Throwback Thursday: Before 'Udta Punjab', watch these vintage movies on drugs

Danny Boyle is all set to direct the sequel to Trainspotting, loosely based on Irvine Welsh’s follow-up novel, Porno. The movie takes place 20 years after the original, and sees the gang reunite over the backdrop of the homemade pornography industry, coupled with drugs, of course. A few stills of the movie were just released:

Renton and Sick Boy in suits in latest #Trainspotting2 scenes filmed at Scottish Parliament https://t.co/WVnBDoDvqL pic.twitter.com/UZ5ifbM1w5

— Edinburgh Evening News (@edinburghpaper) June 5, 2016

Drugs have always been a popular yet controversial topic to make movies on. And since the CBFC doesn’t want us to see Udta Punjab in all its uncensored glory, we thought there’s no better way to celebrate #tbt than to list out favourite movies on drugs. Here are a few more vintage movies to watch till Trainspotting 2 is out: Trainspotting (****1996) [caption id=“attachment_2825094” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image from Flickr[/caption] Heroin addict Renton (Ewan Mcgregor), goes through his unstable life with a group of unreliable fellow addicts and his (sort of) girlfriend. He attempts to get clean but fails whenever his friends, who are deep into drugs, get in between making things worse for him. The cinematography moves at a fast pace with seamless cuts to mimic the heroin addled haze of the narrator Renton, and also, the soundtrack of the film brilliantly compliments the narration of the film. Director Danny Boyle also manages to pay homage to The Beatles by constructing a few mis-en-scenes as an ode to the classical pop band. The film still used here is an ode to their Abbey Road cover. Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (1998) [caption id=“attachment_2825088” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image from Flickr[/caption] The 1998 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson takes us through the first person accounts of Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp), a gonzo journalist, hired by a magazine to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race in Las Vegas, Neveda. He and his travel partner, Mr Gonzo cruise to Las Vegas in their red convertible, ‘The Red Shark’, full of any drug known to mankind. Set in the early 70s background of the Vietnam war, the movie has gathered a cult following with its representations of two individuals at the brink of dissent. The 60s flower-power, hippie culture was collapsing against the America’s new steel and glass corporatisation and drugs offered an easy escape. The movie is a masterpiece visually as it is with the story. Nicola Pecorini’s cinematography, inspired by Robert Yarber paintings, of random light sources and neon lights adds to the trippy drug-induced haze of the movie. This, coupled with the choppy editing style, add credibility. The dark comedy also has a soundtrack that resonates expertly with the tone of the film. Scarface (1983) [caption id=“attachment_2825092” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image from Facebook[/caption] “What goes up, must come down” is the age old adage that is at the heart of this movie. Al Pacino stars in his career defining role as Antonio Montana, a Cuban immigrant who is in pursuit of a very twisted version of the American dream. The movie, based on a 1932 noir of the same name, follows Antonio Montana’s rise to the top of the Miami drug empire and his downfall. The dark, violent movie is ladled with more f-words and violence than the 80s would have liked, and the dark, moody lighting of the film sets the tone of violence and abuse quite well. After all, the film is an ode to the crime noir movies. The cinematographic style, by John A. Alonzo, takes on a simple philosophy of clear wide-angled shots to close-ups. This coupled with the continuity editing style; stand quietly in the background as the plot of the film takes over the audience’s mind. Light Sleeper (1992) [caption id=“attachment_2825090” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image from Facebook.[/caption] This drama brings us the story of an upscale drug dealer, John LeTour, who is facing a midlife crisis and restless sleep cycles. William Dafoe brilliantly captures a shell of a man who delivers drugs to his wealthy urban clientele with the expression, “White drugs for white people”. LeTour starts thinking about his life when his drug dealer, played by Susan Sarandon, decides to quit the business in favour of opening a herbal cosmetics business. The cinematography is in-sync with the study of the alienated uber rich who are on the brink of madness. The myriad shades of colour and look in the downtown city define the film as much as the story does.