[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Where the Buffalo Roam

  • 1980
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Bill Murray in Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)
Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Play trailer3:19
6 Videos
51 Photos
BiographyComedy

Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

  • Director
    • Art Linson
  • Writers
    • Hunter S. Thompson
    • John Kaye
  • Stars
    • Peter Boyle
    • Bill Murray
    • Bruno Kirby
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    13K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Art Linson
    • Writers
      • Hunter S. Thompson
      • John Kaye
    • Stars
      • Peter Boyle
      • Bill Murray
      • Bruno Kirby
    • 60User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:19
    Official Trailer
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Clip 1:12
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Clip 1:12
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Clip 2:24
    Where the Buffalo Roam
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Road Trip
    Clip 2:17
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Road Trip
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Dr. Thompson On Lazlo
    Clip 1:51
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Dr. Thompson On Lazlo
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Dr. Thompson At The Hospital
    Clip 1:05
    Where The Buffalo Roam: Dr. Thompson At The Hospital

    Photos51

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 47
    View Poster

    Top cast79

    Edit
    Peter Boyle
    Peter Boyle
    • Lazlo
    Bill Murray
    Bill Murray
    • Hunter S. Thompson
    Bruno Kirby
    Bruno Kirby
    • Marty Lewis
    Rene Auberjonois
    Rene Auberjonois
    • Harris
    • (as René Auberjonois)
    R.G. Armstrong
    R.G. Armstrong
    • Judge Simpson
    Danny Goldman
    Danny Goldman
    • Porter
    Rafael Campos
    Rafael Campos
    • Rojas
    Leonard Frey
    Leonard Frey
    • Desk Clerk
    Leonard Gaines
    • Super Fan
    Otis Day
    Otis Day
    • Man #1
    • (as De Wayne Jessie)
    Mark Metcalf
    Mark Metcalf
    • Dooley
    Jon Shear
    • Billy Kramer
    • (as Jon Matthews)
    Joseph Ragno
    Joseph Ragno
    • Willins
    Quinn K. Redeker
    Quinn K. Redeker
    • Pilot
    • (as Quinn Redeker)
    Lisa Taylor
    Lisa Taylor
    • Ruthie
    Danny Tucker
    • Narcotics Agent
    Jon Acevedo
    • Hippie
    Phillip L. Allan
    • Kid #2
    • Director
      • Art Linson
    • Writers
      • Hunter S. Thompson
      • John Kaye
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews60

    6.513K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8The_Great_Fausto

    "F*** The Doomed", Thompson's Legend Lives On!

    This movie was great; it wasn't really as much a movie about Thompson, but more of a movie about his and Oscar Zeta Acosta's relationship as friends and partners. It gives a nice idea of what Thompson and Oscar Zeta Acosta's friendship was like, turbulences and all. Although "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" captures Thompson's writing, "Where the Buffalo Roam" gives more of a realistic insight on Thompson and Acosta. It also captures different stories from some of Thompson's other work, my favorite being the piece from "Fear and Loathing: On The Campaign Trail '72", Thompson's first hand account of Nixon's campaign for office. This movie is perfect for hardcore Thompson fans or just anyone wanting to learn about the legendary journalist. I give it an 8 out of 10.
    10VideoKidVsTheVoid

    The man vs. the myth.

    Fist of all, as far as the comparison to Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas (1998) goes, these films are completely different beasts. Fear & Loathing is a adaptation of a fictional work based on real events. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro are playing Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, not Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Zeta Acosta. They are playing caricatures of real people, indirect representations funneled through HST's imagination and exaggeration. Where The Buffalo Roam is more based in reality. Bill Murray is directly playing Hunter S. Thompson as he writes his writings, Johnny Depp played a character from his writings, there is a massive difference. And as such, in my opinion, both films succeed brilliantly. Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas is a visually dazzling, imaginative, cinematic adaptation of HST's novel and Where The Buffalo Roam is a quirky, splendidly fun quasi-biographical journey and pure snapshot of life.

    Bill Murray is fantastic in this film. His portrayal of HST is taken from life, more realistic, more from the man rather than from his text or the legend of HST. The whole film itself, mainly because of Murray's characterization and the realistic structured style of the abrupt interconnected randomness of everyday life, is infused with a undying sense of fun and love for words, imagination, writing, and the whole creative process, which seems to me to get more to the core of HST as a man than the various vignettes of Fear & Loathing.

    Where The Buffalo Roam is wildly entertaining, frenziedly hilarious, and immeasurably fun. But when the general viewing audience, who presumably do not have a true passion for HST and his works, views both films and are given the choice between the legend and the man, they more often choose the legend, which is usually the trend in history.

    Whereas Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas has a romance for the stories and the myth, Where The Buffalo has a romance for the man and the process, and both have it for his personal style, politics and priorities.
    7StanMakitadonuts

    Take a walk on the wild side

    I only recently heard of this movie, and i'm quite surprised that I didn't hear of it earlier. Seeing as I watched and loved Fear and loathing in las vegas with Johnny Depp, I was super stoked to watch this. After seeing the first few scenes, I noticed how well Bill Murray portrays Hunter Thompson. It's completely from the same world as Depp's variation, With more of an 80's feel. This wacky story may not appeal to everyone, people looking for a deep story line or a lot of action won't like this. But if you are into Hunter Thompsons work, or Bill Murray, you will definitely enjoy this walk on the wild side

    7/10
    7rabid_halfling

    A good flick

    I am a fan of Dr. Thompson's work.. I also liked this movie, tho, Fear and Loathing was a much better film.. due to the director, and cast.. Bill Murray was a great choice for this film, tho it was almost too cookie cutter, no real feel of the drugs he was hammering at that time. In F&L you have the grittiness of the drug culture of the 70's, feels more authentic.. Anyhoo, if you are a fan of HST, this is worth the watch.. hey, paid 4$ for the vid, can not go wrong..
    7Quag7

    Problems, but not all bad.

    Both of the HST films have problems. This film's problem is that it is too "screenwritten" (Lazlo replacing The Brown Buffalo, "Blast" Magazine replacing Rolling Stone, etc.) and lacks the weird surrealism that a drug-fueled observation of American culture at the end of the 1960s deserves, if not requires.

    It does play a bit like Caddyshack, as someone else pointed out, and it's hard to get really invested in the characters. And if you love HST as much as I do, you really do want to get into the characters and in to the story, because it's as important as it is funny. Where the Buffalo Roam is, for the most part, silly. It comes off as more a bunch of sketches than anything else. I did like Bill Murray in the part. The problem is the script, more than anything else.

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, by contrast, does well with the surrealism and depravity but fails to make the full point I think Thompson was trying to get across - the decadence and over-the-top performances (especially of del Toro) are distracting, and really all of this is supposed to be about the death of the American dream, and the end of what was (to some) the best decade on record, or at least the one where people thought, for a time, they could make something of American life. Both movies hint at this but don't go into it enough, in my opinion.

    Where the Buffalo Roam captures a little of the sadness and the creeping hopelessness of the early 70s (along with an indication of the hangover awaiting that generation in the 70s), but both movies fall far short of Thompson's books and writing in my opinion.

    I was particularly saddened that both movies left out the "We're looking for the American dream" bit at the taco stand, because I think that was important, and the F&L Vegas story seems decontextualized without it (in terms of having a fairly serious (and sad) point under all of the humor and excess).

    In any case, both movies are worth a watch but ultimately unsatisfying. Thompson is still best read. I think a good film about HST can be made, but the right person needs to be at the helm.

    Richard Linklater or John Sayles, perhaps...someone who isn't going to miss the deeper substance underlying and buttressing the humor. That being said, there are far worse movies you could be watching than either.

    And like Thompson, it still hasn't gotten weird enough for me.

    More like this

    Rhum Express
    6.1
    Rhum Express
    Las Vegas Parano
    7.5
    Las Vegas Parano
    Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
    7.6
    Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
    Nice Dreams
    6.1
    Nice Dreams
    Blank Generation
    4.9
    Blank Generation
    Arrête de ramer, t'es sur le sable
    6.2
    Arrête de ramer, t'es sur le sable
    L'Impitoyable Lune de miel !
    6.9
    L'Impitoyable Lune de miel !
    Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail
    Les bleus
    6.8
    Les bleus
    Miracle of Flight
    7.1
    Miracle of Flight
    Un vrai schnock
    7.1
    Un vrai schnock
    Salinger
    6.7
    Salinger

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To get into character, Bill Murray spent time with Hunter S. Thompson by drinking, shooting and generally having a great time at Thompson's Colorado ranch. After filming ended, Murray continued to act "Gonzo" through the beginning of the next season of Saturday Night Live (1975), to the annoyance and consternation of cast and crew members.
    • Goofs
      During the courtroom scene, 21 minutes and 5 seconds into the film, Thompson sets down his glass which is almost full. A second later, a close-up on the glass shows it sitting on the floor, empty. All further scenes in the courtroom show the glass once again almost full.
    • Quotes

      [Thompson is speaking to a crowd of college students]

      Questioner: I was just wondering if you could tell me, um, if you thought drugs and alcohol would make me a better writer.

      Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: That's a good question. Let me see...

      [the audience cheers as Thompson lights a joint. A few people throw joints onto the stage]

      Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: In my case, you know, I hate to advocate drugs or liquor, violence, insanity to anyone. But in my case it's worked.

    • Alternate versions
      The 2017 Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory restores the original soundtrack. Making this the first home media release since the original VHS release to feature the original unaltered soundtrack.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: A Small Circle of Friends, Where the Buffalo Roam, Nothing Personal, Foolin' Around, Ffolkes (1980)
    • Soundtracks
      Keep on Chooglin
      Written by John Fogerty

      Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival (as Credence Clearwater Revival)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ18

    • How long is Where the Buffalo Roam?Powered by Alexa
    • Is Fear and Lothing in Las Vegas a sequel to this?
    • How many other movies have been adapted from this authors novels?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 25, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tamo gdje bizoni lutaju
    • Filming locations
      • San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,659,377
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,750,593
      • Apr 27, 1980
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,659,377
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Bill Murray in Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.