Blu-Ray Review: Awesome Criterion Edition of ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’

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CHICAGO – I have a love-hate relationship with Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” but it’s a lot easier to fall on the former side of that dynamic with the simply amazing Criterion Collection release of the Johnny Depp & Benicio Del Toro drug epic, recently released on Blu-ray. With a stunning transfer enhanced by some of the best special features of the year to date, this is the kind of Blu-ray release that makes the actual movie better.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

Being a gigantic fan of Gilliam’s early work like “Brazil” and “The Fisher King” along with someone who thought Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro were two of the coolest actors alive (keep in mind, this is way before Jack Sparrow, when Depp was not yet a household name), I had gigantic expectations for “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” It was going to rule. It doesn’t rule. It’s fun and sometimes remarkably clever, but it misses something about Thompson’s writing and perhaps that something can simply never be translated to film. There are certain elements of gonzo journalism that just work better in the imagination.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was released on Blu-Ray on April 26, 2011
Photo credit: The Criterion Collection

Having said that, I enjoy “Fear and Loathing” more every time I see it and appreciate it the further I get away from those initial expectations. There’s a lot of creative energy on display here and it’s brought vividly to life by the Blu-ray technicians of Criterion. This thing looks absolutely amazing. It’s worth picking up for the HD quality alone, but your jaw will drop when you get to the “Director Approved Blu-Ray Special Edition Features.”

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was released on Blu-Ray on April 26, 2011 Photo credit: The Criterion Collection

Once again, Criterion has assembled a collection of bonus material that doesn’t just serve as filler but enhances the experience of the film while also serving as evidence of its greatness. It’s rare to say this but the Special Features on this edition (and many Criterion editions) make me like their films more. The company strives to supply features that enhance the appreciation of the art of film. This is one of their best enhancements.

Where do you start? There are three separate audio tracks, including one featuring Depp and another featuring Hunter S. Thompson himself. An audio piece about the writing controversy surrounding the film is fascinating and accompanied by a hilarious short by Gilliam that I don’t believe has been available anywhere else. There are deleted scenes, correspondence by Thompson read by Depp, documentaries, a feature-length piece about the making of the film, storyboards, trailers, TV spots, a booklet, artwork, and an early recording of the book featuring Jim Jarmusch and Maury Chaykin. It may sound cliched and critics often say it when it’s not true but you literally could not ask for more.

Special Features:
o Three audio commentaries: one with Terry Gilliam, one with stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi, and one with author Hunter S. Thompson
o Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Gilliam
o Selection of Thompson correspondence, read on camera by Depp
o Hunter Goes To Hollywood, a short documentary
o A look at the controversy over the screenwriting credit
o Profile of Oscar Zeta Acosta, the inspiration for Dr. Gonzo
o Collection of artwork by illustrator Ralph Steadman
o Excerpt from a 1996 Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas recording featuring Jim Jarmusch and Maury Chaykin
o BBC documentary from 1978 with Thompson and Steadman
o Storyboards, production stills, and trailer
o Booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and two pieces by Thompson

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com