'Gonzo' celebrates Thompson

When I was 16 I was still uninitiated to the world of "indie" rock and was an avid reader of Rolling Stone.

One of the weeks during my subscription gifted me with a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

The magazine included the first few pages of Thompson's seminal work, the beginning paragraph being, "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold."

I was hooked. At the time I didn't know what gonzo journalism was, but I was about to find out in a big way. I immediately made my way to the local Barnes and Noble or Borders or whatever mound of books I had access to and purchased the book.

I read the book in one sitting and was further motivated to convince friends who might like such content that didn't actually like the concept of reading to give the book a chance. I can't think of a single friend who didn't finish the book.

It was that awesome.

In 2005, Thompson decided enough was enough and offed himself.

Friends and family didn't see it as an act of desperation, rather it was a well though out plan that was exactly how Thompson wanted things to end.

Even when deeply embedded in his gonzo journalism mentality, Thompson always had a plan. Alright, perhaps almost always.

As the new documentary, "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson" attests, there were rare instances when the iconic author didn't come through in the clutch (see: Zaire).

But most of the time, even when in the depths of a serious drug binge, Thompson had some kind of grasp on his goals.

Whether running for sheriff of Aspen, Colo., or covering George McGovern's failed presidential campaign in 1972, Thompson was driving people crazy, creating new boundaries and offering the freaks an opportunity for their voices to be heard.

"Gonzo" isn't perfect. Few documentaries approach such a plateau. There is no mention of "The Rum Diaries" or Thompson's time spent in Puerto Rico.

Instead, the documentary reads more like an extended eulogy, a celebration of Thompson's life and a thorough explanation of why he was so important and engrained in the lives of Americans for the past 40 years.

I laughed, I cried and I left the theater wanting to drink a case of Budweiser, pop some amyls and drive the 20 hours it takes to get to Vegas from Lincoln (if only to get some In N' Out).

"Gonzo" was, for me, a perfect mix of interviews, audio and video footage and commentary about the legend that is Thompson, paired with background information that would keep the uniformed in the loop.

Go see it, but be careful. As Dr. Gonzo once said, "There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge."

jeremybuckley@dailynebraskan.com