This week Shaun of the Dead is returning to theatres for it’s 20th anniversary (On Aug 29th). This was a movie that was massively hyped in my world. It was riding a wave of zombie movie mania and had a ton of buzz for both it’s horror/gore and comedy aspects. The trailers looked great, and everything seemed like it was going to be a sure-fire-can’t-go-wrong-what’s-the-worst-that-could-happen-guaranteed-home-run. Against most all of my previous experience in this case it actually was! I managed to catch a reasonably early screening at our local film festival a couple of months before wide release, which means I got to see it in front of a receptive crowd complete with cosplayers (less common in 2004) and great fun.

Hype is usually not the greatest thing. Like when I am pitching a movie to someone (a la last week) I am super careful not to overhype, because once you do and the more you and others pile on the hype, the greater the expectations are for the movie to live up to the hype. The more people expect it to be the absolute perfect 10/10 in every scene movie, if the movie does not live up to this hype despite being good or even great, it may end up being viewed less favourably then it deserves. I have personally had this happen several times and upon further viewings sans hype had to revise my opinion, as well I have seen it happen unfairly to several movies where friends of mine eventually came around as well (although not always).

But, and this is a pretty big but, if the movie does live up to the hype then it basks in a greater collective glow. People are raving together (both in review and celebratory dance party forms), breaking bread, clinking glasses and celebrating awesomeness. It is a rare thing that has a very very high risk yet very very high reward scenario and with this in mind today’s prompt: What movie(s) really lived up to the hype for you?