Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Rating:
Summary: "Get In". "We're your friends"
Review: Immortal lines from an exceptional look inside the mind of a man best left to his own devices. This film is an excellent adaptation, proving Gilliam to be not only a top director but a somewhat perverse one, staying true to the book for as much as can be allowed. However, the whole film is somewhat uncomfortable to watch, and is not for the faint hearted. Having said that, the discomfort is due to the extremes the characters endure and decidedly not due to any problems with production etc. This film shows that Gilliam is perhaps one of the bravest directors of our time, and should not go unregarded. My only dissappointment was the withdrawal of the scene where Raoul Duke and Dr Gonzo terrorise a naive police chief at a bar with tales of addicts. Otherwise, this film is true to the book and hence very, very deranged.

Rating:
Summary: A fine fine fine film of a mad mad mad world
Review: Terry Gilliam is a genius, the movie is terrific, and anyone who does not understand it, fears it, and therefor gives it a bad review.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest film ever made without Clint Eastwood.
Review: Fear and Loathing is most certainly one of the greatest films of the decade. Johnny Depp is the best actor of his generation and puts in a stunning performance that is only matched by Christina Ricci's beauty. It remains as true to the book as can be done and captures its escence and message with skill and humour. The Oscars should be punished for ever because of their inability to give this exceptional film its due rewards. I advise all to read the book and see the movie - you will struggle to match it.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a review you can trust.
Review: Alright, let me explain my 3 star rating. First, this is a high quality production, very entertaining, top drawer -- 5 stars! Second, I fear the reactions of the generally under-educated viewing audience. This movie is very impressive and can EASILY make an impression on the young or immature -- 1 star. Adults, be careful who you present this movie to.

By reading everybody else's reviews you can get the idea. This is a drug movie, period. It displays the horrific immorality that has settled upon us, and believe it or not, folks, that has absolutely nothing to do with "drugs." Everything from greed to lust to oppressive manipulation to senseless violence is spewed forth onto the screen with such professionalism you may think you're right there with them witnessing reality. And in a way you are. If you're good with mental focus and getting into the zone, then you might even think you ARE tripping. You will definitely get close. Combining the hum and glow of the television and the hypnotic sound track you can slip into this film quickly. Television has been scientifically proven to place viewers into a trance state as quickly as 30 seconds after being turned on! Now, take that guaranteed trance and add in some high power images and you get the makings of a seriously good time and/or a seriously mind warping event. Entertainment for the elite, yes. Some bad ideas suggested to the youth, yes. But wait, there's more.

After making it through the movie (Wow!) you'll be treated to the moral... an anti-God statement. Here's the embedded weapon -- a final jab at each individual's world view. One last kicker before the credits finish rolling and one last chance to deceive the impressionable young and old alike. Even Timothy Leary's name is tossed in for "cred" but the wise will understand that this is part of the ploy. If you don't know Leary's connections or motivations then I suggest you study his impact on our society. There have been many good books surfacing as of late in the psychedelic arena.

Watch this movie for the stunning, razor's edge film work that it is. Do not recommend it to the wrong kids and definitely discuss it with your own.

Rating:
Summary: It gets better every time you watch it.
Review: I loved the book and was initially disappointed in the movie, but having watched it several times with my foreign exchange students from Sweden and Japan I can now definitely state that this movie is great, and the foreign exchange students agree!

Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Excellent
Review: This movie is one of my all time favorites! The acting was superb, and the story, well, if you can figure this one out, you are waaay ahead of me. A must see if you are a fan of the truly bizarre. In my opinion, it was even better than "Where the Buffalo Roam", an earlier incarnation of the same movie. It is also another must see movie.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid at all costs
Review: If there were a 0 star rating, then this film would certainly deserve it. Not only is this the worst film of 1998, but only time will tell how near the top (if not at the very top) of the list of worst films of all time this will rank. This film is not bad in the sense of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" bad, where at least there is a certain amount of affectionate campiness - it is simply excrutiatingly bad. While the effort of trying to depict the drug culture of the late 1960s-early 1970s may be laudable, it is an undertaking that is doomed to failure: it is impossible to recreate this for those who never took drugs, and for those who did take drugs, each experience was so personal and so individual that it simply cannot be duplicated. What works well on the printed page - the chaos and anarchy - simply falls flat on film. And while in real life Hunter Thompson may have gone around mumbling unintelligibly, having the main character in a film do so throughout is a fatal mistake. I'm sure this is bound to become a cult classic, but then again, so is Wild Women Of Wonga.

Rating:
Summary: Inside The Mind Of Two Geniuses
Review: This film rippps! Anyone who has enjoyed either the book or any good drugs will love this film. Watching it is like reliving every experience on drugs youve ever had... AT ONCE!

Rating:
Summary: "Sweet Jesus"...this movie is ADDICTING!
Review: Fear and Loathing perhaps captures the lifestyle that everybody dreams of, but is not insane enough to enjoy. The drugs and torment that Duke and Dr. Gonzo go through is unbelievable, shocking, and quite unique. Nonetheless, through the rough and tumble of all of the drugs, there manages to be a dialogue of masterpiece porportion..."a prototype of God". This move will grow on you if you don't enjoy it at first...and for those who already love it, keep on popping those pills and snorting those doses of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas!

Rating:
Summary: A distorted look at the world through the eyes of a genius.
Review: This film is one of the most outstanding masterpieces of the modern-day motion picture era. Hunter S. Thompson describes every aspect of the characters lives in a very distraut manner that makes complete sence,if you think about it. This is one of the few movies that requires the thought of its viewers to get everything out of it. No special effects, and no movie magic. Just a twisted way to see the world, and a helluva good movie.