One of the most frequent questions I am always asked being the host of the greatest movie podcast ever (opinions may vary) is “What’s your favorite movie?” That answer has been the same since I was 11 years old. But it also isn’t as easy to explain why I love some movies more than others.

As an art form, movies are by their nature interpretative. Some people will point to a film’s box office total as a barometer for a film’s quality, this might not be true again because although it might be popular to the masses it might not appeal to you. I am looking at you Avatar, which is not one of my favorite films, not by a longshot.  

Also, if the film wins an Academy Award for Best Picture, that hardly means it’s one of my favorite films, looking at you The English Patient, in fact I hardly agree with the Academy. Having said that, I am sure that some people love Avatar and The English Patient. And that’s what makes movies so great.

I, also am not a professional critic. I love film. I try and find merit in all film. As a host of a podcast that attempts to give every movie a chance, I believe that is the best way to approach movies, let the lights go out and try and enjoy yourself. You might find a “diamond in the rough.”

When thinking of my favorite movies to share with you, my loyal listeners, I thought 100 wasn’t going to be enough. So, I am proud to present my 150 Favorite Films, right now. These will change, I know they will.

See you at the movies!

***Spoilers Ahead!!!***

106. Hot Fuzz (2007) Directed by Edgar Wright

The Movie: Private Constable Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is in line for a promotion with the London Police Department. He is promoted to Sergeant but his co-workers dislike him and he is sent to a small town called Sandford, Gloucertershire, a beautiful and seemingly perfect town. In fact, it is always in consideration for “Village of the Year”.

Due to Angel’s high-level of productivity and coming from London, he finds the mundane life of Sandford boring and unfulfilling. He is appalled at his lazy and incompetent co-workers. He does strike up a friendship with PC Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) who he threw in jail for frunk driving. Danny is the son of the Chief Inspector Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent). Angel also has to contend with the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance and the owner of the local grocery store, Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton). Skinner invites Angel to the town’s performance of “Romeo and Juliet”. The lead actors are atrocious and are murdered soon after the play by a cloaked axe murderer.

The next morning Angel and Butterman are called out to a car accident. There Angel finds the two actors dead and decapitated from the “accident”. Angel doesn’t believe it was an accident and suspects foul play.

Angel and Butterman discover an illegal weapon storage on a call for a dispute and confiscate all the weapons. Butterman invites Angel over to watch his favorite cop-buddy films and their bond grows stronger.

That night the cloaked figure returns, and blows up the house of a wealthy land developer, George Merchant (Ron Cook). The next morning on scene Angel starts to suspect that the two crime scenes are related. Angel’s suspicions are verified by the local reporter, Tim Messenger (Adam Buxton) who tells Angel to meet him around the back of a church.

As Messenger is waiting for Angel, the cloaked figure pushes a portion of the church of the roof, landing on Messenger killing him. Angel is late meeting Messenger because he is buying a birthday gift for Danny. While talking to the florist, he learns that she is planning on selling her land to Merchant’s partners, who are rivals of Skinner and leaves to retrieve his notebook. The florist is stabbed by the cloaked figure and Angel gives chase. Angel loses the suspect but he returns to Skinner’s supermarket where he confronts Skinner whom he believes is behind the murders. Skinner however has an alibi and is not arrested.

Angel isn’t giving up. He believes there are multiple killers and returns to his hotel room. There he is attacked by Skinner’s employee Lurch (Rory McCann). Angel subdues Lurch and is able to learn of a meeting that the NWA is having at Sandford Castle. At the meeting Angel learns that NWA is lead by Frank and that they are behind the murders. Their reason for killing the townspeople is that the ones that are murdered could hurt the chances of Sandford winning “Village of the Year”. After learning that Frank’s wife committed suicide after failing to win ‘Village of the Year” he reveals that he will stop at nothing to win it. Angel escapes to the catacombs of the castle where he finds murdered individuals. Angel is caught by Danny and Danny stabs him, “killing” Angel.

Danny drives Angel to a gas station and tells him to run away to London. Inside the station Angel sees a bunch of movies on a rack that he and Danny become friends with after watching them. Angel returns to Sandford.

Angel breaks into the Sandford PD’s evidence vault and grabs all the weapons he confiscated earlier. Angel recruits Danny to help him take down the NWA. Danny agrees. After a shootout in a pub, Frank demands that the other officer’s arrest Angel and Danny. Instead, they join the fight against the NWA.

Angel and Danny chase Skinner to a model of Sandford and after a fight Skinner trips and impales himself through the lower jaw on a church spire.

After the shootout, Angel is asked to return to London, he declines and decides to remain in Sandford. After the arrests of the NWA, their last remaining member arrives at the PD and attacks the police with a blunderbuss. Danny jumps in front of a shot intended for Angel and an old sea mine is accidently set, killing the NWA member and destroying the PD.

Flash forward a year and Angel is now the Inspector of Sandford with Danny as his Sergeant.

Why I Love Hot Fuzz (2007): My first exposure to Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost was the awesome Shaun of the Dead (more on that much later). I loved that movie, which led me to their brilliant BBC show Spaced. I always look forward to what they do next.

Hot Fuzz takes what you know and love about buddy cop movies and makes it an entertaining and wild ride. Wright has the amazing ability to suck you into the worlds he crafts and make them familiar and different. You will recognize the movies that they reference almost immediately. And even if you don’t, Danny literally tells you his favorite parts and they play out in the film.

The soundtrack is awesome. I listen to it constantly. But don’t sleep on the score. They blend together in perfect harmony to create an insanely entertaining movie with a thumping drive that keeps the movie humming. If you have the ability to, pick up Mondo’s vinyl pressing of the score. It is epic.

And holy cow. The final action sequence is all sorts of awesome. From gun fights in the supermarket to Simon Pegg riding into town on horseback and some classic one-liners, Hot Fuzz keeps me grinning from ear to ear.

Hot Fuzz is an entertaining action/comedy, with some horror sprinkled in to make it the perfect sundae for movie fans.