Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Director:

Guy Ritchie

Writer:

Guy Ritchie (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

A Disgrace to Criminals Everywhere.

Plot:

Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash.

Plot Keywords:

England | Vomit Scene | London England | Burglary | British

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 13 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jason Flemyng	...	Tom
Dexter Fletcher	...	Soap
Nick Moran	...	Eddie
Jason Statham	...	Bacon
Steven Mackintosh	...	Winston
Nicholas Rowe	...	J
Nick Marcq	...	Charles
Charles Forbes	...	Willie
Vinnie Jones	...	Big Chris
Lenny McLean	...	Barry the Baptist
Peter McNicholl	...	Little Chris
P.H. Moriarty	...	'Hatchet' Harry Lonsdale
Frank Harper	...	Dog
Steve Sweeney	...	Plank
Huggy Leaver	...	Paul
Tony McMahon	...	John
Stephen Marcus	...	Nick the Greek
Vas Blackwood	...	Rory Breaker
Sting	...	JD
Jake Abraham	...	Dean
Rob Brydon	...	Traffic Warden (as Robert Brydon)
Stephen Callender-Ferrier	...	Lenny
Steve Collins	...	Boxing Gym Bouncer
Elwin 'Chopper' David	...	Nathan
Vera Day	...	Tanya
Jimmy Flint	...	Don
Alan Ford	...	Alan / Narrator
Ronnie Fox	...	Mickey
Sid Golder	...	Phil (as Sidney Golder)
Alex Hall	...	Slick
John Houchin	...	Doorman
Derek Howard	...	Policeman (as Josie Huard)
Danny John-Jules	...	Barfly Jack
Bal Jusar	...	Gordon
Tim Maurice-Jones	...	Drowning Man
Victor McGuire	...	Gary
Mark Mooney	...	Serg
Suzy Ratner	...	Gloria
David Reid	...	Samoan Jo (as David 'Disco' Reid)
Graham Stevens	...	Policeman
Jimmy Tarbuck	...	John O'Driscoll (as James Tarbuck)
Andrew Tiernan	...	Man in Pub (as Andy Tiernan)
Richard Vanstone	...	Frazer
Matthew Vaughn	...	Yuppie in Car

Directed by
Guy Ritchie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Guy Ritchie		writer

Produced by
Stephen Marks	....	executive producer
Georgia Masters	....	co-producer
Peter Morton	....	executive producer
Angad Paul	....	executive producer
Sebastian Pearson	....	associate producer
Jan Roldanus	....	associate producer
Trudie Styler	....	executive producer
Steve Tisch	....	executive producer
Ronaldo Vasconcellos	....	line producer
Matthew Vaughn	....	producer
Jon Slan	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
David A. Hughes
John Murphy

Cinematography by
Tim Maurice-Jones

Film Editing by
Niven Howie

Casting by
Celestia Fox
Guy Ritchie

Production Design by
Iain Andrews
Eve Mavrakis

Set Decoration by
Jacalyn Hyman

Costume Design by
Stephanie Collie

Makeup Department
Rebekah McVitie	....	makeup artist
Linda A. Morton	....	hair stylist supervisor
Linda A. Morton	....	makeup supervisor
Ros Peat	....	makeup artist
Catherine Scoble	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Adam Bohling	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Burt	....	third assistant director
David Reid	....	first assistant director
Daniel Toland	....	second assistant director
Sean Guest	....	additional first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Alex Chandon	....	props
Phil Donoghue	....	special props and effects
Rupert Gartrell	....	stand-by carpenter
Nick Gottschalk	....	art department assistant
Shay Leonard	....	props
Simon Morrissey	....	property master
Hannah Moseley	....	assistant art director
Susie Plant	....	props runner
Fanny Taylor	....	prop buyer

Sound Department
Tony Anscombe	....	adr recordist
Matthew Collinge	....	sound designer
Steve Cook	....	sound supervisor
Henry Dobson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Fenn	....	boom operator (as Arthur Turner)
Simon Hayes	....	sound recordist (as Simon 'Purple' Hayes)
Scott Jones	....	foley recordist
Marc Lawes	....	foley editor
Claire Mahoney	....	foley artist (as Clare Mahoney)
Graham McCarthy	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Danny Sheehan	....	supervising sound editor
Jez Spencer	....	foley editor
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Casper Lailey	....	special effects technician
Ken Lailey	....	special effects supervisor
Alastair Vardy	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	rostrum cameraman
Rob Gordon	....	digital online editor
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite
Paul Lambert	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Richard Graydon	....	stunts
Sy Hollands	....	stunt driver (as Sy Holland)
Glenn Marks	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Bateman	....	generator operator
Dean Kennedy	....	best boy
Jake Marcuson	....	clapper loader
Richard Oxley	....	electrician
Sebastian Pearson	....	still photographer
Peter Wignall	....	camera operator
Terry Williams	....	camera grip

Casting Department
Emma Buckley	....	casting assistant
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sue Coates	....	dresser
Lisa Shanley	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Heather Clarke	....	post-production coordinator
Martin McGlone	....	color grader
Matt Reed	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Nicola Fletcher	....	music supervisor
Daniel L. Griffiths	....	additional score production
Laurence Kaye	....	music supervisor
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor
Greg Francis	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Mark Hinton Stewart	....	assistant music supervisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Charles Bodycomb	....	armorer
Dan Cadan	....	production runner
Ayo Davis	....	production assistant
Lyn Gaskin	....	set runner
Kathy Hughes	....	script supervisor
Jessica Kirsh	....	unit publicist
Johanna Pilgrim	....	assistant to producer
Jules Powell	....	runner
Andrew Rosen	....	production assistant: Paragon/Handmade
Christina Shadick	....	location accountant
Tina Shadick	....	assistant production accountant
Eddie Standish	....	location manager
Karen Walter	....	production accountant
Julian Weaver	....	on-set rigger
Laura Zatloukal	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• HandMade Films
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• SKA Films
• Steve Tisch Company, The
• Summit Entertainment

Distributors

• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (1998) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1998) (UK) (theatrical)
• Gramercy Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• BDG
• BV-film AS (1999) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Columbia Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia Home Video (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (Argentina)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Falcon (1999) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1998) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Video (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• REP Distribution (1998) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1998) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• V8 (2001) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (visual effects)
• Ken Lailey Effects

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting rental facility
• ARRI Media  camera rental
• General Screen Enterprises  opticals
• Hammerhead Television Facilities  steadicam equipment
• Magmasters Sound Studios  post-production
• Maverick Records  soundtrack published by
• Media Film Services  camera equipment
• Mr. Youngs  projection
• Parr Street Studios  score recorded at
• Peerless Camera Company  titles
• Ray Knight Casting  extras casting
• Soho Images  video post-production
• Summit Entertainment  sales
• Ugly Models  extras casting

Also Known As:

Two Smoking Barrels (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

107 min | 120 min (director's cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Brazil:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bethnal Green Town Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

The bar that is used as J.D.'s bar in the movie is really called Vic Naylors, it is exactly as it is seen in the film (apart from the sign on the front of course). It is situated in an area of London called Farringdon and is opposite the old Smithfield meat market.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just Before Plank gets shot in the neck with the air rifle, we see him looking to his right with the left side of his neck exposed. But when he is shot, the close-up shows him holding the right side of his neck.

Quotes:

"Hatchet" Harry: You must be Eddie, J.D.'s son.
Eddie: Yeah. You must be Harry. Sorry, didn't know your father.
"Hatchet" Harry: Never mind son, you just might meet him if you carry on like that.

Movie Connections:

References The Pawnshop (1916)

Soundtrack:

The Payback

Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya

I've avoided this movie for sometime now. Firstly because friends told me that it was 'Pulp Fiction'-ish (and boy do I hate that movie). Secondly, because its British and although I'm from South East London myself and love British television comedies, I have rarely found British humour well translated onto the big screen. Normally it is toned down to plain slap-stick goofy uncomplicated Inspector Cleuseau type humour tailored for American audiences.

But to find not just British, but straight-faced East London cockney-slang and swear filled humour in a really stylish movie was a revelation.

I have always believed that British humor, especially East London humor is much more sophisicated than American humour. Maybe the reason why American audiences have been more forthcoming with LS&2SB is that despite the accent, they finally 'get it' without having to have it remade into an American version, ala Faulty Towers and Threes company and other British comedies. Yet, I believe Tom Cruise is remaking the movie with an American cast. I suppose for those who just cannot understand English unless its spoken in an American accent. That is really a shame as there are so many diverse accents all around the world and LS&2SB could not have been done in any accent other than cockney.

Still, there are bits only the British will get, like the scene with the three guys pouncing on the traffic warden in the back of the van. That scene had me clutching my sides. Only someone living in London can feel true loathing for a traffic warden, the most hated person in Britain.

Cinemtography was superb. I wont go into who's already done the slow-mo's and stop action argument. It is near impossible to do anything in a movie today that has not already been done. You can either do nothing - or do whatever you can as long as it suits the mood and the flow of the movie, and Guy Ritchie just cannot be faulted. He projects the seedy, thin laned, miserable weathered London, yet with such style that you want to see more. The camera work could not have been better. Just see the projection of Eddy's unsteady, light-headed wooziness as he gets up from the gambling table having lost everything and owing even more. Brilliant.

The Soundtrack was as diverse and yet brilliant as I have ever heard in a movie. I dont want to look like waving the Union Jack here, but this movie shows that the British have a more diverse taste in music. From Reggae, to Ska, to Rock, to Mikis Theodorakis every track played just added to the scene showed.

In short, LS&2SB is a movie that just does not stop for a second, is full of refreshing humour, filmed with style, has a lively soundtrack, some violence thrown in for good measure, and a story with more twists and turns than a bowlfull of spaghetti.

Dont let this movie slip you by. You'll either love it, or hate it.

If this movie was not British, I'd give it an 8/10, but since it is, it gets 9/10 from me.

Favourite dialogue: Rory Breaker: If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya.