Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (the movie)

Ok, since I’m reviewing the same story done almost exactly the same way only in two different formats (book and movie), I’m going to make this review short. The movie covers just a bit more than half of the book, ending in the later middle of the original story line of the book. As I stated in the book review for Fear and Loathing, if you’re looking for some deep, insightful, philosophical message, you can find it. There is a certain scene where Thompson reveals quite a bit about his particular left leaning view of things. However, most of the movie is a drug and booze romp and the insane wackiness that, not only follows, but also stampedes as a result.

Ok, ratings:
Because it was accurate to a ‘T’ for everything it covered, it starts off with a 4, then because it was well done and funny it gets and additional 1; BUT because it ends early, I’m subtracting 1/2 a point.

Thus it gets 4 1/2; um… thingies…Oh, look at the time, gotta go!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the book)

Quite possibly one of the best literary accomplishments by the "Grand Master of Gonzo Journalism," Fear and Loathing is the saga of the quest for the "American Dream" by one man and his Samoan lawyer. It begins with one Raul Duke on the road to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race in Las Vegas (imagine that, it takes place in Las Vegas) in a serious drug stupor. Oddly enough, it ends with Herr Duke in Denver in a serious drug stupor.

In the pages in between, he spends all of about five minutes on the race before going off on a killer bender; trashes his hotel room (attained fraudulently), then goes across town and checks into another; attends a National DA’s Conference on Drugs (or something of similar title); proceeds to go on another bender and destroy his second hotel room; horrify a maid named Alice; harass some locals; and skip town after he learns the people from the first hotel are after him.

This review is admittedly watered down almost completely, but it has nothing to do with me being a lazy useless bastard… this time. At least half of the book was followed highly accurately, almost verbatim, by the movie version. The movie however, ends before Thompson – er – I mean Duke skips town on a plane with a carry-on case filled with illegal drugs and a loaded .357 Magnum revolver. Thus I might or might not cover the story in a more detailed way in the movie review. If not, get off your lazy ass and either buy the book or the movie and quit relying on me to blow the storylines for you on everything.

Anyhow, time to rate it and go back to my drinking. If you’re looking for some sort of inner truth that could possibly be found at the bottom of a bong, you might be able to find it in a few select scattered passages throughout the book. Mostly though, it’s just drug and alcohol fueled insanity, that’s quite funny to read and even funnier to watch (if you get the movie). Therefore, for sheer entertainment value, I’m going to award it 4 bottles of rum and a fresh cooked pizza.

There, now that I’ve once again screened the vast literary wastes for you thankless people, I’m outta here. I’ll be back later for the other two Thompson books I’m supposed to read.