# help me portray cocaine use in a movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561 "2020-02-26T16:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/21 "2020-02-27T01:32:51Z")
Mr. Eric Clapton gives a concise demonstration of how it’s done: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_axGolp9aMc) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/22 "2020-02-27T01:42:29Z")
Also, you feel _really, really_ good. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/23 "2020-02-27T01:52:09Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) snorts some coke in the bathroom of Jack Rabbit Slim’s before the dance scene. I bet you could find it online, it’s pretty accurate. Just make sure you use that scene, not the later one where she snorts what she finds in Vincent’s jacket… ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/24 "2020-02-27T02:51:49Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Also, you feel _really, really_ good. Until you don’t - that part sucks ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/25 "2020-02-27T03:35:30Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Until you don’t - that part sucks I guess the idea is, cocaine makes you feel like doing some more cocaine. But if your character dies of acute metal poisoning a few seconds after doing some lines, you don’t have to worry about acting that part out… ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/26 "2020-02-27T04:19:45Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s interesting that the OP only asks for advice about the cocaine snorting. Apparently he seems to think he’s got the getting-stabbed part down. > > 😉 Ha! That’s a good point! I’ll have to read the script again, but I think my assailant kills me with a katana or something. I might get an arm lopped off. I think I’ll play that like the Black Knight in the _Holy Grail_. So: if you have ever been stabbed, preferably by a large sword, tell me what it was like. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/27 "2020-02-27T04:24:01Z")
[quote=“Dropo, post:21, topic:848561”] Mr. Eric Clapton gives a concise demonstration of how it’s done: [/QUOTE] That’s an interesting clip. He’s so casual about it, as I guess you become when you’ve done enough. Also I guess he’s doing it in small bits instead of a big line. He sniffs a little and runs a finger under his nose, but he doesn’t scrunch up his face or anything like that. He’s a _pro._ ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/28 "2020-02-27T04:29:32Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Can you score some of that lactose powder to practice with and see how your body reacts to it? I wouldn’t want to go into something like that not knowing how it would feel. Or if I’m allergic. If nothing else, you’d be embarrassed to shut down production while you went into a coughing fit. Good point. I’ll ask the director if I can have some ahead of time or see if I can scratch up some. Maybe someplace like GNC has it? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/29 "2020-02-27T04:29:34Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > You get really talky and excited about stuff. If you’ve ever had too much coffee, it’s not dissimilar, but a little more mental. Cocaine caused me to talk. A lot. If you don’t want to overplay the role, or want to portray somebody who has a higher tolerance, the suggestion of “too much coffee” is a good one. I’ve heard some cocaine users downplay it as being akin to a strong espresso. It’s not, but the jitteriness associated with too many cups of caffeine is a good approximation of a person who is trying to be a “functional” cokehead. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/30 "2020-02-27T04:31:26Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > That’s an interesting clip. He’s so casual about it, as I guess you become when you’ve done enough. Also I guess he’s doing it in small bits instead of a big line. He sniffs a little and runs a finger under his nose, but he doesn’t scrunch up his face or anything like that. He’s a _pro._ It could be several things. A)he’s a pro B)it’s on the tail end of a bender when your nose/nerves are dead C)that shit is garbage. Of course, depending on what it’s cut with, garbage can either feel like nothing or it can burn 10x worse. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/31 "2020-02-27T14:42:44Z")
Also, Kendall in Succession does a lot of coke, plus it’s a great show. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/32 "2020-02-27T18:52:54Z")
Dunno what your director wants, but I’d be inclined to shoot it in a way that you don’t have to actually snort anything. Maybe looking over your shoulder, or an extreme closeup showing the powder going up a straw or rolled money without showing your face…then cut to a reaction shot on you. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/33 "2020-02-27T22:51:21Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It could be several things. > > A)he’s a pro > B)it’s on the tail end of a bender when your nose/nerves are dead > C)that shit is garbage. > > Of course, depending on what it’s cut with, garbage can either feel like nothing or it can burn 10x worse. I dunno. That’s pretty much how it went, though I always felt a bit of a rush. (And I always did lines, usually about 1.5 to 2 inches.) Not like ‘Woohoo! Yowza!’ Just like, ‘Wow. That’s pleasant!’ And I got good coke. A quarter of a century on, I have no idea where to get any now. Otherwise, I’d get some empirical data to provide for the purposes of realism. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/34 "2020-02-28T02:03:02Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Until you don’t - that part sucks I’ve never had enough money to have so much blow on hand that it stops feeling good. I’m a lucky man, if a poor one. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/35 "2020-02-28T17:43:09Z")
What’s the time interval between the snorting and the stabbyness? Are they gonna let you act out the “high” before death? Do you have time to depict anything other than the mechanics of the inhalation, or is it snort-blink-stab “CUT !”? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/36 "2020-02-28T17:49:25Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s interesting that the OP only asks for advice about the cocaine snorting. Apparently he seems to think he’s got the getting-stabbed part down. > > 😉 And no questions about interacting with the stripper. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/37 "2020-02-28T18:13:34Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > And no questions about interacting with the stripper. “Do I address her as ‘Ma’am’?” ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/38 "2020-02-28T18:27:47Z")
> [@Labtrash](#): > > What’s the time interval between the snorting and the stabbyness? Are they gonna let you act out the “high” before death? > > Do you have time to depict anything other than the mechanics of the inhalation, or is it snort-blink-stab “CUT !”? I’m not sure how much time. A few minutes at least. I snort the lines, interact with others in the club a bit (all while sitting), then the hero comes in and we all try to shoot her. I empty my gun into various walls, then she runs me through with the sword. I’m really stoked. This should be great fun. > [@Procrustus](#): > > And no questions about interacting with the stripper. We don’t have much interaction. She leans over my chair, I do the lines off her back, then I swat her on the butt and she yells at me. I’ve only been acting a while, and I’ve never done a role where I had to touch any other actors, other than a handshake or something. So that will be a little weird. Of course I’ll have a conversation with the actress beforehand to make sure I’m respecting her boundaries and all. I don’t know if the slap itself will be on or off screen, but in any case I don’t want our introduction to be “Hi! I’m Kurt.” _Thwap!!_ ETA: I’ve never interacted with a stripper in real life either. I’ve lead a very boring life. That’s why I like acting. I get to be someone other than boring old me for a while. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/39 "2020-02-28T18:37:38Z")
Now I have to see this ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561/40 "2020-02-28T19:58:38Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Now I have to see this Everyone should see it! It’s going to rock! It’s an ultra-low-budget production. The writer/director/producer/editor/caterer/etc. guy is a trained filmmaker, but this is a passion project. He’s hoping to get it on a web platform. As soon as I know how it will be distributed, I’ll let everyone know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-portray-cocaine-use-in-a-movie/848561.md?page=3)