Suggestion: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[ChrisSizemore 1]

Given that it's been a while since I've seen it, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for the Canon?

 

Quite possibly one of the best Johnny Depp performances not being tied to the Gothic sensibilities of Tim Burton.

[Muthsarah 124]

If only the last two-thirds of this movie were as good as the first third, I think it'd be a slam dunk. It starts out crazy surreal and hilarious, but quickly forgets where it's going (or chooses NOT to go anywhere), becomes meaningless and just burns out, long before the end. At least the last lines of the movie so elegantly point that out. Perhaps without meaning to.

 

As a movie, it's a hell of an experience, for a while. But, at two hours, it spends too much time covering the same ground. Another victim of Gilliam's tragic lack of discipline and focus. There's a fantastic 90 minute movie here.

[ChrisSizemore 1]

You've got some good points here, as it does get hard to follow at times. I remember seeing it for the first time and being lost around the middle, wondering if it even had a point. Visually, it's find it a very striking film, apparently it's one of the few Gilliam films in 2.35 aspect ratio...

 

So while I agree that it does meander, I wouldn't necessarily say it's unwatchable. From what I understand, Gilliam's more recent films tend to lose focus even more.

 

Speaking of which, Fear and Loathing is the only Gilliam film I've seen. I remember seeing Time Bandits when I was younger, but probably too young so I didn't quite get it. What are some stronger Gilliam films that you would recommend?

[tim_k 9]

12 Monkeys is my fav by him. Brazil is pretty wild as well.

[davhahn 4]

Brazil is the ultimate Gilliam film. The Fisher King is pretty high quality too. One of my favorite Robin Williams performances, where his manic persona actually makes sense.

[Muthsarah 124]

Speaking of which, Fear and Loathing is the only Gilliam film I've seen. I remember seeing Time Bandits when I was younger, but probably too young so I didn't quite get it. What are some stronger Gilliam films that you would recommend?

 

Seriously? Yeah, Brazil. Make sure to get a good copy. Director's Cut, Criterion. Dunno how hard or easy it would be to actually come across the theatrical cut. But DON'T watch the theatrical cut. The studio took it away from him and slapped a whole other ending onto it. Doesn't fit AT ALL.

 

If you go back and check out Time Bandits again, and if you like it, roll the dice on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. It's a bit of a mess, plot-wise, but it's a kids' film, through and through, and it's crazy imaginative. With Gilliam, it's always ten pounds of ambition in a five pound bag. You're gonna end up with something sloppy and mis-shapen by the end (except for one film - yeah, Brazil). But if you want imagination, the kind you felt as a kid, before you had to think about movies as a business, his earlier works are a ton of fun.

 

If nothing else, it should help put Fear and Loathing into perspective. It's pure Gilliam. And so is everything else he's done.

 

EDIT: And if you like more modern, restrained character-based drama, The Fisher King is quite good. And 12 Monkeys is a nice, dark sci-fi thriller. All of his films are a lil' crazy, though these two are probably the most "mainstream" he ever got. Which...isn't saying too much.

 

EDIT AGAIN: And while we're just talking all things Gilliam: Anyone here seen The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus? How does it fare?

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

If only the last two-thirds of this movie were as good as the first third, I think it'd be a slam dunk. It starts out crazy surreal and hilarious, but quickly forgets where it's going (or chooses NOT to go anywhere), becomes meaningless and just burns out, long before the end. At least the last lines of the movie so elegantly point that out. Perhaps without meaning to.

 

As a movie, it's a hell of an experience, for a while. But, at two hours, it spends too much time covering the same ground. Another victim of Gilliam's tragic lack of discipline and focus. There's a fantastic 90 minute movie here.

In this case, it's GIlliam showing fidelity to the source material, because the movie is almost a perfect visual approximation of Thompson's novel.