Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – (1998) Considering the talent brought together for this movie, I expected it to be funny with sly social commentary. Director Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s account of his hallucinogenic trip, using the character Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp, looking a lot like Garry Trudeau’s Duke in the comic strip Doonebury) for his fictional stand-in, from LA to LV with his lawyer Dr Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro), ostensibly to report on a motocross race in the desert and later, ironically, a conference for district attorneys discussing drug abuse, is wild and crazy. Brief appearances by Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Penn Jillette, Lyle Lovett, Christopher Meloni, Cameron Diaz. However, watching while sober other people’s antics, both stupid and dangerous, while they’re on drugs (an extensive pharmacology) can be rather boring. I kept thinking what a horrible job the hotel staff would have cleaning up after this pair of incorrigible deadbeats. 

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2007 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .