I watched a TV programme about Trainspotting the other night, and it reminded me how much I love that film. I remember seeing Shallow Grave at the cinema in about 1994, I think. It was one of the few times I've seen a film at the cinema more than once. I thought at the time that these people who made it must have a great future ahead of them as it was a British film that stood head and shoulders above all other British films at the time. In those days if you went to see a British film it usually meant a romantic comedy or a costume drama. Shallow Grave showed imagination with a great idea and young, relatively unknown actors. One of whom was Ewan McGregor. I was aware of him before because he'd been in Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar, and because of that I thought he was a Cockney. His performance in Shallow Grave was just ace.
I became aware of the people behind Shallow Grave making Trainspotting because I used to read Empire magazine (this was in the days when I was trying to impress women and had a large socialising circle so I used to go to the pictures a lot), and I'm sure it was some sort of news story in there. I'd read the book Trainspotting by that time and couldn't wait to see how they were going to put it on the big screen. My appetite was whetted further by this teaser trailer that was put into cinemas in the summer of 1995.
Well, after seeing that the excitement was to much to bear and there was still another six months before we'd see it. Even on that one minute trailer it looks brilliant.
Then it finally came out. I think I went to see it maybe three times, which was unheard of me and I think it's still a personal record. I just loved everything about it, the camera angles, the freeze frames, the captions, the acting, the amount of proper swearing, the fantasy sequences, the music, the black humour. Of course all the Daily Mail moralisers were up in arms about how it supposedly glorifies Class A drug abuse. It was quite obvious to me that none of them had actually seen it (so what's new?) as in the second half it clearly shows the down side of the 'H'. I was of the opinion at the time, and I still hold the opinion, that it should be shown in secondary schools as part of social education classes. Let ver kids make up their own minds and don't preach to them.
Back to the film, and there isn't one weak performance in it. McGregor, as Rent Boy, was everything you wanted him to be. Ewen Bremner as Spud was perfect casting. Robert Carlyle's Begbie was just like every pub thug you've ever met. Danny Lee Miller's Sick Boy had a cool swagger about him which is just what you want from the character.
And the best thing of all, and the reason I went to the pictures three times before the video came out? The opening titles. They're the best opening titles of any film ever. It hits you between the eyes from the second it starts, just hearing that drumbeat on Lust For Life brings me out in goosebumps. Strap yourselves in for this film, it will blow you away.
There's even a surprise appearance by Dale Winton.
What more can I say, I love it and I'm going to order the DVD right now.
Choose life. And remember, don't let your friends tie you to the railway track.
I became aware of the people behind Shallow Grave making Trainspotting because I used to read Empire magazine (this was in the days when I was trying to impress women and had a large socialising circle so I used to go to the pictures a lot), and I'm sure it was some sort of news story in there. I'd read the book Trainspotting by that time and couldn't wait to see how they were going to put it on the big screen. My appetite was whetted further by this teaser trailer that was put into cinemas in the summer of 1995.
Well, after seeing that the excitement was to much to bear and there was still another six months before we'd see it. Even on that one minute trailer it looks brilliant.
Then it finally came out. I think I went to see it maybe three times, which was unheard of me and I think it's still a personal record. I just loved everything about it, the camera angles, the freeze frames, the captions, the acting, the amount of proper swearing, the fantasy sequences, the music, the black humour. Of course all the Daily Mail moralisers were up in arms about how it supposedly glorifies Class A drug abuse. It was quite obvious to me that none of them had actually seen it (so what's new?) as in the second half it clearly shows the down side of the 'H'. I was of the opinion at the time, and I still hold the opinion, that it should be shown in secondary schools as part of social education classes. Let ver kids make up their own minds and don't preach to them.
Back to the film, and there isn't one weak performance in it. McGregor, as Rent Boy, was everything you wanted him to be. Ewen Bremner as Spud was perfect casting. Robert Carlyle's Begbie was just like every pub thug you've ever met. Danny Lee Miller's Sick Boy had a cool swagger about him which is just what you want from the character.
And the best thing of all, and the reason I went to the pictures three times before the video came out? The opening titles. They're the best opening titles of any film ever. It hits you between the eyes from the second it starts, just hearing that drumbeat on Lust For Life brings me out in goosebumps. Strap yourselves in for this film, it will blow you away.
There's even a surprise appearance by Dale Winton.
What more can I say, I love it and I'm going to order the DVD right now.
Choose life. And remember, don't let your friends tie you to the railway track.
4 comments:
Agree entirely about both films. I saw Shallow Grave at the pictures when it came out (I remember it having a brief positive mention on Film 94) as I liked the idea of seeing a British film set in Edinburgh and loved it. I then watched Trainspotting not becuase of all the hype but becuase it had the same creative team behind it. I remember then being hugely disappointed by A Life Less Ordinary, which I thought was awful, a shallow, failed attempt at doing a Coen Brothers film.
I reckon the mid 90s was a really good time for cinema; I remember a lot of good stuff: Fargo, Ed Wood, Farewell My Concubine, Pulp Fiction, Leon etc. there was always something on worth seeing.
Yeah great days for cinema goers. Reservoir Dogs, Man Bites Dog, The Hudsucker Proxy, Heavenly Creatures, Muriel's Wedding, Seven, The Usual Suspects, Groundhog Day, Wild at Heart.
And yes, ALLO was the most spectacular stinker. Boyle made it up with 28 Days Later though.
God. How could I have forgotten!
I'M ALSO going to order the DVD right now. Thanks BA.
Agreed, they're both utterly mesmerising. Trainspotting is very much of the time but hasn't dated at all.
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