JDF5244

Just caught this DVD....at least what I could take of it, at a friend's place. It was ridiculous....and I'm really open minded about movies and books, etc. I normally like really trippy stuff, but this was garbage.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?

DVD-Justin

What did i think about the DVD? or the movie itself?....

Don't have the DVD, so i cant comment on that. As for the movie, eh, i wasnt expecting much, and didnt get much in return. 3/5 stars because the acting seemed decent and genuwine. Mediocre story. I'd be interested to find out what kind of extra's are on the DVD though.

JDF5244

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to view the Deleted Scenes, but that was the only extra on the disc....actually, now that I think of it, it may have had one of those advertising-type promotions, as well.

junkie

I think this is one of those movies that you appreciate more if you had read the book. I thought it was a great movie, and Benecio Del Toro is just amazing in it. The dvd was lacking in content however.

saoirse

Junkie, you said it. Ditto

MrVette99

Funniest book I ever read. The movie shocked me the first time I saw it, but it gets better and better with additional viewings. But you got to read the book first.

dhmac

I think Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is great! But it's a movie that's mostly dialogue driven, not plot-driven, so anyone who is not into "talky" movies won't like it. Plus it helps to be of a certain counter-cultural mindset, so I think this movie is destined for cult movie status.

NiCK Crush

i havent read the book....but i thought the movie was a little TOO trippy...

-NiCK

Goblincat

Having read the book many years ago, the movie for me was more understandable. I could see how someone might not understand its meanings without reading first, as the movie didn't convey the meaning as well.

Overall, I think the performances were great and the voiceover top notch. One of my favorite movies.

Birdcell

My Better Half, bless 'er, had never read the book but enjoyed the movie. I had read the book, and I loved it, feeling it was as close as you could get to HST's vision...

I suppose if you haven't read the book your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance of non-linear plots and freakishness for freakishness' sake. Might be a great DVD to spin in the background at parties...

Majestik

If you HAVE to read the book, then the movie was a sure-fire failure.
F&LILV is a really bad movie, and I LOVE Terry Gilliam.

JDF5244

I'd agree with that last post.
While I did read American Psycho, I still would have liked the movie even if I hadn't read the book.

1blwnsaleen

I unfortunately did not read the book and found the movie to be a disaster. I kept asking myself where are we going with this, and come to think of it where did we come from. I wished I had the opportunity to read the book first the tone of the movie probably would have made more sense.

Based on viewing alone I thought it was crap.

Based on performance I thought Benicio and Depp were fantastic.

Tuan Jim

I haven't read the book, but I found the movie to be pretty fascinating visually. I'd say it was a good portrayal of the depravity of man in general.

Overall, I'm glad I've seen it as a Gilliam fan, but due to the content, I won't be picking it up for my collection any time soon.

Tuan Jim

CrumpsBrother

In this instance, the movie IS the book!

It's not like Dune, where you can't make heads or tails out of the action unless you've read the book. Fear & Loathing: The Movie is a very faithful adaptation of the Hunter Thompson book.

So, what you are really talking about is whether or not you find this type of story funny. Those who've read the book and then saw the movie, obviously do find it funny. Otherwise, they wouldn't have laid down their bucks to see the film.

Those who've seen the film and didn't find it funny, probably would be equally unimpressed by the book.

Personally, I love the book and the movie! Perhaps one had to be a teenager (or older) in the '70s to appreciate a story about the end of that era. I actually mist up a little at the end, when the narrator mentions that we're all wired into the survival trip now. Too true!

Thank god Thompson was around to chronicle that particular time in history and thank god Gilliam was crazy enough to make a movie about it almost 30 years later.

JDF5244

The other thing I think you have to be down with is knowing what it's like to be doing the different types of drugs they're doing along the way. The girl I was watching it with liked it so much because she enjoys doing the same drugs they were doing in the movie, so she associated with them.

El Kabong

On the technical side, the anamorphic transfer is pretty good. This is a wide (2:35:1) movie, so if you've only seen the P&S version, you haven't really seen the movie. The visuals are much better framed. Suprisingly, for a newer movie it only has dolby surround and NO 5.1? 12 Monkeys was before this movie and had DTS, so why Gilliam chose not to include 5.1 is beyond me, especially for a psychedelic movie like this that could have really benefited from a trippy 5.1 track. The dolby was okay, but not impressive at all. The delted scenes were pretty good & straight from the book, probably cut because the movie is still almost 2 hours and most people who weren't big fans of the book found it to be too long. I saw this opening day in the theater and was alone except for one other guy. I had just read the book again for about the 5th time and was amazed at how exact it was to the book. The narration and most of the lines of dialogue are word for word from the book. This book was said to be unfilmable, with everyone from Martin Scorcese to Jack Nicholson attached to do it over the last 20 years but no one able to figure out how to do it. I thought Gilliam did an incredible job. If you liked the book and didn't like the movie, maybe you read it too long ago and are sweetening the rough edges in your memory. This was one of the most faithful adaptations ever.

Lono

The book is one of my all time favorites... the movie... well, when I first saw it... I have to admit that I hated it... probably because it wasn't as good as I was expecting... but then I think I was expecting way too much... Great book, Great Director (Terry Gilliam) I was expecting to blown away... and wasn't... however, it is one of those films that really grows on you with repeat viewings... I have watched it several times... with and without commentary... and I always see something that I hadn't seen before... I honestly think that Terry Gilliam did as faithfull a translation of a book to film as was possible... this is just a really disjointed narrative... thus the movie... is disjointed... but as Hunter Thompson says... you pay your money and take the ride... and I enjoyed the ride!

garmonbozia

I enjoy the film on some levels, but can easily understand why others do not. Benicio Del Toro, Johnny Depp, and Tobey Maguire are 3 of my favorite modern actors, so it is fun to have them all in one film. Christina Ricci too.

I have never read the book myself, but I do remember Siskel and Eberts review of the film. One of them or both had read and was a fan of the book and I think neither of them liked the movie. They explained that the book was like hearing about a guy talking about all the dumb stupid things he did when he was drunk and high and how that is usually funny. On the other hand, the movie was like being there with the drunk and high person, and it's not funny.
I guess I understood what they were saying without having read the book.

DaMack

This is one of those rare movies where you simply have to get lost in it. It helps if you have tried or know some one who has tried the drugs used in the movie, but overall this is one of my favorites. I like everyone involved (gilliam, benicio, depp) and prior to seeing the movie I had never heard of the book.
You can't watch the movie and be expecting anything, you have to just let it happen. Trying to figure things out takes all the fun out of it, the movie will take you where it wants you to go. Since seeing the movie I have read HTS's stuff and also own the original adaptation "Where the Buffalo Roam" w/ Bill Murray (which is worth a watch if you liked "Fear and Loathing"). And must say that the two movies are the same yet quite different (however you want to take that).


P.S. While I like both I think Depp is a better Gonzo.

Lono

Absolutely... start with Fear and Loathing in LV. It is one of his best... but also enjoy Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail and Generation of Swine... Where the buffalo roam is sort of a conglomeration of several books? including Campaign trail and F&L in LV. Personally I thing that Johnny Depp did about the best impression of Hunter Tompson I have ever seen? however Bill Murray does a pretty respectable one too? NIXON! Does anybody know if that movie is out on DVD?

Tylenol

you need to be able to appreciate good writing to like this movie. if you're a dorky drug user who thinks watching people in movies do drugs is just about as great as life gets, you'll also take a liking to it.

El Kabong

Where The Buffalo Roam is out on dvd. It's anamorphic, but only mono sound. I've always liked it, but think F&L is much better. It is parts of F&Lin LV, F&L on Campaign Trail, and also Great Shark Hunt (collection of short stories).