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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, and Christina Ricci. Cinematography by Nicola Pecorini. Edited by Lesley Walker. Produced by Patrick Cassavetti, Laila Nabulsi, and Stephen Nemeth. Written by Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies, and Alex Cox. Directed by Terry Gilliam.
Hunter S. Thompson, under the pseudonym Raoul Duke, and his Samoan Lawyer Dr. Gonzo embark on a journey across Interstate fifteen to cover a motorcycle race for a sports magazine. They are headed for Las Vegas, the epicenter of American excess, with a trunk full of various pills, liquids, and powders. Along the way they encounter scads of various bystanders who all end up left in the wake of their excessive drug binge. The article that was initially the reason for the trip has also been forgotten, but a new thesis has emerged.
The year was 1971 and author Hunter S. Thompson needed a break from the murder he was researching. He decided to take a job with Sports Illustrated and drive out to Las Vegas for the weekend to cover a motorcycle race. His two hundred and fifty word article soon became twenty five hundred words and it was ultimately rejected by the sports magazine. After finalizing the details of his fictional adventures, Hunter sought out Rolling Stone; the only publication that he felt could possibly be interested in his story. They were indeed interested and it was soon published section by section over a series of issues. The novel that would later connect all of these stories would serve as a marker to the end of the ideals of the 1960’s and would eventually become an anthem to Thompson’s generation. Almost thirty years later Terry Gilliam would decide to undergo the daunting task of adapting Thompson’s book onto the silver screen, but this was not the first time he had considered the project. In the very late eighties a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas script had found its way into his hands, but the project ultimately fell through. When it resurfaced Alex Cox was hired as director, but when Cox dropped out Gilliam was once again asked to come on board. So began his experiment in “Gonzo-filmmaking”.
Gilliam accepted the job on the condition that he could rewrite the script himself (with a little help from his friends). His Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is structured like a two hour drug trip; starting off fast paced and maniacal, but eventually turning ugly and disoriented. Through all of the excess and vomit, one can find some very poignant moments that discuss the death of the American dream and the country’s loss of innocence. It is highly stylized and absolutely reeks of panic and desperation, leaving its audience squirming in their seats. It is also filled with absolutely hatable characters that it is nearly impossible for a viewer to build empathy with. There is just too much malevolence and too little opportunity for redemption. While Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas remains one of the most significant novels of the 1970’s, that’s probably where it should have stayed. Sorry, Terry.
Budget: $18,500,000
Total US Gross: $10,588,521
Genre: Black Comedy
Runtime: 118 Minutes
US Release Date: 5/22/98
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Cannes Film Festival: Nominated for the Golden Palm.
Tagline: Four Days, Three Nights, Two Convertibles, OneCity.
Quote: “A drug person can learn to cope with things like seeing their dead grandmother crawling up their leg with a knife in her teeth, but nobody should be asked to handle this trip.”
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