FILM · 2007 · FRANCE
Hot Fuzz
- Directed by
- Edgar Wright
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Studio
- Big Talk Studios, StudioCanal, Working Title
209 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also has a well-meaning oaf for a partner. However, when a series of grisly accidents rocks Sandford, Angel smells something rotten in the idyllic village.
209 Interesting Facts About Hot Fuzz
Interesting Facts (93)
- #001
Nick Frost only agreed to do the film if he could name his character. He was also asked to watch more than twenty action films to get into the role. He watched only one: Bad Boys II (2003).
- #002
Contains a major spoiler — show
Timothy Dalton said this film, especially the scene in which Skinner and Angel shoot at each other during the chase, was the most fun scene he had ever experienced in a film. Jim Broadbent stated that driving "James Bond" during this scene was exciting for him. Simon Pegg also stated that the sequence between Angel and Skinner and the fistfight were the same kind of excitement for him to shoot, noting that being shot at and fighting "James Bond" was far beyond anything he had imagined.
- #003
Edgar Wright initially wanted to title the film "Hott Fuzz". Simon Pegg objected to the suggestion because he feared he would have to explain the extra "t" in "Hott" in every interview about the film.
- #004
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Timothy Dalton raises his glass to Eve and Martin's "memory", Dalton looks at the camera for a very brief moment. Edgar Wright liked it so much that he synchronized the sound of the cash register writing "ching" at the same moment.
- #005
In the DVD commentary, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg explained that they fully expected the deliberate misspellings in the newspaper headlines to turn up in "Goofs" section.
- #006
The dog Sampson (played by the dog Saxon) was not allowed to be a real police dog because he was considered too friendly.
- #007
While Nicholas chases a thief in the supermarket, Danny reads the taglines on cheap action films selling at half price. "Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), titled "Supercop: Meet the Unstoppable Cop". When he realizes the chase has begun, he tosses the DVD back into the bargain bin, and the viewer sees it land next to a DVD copy of Shaun of the Dead (2004), though its title is "Zombies Party", the release name of "Shaun of the Dead" in certain countries. The price tag covers [link=Simon Pegg]'s face so as not to break the fourth wall.
- #008
The photo of young Danny is a real photo of Nick Frost's childhood.
- #009
While researching the film, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg discovered that a disproportionate number of police officers were named Nick or Andy, which led to the character names Nicholas Angel and the two Andys. The Angel part of Nicholas Angel was named after the film's music director, and the joke about the local newspaper misspelling Angel's name as "Angle" was based on several incidents in which this happened to him.
- #010
While researching the film, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright interviewed many real police officers. Many lines in the film, such as "I prefer to think my office is out on the street", came directly from these interviews. The stylized scenes of Nick doing paperwork were inspired by officers noting that paperwork is a big part of the job but is never depicted in police shows and films. The visual style was inspired by Tony Scott's films. Roger Ebert's "Bigger" Little Movie Glossary was also used as a reference source.
- #011
The voice on the intercom when Angel gets angry in the supermarket is that of director Edgar Wright.
- #012
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg went to Brixton Police Station hoping to get some anecdotes from serving officers, and even offered to take them to a bar. However, every officer refused to talk to them. It soon emerged that the liaison officer had mistakenly told his colleagues that Wright and Pegg were journalists. The liaison officer was never forgiven.
- #013
Contains a major spoiler — show
While preparing to write the film's screenplay, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg read a book by film critic Roger Ebert containing all the clichés of action films, so that they could include them all. These include: a character waking up in a dark hotel room and hitting the light switch without fumbling (Nicholas Angel does this), a shot of the centre lines of a road from a moving camera (used when Angel returns to London), and a smiling person in charge actually being the villain. Other clichés were taken from Mad Max (1979), Lethal Weapon (1987), Man on Fire (2004), Bad Boys (1995) and Chinatown (1974).
- #014
Contains a major spoiler — show
Despite the heavy gunfire and violence in the final act, no character is shot dead. It is unclear whether any of the victims in the underground vault were killed by gunfire.
- #015
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Inspector Frank Butterman arrives at the town council after Nick discovers them, his police uniform is a Victorian-era uniform (note the VR - Victoria Regina - letters on his helmet). These details reinforce the idea that Sandford is a town "frozen in time" and that its residents are reluctant to change.
- #016
Somerfield was formerly a real supermarket chain in the UK, and all the exterior scenes were shot at one of its stores. Edgar Wright chose to use it because he had worked there as a shelf stacker in his youth, and as a nod to this he made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo as a shelf stacker in the Somerfield store.
- #017
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the early scene where Nicholas Angel goes for a run on his first morning in Sandford, all the N.W.A. members can later be seen standing in the positions they take for the final showdown.
- #018
Contains a major spoiler — show
The Latin phrase "bonum commune communitatis" spoken by the N.W.A. means "for the common good of the community".
- #019
Edgar Wright's hometown of Wells, Somerset, England, doubled as Sandford in the film. The street where Nicholas Angel chases the thief was where Wright walked to school and had his first kiss. The shot during the chase where Angel notices the swan was filmed outside the house of one of Wright's friends.
- #020
The phrase "The greater good" is never said only once. Every time a character says it, at least one other character repeats it.
- #021
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were reportedly arguing before filming the waiting scene. Pegg claims Frost had become arrogant and wanted the assistant directors to bring him coffee, while Pegg wanted him to get his own coffee. As a result, shooting that scene took four hours and they did not speak to each other except while acting.
- #022
Contains a major spoiler — show
Throughout the first half of the film, Danny asks Angel annoying questions such as "Have you ever shot two guns at once while diving through the air?", and Angel answers, "No - you've been watching too many cop movies! The job isn't like that." Then, in the second half, Angel does everything Danny asked about, firing two guns while leaping through the air. The only thing Angel does not do is fire into the air while screaming - Danny does that. Also, while the police team is in the pub on Nicholas's first day, the Andys mention that in small towns everyone, especially farmers and their mothers, carries firearms; not only are they right (at least in Sandford), but the first people to shoot at Angel are a farmer and his mother.
- #023
Although Bill Bailey plays two different Sergeant Turners, both wear a uniform with the service number 101, even when they appear in the same scene.
- #024
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As Angel and Butterman discuss the first four victims and try to work out what connection might exist between them, Angel is in fact stating the ultimate motive behind each murder: the drama club president was a terrible actor, the young lover had a "distinctive laugh", the reporter was a bad speller, and the wealthy land developer had an ugly house.
- #025
Just before the climax, two jokes are briefly visible: an advertisement for Romeo and Juliet featuring Blower and Draper's stand-ins, and a Sandford Citizen headline reading "A Fete Worse Than Death" about the church picnic.
- #026
Contains a major spoiler — show
Despite firing his firearms repeatedly, Angel actually shoots only two people. The rest are either hit by an object Angel shot or are shot by Danny.
- #027
Contains a major spoiler — show
It is said that a swan's wing can break a human arm. At the end of the film, Jim Broadbent's character, who is run over by the swan in the car, is seen being loaded into an ambulance with his arm in a sling.
- #028
Despite being used throughout the film as the stock placeholder name in the phone book, the character named "Aaron A. Aaronson" is actually the last character listed in the credits.
- #029
Throughout the entire Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead (2004), this film and The World's End (2013)), there is always the same joke about whether or not they get over a fence.
- #030
Edgar Wright shot most of the film in his hometown. The festival scenes were shot in front of St. Cuthbert's Parish Church in the city of Wells.
- #031
The code name "Dead Right," under which the film was sent to British cinemas, is actually the title of an amateur short film Edgar Wright wrote and directed during his student years.
- #032
For the siren at the beginning of the film, twenty-seven different sirens were combined, including a scream, a bell and a whistle.
- #033
According to Edgar Wright, Paddy Considine (Andy Wainwright) secretly slipped two Robert De Niro impressions into the film; the first during Angel's "murder rant" as a face in the incident room, and the second during the final confrontation in the pub.
- #034
Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton), the manager of the local Somerfield supermarket, was partly based on Mike Stockwell, Edgar Wright's former boss, who was the manager of the Somerfield supermarket used in this film and where Wright used to work. However, Wright decided not to give the character his name because he thought 'Stockwell' seemed too weedy a name for a supermarket manager.
- #035
On the notice board at the front entrance of Sandford Police Station there is a poster showing a person dressed entirely in black, the herald of the hooded killers, along with their slogan: KEEP THEM OUT.
- #036
The fictional "Norris Avenue" takes its name from Chuck Norris.
- #037
Contains a major spoiler — show
At the start of the village fete scene, a voice over the tannoy announces that 'a surprise awaits someone at one o'clock.' This line foreshadows Tim Messenger's death at exactly 3 o'clock.
- #038
Simon Pegg became so attached to the Mossberg shotgun that he named it "Sarah."
- #039
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Skinner (Timothy Dalton) approaches Angel (Simon Pegg) after the previous night's car accident, which involved an actor and an actress who had appeared in William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", the car stereo is playing Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet".
- #040
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the climactic confrontation between Sergeant Nicholas Angel and the citizens of Sandford, Angel walks in slow motion surrounded by birds. This is a trademark of action director John Woo, used in films such as Mission: Impossible II (2000), Face/Off (1997) and Just Heroes (1989), as well as in the act of diving through the air while firing two guns.
- #041
Nicholas Angel's service number is 777, which is generally seen as the mark of God, just as 666 is seen as the mark of the devil. The only character who calls him by this number is Timothy Dalton, who played Agent 007 in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989).
- #042
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the confrontation in the pub between Nicholas, Danny and the owners Mary and Roy, there is a brief silence as the owners reload their weapons before the officers burst through the flaming front door. During this silence, the music of an arcade game plays. This game appears in all three parts of the Cornetto trilogy; Ed plays it at the beginning and near the end of Shaun of the Dead (2004) in Winchester, drawing the surrounding undead crowd toward the group. It also appears briefly in The World's End (2013) as Gary King and his friends head toward The King's Head.
- #043
Contains a major spoiler — show
Although Nicholas tells others always to keep their notebooks with them, the only moment he does not have his own notebook is when Leslie is killed while going to his car to get it.
- #044
The desk sergeant is reading Iain Banks's book "Complicity", which deals with a series of brutal, even fitting murders.
- #045
Near the end of the film, the missing swan is seen reunited with its owner, Mr P. I. Staker.
- #046
This is the only film in the Cornetto Trilogy in which Simon Pegg's character does not fall off a fence. In Shaun of the Dead (2004), Shaun tried to jump over one and fell when he reached the top. In The World's End (2013), Garry jumps over a fence and knocks it down. In this film, Nicholas (Simon Pegg) successfully jumps over all of them, while Nick Frost's Danny smashes the fences.
- #047
As an indication of how far behind the Sandford police force is, the Bobby's helmet Frank wears in an exciting scene bears the monogram VR, for Queen Victoria, instead of ER (Queen Elizabeth II).
- #048
When Sergeant Fisher is first introduced, a freeze frame reveals that the words "inefficient", "rude", "disloyal", "indecisive", "non commital" [sic], "late", "lack of leadership skills" and "unfit" can be read on the drawing board behind him.
- #049
The two Andys also have synonymous surnames: Cartwright and Wainwright; both are terms for someone who builds or repairs carts and wagons.
- #050
"N. W. A.", Sandford's Neighbourhood Watch Alliance, is also the name of the groundbreaking rap group "N. W. A.", whose most famous song is "Fuck Tha Police", a sentiment clearly relevant to the film's subject.
- #051
Some elements of the film were taken from Edgar Wright's film "Dead Right", which he made when he was eighteen or nineteen years old. The film is included in this film's 3-Disc Collector's Edition.
- #052
When Nicholas first arrives in Sandford, he very much enjoyed tending to (and discussing) the Japanese peace lily. This plant species is famous for requiring little care, minimal sunlight and water about once a week.
- #053
Contains a major spoiler — show
Danny (Frost) shoots Dr. Hatcher in the leg with an air rifle. In Shaun of the Dead (2004), Frost's character Ed is told he should not use the air rifle because he shot his sister in the leg with it. During the climactic shootout in the town, Danny and Nick are caught by Dr. Hatcher, who tells them to put aside their fun. Danny throws his shotgun to the ground, where it discharges and hits Dr. Hatcher in the foot.
- #054
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Angel fights Skinner, the manager of the Somerfield supermarket in the model village, Skinner drops his gun. He is briefly seen crashing into the front entrance of the Somerfield supermarket. A few shots later, when Skinner attacks with a utility knife, the Somerfield model is stepped on by a delivery truck, and the truck slides as it rolls.
- #055
Contains a major spoiler — show
Another example of foreshadowing hidden in the film: when Danny mentions a "car accident," Nicholas corrects him, saying they should use the term "collision" because "accident" implies "there's nobody to blame." Later in the film, Nicholas asks Danny how his mother died, and Danny innocently answers "car collision." It is later revealed that Danny's mother deliberately killed herself, meaning there really was "somebody to blame."
- #056
Contains a major spoiler — show
Near the beginning of the film, Inspector Butterman says he is "something of a Wild West nut." Near the end of the film, he is confronted by Nicholas and Danny with their two pistols, a common trope in Western films.
- #057
Contains a major spoiler — show
Unlike the film's other villains, Michael "Lurch" Armstrong (a butler) is the only one who regrets his actions, and he is seen crying when his photograph is taken at the police station.
- #058
According to Edgar Wright, the producers approached Jim Broadbent for Shaun of the Dead (2004), but he turned down the offer. He later regretted it and said he would not make the same mistake twice. The role of Frank was written specifically for him.
- #059
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Simon Skinner drives past the exploded house, Arthur Brown's song "Fire" is playing in his car.
- #060
Contains a major spoiler — show
One of the many examples of foreshadowing hidden in the film: at the beginning, Nicholas replies to "With all due respect, Sir, you cannot just make people disappear" with "Yes, I can. I'm the Chief Inspector." In the end, it is revealed that Inspector Butterman is behind the many cases of people disappearing in Sandford.
- #061
The song the theatre troupe performs at the end of the Romeo and Juliet play is The Cardigans' "Lovefool." The song was popularized by Romeo + Juliet (1996), a modernized interpretation of Shakespeare's tale, which clearly influenced the stage play in the film, which also features guns.
- #062
The song playing as Angel runs through the village is The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society." It foreshadows the villagers' group at the end of the film. The group at the end of the film is trying to preserve the old way of life in the village, and the song foreshadows this.
- #063
Contains a major spoiler — show
There is some foreshadowing in the festival air rifle scene. Hatcher is accidentally shot in the leg by Danny, and Nick says, "He's a doctor, he can deal with it." This happens again later in the film, when Nick returns to Sandford shortly before the start of the climax.
- #064
According to the front cover of the test booklet, Sergeant Nicholas Angel took his police officer exam in 1995, twelve years before the film was made.
- #065
Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright prepared for the film by studying Roger Ebert's "Bigger" Little Movie Glossary.
- #066
At the castle, Joyce says, "Janice Barker has decided to name her twins Roger and Martin." This may be a joke referencing Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs, the main characters of the Lethal Weapon series. Stuart Wilson, who plays Dr. Hatcher, also played the main villain Jack Travis in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).
- #067
The sound effect used when the quick-draw gun is fired was taken from the 1984 arcade game Hypersports, from a player inserting a coin.
- #068
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Danny is introduced as a colleague, he is impressed by Angel's career and the action he has seen, and asks him several "Have you ever…" questions. During the big showdown, Danny will do all of these things himself.
- #069
Contains a major spoiler — show
On Sergeant Angel's first day of work in Sandford, while the whole station is at the pub on its lunch break celebrating Angel's arrival, one of the Andys says "everyone and their mum is packing in the country." He then gives the example of farmers and their mothers owning guns. This later pays off when Angel returns to Sandford for his armed confrontation. The first person he meets is Mr. Reaper, a farmer who calls for help from his mother, who has a shotgun.
- #070
The film had an eleven-week shooting schedule.
- #071
The film's DVD includes a special section explaining some gaps in the plot. For example, when the news editor is killed by a falling stone, it explains that he was standing in exactly the right place, that he had a sweet tooth, and that the killer left some sweets on the ground at the spot to make sure he would be there.
- #072
During the final fight, Frank's obsession with the Wild West is reinforced by his choice of weapons: two Colt Single Action Army revolvers, or "Peacemakers." The revolver was legendary in the Old West, used by figures such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, and also appeared in many of the films this film imitates.
- #073
In the scene where Nicholas and Danny respond to "some hippie types messing with the recycling bins," the police car's gear knob is decorated with "HF."
- #074
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the shootout, Nicholas fires at the tire of a delivery truck, sending beer barrels rolling and knocking Mr. Treacher to the ground. The beverage company is named Cascade Drinks, reflecting the cascade of barrels.
- #075
At 1:02, as Angel and Butterman stand in the rain, one of the detectives calls Butterman a monkey. This continues the joke from Nick Frost's scene in Shaun of the Dead (2004), where he imitates Clyde from Every Which Way But Loose (1978). He later imitates a monkey's walk as he leaves.
- #076
Although written as an affectionate comedy parody of the genre, its underlying story and plot still work as a straight dark police procedural action drama or as an episode of a police procedural series.
- #077
The film includes a scene that may be a thinly veiled spoof of the CSI story universe and of how CSI forensic investigations are portrayed. In the real world, in most agencies globally, equivalent CSI personnel at crime scenes and in the lab would generally wear head-to-toe "forensic boilersuits" similar to those seen in microchip clean rooms, to prevent evidence contamination. A scene in Hot Fuzz mimics the fact that crime scene teams would actually be almost indistinguishable at a scene, unlike the many television and film portrayals in which CSIs wear normal clothes on site.
- #078
Contains a major spoiler — show
Edward Woodward (Tom Weaver) appears in both this film and The Wicker Man, another film about a police officer uncovering a conspiracy in a small town. In The Wicker Man he plays the police officer; in this film he is one of the main conspirators. He dies by fire in both: in Hot Fuzz he is blown up by a sea mine, and in The Wicker Man he is burned alive inside the titular structure.
- #079
While Angel chases a thief through the supermarket, a DVD of Shaun of the Dead briefly appears.
- #080
Lurch takes his name from the Addams family's servant in The Addams Family (1964).
- #081
Part of the shoot was postponed because of heavy rain.
- #082
Contains a major spoiler — show
While Nicholas talks with Tony at Leslie's murder scene, a small model goat can be seen on the safe. Because the ritual sacrifice of animals such as goats was common practice in many ancient-world cults, this is a hint at the cult-like NWA behind the murders. It is also poignant because he is the only one who feels some remorse for killing for "the greater good," meaning they felt he was a genuine sacrifice rather than just someone who got in their way.
- #083
It features four actors from various Lord of the Rings adaptations. Sir Peter Jackson played Santa Claus (Father Christmas) in the opening montage. Bill Nighy played Sam Gamgee in a BBC Radio broadcast. Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in Peter Jackson's films. Martin Freeman played Bilbo Baggins in Jackson's Hobbit trilogy.
- #084
Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton) refers to George Merchant (Ron Cook) as "that fridge magnate." In the TV film Dead Gorgeous (2002), Cook's character was a millionaire who made his money from refrigerators.
- #085
Contains a major spoiler — show
The music that plays as the police officers go to arrest Simon Skinner comes from The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). That film starred George Lazenby, one of the predecessors of Timothy Dalton's James Bond role.
- #086
Contains a major spoiler — show
This is the first time Olivia Colman (Police Constable Doris Thatcher) played a police officer. The second time is in the television series Broadchurch (2013), where she played Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller alongside David Tennant as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy. Although David and Olivia were not in the same season, they both appeared in the Doctor Who universe, as the Tenth Doctor and Prisoner Zero respectively, since Olivia only appeared alongside Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor) in The Eleventh Hour (2010).
- #087
Contains a major spoiler — show
The wooden-handled knife Danny (Nick Frost) uses to stab Nicholas (Simon Pegg) is a French-made Opinel.
- #088
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The film's plot is similar to Outland (1981): Sean Connery plays a police officer transferred to a mining colony on Io, one of Jupiter's moons. Sean Connery was the first actor to play James Bond. Timothy Dalton (Simon Skinner) was the fourth actor to play Bond.
- #089
There are two references to Chinatown: the obvious iconic final line, and the fact that Lurch's mother is also his sister.
- #090
In the first scene with the Chief Inspector, if you watch his face closely after he says "Yes I can, I'm the chief inspector," he gives Nicholas a brief, sharp, devilish look.
- #091
Nearly all of Sandford's residents have surnames derived from occupations, such as Turner, Cooper and Skinner. The two Andys' surnames, Wainwright and Cartwright, both denote the same trade (cartwright).
- #092
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Billie Whitelaw shoots and shouts "Fascist!", it echoes the battle at the end of If… (1968).
- #093
Near the beginning of the film, when Nicholas Angel first enters the police station, Sergeant Turner jokingly says he has already "arrested the whole village," and Nicholas replies "Not exactly." The same dialogue appears near the end of the film, when Farmer Roper asks whether he is going to "just walk in and arrest the whole village," and Nicholas gives the same reply.
Production Story (89)
- #094
The first draft of the script included Victoria's love for Nicholas.
- #095
The first meeting between Angel and Skinner in the supermarket was shot over two days. The conversation was first filmed entirely from Timothy Dalton's point of view. Early the next morning they were to film the conversation from Angel's point of view and in close-ups. To the crew's great surprise, Dalton arrived early the next morning and, even though he would not be in front of the camera for that part of the shoot, sat down in Skinner's chair off camera and played the role, so that Simon Pegg could work with him while filming Angel's part. Pegg noted that this truly showed Dalton's professionalism.
- #096
The first draft of the script included Victoria's love for Nicholas.
- #097
Nick Frost agreed to do the film only if he could name his character. He was also asked to watch more than twenty action films to get into the role. He watched only one: Bad Boys II (2003).
- #098
Timothy Dalton said this film, and especially the scene in which Skinner and Angel shoot at each other during the chase, was the most fun scene he had ever experienced in a film. Jim Broadbent stated that driving "James Bond" during this scene was exciting for him. Simon Pegg also stated that the sequence between Angel and Skinner and the fistfight were the same kind of excitement for him to shoot, noting that being shot at and fighting "James Bond" was far beyond anything he had imagined.
- #099
When they wore their costumes, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg were often assumed to be police officers. Many strangers asked them for directions, and instead of telling the truth, they played along. They claimed it made them feel powerful.
- #100
When Timothy Dalton raises his glass to Eve and Martin's "memory", Dalton looks at the camera for a very brief moment. Edgar Wright liked it so much that he synchronized the sound of the cash register going "ching" at the same moment.
- #101
In the DVD commentaries, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg explained that they fully expected the deliberate misspellings in the newspaper headlines to turn up in "Goofs" section.
- #102
The dog Sampson (who plays the dog Saxon) was not allowed to be a real police dog because he was considered too friendly.
- #103
While Nicholas chases a shoplifter in the supermarket, Danny reads the taglines on cheap action films selling at half price. "Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), titled "Supercop: Meet the Unstoppable Cop". When he realizes the chase has begun, he tosses the DVD back into the bargain bin, and the viewer sees it land next to a DVD copy of Shaun of the Dead (2004), though its title is "Zombies Party", the release name of "Shaun of the Dead" in certain countries. The price tag covers Simon Pegg's face so as not to break the fourth wall.
- #104
The photo of young Danny is a real photo of Nick Frost as a child.
- #105
While researching for the film, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg discovered that a disproportionate number of police officers were named Nick or Andy, which led to the character names Nicholas Angel and the two Andys. The Angel part of Nicholas Angel was named after the film's music director, and the joke about the local newspaper misspelling Angel's name as "Angle" was based on several incidents in which this happened to him.
- #106
While researching the film, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright interviewed many real police officers. Many lines in the film, such as "I prefer to think my office is out on the street," came directly from these interviews. The stylized scenes of Nick doing paperwork were inspired by officers noting that paperwork is a huge part of the job but is never depicted in police shows and films. The visual style drew inspiration from Tony Scott's films. Roger Ebert's "Bigger" Little Movie Glossary was also used as a reference source.
- #107
According to his certificates, among the nine special commendations Sergeant Angel received were awards for Shaking, Raiding, Reckoning and Cancellation Operations.
- #108
When Angel gets angry in the supermarket, the voice on the internal phone is director Edgar Wright.
- #109
Police Officer Doris Thatcher was given this name because, before equality in the United Kingdom police service, all female officers were referred to as "Doris" regardless of their names; the male equivalent was "Bobby." The surname 'Thatcher' is probably a nod to Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister.
- #110
There is no town called Sandford in real life: it is the fictional name of a fake village used by the British police to train recruits and conduct emergency preparedness drills, whose street plan is based on the street plan of Wells, Somerset. This joke would extend beyond this film: the makers of Hot Fuzz had previously mocked the zombie outbreak caused by "rage infected monkeys" in 28 Days Later (2002), in their earlier zombie parody Shaun of the Dead (2004). In response, the makers of 28 Days Later included in their sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007) a boy who arrives at the cottage at the beginning of the film and claims to be from Sandford.
- #111
When Inspector Frank Butterman arrives at the town council after Nick discovers them, his police uniform is a Victorian-era uniform (note the VR - Victoria Regina - letters on his helmet). These details reinforce the idea that Sandford is a town "frozen in time" and that its residents are unwilling to change.
- #112
Somerfield was formerly a real supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, and all the exterior scenes were shot at one of its stores. Edgar Wright chose to use it because he had worked there as a shelf stacker in his youth, and as a nod to this he made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo as a shelf stacker in the Somerfield store.
- #113
In the early scene where Nicholas Angel goes for a run on his first morning in Sandford, all the N.W.A. members can be seen standing in the positions they later take up for the final showdown.
- #114
The Latin phrase "bonum commune communitatis" spoken by the N.W.A. means "for the common good of the community."
- #115
In the film, Edgar Wright's hometown of Wells, Somerset, England doubled as Sandford. The street where Nicholas Angel chases the thief was where Wright walked to school and received his first kiss. The shot during the chase where Angel notices the swan was filmed in front of the house of one of Wright's friends.
- #116
The phrase "The greater good" is never said just once. Every time one character says it, at least one other character repeats it.
- #117
Before filming the waiting scene, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reportedly argued. Pegg claimed that Frost had become smug and was asking the assistant directors to bring him coffee, while Pegg wanted him to get his own coffee. As a result, shooting that scene took four hours, and they did not speak to each other except while acting.
- #118
Simon Skinner's mustachioed character was Timothy Dalton's idea and was not written specifically for the character. Dalton thought it would add a bit more sleaziness to the character, and it reminded him of the days when he played Prince Barin in Flash Gordon (1980).
- #119
While Angel and Butterman discuss the first four victims and try to work out what connection there might be between them, Angel actually states what the ultimate purpose was in each murder. The drama club president was a terrible actor, the young lover had a "distinctive laugh," the reporter was a bad speller, and the wealthy land developer had an ugly house.
- #120
To show how outdated the Sandford police station is, a very old Apple Macintosh startup sound can be heard in the background. That startup tone has not been played by any Mac for more than a decade.
- #121
Just before the climax, two jokes are visible for a short time: an ad for Romeo and Juliet featuring Blower and Draper's understudies, and a Sandford Citizen headline reading "A Fete Worse Than Death" about the church picnic (fete).
- #122
Although Angel fires his firearms repeatedly, he actually shoots only two people. The rest are either hit by an object Angel shoots or are shot by Danny.
- #123
It is said that a swan's wing can break a person's arm. At the end of the film, you see Jim Broadbent's arm in a sling being loaded into an ambulance after he is forced to be run over by the swan in the car.
- #124
Throughout the entire Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead (2004), this film and The World's End (2013)), there is always the same joke about whether they go through fences.
- #125
In the script, Frank's wife was named Iris, but because Jim Broadbent had recently won an Oscar for playing the husband of a woman named Iris in the film Iris (2001), he thought audiences might see it as a reference to that and asked for the name to be changed to Irene.
- #126
The code name "Dead Right," under which the film was sent to British cinemas, is actually the name of a short amateur film Edgar Wright wrote and directed during his student years.
- #127
At the beginning of the film, twenty-seven different sirens were combined for the siren, including a wail, a bell and a whistle.
- #128
According to Edgar Wright, Paddy Considine (Andy Wainwright) secretly slipped two Robert De Niro impressions into the film; the first is a face cup in the incident room during Angel's "murder rant," and the second is during the final confrontation in the pub.
- #129
Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton), the manager of the local Somerfield supermarket, was based in part on Edgar Wright's former boss Mike Stockwell, who was the manager of the Somerfield supermarket used in this film and where Wright used to work. However, Wright decided not to give the character his name because he thought 'Stockwell seemed like too puny a name for a supermarket manager.
- #130
Bill Bailey plays two different characters in the film. One of the characters is reading Iain Banks's "Complicity," while the other is reading two novels by Iain M. Banks. In fact, they were all written by the same author; Banks uses the "M" for his science fiction books. (One of the Iain M. Banks books is "The State Of The Art.") It is assumed that this division clearly symbolizes the differences in the two characters' personalities.
- #131
On the notice board at the front entrance of Sandford Police Station there is a poster of a figure dressed entirely in black, the herald of the hooded killers, along with their slogan: KEEP THEM OUT.
- #132
At the start of the village fete scene, a voice over the tannoy announces that "someone is expecting a surprise at three o'clock." This line foreshadows Tim Messenger's death at exactly 3 o'clock.
- #133
During the filming of the pub scenes, the chalkboard above the bar reads "2 shooters 4 the price of one," while the couple who run the pub shoot at Angel and Danny.
- #134
When Skinner (Timothy Dalton) goes to Angel (Simon Pegg) after the traffic accident the previous night, which involved the actor and actress appearing in William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," the car stereo is playing Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet."
- #135
Nicholas Angel's service number is 777, generally regarded as the mark of God, just as 666 is regarded as the mark of the devil. The only character who addresses him by this number is Timothy Dalton, who played Agent 007 in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989).
- #136
During the confrontation in the pub between Nicholas, Danny and the owners Mary and Roy, there is a brief silence while the owners reload their weapons before the officers burst through the front door in flames. During this silence, the music of an arcade game plays. This game appears in all three parts of the Cornetto trilogy; Ed plays it at the beginning and near the end of Shaun of the Dead (2004) in Winchester, drawing the surrounding undead crowd toward the group. It also appears briefly in The World's End (2013) as Gary King and his friends head toward The King's Head.
- #137
Although Nicholas tells others always to carry their notebooks, the only moment he does not have his own notebook is when Leslie is killed while going to his car to get it.
- #138
The desk sergeant is reading Iain Banks's "Complicity," a book about a series of brutal, even fitting murders.
- #139
When Sergeant Fisher is first introduced, a freeze frame reveals that the words "inefficient," "rude," "disloyal," "indecisive," "non commital"[sic], "late," "lack of leadership skills" and "unfit" can be read on the drawing board behind her.
- #140
Skinner falling and impaling his chin on the model of the village church is a reference to a scene in No Escape (1994) in which the chief villain Walter Marek (Stuart Wilson) falls and is impaled on a spike. Stuart Wilson plays Dr. Robin Hatcher in this film.
- #141
When Nicholas first arrives in Sandford, he very much enjoys tending (and discussing) the Japanese peace lily. This plant species is famous for requiring little care, minimal sunlight and water about once a week.
- #142
In a scene in which the police are asked whether they have caught the killers, the cover of The Killers' album Hot Fuss is visible in the background.
- #143
Danny (Frost) shoots Dr. Hatcher in the leg with an air rifle. In Shaun of the Dead (2004), Frost's character Ed is told he should not use the air rifle because he shot his sister in the leg with it. During the armed confrontation that reaches its climax in the town, Danny and Nick are caught by Dr. Hatcher, who tells them to put aside their fun. Danny throws his shotgun to the ground, where it fires and hits Dr. Hatcher in the foot.
- #144
When Angel fights Skinner, the manager of the Somerfield supermarket in the model village, Skinner drops his gun. For a brief moment he is seen crashing into the front entrance of the Somerfield supermarket. After a few shots, when Skinner attacks with a utility knife, the Somerfield model is stepped on by a delivery truck, and the truck slides as it rolls.
- #145
Near the beginning of the film, Inspector Butterman says he is "something of a Wild West nut." Near the end of the film, he is confronted by Nicholas and Danny with their dual-wielded pistols, a common trope in Westerns.
- #146
Unlike the villains in the film, Michael "Lurch" Armstrong (a butler) is the only one who regrets what he has done, and he is seen crying when his photograph is taken at the police station.
- #147
One of the many examples of foreshadowing hidden in the film: at the beginning, the Chief Inspector replies to Nicholas's "With all due respect, Sir, you cannot just make people disappear" with "Yes, I can. I'm the Chief Inspector." In the end, it is revealed that another Inspector (Butterman) is behind the many cases of people disappearing in Sandford.
- #148
The song the theater troupe sings at the end of the play Romeo and Juliet is The Cardigans' "Lovefool." The song was popularized by Romeo + Juliet (1996), a modernized take on Shakespeare's tale, which clearly influenced the stage play in the film, which also features guns.
- #149
The song playing while Angel runs through the village is The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society." This foreshadows the villagers' group at the end of the film. The group at the end of the film is trying to preserve the old way of life in the village, and the song foreshadows this as well.
- #150
There is some foreshadowing in the festival air rifle scene. Hatcher is accidentally shot in the foot by Danny, and Nick says, "He's a doctor, he can deal with it." This happens again later in the film when Nick returns to Sandford shortly before the start of the climax.
- #151
According to the front cover of the test booklet, Sergeant Nicholas Angel took the police officer exam in 1995, twelve years before the film was shot.
- #152
Joyce says at the castle, "Janice Barker has decided to name her twins Roger and Martin." This may be a joke aimed at Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs, the main characters of the Lethal Weapon series. Also, Stuart Wilson, who plays Dr. Hatcher, played the main villain Jack Travis in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).
- #153
During an interview for The Bill Podcast (2017), actor Ralph Brown explained that he turned down a role in Hot Fuzz (2007) because he felt playing police officers had become stereotypical, but that he regretted it.
- #154
The sound effect used when the gun is fired quickly was taken from the 1984 arcade game Hypersports, with a player inserting a coin.
- #155
When he is introduced as a colleague, Danny is impressed by Angel's career and the action he has seen, and asks him several "Have you ever…" questions. During the big showdown, Danny will do all of these himself.
- #156
The "gingernut" boy at the end of the film is named Aaron A. Aaronson; this is a nod to the Andys' earlier comment about "childish" being to call everyone in the phone book.
- #157
On Sergeant Angel's first day of work in Sandford, while the whole station is on its lunch break at the pub to celebrate Angel's arrival, one of the Andys says "everyone and their mum is packing in the country." He then gives farmers and their mothers owning guns as an example. This later comes to pass when Angel returns to Sandford for his armed confrontation. The first person he encounters is Mr. Reaper, a farmer who calls for help from his mother, who has a shotgun.
- #158
Throughout the film, Sergeant Angel drives a Vauxhall Astra Diesel and a Subaru Impreza WRX. The Subaru's markings are "HF," referring to the film's title.
- #159
The film's DVD has a special section explaining some gaps in the plot. For example, when the news editor is killed by a falling stone, it is explained that he was standing in exactly the right place, that he had a sweet tooth, and that the killer left some sweets on the ground where he died to make sure he was there.
- #160
During the final fight, Frank's obsession with the Wild West is reinforced by his choice of weapons: two Colt Single Action Army revolvers, or "Peacemakers." The gun was legendary in the Old West; it was used by figures such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, and it also appeared in many of the films this film imitates.
- #161
The phrase "By the Power of Grayskull… (I Have the Power!)" used by Danny is the slogan of the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) and its film adaptation Masters of the Universe (1987).
- #162
During the confrontation scene, Nicholas shoots the tire of a delivery truck, causing beer barrels to roll and knock Mr. Treacher to the ground. The drinks company is named Cascade Drinks, reflecting the cascade of barrels.
- #163
At 1:02, while Angel and Butterman stand in the rain, one of the detectives refers to Butterman as a monkey. This continues the joke from Nick Frost's scene in Shaun of the Dead (2004), in which he imitates Clyde from Every Which Way But Loose (1978). He later imitates a monkey's walk as he leaves.
- #164
When the two detectives Andy Wainwright and Andy Cartwright (Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall) are mentioned together, they are referred to as "the Andes," written in the credits like the South American mountain range, because a brief reference to these mountains is made in the dialogue.
- #165
The film includes a scene that may be a thinly veiled spoof of the CSI story universe and how CSI forensic investigations are portrayed. In the real world, in most institutions globally, equivalent CSI personnel at crime scenes and in the lab would generally wear head-to-toe "forensic boilersuits" similar to those seen in clean rooms where microchip manufacturing takes place. A scene in "Hot Fuzz" mimics the fact that crime scene investigation teams would actually be almost indistinguishable at a scene, contrary to the many television and film portrayals in which CSIs wear normal clothes on site.
- #166
Edward Woodward (Tom Weaver) appears in both this film and The Wicker Man, another film about a policeman uncovering a conspiracy in a small town. In The Wicker Man he plays the policeman. In this film he is one of the main conspirators. In both films he dies by fire: in Hot Fuzz he is blown up by a sea mine; in The Wicker Man he is burned alive inside the titular structure.
- #167
The place where Angel will live is located on "Spencer Hill," and this is probably a reference to the comedy film duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, who appeared in many films in the 1970s and 1980s.
- #168
The farmer with the gun cache is Mr. Webley. This is a reference to the British gun manufacturer Webley And Scott.
- #169
When Angel and Skinner fight in the model village, Skinner loses his gun. Skinner breaks down the door of a model building whose real counterpart is his own supermarket, Somerfield. He is then stopped when he gets stuck on a model truck, which is also Somerfield's.
- #170
Skinner mentions that he is holding a life-drawing class at the town hall; one of the drawings can be seen in the background behind Andrews.
- #171
The swear box contains a list of various offensive words and the penalties for them. In the close-up at the beginning of Angel's murder speech, each word is seen censored with various random letters replaced by grammatical symbols, with the exception of the 'C-word'; this word is clearly the most offensive because it carries the highest fine, £2, and is written out in full.
- #172
While Nicholas is talking to Tony at Leslie's crime scene, a small goat figurine can be seen on the safe. Since ritual sacrifice of animals such as goats was a common practice in many ancient world cults, this is a clue to the cult-like NWA behind the murders. This is also poignant because he is the only one who feels some remorse for killing for 'the greater good,' meaning they feel he is not just someone who got in their way but a true sacrifice.
- #173
The film's music supervisor is named Nick Angel, the same name as the main character.
- #174
The two Sergeant Turners, both played by Bill Bailey, are likely a nod to Courtney and Harold (the latter unseen) in In the Heat of the Night (1967), whom Chief Gillespie probably confuses when he complains that the station gate hasn't been repaired.
- #175
The music playing as the police officers go to arrest Simon Skinner comes from The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). That film starred George Lazenby, one of the predecessors to Timothy Dalton's James Bond role.
- #176
In the film, when Martin Blower and Eve Draper are killed, the killer makes them look as if they died in a traffic collision, while in the bar scene where Nick and Danny decide to get drunk, Danny tells Nicholas that his mother died in a traffic collision. This foreshadows that Frank Butterman will be revealed as the brain behind the murders and the chief conspirator.
- #177
Nicholas uses chrome Taurus PT92 pistols, not the Beretta 92 as some think.
- #178
In the scene where Nicholas Angel questions Skinner in the supermarket, you can see a perfect likeness of Skinner's facial expression as he says "pass" and smiles in the picture on the wall behind him.
- #179
There are two references to Chinatown. The obvious iconic final line and the fact that Lurch's mother is also his sister.
- #180
In the first scene with the Chief Inspector, if you watch his face closely after he says 'Yes I can, I'm the chief inspector,' he gives Nicholas a sharp, devilish look for a brief moment.
- #181
Almost all of Sandford's residents have surnames derived from occupations, such as Turner, Cooper and Skinner. The Andys' two surnames, Wainwright and Cartwright, refer to the same job (cartwright).
- #182
Near the beginning of the film, when Nicholas Angel first enters the police station, Sergeant Turner jokingly says he has already "arrested the whole village," and Nicholas replies "Not exactly." The same dialogue is shown near the end of the film when Farmer Roper asks whether he will "just walk in and arrest the whole village," and Nicholas gives the same reply.
Behind the Scenes (3)
- #183
Contains a major spoiler — show
On the day the fight between Michael Armstrong (Rory McCann) (one of Skinner's henchmen) and Nicholas Angel was shot, Simon Pegg's stunt double broke his collarbone and, despite being quite careful, Pegg had to do the fight himself.
- #184
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the pub scenes, the chalkboard above the bar reads "2 shooters 4 the price of one," while the couple who run the pub shoot at Angel and Danny.
- #185
During filming, Nick Frost became so attached to a Winchester shotgun that he named it "Emma".
Characters & Cast (6)
- #186
The first meeting between Angel and Skinner in the supermarket was shot over two days. The conversation was initially filmed entirely from Timothy Dalton's point of view. The next morning they were to film the conversation from Angel's point of view with close-ups. To the crew's great surprise, Dalton arrived early the next morning and, although he would not be in front of the camera for that part of the shoot, sat in Skinner's chair off-camera and played the role so that Simon Pegg could work with him while filming Angel's side. Pegg noted that this truly showed Dalton's professionalism.
- #187
Edgar Wright said the role of Simon Skinner was written with Timothy Dalton in mind, so they were very excited when he signed on to play the character. Simon Pegg says that when Dalton first performed the character at the read-through, he and Wright agreed, because they both knew they had found the perfect person for the role.
- #188
Contains a major spoiler — show
Simon Skinner's moustache was Timothy Dalton's idea and was not written specifically for the character. Dalton thought it would add a bit more sleaziness to the character, and it reminded him of his days playing Prince Barin in Flash Gordon (1980).
- #189
When Edgar Wright discovered that Chris Waitt's (Dave's) line needed to be re-recorded, Wright did the loop himself because he was short on time and it was faster than scheduling a session with Waitt.
- #190
During an interview for The Bill Podcast (2017), actor Ralph Brown explained that he turned down a role in Hot Fuzz (2007) because he felt playing police officers had become stereotypical, but that he later regretted the decision.
- #191
According to Tom Strode Walton, he kept forgetting his line, so they let him use his real birthday.
Easter Eggs & References (12)
- #192
Police Constable Doris Thatcher was given that name because, before equality in the UK police service, all female officers were referred to as "Doris" regardless of their names; the male equivalent was "Bobby". The surname "Thatcher" is probably a nod to Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister.
- #193
There is no real town called Sandford: it is the fictional name of a fake village used by British police to train recruits and hold emergency preparedness exercises, whose street plan is based on that of Dundee, Scotland. The joke would extend beyond this film: the makers of Hot Fuzz had previously mocked the zombie outbreak caused by "rage infected monkeys" in 28 Days Later (2002) in their earlier zombie parody Shaun of the Dead (2004). In response, the makers of 28 Days Later included in their sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2007), a boy who arrives at the cottage at the start of the film and claims to be from Sandford.
- #194
To show how outdated the Sandford police station is, a very old Apple Macintosh startup sound is heard in the background. That startup tone had not been played by any Mac for more than a decade.
- #195
The lock code of the Evidence Room is 999, the same as the telephone number for the police (and other emergency services) in Britain.
- #196
Contains a major spoiler — show
Skinner falling and impaling his chin on the model of the village church is a reference to a scene in No Escape (1994) in which the lead villain, Walter Marek (Stuart Wilson), falls and is impaled on a spike. Stuart Wilson plays Dr. Robin Hatcher in this film.
- #197
In a scene where the police are asked whether they have caught the killers, the cover of The Killers' album Hot Fuss is visible in the background.
- #198
Before Somerfield was chosen to appear in the film, the writers initially created a fictional store chain called "Summeraisles," a reference to the island in The Wicker Man (1973), which also starred Edward Woodward.
- #199
Throughout the film, Sergeant Angel drives a Vauxhall Astra Diesel and a Subaru Impreza WRX. The Subaru's markings are "HF," a reference to the film's title.
- #200
When the two detectives Andy Wainwright and Andy Cartwright (Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall) are mentioned together, they are referred to as "the Andes," written in the credits like the South American mountain range, since the dialogue makes a brief reference to those mountains.
- #201
During the church festival scene, members of the Air Cadets (the largest military cadet force in the United Kingdom) can be seen in the background. Six cadets and two NCOs from 1955 (City of Wells) Squadron took part in the film.
- #202
The farmer who owns the gun cabinet is Mr. Webley, a nod to the British gun manufacturer Webley & Scott.
- #203
The film's music supervisor, Nick Angel, shares his name with the main character.
Deeper Meaning (4)
- #204
Because this is the second part of the Cornetto Trilogy, blue packaging appears in the film. Nick and Danny are seen eating vanilla-flavored ice cream. According to Edgar Wright, blue represents the police, the film's main motif. For Wright's other film Shaun of the Dead (2004), it was red and strawberry flavor, representing blood and zombies; in the final part, The World's End (2013), it was green and mint chocolate chip flavor, representing science fiction and extraterrestrial elements.
- #205
Almost all of the names of the townspeople of Sandford are words for occupations or activities: Cooper, Porter, Turner, Shooter, Prosser, Hatcher, Paver, Butcher, Skinner, Fisher, Walker, Thatcher, Weaver, Roper, Tiller, Reaper, Messenger, Staker, Treacher, Cocker, Blower, Draper, Merchant, Cartwright, Wainwright. Since the practice of deriving English family names from occupations dates back centuries, this implies that the families in Sandford are very old and have been there for generations.
- #206
Bill Bailey plays two different characters in the film. One of the characters is reading Iain Banks's "Complicity" while the other reads two novels by Iain M. Banks. In fact they were all written by the same author; Banks uses the "M" for his science fiction books. (One of the Iain M. Banks books is "The State Of The Art".) This division is assumed to clearly symbolize the differences in the two characters' personalities.
- #207
The swear box holds a list of various offensive words and their corresponding fines. In the close-up at the start of Angel's murder speech, each word is shown censored with random letters replaced by grammatical symbols, with the exception of "the C-word," which is clearly the most offensive because it carries the highest fine, £2, and is written out in full.
Career & Awards (2)
- #208
Danny's DVD collection consists of the entire combined collection of Edgar Wright, his brother Oscar Wright and their friend Joe Cornish.
- #209
In the script, Frank's wife was named Iris, but since Jim Broadbent had recently won an Oscar for playing the husband of a woman named Iris in the film Iris (2001), he thought audiences might see this as a reference to that and asked for the name to be changed to Irene.
Related pages
- Clown in a Cornfield — Hot Fuzz comes up in the facts on that page
- Baby Driver — Hot Fuzz comes up in the facts on that page
- Peter Jackson — Hot Fuzz comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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