list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Lock_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels/123580/default.aspx Title: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Year: 1998
Director: Guy Ritchie
Plot: British writer Guy Ritchie made his feature directorial debut with this crime-caper comedy-drama set in London's East End and heavy on the Cockney dialogue (with one scene in subtitled Cockney rhyming slang). A big-bucks scheme goes awry: Cardsharp Eddy (Nick Moran) and pals Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Flemyng), and Soap (Dexter Fletcher) scuffle to pile up enough money to put Eddy at the card table opposite gangland porn lord Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty). Unfortunately, the whole plan backfires, leaving Eddy owing Harry a huge sum, payable within the week. In truth, Harry hopes to acquire the bar run by his rival, J.D. (Sting), who is Eddy's father. To raise the cash, Eddy sets out to steal from a marijuana business run by Winston (Steven Mackintosh), but the inevitable gunplay doesn't make for an easy heist. World premiere at the 1998 Edinburgh Film Festival (Focus on British Cinema). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 65
Number of Lists: 85
Number of blog posts: 12
Number of discussion threads: 8
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:29:29 GMTLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels1998Guy RitchieBritish writer <a href="/players/P___242801/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Guy Ritchie</a> made his feature directorial debut with this crime-caper comedy-drama set in London's East End and heavy on the Cockney dialogue (with one scene in subtitled Cockney rhyming slang). A big-bucks scheme goes awry: Cardsharp Eddy (Nick Moran) and pals Bacon (<a href="/players/P___242471/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jason Statham</a>), Tom (<a href="/players/P___195952/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jason Flemyng</a>), and Soap (<a href="/players/P____23893/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dexter Fletcher</a>) scuffle to pile up enough money to put Eddy at the card table opposite gangland porn lord Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty). Unfortunately, the whole plan backfires, leaving Eddy owing Harry a huge sum, payable within the week. In truth, Harry hopes to acquire the bar run by his rival, J.D. (<a href="/players/P___112828/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sting</a>), who is Eddy's father. To raise the cash, Eddy sets out to steal from a marijuana business run by Winston (<a href="/players/P____44250/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steven Mackintosh</a>), but the inevitable gunplay doesn't make for an easy heist. World premiere at the 1998 Edinburgh Film Festival (Focus on British Cinema). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide65Tag Target (>10)851283http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t85257zq29p.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Lock_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels/123580/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_6_The_Song/625/42936/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/7/2009 1:59:50 AM
Body: This week I'd just like to talk about your favorite use of any particular song in a film.. Here's a couple of my faves.. The first is the opening scene to Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels.. The Song is "Hundred Mile High City" by Ocean Colour Scene... ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ I also really loved hearing Jim Carrol's "People Who Died" at the end of Zach Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake. I could probably come up with a dozen more from people like Tarentino and Wes but I'm a bit short on time at the moment so I'll chime in again a bit later. Let's here from the rest of you...
]]>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:59:50 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme7/7/2009 1:59:50 AMThis week I'd just like to talk about your favorite use of any particular song in a film.. Here's a couple of my faves.. The first is the opening scene to Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels.. The Song is "Hundred Mile High City" by Ocean Colour Scene... ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ I also really loved hearing Jim Carrol's "People Who Died" at the end of Zach Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake. I could probably come up with a dozen more from people like Tarentino and Wes but I'm a bit short on time at the moment so I'll chime in again a bit later. Let's here from the rest of you... http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/12/31/38998.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 12/31/2008 1:31:21 PM
Body: Who are these people?" is what I repeatedly asked myself when perusing the press release pages of accolades bestowed on the British thriller, Diary of a Bad Lad. Chris Bernard called it “Absolutely superb...and completely inspiring” across the top of the promotional materials. Who is Chris Bernard? Good question, since the press packet did not attribute his name to anything. According to “the Google,” he's either a model from Lexington, Kentucky, a married software designer from Chicago, the author of Drop Shipping Sucks, or the founder of the Las Vegas Institute of Noetic Sciences Chapter. And as insightful as any of those Chris Bernards may be about film, I am not sure how much I trust their and value their opinions. Perhaps it's time to rethink my credentials as a paid film critic, but color me bored. I just could not enter the groove that Diary of a Bad Lad was trying to create. It unfurls as yet another 'found footage' pic, supposedly spliced together from more than 30 hours of "investigative footage". What I watched looked more like outtakes cobbled together from Guy Ritchie test reels. The faux documentary format is often the blessing for the first-time filmmaker and the curse for the audience. To Bad Lad's credit, it was apparently completed a number of years ago, placing it pre-Cloverfield and Qurantine. But that does not excuse it from the sheer lack of narrative focus and complete slight of character development. From what I am able to ascertain, Barry Lick (played by Jonathan Williams), a swarthy film professor, hires a gaggle of his students to help him film a drug deal that ultimately goes sour. Instead of high-tailing it out of Dodge, he claims that he wants to capture the gritty realism of the proceedings and demands they keep shooting — even as they dispose of a dead body and consume copious illegal substances themselves. It's one thing to film an event as it unfolds; it's quite another when you yourself are committing said crime, implicating yourself in the process. It is exactly this little narrative nugget that kept me from investing my interest in any of the characters or events of Lad. Then, there are artistic flourishes which completely remove the viewer from the documentary aesthetic it tries so hard to create. During more than one scene, the characters are seen snorting drugs and the director alters the film's soundtrack, which is supposed to emulate the character's high, but moves it completely out of the realm of documentary. Then there is the dilemma of whacking through the thicket of accents, and I watch a lot of British TV and film. I am never one to protest reading subtitles, and I'll even take the time to look up cultural-specific witticisms, but Lad's amateur recording devices made it near impossible for the outsider to even decipher what was being said at times, much less extract any meaning from it. Some scenes tended to go on forever, such as the amateur 'porn footage' that begins as amusingly playful, but drags on into tedium after five minutes or so. It's commendable on a sheerly artistic level, thanks to director Michael Booth, but perhaps a little too impressed with itself, soaking in some of the bells and whistles of Apple's home filmmaking programs — a grainy filter here, a color drain there. It does all this at the expense of character development. Too often, the film feels like outtakes from a film, with various seedy sorts mingling without purpose or direction. And while the actors involved are all first-timers, they fail to pull off the naturalism that is required for a film that is supposed to appear more real than a staged theatrical picture. Director Booth has obviously paid attention in film class when they covered the chapter on visual effects, but must have dozed off during the lecture on character. This is one Diary that perhaps should have remained under lock and key.
]]>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:31:21 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog12/31/2008 1:31:21 PMWho are these people?" is what I repeatedly asked myself when perusing the press release pages of accolades bestowed on the British thriller, Diary of a Bad Lad. Chris Bernard called it &ldquo;Absolutely superb...and completely inspiring&rdquo; across the top of the promotional materials. Who is Chris Bernard? Good question, since the press packet did not attribute his name to anything. According to &ldquo;the Google,&rdquo; he's either a model from Lexington, Kentucky, a married software designer from Chicago, the author of Drop Shipping Sucks, or the founder of the Las Vegas Institute of Noetic Sciences Chapter. And as insightful as any of those Chris Bernards may be about film, I am not sure how much I trust their and value their opinions. Perhaps it's time to rethink my credentials as a paid film critic, but color me bored. I just could not enter the groove that Diary of a Bad Lad was trying to create. It unfurls as yet another 'found footage' pic, supposedly spliced together from more than 30 hours of "investigative footage". What I watched looked more like outtakes cobbled together from Guy Ritchie test reels. The faux documentary format is often the blessing for the first-time filmmaker and the curse for the audience. To Bad Lad's credit, it was apparently completed a number of years ago, placing it pre-Cloverfield and Qurantine. But that does not excuse it from the sheer lack of narrative focus and complete slight of character development. From what I am able to ascertain, Barry Lick (played by Jonathan Williams), a swarthy film professor, hires a gaggle of his students to help him film a drug deal that ultimately goes sour. Instead of high-tailing it out of Dodge, he claims that he wants to capture the gritty realism of the proceedings and demands they keep shooting &mdash; even as they dispose of a dead body and consume copious illegal substances themselves. It's one thing to film an event as it unfolds; it's quite another when you yourself are committing said crime, implicating yourself in the process. It is exactly this little narrative nugget that kept me from investing my interest in any of the characters or events of Lad. Then, there are artistic flourishes which completely remove the viewer from the documentary aesthetic it tries so hard to create. During more than one scene, the characters are seen snorting drugs and the director alters the film's soundtrack, which is supposed to emulate the character's high, but moves it completely out of the realm of documentary. Then there is the dilemma of whacking through the thicket of accents, and I watch a lot of British TV and film. I am never one to protest reading subtitles, and I'll even take the time to look up cultural-specific witticisms, but Lad's amateur recording devices made it near impossible for the outsider to even decipher what was being said at times, much less extract any meaning from it. Some scenes tended to go on forever, such as the amateur 'porn footage' that begins as amusingly playful, but drags on into tedium after five minutes or so. It's commendable on a sheerly artistic level, thanks to director Michael Booth, but perhaps a little too impressed with itself, soaking in some of the bells and whistles of Apple's home filmmaking programs &mdash; a grainy filter here, a color drain there. It does all this at the expense of character development. Too often, the film feels like outtakes from a film, with various seedy sorts mingling without purpose or direction. And while the actors involved are all first-timers, they fail to pull off the naturalism that is required for a film that is supposed to appear more real than a staged theatrical picture. Director Booth has obviously paid attention in film class when they covered the chapter on visual effects, but must have dozed off during the lecture on character. This is one Diary that perhaps should have remained under lock and key. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_October_20_The_Montage/625/36655/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/24/2008 4:23:40 PM
Body: I may be alone on this, but I think Team America had a pretty all-encompassing montage...the song is hysterical too. I think it was originally from a South Park episode (Asspen?). On the subject of Snatch's "quick and rhythmic" cuts, I'm having trouble remembering if Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels had the same type of sequences. And if you include Requiem in there, then Pi should be mentioned as well, since Aronofsky uses essentially the same exact methods as he does in Requiem. Sorry for piggy-backing with these ones, I seem to be drawing a blank... I think Ferris Bueller has a montage, in the art museum, and it's ridiculously cheesy...it's an 80s teen movie, so I guess that's a given. I still find it hard to be skeptical about that movie. (......Always fade out in a montage, if you fade out it seems like more time has passed in a montage...Montage......)
]]>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:23:40 GMTSmooth_JWeekly Theme10/24/2008 4:23:40 PMI may be alone on this, but I think Team America had a pretty all-encompassing montage...the song is hysterical too. I think it was originally from a South Park episode (Asspen?). On the subject of Snatch's "quick and rhythmic" cuts, I'm having trouble remembering if Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels had the same type of sequences. And if you include Requiem in there, then Pi should be mentioned as well, since Aronofsky uses essentially the same exact methods as he does in Requiem. Sorry for piggy-backing with these ones, I seem to be drawing a blank... I think Ferris Bueller has a montage, in the art museum, and it's ridiculously cheesy...it's an 80s teen movie, so I guess that's a given. I still find it hard to be skeptical about that movie. (......Always fade out in a montage, if you fade out it seems like more time has passed in a montage...Montage......) http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Movie_Prep/Re_Weekly_Prep_for_10_24_Releases/651/36624/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Weekly Movie Prep
Post Date: 10/23/2008 2:38:02 PM
Body: I'm a bit behind on my current releases, so this week my goals are to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Guy Ritchie's Rocknrolla'. I thought good prep for Nick and Norah may be a rewatching of Valley Girl, as it seems to share a similar 'one crazy night' theme with an unlikely cast of characters and events. Along those lines, since it is somewhat of a music-centric film I thought High Fidelity could be of merit too, with the Top 5/playlist themes maybe going hand-in-hand. That, and I'll use any excuse I can to justify watching either film again. Rocknrolla is easy... I'd have to dust off my two favorite Ritchie films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. Two of my favorite films... great action, a lot of great lines and enough humour thrown in here and there to keep you chuckling while the plot gets heavy. I'm hoping Ritchie's impending divorce hasn't gotten him too down to put in a few good laughs and some more colourful characters!
]]>Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:38:02 GMTseelyWeekly Movie Prep10/23/2008 2:38:02 PMI'm a bit behind on my current releases, so this week my goals are to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Guy Ritchie's Rocknrolla'. I thought good prep for Nick and Norah may be a rewatching of Valley Girl, as it seems to share a similar 'one crazy night' theme with an unlikely cast of characters and events. Along those lines, since it is somewhat of a music-centric film I thought High Fidelity could be of merit too, with the Top 5/playlist themes maybe going hand-in-hand. That, and I'll use any excuse I can to justify watching either film again. Rocknrolla is easy... I'd have to dust off my two favorite Ritchie films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. Two of my favorite films... great action, a lot of great lines and enough humour thrown in here and there to keep you chuckling while the plot gets heavy. I'm hoping Ritchie's impending divorce hasn't gotten him too down to put in a few good laughs and some more colourful characters! http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/10/12/36236.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 10/12/2008 8:57:34 PM
Body: With “RocknRolla” we are officially out of new threatening aquatic creatures for cinematic bad guys to dip their foes into. Sharks. Piranhas. Electric eels. Ill-tempered mutated sea bass. All of these little fishies have occupied a tank or two, used for a criminal dunking booth as a form of persuasion in films. Lenny Cole, the chief villain of Guy Ritchie's new crime caper is also a proprietor of such a nefarious aquarium. So what does he choose to stock in his pond of persuasion? Crawfish. Yes, that Louisiana delicacy that is little more than an overgrown Sea Monkey is what Lenny uses to taunt his victims. It's (hopefully) meant as a lark in Ritchie's assured return to form after misfiring with the disastrous “Swept Away” (starring wife Madonna) and the befuddling “Revolver.” “RocknRolla” creeps back into the underworld where he is most comfortable, populating it with yet another round of entertaining, three-dimensional, two-bit, one-track-minded ruffians who inhabit it. Lenny (played by Tom Wilkinson) is trying to score a real estate deal with a younger, leaner Russian “businessman” (played by Karel Rodan), but is soon realizing his way of lawlessness is slowly giving way to a more harsh, bitter brand of criminality. Meanwhile, his middling thugs get mixed up in the fracas, testing allegiances as well as each other's patience. One Two (played by “300's” Gerard Butler), Mumbles (played by Idris Elba), Handsome Bob (played by Tom Hardy), Archie (played by Mark Strong), and Johnny Quid (played by Tony Kebble), are all crossing paths and cracking skulls -- sometimes their own – in an attempt to pad their pockets with payoff. A scheming accountant (played by Thandie Newton) and a pair of seamy music executives (played by Jeremy Piven and Ludicris), also figure into the scheme. Through the thick British accents, it might be difficult to catch each and every line lobbed onto the criminal battlefield, but the film is immediately more discernible than his thoroughly confusing trip to Kabbalah-land, “Revolver.” Some may see “RocknRolla” as the director falling back on a crutch, cinematically. But it is a crutch that has served him well, and the director seems to have done some maturation in the years since he rocketed onto the landscape with “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and its follow-up “Snatch.” This film doesn't feel as hopped-up and antsy, allowing more exposition with some rather engaging characters. One scene in particular takes a Hitchcockian foot-chase – one that would typically be wrought with hyperkinetic editing and a thundering soundtrack – and adds an amusing twist to its conclusion that is as realistic as it is comical. The cast is primed and ready to groove with Ritchie's signature vibe, happily contributing moments of appropriate over-the-top histrionics and awkward humility, especially Wilkinson, Butler and Strong. Ritchie breaks no new ground as a director, with his visual flair on full display. But he has grown substantially as a writer, which elevates its gallery of goons to more than Tarantino-esque tough guys. The cast of “RocknRolla” can stand confidently beside the motley crews he's previously assembled on the screen.
]]>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:57:34 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog10/12/2008 8:57:34 PMWith &ldquo;RocknRolla&rdquo; we are officially out of new threatening aquatic creatures for cinematic bad guys to dip their foes into. Sharks. Piranhas. Electric eels. Ill-tempered mutated sea bass. All of these little fishies have occupied a tank or two, used for a criminal dunking booth as a form of persuasion in films. Lenny Cole, the chief villain of Guy Ritchie's new crime caper is also a proprietor of such a nefarious aquarium. So what does he choose to stock in his pond of persuasion? Crawfish. Yes, that Louisiana delicacy that is little more than an overgrown Sea Monkey is what Lenny uses to taunt his victims. It's (hopefully) meant as a lark in Ritchie's assured return to form after misfiring with the disastrous &ldquo;Swept Away&rdquo; (starring wife Madonna) and the befuddling &ldquo;Revolver.&rdquo; &ldquo;RocknRolla&rdquo; creeps back into the underworld where he is most comfortable, populating it with yet another round of entertaining, three-dimensional, two-bit, one-track-minded ruffians who inhabit it. Lenny (played by Tom Wilkinson) is trying to score a real estate deal with a younger, leaner Russian &ldquo;businessman&rdquo; (played by Karel Rodan), but is soon realizing his way of lawlessness is slowly giving way to a more harsh, bitter brand of criminality. Meanwhile, his middling thugs get mixed up in the fracas, testing allegiances as well as each other's patience. One Two (played by &ldquo;300's&rdquo; Gerard Butler), Mumbles (played by Idris Elba), Handsome Bob (played by Tom Hardy), Archie (played by Mark Strong), and Johnny Quid (played by Tony Kebble), are all crossing paths and cracking skulls -- sometimes their own &ndash; in an attempt to pad their pockets with payoff. A scheming accountant (played by Thandie Newton) and a pair of seamy music executives (played by Jeremy Piven and Ludicris), also figure into the scheme. Through the thick British accents, it might be difficult to catch each and every line lobbed onto the criminal battlefield, but the film is immediately more discernible than his thoroughly confusing trip to Kabbalah-land, &ldquo;Revolver.&rdquo; Some may see &ldquo;RocknRolla&rdquo; as the director falling back on a crutch, cinematically. But it is a crutch that has served him well, and the director seems to have done some maturation in the years since he rocketed onto the landscape with &ldquo;Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels&rdquo; and its follow-up &ldquo;Snatch.&rdquo; This film doesn't feel as hopped-up and antsy, allowing more exposition with some rather engaging characters. One scene in particular takes a Hitchcockian foot-chase &ndash; one that would typically be wrought with hyperkinetic editing and a thundering soundtrack &ndash; and adds an amusing twist to its conclusion that is as realistic as it is comical. The cast is primed and ready to groove with Ritchie's signature vibe, happily contributing moments of appropriate over-the-top histrionics and awkward humility, especially Wilkinson, Butler and Strong. Ritchie breaks no new ground as a director, with his visual flair on full display. But he has grown substantially as a writer, which elevates its gallery of goons to more than Tarantino-esque tough guys. The cast of &ldquo;RocknRolla&rdquo; can stand confidently beside the motley crews he's previously assembled on the screen. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/8/36037.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/8/2008 2:01:01 PM
Body: This review originally appeared during the Toronto Film Festival. Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla opens in New York and LA today. Guy Ritchie has been getting a bad rap ever since the his impressive double header of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch turned into the double whammy of becoming Mr. Madonna in 2000 and directing Swept Away in 2002. Ritchie was quickly heading for the bargain bin after that romantic comedy became a universal joke, topped as a target of derision perhaps only by Gigli. He returned to gangster fare with Revolver in 2005, but even with star and Ritchie alumnus Jason Statham, the film wasn’t well-received. So here we are three years later with yet another gangster-studded film, RocknRolla, this time with posterboy Gerard Butler in a leading role. Well, the good news is that this marks a return to the London underbelly that was laid down by Lock and Snatch: RocknRolla could rightfully be called the third film in a Ritchie trilogy. The bad news is that it’s a whole lot of flash and not much substance. Not that people go to Ritchie’s films expecting a dissertation on the human condition, but his movies do at least require you to follow along closely due to their labyrinthine plots. RocknRolla is no different, and although Butler seems to be the face of the film, he’s simply part of a large ensemble cast, and not the strongest player. The basic plot of the film involves One-Two (Butler) and his partner Mumbles (Idris Elba) as two low-rent hoods who spot a good real estate investment. They partner with a mob boss (Tom Wilkinson) with deep pockets to get things rolling, but he turns around and double-crosses them, and they owe him some serious dough. Meanwhile, the same mob boss gets involved with a Russian billionaire in a similar real estate deal. The Russian’s accountant (Thandie Newton) steps in and double crosses the Russian, and so you’ve got your basic mafia triangle of X owes money to Y who owes money to Z. As it turns out, the Russian loans his mystical good luck painting to the mob boss as a show of good faith, and this painting soon becomes the focus of the film once it is stolen by the mob boss’ stepson, Johnny Quid. The rest of the film turns into a search for the painting, which moves from character A to B to C with fluid ease, and there’s a violent conclusion that ties everything up, for the most part. The main problem with the film is that you just don’t care for most of the main characters, which isn’t that surprising when you consider a cast this large. However, The Big Chill also has a large cast, and you certainly care for people in that movie. (Also, I’ve just realized that comparing a Guy Ritchie movie to The Big Chill is probably one of the signs of the impending apocalypse.) The real stars of the film are Toby Kebbell, who plays the heroin-thin rockstar Johnny Quid in a loving homage to Sid Vicious (or to Gary Oldman in Sid & Nancy); Tom Wilkinson as the chrome-domed, Ray-Ban wearing crime boss Lenny Cole; and Mark Strong as Archie, Lenny’s right-hand enforcer. Honestly, you could have replaced Butler’s character with a dozen different actors, and these three actors would have shone just as brightly, despite being in an ensemble piece. Not that Butler isn’t competent. His portrayal of the criminal who just can’t seem to get things right isn’t nearly as over the top as King Leonidas, and he’s at his best in this movie when not in an action heavy vignettes. There’s an amusing scene where Thandie Newton and Butler are dancing at a wannabe rave thrown by Newton’s posh (but gay) husband. Their dancing is about on par with Marcia Brady’s “thumb dance” from The Brady Bunch. You can’t hear them over the din of the party, so you’re treated with cartoonish subtitles throughout the scene. Most of the humor in the movie comes from a pair of Russian hitmen who just won’t die, no matter what happens to them in one of the most amusing chase sequences I’ve ever seen, and from the awkward situation Butler’s character is put in after his best mate and fellow hood Handsome Bob confesses his love to him. Ritchie from the Lock, Stock days probably wouldn’t have approached a scene (and the ensuing scenes in which Butler may, or may not have helped his buddy out before a prison stint) seriously, but the 2008 version of the director decided it could be both amusing and touching. Ritchie told us that this film is meant to have at least one sequel, and you can read all about that in our upcoming interview. If Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still stands as Ritchie’s strongest film, with Snatch in second place, RockNRolla feels like a strong third in this trinity, and returns Ritchie to form. At the very least, it’s a fun leadup to Sherlock Holmes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:01:01 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/8/2008 2:01:01 PMThis review originally appeared during the Toronto Film Festival. Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla opens in New York and LA today. Guy Ritchie has been getting a bad rap ever since the his impressive double header of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch turned into the double whammy of becoming Mr. Madonna in 2000 and directing Swept Away in 2002. Ritchie was quickly heading for the bargain bin after that romantic comedy became a universal joke, topped as a target of derision perhaps only by Gigli. He returned to gangster fare with Revolver in 2005, but even with star and Ritchie alumnus Jason Statham, the film wasn’t well-received. So here we are three years later with yet another gangster-studded film, RocknRolla, this time with posterboy Gerard Butler in a leading role. Well, the good news is that this marks a return to the London underbelly that was laid down by Lock and Snatch: RocknRolla could rightfully be called the third film in a Ritchie trilogy. The bad news is that it’s a whole lot of flash and not much substance. Not that people go to Ritchie’s films expecting a dissertation on the human condition, but his movies do at least require you to follow along closely due to their labyrinthine plots. RocknRolla is no different, and although Butler seems to be the face of the film, he’s simply part of a large ensemble cast, and not the strongest player. The basic plot of the film involves One-Two (Butler) and his partner Mumbles (Idris Elba) as two low-rent hoods who spot a good real estate investment. They partner with a mob boss (Tom Wilkinson) with deep pockets to get things rolling, but he turns around and double-crosses them, and they owe him some serious dough. Meanwhile, the same mob boss gets involved with a Russian billionaire in a similar real estate deal. The Russian’s accountant (Thandie Newton) steps in and double crosses the Russian, and so you’ve got your basic mafia triangle of X owes money to Y who owes money to Z. As it turns out, the Russian loans his mystical good luck painting to the mob boss as a show of good faith, and this painting soon becomes the focus of the film once it is stolen by the mob boss’ stepson, Johnny Quid. The rest of the film turns into a search for the painting, which moves from character A to B to C with fluid ease, and there’s a violent conclusion that ties everything up, for the most part. The main problem with the film is that you just don’t care for most of the main characters, which isn’t that surprising when you consider a cast this large. However, The Big Chill also has a large cast, and you certainly care for people in that movie. (Also, I’ve just realized that comparing a Guy Ritchie movie to The Big Chill is probably one of the signs of the impending apocalypse.) The real stars of the film are Toby Kebbell, who plays the heroin-thin rockstar Johnny Quid in a loving homage to Sid Vicious (or to Gary Oldman in Sid & Nancy); Tom Wilkinson as the chrome-domed, Ray-Ban wearing crime boss Lenny Cole; and Mark Strong as Archie, Lenny’s right-hand enforcer. Honestly, you could have replaced Butler’s character with a dozen different actors, and these three actors would have shone just as brightly, despite being in an ensemble piece. Not that Butler isn’t competent. His portrayal of the criminal who just can’t seem to get things right isn’t nearly as over the top as King Leonidas, and he’s at his best in this movie when not in an action heavy vignettes. There’s an amusing scene where Thandie Newton and Butler are dancing at a wannabe rave thrown by Newton’s posh (but gay) husband. Their dancing is about on par with Marcia Brady’s “thumb dance” from The Brady Bunch. You can’t hear them over the din of the party, so you’re treated with cartoonish subtitles throughout the scene. Most of the humor in the movie comes from a pair of Russian hitmen who just won’t die, no matter what happens to them in one of the most amusing chase sequences I’ve ever seen, and from the awkward situation Butler’s character is put in after his best mate and fellow hood Handsome Bob confesses his love to him. Ritchie from the Lock, Stock days probably wouldn’t have approached a scene (and the ensuing scenes in which Butler may, or may not have helped his buddy out before a prison stint) seriously, but the 2008 version of the director decided it could be both amusing and touching. Ritchie told us that this film is meant to have at least one sequel, and you can read all about that in our upcoming interview. If Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still stands as Ritchie’s strongest film, with Snatch in second place, RockNRolla feels like a strong third in this trinity, and returns Ritchie to form. At the very least, it’s a fun leadup to Sherlock Holmes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2008/9/30/35724.aspx Post By: Tenenbaums
Post To: Tenenbaums Blog
Post Date: 9/30/2008 3:08:59 PM
Body: Wow. After a slow start, this movie really takes off. Though I love Snatch and Lock, Stock, it's reassuring to see that Guy Ritchie's talent can go in a different direction. That's not to say that he's completely abandoned his roots (which he might have done on the Swept Away remake....though I haven't seen it...) as there are trademark cinematography and editing touchs in addition to dialogue and content. Revolver reaffirms that Jason Statham is an actor with Ritchie and merely an action star without. He is at his dramatic best here and looks great next to the comedic masterwork in Snatch. Ritchie's new directions allow him to grow as a filmmaker and distance himself from the "he made the same movie twice" comments at the start of his career. I now trust him more as a writer/director and I'm really excited for Rocknrolla.
]]>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:08:59 GMTTenenbaumsTenenbaums Blog9/30/2008 3:08:59 PMWow. After a slow start, this movie really takes off. Though I love Snatch and Lock, Stock, it's reassuring to see that Guy Ritchie's talent can go in a different direction. That's not to say that he's completely abandoned his roots (which he might have done on the Swept Away remake....though I haven't seen it...) as there are trademark cinematography and editing touchs in addition to dialogue and content. Revolver reaffirms that Jason Statham is an actor with Ritchie and merely an action star without. He is at his dramatic best here and looks great next to the comedic masterwork in Snatch. Ritchie's new directions allow him to grow as a filmmaker and distance himself from the "he made the same movie twice" comments at the start of his career. I now trust him more as a writer/director and I'm really excited for Rocknrolla. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Recast_SNATCH_2000_and_LOCK_STOCK_AND_TWO_SMOK/563/35321/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 9/19/2008 4:57:13 PM
Body: Good news: Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla hits theaters on October 3, and Spout's Kevin Kelly says it's a worthy successor to that wicked one-two punch, Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.Can you make Snatch and Lock Stock hit even harder? Prizes for the best recasts. SnatchBenicio Del Toro ... Franky Four FingersAlan Ford ... Brick TopJason Statham ... TurkishStephen Graham ... TommyRade Serbedzija ... Boris the Blade Brad Pitt ... Mickey O'NeilSorcha Cusack ... Mum O'Neil (Brad Pitt's mum)Jason Flemyng ... Darren (Brad Pitt's mulleted friend)Dennis Farina ... Avi Mike Reid ... Doug "the Head"Vinnie Jones ... Bullet Tooth TonyEwen Bremner ... Mullet (the guy Tony hangs out his car window)Ade ... TyroneLennie James ... Sol Robbie Gee ... Vinny Goldie ... Bad Boy Lincoln (the friend who brings Sol a fake diamond)Adam Fogerty ... Gorgeous GeorgePeter Szakacs ... Sausage CharlieLock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsNick Moran ... EddieJason Flemyng ... TomDexter Fletcher ... SoapJason Statham ... BaconP.H. Moriarty ... 'Hatchet' Harry LonsdaleVinnie Jones ... Big ChrisLenny McLean ... Barry the Baptist Sting ... JDStephen Marcus ... Nick the GreekSteven Mackintosh ... Winston Did I leave anybody out? Entries posted by Thursday, Oct. 2 will be eligible to win. Winners will be announced Friday, Oct. 3.
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:57:13 GMTSkyPilotFilmgaming9/19/2008 4:57:13 PMGood news: Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla hits theaters on October 3, and Spout's Kevin Kelly says it's a worthy successor to that wicked one-two punch, Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.Can you make Snatch and Lock Stock hit even harder? Prizes for the best recasts. SnatchBenicio Del Toro ... Franky Four FingersAlan Ford ... Brick TopJason Statham ... TurkishStephen Graham ... TommyRade Serbedzija ... Boris the Blade Brad Pitt ... Mickey O'NeilSorcha Cusack ... Mum O'Neil (Brad Pitt's mum)Jason Flemyng ... Darren (Brad Pitt's mulleted friend)Dennis Farina ... Avi Mike Reid ... Doug "the Head"Vinnie Jones ... Bullet Tooth TonyEwen Bremner ... Mullet (the guy Tony hangs out his car window)Ade ... TyroneLennie James ... Sol Robbie Gee ... Vinny Goldie ... Bad Boy Lincoln (the friend who brings Sol a fake diamond)Adam Fogerty ... Gorgeous GeorgePeter Szakacs ... Sausage CharlieLock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsNick Moran ... EddieJason Flemyng ... TomDexter Fletcher ... SoapJason Statham ... BaconP.H. Moriarty ... 'Hatchet' Harry LonsdaleVinnie Jones ... Big ChrisLenny McLean ... Barry the Baptist Sting ... JDStephen Marcus ... Nick the GreekSteven Mackintosh ... Winston Did I leave anybody out? Entries posted by Thursday, Oct. 2 will be eligible to win. Winners will be announced Friday, Oct. 3. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_September_8_The_Heist/625/34889/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/8/2008 2:34:58 PM
Body: This one is pretty self explanatory. What's your favorite heist movie. What's your favorite heist scene. Last week, I watched Melville's Le Cercle Rouge. Which had an incredible jewelry store robbery. I think the original Thomas Crown Affair had one of the most inventive ideas for a heist ever. The list goes on and on. Guy Ritchie's fist two films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) , and Snatch both have something to do with elaborate thievery. The Usual Suspects, Ocean's Eleven and Inside Man are some other good examples. And, you can't forget Bottle Rocket as a great example. Also, filed under the: "Classics I have no excuse for not seeing yet" is Rififi. Most concensus says is the greatest heist film ever. Well, I will be making every attempt to watch this one before the week's over. This should be a huge list. What I'm most interested in is which actual movie has the most intelligent and elaborate heist. I've read that France actually temporarily banned Rififi because they were concerned that the scene could too easily be used as a "how to" guide. What do you guys think?
]]>Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:58 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme9/8/2008 2:34:58 PMThis one is pretty self explanatory. What's your favorite heist movie. What's your favorite heist scene. Last week, I watched Melville's Le Cercle Rouge. Which had an incredible jewelry store robbery. I think the original Thomas Crown Affair had one of the most inventive ideas for a heist ever. The list goes on and on. Guy Ritchie's fist two films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) , and Snatch both have something to do with elaborate thievery. The Usual Suspects, Ocean's Eleven and Inside Man are some other good examples. And, you can't forget Bottle Rocket as a great example. Also, filed under the: "Classics I have no excuse for not seeing yet" is Rififi. Most concensus says is the greatest heist film ever. Well, I will be making every attempt to watch this one before the week's over. This should be a huge list. What I'm most interested in is which actual movie has the most intelligent and elaborate heist. I've read that France actually temporarily banned Rififi because they were concerned that the scene could too easily be used as a "how to" guide. What do you guys think? http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/6/34829.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/6/2008 9:00:33 AM
Body: Guy Ritchie has been getting a bad rap ever since the his impressive double header of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch turned into the double whammy of becoming Mr. Madonna in 2000 and directing Swept Away in 2002. Ritchie was quickly heading for the bargain bin after that romantic comedy became a universal joke, topped as a target of derision perhaps only by Gigli. He returned to gangster fare with Revolver in 2005, but even with star and Ritchie alumnus Jason Statham, the film wasn’t well-received. So here we are three years later with yet another gangster-studded film, RocknRolla, this time with posterboy Gerard Butler in a leading role. Well, the good news is that this marks a return to the London underbelly that was laid down by Lock and Snatch: RocknRolla could rightfully be called the third film in a Ritchie trilogy. The bad news is that it’s a whole lot of flash and not much substance. Not that people go to Ritchie’s films expecting a dissertation on the human condition, but his movies do at least require you to follow along closely due to their labyrinthine plots. RocknRolla is no different, and although Butler seems to be the face of the film, he’s simply part of a large ensemble cast, and not the strongest player. The basic plot of the film involves One-Two (Butler) and his partner Mumbles (Idris Elba) as two low-rent hoods who spot a good real estate investment. They partner with a mob boss (Tom Wilkinson) with deep pockets to get things rolling, but he turns around and double-crosses them, and they owe him some serious dough. Meanwhile, the same mob boss gets involved with a Russian billionaire in a similar real estate deal. The Russian’s accountant (Thandie Newton) steps in and double crosses the Russian, and so you’ve got your basic mafia triangle of X owes money to Y who owes money to Z. As it turns out, the Russian loans his mystical good luck painting to the mob boss as a show of good faith, and this painting soon becomes the focus of the film once it is stolen by the mob boss’ stepson, Johnny Quid. The rest of the film turns into a search for the painting, which moves from character A to B to C with fluid ease, and there’s a violent conclusion that ties everything up, for the most part. The main problem with the film is that you just don’t care for most of the main characters, which isn’t that surprising when you consider a cast this large. However, The Big Chill also has a large cast, and you certainly care for people in that movie. (Also, I’ve just realized that comparing a Guy Ritchie movie to The Big Chill is probably one of the signs of the impending apocalypse.) The real stars of the film are Toby Kebbell, who plays the heroin-thin rockstar Johnny Quid in a loving homage to Sid Vicious (or to Gary Oldman in Sid & Nancy); Tom Wilkinson as the chrome-domed, Ray-Ban wearing crime boss Lenny Cole; and Mark Strong as Archie, Lenny’s right-hand enforcer. Honestly, you could have replaced Butler’s character with a dozen different actors, and these three actors would have shone just as brightly, despite being in an ensemble piece. Not that Butler isn’t competent. His portrayal of the criminal who just can’t seem to get things right isn’t nearly as over the top as King Leonidas, and he’s at his best in this movie when not in an action heavy vignettes. There’s an amusing scene where Thandie Newton and Butler are dancing at a wannabe rave thrown by Newton’s posh (but gay) husband. Their dancing is about on par with Marcia Brady’s “thumb dance” from The Brady Bunch. You can’t hear them over the din of the party, so you’re treated with cartoonish subtitles throughout the scene. Most of the humor in the movie comes from a pair of Russian hitmen who just won’t die, no matter what happens to them in one of the most amusing chase sequences I’ve ever seen, and from the awkward situation Butler’s character is put in after his best mate and fellow hood Handsome Bob confesses his love to him. Ritchie from the Lock, Stock days probably wouldn’t have approached a scene (and the ensuing scenes in which Butler may, or may not have helped his buddy out before a prison stint) seriously, but the 2008 version of the director decided it could be both amusing and touching. Ritchie told us that this film is meant to have at least one sequel, and you can read all about that in our upcoming interview. If Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still stands as Ritchie’s strongest film, with Snatch in second place, RockNRolla feels like a strong third in this trinity, and returns Ritchie to form. At the very least, it’s a fun leadup to Sherlock Holmes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:00:33 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/6/2008 9:00:33 AM Guy Ritchie has been getting a bad rap ever since the his impressive double header of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch turned into the double whammy of becoming Mr. Madonna in 2000 and directing Swept Away in 2002. Ritchie was quickly heading for the bargain bin after that romantic comedy became a universal joke, topped as a target of derision perhaps only by Gigli. He returned to gangster fare with Revolver in 2005, but even with star and Ritchie alumnus Jason Statham, the film wasn’t well-received. So here we are three years later with yet another gangster-studded film, RocknRolla, this time with posterboy Gerard Butler in a leading role. Well, the good news is that this marks a return to the London underbelly that was laid down by Lock and Snatch: RocknRolla could rightfully be called the third film in a Ritchie trilogy. The bad news is that it’s a whole lot of flash and not much substance. Not that people go to Ritchie’s films expecting a dissertation on the human condition, but his movies do at least require you to follow along closely due to their labyrinthine plots. RocknRolla is no different, and although Butler seems to be the face of the film, he’s simply part of a large ensemble cast, and not the strongest player. The basic plot of the film involves One-Two (Butler) and his partner Mumbles (Idris Elba) as two low-rent hoods who spot a good real estate investment. They partner with a mob boss (Tom Wilkinson) with deep pockets to get things rolling, but he turns around and double-crosses them, and they owe him some serious dough. Meanwhile, the same mob boss gets involved with a Russian billionaire in a similar real estate deal. The Russian’s accountant (Thandie Newton) steps in and double crosses the Russian, and so you’ve got your basic mafia triangle of X owes money to Y who owes money to Z. As it turns out, the Russian loans his mystical good luck painting to the mob boss as a show of good faith, and this painting soon becomes the focus of the film once it is stolen by the mob boss’ stepson, Johnny Quid. The rest of the film turns into a search for the painting, which moves from character A to B to C with fluid ease, and there’s a violent conclusion that ties everything up, for the most part. The main problem with the film is that you just don’t care for most of the main characters, which isn’t that surprising when you consider a cast this large. However, The Big Chill also has a large cast, and you certainly care for people in that movie. (Also, I’ve just realized that comparing a Guy Ritchie movie to The Big Chill is probably one of the signs of the impending apocalypse.) The real stars of the film are Toby Kebbell, who plays the heroin-thin rockstar Johnny Quid in a loving homage to Sid Vicious (or to Gary Oldman in Sid & Nancy); Tom Wilkinson as the chrome-domed, Ray-Ban wearing crime boss Lenny Cole; and Mark Strong as Archie, Lenny’s right-hand enforcer. Honestly, you could have replaced Butler’s character with a dozen different actors, and these three actors would have shone just as brightly, despite being in an ensemble piece. Not that Butler isn’t competent. His portrayal of the criminal who just can’t seem to get things right isn’t nearly as over the top as King Leonidas, and he’s at his best in this movie when not in an action heavy vignettes. There’s an amusing scene where Thandie Newton and Butler are dancing at a wannabe rave thrown by Newton’s posh (but gay) husband. Their dancing is about on par with Marcia Brady’s “thumb dance” from The Brady Bunch. You can’t hear them over the din of the party, so you’re treated with cartoonish subtitles throughout the scene. Most of the humor in the movie comes from a pair of Russian hitmen who just won’t die, no matter what happens to them in one of the most amusing chase sequences I’ve ever seen, and from the awkward situation Butler’s character is put in after his best mate and fellow hood Handsome Bob confesses his love to him. Ritchie from the Lock, Stock days probably wouldn’t have approached a scene (and the ensuing scenes in which Butler may, or may not have helped his buddy out before a prison stint) seriously, but the 2008 version of the director decided it could be both amusing and touching. Ritchie told us that this film is meant to have at least one sequel, and you can read all about that in our upcoming interview. If Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still stands as Ritchie’s strongest film, with Snatch in second place, RockNRolla feels like a strong third in this trinity, and returns Ritchie to form. At the very least, it’s a fun leadup to Sherlock Holmes. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1086

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