Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Insanity and excess run rampant in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a film based on Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's book of the same title. I watched the movie with audio commentary from HST himself and he explained at one point that he enjoyed the visuals the most, that they gave life and imagery to his work. Personally after reading the book and seeing the movie both numerous times I think it propelled this story into one that may have been narrated from the dark side of the moon. We get to see a dramatic representation of the ridiculous things HST and Oscar Acosta may have seen in Las Vegas with heads full of acid and bloodstreams and nervous systems pumped full of plenty of other intoxicants. Hunter Thompson found an opportunity to take a weekend vacation in Las Vegas with all expenses paid (courtesy of Rolling Stone magazine) which turned into a sort of eulogy on the counterculture of the 60's. Rolling Stone published book in two parts in two different issues, they didn't expect such a long story back. He was only dispatched to Las Vegas so he could cover a motorcycle race held annually called the Mint 400. In the movie and book the race is actually only partially covered, otherwise to most people it may just seem like a film directed to a 'druggie' demographic, really though it's so much more. In my opinion it's an enticing look at how a suitcase full of drugs and the mass media was used on a sarcastic search for the American Dream.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Blog Assignment #2
Network
1945 finds our United States in upheaval. People are fed up with recession, the government, even themselves. Underground revolutionary groups are portrayed by Big Brother as terrorist factions, and network corporations are trying to keep society's attention. In the midst of all this "UBS Evening News" anchor Howard Beale gets fired because of low rations. On air he claims the following evening that he will put a bullet through his head. Ratings explode so they allow him to apologize and say fare well, instead he arrives a mad man raving about how our mediocre picture perfect lives are comprised of pure 'bullshit'. Beale doesn't kill himself but instead is given his won show being called the 'Mad Prophet of the Airwaves', relaying the truth to millions of viewers about the 'hypocrisies of our time'. The irony is that his new show was created for ratings, and being from a network, it puts down network corporations, government, our current way of life, and all with a cynical humor. The people who created the show knew that counterculture was becoming a part o the cultural norm and exploited that, and of course it worked.
1945 finds our United States in upheaval. People are fed up with recession, the government, even themselves. Underground revolutionary groups are portrayed by Big Brother as terrorist factions, and network corporations are trying to keep society's attention. In the midst of all this "UBS Evening News" anchor Howard Beale gets fired because of low rations. On air he claims the following evening that he will put a bullet through his head. Ratings explode so they allow him to apologize and say fare well, instead he arrives a mad man raving about how our mediocre picture perfect lives are comprised of pure 'bullshit'. Beale doesn't kill himself but instead is given his won show being called the 'Mad Prophet of the Airwaves', relaying the truth to millions of viewers about the 'hypocrisies of our time'. The irony is that his new show was created for ratings, and being from a network, it puts down network corporations, government, our current way of life, and all with a cynical humor. The people who created the show knew that counterculture was becoming a part o the cultural norm and exploited that, and of course it worked.
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