While director Gibney shaped the screen story, every narrated word in the film springs from the typewriters of Thompson himself.  Those words are given life by Johnny Depp, the actor who once shadowed Thompson’s every move for the screen version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and who bankrolled Thompson’s spectacular funeral (photographed for this film).  

The film is distinguished by its unprecedented cooperation of Thompson’s friends, family and estate.  The filmmakers had access to hundreds of photographs and over 200 hours of audiotapes, home movies, and documentary footage of the man.  In addition, the estate granted unusual access to the work itself, allowing the film to quote from unpublished manuscripts, as well as the many letters, books and articles that Thompson produced.  Ralph Steadman – the visionary artist whose ink-splattered drawings and paintings created a subversively iconic visual landscape for Thompson’s words – also granted the filmmakers access to previously unpublished artworks and Polaroid’s.

The signature of the film, however, is its focus on Thompson’s work, particularly his most provocative and productive period from 1965 to 1975.   His wicked words resonate today, at a time when politicians have become manufactured celebrities, shrouding themselves in Teflon, issuing banalities whose only value is that they rarely offend.  Too often, contemporary journalists play the politicians’ game, taking them seriously with a balance they don’t deserve.  Thompson never stood for that.  He understood, better than any other, that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

The critics have been raving about “Gonzo.” Vanity Fair calls it “absolutely riveting, an extraordinary film.” USA Today says the film is “captivating, mesmerizing and fascinating” and says it is “not just for fans, but anyone interested in art, human nature and political history.”

Andrew Sarris from the New York Observer says “Gonzo” is “the most absorbing film, fiction or non-fiction, I have seen this year. ‘Gonzo’ is a must-see for everyone!”

“Fascinating!” says A.O. Scott from the New York Times. “At his best Hunter Thompson was braver, funnier, and more ruthlessly honest than just about any other magazine writer and ‘Gonzo’ confirms his place in the best, most disreputable corner of our literary pantheon.”

The title sponsor for the Sedona premiere is The Sedona-Verde Valley Times. The series is also made possible by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Sedona.

The film will be shown at Harkins Sedona Six Theatres on Tuesday, October 28, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 or $8 for Film Sedona members, and will be available starting at 3 p.m. in the Harkins lobby. Cash or checks only are accepted and seats are limited. Film Sedona members can purchase tickets in advance at the Sedona International Film Festival office, 1785 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite 2B, or by calling 928-282-1177.

For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.com.

Article courtesy of Patrick Schweiss, Executive Director.

Posted October 22, 2008.