2 seconds

Finally -- finally! -- I can tell you about "Shaun of the Dead."

First of all, stop reading this blog and go put "Shaun of the Dead" on your DVD rental queue. I can wait. I'll be here when you get back. That's "Shaun of the Dead." Not "Dawn of the Dead." British comedy. Not bad but classic American horror flick. I can wait. I'll be patient.

OK, are you back? All right.

Last Monday morning at about 6:00 in the morning, I saw "Shaun of the Dead" on one of the 8 Cinemax channels. Later that night, I watched it again. And I watched it again Wednesday. Twice. And twice on Thursday, I think. And... tonight. It's on heavy rotation on the Cinemaxes. If you subscribe to Cinemax, maybe you can catch it Sunday night at 8:00 EST.

I emailed my sister Amy on Tuesday and told her she needs to watch it. Then I emailed her again the next day, reminding her that she needs to watch "Shaun of the Dead." By that time, I was making a serious study of the impossible-to-understand British comments in the movie and translating them to something that not only sounded like English, but actually *enhanced* my understanding of the film.

It's a *great* movie. If you haven't seen it, you must. I'm not kidding. I just watched it 7 times in one week, and I'm looking forward to receiving it on DVD for my own personal library.

Comedies are dicey for recommendations. For instance, many people I know are completely bonkers for "The Blues Brothers." Personally, it doesn't appeal to me. Similarly, I couldn't make it more than 11 minutes into "Napoleon Dynamite." The humor in that movie was just too violent and *hostile* for me and my tender sensibilities.

And I'm a total weenie about scary movies. I insist that people watch scary movies before I do, and tell me absolutely every single *possible* scary moment so I can be forewarned about them. Otherwise, I can't make it through the movie. Remember "Signs" by M. Night Shyamalan? (Or however you spell his name....) I stopped it and refused to watch it until my husband had watched the whole thing and told me all about it so I could finish the rest of it. I'm just ... really sensitive.

But "Shaun of the Dead" is absolutely fabulous. It's terribly British and terribly dry and witty.

So here are my caveats.

If you like "Raising Arizona" and "Galaxy Quest," you'll like "Shaun of the Dead."

If you throw away the remote when you come across "50 First Dates" and "Intolerable Cruelty," you'll like "Shaun of the Dead."

If you have entire Monty Python albums memorized and understand the difference between "oy" and "hey," you'll like "Shaun of the Dead."

It's fabulous. Watch it. I have just ordered it on DVD to keep for my very own. I have so many bits memorized that I don't really *need* it on DVD, but I want to see the deleted scenes and hear the director's commentary.

That's how much I love that movie.

I won't guarantee you'll laugh your rear off. In point of fact, I didn't laugh once the first time I watched it. But that was because I was *afraid* to laugh for fear I would miss something spectacular. Now I laugh uproariously through many scenes.

Also, Bill Nighy is in it, and he's a complete freaking geeeeeeeeeenius.

It's a great relief to *finally* be able to discuss the finer points of the film with my sister. She watched it tonight with her husband, and I was so worried that I had built it up too high and that she would be disappointed. I'm delighted to report that she found it as fabulous I. And now she knows what I mean when I say, "2 seconds," or "bye BYE bye..."

Now, go watch "Shaun of the Dead." Or if you're already a devoted fan, be sure to post a comment so other blog readers won't think I've lost my mind! Thx. :)