The Acid House

"The Acid House" is a series of three short stories penned by "Trainspotting" novelist Irvine Welsh, and true to his style, it is inspired by a terribly bad acid trip. Being a huge fan of Irvine Welsh, I had high hopes for this film, but I was also aware that it would most likely not be as good as Trainspotting. It wasn't, but a good movie all the same.

The first story is about a 23 year old soccer player who is booted out by his mates, gets kicked out of his parents house, looses his girlfriend, and looses his job all in the space of a few hours. After all this, he "meets God". The second concerns a very disturbed couple with a newborn baby, and their wacky neighbor who moves into the flat above them. And the third, and best, of them is about a young man who is struck by lightning after taking a hit of acid and his soul is transfered into the body of a newborn baby. Very strange stories, only Irvine Welsh could have done these.

As a movie, it has all the basic ingredients, save for a few dodgy dialogue bits here and there. All the actors involve give their best, and it was a pretty satisfying and mind boggling experience. It isn't as well laid out as "Trainspotting", though, so people expecting a new "Trainspotting" might not get what they expect.

This is unbelievable! Has all the usual Irvine Welsh ingredients - scabby parts of Edinburgh like Pilton, lots of colourful language, plenty of violence, sex/nudity and masses of humour. Although much of the humour will cross many peoples line of bad taste, this is absolutely hilarious. Being from just outside Edinburgh, the scary thing is that these type of people actually exist.

Many of the cast from Trainspotting, Small faces and Looking out for Jo Jo reappear.

This is tremendous for all the above reasons. The soundtrack is pretty impressive too.

Three short stories of Scottish depravity. All hilarious and disturbing at the same time. The Granton Star Cause features (fat) Boab, a down on his luck twenty something who loses his place on the football team, his girlfriend and his house in quick succession. What more can go wrong? Well he could be turned into a fly by God....... A Soft Touch sees Jonny being walked all over by his wife and pretty much everyone else in his life. Things take a nasty turn for the worst when the neighbour from hell moves in upstairs. Reminded me of when I lived in a block of flats and had a similar madman living above me. The third instalment, The Acid House, is probably the most laugh out loud, ridiculous and depraved. Coco is a drug taking football hooligan who during a trip is hit by lighting and swaps bodies (but not minds) with a new born baby. This film is not for everyone. If you like Irvine Welsh's novels, chances are you'll like this. If you're easily offended stay well clear. If you're not easily offended, you may well be. Hilarious, disturbing, ludicrous and a whole lot of fun. 8 out of ten....

Irvine Welsh lives in Dunfermline, Scotland which is a stones throw from Edinburgh and as I too have lived there "and seen the man himself" I can only say that he depicts a very scary real life image of some of the more unfortunate parts of Edinburgh.

Lots of the cast from Small Faces, Trainspotting and "Looking After Jo Jo"

If you liked Trainspotting then you will love this.

The movie poster states that this makes Trainspotting looking like a mild-mannered youth comedy. I can see some resemblance here and there, the trippy way of filming, both movies based on novels by Irvine Welsh, or having Ewen Bremner acting in both, but Danny Boyle's trainspotting is just a bit better in my opinion. The Acid House is fun to watch though, who doesn't like to watch some white Scottish ghetto trash in their daily habitat? The Acid House is three different stories (segments), The Granton Star Cause, A Soft Touch, and The Acid House. Each story has his moments, some are better than others, The Acid House was the most trippy and crazy to watch, with an excellent Ewen Bremner (playing a junkie character is apparently what he does the best). The movie is a bit graphic, just the way I like it, but I can see some people (nerds and/or bible thumpers) getting offended. Anyway if you liked Trainspotting there is no doubt in my mind you will like this one as well.