Product Description

Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 09/04/2007 Run time: 73 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28483 in DVD
• Brand: STARZ/SPHE
• Released on: 2007-09-04
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 77 minutes

Amazon.com
It won't come as much of a surprise to anyone familiar with Hunter S. Thompson to learn that his life and work were inseparable, even indistinguishable, but that's the principal revelation in director Tom Thurman's Thompson documentary, Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride. In the 1960s and '70s, Thompson created what he called "gonzo journalism," mixing truth and fiction in a kind of superheated prose in which the writer, more often than not fueled by his copious intake of drugs and alcohol, not only reported stories but made himself an integral part of them. When he took his own life in 2005 at the age of 67, he left behind lots of bemused friends, peers, and collaborators, many of whom are on hand here. Johnny Depp, who portrayed Thompson in the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his most famous work, describes him as a man "capable of a verbal menace… I've seen people reduced to mist in a matter of seconds." Actor John Cusack calls him "a deeply serious, deeply moral person… who loved orgies," and author Tom Wolfe says Thompson was "(the 20th) century's greatest comic writer in the English language." There are also clips from both Fear and Loathing and Where the Buffalo Roam (with Bill Murray as Thompson). But while Thompson himself appears in several interview bits (there are brief excerpts from his writings as well), little here is, well, gonzo enough to fully do the man justice--it would be nice if there were more odd moments like the one where conservative pundit William F. Buckley, Jr., of all people, recites Thompson's description of Richard Nixon as "a man with the integrity of a hyena and the style of a poison toad." The film is clumsily edited; even at just 77 minutes, it feels too long, and while the bits detailing his funeral and suicide note are interesting, the final parade of sentimental encomiums from the various talking heads is disappointingly pat. Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride is OK, but actually reading Thompson's work would be more revelatory. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

More of a film documentary than a life documentary
I was wondering whether to give this documentary two or three stars and gave it the benefit of the doubt. The documentary starts off on shaky ground with an annoying split screen, and a segment of Gary Busey's ego getting in the way. It focuses on the two movies made of Hunter S. Thompson's life, 'Where The Buffalo Roam' from 1980 and 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas' in 1998. There isn't much information on Thompson during the decade inbetween movies.

The interviews with Thompson that are used are from 1978, 1997, and 1998. Other interviews are with Sean Penn, Gary Busey, Johnny Depp, Bill Murrary, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Harry Dean Stanton, editor William F. Buckley, author Tom Wolfe, politician George McGovern, and politician Gary Hart, along with close friends and ex-wives.

The documentary talks about Thompson's unique "Gonzo" style of writing, his penchant for alcohol, drugs, guns, and company while revealing that he (as early as 1978) felt like he was losing himself to the icon he had become. I think the movie would lose any relevancy it had if one had not read at least one of Thompson's works. The interviews were more personal than professional relationship, and I felt that the documentary only skimmed the surface of Thompson's brilliance.

Also, there are no subtitles for the hearing impaired, which was needed because Thompson has a tendency to mumble and speak very fast in his interviews. The documentary on the second CD of the Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas set had more information on Thompson both personal and professional than this DVD held. Rent, don't buy. Enjoy!

The ride wasnt so great but had its moments!
Being a Thompson fan and looking foward to a documentary of his life i eagerly awaited this dvd release. After watching it i cant help feel this was done with respect and good intention but fell short of the target. Its main problem is too many actors recollections and not enough Hunter. Now i like Sean Penn J depp J Cusack Bill Murray but the film spends too much time talking about the Hunter films that were made( to be fair its full title includes the subtitle "Hunter Thompson on film"- his life is briefly gone over with excellent narration by the always drunk sounding Nick Nolte and old friends give some insight into his character but is lacking is the miles of footage interviews and othe source material that i have seen on other bootleg dvds and on such commercial dvds as "Breakfast with Hunter". There is no long extended interviews or dialogue with Hunter- its always short scenes between some actors impression of The good doctor. What works are some of the fellow authors interviews and politicians who put the late authors work in historical context. Hopefully there will be a definitive Doc made of this very interesting relevant counter-culture icon who happened to be a very funny and talented writer. Rent it first before you buy- because this ride isnt that thrilling. P.s Gary Busey comes across a complete egomaniac and selfcentered and he seems to forget this is about Hunter and not himself.

When the Going gets Weird .....
It took a long time to comfortably view this documentary, having been acquainted with the good Doctor since my college days in the early 70's. I don't mean acquainted personally - I'm not sure I brought enough to the table to get me invited to Owl Farm - but acquainted in a literary sense. This documentary is a good "short course" on HST by the people who knew and loved him - and those could be two entirely separate groups! From all accounts, Hunter was not an "easy" friend to have but I've never heard anyone regret the privledge. Friends, widows, ex-wives and family members recall their experiences with Hunter which ranged from merely weird to outright dangerous. Apart from his Woody Creek friends, Johnny Depp, John Cusack and Sean Penn are shown recounting "Hunter stories" with the obvious omission being Cusack's side-splitting "Ling Ling" story which was posted on the STARZ website for a time.

For us devotees, seeing "Ground Zero" (a.k.a. Owl Farm) is real treat, seeing behind the curtain at how Hunter lived - down to what he ate for breakfast. There have been other documentaries with/about Hunter, such as BREAKFAST WITH HUNTER, but this film covers all areas of Hunter's life without any agenda to demonize or glorify the man. It effectively points out the corner Hunter painted himself into when he tried to become Dr. Gonzo, as opposed to the excellent journalist Hunter S. Thompson. And it gives his fans a little closure in trying to understand why Hunter felt his "ride was here". One does come away with not only a clearer understanding of how Hunter thought of himself, but also with an envy of those who were privledged to be on Hunter's call list. Now, if someone could just explain the lipstick to me ....