Talk:Hot Fuzz

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[edit] Bill Nighy

Is anyone sure that Hot Fuzz will star Bill Nighy? AllStarZ 00:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

I can't for the life of me remember the source, but I think there's a press release floating around with his name on it. HornetMike 10:40, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
He's in the trailer as the Police chief who reassigns Angel. Wiki-newbie 09:56, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
He is indeed in the film, as the Chief inspector. Fruitcake119 08:08, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trailers

Should there be a description of what happens in the new trailers? e.g. mention the Shaun of the Dead refenences contained in them. George C 14:58, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't see what relevance they have. Unless Hot Fuzz's sole jokes are based on references to SOTD then it's just little bits of trivia. Trivia's for IMDb, not here. Cheers, HornetMike 23:04, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Bits of trivia shouldn't really be included if we can at all help it, as trivia isn't really important. (see Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles) If, after the movie is released there are more SOTD references, we could mention that fact but without listing the whole lot of them. -- jeffthejiff 12:21, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
I understand that, but I do think that the fact that there are trailers available should be made more obvious, rather than just a link under the External Links section. George C 16:57, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
Having just seen a preview screening of the film, there are definitely references to SotD throughout. There is even a brief close-up shot of the DVD of the film in a supermarket bargin bin. Nick Cooper 00:19, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Starring"

I've removed Steve Coogan, Bill Night & Martin Freeman from the infobox, as they're appearances are little more than cameos. Billie Whitelaw & Edward Woodward's parts are certainly more substantial. Nick Cooper 13:24, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Opening date

Whilst some cinemas may start showing Hot Fuzz on the 14th, to co-incide with Valentines or just as early previews (a lot of cinemas do this), the general release date is the 16th. Virtually all films open on a Friday in the UK, which is the 16th. And it's on all the posters. HornetMike 22:26, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

It's been moved forward to 14th February. There are TV spots showing now that say Valentine's Day, and here are some articles that mention it: [1] [2] [3] and Working Title's own website: [4]. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Neilka (talkcontribs) 22:44, 9 February 2007 (UTC).
OK, I see. I've been reverting a load of IP editors who I presumed (wrongly it turns out) were vandalising for the above reasons. Co-incidentally, I saw a TV spot with Valentines yesterday and immeadiately thought of this. Apologies, HornetMike 19:46, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Simon Pegg on transatlantic irony

Here's the end of a great article by Simon Pegg, which could probably be assimilated into this article somewhere:

With the whole "Americans don't do irony" thing cleared up and consigned to the dustbin/garbage pail of passive/aggressive international preconception, we come to mine and Edgar Wright's latest filmic effort, Hot Fuzz. A film that we hope surfs the wave of subtle difference between our two countries, until it crashes red and frothy on to both shores. As if Tony Scott were to guest-helm an episode of Heartbeat, Hot Fuzz takes the most shamelessly histrionic excesses of American cinema and smashes them into that conservative and profoundly territorial enclave of Britishness, the country village, never once faltering in the assumption that everyone out there will understand. After all, we may all be different, but we're all capable of getting the same joke. In a world beset by prejudice and difference, how ironic is that?

The whole thing's available here, and here's a citeweb ref tag I put together: <ref name="guardianpegg">{{cite web|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2009748,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1|title=What are you laughing at?|first=Simon|last=Pegg|publisher=[[Guardian Unlimited]]|accessdate=2007-02-10}}</ref>. Seegoon 19:08, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

It's a very interesting article but I'm personally just not really sure how it would fit into the article, mentions of Hot Fuzz aside. Still, if you can find a logical place to put it in, go to it! :-)--Joseph Q Publique 03:13, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

I see someone reverted my removal of the DVD trivia. Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles and WP:NOT state that we must avoid making articles indiscriminate collections of information. Trivia comes under this. Perhaps, knowing Pegg and Wright's style, we can put into a larger "culture references" section. But at the moment, on it's own, it's trivia. So I'm removing it again. HornetMike 21:48, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Technically that was me, although I hadn't seen your earlier removal, and just coincidentally put it in the same place. "Cultural references" is a good idea, but I'd clarified the subtlety of the DVD shot and tidied it up a bit. Nick Cooper 08:23, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
Looks good, although I only skim read it because I haven't seen it yet! Hopefully once the rush updates finishes following the film's release I'll be able to tidy it into prose and find a couple of quotes from Pegg/Wright re: referencing stuff, there are a few around (if anyone spots any, stick 'em in!) HornetMike 15:53, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

I removed: "*The security code typed in on the number pad for the evidence room in the police station is 999.", because its way to obvious, if you want to put it back at least add the fact that 999 is the Emergency Services number in Great Britain.
"*At one point you can see the camera man in the glasses of Angel's forensic's girlfriend.", non specific, if you want to put it back, find out when at least.
"and Nicholas Angel", Andel isnt a role, its a characterisation at best.
--Ferdia O'Brien (The Archiver And The Vandal Watchman) 01:10, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

The forensics girlfriend only appears in one scene, so it's fairly obvious when it happens... mattbuck 02:14, 12 March 2007 (UTC)
Last I checked, encyclopedias assume that the reader is interested in subject matter that they know little to nothing about, not something they have a detailed knowledge of, your average reader wont make the distinction of how many times a low grade character appears. Specifics Gentlemen --Ferdia O'Brien (The Archiver And The Vandal Watchman) 20:55, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Anyone have any opinions about the possibility of a new article titled Hot Fuzz (trivia)? It might be an idea.
Ferdia O'Brien The Archiver And The Vandal Watchman 03:35, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cultural references

Can anyone else who saw the film back me up on the fact that there was a Back to the Future reference (the bulletproof vest) and possibly a Lethal Weapon reference (although I'm not entirely sure about it, but it may have been the ending when Angel was cradling Butterman). Should these be included? George C 11:32, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Well without being mean, any cultural references not sourced by other articles are not really allowed by Wikipedia as it is original research.... JulianHensey 01:29, 19 February 2007 (UTC)
To be pedantic, literal and unequivocal references - such as the direct mention of Straw Dogs and the appearance of the SotD DVD cover - can be referenced to the film itself. Similarly, use of music is fairly "obvious." Nick Cooper 08:39, 19 February 2007 (UTC)


The reference to 'chunky monkey' seemed to me to refer to the Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavour with same name, especially in context of the scene it wa mentioned. Not quite sure if it makes sense to allude to a film that David Threlfall played in.

Anyone want to copy this list of crap elsewhere (ie, IMDB) before I delete it again? -- jeffthejiff 02:05, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
I've just deleted half of it. I'd like for that half to stay deleted. Some of the references didn't even know where they were referenced from ('it might be from Jurassic Park, but it could also be from Aliens', for example). --Steve Farrell 04:08, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
The obvious stuff should remain, but any new vague additions should be policed rigourously. Some editors seem on a mission to rid what they arbitrarily deem to be "trivia" from some film entries on Wikipedia, but the reality is that parody and cultural referencing is integral to the work of some filmmakers. If it's clear and unequivocal, it should be documented; if those involved with the production themselves acknowledge it, it should be as well. In any case, as soon as the over-zealous remove such information in its entirety, someone else will start it up again, anyway. Better to have what should be included covered to an acceptable standard, and then cope with the less precise additions as and when they turn up. Nick Cooper 08:21, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Well, the MoS says we shouldnt include arbitrary laundry lists of trivia. Trivia really belongs in the IMDB. If particular cultural references are notable or important to the film they should really be written as continuous paragraphs, saying why they're important. Otherwise it'll just grow to a list of stupid and pointless proportions. Wright/Pegg are known for their dropping of pop culture references, but even though that fact alone is prominent, it doesnt mean that every single one should be listed. Otherwise we'd end up with a 30-page list of Spaced trivia... -- jeffthejiff 09:07, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Clearly 'Hot Fuzz' is based on pop culture references - it's all about taking action movie clichés and putting them in an unusual context; ie a small village with normal, very English village coppers. That's how Pegg and Wright work - Spaced was absolutely full of references to movies; there was hardly a second in the scripts that wasn't a homage to something. But that doesn't mean you should list every example. I do have a problem regarding superfluous entries to lists on Wikipedia. There are too many overly long lists in articles that aren't titled 'List of' something. I do have an urge to trim them with extreme prejudice, but I've rarely done it. --Steve Farrell 12:49, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

So none of you deleters who police this section could be bothered to copy what you cut across to the IMDB? Thanks a bunch. 82.32.238.139 20:20, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Glad to see the chunky monky reference was deleted. Considering that later in the film we actually see a box of Ben & Jerry's ice cream of this type in the station, the reference to the David Threlfall film seemed like a stretch. Cdpilkington 10:30, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

To anyone considering contributing to this section, I would suggest reading WP:A first. In particular No Original Research. -- IslaySolomon | talk 03:22, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cultural references - remixed

I've put this section into a general chronological order, with the thematic/overarching "references" first. This shows that some scenes are claimed to be multiple references, such as the car boot (not "trunk" - we are in the UK, remember!) scene and the final fight. Someone with more familiarity with the multiple references should see if they can decide which (if any) are the most appropriate. Nick Cooper 13:18, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] split page

The section about all of the references in pop culture needs to be split into a new article. Most of it needs to be deleted since it's made up of uncited assumptions. Some of the stuff presented is ridiculous, like a person is really trying hard to make a connection between this movie and another movie they like. Plus, the page has too much (uncited) trivia and needs to be worked into the main body somehow. (Ghostexorcist 08:08, 9 March 2007 (UTC))

Strongly disagree about splitting it into a new article. Once I've actually seen the film (one of the bad things about living in Aberystwyth!) and can read spoilers I'll get scanning and deleting. I doubt there'll be enough there for a seperate article. Cheers, HornetMike 10:12, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
References needed? Surely the film itself is reference enough? If things are tenuous then they should be removed. -- Tompsci 17:03, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

Okay, here are a couple of examples from the “Cultural references” section that need citations:

  • The fictional town of Sandford is the name used by Centrex for their genuine police promotion exercises.
  • The scene where Angel uses the trolley boy's radio after knocking him out references Die Hard .
  • The flock of pigeons which flies behind and around Angel in the market square references director John Woo's trademark flocks of doves

These are just a few. The first one obviously needs a citation, you can’t just use another article as a reference. The next two, though they may be true, need citations. How do we really know him using the radio is a nod to Die Hard or the Pigeons a nod to John Woo? We don’t, so some sort of citations are needed, especially one that says doves are trademarks of John Woo. It’s not what you think you know, it’s what you can proove, right?

Just a few of the uncited Triva:

  • Nicholas Angel's badge number is 777, the number often referred to as the "Mark of the Angel" and the opposite of 666.
  • There is a scene where Danny and Angel discuss Lethal Weapon, Stuart Wilson who plays Dr. Robin Hatcher plays the villain, Jack Travis, in Lethal Weapon 3.
  • In two scenes, Danny Butterman is seen wearing a Bristol Rovers shirt, as the area of South Gloucestershire is renowned by locals for being Rovers fans.
  • The Music Supervisor in Hot Fuzz is named Nick Angel, it is believed this is where the name of Pegg's character came from. Nick Angel was also the Music Supervisor in Shaun of the Dead.

It needs to be proven 777 is “often referred to as the ‘Mark of the Angel’”. Even though Stuart Wilson played the villain, using an article from Wikipedia as a source is not permitted. An external source needs to be utilized here. I’ve never heard of the Bristol Rovers because I’m not from the UK, so it needs to be proven that “[S.G.] is renowned by locals for being Rovers fans”. WHO exactly believes Pegg’s character was named after the music supervisor? Though it may be true, a source actually stating that is where the name came from needs to be presented. I’ve already deleted a great many of the uncited dubious connections.

If the Cultural references section isn’t split, it at least needs to be cited and or cut down. Wikipedia looks down on articles that use “sprawling lists”. I would consider both the references and trivia sections sprawling lists. Please read the following wikiproject page: WikiProject Laundromat. I loved the film, so don't think I'm trying to trash the page. (Ghostexorcist 20:12, 9 March 2007 (UTC))

Oh yeah, I'd get rid of most of it. If you don't I'll purge all the unreferenced stuff once I can read spoilers... HornetMike 21:31, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps, just as a suggestion, rather than splitting the page something similar to the Shaun of the Dead 'references' section could be done - turning the list into paragraph format with a handful of the more significant or obvious references discussed instead of the list as it currently is? If the section is in list format, there seems to be more temptation to keep adding things to it than if it's in paragraphs. The fact that Wright and Pegg fill their work with cultural references is a significant part of their style that's worth mentioning (I think, anyway), but we don't need to list every single thing that something thinks might possibly be a reference to something, after all. Just a thought.--Joseph Q Publique 13:21, 10 March 2007 (UTC)
Agreed. That was my vague plan anyway, I think I stated it somewhere up there. HornetMike 15:39, 10 March 2007 (UTC)
Sounds good to me. I'll take the split tag down. (Ghostexorcist 00:22, 11 March 2007 (UTC))
I'd strongly advise still splitting. Cultural reference sections are like flypaper on wikipedia and this is going to require constant babysitting to keep it to a sensible length. Chris Cunningham 14:02, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chant

Article currently says:

"When Nick discovers the neighborhood vigilantes meeting in the castle, they are chanting Ad hominem repeatedly..."

It did not sound like "Ad hominem" to me. Can anybody verify what it was? Gaius Cornelius 14:01, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

It's not, as it's the Tibetan "jewel of the lotus" mantra: "om mani padme hum." If it's a reference to anything, it's the Doctor Who story Planet of the Spiders, which also uses it in a sinister context. Nick Cooper 00:32, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
I was pretty sure it was 'Bonum Comune Comunitatum', which was also written on the road signs around Sandford. 80.80.187.176 08:35, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wicker Man

Nobody seems to have picked up on The Wicker Man film - I am sure there are references to this old British camp horror film - including the casting of its lead as a minor character in Hot Fuzz. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.133.79.7 (talkcontribs) 11:05, 23 March 2007.

Any connection seems very tenuous to me, not least because Edward Woodward is hardly known only for The Wicker Man. Nick Cooper 12:52, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
Just for sake of argument, it doesn't seem that tenuous to me - thematically and plot-wise, there's a few similarities at least (the outsider cop arriving in a tight-knit rural community and uncovering murderous corruption orchestrated by the village elders, certainly). Also, I seem to recall Wright and Pegg acknowledging a few links to the Wicker Man at least (unfortunately, I don't have the sources on me, but will try and check them up). Certainly, if in the new version of the cultural references section we're identifying Hot Fuzz as having thematic connections with The Frighteners, which doesn't seem to have that much connection to Hot Fuzz upon reading a summary of it (granted, I haven't seen it, so I'm not certain), then surely there's valid reason to mention Wicker Man on these grounds at least?--Joseph Q Publique 05:18, 26 March 2007 (UTC)
You would call the original Wicker-Man camp? I take it that you have never seen it then... --82.9.195.14 22:32, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Clean-up

Right, I saw this on Monday - thanks to the person who spoiled a major part of it by sticking a massive spoiler in an edit summary - so I can get back to looking after this article. Just done a big bit of clean-up. The changes made:

  • Various bits of grammar and correct form - Nick to Angel, Simon to Pegg etc.
  • Changed from a lengthy table to two columned bullets of principals and then paragraphs listing other cast memeners - this uses space better, and it means we don't have a load of cameos listed alongside the principals with no way to discern between them. I realise perhaps that listing Billie Whitelaw ahead of some of the rest of NWA, or listing Adam Buxton alongside Robert Popper is a bit unfair on a few people, but I think this works a lot better.
  • Got rid of the trivia, intergrating the best bits
  • Turned the references section into a prose paragraph. I've tried to use the most likely references to build-up a decent over-view of how things are homaged in the film.

I think this makes the article considerably better, and stops it failing a number of Wikipedia's policies. HornetMike 18:45, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Plot warning

Do we really need the 'overly long plot' warning label? The summary could possibly be trimmed here and there a bit, granted, but it seems a decent enough length to me, and not nearly as long or detailed as a lot of other film articles out there.--Joseph Q Publique 07:10, 4 April 2007 (UTC)