Hunter S Thompson RIP

GadgetFiend

the world is a less interesting place with him gone

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Hunter S. Thompson, the American author and journalist died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Colorado on Sunday.


The 67-year-old hero of counter culture and creator of "gonzo journalism", best known for his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was found by his son Juan on Sunday evening according to the Aspen Daily News. Thompson's wife, Anita Thompson, 32, was reportedly not at home when the shooting occurred.

"On February 20, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson took his life with a gunshot to the head at his fortified compound in Woody Creek, Colorado. The family will provide more information about memorial service and media contacts shortly. Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," Juan and Anita Thompson said in a statement released to the Aspen Daily News. "He stomped terra."

"The sheriff’s department can confirm the apparent death by a self-inflicted gunshot wound of Hunter S. Thompson at his home," said Tricia Louthis, a spokeswoman for the Pitkin County sheriff’s department in the western American state of Colorado.

Thompson's life and extraordinary drug-inspired adventures were brought to the screen in a film of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, starring Johnny Depp.

Shank

Damn, who would have seen that comming, alcoholic, drug addict, mental problems and fondness for firearms. RIP Hunter

RasTa

Darn shame alright, the last article i read by him was not to long ago, on the eve of the elections(he thought kerry would swing it.) Below is why i loved the dude.

"In 1970, Thompson made an unsuccessful bid for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado. He ran on a platform promoting decriminalization of drugs and the sale thereof, and renaming Aspen, Colorado as "Fat City." The Republican sheriff against whom he ran had a crew cut, prompting Thompson to shave his head bald and refer to his opposition as "my long-haired opponent."

Trojan

It was a hit by us.gov.

Keano_sli

Let that be a warnning against a life of drink and drug fueled excess folks!!

The mind can only strech so far.

A terrible end for a great mind

humbleCounty

RIP,

what a legend,

one of my favourite pieces is him describing Jim Morrision in "Generation of Swine" absolutely amazing piece, this is only the tail end, but i cant be arsed typing it all

"But you don't get alot of Jim Morrison. That is what we call a Special - straight black and white footage of Crazy Jim on stage in the old days, with a voice like Fred Neal's and eyes smarter than James Dean's and a band that could walk with the King, or anybody else. There were some nights when The Doors were the best band in the world.

Morrison understood this, and it haunted him all his life. On some nights he was noisy and lewd, and on others he just practiced - but every once in a while he would get it into his head to go out and dance with the big boys, and on a night like that he was more than special. Jim Morrison could play music with anybody.

One of these days we will get around to naming names for the real rock n roll Hall of Fame - in that nervous right now realm beyond Elvis and Chuck Berry and Little Richard - and the talk will turn to names like Bob and Mick, and to tunes like Morrison Hotel.

Play it sometime. Crank it all the way up on one of those huge obsolete wire-burning MacIntosh amps and 80 custom-built speakers. Then stand back somewhere on the mainbeams of a big log house and feel the music come up through your femurs ... ho, ho ... and after that you can always say, for sure, that you once knew what it was like to hear men play rock 'n' roll music."

elivsvonchiaing

RIP Hunter S Thompson

When I read "the Rum diaries" I was amazed they guy was still alive. Think he had a strong survival instinct, only flaw being he was a gun-nut to boot.

After "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas" (which I wasn't happy with) they should make at least one other book into a film - Michael Moore on "Hells Angels" - remember me Mike when you get that oscar! :rolleyes: and maybe Quentin Tarantino on and in "The rum diaries". Whatever, whoever it must be done right next time... which brings to mind Peter Jackson...

humbleCounty

man i thought Fear and Loathing Las Vegas was a fantastic movie, tripped but with the edge, (tons of great quotes too)

Apparently they are lining up to make the Rum Diary (Colonel Depp is on board to play Hunter again) and im sure that with hunter dying, and the huge interest its generated, it will definitely go ahead

one thing i would hate to see though is Michael Moore doing a Hunter movie, I dont think he could pull it off, he hasnt got the edge, and he sure aint gonzo. Sure hes a politicial analyst, but he doesnt have anything near the insight, depth, or wit of Hunter on his day,

Hunter was good people.

elivsvonchiaing

humbleCounty wrote:

one thing i would hate to see though is Michael Moore doing a Hunter movie, I dont think he could pull it off, he hasnt got the edge, and he sure aint gonzo. Sure hes a politicial analyst, but he doesnt have anything near the insight, depth, or wit of Hunter on his day,

The only way to make Hell's Angels into a movie is to let somebody like Michael Moore at it. On second thoughts, I do agree it probably should never happen though. In the words of the immortal bard "There's some sh!t we won't eat!".

Can just see a mockery being made of the original work to sell in hollywood. That just made me think of Bollywood - wonder if there is an Indian director capable of it - without too much distortion - and making it watchable - would have to be in the head of HST to do this though!

humbleCounty

aye, Hells Angels would be a tough one to translate to the big screen, Rum Diary on the other hand could work very well, i think it might throw some people though since theres no drugs in it,

(cant wait to see that blonde chick though!)

garthv

anybody up for a drug-fuelled weekend to commemorate this legend?
i got a suitcase.....

mycroft

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

The only way to make Hell's Angels into a movie is to let somebody like Michael Moore at it. On second thoughts, I do agree it probably should never happen though. In the words of the immortal bard "There's some sh!t we won't eat!".

One hells angels the book is a very definite product of its time a time when the angels where thought to embody they apocalypse in the mind of middle american, thompson exploded that myth while at the same time explored what a bunch of savage crentious publicity hungry animals they were.

The book really has no relevance today. Secondly it's entirely subjective and essentially journalistic tone means the incidents are passively observed by thompson and you'd completely lose the rythmn of the prose in translation.

And Moore? Have you seen Canadian Bacon, his one fiction film? It's dreadful why Moore. It's not like he can hop in a time machine and roam around southern californian circa 1965, and interview angels, the majority of whom are dead today. How could you see Moore pull this off?

elivsvonchiaing

mycroft wrote:

One hells angels the book is a very definite product of its time a time when the angels where thought to embody they apocalypse in the mind of middle american, thompson exploded that myth while at the same time explored what a bunch of savage crentious publicity hungry animals they were.

The book really has no relevance today. Secondly it's entirely subjective and essentially journalistic tone means the incidents are passively observed by thompson and you'd completely lose the rythmn of the prose in translation.

And Moore? Have you seen Canadian Bacon, his one fiction film? It's dreadful why Moore. It's not like he can hop in a time machine and roam around southern californian circa 1965, and interview angels, the majority of whom are dead today. How could you see Moore pull this off?

As I've said previously, he's the most capable of making a documentary that is entertaining.

elivsvonchiaing

LITTLE PASTA wrote:

]One hells angels the book is a very definite product of its time a time when the angels where thought to embody they apocalypse in the mind of middle american, thompson exploded that myth while at the same time explored what a bunch of savage crentious publicity hungry animals they were.

The book really has no relevance today. Secondly it's entirely subjective and essentially journalistic tone means the incidents are passively observed by thompson and you'd completely lose the rythmn of the prose in translation.

I agree. I see it all as a rexamination of the '50s

And Moore? Have you seen Canadian Bacon, his one fiction film? It's dreadful why Moore. It's not like he can hop in a time machine and roam around southern californian circa 1965, and interview angels, the majority of whom are dead today. How could you see Moore pull this off?[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
Still have some faith in Moore! Lets see what happens!l

mycroft

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

As I've said previously, he's the most capable of making a documentary that is entertaining.

But a documentary about what? Recreating what thompson did? an examination of where the angels are now? Sonny Barger wrote his own book which covers that exactly? What would this "documentary" be about.

And Moore makes a very specific kind of documentary an in your face political attack, you clearly don't know much about Moore's background if you thought he'd be best suited to make this film that you're not even sure you know what it's about

agree. I see it all as a rexamination of the '50s

What is, how would it take form, if it's a look at where the angels are now it's not thompson's book if you think it's a recreation of what moore did then it's not thompson book. Thompson wrote something journalist which was about something immediate that was happening then and there. Moore does the same it's just the subject matter is dead and gone and buried, I frankly don't see what you're on about

elivsvonchiaing

mycroft wrote:

But a documentary about what? Recreating what thompson did? an examination of where the angels are now? Sonny Barger wrote his own book which covers that exactly? What would this "documentary" be about.

And Moore makes a very specific kind of documentary an in your face political attack, you clearly don't know much about Moore's background if you thought he'd be best suited to make this film that you're not even sure you know what it's about



What is, how would it take form, if it's a look at where the angels are now it's not thompson's book if you think it's a recreation of what moore did then it's not thompson book. Thompson wrote something journalist which was about something immediate that was happening then and there. Moore does the same it's just the subject matter is dead and gone and buried, I frankly don't see what you're on about

Books that become screen-plays are usually ripped apart. With Hell's Angels it could only be an inspiration for a screen play. Think Michael Moore would be capable of putting this into a interesting film, linking rebellion to American foreign policy or something. I would just hope some of the raw anger from the book would find its way into the film. I've no idea how he go about this, but I think if he did he would do a good job. It would probably make HST reach for his 12 guage were he still alive - and no doubt it will mainly serve Michael Moore's agenda. But I see a quality film could be made.

Can only see people Thompson fans hating this as well though!

mycroft

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

Books that become screen-plays are usually ripped apart. With Hell's Angels it could only be an inspiration for a screen play.

1. Duh.

2. Have you seen any of Moore's fictional work? It isn't any good. If you're talking about a fictional film he'd be a terrible director. Are you talking about a documentary?

Think Michael Moore would be capable of putting this into a interesting film, linking rebellion to American foreign policy or something.

So you want to create a link between blue collar bike riders and the havard educated yuppies creating a new world order. The angels where in thompsons world a bunch of ill educated wolverines with no focus and direction. You think theres some phenomnially tenious connection between them and a bunch of focused preppy white house freaks and drop out wine swilling lunactics from the 50s? Seriously. WTF?

I would just hope some of the raw anger from the book would find its way into the film. I've no idea how he go about this, but I think if he did he would do a good job. It would probably make HST reach for his 12 guage were he still alive - and no doubt it will mainly serve Michael Moore's agenda. But I see a quality film could be made.

Can only see people Thompson fans hating this as well though!

You've done no job explaining how'd you imagine this film going.

I'm a thompson fan I've read everything I could devour of his including his two collections of letters, and nothing he's done since the early 90s (the mysterious clinton interview) has matched his early work (with honourable exception his article hours into the 2000 florida election fiasco called "the fix is in")

I think you've connected two buzz names "Thompson" and "Moore" and decided it'd be groovy for them to colaberate. I've been reading a bunch of stuff on him as an obituary and most people who knew him well have always found a cyncial quote from some wannabe aping his style and always failing. Moore's wit is shotgun he fires wild blows put he's aiming at specific targets always. Thompson. He's an blind idiot savant with a catapult of pig feeces, he fires wild but when he has a target in his sights his aim is unnervingly accurate.