TV Junkie

Despite the fact that everyone who saw this movie with me hated it, I thought it was really intriguing. It’s a feature length documentary that is made up of home video footage captured by American television personality Rick Kirkham, over his lifetime. When he was fourteen he got a video camera, and basically has been filming his life ever since. He’s basically in love with being in front of the camera and captures everything (and I mean everything). This is a really self indulgent film, but at the same time, feels authentic and truthful. Rick’s life starts off full of excitement and success as he works as a national correspondent for the television show Inside Edition. But when his wife becomes pregnant and they get married, his life suddenly becomes far more complex. This film gives, what I can only presume is an accurate representation of Rick’s life. It shows his highs, and the moments when he hits absolute bottom. Rick’s life is truly a rollercoaster ride. One minute he’s on top of the world, the next, he’s fighting just to survive. Unfortunately drugs and depression play a huge part in Rick’s life, and it’s all caught on film. What’s so amazing about this film is that we really get an insight into this man’s life for better or for worse. We witness everything, from his fights with his wife, to his moving self confessions, to when the police take him away. Rick becomes completely and utterly obsessed with recording everything, which in the end contributes to his wife and children leaving him. This is not a happy film. It’s actually really depressing watching this man throw his life away. But it really does give you an amazing insight into the psyche of human beings. I don’t care what anyone thinks; I really got a lot out of this film. Sure the production values were crap, as it was shot on a dodgy handy cam. But the content was just so fascinating. Who ever edited this together did an amazing job. What would have been millions of hours of footage has been nicely compressed into a tight and effective story. This film also explores a generation obsessed with celebrity and technology. It will make you laugh, but more often than note, it will make you just think to yourself “why”! Human beings are so very complex and frustrating. This film proves it.