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‘Trainspotting’ With Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald

September 28, 2021 · Trainspotting (1996) · Crime · Drama · 1:33:39

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Andy Greenwald▶ 34:41Agrees scenes are in the first 40 minutes, specifically mentions the opening scene with 'Lust for Life' and Begbie's story/Tommy's version scene
Chris Ryan▶ 35:55Multiple scenes from the first 45 minutes: Choose Life monologue (primary pick), first effort to relinquish junk scene, Spud's job interview, and Begbie's story/Tommy's version as dark horse pick

What's Aged the Best

Andy Greenwald▶ 55:22The soundtrack (agreeing with another host) and Renton's view of gender fluidity from the club scene
Chris Ryan▶ 55:52The soundtrack

What's Aged the Worst

Andy Greenwald▶ 56:59Added underage sex to make it a Mount Rushmore/big four, plus agreed with the other three elements and mentioned the lack of female POV in the movie
Chris Ryan▶ 56:50Dead babies, feces, and drug withdrawal - called it the greatest big three in the history of what aged the worst for movies

Dion Waiters Award

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:03:03Peter Mullan — Peter Mullen as Mother Superior
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:23Keith Allen — Keith Allen as the drug dealer and Peter Mullen as Mother Superior

Apex Mountain

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:09:34Robert Carlyle — Robert Carlyle and Born Slippy as Apex Mountain for needle drops
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:42Jonny Lee Miller — Johnny Lee Miller and Ewan Bremmer are at Apex Mountain; not Boyle (has bigger films), not McGregor (had peaks and valleys since), not Kelly MacDonald (went on to great things). Also agrees Born Slippy is Apex Mountain for needle drops.

Joey Pants Award

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:12:22Shirley Henderson — Shirley Henderson - praised as one of the most underrated screen actors
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:01James Cosmo — James Cosmo as Renton's dad and Shirley Henderson

Half-Assed Internet Research

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:16:44Carlyle was also told to watch The Lost Boys; UK vs American version differences including needle injection cuts, Ewan McGregor nudity differences, and ADR'd Scottish accents for first 10-20 minutes in American version
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:04Movie set in Edinburgh but shot in Glasgow; Kelly MacDonald was a Scottish waitress who responded to a flyer; Boyle showed cast Goodfellas, Clockwork Orange, The Exorcist, and The Hustler; Robert Carlyle gave Begbie a backstory as a closeted gay man

Picking Nits

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:20:28AIDS suddenly appears 50 minutes into the movie; Sick Boy gets short shrift despite having an interesting arc; Begbie's fugitive status is murky since he can do drug deals but can't leave the apartment; What happened to the junkie who went into the bathroom during the final drug deal and never came out?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:06How did Renton get Spud the bus locker key if he needed it for his passport?

Best Quote

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:25:45No specific quote given, but emphasized the memorable way characters spoke lines like 'I don't write that at all' and 'the Academy Award' - focused on delivery rather than specific quotes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:24The streets are awash with drugs you can have for unhappiness and pain. And we took them all. Fuck it. We would have injected vitamin C if they had only made it illegal.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:27:47What would have happened if the sequel had been made earlier (10 years instead of much later), and what would Kevin McKidd's career be like if he hadn't been on vacation during the promo photo shoot

Who Won the Movie

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:31:52People who were 19 in 1996 - because they got the perfect generational experience and cultural roadmap from this movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:43Danny Boyle — Danny Boyle - credits his vision and creative ability to unlock doors other filmmakers couldn't think of

Movies Referenced (26)

Shallow Grave (1994)

10 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan▶ 6:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 33:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fight Club (1999)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 11:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald▶ 35:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 8:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Beach (2000)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 18:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · ▶ 32:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judgment Night (1993)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 50:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Exorcist (1973)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald▶ 1:15:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Name of the Rose (1986)

2 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 1:08:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

127 Hours (2010)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

28 Days Later (2002)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Danny Boyle

40 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Jackson

6 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for King Kong▶ 1:02:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Euros Lyn

3 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 49:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 1:18:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alison Wonderland

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for Promising Young Woman▶ 1:13:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

François Truffaut

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The 400 Blows▶ 24:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Winterbottom

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 1:12:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (35)

Ewan McGregor

26 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Trainspotting▶ 6:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Carlyle

17 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for The Full Monty, Trainspotting▶ 24:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin McKidd

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Trainspotting, Kingdom of Heaven▶ 23:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lou Reed

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Blue in the Face▶ 17:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Eccleston

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Shallow Grave▶ 6:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Lee

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald▶ 23:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iggy Pop

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Coffee and Cigarettes▶ 16:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keith Allen

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for The Others▶ 42:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Dole

3 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 30:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly Macdonald

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for No Country for Old Men, Gosford Park▶ 54:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leonardo DiCaprio

3 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed▶ 18:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Allen Iverson

2 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 3:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Irvine Welsh

16 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Trainspotting▶ 16:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hodge

6 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Trainspotting, Shallow Grave▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Warner

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 16:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 30:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sally Rooney

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 1:32:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Hunter Thompson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 8:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗