback in film is when the director shows you something you’ve seen before in the movie, but with a twist.
It’s like a little visual joke that makes you laugh while also making you think. Edgar Wright, the director, uses these all over Shaun of the Dead to pull you into the story.
Let’s break it down with an example. Think about Shaun’s morning routine: he wakes up, brushes his teeth and heads out the door. It’s funny, sure. We get a sense that Shaun’s life is kind of a mess.
Then the zombie apocalypse hits, and guess what? The exact same routine happens again. Shaun is so out of it, he doesn’t even notice the world falling apart around him.
This joke only works if you remember the first time it happened. The first routine is funny on its own because Shaun seems like he can barely handle his life. The second time around, we’re just waiting to see if he’ll notice anything different.
Spoiler alert: he doesn’t. It’s like watching your friend play a video game you’ve already beaten. You know what’s coming, and it makes it even funnier.
What makes this visual callback so great is that Shaun’s clumsy way of doing things somehow always works out for him. Nothing really bothers him, even when the world is ending.
But there’s more to it.
Visual Callbacks are Inside Jokes
Visual callbacks are like inside jokes between you and the director.
It feels like Edgar Wright is sitting right there with you, sharing a laugh. These callbacks add extra meaning to what you’ve already seen.
For example, there’s a scene where Shaun gets ink on his shirt, and people keep reminding him about it. At first, it seems like no big deal. But when his mom kisses him on the cheek and mentions it again, it turns into a joke just for those paying attention.
The cool thing about callbacks is that the more you see them, the more you start to expect them. It’s like reading a book where you have to keep track of everything to understand the story better. In movies, though, you’re just along for the ride, and the callbacks keep your brain busy.
Sometimes, the callbacks are really small, like when we see Mary at the checkout counter during the opening credits, and then later she shows up as a zombie.
It makes you think, “Wait, where have I seen her before?”
Even a single shot can be a callback. In the first scene at the Winchester pub, Shaun and Liz are talking about Ed, and he’s right there in the background. The exact same shot comes back a few seconds later, but now with Liz’s friends. It’s subtle, but it’s a callback.
Visual Callbacks in Whole Sequences
Whole scenes get repeated in Shaun of the Dead. The first half of the movie basically repeats itself in different ways.
For example, after that first scene at the Winchester, we go back to Shaun’s house, where we meet Pete, the third roommate, who’s mad about the door always being left open. That detail comes back to bite them later, but for now, we see Shaun head out for a drink.
Later on, the same series of events happens again. First, we’re back at the Winchester. Then, they play loud music, which wakes up Pete, who’s still annoyed about the door. Finally, we see that walk again, but this time, the world is completely different. We know it, but Shaun doesn’t.
These sequences repeat in the same order, but there’s more. There’s a sequence that repeats four, no, five times. It starts with a shot of the TV, followed by, let’s just say, some zombie action. This happens over and over again, right up until the end.
And who can forget the plan to deal with Shaun’s stepfather, Phillip? Every time Shaun comes up with a new plan, we see a quick-cut montage of it. You basically see three plans, and then the real scene plays out.
If we hadn’t already seen his stepfather “die” three times, the joke wouldn’t be nearly as funny.
The same goes for the scene with Shaun’s friend, Yvonne. They have a little small talk that doesn’t seem that funny at first. But later, when she shows up with a group that’s a mirror image of Shaun’s gang, it’s hilarious.
She even reappears at the end to save the day, but without her boyfriend. It’s a callback to an earlier joke about her not being able to keep a boyfriend.
Visual Callbacks that Work With the Basic Premise
It’s about how the world changes after an apocalyptic event, right?
Before and After.
Right from the start, Shaun of the Dead is about a bunch of misfits. Even before the zombie apocalypse, these people are kind of like zombies themselves, just going through the motions. The zombies give them a purpose. They bring out the hero in Shaun. When society breaks down, Shaun becomes the new normal.
When things settle back down, Shaun goes back to being, well, a bit of a zombie himself. But now Liz sees things differently, and maybe that’s the best way to live.
There are tons more callbacks in Shaun of the Dead, from the jokes to the fast-paced close-up cuts that add so much energy.
Some might say visual callbacks are just a matter of style. If you didn’t like the characters or the setting, the callbacks wouldn’t mean much anyway. But that could be said of any filmmaking device.
I encourage you to rewatch Shaun of the Dead with a new appreciation for its visual callbacks. Trust me, you’ll find even more reasons to laugh.
We love this movie so much we bought a copy years ago and watched it every year near Halloween! :0))
The only problem is gets over too quickly!