Story of a Junkie

Came across this DVD by accident last week. Blew me away. At first it was frustrating because of the horrible lighting, as I could barely see some stuff in the beginning. But at that point I realized this must all be real, for the most part.

I was thinking how great and real the acting is, how real the needles in the arms looked, and how real the sets were (or the dressing of the sets), and then, if they're that good, why bad lighting (as if they had no money for any lights)? Because it's real! With some obvious staging to create somewhat of a story.

So, story lacks, because it isn't about a storyline. Just a slice of life in this guy, and his surroundings. But wow, it's 100% on top of it. I real began to care about him, too.

This movie has real drug abuse and bad acting scenes. May be worth showing your suburban kids if they know nothing about heroin abuse. It is a scary and depressing film, and can get very boring.

The VHS edition contains an interview with Lech Kowalski (the director) by Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Studios President). It's on a street corner like he's catching her on the way to the store. It's a very poor addition to this garbage. Gee, I wonder if I should ge the DVD for more exciting additions to this trash.

Kaufman said it was better then "Train Spotting". I would definitely suggests "Train Spotting" rather than this film.

Actually seems to be classified as a fake doc. The staged looking parts were mildly annoying and jarring, but big deal. The spirit of it is all real. And some nice filmmaking, creative photography. We see the real down and out impoverished streets, the total drug neighborhood. The music is raw and primitive. Like the clothing styles too. The filmmakers got very intimate with the characters in the film.

This picture is really great as a timepiece showing soho and the lower east side as it was.

For those of us who spent significant time there there was an ethereal sense of that time and place which Mr. Kowalski has captured wonderfully.

It is not like that anymore.

Mr. Kowalski's commentary was really very informational and the film is actually in many ways more entertaining with the commentary than without.

Spacely is also great portraying but one of many people who are no longer with us due to aids and needles.

A great little film that shows up many of its larger-budget peers with its realistic depiction of drugs in New York City. We follow Gringo as he skates his way through the nightmarish drug dens that he calls home, all the time letting the viewer deeper into the mental and physical hell of his life.

Combining actual interviews with recreations of events from Gringo's life, Story of a Junkie achieves a level of realism and emotional impact that Trainspotting and its ilk cannot match. This is a truly dirty, depressing film that does not attempt to glamourise drugs. Its just a bunch of junkies trying to survive, but it works very, very well.

It's really great that Troma have released films like Story of a Junkie that would otherwise have been forgotten. With its low budget and difficult subject matter, this is the kind of movie that can unfortunately fall between the cracks. As it is, viewers have the chance to watch this fine piece of cinema in their own homes, safely away from the filthy, drug riddled streets of mid-80s NYC.