Photo: Press
Last night we made our way to a screening for Kill Your Friends - the story of Nicholas Hoult as Steven Stelfox, a record label A&R willing to do practically anything to rise through the ranks of the unforgiving and cuthroat music industry of the 90's. When we say anything, we mean everything, from urinating on your sleeping enemies to simply removing them from the picture, lethally.
Adapted for the screen from John Niven's truly genius novel of the same name, the film is a twisted and darkly comic tale inspired by the author's ten years working for various record companies in the UK during Britpop's halcyon days. Playing as an insightful satire on what really goes into making a hit record in a vapid industry, (talent isn't important, only profit) it also injects a chaotic dose of violence, drugs and excess into the mixture, creating a thrilling ride through a strange world.
Here are nine things we learned from the darkened underbelly of the 90's music scene.
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1. There are more slang names for cocaine than you ever could have imagined. Here we go: Chang, dust, toot, nose-up, bag, beak, charlie, krell, (*takes a breath*), chisel, bump, posh, bugle, skiwear, schniff, Bronson, Bolivian, Junior. Holy moly.
2. James Corden plays a worryingly convincing coke-head. Anything you want to confess, Smithy?
3. The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' is the ultimate musical companion for some good ol' fashioned drug induced strangulation and murder. Obviously...
4. Blur’s ‘Beetlebum’ is a storming an undeniable Brit-pop classic - and perfect for this movie. Thank You Damon and co...
5. The majority of people working in the music industry (at least back in the 90’s) unashamedly detest music. “I fucking hate bands,” Hoult’s Steven Stelfox regularly spits throughout the darkly bitter and twisted film.
6. Nicholas Hoult is refusing to age like a normal human being, and it’s simply not fair.
7. Huge record label decisions concerning innocent, wide-eyed and hopeful musicians are usually made at 4am amongst a sea of drugs, women and general debauchery. How very encouraging...
8. The demo's you just sent off to a bunch of record labels are lost beneath an endless pile of CD's nobody is ever going to listen to. Don't shoot the messenger, though.
9. As a music agent, signing a new act or band is the most dangerous thing you can ever do and shoud be avoided at all costs.
Directed by Owen Harris and starring Nicholas Hoult, James Corden, Craig Roberts and Ed Skrein, Kill Your Friends hits cinemas on 6 November.
You can find out more about the movie here.
