Bibale - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas [Region 2]

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

From Amazon.com

Additional Features

Criterion's high standards get even higher with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. "Hunter Goes to Hollywood" is a fascinating 1978 segment of the BBC's Omnibus series, following "gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thomson and artist Ralph Steadman on a Fear and Loathing-like odyssey to La-La-Land; a visit to Thompson's Aspen, Colorado, ranch offers ample proof that Johnny Depp's later portrayal is uncannily accurate. All three commentaries are worthwhile for different reasons: as always, Gilliam is intelligent, mischievously subversive, and defiantly protective of Thompson's source material; Depp and Benicio Del Toro offer passionate perspective on tackling their demanding roles without drugs; and producer Laila Nabulsi chronicles her 10-year effort to get the film made (including the protracted writer's credit arbitration). Thompson's commentary is the least coherent but most entertaining; with occasional whoops and hollers, he's like a stand-up act for acid freaks, dispensing occasional pearls of wisdom. Another excellent feature is Depp's reading of correspondence with Thompson; in emulating his friend, Depp proves himself to be a fine writer and storyteller. Taken together, these and other features make Criterion's DVD an essential addition to Thompson's literary legacy. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.co.uk Review

The original co-writer 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 film-maker were squandered on 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 humour 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 in Las Vegas is best enjoyed by those who are just as stoned as the characters in the movie. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Aus der Amazon.de-Redaktion

Ursprünglich war Alex Cox als Co-Autor und Regisseur von Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas vorgesehen. Dessen früheres Werk Sid And Nancy lässt vermuten, dass er auch für Hunter S. Thompsons psychotropes Meisterwerk der Underground-Literatur die perfekte Wahl gewesen wäre. Unglücklicherweise sprang Cox auf Grund der üblichen kreativen Differenzen doch noch ab. So kam es, dass der Regie-Job Terry Gilliam aufgedrängt wurde, dessen großartige Fähigkeiten als visonärer Filmemacher für diese äthervernebelte Erzählung mit ihren scheinbar unverfilmbaren Elementen verschwendet wurde. Das Ergebnis ist ein Film, dessen Essenz ein einziger Witz ist, der schließlich auch noch auf der Strecke bleibt. Eine Aneinanderreihung von Szenen zügellosen Drogenmissbrauchs und der halluzinogenen Auswirkungen einer Autofahrt, die völlig außer Kontrolle gerät. Johnny Depp (Dead Man, Edward mit den Scherenhänden) spielt Thompsons Alter Ego, den Journalisten Raoul Duke und Benicio Del Toro stellt Dukes so genannten Anwalt Dr. Gonzo dar. Im Verlauf einer gemeinsamen Fahrt nach Las Vegas nehmen die beiden eine ansehnliche Mischung verschiedenster Substanzen zu sich, und Gilliam gibt sein Bestes, uns den halluzinierenden Zustand ihrer ausgeklinkten Gehirne vor Augen zu führen.

Einige blendende Bilder, der ausufernde Humor der stolpernden Blödmänner und die beherzte Performance Depps und Del Toros werden der durchgeknallten, paranoiden Verrücktheit von Thompsons gefeierter Romanvorlage zwar streckenweise gerecht, aber nach zwei Stunden neigt die drastisch überzogene Darstellung dazu, einem gehörig auf die Nerven zu gehen. Es ist beinahe so, als wäre man als einziger nüchterner Gast auf einer Party, auf der sich sonst nur Betrunkene befinden. Wenn Gilliams Film mit der Zeit einen bescheidenen Kultstatus erlangen sollte, liegt das ausschließlich daran, dass das Publikum, dem Fear And Laothing In Las Vegas gefällt, ebenso stoned ist wie die Hauptcharaktere des Films. --Jeff Shannon