Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[Elok]

What's "the point" of this movie? I don't mean to disparage it by any means; I frigging loved it. But I loved it only as a hysterical view into the surreal world of two drug-addled lunatics journeying through a land that didn't want them. Or some similar pretentious summary. It was funny, anyway.

I figure I really should broaden my horizons, see what Hunter S. Thompson was trying to express about America or the human condition. I realized this after sort of borrowing the first couple minutes of the movie's plot to do a Spanish assignment. Today my prof is going to get to read about this really bad day I had back in the seventies, driving around in a convertible with my nutty attorney and screaming about the giant bats menacing us. I doubt she's ever seen the movie, so she'll have no idea WTF is going on, but I say it serves her right for giving us the assignment. We don't know enough Spanish yet to really tell a lucid story.

[Colonâ„¢]

The point? Nihilism?

[Jon Miller]

Hopefully you sited it.

JM

[Colonâ„¢]

I don't know, I feel that's like asking the point in Pulp Fiction.

[Elok]

I figured citing it would ruin the fun of the teacher trying to figure out where it came from. Besides, if I cited it she might get curious about it and watch it, and I'm not sure her heart could take it.

[Lorizael]

The point of that movie was to yank me out of one of the strangest moods I had ever been in. Everyone around me thought I was high, except that I'd done no drugs. I kept ranting about Jesus and being gay.

The prescription my friends gave me was to watch that movie, and when it was done, everything was somehow better.

[Japher]

No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always *****y. No Fun -- for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax -- This won't hurt

Don't let the lizards getcha

[chequita guevara]

Re: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Originally posted by Elok
Today my prof is going to get to read about this really bad day I had back in the seventies, driving around in a convertible with my nutty attorney and screaming about the giant bats menacing us. I doubt she's ever seen the movie, so she'll have no idea WTF is going on,

I highly doubt that. In fact, she may even have read the book, considering how famous it is and how ****ing funny it is.

I doubt I can explain what the book means to you. You have to have lived in the 70s to get it, and I expect in the 60s to really understand it.

[chequita guevara]

The book is about how the exhurberant idealism of the 1960s exploded in self-indulgent hedonism, how they were going to change the world, and just got stoned instead.

[KrazyHorse]

That's one theme, but not all of it.

[Sikander]

The movie is an excellent adaptation of the book, and yet it still leaves so much out. I loved both though.

[Ramo]

The first chapter of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," perfectly adapted in the movie (Johnny Depp must have a deep familiarity with acid), is one of the greatest scenes in modern literature.

And a lot of the movie should make very little sense if you haven't read the book.

But "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" is my favorite HST book.

[Flip McWho]

Haven't read the book but the movie made sense. Would love to read the book though.

[Elok]

No, I'm pretty sure she's got no experience with 'em. She seems to be a fairly straightlaced lady...

[Pekka]

Ramo, well what do you think Depp and Thompson did when Depp went to live with the guy to get into the role? Chat all the time?

Anyway, great movie, the point of it? Well... I don't see it having a big point except get messed up and go.