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The Acid House (film)

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Wikipedia article




'The Acid House' is a 1998 Scottish film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's short story collection 'The Acid House' directed by Paul McGuigan. Welsh himself wrote the screenplay, and appears as a minor character in the film.

Plot



The film dramatises three stories from the book:

* "The Granton Star Cause": A comedy, in which Boab (Stephen McCole) is having a rotten day. His parents throw him out so they can indulge in sado-masochism and he is sacked from his job, dumped by his girlfriend, and dropped from his football team. It has elements of Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'. One of the characters is a pitiless, profane God who transforms him into a fly as punishment for wasting his life. Named after an Edinburgh housing district, "The Granton Star Cause" was filmed on location in Muirhouse and Pilton, including Ferry Road Drive.

* "A Soft Touch": Kevin McKidd plays Johnny, a man who is cuckolded by Larry (Garry McCormack), the ruthless upstairs neighbour who steals his electricity and his wife (Michelle Gomez). Filmed on location in Niddrie.

* "The Acid House": An acid trip and a bolt of lightning result in amiable schemie Coco Brice (Ewen Bremner) exchanging bodies with the baby of a middle-class couple (Martin Clunes and Jemma Redgrave).

All three sections are independent, but are linked by setting and the reappearance of incidental characters, in particular Maurice Roves who appears variously as an inebriated wedding guest, a figure in a dream, and a pub patron. All three of his parts symbolise a human manifestation of God.

The film offended elements of the UK tabloid press with a depiction of a cynical, jaded, foul-mouthed God. In some English-speaking countries such as Canada and the United States it has been screened with subtitles because of the Scots vernacular and heavy Edinburgh accents.

Cast



;"The Granton Star Cause"

*Maurice Roves God

*Stephen McCole Boab

*Garry Sweeney Kev

*Jenny McCrindle Evelyn

*Simon Weir Tambo

*Iain Andrew Grant

*Irvine Welsh Parkie

*Pat Stanton Barman

*Alex Howden Boab Snr

*Annie Louise Ross Doreen (as Ann Louise Ross)

*Dennis O'Connor PC Cochrane

*John Gardner Sgt. Morrison

*William Blair Workmate

*Gary McCormack Workmate

*Malcolm Shields Workmate

*Stewart Preston Rafferty

*Callum Stewart - boy playing football

;"A Soft Touch"

*Maurice Roves Drunk

*Kevin McKidd Johnny

*Michelle Gomez Catriona

*Tam Dean Burn Alec

*Scott Imrie Pool Player

*Niall Greig Fulton Alan

*Cas Harkins Skanko

*Morgan Simpson Chantal, Baby

*Marnie Kidd Chantal, Toddler

*Alison Peebles Mother

*Joanne Riley New Girl

*Katie Echlin Wendy

*William 'Giggs' McGuigan Pub Singer

*William Blair Deck

*Gary McCormack Larry

;"The Acid House"

*Maurice Roves Priest

*Ewen Bremner Colin 'Coco' Bryce

*Martin Clunes Rory

*Jemma Redgrave Jenny

*Arlene Cockburn Kirsty

*actor Emma

*Doug Eadie Coco's Father

*Andrea McKenna Coco's Mother

*Cas Harkins Skanko

*Billy McElhaney Felix the Paramedic

*Ricky Callan Tam the Driver

*Barbara Rafferty Dr. Callaghan

*Stephen Docherty Nurse Boyd

*Ronnie McCann Andy

References




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