Next week Hot Fuzz goes on nation-wide release. I’m really looking forward to it for a number of reasons. First, it’s by the same team behind “Shaun of the Dead”, one of the best British comedy films in years. If the trailer is anything to go by, Hot Fuzz is going to be just as funny.
But secondly and perhaps most excitingly, the film was filmed on location in my home town of Wells, Somerset. The crew took over the city last year during filming, which of course resulted in a lot of disruption - but also excitement - on the part of the local community. Plenty of letters in the Wells Journal resulted, but the overwhelming mood that I could sense from conversations with people, was that it’s going to be a great way of showing one of Britain’s most beautiful small cities.
The director, Edgar Wright even went to the same school - Wells Blue School - as I. A year younger than me, he was already making something of a name for himself making short films, roping in friends from his year. I seem to remember he even had something shown on one of the Saturday morning television shows in the 80’s.
It’s all great stuff. The boy’s done good, and absolutely marvellous that he thought to return to Wells, and show off what is a a beautiful bit of the country, as well as - from the trailers at least - produce a film that looks set to be every bit as good, and funny, as Shaun of the Dead. It’s out next week.
Why not watch the trailers!
