Something Special From the Shop: A Review of Clark Collis’ New Book “You’ve Got Red on You”

It’s easy to forget that only twenty years ago, nobody was thinking about zombie movies.  Self-aware slashers were everywhere, George A. Romero had moved on, and Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” comic was a glint in his mind’s eye.  It was into this climate that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg conceived one of the seminal horror comedies.  Clark Collis’ new book “You’ve Got Red on You” chronicles the making of “Shaun of the Dead,” it’s ups, downs, and the odd tangents in between. 

Sure, it seems like a forgone conclusion that a horror comedy from Edgar Wright would be a slam dunk, but few people consider the headaches (as opposed to say, the headshots) that went along with his premise.  Thankfully, those hurdles make for entertaining anecdotes all these years later.  Imagine being tasked with tracking the amount of blood on Simon Pegg’s white shirt throughout weeks of shooting.  Or receiving a box of contact lenses for the zombie extras labeled “not for human use.”  Collis captures the absurd situations and challenges of making a classic from all aspects of the production from the PAs, to the actors, to the marketing department, music department and of course, Wright himself. 

While part of the book chronicles moments of contention between Wright and Cinematographer David Dunlap, this book isn’t a salacious tell-all.  It’s a credit to Collis that he captures the collaborative spirit of filmmaking and how disagreements can be the byproducts of everyone trying to make the best film possible. 

After all, who knew what an Edgar Wright film was in 2004?  Even Bill Nighy was previously known as an aging actor with his best roles behind him. 

Now we think of him as, well, Philip from “Shaun of the Dead.”  And “Pirates of the Caribbean.”  And countless others.  Speaking of casting, one of the many hilarious sections of the book is when recounting who was almost cast. The reason Helen Mirren turned down the role of Barbara is worth the price of the book, alone.  If Kate Winslet was cast as Liz, would it even be the same movie?

There aren’t substantial soundbites from Danny Boyle or Alex Garland, but Collis touches on the release of their also-seminal zombie film “28 Days Later,” which was released around the same time.  The section boils down to “great minds think alike,” but Wright and Pegg briefly mention their trepidation of making a film in the shadow of the mind behind “Trainspotting.”  Faced with that task, many filmmakers would just take their ball and go home, which makes Wright and Penn that much more inspirational.  Still, I would have loved to read more about how they overcame such a fear.

The final third or so of the book chronicles the release and legacy of “Shaun of the Dead,” which is pretty drama-free considering everyone’s success afterwards. It’s certainly not a bore, but a good amount of pages were set aside for the revelry fans already have for the film.  After all, you’re not picking it up if you haven’t seen the film. 

Collis has practically had his own horror beat for Entertainment Weekly.  If his columns were a tv show, “You’ve Got Red on You '' would be the film adaptation.  Whether you’re a hardcore fan of the Cornetto Trilogy, or remember enjoying “Shaun of the Dead” once or twice, Collis’ book is a breezy, informative read.

“You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead was Brought to Life” will be available November 23, 2021.