Hot Fuzz (2007)
Hot Fuzz - Zwei abgewichste Profis
Interview with Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright wasn't on an official mission in Cannes 2007. He didn't have any of his films competing nor shown there. When asked the English writer/director of the "romantic comedy with zombies" Shaun of the Dead said, he was there to support his buddy Quentin Tarantino for whom he made one of the four infamous fake trailers for Grindhouse. As we all know, his segment "Don't" didn't end up in the Cannes-Cut of Death Proof later released in Switzerland. Just coming back from the US where he was busy promoting his latest film Hot Fuzz he still had a lot to talk about. So OutNow.CH sat with him at one of the beach houses at the croissette for some minutes. Here's the interview with a true film geek.
» Das Interview in deutscher Sprache
OutNow.CH (ON): Could you explain to a non-native speaker what Hot Fuzz means?
Here come the Fuzz
Edgar Wright (EW): Fuzz is an old American expression for the police, which has been used in quite some films. I think it comes from the thirties in New York, when the predominantly Irish police force all had moustaches or beards and people were saying here come the face fuzz. I always thought it to be a cool name for the police. If I was a police man I wouldn't mind being called fuzz.
ON: Are there other movies that use the term in their titles?
EW: Yes. Fuzz is an adaptation of an Ed McBain Novel with Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch which came out in 1972. And Superfuzz is an Italian film with Terence Hill. But Hot Fuzz doesn't mean anything. It's just a two word title like all these action movies have. We even went that far to make up a different two word titles for every chapter on the DVD: extreme service, administrative decision, total bullets and that sort of thing. If it's a Steven Seagal Film it needs to be three words.
ON: Where does your fascination with cop movies come from?
EW: In the time I grew up we didn't have too many cop films in the U.K. just some tv serials. And the area I come from originally is also very quiet. So when I watched something like Dirty Harry or Bullit on TV it would be as alien to me as sci-fi. It was so remote from my life experience.
filming in nowhere land
ON: You were shooting Hot Fuzz in the town you grew up. Are there any of your relatives in the film?
EW: My mother is in it. She plays one of the Village of the Year officials. Then also my old drama teacher from school is in it. Also the guy playing the living statue is one of my old friends that used to appear in my amateur productions.
ON: Was the town proud of you coming back or was it more of a disturbance of their everyday life?
EW: A bit of both. They were exited and also a bit amused of the disruption. They were very pleased about the finished film though.
ON: Was it difficult to convince actors like Timothy Dalton and Jim Broadbent for the production?
EW: Jim Broadbent actually came up to us at the BAFTA-Awards after he saw Shaun of the Dead and told us to let him know if we ever had a part for him, so we wrote one for him. Timothy Dalton was approached trough his agent and he saw Shaun of the Dead with his son in the US and loved it.
ON: Why Timothy Dalton? In Switzerland we mostly know him as James Bond.
EW: I always thought he was a brilliant actor. And he wasn't given the opportunity to be funny in a lot of films. The film I particularly liked him in, was Flash Gordon. He is a very famous actor who was strangely underused in the last ten years. It was great working with him and I hope that comes across in the film.
ON: Did you actually come across people like Nicholas Angel during the research you made within the police forces?
EW: Yes. In fact the brother of one of my best friends is like him. A lot of principles. Very diligent. A University background. Vegetarian. Rode a bicycle. Kind of like a literal supercop.
ON: Any comments from the British police after they saw the final film?
EW: From what I gather they loved it. I spoke to a lot of the police officers we interviewed. On the British DVD there is even a commentary from two actual cops, which is hilarious.
Having a laugh with Frost
ON: Your collaboration with Simon Pegg started with Spaced. This series never came out nor on DVD or on TV in German-Speaking Europe. Do you know why?
EW: No. Unlike Shaun or Hot Fuzz we don't really have much control over how the things are distributed. I'm not even aware in which countries Spaced has been seen or not.
ON: To finish this up I would like to give you some key words and you just tell me what pops into your mind first.
EW: Word Association. Ok!
ON: Favourite Cop Movie.
EW: Dirty Harry
ON: Jerry Bruckheimer.
EW: An underrated genius
ON: Simon Pegg
EW: One of the nicest guys in the business.
ON: The Cannes Film Festival
EW: Party Central
ON: British Humour
EW: The comedy of awkwardness
ON: The internet
EW: Addictive
ON: Switzerland
EW: Very clean. I've been there. I've been to Montreux years ago, when Spaced was nominated for the Golden Rose.
