This review of the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” appears on KTKA-49.
Already available in a Criterion Collection DVD, director Terry Gilliam’s cult movie “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” is issued in glorious 1080p HD on Tuesday when Criterion puts out this bonus-filled Blu-ray disc.
An adaptation of the seemingly un-adaptable Hunter S. Thompson cultural watershed novel, Johnny Depp and Benecio del Toro are over-the-top out of their minds as they journey into the heart of sinful, corrupted Las Vegas in search of the American dream.
The film didn’t fare well in 1998 when it was released, but its reputation has grown since then. It may start off as a lighthearted, excess-filled, party-road-trip movie, but Depp is reigned in a little towards the end as his character (a stand-in for Thompson) poetically bemoans the sad failure of the late-60s ideals and values.
The director-approved Blu-ray edition features three commentaries, deleted scenes, two documentaries about Thompson, an excellent reading from the book, and way more.
