Why is Skinner so awkward in Hot Fuzz?

Question

In Hot Fuzz, Simon Skinner is one of the core members of Neighborhood Watch Alliance, which have successfully managed to hide numerous murders for years. Why does he talk so awkwardly though?

• He comments on 'beheading' fickle customers.
• He speaks of bashing Eve Draper's head.
• He blurts out "What say we drink to their demise?", referring to the first murders.
• Even in the beginning, he makes the awkward 'gruesome' joke of being a "slasher . . . of prices".

Even after the murders of Eve Draper and Martin Blower, he drives right by a suspicious Nicholas, who later points out why it's odd, since he lives and works in the center of the village. If he meant to check on whether the murder scene looked like an authentic accident, he could have simply delegated the task to another member of NWA, or his workers.

He's certainly smart enough to easily dodge the initial accusations by posing in front of CCTV the whole day when Leslie Tiller was murdered, so why does he act and talk peculiarly and awkwardly, raising suspicion?

Is this meant to pay homage to a certain iconic villain, or illustrate one of the tropes or cliches of the genre?

Answer 1

It's not awkward, it's bragging. Badass Boast, Evil Boast, Evil Gloating. In character building it's a feat given to make audience sure who is the villain from the start. Usually with bad puns. Or for fun foreshadowing. In Bond Goldfinger (I think) the joke was "he's in a hurry he have a meeting with a press" which turn to be him crushed by literal press.

Answer 2

He likes screwing with Angel. He knows he's well covered with alibis, but gives those hints to make Angel think he's onto something and then triumphantly glows when watching Angel embarrassing himself when he's not able to prove anything.