Movie #273 - Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz
2007 - Rated R - 2 hr 1 min
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent
UNCREDITED appearances: Cate Blanchett, Steve Coogan, Peter Jackson

Who doesn't love a good Simon Pegg movie now and again?  In Hot Fuzz, he plays a straight-laced, do-good cop with an amazing record of arrests that put his colleagues to shame. He gets promoted, but only if he leaves the bustling city of London to work as a Sergeant in a tiny podunk British town.  Of course, he never expects that the crime levels there will rival London's... or that he'll uncover a tangled web of disturbing conspiracies.

His partner (played by Nick Frost) gets to play the funny guy.  A cop following his father's footsteps, or trying to at least, who's more interested in police movies than police work.  The two make an unlikely pair, yet they manage to overcome their differences to work together.

I really like this one.  I think the characters are entertaining, the plot line is just complicated enough to be interesting (but not too convoluted), and the cameos sprinkled throughout keep you paying attention.  A fun one to watch again.

Movie #269 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2005 - Rated PG - 1 hr 49 min
Director: Garth Jennings
Starring: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy, Warwick Davis, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry, Thomas Lennon, John Malkovich, Richard Griffiths

A movie based on a book series filled with high-profile cameos by British actors? It's not Harry Potter but it is another excuse to enjoy Alan Rickman's unparalleled dry humor.

I've never read the Hitchhiker series by Douglas Adams, but I've heard from those that have that this movie is a good representation of his witty space tale.  Earth gets destroyed and a man in his bathrobe sets out on a journey with some weird aliens, the president of the universe, and a depressed robot.  It's fun to watch the cameos pop up and Martin Freeman is delightful, as always.  Lots of fun all around, with a really original premise, and some cool visual effects.  Now, I just need to read those books.

Movie #127 - Confetti

Confetti
Fox Searchlight
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 40 min
Director: Debbie Isitt
Starring: Martin Freeman, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan

If you've heard of this movie, I'm super impressed.  We found this one by accident and I love it.  It's a BBC Film (distributed in the US by Fox Searchlight) so many have probably never heard of it. If that's the case, pick it up because it's hysterical.

The basic premise is that a magazine (called Confetti) is running a wedding competition with the grand prize of a brand new house.  Three couples compete, each with a uniquely themed wedding which will all take place on the same day in front of a judging panel.  The couples get wedding planners and all the assistance they need, but of course, mayhem and hillarity ensues.  The three weddings are tennis-themed, Broadway musical-themed, and nudist. Yup, nudist.

Martin Freeman is probably the only one you'll recognize (he was in Love, Actually) and he's adorable in this movie.  It's a fun one and highly recommended.