Sorry kids, due to the late nature of our evening, thanks to the screening of Hot Fuzz, the comic will be up in the evening. In the meantime, to tide you over, here’s my personal review of…Hot Fuzz. Don’t worry, I avoid really discussing the plot, so no spoilers are ahead.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve seen the future of filmmaking. And it’s names are Pegg, Frost, and Wright.

It was in the fall of 2004 that Shaun of the Dead hit screens here in the US, and the effect that film had on me personally can obviously be seen today. Taking the standard zombie genre film, and mixing elements of british humor and romantic comedy, Shaun created a hybrid of filmmaking, allowing for appreciation of so called ‘niche’ styles of storytelling by new audiences, while staying so true to the niche that the film never fell into parody.Such a balancing act certainly cannot be repeated, can it?

3 Years Later, Hot Fuzz has hit cinemas…to show that lighting truly can strike twice.

Taking elements of the classic buddy cop film, the Michael Bay over the top hyperstylized action film, and even John Woo gun play, all the while mixing it with solid british mystery storytelling, and innovative, witty writing, Hot Fuzz continues where Shaun left off, not in tone…but in creating a new form of film making. This pop culture mashup doesn’t just take elements of preexisting films, it places them on a pedestal, showing the true greatness inherent in each differing way to color the screen, making for a pallete of mindblowing cinema.

I know, this sounds really far-fetched, all of this from what is essentially a comedic action film?

Just two weeks ago, we were able to experience the film-geek worship marathon known as Grindhouse. Rodriguez and Tarantino let loose all of their guilty pleasures on screen, with a knowing nod to their audience…almost as if to say: “This is all really silly, and you know it’s really silly….and you know we know…isn’t that fun?”

The team of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost though…they don’t just preach to the converted…they make even the most uninterested of audiences stand up, take notice, and highlight what truly makes these styles work. They even highlight the unappreciated actors of their own native England, giving us Yanks a taste of some of the great character actors we’ve missed out on….plus an absolutely fantastic turn by Timothy Dalton. (Also, be sure to look for 2 really great cameos)
In an interview over at the Onion’s AV Club this week, all 3 creators discussed how we’re now a generation of pop culture fiends…we relate to others more on our shared entertainment experience, less on our life experiences. As depressing as a concept that sounds like…I truly believe it’s not…especially when it creates new styles of art such as this.

We’re now a generation not afraid to revel in our own geekery…we’re not afraid to mix styles, labels, and genres. We tap into these shared experiences, these odd quirks…and elevate existing artforms into something stronger than before.

And with Hot Fuzz, Wright, Pegg, and Frost show that they’re ready to lead the pack of film-geek creators.
Do yourself a favor. See Hot Fuzz. Have a ball…’cause the best is really yet to come.

Update: Hey! The Comic is NOW Up! Enjoy today’s edition, and have a great weekend! We look forward to seeing everyone Sunday at the Baltimore Zombie Walk!