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MOVIE SCREENINGS
GONZO: The Life and Work of
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"Gonzo" is the definitive film biography of a mythic American
writer, particularly covering his most provocative and productive
period from 1965 to 1975. His wicked words continue to resonate
today, at a time when politicians have become manufactured
celebrities, shrouding themselves in Teflon, issuing banalities
whose only value is that they rarely offend. Too often, contemporary
journalists play the politicians’ game, taking them seriously with a
balance they don’t deserve. Thompson never stood for that. He
understood, better than any other, that when the going gets weird,
the weird turn pro.
Directed by Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room") and
narrated by legendary actor Johnny Depp, who portrayed Thompson in
the screen version of 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', "Gonzo" is
distinguished by its unprecedented cooperation of Thompson's family,
friends and estate and access to clips of never-before-seen (and
heard) home movies and audiotapes, passages from unpublished
manuscripts, letters, books and articles, as well as previously
unpublished artworks and polaroids by Ralph Steadman -- the
visionary artist who created a subversively iconic visual landscape
for Thompson's words.
"Gonzo" is a three-dimensional portrait with a focus on Thompson's
work, whose legendary status is due as much to his scintillating
writing as his outrageous antics. A die-hard member of the NRA,
Thompson was also a coke-snorting, whiskey-swilling, acid-eating
fiend. While his pen dripped with venom for crooked politicians, he
surprised nervous visitors with the courtly manners and soft-spoken
delivery of a Southern gentleman. Careening out of control in his
personal life, Thompson also maintained a steel-eyed conviction
about righting wrongs. Today, in a time when “spin” has replaced the
search for deeper meaning, Thompson remains an iconic crusader for
truth, justice and a fiercely idealistic American way.
Featuring interviews with Former President Jimmy Carter, George
McGovern, Pat Buchanan, Jann Wenner, Tom Wolfe, Jimmy Buffett and
Ralph Steadman.
Produced by Graydon Carter, Jason Kliot and Joanna Vicente, Eva
Orner and Allison Ellwood.
Magnolia Pictures will release GONZO on July 4, 2008. |
