New on Blu-ray & DVD: April 26
'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' on Blu-ray
Director Terry Gilliam's hilarious, psychedelic take on Hunter S. Thompson's semi-autobiographical novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream is now on Criterion Collection Blu-ray! The film follows the drug-fueled adventures of journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his slightly unhinged attorney, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro), on the way to Las Vegas in the early '70s to cover a motorcycle race and pursue the American Dream.
Special features on the new digital transfer (approved by Terry Gilliam, with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and an optional 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray edition) include three audio commentaries (one with Gilliam, one with Depp and Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi, and one with author Hunter S. Thompson); deleted scenes with optional commentary; a selection of Thompson correspondence, read on camera by Depp; the short documentary "Hunter Goes to Hollywood"; a profile of Oscar Zeta Acosta, the inspiration for Dr. Gonzo; a collection of artwork by illustrator Ralph Steadman; a look at the controversy over the screenwriting credit; an excerpt from the 1996 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' recording featuring Jim Jarmusch and Maury Chaykin; a BBC documentary from 1978 with Thompson and Steadman; storyboards, production designs, stills, and the trailer; plus a booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and two pieces by Thompson.
