I had been anticipating this film since I heard it was in creation. Even thought it was released on the 4th of July ano domini 2008, it only recently was available near me. I would not go into this film looking to learn what Dr. Thompson thought. For that you should, and you should be anyway even if you aren't looking to learn anything, read his collection of books. True patriotism. Nevertheless, one should view this piece of work with wide open eyes. After watching it, I walked outside, said my good byes to the like minded friends, got in my car, and couldn't help but cry. This was brought on by several things. The most obvious being the regrettable loss of the Gonzo journalist. While I do not blame him for taking his own life, he is desperately needed in the coming times. The break in my composure was also do to the content of the film. After looking at his life, his times, and comparing them to what we live in now, it is suffocating. Times when idealism was what we feared and not economic power. Times when who is elected doesn't make a difference because the position of president is a neutered dog. Times when our nation was not dissolving itself from the inside by destroying any idea of American nationalism. We are throwing away our workforce, our pride, our own identity. Times when our system wasn't just an illusion of control. Our gluttony wasn't unbearable. The final weight was the simple fact that people as a whole just don't care. The theater was close to empty, not to mention most theaters won't even carry the movie. Why? Because people don't want to see it. They won't pay for it. It's all about the money. Christ. Goddamn lizards. All slithering toward the giant cash cow. My generation is caught up in their own uselessness and ungrounded life. They don't care. Apathy is their cloak. No not their cloak, their trophy! THEIR FUCKING TROPHY!! THEY ARE PROUD OF THEIR DISPASSIONATE NATURE!!! IT IS A COMPETITION TO THEM!!!! THEY WHERE IT AROUND THEIR NECK LIKE IT IS A SYMBOL OF POWER!! christ. It makes me feel so small. They don't care. They call Hunter a freak. And when he embraced the freak term they called him crazy. Persecution is the name of the game. This is one of the beautiful things about Hunter's death. He showed them that he was the only one who could take his life. He was a genius which makes it all the more tragic that no one cares. As I have said before, the apathy is more angering then anything else. If you hate me, HATE ME!! Don't be so fucking passive aggressive about it. HATE ME!!! AND BE DAMN PROUD OF IT! Don't crumble when challenged. STICK TO YOUR GODDAMN PRINCIPLES! SHOW ME THAT YOU HAVE SOME! We are a time without principles. Principles are viewed as evil. But our culture does not know what evil truly is. They have no idea.
