Click on the picture below to be taken to the Official Site & Trailer – More Info. Coming Soon
Entertainment
Charity Auction: Fender Steadman Stratocaster
Hey folks,
Here is part 1 of a 2 part update tonight devoted to Ralph Steadman. Below is a video featuring none other than Nils Lofgren and a very special Fender Stratocaster with exclusive artwork by Ralph Steadman. This beauty is going under the hammer for charity and the starting bid is a whopping $30,000. It will no doubt go for a lot more.
The guitar is going to be on display for the next six months at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix before it departs to its new home. If you are interested in bidding you can do so here.
I on the other hand, as a lowly student, will be fawning over it like Wayne Campbell. Meanwhile stay tuned for some great Steadman news.
R
First shot of Paul Kemp & Chenault in The Rum Diary
Hey folks,
Entertainment Weekly has revealed the first shot of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in a scene from The Rum Diary.
I am also looking for your feedback regarding posting these updates from The Rum Diary. Should I post pictures directly or link to them so as not to spoil anything? Let me know in the comment section and also what you think of the shot.
I expect that there will be a poster, trailer and more stills hitting the net in the weeks ahead. As always I will post them here asap.
Cheers,
R
Happy Birthday Hunter
Today would have been Hunter’s 74th birthday. No matter what way you are marking the day, don’t forget the words, have a toast and most importantly – Have fun! If the celebrations get a little out of hand, here is some advice from the Good Doctor which might prove useful:
“When you push a car off a cliff and blow it up, be sure to roll the windows down to avoid shrapnel. Also, strip the license plate so you’re not billed for the cleanup.”
Wise words indeed 😉
R
Rory
UPDATE: Check this out, courtesy of the guys at Flying Dog.
The Rum Diary gets Oct. 28 release date
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
It was announced today at CinemaCon, by Bob Berney, President, Theatrical Distribution that FilmDistrict will release “The Rum Diary,” based on the early Hunter S. Thompson novel that was ultimately published in 1998. It stars Johnny Depp and will be released on October 28, 2011. The film is directed by Bruce Robinson (“Withnail and I”) from his own screenplay and also stars Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins and Giovanni Ribisi. “The Rum Diary” is produced by Infinitum Nihil, the production company headed by Depp and Christi Dembrowski, along with Graham King and Tim Headington. Anthony Rhulen and Robert Kravis also produce.
“The Rum Diary” tells the increasingly unhinged story of itinerant journalist Paul Kemp (Depp). Tired of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local San Juan newspaper run by the downtrodden editor Lotterman (Jenkins). Adopting the rum-soaked lifestyle of the late ‘50s version of Hemingway’s “The Lost Generation,” Paul soon becomes entangled with a very attractive American woman, Chenault (Heard) and her fiancée Sanderson (Eckhart), a businessman involved in shady property development deals. It is within this world that Kemp ultimately discovers his true voice as a writer and integrity as a man.
“Hunter S. Thompson became close with Johnny Depp during the filming of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and showed Depp the unpublished manuscript for The Rum Diary,” says producer and FilmDistrict co-founder Graham King. “I am extremely proud to bring this novel to film and to honor Hunter’s legacy.”
Peter Schlessel, CEO of FilmDistrict and President of GK Films, says, “The Rum Diary” is a special project for all of us here, as it is a true collaboration between both of our entities. Depp gives an extraordinary performance in this remarkable adaptation.”
“Robinson directed one of my favorite films, “Withnail and I” – combine that with Hunter S. Thompson and it’s a match made in celluloid heaven,” says Bob Berney, President of Distribution, FilmDistrict.
“The Rum Diary” is a GK Films, Infinitum Nihil and Film Engine production produced by Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, Anthony Rhulen, Robert Kravis, Tim Headington and Graham King.
The Gonzo Pendant – Now Available
There you go folks, the Official Gonzo Pendant, designed by silversmith Claire Donnelly, a native of Woody Creek. They are now available to order over at the Gonzostore.
Cheers,
R
PS: I think these have been the most requested/enquired about item since I started this blog.
The Gonzo Foundation
Hey folks,
Just a heads up that The Gonzo Foundation is now up and running. Anita Thompson just posted an update over at Owlfarmblog with some details. Although the first seminar is sold out, there will be more to come. If you would like to know more and receive notifications of future Gonzo Foundation events then make sure to register here – The Gonzo Foundation Official Site.
Sounds interesting!
Rory
TO DISCUSS THIS POST IN THE TOTALLY GONZO FORUM CLICK HERE
Animals, Whores & Dialogue Review
If you want to know why Animals, Whores & Dialogue stands out from all the other documentary movies about Hunter S. Thompson, take one look at the cover of the DVD and you will find the answer. The image used is that of Hunter sitting in front of his typewriter, at work on his Hey Rube column for ESPN, which encapsulates the very essence of this documentary. The previous offering from Wayne Ewing, the rollicking Breakfast with Hunter, opted for a cover featuring the infamous Gonzo logo, which similarly reflected the direction of the film. That is not to say that the first instalment presented an unbalanced portrait of Hunter, but rather there was a mixture of both man and myth. Contemplative moments at Owl Farm were counterbalanced by the more hectic elements of life on the road, with Hunter living up to his Raoul Duke persona. Continue reading
The Rum Diary – Opening Shot?
Credit goes to Emma @ Johhnydepp-zone.com for spotting this on the official website of Nina Saxon, designer of the film’s title sequence. It also appears that a Swedish release date has been set for 3 December 2010 so things appear to have turned around and we are now looking at a 2010 release in select European markets.
Sweet!
R
The Rum Diary Screenplay? (Updated)
Hey folks,
So I was just browsing Amazon.co.uk and I came across this – The Rum Diary: Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. The author is listed as Bruce Robinson and it is 160 pages in length, due to be published by Vintage on September 1st 2011. What really caught my eye though is the synopsis:
It’s 1960. In a highrise hotel not far from the beaches of San Juan, a man is recovering from an animal of a hangover. Paul Kemp is an alcoholic journalist who’s barely seen better days, arriving at the only job he can get: writing horoscopes for failing rag El News. His fellow hacks are mostly crazy drunks on the verge of quitting, so Kemp fits in perfectly. But then he meets the impossibly gorgeous Chenault and her flashy boyfriend Sanderson. Kemp soon finds himself in way over his head, party to shady business deals, caught up in car chases with enraged Puerto Ricans, and experimenting with a hitherto unknown hallucinogen, which will eventually transform Kemp into the kind of journalist known to the world as Gonzo.
Two things – you can pretty much take the above as the plot of the film and having read a 2006 draft of the script it matches it perfectly. Secondly I noticed that this was put up last week on Amazon with a release date of next October. It was then pulled, before reappearing with this new release date. Sources have also indicated that the Dutch release date for the move, Nov. 2010, has now been put back to 2011. The Russian release date also appears to have been put back until 2011.
Damn, damn, damn.
R
UPDATE: The movie tie-in of The Rum Diary is still listed as having a September 2010 release. The UK release date for the movie is still slated as being September 2010. Not sure what to make of all this now to be honest. Amazon have been proven in the past to be incorrect with release dates. I guess we will have to be patient and see what happens.
Totally Gonzo 