BLU-RAY REVIEW

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Featured In Issue 115, December 2006

Picture4
Sound4
WSR Score3
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
31287
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
For pervasive extreme drug use and related bizarre behavior, strong language, and brief nudity
(Retail Price):
$29.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (HD-30)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
119
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
1998
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
09/26/06
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Terry Gilliam
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(Story):
(Music):
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(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
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(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital+ 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
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(French Language):
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Sent to cover the Mint 400 Motorcycle race, Raoul Duke (aka Hunter S. Thompson) and his Samoan lawyer, Dr. Gonzo take to the highway with a carload of drugs and bad attitudes in search of the American Dream. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, based on the unforgettable book by Hunter S. Thompson, is a surrealistic trip that chronicles a strange outing in the life of the father of Gonzo journalism.

Special features include an 11-minute on-location segment, 11 minutes of deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

The VC-1-encoded 2.32:1 HD DVD picture features vibrant hues, accurate fleshtones, and good shadow delineation. Details are well resolved and source element artifacts are rare, but minor edge enhancement can be noticed at times. (Danny Richelieu)

Both the Dolby® Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD encodings sound good, with impressive fidelity, although it can sound slightly dated at times. The TrueHD encoding affords slightly better fidelity, removing a slight edge to the Digital Plus encoding that probably would not be recognizable had the lossless encoding not been included. (Danny Richelieu)