
Irvine Welsh calls ‘Men in Love' an antidote to hate, criticises AI and social media
Men in Love, the latest in a series of sequels, follows the same characters — Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie — as they experience the heyday of rave culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Welsh's novel was turned into the wildly successful 1996 hit film of the same name directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor.
The black comedy drama featured a group of heroin addicts living in an economically-depressed part of Edinburgh.
'We're living in a world that seems to be so full of hate and poison. Now it's time I kind of focus more on love as a kind of antidote to all that,' Welsh said.
Although his novel was published over 30 years ago, there were many parallels with the world today, he added.
The 1980s demise of much heavy industry such as shipbuilding in the Leith area of Edinburgh heralded a new world for some 'without paid work'.
'Now we're all in that position. We don't know how long we'll have paid work, if we do have it, because our economy, our society, is in just a long form revolutionary transformation,' he told BBC radio.
'It's a big, contentious, messy revolution. There's lots to play for, but there's some very dystopian tendencies within it,' he added.
Despite the problems faced by earlier generations, Welsh said he detected less optimism now.
'Natural stupidity'
'I think we're just a bit more scared... I think we've got this existential threat on the horizon, basically, of species extinction... through kind of wars and diseases and famines and climate change and no economic means for younger people to make their way in the world as we had,' he said.
Welsh also took aim at artificial intelligence (AI), an internet appropriated by big corporations and a social media culture marred by 'vitriolic pile-ons'.
He said the internet had stopped people from thinking and had created a 'controlling environment' in which 'we just take instruction'.
'We've got artificial intelligence on one side, and we've got a kind of natural stupidity on another side. We just become these dumbed down machines that are taking instruction.
'And when you get machines thinking for you, your brain just atrophies.'
He said he hoped that people's current addiction to mobile phones would be a phase that runs its course.
'You look down the street and you see people with a phone stuck to their face.
'Hopefully, if we survive the next 50 years, that's going to look as strange on film as... people chain smoking cigarettes did back in the 80s,' he added.
Men in Love is due to be published by Penguin on July 24. — AFP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Irvine Welsh calls ‘Men in Love' an antidote to hate, criticises AI and social media
LONDON, July 12 — Scottish author Irvine Welsh on Friday described the new sequel to his cult novel Trainspotting as an antidote to a world full of 'hate and poison', as he took aim at social media, the internet and AI. Men in Love, the latest in a series of sequels, follows the same characters — Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie — as they experience the heyday of rave culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Welsh's novel was turned into the wildly successful 1996 hit film of the same name directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor. The black comedy drama featured a group of heroin addicts living in an economically-depressed part of Edinburgh. 'We're living in a world that seems to be so full of hate and poison. Now it's time I kind of focus more on love as a kind of antidote to all that,' Welsh said. Although his novel was published over 30 years ago, there were many parallels with the world today, he added. The 1980s demise of much heavy industry such as shipbuilding in the Leith area of Edinburgh heralded a new world for some 'without paid work'. 'Now we're all in that position. We don't know how long we'll have paid work, if we do have it, because our economy, our society, is in just a long form revolutionary transformation,' he told BBC radio. 'It's a big, contentious, messy revolution. There's lots to play for, but there's some very dystopian tendencies within it,' he added. Despite the problems faced by earlier generations, Welsh said he detected less optimism now. 'Natural stupidity' 'I think we're just a bit more scared... I think we've got this existential threat on the horizon, basically, of species extinction... through kind of wars and diseases and famines and climate change and no economic means for younger people to make their way in the world as we had,' he said. Welsh also took aim at artificial intelligence (AI), an internet appropriated by big corporations and a social media culture marred by 'vitriolic pile-ons'. He said the internet had stopped people from thinking and had created a 'controlling environment' in which 'we just take instruction'. 'We've got artificial intelligence on one side, and we've got a kind of natural stupidity on another side. We just become these dumbed down machines that are taking instruction. 'And when you get machines thinking for you, your brain just atrophies.' He said he hoped that people's current addiction to mobile phones would be a phase that runs its course. 'You look down the street and you see people with a phone stuck to their face. 'Hopefully, if we survive the next 50 years, that's going to look as strange on film as... people chain smoking cigarettes did back in the 80s,' he added. Men in Love is due to be published by Penguin on July 24. — AFP


The Sun
07-07-2025
- The Sun
Slowly we rot!
DANNY Boyle and Alex Garland are back and they have brought all the strange, cerebral horror fans could hope for. The long-awaited third instalment in the iconic zombie franchise, 28 Years Later, does not just revisit the blood-soaked wastelands of Britain, it digs deeper, spirals weirder and challenges expectations at every turn. It is a bold, experimental continuation that leans fully into its 'auteur horror' label, daring audiences to either embrace its oddities or be repulsed by them. While die-hard fans of the franchise will likely find it to be a grimly satisfying evolution of the series, the film treads on shaky ground for casual horror-goers. It is intense, moody and often emotionally jarring. Viewers looking for a more traditional zombie-screamer might walk away either overstimulated or confused. But for those open to a horror film with brains, teeth and a heavy dose of artistic flair, 28 Years Later is a twisted gift worth unwrapping. Strange evolution, familiar bones Much like its predecessors, 28 Years Later drops audiences into a world that feels unnervingly lived-in. The post-apocalyptic setting is no longer about the collapse of society, it is about what rises after the ashes have cooled. The film does not just revisit the Rage Virus, it stretches its mythology, contorting it into something more philosophical, more human and yes, more bizarre. This is not a rehash of 28 Days Later 's panic-driven survival tale or 28 Weeks Late r's militarised disaster. Instead, the third film opts for something more introspective. It is a coming-of-age journey marinated in dread, loss and mutated morality. There is a dreamy melancholy laced through its blood-streaked chaos, making it less about adrenaline and more about existential rot. Yet, it is all undeniably 28. From the washed-out visuals to the staccato editing, the DNA of the franchise remains intact. Boyle's return to the director's chair brings a renewed sense of purpose, aided by Garland's script that seems to both question and celebrate everything the franchise has built so far. Surrealistic performances The cast delivers performances that are equally committed and confounding. Alfie Williams makes a striking feature debut, bringing raw intensity and surprising depth to a role that shoulders much of the film's emotional weight. Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, playing deeply damaged survivors, strike a balance between grounded desperation and eerie detachment. Ralph Fiennes, meanwhile, floats through the film like a ghost made of poetry and dread, his presence unforgettable, even when the plot around him shifts into surreal territory. However, the acting style throughout the film is far from conventional. Some scenes simmer with brilliant subtlety, while others veer into theatrical extremes. It is a stylistic choice that would not resonate with everyone, especially those expecting straight-laced dramatic horror. But for viewers willing to lean into the oddity of it all, the performances feel like fitting puzzle pieces in a world that has gone morally sideways. Death, decay and dread Where 28 Years Later truly excels is in its makeup, creature effects and extras. The infected are as terrifying as ever, but this time they have evolved not just in behaviour, but in appearance. The practical effects team deserves major credit for creating a fresh visual language of fear. Mutated forms, sunken eyes, grotesque smears of blood and grime, it is all rendered with meticulous care, walking a tightrope between grotesque realism and stylised horror. Even the infected extras bring their A-game. Each one feels like a character in their own right, not just background shriekers. Their choreography, movement and expressions add immersive weight to every encounter. No one is simply 'there'. Everyone contributes to the creeping dread. The film's locations are equally impressive. Abandoned chapels, mist-covered islands and decaying cottages feel ripped straight from nightmares. The production design leans into quiet horror, using silence and space as much as gore and noise. There is an uncanny beauty to the world rotting, but still hauntingly alive. Psychologically disturbing Here is the cold, hard truth – 28 Years Later is not for everyone. Some audiences may find the plot too slow, the symbolism too heavy, or the performances too unorthodox. Others might expect more action, more concrete answers, or a clearer villain. Instead, what they will get is a story that leans heavily into ambiguity, discomfort and long silences interrupted by sudden violence. It is a film best watched with the mindset that horror is not always about body count or jump scares. Sometimes, it is about feeling disturbed in ways that are hard to explain. This is especially true for those unfamiliar with the previous films. Newcomers may find themselves disoriented or emotionally detached from the narrative, not because it is poorly made, but because it asks for a level of patience and psychological investment that not everyone wants from a horror flick. Strangely unsettling 28 Years Later is a rare horror sequel that respects its past while fearlessly forging a new path. It is bizarre, bold and often brilliant but also unapologetically divisive. For those who can accept the weirdness and lean into the emotional murk, it is a fascinating exploration of what horror cinema can be in the hands of artists unafraid to go off-script. The film may not deliver the clean thrills or mainstream polish some expect from modern horror, but that is exactly the point. In a genre often reduced to formula, 28 Years Later stands as a defiant reminder that there is still room for the strange, the slow-burn and the sincerely unsettling. It is a haunting, artful continuation of the 28 saga that may alienate newcomers but rewards the faithful. Beautifully shot, grotesquely made-up and acted with fearless commitment, this is horror that crawls under the skin, stays in the brain and leaves behind a little infection of its own. DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle CAST: Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Christopher Fulford E-VALUE: 7/10 PLOT: 7/10 ACTING: 8/10


Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Malay Mail
‘How to Train Your Dragon' flies high again at North American box office, outpaces ‘28 Years Later' in second week
LOS ANGELES, June 23 — 'How to Train Your Dragon,' a live-action reboot of the popular 2010 animated film, set the North American box office ablaze again in its second week, industry estimates showed Sunday. The family-friendly film from Universal and DreamWorks Animation tells the story of a Viking named Hiccup (Mason Thames) who strikes up a friendship with Toothless the dragon. Its US$37 million haul was enough to beat out Columbia Pictures' zombie sequel '28 Years Later,' which took in US$30 million despite coming nearly two decades after the last release in the trilogy, '28 Weeks Later.' 'This is an excellent opening for the third episode in a horror series,' said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. 'The weekend figure is above average for the genre, and pending final numbers it's approximately three times the opening of the last episode.' Critics' reviews and audience ratings have been strong for the Danny Boyle-directed threequel, which picks up—as the title suggests—more than a generation after the initial outbreak of the Rage Virus. 'The long layoff has had no negative impact; in fact, it's given the sequel time to add a new younger age group to the audience,' Gross added. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was the poor performance of Pixar Animation's 'Elio,' which limped into third place with US$21 million in ticket sales, on a US$150 million budget. Gross said that while the tally would be respectable for most animation studios, it was the lowliest theatrical debut in Pixar's history—despite excellent reviews. Disney's 'Lilo & Stitch,' another live-action remake, added US$9.7 million in its fifth week, extending a triumphant run for the film about a Hawaiian girl (Maia Kealoha) and her blue alien friend (Chris Sanders). The fourth-placed entry has now grossed a whopping US$910 million worldwide, according to Exhibitor Relations. In fifth place—and also in its fifth week—is 'Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning,' the latest, and supposedly final, entry in the hugely successful Tom Cruise spy thriller franchise. The Paramount film took US$6.6 million in North America, pushing it to US$540 million worldwide. Rounding out the top 10 were: 'Materialists' (US$5.8 million) 'Ballerina' (US$4.5 million) 'Karate Kid: Legends' (US$2.4 million) 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' (US$1.9 million) 'Kuberaa' (US$1.8 million)