Hot Fuzz (2007) is an action-comedy film directed by Edgar Wright that draws on conventions of cop films and buddy movies. It contains abundant references to other films through techniques like intertextuality, parody, and pastiche. The film uses a "hip-hop montage" during a train sequence and other postmodern film techniques. It simultaneously pays homage to and parodies cop action films while also being self-reflective on its own techniques and references to popular culture.

1. Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)
...and postmodernism

2. Hot Fuzz - tasks
• Do some background reading and take notes
including:
1. Critical and popular acclaim (awards, box office, DVD
sales). Was it successful? Why?
2. Find examples of at least 5 intertextual references in the
film. Why is this something the filmmakers do? Does it
add to audience enjoyment? How?
3. Read the Guardian NFT interview (in two parts). What is
EW and SP’s take on homage, parody and spoof?
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/feb/12/guardianinter
viewsatbfisouthbank)
4. What is the ‘Blood and Ice-Cream Trilogy’ otherwise
known as? What is this a reference to?

3. Genre hybrid
• Essentially an Action-Comedy, Hot Fuzz draws
on a range of generic conventions including:
– Cop films, buddy movies, horror, western
– ‘Splatstick’ – early films of Peter Jackson (Bad
Taste, Braindead). Angel even uses the term
‘splattered’ of the way the reporter dies
Film and popular culture references are so abundant
in this film it almost becomes a theme.
Intertextuality in the extreme

4. Hip-Hop montage
• Example of a postmodern film technique
• hip hop montage is a subset of fast cutting to
portray a complex action through a rapid series of
simple actions in fast motion, accompanied by
sound effects (often enhanced)
• Coined by Darren Aronofsky on his work in films
like Pi (1998) and Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Used when travelling to Sandford on train
• Edgar Wright also uses same technique in Sean of
the Dead (2004)

5. Parody / Pastiche
• Opening sequence – parody/pastiche of the
super-cop
• Initial conversation with Janine (Cate Blancett –
uncredited) as pastiche of romantic film
• Parody/pastiche of opening of Trainspotting
(Danny Boyle, 1996) in shoplifter chase sequence

6. Parody / Pastiche
• Destruction of the model village – in action
films you will often see destruction on a mass
scale here it is only the scale that is different.
• One liners from other films -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/movie
connections
• Challenging the stereotypes of villians – old
people with machine guns!

7. Self reflective/Intertexuality
• They watch action films and act out sequences
from them
• Self reflexivity Parody of own film work (Shawn of
the Dead lines)
– Butterman as huge fan of action/cop films - the
very same films Hot Fuzz pays homage to esp Bad
Boys, Point Break

8. Strinati
• Style over Substance
– For the village committee winning is all important
and will kill for it
• Confusion over time and space
– Multiple killers adds to the confusion, use of
flashback in reverse

9. Strinati
• Breakdown between culture and society
(mediatisation)
– Danny idolises the heroes in Action films, connect
more with them than his real partner at the start, tries
to use films as a way of educating/bonding with Nick
– The perfect village is treated like a brand and killing is
removing the bad advertising
• Break down between high and low art
– Films like Bad Boys and Point Break are held up as
classic examples of ‘art’ but these films have not been
well received by critics

10. Lyotard
• Rejecting aspects of the ‘Grand Narrative’
• Style of Comedy (knowledge) Rags to Riches, Voyage and
Return, twists the idea of a Quest
• Supports aspects of the ‘Grand Narrative
– Self Discovery

11. Baudrillard
• Hyperreality
– Danny connecting more with film characters than
real people, the way the two Andy’s dress and act
like stereotype 70’s cops (simulacra)
– ‘You’re living in a dream world’ (death of the real)
yet later ‘This shit just got real’ (but it is still just a
film!)
– Yet our attention is always been draw to the fact
that this is a construction jump cuts, obtrusive
editing, exaggerated non diegetic sound