Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Baby boomers and media junkies are the target audience for this solid but somewhat unsatisfying retrospective look at the Godfather of Gonzo Journalism. The film is steered by friend Johnny Depp, who reads a good number of excerpts from Thompson’s books and essays. Other great resources include archival footage, tape recordings, home videos, terrific period music, interviews with family members and testimonials from the likes of Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, George McGovern, Pat Buchanan and Jimmy Buffet. All of it comes together to chronicle the life of the gun-obsessed, drug and booze-soaked writer from his childhood to his glory years riding with Hell’s Angels to stomping on campaign trails, hitting Vegas and filing for Rolling Stone, up through the sad events that preceded his planned suicide at the age of 66 in 2005. The film can be admired for its crammed overview, but one has a feeling that more warts are left to be explored, which is a surprise as filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) is usually thorough.

Shelf Talk: A run in big city theaters and good reviews will help propel audiences to this title. The DVD also will be bolstered by Magnolia’s efforts to include a cornucopia of interesting extras, which will increase its collectability.