Simon Pegg co-wrote with Jessica Hynes and appeared in one of my favourite TV series – Spaced so it was no great surprise to me when I absolutely loved Hot Fuzz. Pegg and Haynes’ awesome ability to keep me in stitches on such a big scale in Spaced continued through Shaun Of The Dead, and now I’m happy to confirm that Pegg is still on tip top form in Hot Fuzz.

Simon Pegg plays Nicholas Angel, an over-performing policeman whose record is 400% better than average and is sent by his superiors (Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan and Martin Freeman) to rural Sandford (actually Wells in Somerset) against his will so he doesn’t upset his colleagues. In a deleted scene we learn that the crime rate in London rises by 400% after he is sent to away. This DVD actually contains deleted scenes that are worth watching, unlike an awful lot of films.

But Sandford is not the sleepy crime-free hamlet that it appears. Partnered with clumsy but genuine “police man officer” Danny Butterman (Nick Frost who plays Mike Watt in Spaced) Nicholas Angel soon starts to have his frustration over the lack of action in Sandford (in another deleted scene he tests his radio because he thinks it isn’t working, but actually there is just no police radio traffic in Sandford) replaced with a frustration that his new colleagues can’t see that the grisly murders that are being perpetrated are not accidents, but a huge series of related crimes.

The level of action in the film builds until it culminates as a no holds barred action film, with great cinematic references to classic action films. The cinematic references are a constant theme in Pegg’s work, handled very academically in Spaced. In Hot Fuzz some of the cinematic references are very subtle, while some are very obvious and brilliant, like their recreation of scenes in Bad Boys II and Point Break.

Obviously I recommend this film heartily, but it is worth mentioning that there are a few gruesome scenes, such as the one outside the church so I think that in this case the minimum age rating is worth adhering to.

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Full cast list for Hot Fuzz: Adam Buxton, Alexander King, Alice Lowe, Anne Reid, Ben McKay, Bill Bailey, Bill Nighy, Billie Whitelaw, Cate Blanchett, Chris Waitt, Colin Michael Carmichael, David Bradley, David Threlfall, Edgar Wright, Edward Woodward, Elizabeth Elvin, Elvis, Eric Mason, Garth Jennings, Graham Low, Jim Broadbent, Joe Cornish, Julia Deakin, Karl Johnson, Kenneth Cranham, Kevin Eldon, Kevin Wilson, Lorraine Hilton, Lucy Punch, Maria Charles, Martin Freeman, Nicholas Wilson, Nick Frost, Olivia Colman, Paddy Considine, Patricia Franklin, Paul Freeman, Peter Jackson, Peter Wight, Rafe Spall, Robert Popper, Ron Cook, Rory Lowings, Rory McCann, Sampson, Simon Pegg, Stephen Merchant, Steve Coogan, Stuart Wilson, Tim Barlow, Timothy Dalton, Tom Strode Walton, Trevor Nichols, Troy Woollan.

Written and directed by Patty Jenkins ‘Monster’ is the startlingly realistic film based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) who worked as a Daytona beach prostitute and became one of America’s most notorious female serial killers.

She made her living ’servicing’ truck drivers but after becoming pregnant she soon found a way to earn her money without having to use her body, this involved her convincing the drivers she was going to sleep with them, and when they were in a remote place she would kill them and dispose of the bodies and evidence herself.

She soon began a lesbian relationship with ‘Selby’ (Christina Ricci) and the two of them continued their sickening murder spree together before eventually being caught and Aileen was sentenced to death by electric chair.

The movie stars two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, both of whom give a fantastic performance in their individual roles.

Charlize Theron is particularly amazing in her performance and you would honestly not even recognise her. She took her role very seriously for the movie, losing weight, working on her voice and accent and changing her personal appearance dramatically. She actually looks disturbing and truly frightening in some scenes and was very deserving of the Oscar that she won for her role.

Christina Ricci was brilliant as the slightly naive and confused Selby, she was a joy to watch as always and like Theron she also changed the way she looks and speaks to make the movie more realistic.

Ultimately this is a great movie for those who enjoy films that are based on real life events. There are several violent and disturbing scenes but this simply adds to the brilliant atmosphere and overall realism of ‘Monster’ as a whole.

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Full cast list for the 2003/2004 film Monster: Adam Brown, Annie Corley, Bill Boylan, Brett Rice, Bruce Dern, Bubba Baker, Cannonball, Catherine Mangan, Chad Vaccarino, Chandra Leigh, Charlize Theron, Christian Stokes, Christina Ricci, Cree Ivey, Ed Donovan, Elaine Stebbins, Gene R. Stephenson, Glenn R. Wilder, Jesse Stern, Jim R. Coleman, Kaitlin Riley, Kane Hodder, Khris Gibston, Lee Tergesen, Lori McDonald, Lyllian Barcaski, Magdalena Manville, Marc Macaulay, Marco St. John, Nonalee Davis, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Robb Chamberlain, Romonda Shaver, Rus Blackwell, Scott Wilson, Stephan Jones, T. Robert Pigott, Tim Ware.

From Hell starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm and Robbie Coltrane is a dark and disturbing horror movie set in London in 1888.

Made in 2001 and set at the time when people were living in fear from the attacks of the notorious Jack the Ripper the story follows Scotland Yard Inspector Fred Abberline (Depp), and his partner, Peter Godley (Coltrane) as they attempt to find out the real details behind who ‘The Ripper’ is and what motive he has for killing women, all of whom are prostitutes.

Fred Abberline has an upper hand on the case however, because through his ever growing addiction to opium he has discovered that he seems to have developed some kind of sixth sense or psychic ability that allows him to see into the future and catch glimpses of things that have not yet happened.

As he works on the case he finds himself falling for one of the prostitutes who is being questioned and must find out the identity of The Ripper before it’s too late.

Directed by the Hughes Brothers, ‘From Hell’ has some of the best cinematography, camera angles and lighting effects that I’ve seen in a long time. It is atmospheric, dark edgy and does a great job of portraying what life must have been like back then, and how the case of Jack the Ripper would have affected those who lived in Whitechapel.

Johnny Depp was fantastic in this role and although he did seem to struggle to grasp an English accent perfectly this doesn’t distract from the film itself. Heather Graham looks a bit too over glamorous for her role, and in my opinion her performance was the weakest of them all but maybe that was because she was up against some of the best British and American actors of all time.

The murder scenes in this film were brutal, convincing and gory enough to keep the true horror fans entertained and the plotline itself was fantastic.

If you don’t mind watching a bit of violence and gore then I highly recommend that you check ‘From Hell’ out when it hits Channel 4 screens on August 5th.

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Full cast list for the film From Hell: Al Ashton, Amy Huck, Andy Linden, Annabelle Apsion, Anthony Parker, Bruce Byron, Bryon Fear, Carey Thring, Charlie Parish, Cliff Parisi, Danny Midwinter, David Fisher, David Schofield, Dominic Cooper, Donald Douglas, Estelle Skornik, Gary Powell, Gerry Grennell, Glen Berry, Graham Kent, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Ian McNeice, Ian Richardson, James Greene, Jason Flemyng, Joanna Page, John Owens, Johnny Depp, Katrin Cartlidge, Lesley Sharp, Liz Moscrop, Louise Atkins, Mark Dexter, Melanie Hill, Nicholas McGaughey, Paul Moody, Paul Rhys, Peter Eyre, Poppy Rogers, Ralph Ineson, Robbie Coltrane, Roger Frost, Rupert Farley, Rupert Holliday-Evans, Samantha Spiro, Simon Harrison, Sophia Myles, Stephen Milton, Steve Chaplin, Steve John Shepherd, Susan Lynch, Terence Harvey, Tony Tang, Vincent Franklin, Vladimir Kulhavy.