subject: Classic Nevada Films On Satellite Tv: "fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" [print this page] When it comes to the celluloid classics that define a particular moment or place, there are few that actually were playing on the silver screen recently. But one that managed to actually turn out to be a winner, and that everyone from aging hippies to aspiring young punks end up quoting time and time again, is that story of Raoul Duke and his nutty lawyer, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." As far as depicting a version of Nevada that was once very much there and has changed over the past half-century, it does great---despite the fact that Terry Gilliam made the film, which was caught up in various states of trouble, years after the stories first came out in "Rolling Stone."
For serious celluloid aficionados and rabid Hunter S. Thompson fans, the story of how something developed from the pages of a typewriter to your HDTV screen is one worth telling, one just as grand as the film itself. For one thing, Thompson didn't think about writing this great American novel as a book when first doing it; it was simply a story for "Rolling Stone" and a sports magazine, neither of which ended up paying his expenses the first go-round for the actual reporting and coverage. But once people started reading, it was printed in book form, and changed the landscape of American literature (and rebellion) forever.
But there was still a lot to handle between those first editions and the film popping up on satellite tv at three in the morning. The rights were traded back and forth between producers, with plenty of talented people, Martin Scorcese included, mentioned as potentially getting involved. But as quickly as the interest piqued, it faded away. No one ended up making it, a film loosely based on Thompson starring Bill Murray was made, and the idea of turning "The Vegas Book" into "The Vegas Movie" faded into the ether. That is, until Hunter S. Thompson struck up a friendship with Johnny Depp, and the wheels got moving on the production end yet again.
While film lovers might know Johnny Depp from his countless other movies, all of which are perpetually in rotation in cinemas and on HDTV screens across the world, Thompson knew him as a nice young man from Kentucky with just the right kind of rebellious streak. And because of their friendship, Depp was able to convince Thompson that director Terry Gilliam wasn't trying to ruin the book. This meant that, unlike others who tried to work with Thompson, Gilliam actually managed to finish the project. And the result did the impossible: it actually kept Hunter somewhat happy while also accurately bringing to life the fierce chaos that was Las Vegas at that time.
Whether a Nevada native, a child of the 1960s, or someone who likes to rock and roll and party, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is one of those rare films that manages to keep everyone happy. Benecio del Toro's performance got him better roles, starting his big Hollywood boom. And Depp got to realize a true dream of his, meeting a boyhood idol and getting to bring him to life onscreen. Really, everyone--from those involved to the fans--managed to win, a rarity when it comes to something that's ultimately just destined to be played late at night on satellite tv.
