by Jared Stroup

Created on: August 29, 2008   Last Updated: September 13, 2008

Alex Gibney's "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"

With the Bush administration's blatant parallels to the Nixon years practically slapping people in the face on a regular basis, and a historic presidential election guzzling up all the television time, the only thing that seems to be missing from the scene is the always relevant Gonzo journalism of the one and only Hunter S. Thompson. His residue is still felt, his name on the tip of everybody's tongues these days, then the depressing realization makes itself known to the masses; the death of Hunter S. Thompson emptied a void that can only be filled by more Hunter S. Thompson. What better way to quench that virtually unquenchable thirst than to release a documentary about Thompson at the pinnacle of these historic events?

Alex Gibney pieced together what is now undoubtedly the definitive documentary of Thompson, entitled "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"; replete with wild anecdotes, enormous praise, and the usual potpourri of opinions being expressed by those who were closest to the great doctor of journalism. His two wives, his friends, his son, and even some of his enemies all throw in their two cents with a typical twinge of admiration blended with the heavy layer of nostalgia and, ultimately, despair. Gibney fills the frame with an endless curtain of noise, rare footage, 60's music, excerpts from Thompson's books, and, as a result, comes pretty darn close to capturing the energy of Thompson himself.

One of the great counterculture heroes of the 20th Century, Hunter S. Thompson lived his legendary life at full speed, obsessively in pursuit of a good time; be it motorcycles, any drug he could get his hands on, loads of alcohol, firing one of his many guns, rock music, political rallies, and anything else indicative of his anointment as a "trouble maker" and "wild man". Thompson very evidently had an over-active imagination, which he utilized to the best of his abilities. He wasn't just a prolific writer, but an innovative writer; injecting a new, wholly unique sound and flavor into his journalistic reporting; giving journalism a much-needed facelift, and changing the way news stories were expected to be told.

A true literary rebel, Thompson was the first journalist to be dubbed a "rock star", and he wore that title like a badge of honor. Spontaneity was Thompson's greatest personality trait, and nothing illustrated this better than his rapid-fire writing style; one wrought

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