Hunter S. Thompson - Anyone read any of his stuff?

[canikickit]

His books are great. I read
Better than Sex
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hell's Angels
and the first two books of Letters(I dunno if the 3rd is out)

All his stuff is reall good, and he's real crazy, always an added plus(as opposed to a subtracted plus).
Yeah, reading the letters makes me wish I was born in a different era, i.e. that one.
I love his quest for a "fort". I want a place like that.

[Son of Scargill]

I quite liked "The Great White Shark Hunt".At least that's what I think it was called,it was about 20 years ago,and I partook of the herb more then.
Fear and Loathing is a stoners bible nearly.Thoroughly enjoyed that as well.

[I Will Deny You]

I absolutely love Thompson. Did anyone else here notice that there was a picture of Che in the movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?

My favorite book of his is Better than Sex.

Lindsay

[canikickit]

I don't remember seeing that picture.

Better than Sex, is a bit crazy in places. You don't know what to believe.

[Alejandro C]

Fear and loathing is one of my favorite books, also his short stories are awesome, awesome to the max. one thing significant about fear is that it is the only book i can think of that had a better movie. this may be corrected if i ever get around to reading fight club.

[canikickit]

Have you read the Godfather? I think the film was better. Maybe.

But yeah I think the Fear and Loathing film was better...it was very true to the book though, a lot of the monolouges seemed to be taken straight from it...

[Fires of History]

Yep. He's the fucking shit!

Anyway, brought these thoughts over from our conversation on 'Lord of the Rings.'

Hmmm, what to say about Thompson?

He's a genius.

He's one of the greatest writers ever.

He's a genius.

Yes, I can say that twice about someone like Thompson.

Anyway, I've read Fear and Loathing more times that I can remember. My other favorite by him is The Rum Diaries. Canikickit, you should read The Rum Diaries if you haven't.

Quick movie/book question:

Has anyone else noticed that on the hitchhiker's t-shirt in the original artwork that there's Nazi symbolism? But that in the movie Toby Maguire's shirt has American symbolism on it? Is that some commentary from Gillium? Or maybe Depp, who did spend a LOT of time with Thompson getting ready for the movie and helped make a lot of decisions about them movie.

[canikickit]

My other favorite by him is The Rum Diaries. Canikickit, you should read The Rum Diaries if you haven't.

Yeah, I'd definitly like to. I intend reading all his stuff eventually. The time during which he wrote The Rum Diaries was one of my favourites during his letters.

Did you read the letters? They mightn't be everyone's scene, and it is a bit strange reading through his life, but there are moments of greatness.


as American symbolism on it? Is that some commentary from Gillium? Or maybe Depp, who did spend a LOT of time with Thompson getting ready for the movie and helped make a lot of decisions about them movie.


I didn't notice that. Unfortunatly I have neither the book nor the film here. Quite interesting.

Johnny Depp was fantastic as Thompson, or Duke, especially the voice. (come to think of it, i don't think I've seen thompson on film ever).

[Lefty]

I'll get around to it. Did you hear that he killed a grizzly bear last year on his cabin in the Rockies?

[Son of Scargill]

Anyone here seen(or even better,got a copy of)"Where the Buffalo Roam" starring Bill Murray?It is a kind of mish-mash of"Fear and Loathing"and"The Great Shark Hunt".Really enjoyed it,but it's been at least 15 years since I saw it(and I was wasted)so it might not have been as good as I remember.Then again,it might have been better.....damn shot to fuck memory,canikickit take note. ;)
Btw,I've been meaning to ask...canikickit,inspired by Soccer a.m.?Or just coincidence?

[Dhul Fiqar]

I read Fear and Loathing, loved it, and hope to read more of his stuff.

As for "Where the Buffalo Roam", I saw it but spent most of the movie being weirded out by the fact that Bill Murray was doing a Hunter S. Thompson impression. I just flicked on as it was starting and had no idea that it existed before, it was pretty weird to see.

Still, it wasn't NEARLY as good as the Johnny Depp version, but not bad though, just not very good. My favorite part had to be when they drugged up some guy on an airplane.

--- G.

p.s. I've always assumed "can I kick it" was meant in a black homie sort of way, like in that song "Can I kick it? *Yeees you caaan*" and etc.


p.p.s. EDIT: "Buggalo" typo corrected, much embarrassment ;)

(Edited by Dhul Fiqar at 6:15 pm on Jan. 29, 2003)

[Fires of History]

Canikickit,

Yeah, The Rum Diary was his first novel, he's so young. It takes place in Puerto Rico in the 50's and, in Thompson's own special way, shows how it transformed from an innocent little tropical paradise to an American boomtown, with less than appealing consequences.

He drinks rum ALL THE TIME. I kept wanting to say to him, "Jesus man!" Guess that was the inspiration for the name. I don't know how that man still has a liver.

And, no I haven't read the letters. It's on "My Great Big List." My friend has it, but once again, the 24 hour day stops all things. I WILL though. And it WILL be my scene.

Yeah, Johnny Depp. Guess what happens when one of FoH's favorite actors plays one of FoH's greatest heroes? You get one of my absolute favorite movies of all time.

Depp spent a lot of time with Thompson. And it was Depp who did most of the character decisions for Gilliam. I remember reading an article by Gilliam, who is also my favorite director of all time next to Akira Kurosawa, and Gilliam kept describing how Depp would describe how Thompson would do something, and so they would run with what Depp said.

And Depp even got Thompson's voice right! Go to Kazaa and download any interview with Thompson. My wife, when I was first playing one interview, literally thought it was Johnny Depp talking! I really can't thank Depp enough for all the work he put into that movie.

Lefty,

Hadn't heard that. But I could believe it.

Son of Scargill,

Where The Buffalo Roam is great, although a LOT more mellow than Fear And Loathing. I love the courtroom scene, where the kid gets, what was it, 1 year in jail for a joint and the other 10 years for a larger amount, and the freak out in the courtroom that ensues. I wasn't altogether convinced in Murray's portrayal, but then again I'm comparing it to Depp's, which is a little hard to stand up against.

[Fires of History]

I found it! Glad I didn't get rid of that bookmark.

This is from the interview with Gilliam I was just talking about.

Gilliam: Johnny had spent so much time with Hunter, he absorbed Hunter–his mannerisms, the way he spoke, he was totally there. And because he knew Hunter so well he was inventing things on the set that are great. It just became a very simple way of working: He'd say, 'Hunter does this,' and I'd said, 'Oh, we've got to do that,' and very quickly incorporate or embellish that idea. He's technically one of the most astonishing actors I've ever worked with. There's nothing he can't do, technically or physically, and at the same time the character's totally believable. Some of the most enjoyable days were just the days where it's him and me on a scene rather than a lot of other people, where ideas would flow very quickly. (http://members.aol.com/morgands3/fear/fearart.html)

[canikickit]

Hey thanks for that interview, Fires, great stuff. Did you check out the interview I posted in Soc. vs. Cap.? Worth reading.

You'll definitely have to get round to those letters at some stage. Just an extension of his writings, really.

I never heard of "Where the Buffalo Roam", ("Buggalo", Dhul? :biggrin:), I guess I'll have to check it out now.


I'll get around to it. Did you hear that he killed a grizzly bear last year on his cabin in the Rockies?

What are you on about Lefty? Get around to reading his stuff? What did he do, shoot the grizzly? He shoots a lot of things.

Just on the topic of Johnny Depp, have you seen the Jack the Ripper film (I forget the name)? Directed by the Hughes Brothers, I thought it was fantastic. What the hell was it called?

Nobody read "Hell's Angels"? That's a great book. A lot of the first volume of letters deals with that and The Rum Diary, he got beaten up by the Hell's Angels at the end.


My name is inspired by the Tribe Called Quest song. Just a matter of getting sick of trying other names, and then just typing that.

[canikickit]

"From Hell" is the film. Quite different from the other Hughes Brothers pictures I've seen; Menace II Society and Dead Presidents.

[canikickit]

From the interview:


The New Puritans, the ones who want to tell us exactly how we should or shouldn't behave and think, are very offended by language. I think the one word we don't use is `n***er,' because Hunter never used that word; besides, Quentin Tarantino's got the copyright on that!


This is bullshit. He uses that word in one of his letters at some stage.

Anyway, that interview is cool. You can get a look at Terry Gilliam burning his membership card (to the writers guild thing) from a link.

[Rastafari]

I own a couple of books(or collections of articles, rather). He is, without a doubt, the greatest journalist of our age. I describe my habit of reading him as an addiction, nothing less.

[Dhul Fiqar]

Even though he doesn't use the "N" word much, he does a few cynical takes on racism, like in Fear and Loathing (the book) where he says something like"despite his race" when praising his lawyer, and keeps going on about "his people" and such. He's obviously just taking the piss though...

--- G.

[praxis1966]

Thompson actually allowed himself to be interviewed for a documentary on the Hell's Angels for the History Channel not so long ago, Ciki.

[canikickit]

Have you got any more info on that, praxis? That's something I'd love to see.

[Rastafari]

Hunter S. Thompson also got beat to death Peter Tosh style by some pissed Angels. 1960's San Fransisco, shortly after he finished and published the book

[canikickit]

"Beaten to death Peter Tosh style"...

If you're going to be beaten to death, it would be nice if it could be that style, where you don't die. :wink:I think it was actually before the book had been published. I read about it, I'm not sure whether it was in his letters or the book.

I'm actually pretty sure it was the book, I could be wrong.

It's a great book though, he touches on a lot of other things (as is his style).

[Alejandro C]

Hunter S. Thompson was on Conan last thursday and it was fucking hilarious, did anyone see it. it was classic i haven't rolled on the floor laughing in a really long time. Also i just read that they are releasing a new version of Fear the movie next tues. with a whole bunch of really cool shit on it. it has three short docs with hunter actually in them, one is hunter and ralph steadman doing a road trip to recreate parts of the movie. it also has hunters commentary for the whole movie, depp and del toro's commentary, and the directors. I also think it has a short doc about oscar acosta reading parts of his book at a rally. I nearly shit my pants. i'm going to go give plasma tomorrow so that i can get some money for this jewel, ill let you guys know how it is, but i can already tell that i will fucking love it.

Oh and last year hunter got an award and asked depp to come up and accept it as him, which he did. thats on the dvd to. Its called a critirion collection edition.

[canikickit]

That sounds fucking great. Thanks for the info, Alejandro, I'll definitely keep an eye out.

[Rastafari]

I am sick to hear that. I like both and that would have been more than interesting to see. I bet he was on to plug his new book, though. I want to read it because it is about his life growing up in Kentucky, and later. Wonder if it was better than the famed Mister T. Episode

[canikickit]

Rasta, you should check out the two volumes of his letters;

The Proud Highway
Fear and Loathing in America

if you haven't already. They're great.

Any idea what his new book is called?

[Rastafari]

I think its called Kingdom of Fear. I have alreading picked up Fear and Loathing in America, so Ill get The Proud Highway.

[Alejandro C]

here is a review of the criterion collection, i'm going to get it tomorrow, i'll give my take later.


http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=14470