Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 16, 2024

Terry Gilliam's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include three archival audio commentaries; storyboards; deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Terry Gilliam; production designs; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I read Hunter S. Thompson’s book long before director Terry Gilliam adapted it into a film, and I thought that it was unfilmable. I still believe that it is unfilmable. The book chronicles emotional outbursts, vivid hallucinations, and pure mental blackouts that no one can transform into images.

With Gilliam’s film you spend approximately two hours in Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and Gonzo’s (Benicio Del Toro) heads and -- poof! -- you are done. You come back into the world that you know so well, where everything makes sense, and go to bed happy. If you read the book, your experience will be quite different -- because the book will get into your head. The film is colorful, at times even entertaining, but nothing like the book. In an audio commentary director Gilliam recorded for Criterion back in 2002, which is included on this release, he describes it as arrogant. What he means is that the film pulls you in and does not give you the opportunity to stop, take a breather and try to figure out exactly what is it that you are seeing -- which is one of the key reasons why a lot of people who see Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas without having read the book quickly conclude that it is a film about drugs and drug addicts.

And I understand why. Right from the get-go Duke and Gonzo are seen acting so strange and consuming so much cocaine, mescaline, uppers, downers, and who knows what else that, well, the first thing that would rightfully cross anyone’s mind is that the film is indeed about a very colorful trip. In other words, what the film does not make perfectly clear is why these two characters are willingly frying their brains.

The book reveals why, with various descriptions and references, which I believe are simply unfilmable -- Duke and Gonzo’s trip to Las Vegas is their ultimate act of rebellion, a provocation whose goal is to destroy myths and eventually hurt the world that has betrayed them and gone crazy. In the film, however, it looks like they are the crazy guys who cannot stop hallucinating.

The political overtones, which are not easy to isolate even in the book, are lost in the film. The narrator spends a great deal of time explaining what is happening, but the harder he tries, the less likely you are to understand him. The only obvious pointers revealing that the film is indeed about the disastrous end of an era are during that long sequence where Duke and Gonzo attend the anti-drug presentation.

Depp and Del Toro truly look under the influence of not one but a couple of different drugs. On a number of different occasions, the two have clarified that they did not need any extra inspiration while shooting the film, but who knows. The scene where Del Toro is in the tub completely wasted and Depp warns him that dropping his radio in the water isn’t a good idea looks too real to me. According to Laila Nabulsi, one of the film’s producers, Depp apparently did a number of interesting improvisations in this scene that caught a lot of people by surprise.

There are some truly beautiful images in the film, especially from Las Vegas (though a number of the best sequences were actually filmed elsewhere). The colors are wonderful. There are a lot of ugly images as well. Most, if not all, depict the few moments when the effects of the drugs weaken and Duke and Gonzo feel the urge to purge themselves.

*In 1998, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

The release introduces a new 4K restoration of the film that has been supervised and approved by Terry Gilliam. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision.

On my system, the 4K makeover looked terrific. It produces very healthy visuals boasting outstanding delineation, clarity, and depth. There are entire ranges of small nuances that are not particularly well exposed on the previous Blu-ray release but are instantly recognizable now. Fluidity is dramatically improved as well. Because of the nature of the original cinematography, the gap in quality becomes even more impressive. Image stability is outstanding. What about color reproduction? I liked everything that I saw on my system. The primaries and supporting nuances are wonderfully balanced, and the expanded color palette of 4K further opens up some areas that already look remarkably lush and vibrant. I did not notice any anomalies to report in our review. The Dolby Vision grade handles darker areas very well. There is no flatness, uneven shadow definition, etc. The entire film looks immaculate as well.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I prefer the 2.0 track, so in the past I have always viewed the film with it. This time, while viewing the new 4K makeover, I again used the 2.0 track. It is very healthy and all of its basic qualities are solid. One of the big reasons I prefer this track is Johnny Depp's narration/fast mumbling, which I think is easier to follow and understand on the 2.0 track. However, feel free to disagree with me and view the film with the 5.1 track. I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentaries -
  
  -- An Audio Commentary with Terry Gilliam.
  -- An Audio Commentary with Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi.
  -- An Audio Commentary with author Hunter S. Thompson and his assistant Anita Baymont.
  
  I've listened to the three commentaries in their entirety and the most illuminating, and arguably entertaining, one appears to be the second commentary. Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and Laila Nabulsi spend a great deal of time discussing the various challenges the cast and crew had to overcome before and after shooting of the film began. More importantly, however, they all share their thoughts on the film's message, which is often misunderstood.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentaries -
  
  -- An Audio Commentary with Terry Gilliam.
  -- An Audio Commentary with Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi.
  -- An Audio Commentary with author Hunter S. Thompson and his assistant Anita Baymont.

• Deleted Scenes - three deleted scenes, with optional commentary by director Terry Gilliam. In English, not subtitled.
  
  -- The Mint 400 (2 min).
  -- The Da From Ga (6 min).
  -- The Hardware Barn (4 min).

• Depp-Thompson Correspondence - During the pre-production process, author Hunter S. Thompson and actor Johnny Depp spent a great deal of time together. They also communicated after shooting of the film began. In this featurette, Johnny Depp reads some of the letters he exchanged with Hunter S. Thompson. In English, not subtitled. Letters courtesy of Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson. (15 min).

• Hunter Goes to Hollywood - director Wayne Ewing spent almost twenty years filming Hunter S. Thompson for his 2003 documentary Breakfast with Hunter. This short piece by Wayne Ewing follows Hunter S. Thompson on his visit to the set of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• "Not the Screenplay" - director Terry Gilliam, co-screenwriter Tony Grisoni, and producer Laila Nabulsi discuss the various screen adaptations of Hunter S. Thompson's book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as well as the various disputes over who should be credited on the film. Audio only. Not subtitled. (18 min).

• Oscar Zeta Acosta: Dr. Gonzo - a biographical photo essay about Oscar Zeta Acosta, immortalized in Hunter S. Thompson's book as Dr. Gonzo. Oscar Zeta Acosta also reads on camera from his 1973 book The Revolt of the Cockroach People.
  
  -- The Revolt of the Cockroach People - in English, not subtitled. (30 min).
  -- Thompson on Acosta - in English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Ralph Steadman Art Gallery - a collection of line drawings and color illustrations to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas provided by artist Ralph Steadman.

• "Breakdown on Paradise Boulevard" - an excerpt from the CD release of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, featuring Jim Jarmusch as Duke, Maury Chaykin as Gonzo, and Harry Dean Stanton as the narrator. Audio only. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Storyboards - a selection of Terry Gilliam storyboards for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Courtesy of Terry Gilliam. (1080p).
  
  -- Opening Sequences
  -- The Mint Hotel
  -- Baker
  -- The Flamingo Hotel/Da's Convention
  -- Adrenochrome
  -- Duke Drives Gonzo to the Airport
  -- Final Sequence

• Production Designs - a selection of illustrations executed by storyboard artists under the direction of production designer Alex McDowell. Courtesy of Terry Gilliam. (1080p).

• Stills Gallery - a selection of production stills taken by set photographer Peter Mountain. Courtesy of Universal Studios. (1080p).

• Trailer - presented with optional commentary by Terry Gilliam. (3 min)

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and two pieces by Hunter S. Thompson.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 4K makeover of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and its presentation on 4K Blu-ray are outstanding, so if you have been waiting for a definitive release of the film, this upcoming combo pack is it. There are many interesting archival bonus features on it as well, some of which I think have content that is even stranger than the one from the film. However, Hunter S. Thompson's book is on a completely different level, so if you have not read it, it might be time to pick a copy of it, too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.