After adding some fun and laughs to the zombie genre, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg joined forces again to have some similar fun with the buddy-cop genre. In Hot Fuzz, Pegg plays Nicholas Angel, a highly decorated city cop who is transferred to a small, rural community where he is partnered with an immature cop named Danny Butterman (Nick Frost).
The movie is yet another hilarious and wildly entertaining genre mash-up from the filmmakers. It is also a film that rewards multiple viewings as it is packed with in-jokes, interesting behind-the-scenes stories, and references. Here are some hidden details from Hot Fuzz.
The Cornetto
Hot Fuzz is the second entry into Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy”, which started with Shaun of the Dead and concludes with The World’s End. Wright views these films similarly to Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy”, in that they share similar styles and cast members without actually being connected.
The cornetto aspect of the title refers to the ice cream treat that is featured briefly in each film with the color of the wrapper relating to the plot. In Hot Fuzz, the cornetto wrapper is blue as a nod to the cop story at the center of this movie.
Cameos
Along with his main lead actors, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Edgar Wright started to assemble a roster of regular actors that appear in his films, like Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy. However, there are also some notable big-name cameos in Hot Fuzz that you might have missed.
Given Wright’s particular sense of humor, it makes sense that he would cast some of the biggest names in the film then hide their faces so you cannot recognize them. Peter Jackson appears briefly as the Santa Claus who stabbed Angel while fellow Oscar-winner Cate Blanchette plays Angel’s ex-girlfriend, Janine.
Hometown
In setting the story of a big city cop moving to a small rural community, the film needed to find just the right place to stand in for the fictional Sandford. As it turns out, Wright had the perfect place in mind for the charming yet creepy village – his own hometown.
Wells, Somerset was chosen not only because of Wright’s own connection to it but also because it fit the needs of the film. Wright said that he loved his hometown but also enjoyed destroying it in an action movie.
The NWA
Aside from a number of mysterious murders, Angel also has to contend with the obnoxious Neighborhood Watch Association or NWA. This small group is made up of concerned citizens of Sandford who keep an eye on things in town.
The abbreviated title for the group, NWA, is likely no accident as it shares the same name of the famous rap group whose biggest hit was “F**k the Police”. Given what happens later in the film, that is probably a sentiment this group shares concerning law enforcement. It’s also worth noting that a number of the actors who make up the NWA are known for playing villains in notable projects.
Zombie Party
The success of Shaun of the Dead was a major reason why this film got made. It launched the careers of those involved while also introducing the unique comedy of Wright and Pegg’s voices. While Hot Fuzz proved Shaun of the Dead was no fluke, they did give a nod to the film that started it all.
When Danny is in the supermarket browsing the DVD selection, we can briefly see the DVD cover for Shaun of the Dead. The title on the cover reads “Zombie Party” which was the name of Shaun of the Dead in some countries. There is a sticker covering Pegg’s face on the cover just so the fourth wall isn’t broken too much.
The Sergeant Turners
There is a certain paranoia feel to the movie as Angel digs deeper into the strange society within Sandford. Along with being a buddy cop parody, it also feels like a thriller in the same vein as The Wicker Man.
Among the various odd aspects of Sandford, there is the front desk officer at the police station, Sergeant Turner who seems to change personality every time Angel sees him, going from upbeat to rude. It’s later revealed that there are two Sergeant Turners, twins who work at the front desk together. To add to the funny reveal, the two cops seem to share a badge with the same badge number.
DVD Collection
While there aren’t too many filmmakers alive who can rival the likes of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino in terms of overall film knowledge, Edgar Wright does have an impressive encyclopedic knowledge as well. It is all that knowledge that helps him to create new stories that pay homage to great films as well.
One aspect of Hot Fuzz is Danny Butterman’s love of action films. Danny tries to introduce Angel to this world as well by showing off his impressive DVD collection. In actuality, the massive collection is made up of a combination of Wright, Pegg and Wright’s brother’s own collection of movies.
Shortcut
Along with the main cast members and the cornetto connection, each film in Wright’s trilogy shares a similar gag involving a fence. In Shaun of the Dead, as Shaun and the others attempt to make their way through a zombie-infested neighborhood, Shaun says “What’s the matter, never taken a shortcut before?”. He then tries to leap but fails miserably.
Angel in this film is a much more impressive hero as he says the same thing to Danny while chasing a suspect. He then proceeds to do a variety of impressive and hilariously over-the-top jumps over the various fences, looking like a real super-cop.
Suspicious Song Choices
One of the best supporting characters in the film is Simon Skinner, the friendly yet off-putting businessman playing by Timothy Dalton. Skinner might have a charming smile but it’s clear he’s up to something. The film has a lot of fun making him seem like such an obvious suspect for all the murders in town.
Skinner has a habit of showing up during the aftermath of a gruesome “accident” and he always seems to be listening to very coincidental music. Following the murders of the Romeo & Juliet actors, Skinner drives by the accident seen listening to “Romeo and Juliet” by the Dire Straits. Later, he drives by the scene of a house explosion listening to “Fire” by Arthur Brown.
Action Movie Clichés
Just as Shaun of the Dead is made with a genuine passion for the zombie genre, Hot Fuzz is made by people who clearly hold a lot of affection for action movies. The filmmakers are able to poke fun at the ridiculousness of those movies while getting to make one themselves.
The character of Danny in the film is clearly someone who watches a lot of those movies and always asks Angel if he’s done some of the things he sees in action movies, like fire two guns while jumping through the air and firing a gun while in a high-speed pursuit. Angel insists that’s not realistic, but he proceeds to do all those things during the action-packed climax.
