Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Terry Gilliam 1998 USA Nth time
An outlaw journalist and his fiendish attorney find themselves on assignment in Las Vegas, covering a motorcycle race while being feuled by a briefcase full of illegal drugs, and find themselves on a search for the American Dream.


In 1971, Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Z. Acosta, criminal attorney, went on a weekend-long voyage to Las Vegas to get away from Los Angeles, where they were both lending their skills to a murder case. The results became monumental, as Hunter documented them in a series ran by Rolling Stone Magazine that would be entitled "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and later, in 1972, be published in one piece as a novel. For nearly thirty years, movie producers fought to obtain rights while simultaneously spreading the belief that the book was impossible to adapt for the big screen. And this seemed logical; Hunter's writing and long passages of inner-dialogue were not made with a film in mind. But somehow, Terry Gilliam managed to make the perfect adaptation. He captured Hunter's unusual tone and bizarre use of imagery in his visuals; the extras look like they just wandered out of a rave, the cinematography will make you feel drunk and dizzy, and the sound effects sound like they came from some kind of Asian animal-pornography stockpile.

Gilliam, who claims to have never have done hallucinogenic drugs of any sort, seems to capture the experience just as Hunter wrote it, who is nothing short of an LSD veteran. So, it's safe to say Gilliam couldn't have done a better job directing. In fact, I will contest that this is his masterpiece. Beyond that, the acting is spectacular. Col. Depp spent three months living in Hunter's basement, mimicking his every move, and as a result, portrayed him almost exactly when it came time to film. His mannerisms, facial expressions, speech patterns... Everything about him is absolutely Hunter. Benicio Del Toro, who is also at the top of his game, had nothing but stock footage and grim memories to work with, as Acosta has been listed as a missing person since the early/mid 1970s. And based upon what he was given to work with, he did a flawless job. And it's safe to say that the writing and narrative are all spectacular... This is by far, my favorite movie of all time.