Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Locked 'N Loaded Director's Cut

For all the Guy Ritchie fans, there is now an unrated Directors Cut of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. More footage of London’s gangland and I am pretty much in heaven.

Usually when watching a film and it starts with the “This film has been edited” message, it says something about the formatting. Basically they edit the aspect ratio. This DVD of Lock, Stock had the message, but to mention it was including footage not seen in the theatrical release.

Lock, Stock and Two Smocking Barrels follows four British men out to make a quick quid in a high stakes poker game. Things go wrong when Hatchet Harry cheats, leaving our unfortunate pool shark Eddie in the hole £400,000. The ruthless killer gives Eddie 15 days to pay his debt or face the consequences.

In a jam to come up with a quick plan to find the much-needed money, they overhear the unruly neighbors’ plans to rob some guys growing “copious amounts of ganja.” Suddenly it seems as though the four friends’ luck has changed.

Several other characters are thrown into the mix with their desire to make mad cash or avoid being shot, making Lock, Stock action-packed and leaving you on your toes. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is violently funny and full of slapdash violence.

The Locked ‘N Loaded Director’s Cut adds some more to the rules of the card game that both old and new audiences to the film can appreciate. The 12 minutes of added footage makes this unrated Cockney gem clock in at two hours.

The film was originally shot on Super 16 and it is obvious there was no digital re-mastering for this DVD release. I enjoy the grainier feel and think it adds a great deal to the mobster madness to Lock, Stock’s London that pristine images wouldn’t be able to achieve. Unless you are unable to appreciate the dirtier style in the cinematography, it shouldn’t bother you but some of the more picky audiences might not like the low-budget flair.

Likewise, the lighting in Lock, Stock is also minimalist which creates a darker look full of many more shadows than would be seen in a blockbuster hit. Chosen because of budget restrictions, the simple lighting also emphasizes the seediness to the gangster lifestyle.


Bonus Features on the DVD:

"One Smoking Camera" is a featurette on the film’s cinematography. It’s quite well made and they do a wonderful job explaining key elements they used to achieve the film’s style. They explain everything from how they lit certain scenes, the various frame rates they shot various scenes and how they cut frames in postproduction, to what mistakes were actually used to their advantage.

Those who enjoy the artful use of expletives will enjoy "Lock, Stock and Two F**king Barrels.” It is a compilation of the expletives throughout the film in a nice montage of fucked up proportions.

The DVD is in English Dolby Digital 5.1 with English, Spanish, and French subtitle options.