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Stars:
Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Ellen Barken, Craig Bierko, Gary Busey, Cameron
Diaz, Flea, Mark Harmon, Katherine Helmond, Michael Jeter, Lyle Lovett, Tobey
Maguire, Chris Meloni, Christina Ricci, Harry Dean Stanton, and Tim Thomerson
Writers:
Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies, and Alex Cox
Based
On The Book By: Hunter S. Thompson
Director:
Terry Gilliam
Feature
length: 119 minutes
Extras:
Three Audio Commentary Tracks, Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary,
Storyboard And Production Design Galleries, Still Gallery, A Selection Of
Correspondence Read On Camera By Johnny Depp, “Hunter Goes To Hollywood” A
Short Documentary Video By Filmmaker Wayne Ewing, A Look At The Controversy Over
Screenwriting Credit, Original Theatrical Trailer And TV Spots, Rare Materials
On Oscar Zeta Acosta, Collection Of Original Artwork By Illustrator Ralph
Steadman, Excerpts From The 1996 Audio CD, “Fear And Loathing On The Road To
Hollywood” – A 1978 BBC Documentary With Thompson And Steadman
Languages:
English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound 2.0
Subtitles:
English Captions
Packaging:
Two-Disc Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 22
Sound:
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and
Dolby Surround Sound 2.0
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1998/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Home Vision Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
While
everyone else went to go see “Godzilla” on it’s opening weekend, I am
proud that I convinced by best friend to come with me to see “Fear And
Loathing In Las Vegas” instead. We were among the five or so people crammed
into the screening room waiting for the film to start while every so often we
could hear the signature roar of “Godzilla” faintly penetrate the Styrofoam
walls of the local multiplex. We were sitting within the corner screening room
reserved by the theater owners for films on their way out before they ever came
in. I remember the last film I had seen in that particular room with my friend
was “Crash,” which burned out within less than a week after it opened to a
small, but diverse audience where a member was quite literally escorted out by
two ushers rows ahead from where my friend and I were sitting for strange
behavior not becoming a patron of a small neighborhood multiplex. So I just knew
from sitting in that same tiny screening room that we had made the right
decision because if we waited “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” would have
disappeared within another week, which it did.
Being
a fan of Director Terry Gilliam and having read advanced reviews in the
newspaper, I had a good feeling that my friend and I would like this film and
for the most part my friend and I had a blast although I think he grew to like
the film more after it came to home video. The way I saw it was if the movie did
suck, we could see “Godzilla” anytime and thankfully we never, ever paid a
dime to see “Godzilla” on the big screen anyway. Give me the guy in the
rubber suit anytime over the giant CGI iguana that was an affront to every
cheesy and terribly dubbed Japanese monster picture I saw on TV as a boy!
So
how would one describe “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” without cutting the
film short? I think of the film as more of an experience than a movie because it
really played with the viewers’ senses to take them by surprise and throw them
off with questions about what was real or not real. A much older friend of mine
who was into the whole acid scene in the 1960s and 70s told me that for him the
scene where the rug moves and grows up the walls and such at the first hotel was
close to the kind of illuminations he experienced on acid. Journalist Raul Duke
(Johnny Depp) and his Attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) check into the first
hotel and collect their press passes to cover the Mint 400 race, which
subsequently deteriorates into an odyssey to seek out if the American Dream is
indeed dead? The drug use and or trashing of the hotel rooms are metaphoric to
the chaos and disillusionment Duke observes all around him.
As
I write this review I can see the President of the United States giving an
address to the nation that quite honestly scares the shit out of me. As I hear
the speech I am convinced that nothing has changed in this country in the last
30 years aside from a few more technological conveniences and the ever-growing
apathy all around me of blind people who still think “everything is going to
be okay.” I pray they are right. So what the hell does this have to do with a
DVD review of Home Vision Entertainment’s “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas:
The Criterion Collection #175” two-disc set? Perhaps nothing directly except
to state that this is not some drug movie though there are scenes of the
characters engaging in both real and imaginary drug use and this is not the
typical Terry Gilliam film if there really is such a thing? All I can say is
love it or hate it, “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” might be one of the
most important books to have been published in the last quarter of the twentieth
century and this new two-disc set is perhaps the definitive home video companion
to be seen after one reads the book.
Usually
I would go into my verbatim shtick of whatever the insert or in this case
28-page booklet states about how the transfer was made from the best available
blah, blah, blah, but to keep in the spirit of this review and my feelings at
the moment I am assuming that if you are reading this DVD review you already
know that from the days of laserdisc to our DVD present and beyond, Criterion
Collection releases are always made with the intention of bringing the best
possible presentation of a film with an academic focus that you can either
choose to relish in or ignore. Previously Universal Home Entertainment had there
own DVD release that came out in 1998 and featured a good transfer and
soundtrack and even a commentary track featuring Terry Gilliam. For this new
release we get a new Director approved transfer with a deeper color saturation
and perhaps a darker tone overall, but otherwise the truth is both the Universal
and Criterion DVD transfers are quite good.
The
other enhancements and supplements to this new DVD release are what makes this
set worth the upgrade. Besides the anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer
viewers get a choice of an edgy and atmospheric English DTS Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtrack, a very well rounded and discrete English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtrack, and even a Dolby Surround 2.0 Soundtrack for those still using their
TV speakers to listen to their DVD movies. It’s no surprise that I prefer the
DTS track. I love DTS and find that most of the time the DTS track is more
engaging than the Dolby Digital counterpart so take that for what it’s worth
or chuck it, but don’t complain to me about it. Optional English Captions are
encoded for the hearing impaired too.
There
are three commentary tracks that accompany the film as well. These include a
brand new feature length audio commentary track with Director Terry Gilliam
recorded exclusively for the DVD release last year. This commentary is like most
Gilliam commentaries where Gilliam gives a serious, but at times self-mocking
retrospective look at the film and the anecdotes that come along with it.
Perhaps this would not be a Terry Gilliam film if there was not some controversy
behind the scenes and sure enough the big problem here lies in the notorious
dispute over the screenwriting credit and WGA arbitration that originally gave
Filmmakers Alex Cox and Tod Davies sole writing credits despite the fact that
the screenplay had been significantly reworked by Gilliam and Screenwriter Tony
Grisoni. The culmination eventually led to a win of sorts for Gilliam and
Grisoni who were able to go against the grain and prove their contributions
enough to get shared credit with their names appearing before Alex Cox and Tod
Davies. However this did not stop Gilliam from shooting a black and white
alternate opening entitled “A Dress Pattern” presented in a (1.33:1) aspect
ratio with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound should the judgment of the
Writer’s Guild had not been overturned. Gilliam provides a commentary for the
unused short as well as shared audio comments about the situation with
Screenwriter Tony Grisoni and Producer Laila Nabulsi on disc two’s “Not The
Screenplay Discussion.” In addition Gilliam provides an optional commentary
for three deleted and extended scenes cut together from a work print and
presented in their (2.35:1) aspect ratio. The quality of these scenes is not bad
at all considering how some work prints I have seen looked and are made up of
“The Mint 400” (1:24), “The DA From GA” (5:36), and “The Hardware
Barn” (3:32). Gilliam also provides optional commentary for the theatrical
trailer (2:15) on disc two where he basically states what he wanted the trailer
and advertising to be like. There are also seven 32-second TV spots that can be
watched individually or as one reel on disc two.
The
second audio commentary on disc one is a mix recorded in America and London and
features Producer Laila Nabulsi and Stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro.
Nabulsi communicates a real passion for the film, the book, and Mr. Thompson in
her portions, but Del Toro and Depp seem a bit subdued at times. Johnny Depp
also reads out select correspondence between Thompson and himself in a
videotaped featurette (14:06) recorded in London last year. Documentary
Filmmaker Wayne Ewing gives the viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Hunter
Thompson’s visit to the set of “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” in
“Hunter Goes To Hollywood” (10:38) that was shot for a Thompson documentary
in progress called “Breakfast With Hunter.” Seven storyboard galleries, a
color and black and white production gallery and three still galleries wrap up
“The Movie” portion of the extra features on disc two.
The
third and final feature length audio commentary on disc one features Producer
Laila Nabulsi and Author Hunter Thompson, along with his personal assistant and
consists of Nabulsi interviewing Thompson to some extent to encourage his
commentary as if he needed help speaking. Well it takes a few minutes to adjust
to, but it is a lot of fun and definitely gives some counterpoint and balance to
the DVD release as a whole. You have to hear it for yourself to truly appreciate
it. Mr. Thompson also reads his 1989 “Introduction” for one of Attorney
Oscar Zeta Acosta alias Dr. Gonzo’s books and there is a photo essay by
Acosta’s son Marco Acosta as well as a rare videotaped engagement (29:42) with
Oscar Acosta discussing his book “Revolt Of The Cockroach People.”
Other
extra features include an excellent 1978 BBC documentary entitled “Fear And
Loathing On The Road To Hollywood” (50:15) with Hunter Thompson and Artist and
Illustrator Ralph Steadman. Steadman also provides a gallery of his art and
provided artwork for the DVD menus on both discs and the packaging as well as
the 28-page booklet which contains an essay by J. Hoberman, Senior Film Critic
for the Village Voice and an excerpt from “The Great Shark Hunt” by Hunter
Thompson as well as various quotes by Thompson as well. An excerpt from the 1996
“Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” audio CD featuring Harry Dean Stanton,
Maury Chaykin, and Jim Jarmusch, which was not filmed, entitled “Breakdown On
Paradise Boulevard” concludes the extra features in “The Source” section
of the second DVD and completes an overview of what is included on this DVD-Video
release.
Absolutely
a must purchase for anyone who loves the film and a worthy addition to the
“Criterion Collection” of films on DVD, “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas:
The Criterion Collection #175” is available on DVD-Video now from Home Vision
Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
Buy This DVD As Well As The Book Now By Clicking On The
Text Links Below!
DVD - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -...
Book - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas : A...