Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Quote: “Let’s give the boy a lift.” – Dr. Gonzo

“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” might be the movie the Shat crew was born to cover: Gene’s a career journalist. Ash launched an entire podcast on addiction and recovery. And Big D really, really, really likes hallucinogens.

So it’s no surprise we had a lot to say about Johnny Depp’s unforgettable performance as Hunter S. Thompson chronicling an insane assignment at Las Vegas motorcycle race. The surprise came in how much meaning we found—more than two decades later—in a film largely dismissed as disorganized, unfocused, pointless, and immature.

“Fear and Loathing” changed listener Kipp’s life enough to warrant a Shat The Movies commission, and it gave all three Shat hosts a lot to think about—even if some of those things were a bloated Benicio del Toro, a balding Tobey Maguire, the deep symbolism of vomit-covered cars, or the many nights chemicals erased from our memories.

Find out what happened to Dick Ebert’s clothes, what Ash discovered about adrenochrome, and why Gene wants to remodel in this edition of Shat The Movies.

Plot Summary: “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop (Gary Busey), he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

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