07/18/06 Where The Buffalo Roam

Where The Buffalo Roam (1980), directed by Art Linson

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

This one has been on my "must see" list for quite some time, being heightened by my love for the more contemporary rendition of the man in "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas," and finalized by the mere fact that today would have been the man's 69th birthday. An odd celebration of his maniacal life, the gonzo journalism he is so famed for, fishing hats, gold tipped cigarette holders, my friend Jack's arm tattoo, heavy drug use by artists, and shooting his cremated remains out of a cannon. Yes, the man so explained is Hunter S. Thompson. Only having known of his frenzied lifestyle in print and on film, the man seemed larger than life in character and caricature. This earlier representation of him came from the early 80's, but followed his late 60's/early 70's exploits as a journalist who was supposed to report on events like the 1972 Super Bowl and Presidential election. Along the way, Thompson (here played by comedian Bill Murray in what was one of his early attempts at serious/oddball roles, where as Johnny Depp's later portrayal was not far from most of his film roles anyway) meets up with his buddy/alter ego/attorney Carl Lazlo as they try to commit as much crimes of indecency as they do to protect the civil rights of the subcultures they represent. While only a semi-autobiographical account of the madman's legacy, it was still cool to see Murray play the tempered insanity down a bit more than what I had seen Depp do in "Fear And Loathing." I know it's hard to have watched one and not compare it to the other, as they both stand on their own merits, hilarity, and segments of drug-induced escapades of an obviously interesting man's life. I'm sure that neither fictionalized version of it can come close to matching the utterly schizophrenic mentality that lived in reality. It clearly shows how Thompson's innovative (yet off-kilter) approach to journalism let forth a stream-of-consciousness not often attained in a medium that requires so much factual data to be delivered in unbiased format. This version was a bit more playful than violent (see the faux-football game Murray plays in his hotel room with the maid/bellboy), and had some charming songs like Neil Young's version of "Home On The Range" in the soundtrack. Put on your favorite fishing hat, smoke 'em if you got 'em, and try not to get arrested if you plan to celebrate in full force this day of mayhem. Gonzo out.

4 out of 5 stars