World Famous Comics: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas [HD DVD]
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas [HD DVD]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro Directed By: Terry Gilliam Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: HD DVD Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen Label: Universal Studios Home Entertainment Number of Items: 1 Release Date: September 26, 2006 Running Time: 118 minutes Theatrical Release Date: May 22, 1998
Product Description: Universal Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - HD-DVD Terry Gilliam ("Brazil," "Twelve Monkeys") directed this colorful, stylized, pseudo-psychedelic $21-million adaptation of the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson classic, "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas": A Savage Journeyinto the Heart of the American Dream, about stoned sportswriter Raoul Duke, Thompson's alter ego, on a wild drug-crazed road trip, a paranoid plummetinto the belly of the beast, with his pal, lawyerOscar Zeta Acosta. Originally serialized in Rolling Stone (November 1971), the book catapulted Thompson headfirst toward the Kerouac-Mailer-Capote pantheon and jump-started the entire movement of "gonzo journalism." Carrying a suitcase of drugs, Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp with shaved pate) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave from L.A. to Vegas, where Duke has an assignment to cover the Mint 400 desert motorcycle race. As the drugs kick in, Duke ventures into voiceover, filling in the blank spotsand narrative gaps. "This is not a good town for psychedelic drugs," says Duke, but even so, they consume vast quantities, eventually escalating to ether. Duke notes that with ether "you can actuallywatch yourself behaving this terrible way, but you can't control it." The two trash their hotel room, and Gonzo goes back to L.A. Thinking the hotel room holocaust will lead to an arrest, Duke beginsa drive back to L.A., but after an odd encounter with a highway patrolman (Gary Busey) and a telephone conversation with Gonzo, he returns to Vegas to cover the District Attorney Convention on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in the glitzy Flamingo Hotel. This time the drugged-out duo trash their Flamingo room. The crazed carnival atmosphere segues into a carney casino, Bazooko's Circus, where a barker (Penn Jillette) spiels amid aerialists, clowns, and a rotating carousel bar. Gonzo worries over runaway teen Lucy (Christina Ricci), who paints por
Amazon.com: The original cowriter and director of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was Alex Cox, whose earlier film Sid and Nancy suggests that Cox could have been a perfect match in filming Hunter S. Thompson's psychotropic masterpiece of "gonzo" journalism. Unfortunately Cox departed due to the usual "creative differences," and this ill-fated adaptation was thrust upon Terry Gilliam, whose formidable gifts as a visionary filmmaker were squandered on the seemingly unfilmable elements of Thompson's ether-fogged narrative. The result is a one-joke movie without the joke--an endless series of repetitive scenes involving rampant substance abuse and the hallucinogenic fallout of a road trip that's run crazily out of control. Johnny Depp plays Thompson's alter ego, "gonzo" journalist Raoul Duke, and Benicio Del Toro is his sidekick and so-called lawyer Dr. Gonzo. During the course of a trip to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, they ingest a veritable chemistry set of drugs, and Gilliam does his best to show us the hallucinatory state of their zonked-out minds. This allows for some dazzling imagery and the rampant humor of stumbling buffoons, and the mumbling performances of Depp and Del Toro wholeheartedly embrace the tripped-out, paranoid lunacy of Thompson's celebrated book. But over two hours of this insanity tends to grate on the nerves--like being the only sober guest at a party full of drunken idiots. So while Gilliam's film may achieve some modest cult status over the years, it's only because Fear and Loathing is best enjoyed by those who are just as stoned as the characters in the movie. --Jeff Shannon
Fear & Loathing HD DVD The product seems fine if I could ony view it. Apparently it can only be viewed on one type of HD player. Wish it had stated this in the add. Contacted the company and they were of no help and felt they were not at any falt. The cost of shipping it back wasn't even worth it. Be careful when selecting HD DVD or you could get screwed like I did.
Great HD DVD, but this movie was a waste of time! Great HD DVD, but this movie was a waste of time! Sorry, just don't care for it.
Oopsie Returned this product because I didn't do my homework...it was in HD and I don't have an HD player...oopsie
Any Movie Worth Doing...Is Worth Doing Right. Jeff has no idea what he is talking about. I agree that Amazon should not pay him to write reviews for movies that he obviously knows nothing about. The acting in this was nothing short of brilliant as was the imagery if I may commend the cast and Mr. Gilliam. Depp was dead on as Hunter if you've ever seen any footage of the real man. This is by far my all time favorite film for the story, the directing, the acting and the passion surrounding it.
One other thing. For the swine complaining about DVD's purchsed from Amazon that didn't work and began bashing Amazon....do you really think that Amazon is making these DVD's? Think about that for a while and get back to me. Jesus, did I say that? Was I talking? Did they hear me?
plaidanxiety
Great movie High quality in HD-DVD, a must buy if you are one of the people out there that supported HD over BD.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
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