5 Obscure Facts About Trainspotting That Might Surprise Even Die-Hard Fans
This movie has become a cult classic over the years, and its creation is an interesting story in itself, with some aspects not known to the general public.
Danny Boyle 's Trainspotting, based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, has become a cult classic in the nearly three decades since its release.
It brought even more attention to the original novel and launched the career of Ewan McGregor, who is now a world-famous star with countless big screen appearances and roles in such huge franchises as Star Wars and the DCU.
The film also got a sequel 21 years later in 2017, and T2 Trainspotting is an extremely rare case of a long-overdue sequel that was completely worthy of the great original.
Here are five curious facts about Trainspotting that you might not be aware of, even if you're a fan of the film.
1. Ewen Bremner also played Mark Renton
While Ewan McGregor absolutely killed it as Mark, his co-star Ewen Bremner (yes, the names are a bit confusing), who portrayed Spud in the movie, actually appeared in the same role two years earlier in the 1994 stage adaptation of Trainspotting.
2. The toilet scene was inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street
While in the novel Mark simply dips his hands into his own filth in search of opium suppositories, the film's screenwriter, John Hodge, thought it would be too gross to put on the big screen.
Instead, he drew inspiration from the bathtub scene in Wes Craven's iconic slasher and came up with an elegant solution to change it.
3. The sweetest toilet in Scotland
Speaking of the "worst toilet in Scotland" scene, the disgusting looking mess that Renton gets his hands in was actually made with different kinds of chocolate and smelled really sweet.
4. Irvine Welsh is not the only cameo in the movie.
While most fans know that the author of the novel, Irvine Welsh, portrayed Mikey Forrester, he is not the only cameo in the movie.
The aforementioned screenwriter, John Hodge, makes a brief appearance as one of the two security guards chasing Mark and Spud in the opening scene.
5. The bar scene had to be re-recorded
The iconic scene where Begbie throws a glass into the crowd of other bar patrons had to be re-recorded later due to his thick accent to make it more understandable to American audiences.