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The subject is still a touchy one when it comes to Hollywood. There is a fine line between glamorizing alcohol and drugs while at the same time conveying the moral and legal ramifications associated with using them. There are a handful of movies that show the real side of substance abuse without the glitz and glamour, yet are stylized enough to be popular and profitable. I chose the following movies because of my love of movies and because of the various addictions I have struggled with over the years. Every time I see one of these movies it reminds me of where I have been and where I could have ended up had I not managed to defeat my personal demons. With that I have compiled the 10 Best Movies about Substance Abuse.
Edward Jessup (William Hurt in his film debut) is a university professor who, while studying schizophrenia begins to think that “our other states of consciousness are as real as our waking states.” Jessup begins experimenting with sensory-depravation using a flotation tank. The professor then enhances the effects of his experiments by injecting a “mushroom cocktail” he brought back from Mexico. In the flotation tank he undergoes a series of increasingly drastic psychological and physical transformations. The 1980 film is an adaption of a novel by the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. It was the only novel that Chayefsky ever wrote, as well as his final film. Both the novel and the film are based on John C. Lilly’s sensory depravation research conducted in isolation tanks under the influence of psychoactives like ketamine and LSD. This is a favorite movie of mine because of it’s artsy, wildly hallucinogenic drug scenes.
Also titled Tell Your Children, this 1936 cult classic was intended to be shown to parents as a morality tale attempting to teach them about the dangers of cannabis use. However, soon after the film was shot, it was purchased by producer Dwain Esper, who re-cut the film for distribution on the exploitation film circuit. In 1971, Reefer Madness was discovered in the Library of Congress archives by National Organization for Marijuana Reform Laws founder Keith Stroup, who bought a print for $297, and made it the darling of pot smokers and college campuses. For this modern audience, the poor production values and overacting create an uproarious comedy. Stroup is also responsible for the notion that the film was originally created as a propaganda piece. Distributing Reefer Madness to college campuses of the 1970s helped bankroll the burgeoning film company New Line Cinema.
In 2004, 20th Century Fox, in collaboration with Legend Films, released a colorized version of the film on DVD. The original release date was April 20, 2004 (4/20/2004) , a reference to the marijuana slang term “420.” Also during the film, the number “4″ and then “20″ is flashed very quickly (as a joke on subliminal messages), which is an effect added by Legend Films. The color version features intentionally unrealistic color schemes that add to the film’s unintentionally campy humor. The smoke from the “marijuana” was made to appear green, blue, orange, and purple, each person’s colored smoke representing their mood and the different “levels of ‘addiction’”.
This is an often overlooked but powerful portrait of how a recreational drug user (James Woods) got hooked on coke and ruined his entire life. He got his wife hooked, lost a high powered job, his home, friends and even his unborn child. It was a tragic yet realistic story that was brought to life by the fantastic acting of Woods. It also featured a scene with actress Agnes Moorehead free basing. It was the first time I ever saw crack smoking on screen.
A group of disaffected Scottish youths turn to heroin to escape the banalities of modern-day existence. Then, they begin to suffer the consequences and discover that there are no easy solutions to the inherent loneliness and pain of life. Its release sparked some controversy in some countries, including the UK, Australia and the United States, as to whether it promoted drug use or not. U.S. Senator Bob Dole accused it of moral depravity and glorifying drug use during the 1996 US Presidential Campaign, although he later admitted that he had not actually seen the film. The Academy Award nominated script featured a classic scene in which one of the addicts in the midst of a heroin induced high is searching for the “perfect toilet” in which to take a crap. It is descriptive, highly visual and ultimately one of the most disgusting scenes captured on film.
Card shark, musician and ex-con Frankie (Frank Sinatra) battles to curb his heroin addiction while dealing with the needs of his wheelchair bound wife and his true love, Molly (Kim Novak). The film was controversial for its time; the Motion Picture Association of America refused to certify the film because it showed drug addiction. The film was released without the MPAA’s seal of approval. This sparked a change in production codes, allowing movies more freedom to more deeply explore taboo subjects such drug abuse, kidnapping, abortion and prostitution.
Frank Sinatra , who jumped at a chance to star in the film before reading the entire script – spent time at drug rehabilitation clinics observing addicts going cold turkey. The script was given to Marlon Brando around the same time as Sinatra, who still harbored some anger at Brando since he had beaten out Sinatra for the lead role in On The Waterfront. Directed by Otto Preminger, it was nominated for three Academy Awards including Sinatra for Best Actor.
Set in Detroit, 2 heroin addicts (Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth) decide to kick their habit after their best friend and band mate, Cookie, overdoses on her first hit. Throughout a disastrous day, the two addicts dodge police and local criminals while struggling with an apathetic government bureaucracy that bars their entrance into a rehabilitation clinic. Gridlock’d marked the directorial debut of actor Vondie Curtis-Hall. He wrote the screenplay in 1993 and based it on actual life experience as a junkie during the 1970’s. Much like the characters in the film, Hall and a friend sought treatment for their addiction only to be told that it would take weeks to get admitted into rehab.. The film paid tribute to star Tupac Shakur who had been murdered several months before the film’s release.
The story follows Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) and his “family” of drug addicts as they travel across the US Pacific Northwest in the early 1970’s, supporting their habit by robbing pharmacies and hospitals. A highlight of the film is an appearance by recovering addict William Burroughs as Tom, a defrocked priest who lectures Bob on the dangers of temptation. After a tragedy strikes the “family” , Bob decides to try to go straight but finds that there is more to extricating himself from the drug user’s lifestyle than just giving up drugs. It was a breakout performance by Matt Dillion that helped solidify his career and the success of the movie.
Because his wife left him and took his son with her, screenwriter Ben Anderson (Nicolas Cage) has started drinking….a lot. When he gets fired, he decides to leave everything behind and move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. In Las Vegas he meets Sera, (Elisabeth Shue)a prostitute with some problems as well who he moves in with. Mike Figgis masterminded the film, not only directing but writing the script and composing the score. In April 1994, shortly before preproduction of the film began, John O’Brien, author of the semi-autobiographical novel this film is based on, committed suicide. As a result, the production was stopped temporarily. Throughout production, Figgis had problems because permits were not issued for some street scenes. This caused him to film some scenes in one shot to avoid any police contact.
Cage researched his character by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend to videotape him under the influence so he could study his speech patterns. He later admitted that “it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of research I’ve ever had to do for a part.” Nicolas Cage received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in this film. Elisabeth Shue was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the film also received nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Director.
This classic film depicts the subtle, insidious nature of alcohol addiction. It follows the downward spiral of two average Americans who succumb to alcoholism and attempt to deal with their problem. Joe is a former social drinker who turns alcoholic due to pressures at work. He meets his future wife Kirsten at a party, and they both slowly become full-blown alcoholics and lose everything. Joe’s crazy and frenzied smash up of the contents of his in-laws greenhouse while looking for a bottle of booze he had hidden there highlights the characters descent into madness.
Director Blake Edwards became a non-drinker a year after completing the film and went into substance recovery. He said that he and Jack Lemmon were heavy drinkers while making the film. Both Lemmon and actress Lee Remick sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous long after they had completed the film. The film had a lasting effect in helping alcoholics deal with their problem. Today Days of Wine and Roses is required viewing in many alcoholic and drug rehabilitation clinics across America.
This is probably the grittiest, dirtiest, saddest yet most realistic portrayal of drug users ever put on film. This movie exposes four paralleled individuals and their menacing addiction to heroin, cocaine, and diet pills (speed). Taking place in Brooklyn amidst the decaying Coney Island, the drugs are very easily obtained and keep each main character in its cycle of dependence. Watching the addicts spiral out of control, we bear witness to the ugliest portions of the underworld addicts reside in. Ellen Burstyn was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Sara Goldfarb, the mother of one of the addicts.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia. Some synopses are courtesy of IMDB, the Internet Movie Database.
Contributor: MT
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November 29th, 2008 at 2:28 am
nice list….. except you left out fear and loathing in las vegas!
November 29th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Second
November 29th, 2008 at 2:36 am
The basketball diaries!
November 29th, 2008 at 2:39 am
not a bad list i like number 1 but you gotta put fear and loathing in las vegas as a bonus
November 29th, 2008 at 2:43 am
This is a very good list. I really do need to see some of these movies. I wish I could watch movies while I was asleep, instead of dreams.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:57 am
these movies might be helpful for people out there who want to start a new life.just like u. congratulation and thank you 4 such a great list!!!
November 29th, 2008 at 3:01 am
apparently you didn’t watch fear and loathing in las vegas. watch and change the list, seriously.
November 29th, 2008 at 3:12 am
The people stating that Fear and Loathing should be on the list are missing the bigger picture. This is a list of films where drugs are the centerpiece. They are the story. Fear and Loathing drugs played a far distant role to that of Depp and his portrayal of Hunter S. Thompson. Gilliam did a fantastic job with the movie and Depp played the role of his career. It does not however belong on this list.
November 29th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Please explain why Ron? I’ve never seen the movie, but the book is about drugs.
November 29th, 2008 at 3:31 am
Another Day in Paradise should have been on here. As well as stated above: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. For those of you who think that movie was about something other than drugs you are right, it’s also about a dirt bike race…. Jackasses. The FIRST LINE of the movie is “We were somewhere around Barstow, near the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold.” Now maybe you can argue that it’s more about the character then drugs, but you would be missing the point of the whole movie. That being the characters eventual breakdown due to his drug use. And lest we forget.. I know they can’t be Considered GOOD movies, but can we at least recognize the ground breaking importance of CHEECH AND CHONG in making drug movies a marketable commodity?
November 29th, 2008 at 3:50 am
The Lost Weekend might be another consideration. The 1945 Best Picture and Palme d’Or winner was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Ray Milland as an alcoholic.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Fear and Loathing is definitely a drug movie and certainly worthy of at least an honorable mention. I think another movie that should deserve some mention would be Candy, which focuses on heroin use. It was a movie Heath Ledger did in…I want to say 2005 or somewhere thereabout.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Fear and Loathing should definitely be on this list. Like the poster says: Love It, Hate It. Take the Ride! That movie IS a trip.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:40 am
In Trainspotting he is looking for a toilet because of the sudden need to take a crap during an attempt to stop using heroin, not when he is high.
Heroin causes constipation so quitting gives you sudden diarrhea.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:46 am
i absolutely love trainspotting and requiem for a dream. but fear and loathing, candy, and blow are really great too if you are into this type of movie. fear and loathing is a staple! if you haven’t seen it you haven’t seen a good addict movie!
November 29th, 2008 at 4:55 am
what about a scanner darkly? that is another awesome drug based film, and also very good to watch when on drugs! that was a weird evening……
November 29th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Maybe you should have done an honorable mentions part including the Cheech & Chong films, Fear and Loathing (I think it’s a drug film but if you don’t, then it still could’ve been an honorable mention perhaps?), and Withnail & I. Withnail includes a hell of a lot of substance abuse, but it isn’t centred around that so I guess it can’t be included. But an honorable mention, maybe?
November 29th, 2008 at 5:09 am
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas does not need to be on this list, in no part does it touch upon the negatives of addiction and also isnt about drug addiction but drug use, HST God Rest His Soul, did not identify himself as an addict and certainly never thought any drug addled thing he ever did was out of the ordinary, we watched “28 days in treatment” and I’d say “Another Day in Paradise” ought to be on the list. And just for the record it always annoyed me in “The Man With The Golden Arm” when he is clucking and then frantically sticks a hair brush tooth into his arm as if it will ease the withdrawal…
November 29th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Good list! I have to agree with fear and loathing…but I feel that Blow should also be on this list.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:15 am
I think I’m the only person on earth who doesn’t like Requiem for a Dream.
I really think the Basketball Diaries would be a great addition to this list. You know, if it was a Top 11.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Trainspotting #1. Fear and loathing #2.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Fear and Loathing most certainly should be on this list. grateful recovering…, this is not a list about films with the main theme of drug addiction, its a list of films exploring substance abuse. and if you have ever seen fear and loathing they certainly abuse a wide range of drugs. top film
November 29th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I was half-expecting Scarface to be on this list, but perhaps that doesn’t quite have substance abuse as it’s central theme. I suppose it’s also about power, and the women and the money, etc.
Didn’t know all that background to Days of Wine and Roses.
Very interesting list.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:22 am
BONUS
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120669/
November 29th, 2008 at 6:29 am
fear and loathing is a real good film, should be on this list for sure. do you know spun? its also a good drug movie… watch it if you like the general theme of drug films and such!
November 29th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Van Helsing go away
November 29th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Requiem is massively overrated. All the high theatrics make it laugable, and ironically it has no substance after the first viewing.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:53 am
can someone remove this joker!
November 29th, 2008 at 6:57 am
STFU, you pathetic douchebag.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Can I just say what an honour it is to have such a comedy genius on this site. Wow.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:18 am
MT you should have at least put a Long Day’s Journey Into Night as a notbale admission.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I loved Fear and Loathing! “We can’t stop here- This is BAT COUNTRY!” Johnny Depp is awesome! It is amazing how much he looked and acted just like Hunter S. Thompson.
After watching Requiem, I would really like to have that two hours of my life back.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:46 am
u should’ve considered the movie FORREST GUMP..hehe
November 29th, 2008 at 8:07 am
what about SPUN it should be 1st or at least 2nd
November 29th, 2008 at 8:10 am
# 45 he needs to be sedated and put into a straight jacket.
November 29th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Forrest Gump doesn’t deserve to be any list unless the title contains words like ‘Worst’ or ‘Shockingly Bad’
Sorry, I know, I hate Tom Hanks and I need to deal with it.
Sorry, sorry, sorry…
November 29th, 2008 at 8:29 am
what about the billy holiday movie? or the story of the
first days of AA with james woods?
November 29th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Interesting list. Fear and Loathing was a good movie and should have been at least a bonus. What about Leaving Las Vegas? (A guy goes to Vegas to drink himself to death…woo hoo! Fun!) The Lost Weekend should definitely be there. Oh, and Harold and Kumar…two guys addicted to White Castle burgers! Ha!
November 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
the ass crack spamtroll has been removed. so some comments from legitimate LVers may seem bit off. anyway…. lame ass vampire hunter persona has been vanquished.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Steeveedee – check out number 3
I agree Basketball Diaries should be there somewhere. The story of Jim Carol’s drug abuse.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Overall a good list but I don’t think Refer Madness should be on there.It’s a farce, and doesn’t show anything realistic concerning substance abuse.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Thanks Cyn, now you make me sound like some sort of mad person!
November 29th, 2008 at 9:20 am
better a mad person than an ass crack!
November 29th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Awesome list! Very glad to see Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream on there.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:33 am
The Parade of the Elephants in Dumbo was psychedelic and Psychedelia was at least 20 years away!
November 29th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Great list MT. I would like to submit for consideration Spun and Midnight Express.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:41 am
how come no one has mentioned Less Than Zero?
November 29th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Great list. Someother great ones:
Candy
The basketball diaries
A scanner darkly
i think they all show very ugly and realistic portrayals of drug addicts.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:57 am
List = useless, without Children of Banhof Zoo
November 29th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Withnail and I?
You’ve clearly missed the best two.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I agree with #38. The Lost Weekend is the 1946 Best Picture winner about an alcoholic’s downward spiral over the course of a weekend. But great list overall.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:06 am
what? No ‘Traffic”? watching an intelligent rich girl fall into the trappings of abuse? and watching how cocaine permeates entire families? great film-belongs here. Plus, Micheal Douglas was phenomenal in this film.
“Spun” was good, too, about meth addiction.
Personally, I don’t think any of these films truly captures substance addiction. I have a friend whom is a recovering heroin addict. everyday is a struggle for her. I came up with a theory-that nobody ever really sets out to become addicted. they all start recreational or experimentally… then ,well, they have a few bad days, remember how good they felt on the substance of choice, and partake. then they do it again. then by themselves. pretty quickly, they realize they are stuck.
never been addicted to anything-but I do like the cannabis every now & again.
rtr
November 29th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Spun and Basketball Diaries should def be on this list.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I love Basketball Diaries (as well as The Lost Weekend, Less Than Zero, Half-Baked and Cheech and Chong movies). I just couldn’t include them all so I narrowed the list down to my favorites. If there any other movies that you feel are noteworthy then please let us know.
Thanks for all of your comments.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:22 am
BLOW?!?
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS?!?
Both amazing films, and true stories, about drug addiction and the consequences of.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:37 am
You forgot-
- A Scanner Darkly
- HALF BAKED
- Spun
Has anyone seen a movie called “Potluck”? It’s an indie film about weed-smokers, but it’s one of those muliple-storyline moves that all connect at the end. Check it out.
Weeds is an honorable mention, but it’s a show, not a movie.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Agnes Moorehead (who played “Endora” in “Bewitched”) died in 1974, 14 years before “The Boost” was filmed. While I haven’t seen “The Boost,” I notice that Amanda Blake (who played “Kitty” in “Gunsmoke”) was in the movie–perhaps you meant to refer to her.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Half Nelson is another good one, I think Ryan Gosling got a best actor nomination for it. I’m enjoying the argument about Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Two points on that: It IS a drug movie, it is not however, as good as the other ten films listed here, and that’s coming from a Terry Gilliam fan.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
fear and loathing?!
November 29th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Trainspotting is a great movie…Velvet Goldmine (also with Ewan MacGregor) is another great one.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:18 am
i read the title an i thought requim for a dream would be first but what about that jonny deep one?
November 29th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Thank you for NO fear and Loathing… I have tried to watch that film so many times and just fail each time. I have read the book however, which is just as bad. I honest to god could not tell you what happens in it.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:34 am
#31 803cpkeenan: I agree that A Long Days Journey Into Night should have at least had an honorable mention.
Sid and Nancy should scare anyone away from heroin use.
The Salton Sea showed how drugs can ruin lives, both for users and innocent bystanders.
Otherwise, great list, MT.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I can’t say whether The Panic in Needle Park deserves to be on this list, I never saw the movie. A friend of mine was originally cast in the lead role, but right before shooting was to begin, the producer went with some unknown kid named Al Pacino.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:52 am
notable omissions: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (Children of Bahnhof Zoo) and A Scanner Darkly. But I totally agree with the number 1.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
.57 FOS
You are right of course. Thanks for the catch! That’s what I get for writing at 3am. A correction is on the way.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
@ downhighway61 #20:
No, you are not the only person that doesn’t like Requiem for a Dream. I hated that movie. T.T
And actually, I was kinda surprised Scarface wasn’t up there. His cocaine addiction played a big part in the movie.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Fear and Loathing was a free for all drug fest. It wasn’t about drug abuse. There were no consequences for the doing of drugs in this movie.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Sometimes I wish I had a substance abuse problem, just so I could get more out of these movies.
(jk, of course)
Great list… I haven’t seen most of these, and I want to rent them all now!
November 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
You really need to have Human Traffic on this list. The entire film is about the drink and drug culture of 90s britain, put it in
November 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I think Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” should be included. In an abstract way.
November 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Great list, though I hardly think “Reefer Madness” “shows the real side of substance abuse without the glitz and glamour”. I think if the reefer was replaced with meth, their behavior would be much more realistic. As it is, I have never seen pot heads that high strung. I would also like to add my two cents to the “Fear and Loathing” argument. I’ve read the book a couple times, seen the movie several times, own it, the director’s cut- and I do not think it should be on this list. It’s a drug movie, not a drug addiction movie, and Hunter S. Thompson would be a terrible example to show addicts trying to recover. He spent decades in drug addled eccentric adventures, and the consequences were minimal. He lived a lot longer than most addicts, and didn’t even die from directly drug related causes. If anything, watching “Fear and Loathing” makes me want to do drugs. And the Cheech and Chong movies? I love them, but yet again they are getting off scot free and going on wonderfully wild drug fueled adventures- not the best advice for drug addicts.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
“Panic in Needle Park” is a fantastic film, Yogibarrister.. There’s this actress, Kitty Winn. Oh, man! I sure wish she were in more films.
Oustanding performance. Pacino is really good in his loose confident guy of the streets. He’s only his annoying”look at me, I’m Al Pacino” a couple of times so….
and I also thought of “Half Nelson”, as you mentioned already above somewhere. More people should see both. I highly recommend them.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Sorry, but I have to do this. The word is not “depravation,” it’s “deprivation” — you’re sensorily dePRIVed, not dePRAVed. Also, Stroup’s organization is the National Organization to Reform the Marijuana Laws, which is how you get the politically significant acronym NORML. It’s the little things, MT. Other than that, excellent list, including two of my own faves, “Altered States” and “Reefer Madness.” Hope to see more from you.
Oh, and for those of you who want to see drug abuse in the yuckiest light imaginable, try Terry Gilliam’s “Tideland.”
November 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Martin #74, Tideland is a more appropriate Gilliam movie for this particular list than F & L.
For the commenters who don’t think Reefer Madness is harrowing enough, check out this clip.
WARNING: This film has adult language and an immodestly attired Kristen Bell.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Alright, not worth being in the list but Friday was a good drug film
November 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Anyone ever heard of Rush? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102820/ It’s oldish but I think it gives a pretty realistic portrayal of getting in over your head.
November 29th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Rush is an AWESOME movie!
November 29th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Christiane F
November 29th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
drugs are bad mmkay
November 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
How about Blow?
November 29th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
What about Party Monster? Based on a true story, and the main guy KILLS SOMEONE then hides the body under a coffee table…I mean, WTF?
November 29th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
What about Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch – not sure if it’s right for the list but it is absolutely psycho!
November 29th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
As a former addict I’m offended that Shakes The Clown wasn’t included.
November 29th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Of coarse, Shakes The Clown. Perhaps I was too smart as a highschooler. Perhaps I should have smoked crack and it would have been Highlarious.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Would “Scarface” qualify as a drug movie?
November 29th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Awesome list
and no, fear and loathing shouldnt be here because it totally glorifys drug use which is not what he was going for with this list. I hate saying that because i love the movie but it is true. Perfect choice for number 1 too..
November 29th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Naked Lunch?
PS – descending guns
November 29th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
where is fear and loathing??
November 29th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Spun was also pretty good.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283003/
November 29th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I am shocked to see ‘Withnail & I’ has not been mentioned yet. The movie is both hilarious and tragic. A stunning performance from Richard. E. Grant also. I felt Trainspotting should be higher on the list. Everything about that movie is top notch. From the script to the acting to the cinematography. The movie is as rewatchable as Pulp Fiction.
How about a Your View on ‘Should Drugs Be Legal’
My answer is yes. People should be free to fuck themselves up as much as they like.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a good one.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I really liked this list and MT’s personal story behind it. Days of Wine and Roses is one of my favorites. Another movie I thought worth mentioning is “Clean and Sober” with Michael Keaton. Also there is a film made back in the early 50’s starring Burt Lancaster called “Come Back Little Sheba” that I think is really good.
November 30th, 2008 at 2:04 am
What, no Pineapple Express?
November 30th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I’m glad to see Altered States on this list. My best friend and I saw it when it first came out. It was such a trip that we got high as hell and went to see it again. It was even better.
November 30th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I LOVE altered states
like when he turns into a monkey “AAAHH!!”
November 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am
i agree: SPUN should at the very least receive an honorable mention.
November 30th, 2008 at 11:37 am
What about Permanent Midnight (the one serious role Ben Stiller pulls off successfully, he plays one of the creators of Alf, who happens to be a heroin addict) and also Homegrown, with Billy Bob Thornton. Now I know I’ll probably draw some heat for this next statement, but Half Baked really sucked. The story was predictable and the white guy really got on my nerves with the “I’m sooooo stoked” facial expressions. Hated it. Absolutely hated it.
Requiem for a dream is definitely worthy of its spot in the list but they shouldve included Basketball Diaries.
November 30th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Has no one heard of Easy Rider?
November 30th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Commenter 49 (Boogie) is completely right. I forgot about Christiane F. It’s without any doubt in my mind the most powerfully off-putting film on drug abuse I’ve ever seen. It was scaringly accurate, realistic, and true. Very harrowing and haunting, loved that film. I advise everybody to watch it.
November 30th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Dazed and Confused wasn’t on it?
November 30th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I would put the Lost Weekend as well
November 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
what about human traffic??
November 30th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
i knew requiem for a dream was gonna be in number one
one of my favorite movies and i know urs too
November 30th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
BLOW!
I love that movie.
November 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
What about The Lost Weekend?
November 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Sid and Nancy
Spun
Basketball Diaries
all should have been on this list.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:50 am
Blow should be on the list…great movie. But this list makes me want to watch a lot of these movies…but I feel it would be really depressing…lol.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:20 am
awesome that Requiem was # 1. (whole way reading the list i was thinking ‘requiem better be here SOMEWHERE!’
and fear and loathing should be here somewhere (or at the worst get an honorable mention).
December 1st, 2008 at 5:16 am
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas… I don’t know why isn’t there at least an explanation from JFrater about the lack of this movie on the list (???)
December 1st, 2008 at 5:22 am
im sorry but i cannot agree with this list … comment 1 was right
i shall return in future
but not anytime soon
December 1st, 2008 at 6:35 am
less than zero?
December 1st, 2008 at 6:57 am
Notable omissions:
Clean and Sober
28 Days
When a Man Loves a Woman
December 1st, 2008 at 7:31 am
Of course, when we watched Reefer Madness for the first time, we had to get wasted, and the second time and….I don’t think I watched it a third time yet. I never understood how anyone could say Trainspotting glamourises drug use.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:41 am
Wonderland?
That movie is centered around drugs…
and John Holmes’s thing.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:25 am
no suprise to see Requiem at #1. i swear, you must REALLY love that movie. it’s made it to more lists i think than any other movie ever.
When a man loves a woman, and Clean and Sober, and Less than Zero would be good mentions too.
The Salton Sea is a great look at drug use. You should check it out. oh, and what about Boogie Nights??? That is a totally effed up portrayal of how drugs ruin lives, in more than one character. That was a sad pass up. But then again, these are your favoritie movies, so the list is bound to be biased.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am
Dimitar #110, this wasn’t JaFra’s list. There have been about ten explanations for why Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas does not belong on this list. It isn’t a list of movies about drugs, it’s about addiction. F&L in LV is a drug romp movie, perhaps Terry Gilliam’s worst if you don’t count Don Quitote.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
My two cents…
Wired – A fantastic film about John Belushi’s life and death from his vast appetite for drugs.
Clean and Sober – A good movie about recovery -(I am actually in this movie as a bystander on the street at the theatre – filmed in So. Philly)
New Jack City – The birth of “Crack” – Ice T & Chris Rock are too cool!
I haven’t seen Requiem yet but I will after seeing the Bodacious Babe in the picture….. woh…
December 1st, 2008 at 12:05 pm
My vote for omissions goes to:
Crush and Naked Lunch
I enjoyed Leaving Las Vegas novel so much that I didn´t dare to watch the movie and let Nicholas Cage spoil it.
Good job MT, Fear and Loathing belongs to another List.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Here’s the thing: the list is about substance ABUSE, not addiction. In that case, there was a lot of abusing going on in Fear & Loathing. It probably wasn’t exactly what MT was looking for and I don’t think it really fits. If we take “abuse” as in “going so overboard that you see the dark, bad side”, then Fear & Loathing definately doesn’t belong and doesn’t seem to belong on this list.
I thought it was well written and put together. Was this your first, MT? I thought I recalled seeing at least another by you. Well done.
Cyn and JFrater: My two cents on deleting “ass crack trolls”. By all means, do it, but Romero and Rays Bees do look crazy. I figured out what happened, but maybe you want to write “spam comment deleted by Cyn” instead of just wiping his existance out. I’d love to do the latter, but it took me some time to figure out that Romera and Rays weren’t yelling at each other.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Naked Lunch, now there’s a crazy film. I think if anybody does a ‘WTF is going on in this film’ list or a ‘directors who have substance issues ‘ list, Naked Lunch would be there.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Hey 20. downhighway61
I think Requiem for a Dream was by far one of the worst movies I have EVER seen. It was god awful and disgusting. “A55 to A55 Maide Marien” are you freakin kidding me, absolute trash” It belongs with the other movies that are made specifically for the “Shock” effect, and they take it too far. I was very disappointed that Jennifer Connolly chose to be in such a piece of Sh** movie. Like when she did the first hulk movie….why…just why.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
What about the movie BLOW? He loses his house, wife, and child. Plus he goes to jail. I think it deserves number 2 spot
December 1st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I agree Cedestra, in that case I recommend two of my favorite movies that include drug abuse:
- Jacob´s Ladder
- Adaptation
December 1st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
120. Cedestra -
39. Cyn -
the ass crack spamtroll has been removed. so some comments from legitimate LVers may seem bit off. anyway…. lame ass vampire hunter persona has been vanquished.
~
thankfully this kinda blatant ’spamtrolling’ doesn’t come up too often, so i don’t think there’s a need to edit those kinda comments w/ a disclaimer about it being edited due to asshattery
nor do i think it necessary to give the username anymore play so a deletion w/ the occasional follow up comment ..in the case of excessive comments and/or commentor interaction should suffice.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I almost hate to say it, but you missed “A Clockwork Orange” – this is a truly disturbing movie that included significant quantities of drugs, drug therapy and whatnot. I actually had nightmares the first time I saw the movie…
December 1st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
How can you possibly leave Fear and Loathing out of a list on substance abuse movies?
December 1st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Just an observation. People who love Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the movie) are drug addled nitwits.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
The Lost Weekend is a classic movie about alcoholism.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
The more I read this site, the more convinced I am that everyone who puts these lists together is 15. Requiem for a Dream is a shitty, shitty movie.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
MT-Not to be critical but Reefer Madness is pure camp comedy although the folks who made it probably dont think so.Just my opinion.Isn`t that Obi-Wan-Knobi with that bottle of hooch in Trainspotting ? Nice list,i`ve seen some of these movies and probably need to see the rest.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 am
Oh Cmon?!?!?!?! Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?!?!?!?! Its bat country man!!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
interesting read
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Great list, would have included Fear and Loathing, Rush, Blow, Pulp Fiction, Spun, Friday, Drug Store Cowboy, and Jesus’ Son to it, but great list nonetheless.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
How about “Whose afraid of Virginia Woolfe?” Great film dealing with alcoholism.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
What about “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” by Eugene O’Neill starring Ralph Richardson and Katherine Hepburn? It should at least get an Honorable Mention.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Naked lunch..you need to abuse the substance to be able to watch this piece
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
such a good number one choice. Requiem made me feel physically ill the first time i saw it
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I know it was mentioned a few times before, but for a comedic character actor such as Michael Keaton to pull off a fantastic portrayal of a man going through substance withdrawal was the highlight of Clean and Sober. Most definitely anyone who has seen the film will agree it should have been listed.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Fear and Loathing definitely should be on this list. Addiction and abuse, though sometimes go hand in hand, are two different things, and this list is about substance abuse. There aren’t too many movies out there where a larger array of drugs are abused! Just take a look into their briefcase! and i love the scene when they try to do coke in a convertible. No disrespect to MT, this is a great list.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:08 am
Candy should be on there, and what about When a man loves a women, and Basketball diaries.
Sounds like you need to make another list.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
Reefer Madness is the most overrated piece of garbage. It’s not funny for it’s overacting, it’s pathetic. You exempted good movies for this pothead novelty film. For shame.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 am
The Basketball Diaries, Half Nelson, Spun, and Fear and Loathing all needed to be on here…switch it up to the top 15 and throw A Scanner Darkly on there too….then its a complete list.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Candy &
Little Fish
for sure
December 4th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
In no way is Fear and Loathing a film that centers on drug use. Every movie on the list revolves around drugs as the plot and the centerpiece. Fear and Loathing does in fact, involve drugs, but they are simply there to compliment the plot, which is, in HST’s own words, the pursuit of the American Dream. A twisted version, perhaps, but nonetheless, F&L does not belong here.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
While I agree RFAD should be #1, a close second, IMHO, would be “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Richard Burton & Liz Taylor with Sandy Dennis & George Segal (outside of two very small cameos, the 4 are the only characters and all 4 actors were nominated for Academy Awards; picture won 7 total in 1966, adapted quite true from Edward Albee’s play of the same name).
Gritty re: booze but more involved with sex, lies, and “the establishment.”
Also like “Days of Wine and Roses” Woolf has a haunting & beautiful score with the title song sung by Bobby Darin (not in the movie, just a note).
Im sure lots of these movies have partners that cuddle up close to each.
Great list! Thanks & keep em coming!
~Chicago
December 5th, 2008 at 2:09 am
everyone check out the movie “broken vessels”
December 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
i was going to say that you should have put the movie KIDS in this since it revolves around using drugs but that is not the main point of the movie so i guess you are correct, i believe that fear and loathing in las vegas should be here because the purpose of the movie is to deliver goods, the whole time they are doing drugs and are hooked, they do not have a sober moment in that movie while on the trip.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Some additional consideration needs given to:
Blow (mentioned many times here);
Fear and Loathing (likewise mentioned);
The Basketball Diaries (how more harrowing can it get than the Jim Carroll Story?);
Boogie Nights (while not centering on drug addiction, the movie delves into it with Dirk’s transformation into a coke head).
December 6th, 2008 at 10:52 am
BTW…It was great to see Drugstore Cowboy get it’s props here. That movie was phenomenal.
December 7th, 2008 at 5:25 am
“fear of loathing in las vegas” i would think that to be the number 1 movie in this regard.
December 7th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Ah…I don’t know about the others, but I agree with the first. I knew soon as I saw this list that Requiem for a Dream would be first.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Trainspotting should at least be #2..
December 8th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Great list.was happy to see leaving las Vegas so high on the list.as a former drunk,that movie has and always will hold a special place in my heart.on another note,I agree that fear and loathing does NOT have a proper place anywhere on this list.I do believe however that BLOW should have been included but,hey,you can only do so much,you know? GREAT JOB I say
December 10th, 2008 at 4:39 am
Party Monster
December 10th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
what about Candy? Aussie film with Heath ledger & Abbie Cornish… its such a realistic story and so sad how so many ppls lifes become that… you should add that to your list!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
plus its australian
December 10th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
candy is good
what about the nightstalker
or spun!!!!
December 11th, 2008 at 5:44 am
is there already a list on the 10 best books about substance abuse? With that list suggestion I suggest “A Teenager’s Journey” by Richard Pelzer.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:42 am
How the f*** could we have forgotten
“Pulp Fiction”
December 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
What about Spun???
December 18th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Great list, Fear and Loathing shouldn’t be there as drugs is just the subplot, there is a narrative which uses drugs to simply elevate the plot, sort of an adrenaline shot…If you work on those principals then films such as One Flew Over should be included, even though drugs are just present in the subplot.
December 19th, 2008 at 8:13 am
No I totally disagree paro…Fear and Loathing was about two guys on a drug frenzy In Las Vegas…the “sub plot” is all the craziness that comes from them doing drugs. Every scene is effected by there drug use. It should be on the List.
December 20th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Yes…fear and loathing in las vegas most be in the top of them all.. End Pulp fiction…
January 1st, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Panic in Needle Park, has to be one of the most realistic drug movies ever made. While Fear and Loat…, Pulp Fiction, Requim…, Blow ect,great movies all, try to make drugs look COOL. Panic in Needle Park attempts no such farce. A young Alpacino at his best! has to be on this list.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:41 am
did the writer of this list not see “blow”?
January 29th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
“Affliction”?
February 9th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
i absolutely love requiem for a dream. i have the movie on my computer. its so sad!!
February 18th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Hey, where’s Human Traffic and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas!?!?!?
February 19th, 2009 at 6:59 am
Trainspotting- one of the characters is locked in his room by his parents I believe and he is going through very bad withdrawls effects. Also he has bad hallucinations of his girlfriends baby who died of neglect coming to haunt him. What a dramatic movie it is!
April 14th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Where is Half-Baked? You know Dave Chappelle right?
April 15th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Alice in Wonderland……think about it.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:27 am
Are you sure that was Agnes Moorehead (Endora/Bewitched) in The Boost? Did you mean Amanda Blake (Kitty/Gunsmoke)?
May 14th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
NAKED LUNCH!
July 13th, 2009 at 1:27 am
My only comment is to add Fear and Loathing, in which drugs ARE are a major player in the plot. Pulp Fiction only contained references to drug use, none of which monumentally changed the plot as I recall, except for a drug dealer being a major character. Overall, great list, need to check out that Jack Lemmon one
July 17th, 2009 at 5:45 am
BLOW! come on!
August 8th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
hello? where is Less Than Zero? it’s the movie that started Robert Downey Jr’s real-life downward spiral into drug addiction. and one of the first films in America to really put a drug addicts deadly habits so transparently on film. it’s an amazing movie, and RDJr is such a dedicated actor that he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life just to make his performance in the film believable.
September 20th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Gia is a pretty good one too.