My Greatest Mistake: Colin Kennedy, editor, 'Empire' Magazine

'I had the hottest film story in the UK, and it got killed'

When I was but a cub freelancer, Total Film magazine sent me out to a movie set in London. I spent quality time with the debut director, talked to the cast and had a front-row seat as two famous non-actors struggled through a scene.

A few months later, I was sent to the first screening of the finished movie. Sadly, I didn't think much of it. More important, I didn't think the movie would do much business.

Strangely, Total Film's more experienced staff took my word for it and killed the on-set feature. But they did commission me to write a short review. I awarded the film two out of five and wrote that it was like an episode of Minder remade by a director who had overdosed on MTV.

The movie was Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. By the time it opened to rave reviews, Total Film had missed the window. And no other journalist had enjoyed comparable access; nobody has seen Vinnie Jones and Sting fluff their lines in take after take. I had the hottest story in the UK and I never got a chance to write it.

A couple of years later, my career had recovered. The Total Film editor had hired me as features editor when she moved to Empire. I'd pitched a feature idea for Ritchie's second film, Snatch. I was down for the shoot, and the Empire editor insisted I go. Ritchie spent most of the interview sizing me up, but couldn't place me.

Total Film had asked Ritchie for an interview. At first herefused – the lousy review with the Minder quote had wound him up – but then he reluctantly agreed. In the interview, a week later, Ritchie again moaned about the Lock, Stock review. The Total Film journalist said: "Well, you've met the reviewer – he did the Empire shoot last week." Ritchie apparently lost it and demanded that I was pulled off the piece – my name wasn't featured in the end. He said all sorts of unprintable things, some of which Total Film printed.