Fans of Edgar Wright will recognize his name from works such as:
- Shaun of the Dead
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
- and the television series, Spaced.
Here he is with frequent collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for the 2007 black comedy Hot Fuzz. It is essentially a send-up of the buddy cop genre.
Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a police officer with the Metropolitan Police of London. He is a “super-cop,” which oddly enough does not sit well with his supervisors (there is such a thing as being TOO good). As a result, he is sent off to the sleepy English village of Sanford, where it is supposed that he will not have to worry about any criminal activity. In Sanford he is partnered with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) who is in awe of his new partner’s big city prowess. The other members of the Sanford Police force (headed by Jim Broadbent as Frank Butterman, Danny’s father) are not as impressed by the big-city import.
The rest of Sanford’s citizenry welcome Nicholas with varying degrees of acceptance. The town’s characters are an interesting lot to say the least. Of particular significance especially at the beginning of Nicholas’ investigations is Simon Skinner (the wonderful Timothy Dalton) manager of a local grocery store.
All is quite until a series of suspicious deaths draw the attention of Angel. He soon discovers that while the crime rate (and murders) are nil, Sanford has a high number of deaths by accident or suicide in its records. After some snooping around he discovers an appalling secret about “The Village of the Year.”
As a measure of how much I liked this film, I cannot tell you how many times I have watched it and continuously laughed at what I saw. The surprise cameos (see how many you can count) are well worth the price of admission.
For the uninitiated, one thing that I bring to a potential viewer’s attention is the fact that there is a great deal of bloody violence in the film despite its overall comedic tone.
Personally this was my first complete entree into world of Edgar Wright. Since then I have watched bits of “Spaced” and not all of Shaun of the Dead. On the strength of this outing I plan on completing the above and to sink my teeth into Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a recommended watch.
Hi, iluv and company:
Excellent choice this week!
Caught onto ‘Hot Fuzz’ a bit late in the game. A great little comedy that rests on the shoulders of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Who bear the weight easily in the rarified air of Edward Woodward and Timothy Dalton. Who understand their respective roles and seem to have a ball with them!
Loved the Constabulary’s Storage Vault and its vast assortment of treasures within. As well as the interplay between Pegg, Frost, Dalton and Woodward.
Yeah forgot about Woodward thanks Jack! He was almost unrecognizable to me.
I liked SHAUN a lot more but I did see this.
Yeah Patti that is the I have reached – Shaun is a superior film. I have only seen the last 45 minutes or so of it and it is a film with a great cult following and lots of goodwill towards it.
Hah, this is a brilliant one. So funny.
Although, if this would’ve been done in America it would have been shit. Just sayin’.
Ha ha @Anna this is a quintessentially British convention if I do say so myself.