Favourite genius #4

Dear Edgar Wright,

When I first saw Shaun of the dead I thought it was funny, but not hilarious like everyone had been telling me it was, but then again, I had never actually seen a zombie film. Throughout my wanky film school studies I ventured in to the realm of zombie movies and saw what I had been informed was the original zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead (the original 1968 George A. Romero film). It was slow burning, a little bit scary and completely ridiculous, and after a double header at the Astor featuring Zombieland and another film I can't remember because I was so distraught SPOILERS from this guy being killed in Zombieland that's all I can really remember from that night, I felt I knew at least some of the tropes of zombie movies enough to watch Shaun of the Dead again and enjoy it a little more. I think I would have liked it a second time around without watching the other films because such is the genius of Edgar Wright.

I was told for months on end that Hot Fuzz was the funniest film ever and one night when I was home alone and had nothing to do I borrowed it from the video shop and watched it. At first I found it mildly amusing but when the action sequence of the film started I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. The next night with all the family home my dad posed the question "what should we watch?" and I leaped up saying "I have a movie you'll like." And I sat down with the family to watch Hot Fuzz. The Second time around I laughed at everything, such is the genius of Edgar Wright.

For my 2nd year anniversary with my comic loving boyfriend we decided to go to gold class and started saving early in the year. We looked to see what would be on at the movies on our anniversary and found that the much anticipated Scott Pilgrim vs. The World would not be released in cinema's in Australia until 5 days later, so we settled for Inception. However, the beauty of having your first date at the Melbourne International Film Festival means that usually there are good film festival films on on that day. And guess which day, out of all of the days of the festival, was the one day they were playing Scott Pilgrim? Yep, our anniversary. Having watched your films alone at home, with family at home and in a packed out cinema with the creme de la creme of Melbourne filmies and geeks, I have come to fall in love with the genius of Edgar Wright.

Your parodies are understated and brilliant, the success of your films in cult circles is testament to your brilliance and a sign that, having not been a box office success during your career, your films will be adored for generations to come.

I cannot wait for Tin Tin and the third in your trilogy of films with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Your ever-adoring,

Kendal Coombs
Melbourne, Australia