Phil attends the Cult Movie screening of FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS at the Camera 3-May 17, 2011

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Four of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for tonight's cult film they screened Terry Gilliam 1998's FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. Yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Another great addition for tonight's show was that this was a 35mm print that was being screened! This print came from the vaults of Universal Studios! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby. If you have never seen the film, here's a brief synapse for you:

Theatrical Movie Poster (1998)

Based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by acclaimed and eccentric author Hunter S. Thompson, the film stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro as the crazed duo of Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo respectively. Traveling in their red convertible called The Red Shark, they set out on a road trip to Las Vegas in search of "The American Dream," while taking huge amount of drugs and alcohol!

Gilliam got his start making the bizarre and hilarious animation sequences for the British television show MONTY PYHON'S FLYING CIRCUS. He has gone on to direct several other cult films such as MONTY PYHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975), TIME BANDITS (1981), BRAZIL (1985), and 12 MONKEYS (1995). His last film THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS was the last that actor Heath Ledger appeared in. He died during the making of the film, so Gilliam had other actors fill in for him such as Colin Farrel, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp.

Both Depp and Del Toro really got into their respective roles for this film. Del Toro gained 40 pounds on purpose for his portrayal of  Dr. Gonzo and Depp even shaved his head. Also there were a number of cameos of big name actors in the film, including Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Gary Busey, Mark Harmon, Penn Jillette, Lyle Lovett, Christina Ricci, and Flea from the rock/funk band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The film it self was a total bomb at the boxoffice. It grossed only 10.6 million, well below its $18.5 million budget. Since then it has become a true cult film due in large part to its release on VHS first, then on DVD and now Blu-Ray, including a Special Edition released by The Criterion Collection. On it, Thompson showed his approval of the Gilliam version by recording a full-length audio commentary for the film and participating in several DVD special features.

Another great crowd for the Cult Movie series show! Next month's cult film is director Ivan Reitman's 1984 comedy GHOSTBUSTER, which will be shown on Thursday, June 14th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, June 16th at midnight, so mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!