Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writers (WGA):

Alex Gibney (screenplay)
Hunter S. Thompson (writings)

Release Date:

19 December 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Gonzo | Journalist | Drugs | Hippie

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Hunter S. Thompson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Johnny Depp	...	Himself - Narrator
Joe Cairo	...	New York Studio Shoot
David Carlo	...	New York Studio Shoot
Victor Ortiz	...	New York Studio Shoot
Gilleon Smith	...	New York Studio Shoot
Alex Ziwak	...	New York Studio Shoot
Melissa Otero	...	New York Studio Shoot - Typist
Pierre Adeli	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Angela Berliner	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Eugenia Care	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Brian Kimmet	...	Taco Stand Shoot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Oscar Acosta	...	Himself (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sonny Barger	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Warren Beatty	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bob Braudis	...	Himself
Douglas Brinkley	...	Himself
Pat Buchanan	...	Himself
Jimmy Buffett	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage) (as George Bush)
Patrick Caddell	...	Himself (as Pat Caddell)
Jimmy Carter	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Tim Crouse	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Richard J. Daley	...	Himself - 1968 Convention (archive footage) (as Mayor Daley)
Thomas Eagleton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gary Hart	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Hubert H. Humphrey	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Hubert Humphrey)
Jefferson Airplane	...	Themselves (archive footage)
John F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Robert Kennedy)
Ted Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Martin Luther King	...	Himself (archive footage)
Timothy Leary	...	Himself (archive footage)
Annie Leibovitz	...	Herself (archive footage)
Frank Mankiewicz	...	Himself (archive footage)
George McGovern	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Edmund Muskie	...	Himself (archive footage)
Laila Nabulsi	...	Herself
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Charles Perry	...	Himself
Grace Slick	...	Herself (archive footage)
Ralph Steadman	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George Stranahan	...	Himself
Anita Thompson	...	Herself
Juan Thompson	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George Wallace	...	Himself - Assassination Attempt (archive footage)
Jann Wenner	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Tom Wolfe	...	Himself
Sondi Wright	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and some nudity.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12

Company:

BBC Storyville

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the on-screen display caption for Jimmy Carter it states that he was US President from 1976 to 1980. Carter was actually President from January 20 1977 to January 20 1981.

Movie Connections:

Features "Omnibus: Fear and Loathing in Gonzovision" (1978)

Understanding Thompson

In reply to the previous comment by samadler1 from United States there are two things I would like to address: 1: Your comment about bloggers making Thompson pretty irrelevant and that his popularity was waning in the years leading up to his death are well wide of th mark. If anything Hunter was experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity thanks to the film version of Fear and Loathing and the success of The Rum Diary,Kingdom of Fear and Hey Rube all of which were best sellers. Not to mention the critical acclaim his volumes of letters received. His 9/11 blog entry was so on the money that it left these so called gonzo-bloggers in the shade.

2:Your comment about Johnny Depps portrayal in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas shows that you clearly do not understand the film or Thompson for that matter. Johnny Depp was not playing Thompson but his literary alter ego Raoul Duke. Raoul Duke is over the top and confusing Thompson with Duke is an all too common error.