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Movies / On DVD / Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

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Reviews Counted:88

Fresh:76

Rotten:12

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: While not the comprehensive profile of the man that his die-hard fans might have hoped for, Gonzo remains an insightful introduction to the life of rebellious writer Hunter S. Thompson and his influences.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for drug and sexual content, language and some nudity.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:19-12-2008

Synopsis: Few journalists have attained the notoriety of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. His legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. He became a living legend whose... Few journalists have attained the notoriety of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. His legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. He became a living legend whose persona often overshadowed his work. However, Thompson's steadfast ability to remain true to his convictions created an entirely new style of journalism, dubbed "gonzo," and has solidified his place in history as one of America's most influential writers and rebels. Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true iconoclast: goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steely-eyed obsession to right wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday--from 1965 to 1975--the film also includes clips of never-before-seen (and heard) home movies and audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts. Director Alex Gibney intelligently interviews a broad spectrum of Thompson's peers and paints a three-dimensional portrait that reveals what a larger-than-life icon he was, a man whose actions both attracted and repelled the people closest to him. What's remarkable is how daring he truly was in taking on the establishment and how absent that voice is today. His passing created a void that may never be filled, but Gibney's terrific film, in doing justice to the writer, the legend, and the man, at least helps preserve his legacy. --© Sundance Film Festival [More]

Starring: Gary Hart, George McGovern, Jann Wenner, Jimmy Buffett

Starring: Gary Hart, George McGovern, Jann Wenner, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Steadman, Tom Wolfe

Director: Alex Gibney

Director: Alex Gibney
Story: Alex Gibney
Producer: Alex Gibney, Graydon Carter, Jason Kliot, Joana Vicente, Alison Ellwood, Eva Orner
Composer: David Schwartz
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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A definitive, accessible, even inspiring screen biography put together with thought and vitality.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/19/08
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film’s plea that we need Thompson now more than ever is a little misty-eyed: Thompson’s day was long gone by the time he put a gun to his head.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
12/19/08
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Much like the man himself, it's quite a piece of work.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
12/19/08
Richard Luck
Richard Luck
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gonzo is much more than a tribute to a maverick and genuine pioneer. It’s a lament for the gaping hole that Thompson left behind. The only obvious weakness is Gibney’s reluctance to engage fully with Thompson’s toxic personal life.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
12/19/08
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This documentary about his life by Alex Gibney, though entertaining in many ways, is oddly uninterested in his strengths or otherwise as a writer, the very gift for which Thompson earnestly wished to be known.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
12/19/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Director Alex Gibney has plundered 200 hours of audiotapes, hundreds of photos and personal testimony from an impressive roster of Thompson’s colleagues and family to put together an even-handed portrait.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
12/19/08
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

A straight-line journey through the good doctor’s loopy myth and madness, but one that doesn’t push far enough into uncharted territory. Fine as a primer, but Gibney leans more towards admiration than examination.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
12/19/08
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Total Film

The film is content to laugh affectionately at Thompson's bad boy exploits, giggle at the impatience of a man who went hunting boar with a sub machine-gun.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/19/08
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

Crackingly entertaining documentary.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
12/19/08
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Daily Mirror [UK]

Thompson must be looking down, or up, from his afterworld thinking: “The worst success is a failure to keep alive the spirit of offendedness and outrage.”

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
12/19/08
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

This soft-headed hagiography is a disappointment, and at least half an hour too long.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment 1 Comment
12/19/08
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Gibney says the film took so much out of him that he limped into the Sundance Festival with a ruptured disc, a green liver and spots in his eyes that will not disappear. I hope he now thinks it worth the trouble. I’m pretty sure watchers will.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment 1 Comment
12/19/08
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

Superbly directed, hugely entertaining documentary that's a treat for both newcomers and aficionados of Thompson's work.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/19/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

With a wealth of archive material, documentary filmmaker Gibney assembles a remarkably astute and comprehensive look at the life of one of the most notorious journalists in American history.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/19/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
12/18/08
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Alex Gibney's documentary about bad boy journalist Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is both a memorial exaltation and a lament. Gibney's masterful style balances verite and dramatic effect. He doesn't doesn't tell you what to think, but spurs you to think.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
05/26/09
Jennifer Merin
Jennifer Merin
About.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

A colorful documentary about the famed journalist and author, Hunter S. Thompson, spiced up with movie clips of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and other works based on Thompson's writings.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
02/05/09
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

a seminal work of talking head biography

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/24/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
Filmcritic.com

Gonzo is an excellent reminder that Thompson was more than just a wild man. He was, at least for a time, a first-rate writer who covered his times and helped shape them.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
10/30/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
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