Intertexuality of genre

Every movie that is around has either been influenced by a book or a old movie from the past that has probably been forgotten or it is based on a book or just a remake of a old movie.

Shaun of the dead was influenced by an old show that Simon pegg and Nick frost shot the Spaced episode Art, it was very similar to the story line for shaun of the dead as they both consist of walking dead-zombies.Simon had been hallucinating that he was fighting off a zombie invasion. you can see elements of that thrown into Shaun of the dead as they do actually fight of zombies in it, he is definatley not hallucinating now.simon and edgar seem to be fans of George A. Romero's work on horror movies, he is a main influence to them.

 

Movies that influenced Edgar wright's Shaun of the dead:

• Dawn of the dead (1978) directed by:George A. Romero

the name is similar aswell the first word is replaced with Shaun, in this particular movie zombies have risen from the dead, two SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall. you can see the similar elements of characters taken from this that have been used in Shaun of the dead. two main characters who are Simon and Nick, a few friends rather than one and a girlfriend who is his ex at the moment as throughout the movie he is trying to get her back.

• Evil Dead II (1987)
• 28 days later (2002)
• An American Werewolf in London (1981)

I think that film makers use intertextuality to have something to build their movie off, they usually use a few elements from succesfull movies as they know if that is used their movie will be hit beaause the one they took it from was a hit e.g James camerons's Avatar is known to be influenced by Disney's pocahontos and Ferngully the last rainforest.