TV Junkie

A look at the downward spiral of former TV reporter Rick Kirkham, who filmed years of his own drug abuse that cost him his job, his family and almost his life. Directed by Michael Cain and Matt Radecki. A Special Jury Prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival., In this documentary that focuses on the private life of a very public media figure, filmmakers Michael Cain and Matt Radeki wade through more than 3,000 of former Inside Edition correspondent Rick Kirkham’s personal video footage to tell the harrowing tale of a life spiraling out of control. Ever since receiving his very first video camera at the age of fourteen, Kirkham has used the lens as everything from a private confessional to a personal confidant, obsessively capturing every emotion and constantly laying his soul bare as the tape rolled. From his early break as an American Bandstand dancer to turn as a local TV news reporter and eventual rise to national correspondent for Inside Edition, Kirkham always had a fresh tape and something to say. As Kirkham and his girlfriend discover that she has become pregnant and quickly begin making marriage plans, the troubled persona that emerges in front of his own camera lens stands in stark contrast to the carefree public face put forward for the Inside Edition broadcasts.