Edgar Wright's zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead subtly spoils the whole movie early on with Ed's Winchester speech. Released in 2004, Edgar Wright's breakout directorial effort combined jokes and violence for a fresh entry in the zombie movie genre. Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg as the titular Shaun, who is coasting through an uneventful life until a zombie outbreak occurs. He works with his best friend Ed (Nick Frost) to save those he loves while trying to survive.
Before the zombie apocalypse begins, Shaun of the Dead shows Shaun and Ed's normal, mundane lives. It is during this time that Wright foreshadows much of what is to come. The early one-take shot of Shaun's morning routine is repeated the morning of the outbreak to illustrate how little he notices about his surroundings. During this time, Wright also takes viewers to the Winchester Pub as Ed consoles Shaun over his breakup with Liz (Kate Ashfield). Ed proposes that the next day should be filled with the best friends going from pub to pub for an all-day drinking affair.
Ed's Winchester speech seems rather harmless and like a solid plan for him and Shaun to have a good day, but director Edgar Wright included some extra meaning with what he says. Ed's speech actually spoils Shaun of the Dead's whole story. Ed's plan begins with him saying they'll have a Bloody Mary right away, then get a bite at King's Head, have a couple of drinks at Little Princess, stagger back to Winchester Pub, and wrap up the day with shots at the bar. Even though Ed and Shaun's day of drinking doesn't happen, all of these events happen as part of Shaun of the Dead's zombie story instead.
Ed is right that his and Shaun's day would begin with a "Bloody Mary," but it came in the form of their undead neighbor named Mary. She is the first zombie they encounter and sends them off on the rest of their adventure. This leads to the "bite at the King's Head" section of Ed's speech, which unfolds when Shaun saves his mom, and his stepdad Phillip is bitten in the head by a zombie. When it comes to having "a couple at the Little Princess," Shaun of the Dead has Shaun go save Liz, his "princess," and the couple she lives with. They are then supposed to stagger back to Winchester, which they do by acting like zombies instead of being drunk. Finally, the day does end with a bang and shots at the bar, but the shots of alcohol were replaced with gunshots to fend off the zombies.
Even though many viewers have not caught on to what Wright does with Ed's spoiler-filled Winchester speech, that only makes its inclusion and execution even better. Those who haven't noticed this detail won't miss a thing and can still enjoy Shaun of the Dead for all of the comedy, violence, and heart it includes. Moments like these make it even easier to appreciate what Edgar Wright accomplished with his zombie comedy.