Filmography: Shaun of the Dead (2004); Hot Fuzz (2007); Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010); The World's End (2013) As mentioned in the Ben Stiller entry, it's hard for comedic directors to get much recognition, so it's a testament to the talent of director Edgar Wright that he has built himself such a cult following over such a short time. The man behind the self-proclaimed Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World's End) has established a unique brand of comedy that could only be associated with Edgar Wright. His trademark use of quick cuts, running gags, and super subtle inside jokes only hardcore cinephiles can appreciate, make him the perfect comedic visionary for a 21st century where meta-irony has become its own sub-genre of comedy. Unlike many directors who made parodies preceding Wright, Wright's films never go for the easiest jokes that even 5th graders could make. The brilliance of Wright's films lie in the fact that instead of merely mocking whichever genre is his choice du jour, they actually operate as legitimately great movies in the genre itself. For instance, Shaun of the Dead is a terrific zombie movie (and is probably partly responsible for the renewed zombie craze) even as it ribs some of the clichés the genre is known for. This is because Wright's work, like all truly great directors, comes from a place of absolute love for cinema. Sample any one of the of the auteur's four feature films and his adoration for the silver screen is, thankfully, all too apparent.
A film fanatic at a very young age, starting with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies and gradually moving up to more sophisticated fare, at around the age of ten he became inexplicably obsessed with all things Oscar. With the incredibly trivial power of being able to chronologically name every Best Picture winner from memory, his lifelong goal is to see every Oscar nominated film, in every major category, in the history of the Academy Awards.
