Don't look now, but Guy Ritchie's Snatch turns 20 years old this coming August. The extremely cool, hyper-violent and wildly stylized British gangster flick put Ritchie on the international moviemaking map, leading to a rich two-decade run in Hollywood.
While Ritchie has branched out with such big blockbusters as the Sherlock Holmes films, King Arthur, Aladdin, and others, his trademark remains hitched to the seedy criminal underworld as seen in movies like Lock, Stock, and Three Smoking Barrels, Revolver, RocknRolla, and most recently, The Gentleman. And since Snatch is arguably the best of the bunch, here are 10 hidden details you never knew about the movie!
Madonna's Lucky Star
Prior to marrying Madonna, Guy Ritchie paid $1 million for the use of the pop star's song "Lucky Star" in Snatch. But if you pay close attention, the song is used in more ways than one.
While driving down the road, Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) mentions how he "loves this track" in reference to "Lucky Star." But only minutes earlier in the film, during a flashback in which Tony is shot six times, the exact same song is heard. Talk about a masochist!
DP Cameo
Snatch's director of photography not only makes a cameo appearance in the film, but he also does so in nearly the same exact fashion in which he made a cameo in Ritchie's prior film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Cinematographer Tim Maurice-Jones appears at the beginning of the film as the man who is bludgeoned over the head by Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro). Well, eagle-eyed fans of Ritchie's first film will notice that Maurice-Jones, who also shot that film, appears at the start of the movie as the man who is drowned by Barry the Baptist.
Boxing Nod
Speaking of Barry the Baptist in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, the character was played by former boxer Lenny McLean. Well, in the pivotal boxing match between Mickey and Bomber Harris in Snatch, a direct shoutout to Mclean's most infamous fight can be found.
As Mickey and Harris begin brawling, Mickey checks his gloves for blood before laying out his opponent with a single punch. This is exactly how the real-life bout between boxers Lenny McLean and Mad Gypsy Bradshaw went down in 1986.
The F-Bomb
Hidden in plain sight of Snatch is the poetic accents of British profanity. Off the top of your head, can you guess how many times the F-bomb is dropped in the flick?
Drum roll, please. Believe it or not, the F-word was used a whopping 163 times over the course of the movie's 102-minute runtime. For all you math majors, that averages roughly 1.6 F-bombs launched per minute. Granted, much of the dialogue is unintelligible, thanks to Brad Pitt's indecipherable Gypsy dialect.
Reservoir Dogs Homage
Ritchie has often been equated as the British counterpart to Quentin Tarantino. Well, in Snatch, direct homage is paid to QT's blistering feature debut, Reservoir Dogs.
During the opening scene in Snatch, jewel thieves disguised as Hasidic Jews are heard discussing the Virgin Mary. This is a direct reference to the beginning of Reservoir Dogs, in which a table of thieves philosophizes over the meaning of Madonna's Like a Virgin. The grand irony? Ritchie and Madonna would be married four short months after Snatch was released.
Vinny's Body Double
The most attentive Snatch fans may notice a scene involving Bullet Tooth Tony in which the character is played by Vinnie Jones' stunt-double. The reason why is even more entertaining!
When Vinny (Robbie Gee) and Sol (Lennie James) await a drop-off outside of Brick Top's Bookies, the man who approaches and delivers the goods is supposed to be Tony (Vinnie Jones). But due to being jailed for fighting the night prior to filming, Jones could not shoot the scene as planned. Therefore, the man who approaches the car isn't Jones but a lookalike.
Film Title
Much debate has raged over the meaning of the movie's possessive title. But if you listen closely, the word "Snatch" is mentioned one time during the entire film. Glean what clues from it that you will!
Remember, the plot of the film concerns a priceless, highly sought-after diamond that becomes ingested by a cute Bull Terrier. Before the dog eats the diamond, Vinnie implores the pooch "Don't Snatch!" as it yanks away the squeaky chew-toy from his hand. Well, Snatch is exactly what the little doggy does in setting off the plot.
Warriors Poster
While it may be a bit hard to spot due to all the bullets flying around, a poster for Walter Hill's cult-classic The Warriors can be found on the wall during Bullet Tooth Tony's grisly demise.
Of course, in addition to paying heartfelt homage to one of his favorite films, Ritchie also ties in the themes of Snatch with Hill's classic. Both films are about rival gangs fighting for respect in the same city. While Ritchie swaps street-gangs for white-collar mafiosos, the theme remains intact.
Avi's Real Name
In Snatch, the late great character actor Dennis Farina plays the role of Cousin Avi, one of the few American criminals to participate in the much-ballyhooed British diamond heist. If you look closely, you can see Cousin Avi is just an alias.
Indeed, sharp-eyed viewers will notice a placard on Cousin Avi's desk while he converses on the phone with Frankie Four Fingers. Look closely and you'll see the nametag reads Abraham Denovitz, ensuring Avi's Jewish heritage. If you pay even closer attention, you can see that Abraham and Doug the Head both share the same surname!
Ritchie's Cameo
Have you ever spotted Guy Ritchie's cameo in Snatch? Here's a clue, it takes place in a pub!
Okay, so that's not much of a hint, is it? Let's end the suspense then. When the audience is first introduced to Doug the Head (Mike Reid) inside a British bar, Ritchie can be spotted as the man reading a newspaper. This marks the third cameo appearance Ritchie has made in his movies, including the Man Riding a Bicycle in RocknRolla and the Innkeeper in King Arthur.