Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: Hunter S. Thompson on Film

I just viewed this film OnDemand. A weird and perilous 73 minute jaunt through several highlights of HST's life. While not as detailed as other treatments of the subject matter, this film makes up for its lack of depth by a sweeping breadth of scope, and is more pleasing to the middle-of-the-road HST enthusiast, with less drug use, less profanity, less crotchety-ness, more Hollywood types commenting, more clips from Where the Buffalo Roam and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and overall, a more human treatment of the man behind the myth that HST has become.

In this treatment, we see more of the Owl Creek Ranch, more of HST's first and second wives commenting, and more of Hunter at home than in previous films. Hunter appears to be more relaxed at home than anywhere else he has been interviewed. I particularly liked the airing of a couple of messages that HST left on answering machines... these give the viewer a feel for the real person and not so much the persona.

The film also gives reasonable closure for HST's exit from humanity... taking the Hemingway option in view of his increasing physical disability and age-related deterioration. HST was always in charge of his own freedom, and this chosen end was one more celebration of his freedom to do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted it. Thanks for a good film. I'll watch it again when I need my next Gonzo-fix.

I found the movie disappointing on an informational basis, but it is better at conveying the social context in which Hunter S. Thompson lived. Upon reflection the movie's faults shine even brighter. During the movie you do "take a ride" but the movie is too much like a love letter than a biography or even a deep look. The movie's fault is that it really doesn't take you anywhere, it just kind of informs you of what his "friends" thought of him. Not for the uninitiated Hunter S. Thompson lovers.

Achieves a moment of affection for the mystic Hunter S. Thompson, but only a moment. 7/10

Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride (2006)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Tom Thurman directs this documentary of Hunter S. Thompson who everyone will have a different opinion on. I watched this hoping to learn a little about the man and I did learn something but it was very little. It seems the director was more interested in hearing various stories about the man instead of trying to find out why he was the way he was. Ed Bradley, Gary Busey, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Johnny Depp, Leonard Maltin, Bill Murray, Harry Dean Stanton and Sean Penn are all interviewed and Nick Nolte narrates.

How you can make something this sad, this boring, this tedious and meaningless out of the life of one of the greatest writers and journalists of the 20th century is just beyond me.

It's just a string of interviews with past friends that come across as whiny "now he is dad" kind of eulogy stuff.

The facts are kind of interesting, but if I want to read facts, I can look them up on wikipedia.

This is not entertaining.

This is not interesting.

This is not Gonzo.

THIS IS NOT WHAT HUNTER WOULD HAVE WANTED!

Although this was the first Hunter S. Thompson documentary I have seen it was average at best despite the involvement's of huge star appearances such as Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Gary Busey, and a few others. I was let down by this and yet it was still a little interesting. What kept me watching was some of the old clips from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Where the Buffalo Roam. Not that good mostly because of the old guys rambling and things any fan would already know. I still think they were milking it because it could have been compressed down by at least half. Still if your a fan I would you'll like anything that has to do with hunter. best regards