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Plot Summary
Rick Kirkham got his first video camera when he was 14 years old. It became his best friend and confidant. From that point on, he began documenting every facet of his life. He got his first break in TV as a dancer on American Bandstand. A little nudge from Dick Clark to pursue a career in television, and he was on his way. He quickly rose through the ranks from local TV news to a gig as a national correspondent for Inside Edition. His girlfriend then got pregnant, and they got married. Everything was golden . . . or was it? The flip side of his life was another story, and his camera shockingly captured both with the same candor and vigor. What unfolds in TV Junkie is a riveting journey into the heart of darkness, where one man's fight for survival is caught on tape in an unprecedented way. A self-imposed 'The Truman Show' with a dark twist, TV Junkie transcends one man's tragic story and becomes a harrowing reflection on a generation obsessed with celebrity and technology. Utilizing more than 3,000 hours of footage, directors Michael Cain and Matt Radecki tackle the Herculean task of editing it with intelligence, compassion, and honesty to tell this unbelievable story that is both a cautionary tale and a gripping portrait of a TV junkie.
Credits
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
83%- Reviews Counted: 6
- Fresh: 5
- Rotten: 1
- Average Rating: 6.9/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: A mesmerizing documentary trip to hell.
Rotten: In the final stretch, when TV Junkie brings on the triumph-over-adversity homilies, it not only rings false, but downright creepy.
Customer Reviews
Doesn't get any more real than this!
TV JUNKIE – A heart-wrenching doc that doesn’t pull (m)any punches. It’s uncomfortable to watch at times, just as Rick assures - from the other side of the lens - some was uncomfortable for him to film. I found myself celebrating his highs (not those highs) & lamenting over his lows with him. A train wreck that you can't look away from.
Very Real
This is a very real look into the life of a drug addict. I would recommend this documentary (perhaps a censored version) to schools for use in drug awareness programs, as I think the insight offered within paints a very real portrait of drug use and the possible consequences of continued substance abuse.
Powerful, honest and highly addictive
I watched the film on HBO when it first came out and felt like I had been hit in stomach afterwards. I related to his struggle to be somebody, to fill the hole that his broken childhood had left in his heart. Rick Kirkham allows me to see the other side of fame, the dark side of the American dream. I told everyoneI knew to check it out and they were blown away also.
Then just like that, the film disappeared with no trace on how to find it. I'm so glad that it is available again and plan on showing it to my children before this new school year begins. It helped me understand the hole in my heart. Riveting! Thank you!
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