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What's the American equivalent to Trainspotting?

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lifa-cobex said:
No i mean I don't get where your coming from?
Gritty means to me -over coming issues or resolve, pushing yourself further.

What does it mean to you?
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it means a harshly presented, often bleak and sometimes exaggerated picture of reality synonymous with phrases like "warts and all"
 
daviyoung said:
it means a harshly presented, grim and sometimes exaggerated picture of reality synonymous with phrases like "warts and all"
Click to expand...

ahh I see where your coming from.
I which case yea, Human Traffic wouldn't be classed as gritty.

I guess Grounded would be the only way to describe it. More honest conversation in the dialog.
But then Human Traffic does have moments of "warts and all". It's just extremely more lighthearted then Trainspotting.
 
lifa-cobex said:
No i mean I don't get where your coming from?
Gritty means to me -over coming issues or resolve, pushing yourself further.

What does it mean to you?
Click to expand...

You can look up the definition of gritty and its not what you think it is. Gritty means that you see it all, not just the happy, good, or the successful but also the imperfections,the road bumps along the way, and the problems big and small. Often times in a more realistic manner that isn't trying to smooth things out or streamline them for shear entertainment value.
 
lifa-cobex said:
Although Fightclub is a fantastic film with great dialog,

It's not exactly grounded to the everyday person.
Starting a revaluation and committing acts of terrorism isn't exactly representing a generation.
Even if it is some ppls fantasy.
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On the contrary, fight club speaks directly to the powerlessness and irrelevance working class american men felt in the late 90s and pre-9/11 era.

Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.
Click to expand...



granted, not all of them were putting together militias and bombing buildings as an outlet for that frustration, but Fight Club is a cult film exactly because teenagers and twentysomethings watched that film and said "yeah, I get this."

edit: another one that hasn't been mentioned yet:

513CN79GRBL.jpg
 
HStallion said:
You can look up the definition of gritty and its not what you think it is. Gritty means that you see it all, not just the happy, good, or the successful but also the imperfections,the road bumps along the way, and the problems big and small. Often times in a more realistic manner that isn't trying to smooth things out or streamline them for shear entertainment value.
Click to expand...

OK I'm gonna go with the urban dictionary on this one
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gritty

gritty
A type of realism, usually invoked by films and documentary. Strangely
enough, "gritty realism" is only perceptible to media and film critics and the term is hardly ever used by anyone else. In fact no-one but film and tv critics ever use the term.
Film Critic: " X is a film depicting the gritty realism of life in the New York suburbs"

or
"the gritty realism of this documentary is in stark contrast to his other work"

So in a sense i'm right and i'm a sense i'm wrong.
Human Traffic is very light hearted BUT a great deal of the dialog is relatable to general reality.
 
Ceebs said:
Not gritty, but Reality Bites maybe fits some of what you are looking for?
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This was the first placs my head went. The 90s here weren't that interesting for white people.

Otherwise Boyz N The Hood is a classic.

People trying to find a movie just like Trainspotting are probably not reading the OP.
Unless I misunderstand.
 
Manmademan said:
On the contrary, fight club speaks directly to the powerlessness and irrelevance working class american men felt in the late 90s and pre-9/11 era.





granted, not all of them were putting together militias and bombing buildings as an outlet for that frustration, but Fight Club is a cult film exactly because teenagers and twentysomethings watched that film and said "yeah, I get this."
Click to expand...

I can absolutely understand where you're coming from but it doesn't really represent everyday life.
By that I mean the dialog and the message is defiantly relatable.
But what unfolds in the film isn't.

The reason I like these films so much is because it toes the line with people in scenarios that aren't too removed from reality.
 
lifa-cobex said:
I can absolutely understand where you're coming from but it doesn't really represent everyday life.
By that I mean the dialog and the message is defiantly relatable.
But what unfolds in the film isn't.

The reason I like these films so much is because it toes the line with people in scenarios that aren't too removed from reality.
Click to expand...

I feel you. Fight club wraps a message that people here could relate to around a completely off the wall scenario. The messaging is accurate, but the events of the film not so much.

Rules of attraction does fit your criteria though, fwiw. That ending though!

lifa-cobex said:
Did you not have a clubbing/drug scene in the same term that we Brits did then?
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of course we did. that guy is insane. Besides the rave/club scene he also misses the entire alt rock and heroin explosion of the early 90s which was going on at the same time the Boyz N the Hood business was. He was either REALLY young at the time or stuck in flyover country.
 
lifa-cobex said:
OK I'm gonna go with the urban dictionary on this one
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gritty

gritty
A type of realism, usually invoked by films and documentary. Strangely
enough, "gritty realism" is only perceptible to media and film critics and the term is hardly ever used by anyone else. In fact no-one but film and tv critics ever use the term.
Film Critic: " X is a film depicting the gritty realism of life in the New York suburbs"

or
"the gritty realism of this documentary is in stark contrast to his other work"

So in a sense i'm right and i'm a sense i'm wrong.
Human Traffic is very light hearted BUT a great deal of the dialog is relatable to general reality.
Click to expand...

I don't know that being relatable is necessary. I don't relate to anyone in Requiem for a Dream because I've never lived a situation anything like that though I guess I know a few people who have. It's more often the portrayal of things.

Blade Runner is gritty, Star Wars is not.
 
HStallion said:
I don't know that being relatable is necessary. I don't relate to anyone in Requiem for a Dream because I've never lived a situation anything like that though I guess I know a few people who have. It's more often the portrayal of things.

Blade Runner is gritty, Star Wars is not.
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I used to like to watch trainspotting and requiem back to back. Trainspotting will have you thinking that the heroin scene might not be so bad- those guys look like they're having fun.

Requiem will make you never want to touch so much as an aspirin for the rest of your life.
 
Manmademan said:
I feel you. Fight club wraps a message that people here could relate to around a completely off the wall scenario. The messaging is accurate, but the events of the film not so much.

Rules of attraction does fit your criteria though, fwiw. That ending though!



of course we did. that guy is insane. Besides the rave/club scene he also misses the entire alt rock and heroin explosion of the early 90s which was going on at the same time the Boyz N the Hood business was. He was either REALLY young at the time or stuck in flyover country.
Click to expand...

Was just looking up Rules of attraction but I noticed it had horrible ratings though.
But yea I was gonna mention Nirvana.
I was sure you guys had a grunge gen.

Also Requiem proper bummed me out. Hadn't felt that bad since watching Threads
 
Drugstore Cowboy
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dazed and Confused
Almost Famous
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Breakfast Club

These are all good period pieces detailing the late 60s to the early 80s, specifically dealing with subculture types: slackers, dropouts, druggies, partiers.
 
jres80 said:
Drugstore Cowboy
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dazed and Confused
Almost Famous
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Breakfast Club

These are all good period pieces detailing the late 60s to the early 80s, specifically dealing with subculture types: slackers, dropouts, druggies, partiers.
Click to expand...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is awesome but Breakfast club>?
Common now.....
 
Human traffic is still great now. Came out at the right time with a great soundtrack.

I doubt Hollywood would ever be able to make a movie just like it. It needs that British feel about it. Loved the fact it was filmed just down the road from me.

Rick Grimes is in it too!
 
lifa-cobex said:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is awesome but Breakfast club>?
Common now.....
Click to expand...

The subject in question is period pieces. Breakfast Club does a good job of characterizing early 80s high school life, if comedically. Fast Times at Ridgemont High does the same.
 
MarkMclovin said:
Human traffic is still great now. Came out at the right time with a great soundtrack.

I doubt Hollywood would ever be able to make a movie just like it. It needs that British feel about it. Loved the fact it was filmed just down the road from me.

Rick Grimes is in it too!
Click to expand...

About 7 or so years back I went into that record shop in Cardiff.
I started doing that head throw in the gif to my mate.

The guy behind the counter just gave me the best "your a twat" look.
 
daviyoung said:
all except the guy that dies of an overdose
Click to expand...

nobody died of an overdose in Trainspotting.

Renton overdosed but was brought back by the hospital

Tommy contracted HIV after deciding to use with random junkies after Lizzy left him. Dies because his cat gave him Toxoplasmosis.

The baby died of neglect, probably not directly heroin related.

Everyone else was fine. "Mother Superior" was notably a long time experienced heroin user and got off scot free in that movie- outside of
Renton overdosing in his flat

lifa-cobex said:
Was just looking up Rules of attraction but I noticed it had horrible ratings though.
Click to expand...

That movie is amazing. definitely worth a watch.
 
The main character's mum in human traffic is a prostitute, he knows this and doesn't lecture her about it but can't help imagining what her clients are thinking about doing to his mum.

That's pretty gritty, even if it's presented in a humorous way.
 
Manmademan said:
nobody died of an overdose in Trainspotting.

Renton overdosed but was brought back by the hospital

Tommy contracted HIV after deciding to use with random junkies after Lizzy left him. Dies because his cat gave him Toxoplasmosis.

The baby died of neglect, probably not directly heroin related.

Everyone else was fine. "Mother Superior" was notably a long time experienced heroin user and got off scot free in that movie- outside of
Renton overdosing in his flat



That movie is amazing. definitely worth a watch.
Click to expand...

I think the baby died heroin related.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DX1w-lX-CQ
 
lifa-cobex said:
I think the baby died heroin related.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DX1w-lX-CQ
Click to expand...

nope.

What happened to the baby?

The generally-accepted answer is that the baby starved to death. This information comes from the novel and isn't explicitly stated in the film. In the book, it is due to neglect (starvation &/or dehydration) because of the parents' heavy drug use
.
Click to expand...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/faq#.2.1.1

It's implied to just be neglect in the film, but its not explicitly heroin that kills her.
 
SLC Punk for sure.

Go is a lot lighter and more fun, but still gets into the subcultures of the time. Tonally, it's a predecessor to Guy Ritchie's early stuff. Requiem is over-the-top in the other direction.
 
That scene where he was hallucinating in his Cold Turkey is still the scariest and most fucked up scene if have ever seen still to this day
 
Irishmantis said:
That scene where he was hallucinating in his Cold Turkey is still the scariest and most fucked up scene if have ever seen still to this day
Click to expand...

It hasn't aged well. It looks really bad now lol.

dogmaan said:
The main character's mum in human traffic is a prostitute, he knows this and doesn't lecture her about it but can't help imagining what her clients are thinking about doing to his mum.

That's pretty gritty, even if it's presented in a humorous way.
Click to expand...

Instead of humorous, I would call it British :D
 
Moving the goalposts slightly (or 10 years earlier), but Suburbia is a pretty good representation of the 80s. And since I'm ignoring the timeframe requirement, Repo Man is also a must watch (it's pretty satirical, but surprisingly true to real life...mostly).

EDIT: Just rolling with the "gritty representation of its time" theme. The 80s tends to get over shadowed by the late 70s for this sort of thing.
 
Irishmantis said:
When I said "Still" I meant as still in my mind have not seen it since years because of that reason
Click to expand...

lol fair enough.

Magna_Mixalis said:
Moving the goalposts slightly (or 10 years earlier), but Suburbia is a pretty good representation of the 80s. And since I'm ignoring the timeframe requirement, Repo Man is also a must watch (it's pretty satirical, but surprisingly true to real life...mostly).

EDIT: Just rolling with the "gritty representation of its time" theme. The 80s tends to get over shadowed by the late 70s for this sort of thing.
Click to expand...

Holy shit, Repo Man was awsome.
I kinda think the 70's had more going on for it in that sence. Mods and Rockers, Punk, Hippies etc etc. More story's to tell.
 
lifa-cobex said:
lol fair enough.



Holy shit, Repo Man was awsome.
I kinda think the 70's had more going on for it in that sence. Mods and Rockers, Punk, Hippies etc etc. More story's to tell.
Click to expand...

True, but some of that was because everyone had a common enemy in the 80s (Reagan in the US, Thatcher in the UK) to rail against, which kind of narrowed the scope of rebellion.

But on topic; if you liked Repo Man, you'll probably like Suburbia (though it's far darker).
 
Magna_Mixalis said:
True, but some of that was because everyone had a common enemy in the 80s (Reagan in the US, Thatcher in the UK) to rail against, which kind of narrowed the scope of rebellion.

But on topic; if you liked Repo Man, you'll probably like Suburbia (though it's far darker).
Click to expand...

yes.
I don't know a great deal about Reagan other than the obvious but almost all British films that are set around that time mention in some way about Thatcher or the miners strikes. Googled Suburbia and it defiantly looks up my street.
I love anything around punks.
 
Magna_Mixalis said:
Moving the goalposts slightly (or 10 years earlier), but Suburbia is a pretty good representation of the 80s. And since I'm ignoring the timeframe requirement, Repo Man is also a must watch (it's pretty satirical, but surprisingly true to real life...mostly).

EDIT: Just rolling with the "gritty representation of its time" theme. The 80s tends to get over shadowed by the late 70s for this sort of thing.
Click to expand...

For British films, I'd say This is England captures the 80's well.

The 70's is a bit harder though, whilst in America you had films like Taxi Driver and even Saturday Night Fever, in the UK all I can really think of from that time is Carry On films. We did have The Wicker Man, Straw Dogs and Get Carter I suppose.

For the 60's you have American Graffiti with the British equivalent being Quadrophenia.
 
are you looking for gritty in particular? or zeitgeist of any era?

Plenty of American movies do the latter.

Lost Boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_lwtRMg0ts
Clerks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlfn5n-E2WE
Dazed and Confused
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvj4Ng6yinA
Outside Providence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCVN60P9gsY
Detroit Rock City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBTg_CW9kQQ
Singles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivDxIugIwaY
Empire Records
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it6hEeq73Xc
 
If we're allowed to look outside that time period, I always like to show a little love for Jesus' Son. Similar to Trainspotting in that the film is an adaptation, deals with heroin/other addictions and really captures a specific place and time (in this case the 70s), though the tone is different. Not a perfect film by any means, but sometimes I feel like people look it up, see that Jack Black and Denis Leary are in there and just dismiss it right away when it's actually pretty good. Anyway, right or wrong, those two films have always been kind of linked in my head
 
Requiem for a Dream is almost nothing like Trainspotting. The two aren't even all that comparable except for the fact there's heroin in both of them.

Spun or The Salton Sea are better analogs. They're not particularly great ones, but they're definitely closer relations than Requiem and Trainspotting are.
 
Bobby Roberts said:
Requiem for a Dream is almost nothing like Trainspotting. The two aren't even all that comparable except for the fact there's heroin in both of them.

Spun or The Salton Sea are better analogs. They're not particularly great ones, but they're definitely closer relations than Requiem and Trainspotting are.
Click to expand...

he's not looking for a movie like trainspotting. he's looking for a film that reflects the "gritty realism" of america at that time as trainspotting did for the UK.

Requiem fits that bill, even though the tone between the two is drastically different. People are naming "kids" for the same reason.
 
Manmademan said:
he's not looking for a movie like trainspotting. he's looking for a film that reflects the "gritty realism" of america at that time as trainspotting did for the UK.
Click to expand...

Then I disagree with the general premise as I don't think Trainspotting "reflects the gritty realism" of the UK at the time, either.

Basically might as well just ask "name some movies where dirty people get high"
 
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