Road Man for the Lords of Karma

Certain writers act as journalistic gateway drugs: their style and methods are so unconventional that they lure readers to dabble on the edge of the radical fringe. Few authors ever took readers quite as far as Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

By taking assignments and warping them into hallucinogenic blizzards of fact and fiction, he redefined the voice of a movement. Whether he was riding with the Hell’s Angels, huffing mescaline in Vegas, or lambasting Richard Nixon, he did it in a way that embodied the confusion, struggle, and chaos of a feral generation. Since his passing in 2005 there hasn’t been a truly great film made about Thompson, until now. In Alex Gibney’s (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) new documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, he delves into old video footage, interviews, and testimonials from those who loved Dr. Thompson and those who were terrified of him. The film is the latest work by the Academy Award-winning director, and fans are falling over themselves to get tickets. Avoid the mayhem and watch the flick the way Dr. Thompson would want you to (with booze in hand); do it tonight at Cinema Paradiso (503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale). Showtimes are 5:45 and 8 p.m., tickets range $5 to $9. Visit www.fliff.com.
Wed., Aug. 27, 2008