Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers (WGA):

Hunter S. Thompson (book)
Terry Gilliam (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

Give us your brain for two hours and you will never be the same again.....(Icelandic)

Plot:

An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychadelic escapades.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | American Dream | Lawyer | Convertible | Journalist

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Raoul Duke
Benicio Del Toro	...	Dr Gonzo
Tobey Maguire	...	Hitchhiker
Ellen Barkin	...	Waitress at North Star Cafe
Gary Busey	...	Highway Patrolman
Christina Ricci	...	Lucy
Mark Harmon	...	Magazine Reporter at Mint 400
Cameron Diaz	...	Blonde TV Reporter
Katherine Helmond	...	Desk Clerk at Mint Hotel
Michael Jeter	...	L. Ron Bumquist
Penn Jillette	...	Carnie Talker
Craig Bierko	...	Lacerda
Lyle Lovett	...	Road Person
Flea	...	Musician
Laraine Newman	...	Frog-Eyed Woman

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive extreme drug use and related bizarre behavior, strong language, and brief nudity.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (re-rating) (DVD) | Canada:18A (original rating) (VHS) | Denmark:15 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hungary:14 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | UK:18 | USA:R | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fear and Loathing LLC

Trivia:

Terry Gilliam took over as director after Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy (1986)) left the picture due to creative differences. Gilliam re-wrote the entire screenplay in a matter of days to fit his unique creative vision and style, while staying true to Hunter S. Thompson's writings.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Duke and Gonzo are in Bazooko Circus, just after the birth of the space baby, the camera is reflected in the fun mirror.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Raoul Duke: [narrating] We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like:
Raoul Duke: I feel a bit lightheaded. Maybe you should drive.
Raoul Duke: [narrating] Suddenly, there was a terrible roar all around us, and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, and a voice was screaming:
Raoul Duke: Holy Jesus. What are these goddamn animals?
[swatting the air]
Raoul Duke: Huh! Huh! Huh! Fucking pigs.
Dr. Gonzo: Did you say something?
Raoul Duke: Hm? Never mind. It's your turn to drive.
Raoul Duke: [narrating] No point in mentioning these bats, I thought. Poor bastard will see them soon enough.

Movie Connections:

References Nice Dreams (1981)

Soundtrack:

Somebody To Love

Bringing Gonzo journalism to the big screen at last, and boy does it do it's job well.

A must see for any Hunter S. Thompson fan. If you have read the book you will know that this movie captures the same excitement and mayhem created within it's pages. Abosolutly impossible to get bored watching this film and I have sat down with a lot of people who followed the finished scene with a dumb 'I don't get it', but they are missing the point that there isn't really a point. The whole thing is just set up to try and capture Hunter's hedonistic life style and I guarantee that after seeing this movie you will wish your life was more exciting and it might even bring you to the point where you think 'Right, that's it, I'm going to go out, get drunk and go to Las Vegas and have a good old Hunt S Thompson-esquire adventure, and I don't care what you say.' Brilliant performances by Johnny Depp and Benico Del Toro.

Inspiring and motivating. 10 Stars.