Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2095 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-09-05
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The original cowriter and director of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was Alex Cox, whose earlier film Sid and Nancy suggests that Cox could have been a perfect match in filming Hunter S. Thompson's psychotropic masterpiece of "gonzo" journalism. Unfortunately Cox departed due to the usual "creative differences," and this ill-fated adaptation was thrust upon Terry Gilliam, whose formidable gifts as a visionary filmmaker were squandered on the seemingly unfilmable elements of Thompson's ether-fogged narrative. The result is a one-joke movie without the joke--an endless series of repetitive scenes involving rampant substance abuse and the hallucinogenic fallout of a road trip that's run crazily out of control. Johnny Depp plays Thompson's alter ego, "gonzo" journalist Raoul Duke, and Benicio Del Toro is his sidekick and so-called lawyer Dr. Gonzo. During the course of a trip to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, they ingest a veritable chemistry set of drugs, and Gilliam does his best to show us the hallucinatory state of their zonked-out minds. This allows for some dazzling imagery and the rampant humour of stumbling buffoons, and the mumbling performances of Depp and Del Toro wholeheartedly embrace the tripped-out, paranoid lunacy of Thompson's celebrated book. But over two hours of this insanity tends to grate on the nerves--like being the only sober guest at a party full of drunken idiots. So while Gilliam's film may achieve some modest cult status over the years, it's only because Fear and Loathing is best enjoyed by those who are just as stoned as the characters in the movie. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a whirlwind of a movie, a wacky, drug-laden story backed by a fist-pumping rock & roll soundtrack featuring everything from Wayne Newton and Tom Jones to Combustible Edison and Dead Kennedys. Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) heads to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, bringing along his Samoan lawyer, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro), in this furious adaptation of the book by Hunter S. Thompson. It is 1971, and Duke and Gonzo are on their way to Sin City with a frightened hitchhiker (a nearly unrecognizable Tobey Maguire) and a trunkful of drugs, which they ingest nonstop. Depp is terrific as Duke, Thompson's alter ego, and Del Toro is a riot as the crazy lawyer. To perfect his Thompsonian performance, Depp spent a lot of time with the good doctor, and it paid off in a film that captures the frenetic pace of the counterculture novel. Director Terry Gilliam, a master of complex, bizarre visual imagery, has a field day interpreting the drug-hazed world in which Duke and Gonzo reside. An all-star cast chimes in with wonderfully offbeat bit parts, including Harry Dean Stanton, Gilliam regular Katherine Helmond, Flea, Cameron Diaz, Ellen Barkin, Christina Ricci, Gary Busey, Lyle Lovett, and others.

Customer Reviews

Seriously under-rated - Gilliam's best
My only regret about this film is that I didn't get to see it in the cinema - warned off by misguided critics.
Its a brilliant film - a surreal fun ride that plays like a live action Warner Brother's cartoon, but with the deeper, darker edge of Hunter S. Thompsons original story always present. Should be regarded as Gilliam's masterpiece.

Only for people with the right kind of mind!
This is a cult film for a reason, only a certain type of people can enjoy this film. Nothing can quite compare to reading the book but this a fantastic attempt at bringing it to life. A psychedelic self destructive journey through Las Vegas as you follow the doctor or journalism Raoul duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo through their intense trip. If you haven't read the book yet buy that and immediately read it and then buy the film. The film is fantastic for those who understand it, those with the right kind of eyes.

What a Masterpiece!
This movie polarizes the audience like few before: while of course, there's people who like it and people who don't like it for any movie, 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' either excites immensely or almost repulses it's critics, and I dare to say that most of the negative responses are based on ignorance, or even fear, of introducing psychedelic experiences into mainstream culture.
You might have to read the book to fully understand some parts.. But you can still fully enjoy it even if you haven't read the book.

Personally, I regard 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' as one of my absolute favorites, definitely in my top 10, and possibly even top 3.
One of the many outstanding characteristics, besides a great soundtrack, excellent direction, and maybe the greatest achievement, since this is from far The best literary adaptations ever done, is the visual interpretation of the influence of LSD and other psychedelica. Though it has been tried many times, in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' it has been done in a way that in my opinion deserves an Academy Award like 'Best Visual Interpretation', were there one like that.
The directing itself is fast paced with offseting angles a lot of wide angle lenses. Gilliam has a style which is unmistakable, it's like walking around inside of a Dali painting, everything is distorted and stretched to create a strong sense of surrealism.

There are so many great lines, and moments. To many to count, and that's thanks to Doc Thompson's great talent in writing and his active role in the filming of this movie.

Johnny Depp should have received an Oscar for it. His performance is nothing short of genius. But Benicio Del Toro's performance was second to none, actually his character was probably more difficult to play but he does such a great great job... He is Gonzo as Thompson described it in his books.

To conlude: if you know already Hunter S. Thompson you'll be blown away from this. If you don't, well, you should! And you can very much start from here.