After being a big fan of similar products and being seduced by the smart packaging and advertisement campaigns a group of us decided (with high hopes) to indulge in an mind altering evening of Ecstasy. The initial Come Up was okay but unfortunately it took around 15-20 minutes to realize we had actually been sold a dud as it became apparent this was just a cheap imitation. As the experience continued things got worse. Ecstasy just didn't seem quite authentic and certainly not as some of the older Ravers would remember it! Ecstasy felt watered down, it didn't have any real substance and the overall effect just seemed quite week, if not bleak! As the night progressed we were faced with the realization that Ecstasy is actually 10-20 years past its sell by date! As the Come Down set in we felt The producers behind this product have obviously churned it out without any real passion or knowledge of the scene.There have been better attempts to recreate the Produce of the late eighties & the nineties including Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People (even Weekender) but If your looking to recapture the Buzz from your Raving Days then the Feeling from Ecstasy may be a bit of an anti-climax!

Saw this article about Mark Blamire's design of the poster in http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/april/Was a cleaver marketing package. But the story and script in the film are very cleaver too. I have seen the film a few times and there are few films these days that are worthy of multiple viewings.Although marketed to Neds and the like, the film is about the spiritual aspect of redemption and getting another chance. Who wouldn't want another chance to change things?The cast did a wicked job of show what Ecstasy is really like. Irvine Welsh gave his stamp of approval and loved the film. I was at the Glasgow Film Festival screening and the Q+A with Mr. Welsh was a hoot!The definitive film about Ecstasy and clubbing culture.

I saw this in LondonHighly recommended.This film really touched me with the hard hitting scenes about drug and alcohol abuse, it shows you the real side to the affect people have on their family's and friends. I really emotionally connected to the film with the scene with his dad and his dad drinking and being abusive, yet he still has so much compassion for him and understanding in the relationship ,the bond so strong nothing could come between them. It was so magical as though someone had taking a piece from my life and put it on film. I would recommend this film for everyone to go and watch as I think so many people will connect with the film and see why everyone deserves a second chance.I wasn't sure if I would like the movie as I was a huge fan of Trainspotting and also Welsh's work but it totally blew me away. Hayden's direction manages to convey a real sense of the brutal underworld involved in the drug culture while unfolding the rather unconventional love story at the same time. Great performances from Sinclair and Kreuk but Billy Boyd simply stole the show for me (think Spud from Trainspotting meets Donkey from Shrek).Having read the book I think that Hayden and McCafferty eloquently captured the essence of the book and incorporated some really touching emotional scenes with Lloyd and his dying father, adding a slightly softer side to the movie. I'll be going to see this again and again and predict that it becomes as big a success as Trainspotting.Director, Rob Heydon captured the clubbing experience amazingly well! The acting was realistic, the actors nailed their characters and the lives of people in the clubbing scene. Having seen the trailer, I immediately was compared Ecstasy to Trainspotting. However, after watching an interview with Irvine Welsh on Vimeo, I understood the the first 20 minutes set up with a nod to Trainspotting, then the love story takes off. This is a different story - A love story, not a buddy film. Some comments on here did not get that this is a different film. The use of Cinema Verite is a nod to the French New Wave and helped bring the audience closer to the characters and experience the story. I felt like I was in the club. There is amazing chemistry between Adam Sinclair (Lloyd) and Kristin Kreuk (Heather). Billy Boyd (Woodsy) is worth the price of admission alone. He is hilarious. Great film !!

If you are wondering what my summation above means then you most definitely belong in the same amateur film club as the writers of all of those glowing reviews. The fact that they put the Irvine Welsh name in the film title is an abomination. I was around in the 90's in the US club scene and have swallowed an uncountable number of E tabs during that time. I have also read Welsh's book and when I combine that with my own life experiences it makes me want to seek out this hack "director" Rob Heydon & turn him into a mute.When I consider how magnificent Boyle's adaptation of Trainspotting was and how gritty & real it was to the point that I often thought to myself wow the guy behind this had to be an actual addict, the surreal actualities that were involved. I'm also a recovering heroin addict(clean for 8 years)so I suppose you can say I have a good deal of insight into these two topics. Getting back to the real point, to the real problem of the huge void of reality & lack of reverse perspective in this film Ecstasy. I believe the only people keeping this film from completely drowning are young people who believe life is all fun & games, that the party never stops. People that have no perspective on what good film is that are simply drawn into the light of the drug content. Those who refuse to see the dark implications involved as their brain is slowly getting damaged pill by pill, the extreme depression, CNS complications & suicidal tendencies growing stronger by the TAB.