Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
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This movie, based upon the 1972 Hunter S. Thompson pseudo-autobiographical novel, is a tale of voracious drug use and the accompanying, gruesome hallucinations during a weekend trip to Las Vegas in 1971. Raoul Duke, played by Depp, is a journalist who has been hired by Sports Illustrated magazine to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race in Las Vegas. He embarks on this journey with the help of his Samoan lawyer Dr. Gonzo, played by Del Toro, in search of what Raoul continuously refers to as the American dream. The next few days are a blur of psychedelic fantasies induced by more drugs one human should ever take in their entire lifespan, let alone in one weekend.
In preparation for the trip, Raoul, under the advisement of his attorney, rents a red Cadillac convertible that becomes known throughout the movie as the red shark to drive from Los Angels to Las Vegas. A mixture of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, mescaline, LSD, ether, an assortment of pills, and bottles of various types of alcohol go into the truck. Once the duo reaches their destination, they proceed to check into the hotel that the magazine has graciously provided for them and then go into the bar.
While sitting at the bar with their drinks and only thirty minutes after ingesting a half a sheet of LSD each, the room turns a nightmare scene where people transform into giant lizards and proceed to devour one another...