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| C+ C+ C+ | |
| Review by Xibo | Date seen: June 28, 2004 |
| Viewing Location: DVD | Grade: C+ |
| Summary: Mildly interesting behind-the-scenes look at Hunter S. Thompson. | |
| This is a low-budget semi-biographical behind-the-scenes look at Hunter S. Thompson and his life surrounding his legal battles in Colorado in the 90's and the work that led up to the film based on his book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter's getting on in years and spends much of the movie rambling and mumbling, so if you're not a fan of his work, you might not appreciate a lot of the film. Personally, I'm a big fan of Doonesbury, where the "Duke" character was inspired by HST, so it was interesting to learn more about the person.
The film is cheaply shot with handheld cameras, and crazily edited, so I can't say a lot about its technical merits. The best parts of the film are where HST is interacting with other actors, such as when John Cusack does a great reading of one of HST's letters. The other great part was the crazy hijinks between HST and Johnny Depp, who was learning the character to play in the movie. Apparently, the DVD is currently only available from the producer's website, http://www.breakfastwithhunter.com. That's a shame, as I don't believe the film will see the distribution it deserves that way. It really should be picked up for the art-house film circuit. The DVD also includes many extras, including commentary and extra readings. | |
"I should put quotes here."