[Closed] Trainspotting released 20 years ago

Great film of it's time. Will be a classic in future years. Right now though, it's a bit meh to me. It's in a kind of in between stage of great film, but hold on....where's the current great films, I want to watch one of them? Which of course is what makes it stand out, because there is none.

CD is permanent occupant of van.

I found it a disturbing POS back then, I still think the same now. I still remember the bit where that bloke shat himself in the bed because he was high on some drugs, nice.

Aah bikebouy..

Try 'what we did on our holiday' as a fitting sequel

Or "Human Traffic" for a slightly more upbeat movie about drugs 😉

My God, that makes me feel old. Only seems like a couple of years back.

Brilliant film and such a poignant snapshot of the era some of us managed to survive. I lost 4 good mates to heroin od's in the late 90's, small rural Scottish fishing town and the boys used to land for a couple of days with a huge wage so with nothing better to do it was spent on drugs/alchohol before heading back out to sea, I still find it hard to watch without getting a tad upset as we all loved it when it was released and never a weekend went by without it being played at 5am on a Sunday morning post clubbing session along with the obligatory bottles of buckfast but it's still in my top 5 despite all that.

One of the best films made, lifted Danny Boyle right up there. Awaiting the squeal with nervous anticipation.

I found it a disturbing POS back then, I still think the same now. I still remember the bit where that bloke shat himself in the bed because he was high on some drugs, nice.

Great film. Disturbing, funny, uplifting, great dialogue, brilliant soundtrack and some great performances. What more could you want? I wonder how many have watched it and thought, 'yeah, heroin looks like a good time, lets go do some of that'.Then again, an old colleague of mine who'd been through rehab for heroin addiction couldn't see why we thought the film might put you off.

I found it a disturbing POS back then

I think you might have missed the point of the movie.

I was a student whenwhen it came out and we went round bus shelters robbing the character posters for my mate's student house, never found the Tommy poster, perhaps it never existed.

never found the Tommy poster, perhaps it never existed

It never, IIRC McKidd didn't turn up for the photoshoot for one reason or another and never got a shot done.

EDIT - A quick google suggests he was on holiday.

The flinging shite across the breakfast table is one of the funniest things I've seen in a film. Loved it. Seemed aged when I recently watched again. Comically brutal insight into the harsh realities of heroin.

I went to watch it at the cinema on a rerelease last year. In there was me and a couple. No one else.

The film blew me away again, the pace, the energy. The lot. Utterly ****ing timeless.

Years later I realised it was Renton that indirectly caused Tommy's death. He stole the video, that led to them breaking up, that led to Tommy's demise into heroin and his eventual death.

Still the best British film of all time. It transcended entertainment with grim anti-heros who we really shouldn't have rooted for. Its use of music and cross-cutting stories was ahead if its time.

Launched the career of Ewan McGregor and was an Oscar nominated screenplay.

Danny Boyle has never made a better film. It was ridiculously entertaining without moralising the issue, though it was clear drugs are bad but pleasurable.

Easily in my top ten.

I loved the film but the book is even better.

"Back in the day" I read it in one sitting.

Watched it at the uni film club in our carefree last few weeks of 1St year. Instantly became legendary and a proper classic. Having since moved to Edinburgh and witnessed recovering addicts it has a stark reality to the then seemingly alien lives they lived.

I know what you are saying lads, honestly I do.

So, I'll qualify..

As a piece of cinema history, it's very much up there. Up in terms of content, Up in terms of social recording, Up in terms of both cause and effect, Up in terms of "reality" filming. Mr Boyle certainly caught the timing right, a great piece of social history, he directed the film exceptionally well in both aptitude and manner, at the forefront of the reality movement.

Down, well it's the subject matter. The film wouldn't have been the film if it wasn't the core story I know.

But you see I'm one of those strange types that thinks drugs should be open and free for all to use, with the proviso that if you take them you receive no medical care on the NHS for rehab/recovery. So, take them by all means should you wish, just don't expect a hand up when you can't cope, if you steel to fund your habit you deserve Prison.

In context, I grew up in an Amish community in rural Florida.. you'll understand my stance (I hope).

So, is there another film due?

It would be hard to either replicate or indeed better.

Was the bit in the NHS re-hab clinic in the directors cut? I think I missed that bit.

The point of the film is DON'T do drugs! Y'know....CHOOSE LIFE.

And although it is semi-autobiographical it's still not real nor a political prospectus - it's a fill-um.

And yes it makes me feel bloody old that it was 20 years ago!

On the whole films making you feel old front try Back to the Future. We are now further away from the date in 1985 that Marty McFly went back in time from than he was from the 1955 date he arrived at.

I thought some lapsed Amish teens had a real drug problem? If this is the case who helps them find their way back?

On the whole films making you feel old front try Back to the Future. We are now further away from the date in 1985 that Marty McFly went back in time from than he was from the 1955 date he arrived at.

There was a radio 4 programme on last week about the real life chararcters who inspired the film : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070hscr

squirrelking - Member
I thought some lapsed Amish teens had a real drug problem? If this is the case who helps them find their way back?

I guess, I can't answer for folks out of my friendship group..

Nope, still not seen it or read the book

#don'tgetoutmuch

It was and is a very good film. Danny Boyle gave it lightness of touch that allowed him to make a commercially successful film dealing with a grim subject The book is much darker and never shrinks back from any issues a classic,an all-time great imo.

next year it, will be 20 years since OK Computer came out. can you BELIEVE it?

On the whole films making you feel old front try Back to the Future. We are now further away from the date in 1985 that Marty McFly went back in time from than he was from the 1955 date he arrived at.

http://waitbutwhy.com/2016/01/youre-in-the-future-2016-edition.html

In context, I grew up in an Amish community in rural Florida.. you'll understand my stance (I hope).

So many iconic scenes, images and dialogue and characters.

Need to watch again soon.

“... Basically, we live a short, disappointing life; and then we die. We fill up oor lives wi shite, things like careers and relationships tae delude oorsels that it isnae aw totally pointless.”

The point of the film is DON'T do drugs! Y'know....CHOOSE LIFE.

I think the message was a little less black and white than that...

"Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a ****ing big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of ****ing fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the **** you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing ****ing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, ****ed up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin? "

Great film and was released shortly after I'd moved to Edinburgh as a wide eyed school leaver, think it has a place in the heart of a lot of Edinburgh students of that time, even though it was largely filmed in Glasgow. I massively fell in love with Kelly Macdonald and my love is still true <3

I'm still haunted by the dead baby crawling along the ceiling.... :shudders:

What did he do at the end though?

Kelly Macdonald - who is now 40!!

n context, I grew up in an Amish community in rural Florida.. you'll understand my stance (I hope).

Not really no. Are Amish people all selfish moralisers with no compassion?

It was the only film that left me feeling shell shocked as we left the cinema.

I've just finish reading Porno which is also just a touch uncomfortable reading, and the way you know what the characters are capable of from trainspotting. I think I'm looking forward the film coming out.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/trainspotting
Guess that means I snuck in...

I never liked the film, it seemed to say to me that yeah taking Heroin is rubbish but you get to have some crazy adventures and get to shag a hot 6th form girl, whilst in reality taking heroin often results in being banged up for thieving, getting robbed or robbing people to get money for your next fix of sucking some blokes dick for money to get money for your fix and then after all your effort you die of an OD or get an embolism and have to have a limb removed.

anagallis_arvensis - Member
Not really no. Are Amish people all selfish moralisers with no compassion?

Yup, pretty much.

They live an inclusive life see.

Kelly Macdonald - who is now 40!!

I've still got time to make it happen then

I never liked the film, it seemed to say to me that yeah taking Heroin is rubbish but you get to have some crazy adventures and get to shag a hot 6th form girl, whilst in reality taking heroin often results in being banged up for thieving, getting robbed or robbing people to get money for your next fix of sucking some blokes dick for money to get money for your fix and then after all your effort you die of an OD or get an embolism and have to have a limb removed.

I think they covered that well in the whole "I got lucky" / cat-aids story line.

Pigface you've pretty much just described the plot to Requiem for a Dream.

Although Trainspotting is the 'better' film personally I always preferred Shallow Grave.

I think they covered that well in the whole "I got lucky" / cat-aids story line.

And Allison's baby dying from neglect and Renton's nightmarish hallucination of it crawling on the ceiling.

And Renton nearly dying from an OD.

Fun times. Epic bantz.

Spud [s]went[/s] GOT SENT down for the books too? 😳

And Renton & Spud (I think) robbing the care home...

And of course [url=

diving into "The worst toilet in Scotland"[/url], that he has just explosively shat into, to retrieve his suppositories.

Oh yeah and their dealer Swanney ("Mother Superior") does lose a leg, then decides to get clean and go to Thailand, but is last seen begging as a "Falklands veteran".

But that's in [url=

deleted scenes[/url].

I only found out today that the Keith Allen character in Trainspotting is the same character in Shallow Grave

Italspark saw it in Fairfax CA, it was screened in the cinema with subtitles.

StuF - Member

It was the only film that left me feeling shell shocked as we left the cinema.

I've just finish reading Porno which is also just a touch uncomfortable reading, and the way you know what the characters are capable of from trainspotting. I think I'm looking forward the film coming out.

If it isn't uncomfortable reading, it isn't an Irvine Welsh book!

Have you read Skagboys (prequel to Trainspotting) StuF? My favourite out of all of his stuff. Equally as horrifying as it is funny (what he excels as as a writer imo). The Begbie mistletoe scene is beyond hilarious.

New Irvine welsh book is out in a few weeks and its all about begbie 😀 😀

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/trainspotting-is-20-wtf

I never liked the film, it seemed to say to me that yeah taking Heroin is rubbish but you get to have some crazy adventures and get to shag a hot 6th form girl, whilst in reality taking heroin often results in being banged up for thieving, getting robbed or robbing people to get money for your next fix of sucking some blokes dick for money to get money for your fix and then after all your effort you die of an OD or get an embolism and have to have a limb removed.

Did you watch a cut with all the shit that happens to them cut out? As other posters have said, most of those things do happen to the characters.

[quote> http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/trainspotting-is-20-wtf

Here's a better summary of what the cast got up to afterwards:
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/1343802-choose-life-how-have-trainspotting-cast-spent-the-past-20-years/