10 Movies To Watch If You Loved The Cornetto Trilogy | ScreenRant – Screen Rant

If you loved the so-called Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End) then make sure to check out these similar movies too.

The Cornetto trilogy is a beloved comedy "trilogy" (of sorts - more "loosely connected movies") comprising of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. These movies can certainly stand on their own, and while they aren't necessarily parodies, they do send up many beloved movies belonging to their respective genres - zombie, cop, and alien invasion.

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Seeing the movies that the Cornetto trilogy mirror, while not necessary, undoubtedly makes the experience that much grander (and funnier). Luckily, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are enormous movie nerds, so there's a plethora of material to go on.

The most obvious movie influencing Shaun of the Dead is George A. Romero's 1978 masterpiece Dawn of the Dead. Obvious title reference aside, Shaun is also stuffed to the brim with references and allusions to Romero's movie.

Dawn concerns a small band of people taking refuge inside from the zombie apocalypse (in this case, a mall), it too contains slow-moving zombies (obviously), and Shaun borrowed various pieces of music directly from Dawn, including the Goblin track "Zombi" that plays over "the plan" montage.

28 Days Later came two years before Shaun of the Dead, and it's very in keeping with Shaun of the Dead's more down to Earth and reserved tone. Despite the fast, screeching zombies, 28 Days Later is actually quite a slow, melodic film.

It too takes place in England, and it too places a large emphasis on a small group of closely connected people rather than a larger, "end of the world" type scenario. The movie is directly referenced in Shaun of the Dead, as Shaun turns the TV off right after a news reporter mentions "rage-infected monkeys." Rage infected monkeys begin the zombie apocalypse in 28 Days Later.

Before Shaun of the Dead, Dead Alive was arguably the quintessential zombie comedy. Released internationally as Braindead, Dead Alive was directed by none other than Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame.

While it initially bombed at the box office, the movie received newfound fame following Lord of the Rings, with many critics praising the movie's humor, sense of unabashed sense of fun, and ridiculous over-the-top gore. It's certainly not for the fainthearted or for those who get queasy seeing blood, but Dead Aliveis well worth a watch for those who adore Shaun of the Dead.

Hot Fuzz took the Cornetto trilogy in a new direction, sending up straight cop movies, buddy cop movies, slashers, and cult films alike. An obvious influence is Michael Bay's Bad Boys II, which could very well be the most ridiculous and bombastic cop movie ever made.

RELATED: 10 Best Moments Of Foreshadowing In Shaun Of The Dead

The movie is constantly referenced throughout Hot Fuzz, and bothNicholas and Danny watch the movie (even though they eventually fall asleep). The movie couldn't make itself any clearer - 'watch Bad Boys IIbecause we're making fun of all of its tropes and bombast'.

Another obvious influence is Point Break, Kathryn Bigelow's surfing/action classic. Like Bad Boys II, Point Break is referenced and watched throughout Hot Fuzz, although most of the referencesinvolve the classic scene in which Johnny Utah shoots at the sky.

This is repeated at the end of the movie when Danny shoots into the sky instead ofshooting his father in the back. Danny finally got what he wanted - to live in a "no holds barred, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride" of a movie (in the worlds of Nicholas Angel himself).

There are a myriad buddy cop movies out there, but few are as famous as Lethal Weapon. Hot Fuzz largely concerns the personal and working relationship between Nicholas and Danny, tropes of which are borrowed heavily from the buddy cop genre.

Hot Fuzz directly references Lethal Weapon in the final fight between Nicholas and Skinner, as the final fight of Lethal Weapon also involves a burst water main. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover make for one of the all-time great buddy cop pairings, and watching Lethal Weapon is absolutely essential for Hot Fuzzfans.

Hot Fuzz is unique in that it doesn't just reference the police action genre - it also touches on "cult" movies. The plot involving the culty Neighbourhood Watch Alliance and its efforts to sacrifice citizens for "the greater good" greatly mirror the fantastic 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.

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This movie also involves a small village of closely-connected citizens, and it too involves said citizens utilizing personal sacrifices to attain goals for "the greater good." In this case, they sacrifice poor Neil Howie to ensure a profitable harvest. Howie is played by Edward Woodward, who also plays Tom Weaver in Hot Fuzz.

This story has been told and retold numerous times, including the 1956 original, the 1993 remake from Abel Ferrara, the 2007 remake starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, and the 1998 movie The Faculty, which borrows heavily from the story.

However, the 1978 version remains the greatest and most popular. The World's End borrows heavily from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as the entire concept of everyday people being taken over by"blank" aliens was lifted directly from this movie.

The Stepford Wives shares a lot in common with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and therefore, The World's End. The movie was based on a 1972 novel Ira Levin, and it concerns a quaint little town (much like Newton Haven) filled with weirdly subservient wives. It's not until later that the characters (and the audience) learn that these "wives" are actually robots made to look like human women.

The scene in The World's End involving the twins' disembodied robot headmay be a reference toThe Stepford Wives' iconicposter showing a busted robot head.

Much like Dead Alive is to Shaun of the Dead, They Live is to The World's End. Before The World's End, They Live was one of the quintessential tongue-in-cheek alien invasion movies. It was directed and written by John Carpenter (with the writing credit going to Carpenter's pseudonym, Frank Armitage), and it concerns aliens who have invaded Earth and disguised themselves as everyday human beings.

The connection to Invasion, Stepford Wives, and The World's End is obvious, but it's also filled with some great social commentary involving the ruling elite, the media, and consumerism.

NEXT:Edgar Wright: 5 Reasons Why Shaun Of The Dead Is His Best Genre Riff (& 5 Why Hot Fuzz Is A Close Second)

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10 Movies To Watch If You Loved The Cornetto Trilogy | ScreenRant - Screen Rant