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

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writers (WGA):

Alex Gibney (screenplay)
Hunter S. Thompson (writings)

Release Date:

19 December 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Gonzo | Journalist | Drugs | Hippie

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Hunter S. Thompson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Johnny Depp	...	Himself - Narrator
Joe Cairo	...	New York Studio Shoot
David Carlo	...	New York Studio Shoot
Victor Ortiz	...	New York Studio Shoot
Gilleon Smith	...	New York Studio Shoot
Alex Ziwak	...	New York Studio Shoot
Melissa Otero	...	New York Studio Shoot - Typist
Pierre Adeli	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Angela Berliner	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Eugenia Care	...	Taco Stand Shoot
Brian Kimmet	...	Taco Stand Shoot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Oscar Acosta	...	Himself (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sonny Barger	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Warren Beatty	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bob Braudis	...	Himself
Douglas Brinkley	...	Himself
Pat Buchanan	...	Himself
Jimmy Buffett	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage) (as George Bush)
Patrick Caddell	...	Himself (as Pat Caddell)
Jimmy Carter	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Tim Crouse	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Richard J. Daley	...	Himself - 1968 Convention (archive footage) (as Mayor Daley)
Thomas Eagleton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gary Hart	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Hubert H. Humphrey	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Hubert Humphrey)
Jefferson Airplane	...	Themselves (archive footage)
John F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Robert Kennedy)
Ted Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Martin Luther King	...	Himself (archive footage)
Timothy Leary	...	Himself (archive footage)
Annie Leibovitz	...	Herself (archive footage)
Frank Mankiewicz	...	Himself (archive footage)
George McGovern	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Edmund Muskie	...	Himself (archive footage)
Laila Nabulsi	...	Herself
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Charles Perry	...	Himself
Grace Slick	...	Herself (archive footage)
Ralph Steadman	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George Stranahan	...	Himself
Anita Thompson	...	Herself
Juan Thompson	...	Himself (also archive footage)
George Wallace	...	Himself - Assassination Attempt (archive footage)
Jann Wenner	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Tom Wolfe	...	Himself
Sondi Wright	...	Herself
Nick Berg	...	Himself - Murder Video (archive footage) (uncredited)
Carl Bernstein	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Osama Bin Laden	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Eisenhower	...	Himself - 1972 Convention (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jane Fonda	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Kerry	...	Himself - Thompson Memorial Attendee (archive footage) (uncredited)
Henry Kissinger	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Charles Manson	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bill Murray	...	Himself - Thompson Memorial Attendee (archive footage) (uncredited)
Julie Nixon	...	Herself - 1972 Convention (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pat Nixon	...	Herself - 1972 Convention (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tricia Nixon	...	Herself - 1972 Convention (archive footage) (uncredited)
Donald Rumsfeld	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bob Woodward	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Alex Gibney

Writing credits (WGA)
Alex Gibney		(screenplay)
Hunter S. Thompson		(writings)

Produced by
Roy Ackerman	....	co-executive producer
Graydon Carter	....	producer
Lisa Cohen	....	producer: imaging
Mark Cuban	....	executive producer
Salimah El-Amin	....	associate producer
Salimah El-Amin	....	producer: archival research
Alison Ellwood	....	producer
Don Fleming	....	producer: archival research
Nick Fraser	....	co-executive producer
Jannat Gargi	....	producer: imaging
Alex Gibney	....	producer
Jason Kliot	....	producer
Eva Orner	....	producer
Joana Vicente	....	producer
Stephen Vittoria	....	producer: San Francisco
Todd Wagner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Schwartz

Cinematography by
Maryse Alberti		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alison Ellwood

Production Management
Jenna Capozzi	....	production manager: taco stand shoot
Kelley Cribben	....	post-production supervisor
Gretchen McGowan	....	executive in charge of production
Gretchen McGowan	....	head of production: HDNet Films

Art Department
Michael Ahern	....	leadman: New York (as Mike Ahern)
Joe Cairo	....	art director: New York
Amanda Ford	....	production designer: New York
Gina Freedman	....	set dresser: New York

Sound Department
Felix Andrew	....	sound
Travis Call	....	audio post coordinator
Gautam Choudhury	....	sound
Margaret Crimmins	....	sound designer
Bradley Dunn	....	sound
David Hocs	....	sound
Michael Isabell	....	sound
Mike Karas	....	sound
Benjamin Lowry	....	sound
Kevin Padden	....	sound
Greg Smith	....	sound designer
Tamara Stepanek	....	sound
Tami Stepanek	....	sound
Tony Volante	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kieron Teather	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Sam Black	....	photoshop artist
Mark A. Brown	....	digital film services (as Marc Brown)
Lindy Jankura	....	photoshop artist
Camille Maren	....	photoshop artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Andracke	....	additional cinematographer
Ben Bloodwell	....	additional cinematographer
Ben Bloodwell	....	assistant camera
Christine Burrill	....	additional cinematographer
Michael Chin	....	additional cinematographer
Luis Colon	....	grip: New York
Steve Condiotti	....	gaffer: San Francisco
Wayne Ewing	....	additional cinematographer
Gary Gill	....	gaffer: San Francisco
Garth Gunberg	....	gaffer: New York (as Garth A. Gunberg)
Don Lenzer	....	additional cinematographer
Ed Lindsley	....	assistant camera
Steven Lubensky	....	assistant camera (as Steve Lubensky)
Tony Rossi	....	additional cinematographer
Alan Smith	....	gaffer: New York
George Steel	....	additional cinematographer
Petr Stepanek	....	assistant camera
Keenan Wyatt	....	additional cinematographer
Tom Young	....	additional cinematographer

Editorial Department
Joey Borges	....	additional on-line editor
Shannon Hall	....	digital intermediate producer (as Shannon K. Hall)
Lindy Jankura	....	associate editor
Pat Kelleher	....	additional on-line editor
Benjamin Murray	....	conforming HD editor
Mike Nugent	....	additional on-line editor: HD (as Mike Nuget)
Scot Olive	....	digital intermediate colorist
Bill Scott	....	senior color timer
Eric Ramistella	....	additional on-line editor: HD (uncredited)

Music Department
John McCullough	....	music supervisor
Jason Tregoe Newman	....	music editor (as Jason Newman)
Jason Ryterband	....	music editor
Jason Ryterband	....	music mixer

Transportation Department
Darth Cater	....	driver: camper, San Francisco
Jeff Culgan	....	provider: BSA Motorcycle, New York
Larry Dixon	....	driver: camper, San Francisco
Mark Dobson	....	motorcycle driver: San Francisco
Ken Fleisch	....	driver: insert car, San Francisco
Barry Porter	....	provider: BSA Motorcycle, San Francisco

Other crew
Nathan Adams	....	technical consultant
Laird Adamson	....	international sales: HDNet Films
Courtney Andrialis	....	creative executive: HDNet Films
Sam Black	....	archival research coordinator
Sam Black	....	production assistant
Jack Carr	....	intern
Ryan Cook	....	intern
Richard Dworkin	....	transcriber
Jacqueline Eckhouse	....	production counsel: Sloss Law (as Jackie Eckhouse)
Sean P. Galvin	....	intern (as Sean Galvin)
Nick Gibney	....	production assistant
Garren Givens	....	intern
Lisa Gray	....	intern
Sarah Hack	....	assistant: M. Kliot & Ms. Vicente, HDNet Films
Carrie Hoffman	....	intern
Steve Holmgren	....	office manager: HDNet Films
Charlie Hoxie	....	archival research coordinator
Alexandra Johnes	....	production executive
Nick Johnson	....	production assistant
Matt Jordan	....	office manager: HDNet Films
Barbara Karen	....	production accountant
Charlotte Kaufman	....	intern
Patrick Kelly	....	production coordinator: San Francisco
Christian Kennedy	....	production coordinator: taco stand shoot
Kathleen Lingo	....	intern
Quentin Little	....	development executive: HDNey Films
Christopher Matson	....	head of business affairs: HDNet Films (as Chris Matson)
Noel Poyner	....	intern
Matthew Rasmussen	....	assistant: J. Kliot and J. Vicente.HDNet Films
Amanda Ritchie	....	intern
Peter Russotti	....	production coordinator
Marcia Rutledge	....	production insurance: Marsh Entertainment Insurance
Ben Sozanski	....	archival research coordinator
Ben Sozanski	....	production assistant
Robert Stein	....	legal counsel: Prtyor Cashman Sherman & Flynn
Julie Thiery	....	assistant: production and post executives, HDNet Films
Rebecca Wexler	....	intern
Crystal Whelan	....	production coordinator
Chris White	....	assistant: production and post executives, HDNet Films
David Williams	....	location: taco stand shoot (as Dave Williams)
Virginia A. Williams	....	production executive: HDNet Films

Thanks
Jessica Berman Bogdan	....	thanks
Francisca Brandmark	....	thanks
Douglas Brinkley	....	special thanks
Anna Carter	....	thanks
Fritz Clapp	....	thanks
Steve Crist	....	thanks
Christi Dembrowski	....	special thanks
Wayne Ewing	....	special thanks
Leon Gast	....	thanks
Hal Haddon	....	thanks
Stephanie Howard	....	thanks
David Linde	....	special thanks
David Meyer	....	thanks
Val Moraes	....	thanks
Laila Nabulsi	....	special thanks
Ann A. Neal	....	thanks
Jeff Scheftel	....	thanks
Corey Seymour	....	thanks
Ralph Steadman	....	special thanks
Mel Stuart	....	thanks
Juan Thompason	....	special thanks
Anita Thompson	....	special thanks
George Tobia Jr.	....	special thanks (as George Tobia)
Hal Willner	....	thanks
Sondi Wright	....	thanks
Keenan Wyatt	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• BBC Storyville (in association with)
• Diverse Productions (in association with)
• HDNet Films
• Jigsaw Productions
• Phantom Films (in association with)

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ABC News Video Source  archival footage
• Alpha Cine Laboratory  digital to film transfer (as Alpha Cine Labs)
• Artbeats Digital Film Library  archival footage
• Associated Press/Wide World  stills
• BBC Motion Gallery  archival footage
• Bigstar Motion Design  main title design & graphics
• Boston Globe  stills
• Cable News Network (CNN)  archival footage
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Television Archives  archival footage
• Corbis  stills
• Dawn Animal Agency  animal wrangling
• Detroit News / Free Press  stills
• Dog Bark Sound  sound design
• Donna Daniels Public Relations  publicity
• ESPN Enterprises  archival footage
• Electronic Arts Intermix  archival footage
• Filson Historical Society, The  stills
• FremantleMedia Enterprises  archival footage
• Getty Images  archival footage
• Global Imageworks  archival footage
• Glue Editing and Design  additional post-production
• Herald Examiner Collection  stills
• Historic Films Archive  archival footage
• Key-Z Productions  archival footage
• MacDonald and Associates  archival footage
• Marsh Entertainment Insurance  production insurance
• NBC News Archives  archival footage
• National Archives and Records Administration  archival footage
• Oddball Film and Video  archival footage
• Postworks New York  post-production facilities
• Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn  E & O Counsel
• Rolling Stone  stills
• Sloss Law Office  production counsel
• Sound Lounge  sound post-production
• UCLA Film and Television Archive  archival footage
• University of Oklahoma  archival footage
• WPA Film Library  archival footage (as The WPA Film Library)
• Wayne Ewing Films Inc.  archival footage

MPAA:

Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and some nudity.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12

Company:

BBC Storyville

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the film mentions that Hunter Thompson had a crush on Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick, archival footage instead shows the Airplane's first female singer, Signe Anderson.

Movie Connections:

Features "Omnibus: Fear and Loathing in Gonzovision" (1978)

Story of a contradiction

Hunter S. Thompson was an often astute commentator of American life, and an always astute commentator of his own mental disintegration, a process driven by his own enthusiastic use of mind-altering drugs; a gun freak who opposed American involvement in Vietnam; and a critic of capitalism who became, pretty much, the living embodiment of his own brand. He also, years after his best work was done, died by shooting himself. This documentary provides insight into his strange journey, which does have a tragic dimension: the values of the life he lived, the adulation he received for living it and the damage it did to him appear in the end inseparable. By the end, he was still celebrated (by new generations of kids who love to get high) but no longer relevant, his final act a desperate (and arguably failed) plea for attention. This documentary tells us much of the story, mostly interestingly, though there are times when it fails to disentangle the process it describes, the overwhelming of man by self-created myth. Still, while it's the prerogative of every generation to feel jaded, I find it hard to imagine another figure like Hunter emerging today, if only because a large part of his quality was that no-one expected him. But the film reminds you of another part as well: he could certainly write.