November 18, 1998
As I walked into the theater on opening night, I noticed two things – first, somehow this film hadn’t sold out as I thought it would and second, two different showings of ‘The Horse Whisperer’ had. This could only mean one thing – I was in Plano, Texas. By the time that the previews began, the theater was pretty full, so I began to feel a little better. Until the film actually began.
Before I begin my tirade on the audience of this film, let me assure you that I loved this film. It truly kept with the atmosphere of the book. Paranoia seeped through every scene. The acid scenes were the most realistic ever portrayed on film. Forget the mushroom scene in ‘Natural Born Killers’. Oliver Stone must have been getting bunk compared to the stuff Terry Gilliam’s had. I promise that I won’t fuck with no peneal gland, either.
I will be mighty surprised if Johnny Depp doesn’t get at least an oscar nomination for his role as Hunter S. Thompson. He shaved his head for god’s sake! Not to mention the fact that Benicio Del Torro must have gained at least a hundred pounds for his role as Dr. Gonzo. That is dedication!
Back to the Plano thing. Me and Mike Z. figured out why the Plano audience didn’t have the expected response. Everyone and their dog knows that Plano is the Heroin capital of the world. And what is the one drug that Raoul and Dr. Gonzo never really get to? HEROIN!!! That is why there were snoring high school kids at the Tollway Tinseltown in Plano.
Rating – R
Runtime – 118 minutes
Genre – Book Adaptation/Johnny Depp Movie
Director(s) – Terry Gilliam
Writer(s) – Hunter S. Thompson, Terry Gilliam
Actor(s) – Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci
BOB Rating – Four BOBs
Favorite Quote – "We can't stop here! This is bat country!" - 'Raoul Duke' (Johnny Depp)