Customer Reviews

Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was wondering whether to give this documentary two or three stars and gave it the benefit of the doubt. The documentary starts off on shaky ground with an annoying split screen, and a segment of Gary Busey's ego getting in the way. It focuses on the two movies made of Hunter S. Thompson's life, 'Where The Buffalo Roam' from 1980 and 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas' in 1998. There isn't much information on Thompson during the decade inbetween movies.

The interviews with Thompson that are used are from 1978, 1997, and 1998. Other interviews are with Sean Penn, Gary Busey, Johnny Depp, Bill Murrary, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Harry Dean Stanton, editor William F. Buckley, author Tom Wolfe, politician George McGovern, and politician Gary Hart, along with close friends and ex-wives.

The documentary talks about Thompson's unique "Gonzo" style of writing, his penchant for alcohol, drugs, guns, and company while revealing that he (as early as 1978) felt like he was losing himself to the icon he had become. I think the movie would lose any relevancy it had if one had not read at least one of Thompson's works. The interviews were more personal than professional relationship, and I felt that the documentary only skimmed the surface of Thompson's brilliance.

Also, there are no subtitles for the hearing impaired, which was needed because Thompson has a tendency to mumble and speak very fast in his interviews. The documentary on the second CD of the Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas set had more information on Thompson both personal and professional than this DVD held. Rent, don't buy. Enjoy!

It took a long time to comfortably view this documentary, having been acquainted with the good Doctor since my college days in the early 70's. I don't mean acquainted personally - I'm not sure I brought enough to the table to get me invited to Owl Farm - but acquainted in a literary sense. This documentary is a good "short course" on HST by the people who knew and loved him - and those could be two entirely separate groups! From all accounts, Hunter was not an "easy" friend to have but I've never heard anyone regret the privledge. Friends, widows, ex-wives and family members recall their experiences with Hunter which ranged from merely weird to outright dangerous. Apart from his Woody Creek friends, Johnny Depp, John Cusack and Sean Penn are shown recounting "Hunter stories" with the obvious omission being Cusack's side-splitting "Ling Ling" story which was posted on the STARZ website for a time.

For us devotees, seeing "Ground Zero" (a.k.a. Owl Farm) is real treat, seeing behind the curtain at how Hunter lived - down to what he ate for breakfast. There have been other documentaries with/about Hunter, such as BREAKFAST WITH HUNTER, but this film covers all areas of Hunter's life without any agenda to demonize or glorify the man. It effectively points out the corner Hunter painted himself into when he tried to become Dr. Gonzo, as opposed to the excellent journalist Hunter S. Thompson. And it gives his fans a little closure in trying to understand why Hunter felt his "ride was here". One does come away with not only a clearer understanding of how Hunter thought of himself, but also with an envy of those who were privledged to be on Hunter's call list. Now, if someone could just explain the lipstick to me ....

Being a Thompson fan and looking foward to a documentary of his life i eagerly awaited this dvd release. After watching it i cant help feel this was done with respect and good intention but fell short of the target. Its main problem is too many actors recollections and not enough Hunter. Now i like Sean Penn J depp J Cusack Bill Murray but the film spends too much time talking about the Hunter films that were made( to be fair its full title includes the subtitle "Hunter Thompson on film"- his life is briefly gone over with excellent narration by the always drunk sounding Nick Nolte and old friends give some insight into his character but is lacking is the miles of footage interviews and othe source material that i have seen on other bootleg dvds and on such commercial dvds as "Breakfast with Hunter". There is no long extended interviews or dialogue with Hunter- its always short scenes between some actors impression of The good doctor. What works are some of the fellow authors interviews and politicians who put the late authors work in historical context. Hopefully there will be a definitive Doc made of this very interesting relevant counter-culture icon who happened to be a very funny and talented writer. Rent it first before you buy- because this ride isnt that thrilling. P.s Gary Busey comes across a complete egomaniac and selfcentered and he seems to forget this is about Hunter and not himself.

I found this DVD 'memorial' of HST to be a re-hashing of history I already knew. That HST was a groundbreaking journalist and pop culture icon is undisputed. If you want to get a feeling of the man then I think it's better to read his work. Despite what Hunter says about Raoul Duke vs. HST, the work was a more accurate reflection of the man than he would lead us to believe.
My overall gripe with the film was the incessant interviewing of Johnny Depp, who, though a talented actor, is not much of an authority on mainstream or fringe journalism. Other interviews were interesting only because I saw a sycophantic side of people that I never knew existed.
I gave my copy to the local library for their collection.

---Johnnyboy

This film is more of a tribute to Thompson than a revealing documentary about his life and work. Hunter's famous friends (Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Bill Murray, Harry Dean Stanton, Eugene McCarthy, Gary Hart, Ed Bradley, William Buckley, etc.) take turns honoring him with reminiscences and personal anecdotes that mostly reinforce the well known image of the frequently-inebriated-but-brilliant maverick that is Thompson's public persona. If you're a fan of Thompson's looking for soothing closure on his life and career, then this is the movie for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for in-depth analysis of Thompson's writing and its impact on journalism and politics, look elsewhere.

Since Doctor Hunter S. Thompson's death by suicide and the extravaganza of the funereal flight of his ashes at Woody Creek in 2005 there has been a veritable avalanche of documentaries, books and other forms of tribute by his friends, like Ralph Steadman and Johnny Depp, his associates, like Jann Wanner and David Brinkley, and others. Whatever other intention each tribute may have they all have in common a desire to influence that crucial "first draft of history" in order to assure Thompson's place in the pantheon of 20th century American letters. There is no question that Thompson belongs there and furthermore no question that his work will be read even by future digitally-centered 'cyberspace' generations (who will, I am sure, get a kick out of that old mojo wire of his as we did in our turn on discovering something like an old crank-up telephone). What is at question is the extent that each tribute, including this 2007 documentary, adds or detracts from that commemoration.

As I have mentioned elsewhere in this space on the subject of albums of musical tributes to legendary folk, rock and blues stars not all such efforts are create equally. Nor, in the case of Thompson, do they all cover the same ground (although on such a narrow subject as the hey day of Hunter Thompson's best work there is bound to be, and is, overlap). In the very recent past I have reviewed another Thompson documentary tribute- "Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"- that concentrated on his rising career as a hip 1960's journalist and political commentator. The center of that piece was Thompson's journalistic efforts in the period from the mid-1960's, including the personally decisive 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention, to the rise of Jimmy Carter's presidential candidacy in the mid-1970's.

The current film tends to concentrate more on Thompson's emergence as an icon at a later period and on the effect that two films about him- "Where The Buffalo Roam" and "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" contributed to that status. Moreover, unlike "Gonzo" that was filled with commentary by more political types, like former presidential candidates George McGovern and Gary Hart, or on the evolution of his journalism by the likes of his "Rolling Stone" boss Jann Wanner and Tom Wolfe (of "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" fame) this work features more Hollywood film-types like Thompson friends Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and John Cusack. I, thus, give the edge to "Gonzo" as the more important and informative film because, in the final analysis Thompson's legacy for future generations will be those many, many printed words that kept (keep) us going on many a hard night out on the edge.

Finally, I would make this comment that I have made in "Gonzo" and in reviews of some of Hunter's books.

"Generally the most the trenchant social criticism, commentary and analysis complete with a prescriptive social program ripe for implementation has been done by thinkers and writers who work outside the realm of bourgeois society, notably socialists and other progressive thinkers. Bourgeois society rarely allows itself, in self defense, to be skewered by trenchant criticism from within. This is particularly true when it comes from a known dope fiend, gun freak and all-around lifestyle addict like the late, lamented Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Nevertheless, although he was far from any thought of a socialist solution and would reject such a designation we could travel part of the way with him. We saw him as a kindred spirit. He was not one of us- but he was one of us. All honor to him for pushing the envelope of journalism in new directions and for his pinpricks at the hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such men are dangerous."

Hunter, I hope that you find the Brown Buffalo wherever you are. Damn, the 2008 campaign, despite the hoopla, was boring without your knife even if it was not as sharp as in the old days. Watch this DVD. And then "buy the ticket, take the ride" and read his books.

Stay with pure Hunter: books, interviews.

This is simply awful. No originality or insight.

An insult to Hunter's life.

Its always good with a contoversial character to hear the words of those who were his freinds and associates describe who he was and how he affected them.Truest charcter assessment.

this dvd is intellectual and informative about the unique one of a kind life of the notorious hunter s. thompson. it has great interview from todays hottest stars, thompson close friends and colleagues.

Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride is a great gift for anyone who loves Hunter Thompson or wants to learn more about him. This documentary provides details from his life and allows us to see Hunter as more than merely a caricature from one of his stories, but as a real human being. I was very pleased with the video and highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of documentaries or of the great Dr.Gonzo himself.