Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Short description
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas follows journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they drive a red convertible from Los Angeles into the desert toward Las Vegas. Duke is meant to report on a motorcycle race, but the trip quickly becomes something else: the two men have loaded the car with drugs, and their intake escalates as they move from hotel to hotel. Their behavior draws the attention of police and hotel staff, and the assignment itself falls apart, leaving the pair to continue their drug-fueled wanderings through the city. The story is based on Hunter S. Thompson's account of his own 1971 trip.
Terry Gilliam directed, working from a screenplay he wrote with Tony Grisoni and Alex Cox. The film is the ninth of fourteen he has directed, arriving between Twelve Monkeys and Tideland. Johnny Depp plays Duke and Benicio del Toro plays Dr. Gonzo, with Tobey Maguire among the credited cast of seventy-one.
Released in May 1998, the film cost about 19 million dollars and took in roughly 11 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.4 out of 10 from around 318,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.2 from about 5,190, while the critics' rating stands at 5.8 from 72 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- Hunter personally shaved the "iconic" bald spot on Depp's head.
- Johnny Depp and Hunter were acquainted before Depp accepted the offer to play Raul Duke in the film adaptation of his book.
- No drugs were used on set; Johnny Depp sniffed milk powder instead of cocaine, but, according to him, "sniffing cocaine would have been more humane."
- The film features several very successful cameos, and in one scene you can see Thompson himself.
- The character played by Benicio Del Toro is named Doctor Gonzo. This is a reference to so-called "gonzo journalism," whose founder is considered to be Hunter S. Thompson himself.
- In the scene where the Duke is under the influence of adrenochrome, he whispers “el llama es un quadrupedo.” This is a quote from the television series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” (1969-1984), which Gilliam once contributed to.
- Johnny Depp spent several months getting rid of Hunter Thompson's gait and mannerisms after filming wrapped.
- Director Terry Gilliam was brought onto the project after Alex Cox declined to direct following a meeting with Thompson.
- The film is based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream” (1971).
- At the nineteenth minute, a piece breaks off Duke’s cigarette. After Raoul turns in his chair, that piece is back in place.
- For a time, Depp lived in Hunter’s house and diligently 'absorbed' his mannerisms.
- The film and the book are set in 1971, and the book was based on real events from Hunter's life. Raul Duke is modeled after Hunter S. Thompson himself.
- Some of Hunter’s personal belongings, preserved from the time the book was written, were used during the filming of the movie.
- Benicio Del Toro also had to make a sacrifice for the sake of art – gain a couple of dozen kilograms for the film.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
