Charlie Brooker’s zombie opus Dead Set hit UK TV sets last week, to fairly universal acclaim. He might be on to something – screen the whole thing across a week and get it finished before the trendies realise they’re watching something popular and trigger a backlash.
Simon Pegg, geeky mastermind of Shaun of the Dead fame (and slightly less internationally well known sitcom, Spaced) printed his response to the series in Brooker’s own stomping ground, the Guardian. To summarise, it’s an interesting if painfully respectful critique of “angry” zombies. Even if you’ve not seen Dead Set – which I wholeheartedly recommend you do, if you’re that way inclined – the article is a bloody interesting history of the zombie flick. I’m with Pegg on this one, incidentally. Zombies shouldn’t run.
Brooker’s response to the response was swift, floating like a butterfly, and stinging like… well, also a butterfly. Again, salient points, well argued, and incredibly candid in admiration of the work of Pegg. The whole thing gives me the impression of watching two championship boxers step into the ring, square off, and promptly collapse on each other in a loving embrace. But then, so many things make me think of that.
It’s lovely that both Brooker and Pegg respect each other’s work so much. It’s just this would be a much more interesting post if they could stop flouncing and arrange a bitch fight of some sort.
Stacking Cattle 