Customer Reviews

Story of a Junkie

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I first saw this film in a preview and thought it was some sort of eighties joke. When I found it at the video store and read it was a Troma release, I was convinced. This is no Toxic Avenger though (Although thats a very good movie for different reasons). This movie is very good. Apparently the actors are all real people from the street recreating actual scenes from the main characters life. This is probably not entirely true but the movie has a very real documantary feel and the direction is raw but wholly convincing. The movie does seem a little long though and consists almost entirely of dialogue but is one of the better movies about drugs I have seen and it would be interesting to see more of this directors work. This is my first review and only an opinion so Internet geeks and film buffs who want to discredit me for not talking about certain camera angles or production values or whatever, restrain yourself. I'm just someone who liked the movie and reccomends it.

Story of a Junkie follows the real-life drug-addled John Spacely as he worms his way through New York City's filthiest gutters, trash heaps and sewers in search of his next heroin fix. Director Kowakski seamlessly weaves fact with fiction to successfully build a cinematic experience that is as close to the day to day life of a junkie as most will ever want to see. It is subversive and darkly poetic in a harrowing manner that lends itself perfectly to its nightmarish course of study. Occasionally, `Junkie' is sad, even pathetic; and then at other times it is oddly amusing. The near unending parade of graphic images that careen across the screen for its 78 minute duration leaves viewers' nerves stripped red and raw. Spacely mainlines time after time with the camera kept unflinchingly tight on the action, leaving one to believe that the director had some major issues to exorcize by way of his chosen subject. Whether or not director Kowakski found a conclusion to his plight is unknown but what is known is that John Spacely died shortly after the filming of `Junkie' was completed.

This Troma DVD contains a bevy of extras that include: Audio commentary by the film's director, theatrical trailers, tons of sneak previews and even a music video by the death metal act Entombed.

THIS IS A GOOD DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A REAL LIFE HEROIN ADDICT NAMED JOHN SPACELY. IT FOLLOWS HIM IN A REAL LIFE SETTING IN NEW YORK IN THE 1980'S. THE ONLY THING THAT SUCKS ABOUT THE FILM IS ITS A LITTLE ''DULL'' AND ''DARK'' DO TO THE POOR QUALITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND CAMERAS BACK THEN I GUESS. BUT OTHER THEN THAT THIS WAS A GOOD ''REAL LIFE'' DOCUMENTARY ON WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE HOOKED ON DOPE. THIS IS AS REAL AS IT GETS!!! HE'S REALLY GETTING HIGH AND DESTROYING HIS LIFE DEEPER IN THIS FILM. A FEW MONTHS AFTER THIS FILM WAS MADE JOHN SPACELY (THE MAIN PERSON IN THE FILM) DIED AS A RESULT OF A HEROIN OVERDOSE.

I attempted to watch this film with my sister a few weeks ago and we couldnt get past the first 20 minutes. It starts out very dull and disjointed, hard to follow, and rather than waste another night on another poor movie, we put in something else. I'll give it another go later but I don't expect much better.