Mean Machine (2001)

Director:

Barry Skolnick

Writers (WGA):

Tracy Keenan Wynn (earlier screenplay "The Longest Yard")
Charlie Fletcher (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 December 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Not Your Usual Suspects

Plot:

A soccer star jailed for assault leads a group of inmates in a match against prison guards.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Prison Guard | Soccer Star | Soccer | Inmate

Cast

Vinnie Jones	...	Danny Meehan
David Kelly	...	Doc
David Hemmings	...	Governor
Ralph Brown	...	Burton
Vas Blackwood	...	Massive
Robbie Gee	...	Trojan
Geoff Bell	...	Ratchett
John Forgeham	...	Charlie Sykes
Sally Phillips	...	Tracey
Danny Dyer	...	Billy the Limpet
Jason Flemyng	...	Bob Likely
Jason Statham	...	Monk
Martin Wimbush	...	Z
David Reid	...	Barman
David Cropman	...	Second Barman
Tim Perrin	...	Policeman
Paul Mari	...	Policeman
Nicholas Moss	...	Hayter (as Nick Moss)
Stephen Walters	...	Nitro
Andrew Grainger	...	Ketch
Jake Abraham	...	Bob
Jeff Innocent	...	Bald friend
Joseph Rye	...	Walker
Jamie Sives	...	Chiv
Omid Djalili	...	Raj
Elwin 'Chopper' David	...	Jerome McFife
Adam Fogerty	...	Mouse
Rocky Marshall	...	Cigs
J.J. Connolly	...	Barry the Bookie
Stephen Bent	...	Referee
Perry Digweed	...	Marsden
Charlie Hartfield	...	Prisoner footballer
Nevin Saroya	...	Prisoners Footballer
Wally Downes	...	Prisoner's Physiotherapist
Marc Alexander	...	Guards' Footballer
Peter Downes	...	Guards' Footballer
Paul Fishenden	...	Guards' Footballer
Brian Gayle	...	Guards' Footballer
Danny Hibert	...	Guards' Footballer
Mark Lovell	...	Guards' Footballer
Marc Egan	...	Nick
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy Skinner	...	Prisoner - Footballer (uncredited)
Ben Wee	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Barry Skolnick

Writing credits (WGA)
Tracy Keenan Wynn		(earlier screenplay "The Longest Yard")
Charlie Fletcher		(screenplay) and
Chris Baker		(screenplay) &
Andrew Day		(screenplay)

Produced by
Adam Bohling	....	line producer
Georgia Masters	....	co-producer
Cynthia Pett-Dante	....	executive producer
Guy Ritchie	....	executive producer
Albert S. Ruddy	....	executive producer
Matthew Vaughn	....	producer

Original Music by
Marilyn Manson
John Murphy

Cinematography by
Alex Barber		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eddie Hamilton
Dayn Williams

Production Design by
Russell De Rozario

Art Direction by
Tom Wales

Set Decoration by
Jenny Lawrence-Smith

Costume Design by
Stephanie Collie

Makeup Department
Lucy Lebow	....	makeup artist
Julie Nightingale	....	key hair stylist
Julie Nightingale	....	key makeup artist
Dulcie Spencer	....	hair stylist
Dulcie Spencer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fleur Fontaine	....	post-production supervisor
Daniel Toland	....	production manager (as Dan Toland)
Maria Walker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Toby Hosking	....	second assistant director
Alessandra Mele	....	assistant director
David Reid	....	first assistant director
Lee Tailor	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Matthew Camacho	....	scenic painter
John Daynes	....	scenic painter
Billy Edwards	....	on-set props
Anthony Gilsenan	....	head scenic painter
Lee Gordon	....	property master
Russell Hanson	....	dressing props
Joe Howard	....	art department assistant
Graham Humphries	....	storyboard artist
Stefan Kopec	....	on-set rigger
Matt Langley	....	on-set carpenter
Ashlie Love	....	production buyer
Dave Paley	....	construction manager
Ian Paley	....	stagehand
Sandra Phillips	....	assistant art director
Alan Tagg	....	scenic painter
Mark White	....	props (live action)
Dave Wilson	....	supervising carpenter
Larry Wilson	....	carpenter
Paul Wolstencroft	....	stagehand
Terry Woods	....	on-set props
Ruth Wynne	....	dressing props

Sound Department
Jovan Ajder	....	sound editor
Craig Butters	....	sound effects editor
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist (as Ricki Butt)
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist (as Felicity Cotterell)
Peter Crooks	....	sound editor
Rony Esher	....	sound recordist
Arthur Fenn	....	boom operator (as Arthur Turner)
Richard Fettes	....	foley editor
Jamie Gambell	....	sound assistant
Peter Gates	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Gates	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist
Simon Hayes	....	sound mixer
Craig Irving	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Lafbery	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Richard Welsh	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Adrian White	....	sound recordist
Gareth John	....	second boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Hollow	....	special effects supervisor
Jim Davey	....	colour correction scanning and recording: Cineimage (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Fabienne Arbogast	....	auto conforming
Steve Boag	....	visual effects supervisor
Martin Bullard	....	optical supervisor
Ian Differ	....	visual effects
Charles Green	....	color grader
Matthew Symonds	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Jeff Hewitt-Davis	....	stunt coordinator
Ray Nicholas	....	stunts
Paul Kennington	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Bell	....	generator operator
Balazs Bolygo	....	additional photographer
Mick Diannotti	....	generator operator
Stuart Graham	....	camera operator: additional camera
Sam Hodgson	....	assistant camera
Stuart Howell	....	additional photographer
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Dean Kennedy	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Onkar Narang	....	electrician
Kevin Robertson	....	chief lighting technician
Daniel Smith	....	still photographer
Mark Stibbs	....	electrician
Peter Wignall	....	camera operator
Terry Williams	....	camera grip
Will Willis	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Gary Davy	....	casting
Sam Stevenson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Georgina Gunner	....	wardrobe mistress
Kate MacNiece	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Alex Creacy	....	assistant editor
Simone Grattarola	....	colorist
Simon Leppington	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Ross Porter-Ward	....	assistant editor
Mike Stainer	....	color grader
Gary Szabo	....	colorist
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jason Alexander	....	music supervisor
Kenny Clark	....	music editor
Simon Denny	....	score engineer
Simon Denny	....	score producer
Rochelle Holguin	....	music coordinator
James Hyman	....	music supervisor
Ian Neil	....	music consultant
Jeff Cardoni	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jo Cameron Brown	....	dialect coach: adr
Heather Clarke	....	production coordinator
Wally Downes	....	soccer coordinator
Jean-Claude Fauchez	....	first production auditor
Kevin Freemantle	....	production auditor
Sasha Gibson	....	unit publicist
Mary Haddow	....	script supervisor
Tom Harrell	....	assistant location manager (as Tom Harrel)
James Hyman	....	consultant
Caroline Lovelace	....	assistant: Mr. Vaughn
Paul Mason	....	production assistant
Nick Moss	....	production assistant
Tarquin Pack	....	production assistant
Carlos Peres	....	production assistant
Manuel Puro	....	development executive
Ben Russell	....	production assistant
Eddie Standish	....	location manager
Marcus Trevor	....	production assistant (as Marc Trevor)
Phil Wiseman	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Ruddy Morgan Productions (in association with) (as Ruddy/Morgan Productions)
• Brad Grey Pictures (in association with)
• SKA Films

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (2001) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Classics (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2003) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Veronica (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting
• Loudhailer  post-production sound services
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Screensearch Extras Agency  extras
• Sound Design Company, The  additional Pro Tools Systems Supplied by
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Telefilm  telecine

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG (cut) | Norway:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

At the end of the movie the match commentators give the following speech: "Guards of Pentonville, guards of Wandsworth, Walton nick in Liverpool, policemen of Britain, traffic wardens and parole officers, wheel clampers, your boys have taken a hell of a beating today! A hell of a beating!" This speech is a direct reference to Norwegian sports commentator Bjørge Lillelien who made British headlines, when in 1981, Norway beat England during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers and he gave the following emotional response: "[In Norwegian] We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 at football! It is totally incredible! We have beaten England! England, home of giants: Looooord Nelson, Looooord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana. We have beaten them all, we have beaten them all! [In English] Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? [In Norwegian] Maggie Thatcher, I have a message to you during the election: We have beaten England out of the World Championship in football! Maggie Thatcher, as they say in your language in the boxing-bars around Madison Square Garden: [in English] Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!" However, despite the loss, England continued on to qualify for the World Cup finals, while Norway did not.

Goofs:

Continuity: Flipped shot: In the opening scenes, when Danny is being chased by the police, his driving position changes from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, then back again between shots.

Quotes:

Danny Meehan: I'll tell you something, I didn't start off out as a youngster looking to sell my country out.
Massive: None of us planned to be here, mate.
Chiv: But you're forgetting one thing. You're a hero in Scotland.

Movie Connections:

References Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

Soundtrack:

Love Missile F1-11

unmatched soccer movie, great prison film

I'm not a fan of sport movies and I am not able to watch a soccer match without dozing off, but this one got me. A sympathetic cast I know from the Guy Richie's Snatch with lovely variety of British accents, this film features a lively plot, very funny quotes and a good physical humor, elaborate shots, and an interesting range of prison characters. No matter the characters are rather flat, this simplification I was willing to accept, since the story was so good.

Even though I may have seen better prison movies, and even some that are similar in plot; the Mean Machine is unmatched in the rather distant, ironical view of the prison world, honoring fair-play and manly virtues. Moreover, I was very happy not to see any homosexual relationships among the prisoners, no matter the actual prison reality. (On the other hand, I liked the bookie, he had a style.)

All in all, I enjoyed this film very much. Do not expect food for thought but rest assured this is not a dumb entertainment either.