MoviePulse.net recently had a chance to sit down with the stars and director of the hysterical new action film parody “Hot Fuzz”. Stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are joined by director Edgar Wright, completing the hilarious trio behind 2004’s zombie comedy hit “Shaun of the Dead”.

MoviePulse: Simon, I read you were excited to receive George Romero’s approval of “Shaun of the Dead”, giving it a valid stamp as a zombie film. Does “Hot Fuzz” play off the genre or is it a similar tone to Shaun of the Dead?

Simon Pegg: It is similar in tone to “Shaun of the Dead”, but we aren’t mocking the genre. It is slightly more parodic and we’re drawing attention to more clichés of cop and action films but it is still done with a huge amount of respect and love and it has a similar feel to “Shaun of the Dead”. We’re not coming at it from a “Scary Movie” or “Epic Movie” kind of standpoint.

MP: What was the appeal of doing a buddy cop genre movie over others that could have been parodied?

Simon Pegg: We don’t just pick genres out of a hat. We wanted to up the ante (from “Shaun of the Dead”) and do something more spectacular.

MP: There are other names that people call the police like the Po-Po, rollers or pigs. Is there a story behind the name “Hot Fuzz”?

Edgar Wright: I always thought “the fuzz” was the coolest name for the police. Fuzz is an old New York expression from the 30’s and it kind of became popular again in the 60’s and 70’s. I just always thought if I were a policeman, a slang word I wouldn’t mind being called is “the fuzz”. I’ve never heard of Po-Po’s. Isn’t that one of the Teletubbies? Anyways, quite simply, fuzz is the coolest word for the police in my book and hot fuzz is because Simon and Nick are hot.

MP: What firearm did you enjoy the most during the filming of this movie?

Simon Pegg: They were all very nice to use. We had a day with our armor at the gun range. My favorite one has to be my shotgun, which was a Winchester.
Nick Frost: My favorite is the Beretta.

MP: A lot of the movies that you guys reference and pay homage to for both “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun of the Dead” are getting remade in one way or another. What’s it like to make these reference movies and then have new versions open up right next to yours?

Edgar Wright: The “Dawn of the Dead” remake was happening at the same time and we were a little worried about it because when we started writing “Shaun of the Dead”, we were one of the only zombie movies in production. We are coming at it from a different perspective, not traditional.

MP: What was your reaction to being asked to do a “Grindhouse” trailer?

Edgar Wright: I was enormously flattered and I had such a blast, I can’t tell you.

MP: What makes something funny to you?

Simon Pegg: If it makes us laugh. That would be number one.
Nick Frost: I think an old woman falling over is always good. Or like the groom fainting at the altar. That always gets Simon and me a laugh.

MP: Can we expect any hip hop or electro references to Grand Master Flash or Nucleus in this movie?

Edgar Wright: We go more for the glam rock vibe.

MP: How did you get Jim Broadbent involved in the project?

Edgar Wright: Jim Broadbent approached us actually. He came up to Simon and said he was a huge fan of “Shaun of the Dead” and he’d love to work with him in the future. A few of the actors did that. It was great.

MP: You have 50 speaking parts in this movie. Edgar, how did you deal with all of these roles, especially when using big-name actors?

Edgar Wright: It was exhausting. I think the thing we did that was an enormous help was rehearsing before we started shooting. We had a two week rehearsal period with all of the actors. It’s a real balancing act.

MP: In a lot of ways, “Shaun of the Dead” redefined horror and zombie cinema. Do you expect “Hot Fuzz” to do the same thing, particularly in America?

Edgar Wright: We did receive a fax from Jerry Bruckheimer that said “I’ve just seen Hot Fuzz and I now realize I can never make another film.”

MP: How would you compare playing this new role as a super bad ass cop with having played Shaun?

Simon Pegg: It was pretty difficult because I couldn’t rely on regular comedy devices. Nick Angel is very straight and serious. It was a bit of a challenge to have to do that every day and not be silly. Shaun was very much closer to myself, being a real guy. I have no real connection with Angel. I had to do a lot of research and hang out with cops and find out what makes them tick. It was fun and enjoyable.

MP: Can you share any crazy stories that happened on set?

Nick Frost: There is a lot of stuff on the outtakes.
Edgar Wright: A lot of times what’s funny on set, is never funny unless you were there.

MP: Did you guys write the screenplay with Nick and Simon in mind to play these two characters?

Edgar Wright: Simon and I wrote the script together. As it turned out, the buddy cop genre was a perfect fit.

MP: Does making new films get easier each time?

Edgar Wright: It doesn’t get easier, but it gets more exciting when you have more tools at your disposal. The downside is the ideas we have slightly exceed the money we have, so the ambition is bigger than the budget.

MP: In terms of the set pieces and action, did you guys do your own stunts?

Simon Pegg: There’s a point where it gets too dangerous. We did as much as we could. It was a challenge.
Nick Frost: The more stunts we could do the better. You get nervous before a stunt. It is quite nerve wracking.

MP: Are there any other genres you might parody?

Simon Pegg: I’d like to be a cowboy.
Edgar Wright: I’d like to do a film about NASCAR racing, or ice skating or a local news reporter.

- G. Brandon Hill

Read the Theatrical Review HERE!