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Movies / On DVD / Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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

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Reviews Counted:88

Fresh:76

Rotten:12

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: While not the comprehensive profile of the man that his die-hard fans might have hoped for, Gonzo remains an insightful introduction to the life of rebellious writer Hunter S. Thompson and his influences.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for drug and sexual content, language and some nudity.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Jul 2, 2008 Limited

Box Office: $1,031,095

Synopsis: Few journalists have attained the notoriety of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. His legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. He became a living legend whose... Few journalists have attained the notoriety of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. His legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. He became a living legend whose persona often overshadowed his work. However, Thompson's steadfast ability to remain true to his convictions created an entirely new style of journalism, dubbed "gonzo," and has solidified his place in history as one of America's most influential writers and rebels. Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true iconoclast: goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steely-eyed obsession to right wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday--from 1965 to 1975--the film also includes clips of never-before-seen (and heard) home movies and audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts. Director Alex Gibney intelligently interviews a broad spectrum of Thompson's peers and paints a three-dimensional portrait that reveals what a larger-than-life icon he was, a man whose actions both attracted and repelled the people closest to him. What's remarkable is how daring he truly was in taking on the establishment and how absent that voice is today. His passing created a void that may never be filled, but Gibney's terrific film, in doing justice to the writer, the legend, and the man, at least helps preserve his legacy. --© Sundance Film Festival [More]

Starring: Gary Hart, George McGovern, Jann Wenner, Jimmy Buffett

Starring: Gary Hart, George McGovern, Jann Wenner, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Steadman, Tom Wolfe

Director: Alex Gibney

Director: Alex Gibney
Story: Alex Gibney
Producer: Alex Gibney, Graydon Carter, Jason Kliot, Joana Vicente, Alison Ellwood, Eva Orner
Composer: David Schwartz
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

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Release:

Nov 18, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Narrated by Johnny Depp, this Collector's Edition takes a probing look into the uncanny life of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson--inventor of gonzo journalism and author of the landmark "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."
  • Source: Magnolia Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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    Alex Gibney's documentary about bad boy journalist Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is both a memorial exaltation and a lament. Gibney's masterful style balances verite and dramatic effect. He doesn't doesn't tell you what to think, but spurs you to think.

    Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
    05/26/09
    Jennifer Merin
    Jennifer Merin
    About.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    04/23/09
    Peter Keough
    Peter Keough
    Boston Phoenix

    A colorful documentary about the famed journalist and author, Hunter S. Thompson, spiced up with movie clips of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and other works based on Thompson's writings.

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    02/05/09
    Robert Roten
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    A definitive, accessible, even inspiring screen biography put together with thought and vitality.

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Angie Errigo
    Angie Errigo
    Empire Magazine

    The film’s plea that we need Thompson now more than ever is a little misty-eyed: Thompson’s day was long gone by the time he put a gun to his head.

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Dave Calhoun
    Dave Calhoun
    Time Out

    Much like the man himself, it's quite a piece of work.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Richard Luck
    Richard Luck
    Channel 4 Film

    Gonzo is much more than a tribute to a maverick and genuine pioneer. It’s a lament for the gaping hole that Thompson left behind. The only obvious weakness is Gibney’s reluctance to engage fully with Thompson’s toxic personal life.

    Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    James Christopher
    James Christopher
    Times [UK]

    This documentary about his life by Alex Gibney, though entertaining in many ways, is oddly uninterested in his strengths or otherwise as a writer, the very gift for which Thompson earnestly wished to be known.

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Peter Bradshaw
    Peter Bradshaw
    Guardian [UK]

    Director Alex Gibney has plundered 200 hours of audiotapes, hundreds of photos and personal testimony from an impressive roster of Thompson’s colleagues and family to put together an even-handed portrait.

    Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Tim Evans
    Tim Evans
    Sky Movies

    A straight-line journey through the good doctor’s loopy myth and madness, but one that doesn’t push far enough into uncharted territory. Fine as a primer, but Gibney leans more towards admiration than examination.

    Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Chris Hicks
    Chris Hicks
    Total Film

    The film is content to laugh affectionately at Thompson's bad boy exploits, giggle at the impatience of a man who went hunting boar with a sub machine-gun.

    Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Christopher Tookey
    Christopher Tookey
    Daily Mail [UK]

    Crackingly entertaining documentary.

    Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Mark Adams
    Mark Adams
    Daily Mirror [UK]

    Thompson must be looking down, or up, from his afterworld thinking: “The worst success is a failure to keep alive the spirit of offendedness and outrage.”

    Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Nigel Andrews
    Nigel Andrews
    Financial Times

    This soft-headed hagiography is a disappointment, and at least half an hour too long.

    Full Review Source: Independent | comment 1 Comment
    12/19/08
    Anthony Quinn
    Anthony Quinn
    Independent

    Gibney says the film took so much out of him that he limped into the Sundance Festival with a ruptured disc, a green liver and spots in his eyes that will not disappear. I hope he now thinks it worth the trouble. I’m pretty sure watchers will.

    Full Review Source: This is London | comment 1 Comment
    12/19/08
    Derek Malcolm
    Derek Malcolm
    This is London

    Superbly directed, hugely entertaining documentary that's a treat for both newcomers and aficionados of Thompson's work.

    Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Matthew Turner
    Matthew Turner
    ViewLondon

    With a wealth of archive material, documentary filmmaker Gibney assembles a remarkably astute and comprehensive look at the life of one of the most notorious journalists in American history.

    Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
    12/19/08
    Rich Cline
    Rich Cline
    Shadows on the Wall

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    12/18/08
    Dave Calhoun
    Dave Calhoun
    Time Out

    a seminal work of talking head biography

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    11/24/08
    Bill Gibron
    Bill Gibron
    Filmcritic.com

    Gonzo is an excellent reminder that Thompson was more than just a wild man. He was, at least for a time, a first-rate writer who covered his times and helped shape them.

    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
    10/30/08
    Bill Goodykoontz
    Bill Goodykoontz
    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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