Wednesday 13 June 2007

Hot Fuzztival

Last weekend we went to the Hot Fuzztival at the Prince Charles Cinema on Leicester Square which was a really cool day out. And all for free, too! The doors opened at 11am but because it was free we made our way down there early (getting up at 9am on a Sunday is obscene).We were right to though, as there was already a large queue. Some people (realistically, probably only two) had slept there all night. Seriously, I wouldn't sleep on a pavement all night for a gangbang with Josh Hartnett and Conor Oberst (wouldn't that be an odd yet wonderful combination- gorgeous manly boneheadedness and vulnerable, jug-eared beauty) soundtracked by Morrissey doing a setlist of my choice. (well I would, actually). But really! This wasn't like that, so those people were clearly mad.
I wondered how I would cope watching four films in one day (especially films I wouldn't normally watch) but it actually seemed like quite a breeze. I didn't even nap.
The director of Hot Fuss, Edgar... oh fuck, I've forgot his full name, introduced all the films and seemed to be widely loved and admired (I find him a bit smug for some reason, but that could just be me).
The first film on was Hardboiled, a Japanese action flick which was very entertaining, but a bit too long (a bit like Hot Fuzz, so say the critics). The two cops in it were quite sexy, too and I liked the ridiculous aspects to it like him killing people whilst carrying a baby.
For some reason between films they made us leave our seats and queue up again, which was annoying, but we basically sat in the same seat each time so it was completely pointless. It was arbitarily so they could 'clean up' but I saw no evidence of this. And bad luck to the people who queued all bloody night if they lost their seats at the front for the final film hahaha.
The second film was The Last Boy Scout. I enjoyed this a great deal more than I anticipated, although I couldn't understand what Brucey was saying half the time. It was good, mindless fun.
Similarly, the next film was Point Break, also mindless drivel, but great. I used to love it as a kid and even had that Keanu in his wetsuit poster on the back of my door. He was a beautiful man, but a shit actor. I hate Patrick Swayze (that can't be how you spell that), too. Point Break is ace despite it's godawful script. I love it and everyone was laughing at all the silly gay humour. I wish they'd killed that cunt from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in it, though. I hate him more than Hitler.
And so, what we'd all been waiting for. Hot Fuzz, with a live commentary from the cast; Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Bailey, that woman from Peep Show and some other people. The main problem, I felt was that the sound was immediately turned down so low that we couldn't actually hear the film at all. If I'd not already seen it, I would have been very disappointed. And because we couldn't hear it, and they couldn't pick up cues from the script, or feed off the laughter (at the film) from the audience, it all fell a bit flat. Most of what they said wasn't very funny, or interesting, it was mainly just pointing out the endless cameos in the film (yawn) and then just talking shit and drinking beer. They didn't even mention the film very much. And when they couldn't think of anything to say there was just silence, and they were like 'is everyone still here?' I think they completely misread the mood of the crowd, who I felt would have rather watched the film and just had them chip in here and there.
I'm not a massive fan of commentaries on films anyway, and there is something a bit self-aggrandising and smug about listening to someone going 'oh this next bit is amazing!' like an annoying neighbour showing you a home video.
I really didn't think I'd feel this way, as I very much like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, so it's a shame really. There was the odd glimmer of genius, mainly comments by Bill Bailey and the 'seagulling' description (you learn something new every day).
Incidentally I loved Hot Fuzz, and I didn't think it was too long at all, I thought it was great fun. The commentary kind of sucked the fun out of it for me.
On the plus side, they gave us a DVD of Shaun of the Dead, and threw goodies into the crowd, and my hero boyfriend as usual fought off the enemy and got me the goods, so I have a really cool Hot Fuzz bag (and t-shirt) which I am already using as it's huge and my old bag was dirty.
Finally some guy in the audience got on stage and proposed to his girlfriend. I just couldn't help feeling like it was an excuse to meet Simon Pegg. I wouldn't propose to my boyfriend just to meet Conor Oberst. Oh, alright, I would. But I'd cross my fingers behind my back and slip Conor my number for the aforementioned gangbang. It's not really a gangbang with just three, is it? I'd look it up, but this Mac confuses me. Just let me left click, dammit!

2 comments:

* (asterisk) said...

Hot Fuzz, Schmot Schmuzz. But wait... You got a Mac? Yeah, welcome to the Mac Club!

I used to love the Prince Charles. Saw many good films there when I lived in The London Town.

But Hard Boiled is a Hong Kong movie and one of my all-time faves!

lightupvirginmary said...

my boyfriend has already pulled me up on 'japanese' haha I'm such an ignoramus. Just call me Emily from now on! ;-)
It's an ancient Mac. I can't work out what the hell is going on with it. Why can't I cut and paste?!