A pal invited me over to the Rialto Theater during the summer of 1996 to see the midnight print check of Trainspotting. I was eager to see the tale of hip young people in Edinburgh, Scotland dealing with their smack addiction. I became so enthralled by the movie that the next morning, I snuck back into the theater to see the local critics screening. The second viewing was as exciting as the first. Later that week I went out and bought Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting novel at retail price. I wanted to find out what originally happened in the book before it became a film plus hopefully find out what “trainspotting” meant since it wasn’t even mentioned in the movie. I found myself glued to Walsh’s work and quickly finished the book in a weekend. He had the same energy on the page as Danny Boyle had captured on the screen. When I went up to Boston a few years later for my grandfather’s funeral, I met Irvine Welsh. He was signing his new novel (a sequel to Trainspotting) at a nearby bookstore. Chatting with Welsh was a relief during a rather heavy weekend. I always wondered about his life since Welsh didn’t seem to be a guy who wrote his books based completely on his imagination. Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh is a documentary about the writer and his journeys into odd corners of Scotland and England.
He talks about his childhood in Scotland and what led him down to London. He indulged in quite a few vices. It was here that he went from aspiring punk musician to 9-5 government employee. He feared that this was going to be his fate. This led to him beginning to work on Trainspotting which was a massive manuscript at first. He used Kurt Vonnegut’s instant how to edit your book process by yanking out the first section. He also clipped off the last part of the book and came up with a more satisfying ending. He read parts at open mic nights and had them published in magazines before a connection asked to see the whole novel. When a publisher wanted the book, he was shocked that it took two years before the release. During the meantime, he completely the shorts stories that became Acid House. This eventually led to Danny Boyle and producer Andrew MacDonald wanting to make the film after they came out with Shallow Grave. Welsh explains he screwed up and signed a deal with a different producer thinking he was working with Danny Boyle. MacDonald goes into the production and their approach. Iggy Pop chimes in about the film since it turned his “Lust For Life” from a cult song to an advertising success. The film debuted at Cannes Film Festival. Welsh talks about not meeting David Bowie because he was in a Pub Quiz indulging on more than beer. We learn a lot about the sequel of T2 Trainspotting. There’s talk about the movie adaptation of Filth with James McAvoy and Crime. His ex-wife explains how fame hit him including the fact that the downtown bookstore’s window displays were covered in his books. Later Welsh was in a store in Japan covered in Trainspotting merch. This turned into an accidental signing event with a line out the front door. The “120 Days of Sodom” story is outrageous.
Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh really gives a good sense of Irvine as both a writer and someone you’d bump into at party. He’s a guy who enjoy socializing and getting messed up. The film includes plenty of tales of him hanging out with the Gallagher brothers from Oasis. He is as wild and carefree as any of the characters in his book. Iggy Pop points out that Welsh is not a wimp like other artists. He does make time to write. Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh does show us that Welsh’s world gone beyond his first novel. After the film I felt good that we bumped into each other in Boston.
The movie is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer looks fine as they go through vintage footage from the last 30 years of Welsh’s life. The Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. For the most part, it’s people talking so the sound is coming from the front of your set. No subtitles. You might have to rewind a few interviews to figure out what they said.
Slideshow (2:00) has Irvine Welsh at the Edinburgh Film Festival, behind the scenes snapshots of interview subjects, stills from Trainspotting.
Trailer (1:14) has people talk about how Walsh is a Scottish Icon.
Cleopatra Entertainment presents Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh. Directed by Ian Jefferies and Ray Burdis. Starring Irvine Welsh, Iggy Pop, Gail Porter, Danny Boyle, Ewan McGregor and Alan McGee. Rating: Unrated. Running Time: 87 minutes. Release Date: August 12, 2025.
