7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
Journalist Raoul Duke and his lawyer Dr. Gonzo drive from L.A. to Las Vegas on a drugs binge. They nominally cover news stories, including a convention on drug abuse, but also sink deeper into a frightening psychedelic otherworld. As Vietnam, Altamont, and the Tate killings impinge from the world of TV news, Duke and Gonzo see casinos, reptiles, and the American Dream.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Ellen Barkin, Craig Bierko, Gary BuseyDrama | 100% |
Dark humor | 71% |
Crime | 60% |
Surreal | 43% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Panic. It crept up my spine like the first rising vibes of an acid frenzy. There I was. Alone in Las Vegas, completely twisted on drugs... no cash, no story for the magazine, and on top of everything else, a gigantic god damned hotel bill to deal with. How would Horatio Alger handle this situation?
A consummate marriage of manic source and surreal adaptation, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is unequivocally Hunter S. Thompson, unequivocally Terry Gilliam. While the late author's 1972 novel and the Brazil director's subsequent 1998 film have divided audiences over the years, alienating some and engrossing others, both have successfully carved out a notch in pop culture infamy; both have been denounced by sneering detractors who claim Thompson's twisting narrative and Gilliam's unapologetic aggressiveness are aimless and off-putting; and both have been hailed by countless critics who find the words and imagery of Thompson and Gilliam's brazen bastard to be as maddeningly memorable as they are intoxicating. Above all else, both are blessed with an inexplicable magnetism that continues to hypnotize readers and viewers alike, even some three decades after Thompson first lost himself in the endless expanse of the Nevada desert. Does their madhouse of mescaline and ether go too far? With little to show for it? Perhaps. But it's in their reckless journey that Fear and Loathing comes alive and etches its mark. It's the sheer absurdity of the destination that makes it so compelling. And it's the elusive insanity of it all that makes Gilliam's freebase film worth watching.
"I'm a relatively respectable citizen. Mutiple felon perhaps, but certainly not dangerous."
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas tumbles onto the scene with the same commendable but imperfect 1080p/VC-1 transfer that appeared on Universal's 2006 HD DVD release. First, the good. Syrupy colors and bottomless blacks dominate nearly every shot, lending Gilliam's sweltering Nevada palette and trippy lithium-addled primaries legitimate power and punch. Skintones, though purposefully pushed to extremes on occasion, are warm and lifelike, and contrast, though skirting the heights of depths of light and shadow, remains strong and stable throughout. Detail is impressive as well. Closeups are riddled with pulsing pores, streams of sweat, jutting stubble, and the remains of cocaine misfires; establishing shots are teeming with well-rendered travelers, dilapidated street signs, swirling sand storms, and thousands of tiny, flashing lights. Grain, unobtrusive as it is, has thankfully been preserved, and serious macroblocking and unintentional noise are nowhere to be found. In fact, compared to all of the film's DVD releases, the Blu-ray edition represents a significant upgrade and showcases countless improvements. That being said, there are a number of problems that simply can't be ignored. Dark lounges and other nightmarish interiors are hindered by slippery delineation, edge enhancement continually undermines the integrity of the image, and clarity fluctuates quite dramatically at times. Moreover, print damage, dirt, and blemishes can be spotted throughout the film (most noticeably during Duke and Gonzo's first drive to Vegas), and errant wavering affects the searing skies. Eagle-eyed videophiles will even notice minor artifacting, aliasing, and crush flittering into view throughout the film.
Regardless, fans of Fear and Loathing will be quick to forgive such shortcomings -- some of which can be attributed to the original print -- and actively overlook the shakier aspects of its catalog presentation. The gushing fan in my brain wanted me to raise my video score by half a point, but the grim-faced critic next to him convinced me to stick to my guns.
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is as unpredictable and unwieldy as the film itself -- looping is obvious and jarring, sound effects sometimes come and go as they please, and Depp's jabbering is occasionally unintelligible -- but the majority of these weaknesses trace back to Gilliam's sound design, not the studio's technical efforts. Dialogue is generally crisp and well-prioritized, LFE support is quite satisfying, and dynamics are noteworthy. Nimble pans effectively send Depp and Del Toro flinging from channel to channel, and directionality is decent, especially considering the insanity of the characters' drug-induced haze. Unfortunately, the rear speakers are a bit too restrained at times (even when Depp's narration isn't anchoring the soundfield to the center channel), failing to envelop the listener as readily as they do during Duke and the doc's more chaotic misadventures. That's not to say the front-heavy nature of the track spoils the experience, mind you, just that it doesn't always lend itself to the madness unfolding on screen. Ambience and acoustics are adequate, but far too two-dimensional to warrant any serious praise. All in all, Universal's lossless track is faithful to a fault. Fear and Loathing apologists will quickly shrug off the worst of it, but audiophiles will have to grit their teeth and focus on everything the mix does have to offer.
The Blu-ray edition of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas includes just two special features -- a batch of expendable deleted scenes (SD, 10 minutes) and a decent EPK (SD, 11 minutes) -- a far cry from the mammoth supplemental package found on the 2003 Criterion Edition DVD release (a generous 2-disc set that boasted three audio commentaries, multiple documentaries, and other absorbing bonus material).
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas may not be for everyone, but Gilliam diehards and Hunter S. Thompson aficionados will eat it up. Depp and Del Toro's absurdist performances are a whirlwind of inspired insanity, Gilliam and company's screenplay is as quotable as they come, and the visuals... oh dear readers, the mad-hatter visuals are unforgettable. Alas, Universal's long-awaited Blu-ray release is a tad disappointing. It rises and falls with a hit-or-miss video transfer, a somewhat limited DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a mere twenty-minutes of supplemental content. Still, despite a few bumps in the desert road, Fear and Loathers will be quite pleased with the upgrade, while Universal's oh-so-reasonable pricepoint should help bring new cinephiles to the Gilliam/Thompson fold.
1998
Iconic Art
1998
1998
1973
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2017
1999-2007
2014
2008
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1976
2013
1997
The Convincer
2011
2017
Collector's Edition
1996
Includes Beanie
2014
1957
Collector's Edition | Theatrical on BD
1994
2014