A Thousand Junkies

The one reviewer that said it wasn't realistic because they only had one dealer, obviously didn't watch the movie. I found the situations they were in pretty realistic having been an addict. However, they didn't look that dope sick, but that probably wouldn't have been practical for an entertaining movie. However, given their financial situation perhaps they were barely getting well and their physical addictions weren't that bad at the time. I have been there as well, heroin can be just as much mentally addicting as it is physical. You convince yourself you are sick and need a hit when you are just a little uncomfortable.

Three junkies team up to take the sometimes difficult task of just getting "straight" to start their day. To accomplish that task they must first find a way to fund the mission, then find a dealer (no dealer can tell time by the way). Run all over town trying to meet said dealer. The whole time all three are getting sicker from the the withdrawal of Heroin by the minute. This continues until you physically cannot function, at least for me in my experiences. Raw gritty truthful dialogue of how the drug consumes your life. The real hard truth brought to your living room.

Honest portrayal of 3 guys desperately spending the day trying to cop some dope to "get well". Written, directed and acted by guys who have lived the life, suffering from addiction. Comic moments come up throughout the film, easing the tension the film creates for the viewer as these guys spend their work day stooping lower and lower to get what they desperately need.

This is an insight into the desperate need to score, but this had a lot of potential but failed to deliver. Felt like this was a Disney version of something that could have been a lot more. If I was a school teacher marking a kids homework I would say "good effort but you must try harder".

I won't do a summary since there is already one. Keep in mind if you live in SoCal you understand this is not really a true take on junkies (most of us here have one or more in the family) - it is a joke about junkies. And yes my opinion you should be able to joke about things without Everyone jumping on the PC police wagon. This is something not to take serious, but crack a beer eat bbq, relax have a laugh - heck they even tossed in a Russian talking about the Armenians. The three characters pretty much covered most of the personality type - there is always one junkie worried about unpaid warrants and driving. Cinematography/scene setting was done nicely, clothing/costumes realistic. It's all just a fun average weekend movie.

I get it that some other reviewers call this unrealistic, I really do. They probably saw their share of desperate junkies, I did as well, so comparing their life to this movie just doesn't work. The reality of heroin addiction is much worse and harsher than shown in this movie. But nevertheless A Thousand Junkies is well made, it's interesting to watch, it has some decent acting, and even though they don't look like hardcore-beyond-saving heroin addicts there are very recognizable stereotypes portrayed in this movie. The constant lying, the fake promises, never having a dime in their pockets, always looking to con, steal or do whatever it needs to be done to get their next fix, it's like watching the daily routine of any street junkie. I've lived in a big city, saw dozens of those zombies, knew some personally that drifted away from being normal to become a waste of space, so for that the story is accurate, but the reality is just so much worse. A Thousand Junkies is just a soft impression of addiction but it's enjoyable to watch.

I know some people have said this movie is unrealistic, but it was more or less pretty similar to my experience. It's been over a decade since I lived that life, but it brought back some painful memories and reminded me how lucky I am. I thought the movie did a great job of portraying what most days are like for a addict. I have been all of these characters wrap into one. Most days are the same as the day before. So, if you want to see the sequel, just rewatch this movie. Side note: Seems as though no matter where you live the dope man takes forever. Every addict has the same experience. "I'm 5 min away.... No go here instead, I'm 15 min away... I'm coming over the bridge I'm 10 min away" Just goes to show, they sell drugs for a reason. Because they're horrible businessmen.