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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2007)

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

Gonzo Lite
by Tenenbaums in Tenenbaums Blog

liked it.

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"It's been over a year since I saw Gonzo at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, so I guess the press embargo has been lifted.... A good, cumulative retrospective of Thompson's life, but Hunter fans have seen most of this elsewhere and, though fun (it's Hunter; it's can't not be fun), it has a lot of problems. The film has plenty going for it, including significant celebrity participation (i.e. Johnny Depp reading passages from Hunter's work), but director Alex Gibney really stumbles in certain places, notably by visually reenacting multiple passages. The only one that works is the "Taco Stand" scene from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The dialogue here is strong enough to stand on its own, and Gibney honors it by shooting Duke and Dr. Gonzo from below the waist. However, in a passage describing a werewolf running through the streets, Gibney turns to a literal interpretation, and the scene's hokiness goes beyond ridiculous. It's nice to see footage from Hunter's funeral ... " [More]

Alex Gibney on Gandalf, Obama a ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"My version of The Godfather would open with a voice in the darkness saying, “I don’t believe in America. The American Dream is a once-beguiling fairy tale; show’s over, y’all.” But The Dream is still real to many people, and the violence that powerful private interests have done to it in the last century pains them like a kidney punch. Gonzo journalism pioneer Hunter S. Thompson was one of the wounded, and so is Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Darkside), the far more straight-laced director of the entertaining documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. They share a proprietary sense of outrage over abuses of power they’ve witnessed in their times. For them, America’s Nixons, Enrons and Bush-Cheneys have desecrated the church, the front lawn. For all their passionate trouble-making, there’s no denying that Gibney and the late Thompson, two white males who came up through America’s hallowed institutions (Thompson through the " [More]

Gonzo (2007)
by JimBell in JimBell Blog

lost interest.

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"Gonzo (2008) is not a particularly good documentary, but it is a fine homage to Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalist par excellence. Yes, homage—“special honour or respect expressed publicly.” So if you’re looking for an reasoned, balanced assessment of Hunter’s career, you won’t find it here. I’m not sure why the excellent documentary film maker Alex Gibney (“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”) chose to pay homage, but I can guess. Based on Gibney’s other films and comments he has made about his other work, I’d guess that Alex wished that the wild journalist Hunter was still around to take the mickey out of the Bush administration. (Hunter shot himself in 2005.) Gonzo would have been much better if it had been made after Obama’s election. As it is, the film is tough to watch. Although Hunter is presented in a positive light, he is not a likeable person—angry, kind, wildly excessive, always critical, n ... " [More]

Oscar Predictions: Feature Docu ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces a shortlist for one of its Oscar categories, many critics immediately focus on what titles are missing. Religulous was snubbed! Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired was punished for having a “secret” qualifying run! The Academy’s rules for eligibility must be amended! Such reactions were seen all over the web last week as awards season pundits looked at the narrowed-down list of 15 Feature Documentary hopefuls and criticized the Academy for its omissions. But the better response (which is the one SpoutBlog had) is to primarily address and celebrate the included films, not just for being contenders for the Feature Documentary Oscar but also for being showcased in general. The wonderful thing about shortlists is that they expand further the idea that it’s great just to be nominated. For feature documentaries, particularly those without a lot of " [More]

True/False: Gonzo
by Karina in Karina on SpoutBlog

hasn't rated it.

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"True/False co-director David Wilson presented recent Oscar winner Alex Gibney with the festival???s True Vision Award on Saturday, before a screening of Gibney???s latest opus, Gonzo. The film takes a comprehensive look at the zeitgeist-defining glory years and post-middle-age decline of journalist Hunter S. Thompson, whose commitment to truth through fictionalization inspired Wilson to brand him ???a man who could well be the patron saint of True/False.??? In introducing Gibney, Wilson noted that the festival was proud to host the director on his first stop after last week???s Oscar ceremony. When he reached the mic, Gibney corrected the record. ???This is not my first stop after that event in Hollywood,??? the filmmaker said. ???I looked at that as a warm-up to True/False.??? The True Vision Award is designed to honor mid-career filmmakers who, in the words of Wilson, ???are pushing the non-fiction form forward.??? It???s a bit of a disappointment, then, that formally, Gonzo swi ... " [More]

True/False: Gonzo
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Fear and Loathing in America
by 69and666 in 69and666 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Hunter S. Thompson is a personal hero of mine and, having read his books and having seen his previous films, I truly wish to address my sincerity in believing no movie could truly capture this visionary. Gonzo is a way of life and you either get it or you don't. Check uot this alternative view on Hunter if you are a good person and are also interested in the impact of a true American journalist. " [More]

FilmCouch #53
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"As you may well know, the Spout team is knee-deep in Sundance, that juggernaut of American film festivals. For this episode of FilmCouch we present a conversation between the regulars (Paul, Kevin, Karina) and Filmspotting’s Adam Kempenaar about what we’re up to at the festival this year. Adam is looking forward to a pair of docs about legendary artists, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired and Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. Among the many film’s on Karina’s to-see list are two movies by pairs of brothers: the Zellner brothers’ Goliath and the Duplass brothers’ Baghead. Kevin is hoping the Mexican near-future dystopian sci-fi film Sleep Dealer can live up to the expectations set by Cuar??n’s Children of Men. FilmCouch 53

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