Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Film Info

United States
1998
119 minutes
Color
2.35:1
English
Spine #175

It is 1971, and journalist Raoul Duke barrels toward Las Vegas—accompanied by a trunkful of contraband and his slightly unhinged Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo—to cover a motorcycle race. What should be a cut-and-dried journalistic assignment quickly descends into a feverish psychedelic odyssey. Director Terry Gilliam and an all-star cast headlined by Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro show no mercy in bringing Hunter S. Thompson’s excoriating dissection of the American way of life to the screen, creating a film both hilarious and savage.

Cast

Raoul Duke	Johnny Depp
Dr. Gonzo	Benicio Del Toro
The North Star waitress	Ellen Barkin
Lacerda	Craig Bierko
Highway patrolman	Gary Busey
Blonde TV reporter	Cameron Diaz
Musician	Flea
Magazine reporter	Mark Harmon
Reservations clerk	Katherine Helmond
L. Ron Bumquist	Michael Jeter
Road person	Lyle Lovett
Hitchhiker	Tobey Maguire
Clerk at Flamingo Hotel	Chris Meloni
Lucy	Christina Ricci
Judge	Harry Dean Stanton
Hoodlum	Tim Thomerson

Credits

Director	Terry Gilliam
Screenplay	Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies and Alex Cox
Based on the book by	Hunter S. Thompson
Producer	Laila Nabulsi, Patrick Cassavetti and Stephen Nemeth
Executive producers	Harold Bronson and Richard Foos
Director of photography	Nicola Pecorini
Production design	Alex McDowell
Film editor	Lesley Walker
Costume designer	Julie Weiss
Coproducer	Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt
Lounge Lizards designed by	Rob Bottin
Casting	Margery Simkin

Disc Features

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION

Digital transfer, approved by director Terry Gilliam, with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and an optional 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray edition
Three audio commentaries: one with Gilliam, one with stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi, and one with author Hunter S. Thompson
Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Gilliam
Selection of Thompson correspondence, read on camera by Depp
Hunter Goes to Hollywood, a short documentary
A look at the controversy over the screenwriting credit
Profile of Oscar Zeta Acosta, the inspiration for Dr. Gonzo
Collection of artwork by illustrator Ralph Steadman
Excerpt from the 1996 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas recording featuring Jim Jarmusch and Maury Chaykin
BBC documentary from 1978 with Thompson and Steadman
Storyboards, production designs, stills, and trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic J. Hoberman and two pieces by Thompson