''Hollywood High'' is a 2003 documentary television film about the depiction of

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

in film. It was directed by

Bruce Sinofsky Bruce Sinofsky (March 31, 1956 – February 21, 2015) was an American documentary film director, particularly known for his films the '' Paradise Lost'' trilogy, '' Brother's Keeper'' and '' Metallica: Some Kind of Monster'', all created with Joe ...

, and features appearances by

Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...

, Jared Leto and

Hubert Selby Jr Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr. (July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was an American writer. Two of his novels, ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' (1964) and '' Requiem for a Dream'' (1978) explore worlds in the New York area and were adapted as films, both of wh ...

. It was originally aired on

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

on March 31, 2003. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' reported that the documentary "examines how the seductive highs and excruciating lows of drug use have evolved on-screen during the last 60 years" and that "it offers plenty for movie fans to think about." The ''

Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, alt ...

'' called it "a surprisingly well-crafted and honest documentary" containing interviews with "some frank people who have something to say." ''The Columbia Companion to American History on Film'' calls it "particularly acute in its analysis of Hollywood 'drug movies' from ''

Reefer Madness ''Reefer Madness'' (originally made as ''Tell Your Children'' and sometimes titled ''The Burning Question'', ''Dope Addict'', ''Doped Youth'', and ''Love Madness'') is a 1936 American propaganda film about drugs, revolving around the melodramat ...

'' (1936) to ''

Requiem for a Dream ''Requiem for a Dream'' is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same na ...

'' (2000)."Peter C. Rollins, ''The Columbia Companion to American History on Film: How the Movies Have Portrayed the American Past'' (

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...

, 2003), , p. 524
Excerpt available
at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

References

External links

* 2003 documentary films Documentary films about drug addiction American documentary television films 2003 television films 2003 films Documentary films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films directed by Bruce Sinofsky 2000s American films {{documentary-tv-film-stub