Nice one bruvva! Human Traffic turns 20 today. Here are some of our favourite scenes…
Human Traffic, which follows the exploits of a gang of miscreants as they navigate a night out in Cardiff, was released on 4 June 1999 (20 years ago today).
In April, to mark its 20th anniversary, Justin Kerrigan, the film’s director, confirmed that a sequel is in the offing, with the main characters, Jip, Koop, Lulu, Nina, and of course, Moff (played by Danny Dyer) set to return for a fable about “one race, the human race, and a reaction to Brexit”.
Quite how that will pan out is anyone’s guess – two decades is a long time on the sesh – but in the meantime, here are five of 909originals’ favourite scenes from the turn of the century original.
5. “The weekend has landed…”
With student bedrooms all over the land housing a Trainspotting ‘Choose Life’ poster at the time, Human Traffic needed a similar call to action. Enter Jip (John Simm), with a rousing battle cry. Although, “73 quid in the back burner” wouldn’t get you as far these days, we suspect.
4. What Star Wars is REALLY about…
While most movies about dance music portray after parties as full-on raves with epic soundsystems and a gaggle of attractive house guests, the reality is more like this… hours of meandering dialogue about random topics, dotted with occasional mongo epiphanies. Energy 52’s Café Del Maradds a sprinkle of fairy dust (as if they needed it). [See also: Spliff Politics; Moff’s dinner table interrogation]
3. THAT intro
Backed by Fatboy Slim’s Build it Up, Tear it Down, the montage that opens Human Trafficis a thing of beauty, splicing footage from raves both old and new with clips from the Criminal Justice Bill and Freedom to Party protests. Turn it up loud! [See also: Tom Tom’s ‘Summer of Love’ scene]
2. “Any jungle in, guy?”
Having just fobbed off a hip hop junkie with some rare wax by the Itchy Trigger Finger Niggas, Koop (Shaun Parkes) is the ringmaster for one of the film’s most epic moments, as he introduces the “Tarzan and Jane of jungle”, which, lest we forget, “could turn Hare Krishna into a bad bwoy”. Aphrodite’s Stalker (sadly not included on the official OST) provides the epic backing track.
1. “Nice one bruvva…!”
The can of warm beer. The beige toilet paper. The cordless telephone. Moff’s finest moment.
Roll on Human Traffic 2, if you ask us..!
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