Simon Pegg is most popular right now for his work as Scotty in Star Trek and his collaborations with Nick Frost in the fabulous Cornetto trilogy. But a few years ago, he paired up with Andy Serkis to star in Burke and Hare, a film about the infamous Victorian graverobbers turned murderers. Back in the 19th century, medical schools would pay top dollar for fresh cadavers to dissect in lecture halls. The fresher, the better. Burke and Hare began their career as medical suppliers by digging up newly buried corpses and selling them, but they quickly arrived at the realization that murder would provide them with fresher corpses still, and would neatly cut out the middle man. This was, of course, highly illegal, but you have to admire their entrepreneurial spirit. The idea to make this into a black comedy is incredibly clever, because there is something inherently humorous in the macabre. John Landis, director of films like Animal House and Ghostbusters, is more than up to the task of bringing this pair of unlikely protagonists to life. They may not be the most likeable characters that have ever graced the screen, but they're immensely entertaining throughout the entire film.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
