shierfilm
The beauty, grace and majesty of HST shines through in this 90 min. doc.He was a giant among men, and the most striking thing about this intimate look at the Gonzo journalist was how conscious he was of everyone and everything around him. You can't put much past this guy- he was ON. At all times.The sequence where he's discussing the first script for Fear & Loathing the film with Alex Cox and his co-writer was the best example of how pure this guy was. He tells them with sharp, curt truth that he's not impressed with the ideas they have for a landmark passage in the book. They want to create an animated wave with Hunter (a cartoon?) riding it into the desert. He says that idea makes him angry and Mr. Cox acts like a buffoon in response. Firing him was a great footnote in the history of the film- who knows how it would have turned out with Cox at the helm.As a longtime admirer of the Good Doctor's work, it was nice to finally see and hear him. HST has a mythic aura about him, an exotic mystery not unlike Stanley Kubrick. He's larger than life, yet if you pay close attention, you'll see that the man was more than just passionate. You'll see that he's deeply emotional, highly mischievous (but he's never malicious) and that he has high regards for his small company of friends and colleagues.He is missed.
RayCharlie
Not as insightful as I thought it was going to be. It pretty much covered Hunter S. Thompson's life from 1996-1997. There were a few flashbacks but they weren't very long. I think his race for Sheriff of Aspen should have been covered more. I'm not saying I hated it, but at times it dragged while HST gave meaningless mumbles of insight. At times he p***ed me off (when he wouldn't sign autographs at the book signing and his argument with Alex Cox), but at other times made me laugh and cheer for the outlaw. He's probably my favorite American author but he is sure one hell of an asshole. I guess it's a Kentucky thing lol. I was let down by the fact that it didn't give the viewer what the lifestyle and point of HST is. For that, I suggest reading Kingdom of Fear, which I consider the best piece of reading material I've read in a while. And as mentioned above, his argument with Alex Cox and Tod Davies about putting cartoons in the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas movie was sometimes unbearable but other times just flat out funny. I like Alex Cox and all, but I sort of agree with Hunter. It was his material and he didn't want it interpreted as a cartoon! Maybe Terry Gilliam was for the better. All in all an average documentary, but did have a noteworthy soundtrack (all songs have been mentioned by Hunter sometime or another) that included "Spirit in the Sky", "American Pie", "The Weight", "Mr. Tambourine Man", and many other. But where was "Sympathy for the Devil?" Worth checking out if you're a fan of HST's work. I don't if it was worth the $29.95, but still a good addition to my HST collection.
Zach-Urbina
The documentary is a thinly veiled attempt to "break into" the life of the famed Gonzo fiend and shed light on his inner madness. Many funny scenes throughout the film, especially when Hunter is berating glib English director Alex Cox. The film itself comes across slightly amateur-esque in its editing and presentation, but is certainly a must-see for Hunter fans.
Tronick1
Hunter S. Thompson is a cultural icon, this isn't news. What is, is a real inside view into his life in this film. The documentary is a collage of Hunter and some of his antics as filmed by friend and neighbor Wayne Ewing over the past twenty years. A rare look into life at his "fortified compound" and the tribulations of making "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" into a movie are just some of what makes this film an absolute must for any fan of The Good Doctor. This is real life Gonzo, from The Legend himself, the writer who changed American Journalism and the way we read it.
