If there’s one thing you need to know about Edgar, Simon and Nick, it’s that they’re funny as all hell. Three of the funniest guys I’ve met in my life. On their own, they’re all formidable wits – but together in the same room they are unstoppable. A legion of inexorable irreverence, hell-bent on making everyone in their way double over in laughter. If there’re two things you need to know about these three, it is that they are three of the biggest geeks on the planet. Simon and I once spent easily 10 minutes sharing our deep-seated love for Battle Beyond the Stars. And Edgar can sub-reference movies for hours.

So it was only fitting that the most recent time I encountered the guys was at their Austin event – the Hot Fuzz-Tival. This was 12 hours of non-stop cop movies that inspired Edgar and Simon to make Hot Fuzz, culminating in the Austin premiere of the film itself. Edgar was clearly excited, having helped program the fest with some of his favorite films, and introduced every one. He opened with Electra Glide in Blue, the 1973 Robert Blake cop film that comes off as the Republican answer to Easy Rider. Following that with Jackie Chan in Police Story 2, about which Edgar gleefully announced, “Watching a Jackie Chan film is kind of like watching a porn film. Once you know where all the good bits are, you need never watch the whole thing again.”

Immediately afterwards we were treated to the loudest and most fun of the Dirty Harry films, Sudden Impact – the one where he pretty much has a dog for a partner. Edgar reminisced how much he’s always wanted to go in and record dialog for that dog. And then was the crown jewel of the night, the 1970s proto-buddy-cop comedy Freebie and the Bean. This was the one film Edgar and the guys were able to stick around for.

You see, this time in Austin was different from the previous two. This time they were stars. Everyone wanted to talk to them. Single interview sessions were bundled together into a series of roundtables. Local news all sent out vans to do on-camera reports. They barely had time to make appearances at their own event. But Edgar MADE time for Freebie and the Bean.

Then it was Hot Fuzz time. And for those of you dying to see it – and even those that aren’t -- you’re in for a treat. Edgar and the boys were clearly proud papas, and they have every reason to be. The film tore the roof off of the place. It was just like the reaction to Shaun. Things were different this time, sure. But most notably, it was clear that these guys weren’t flukes, they weren’t one-hit wonders. This time Edgar arrived and left a star – no longer the nervous young man worried no one would find him funny. Those days were long behind him.

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