# Freak Power, Dangerous Drugs, and Hunter S. Thompson. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2000, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837 "2000-11-19T09:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/21 "2000-11-22T02:21:21Z")
Favorite book-_Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ Second favorite book-_The Great Shark Hunt_ Favorite quote-_“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”_ ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/22 "2000-11-22T02:33:59Z")
I second the opinion that Hell’s Angels and The Campaign Trail '72 are the best of the lot. Those of you just starting out on the Las Vegas book should be warned… That’s only hors d’ouevre for the above. (Think of Jesse Ventura on speed and, maybe, crank, and you might begin to get the picture.) And thank you, thank you, thank you for the links. It’s been years since I’ve had my fix of this man’s writing. ---
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/23 "2000-11-22T05:12:19Z")
Apparently, there is also a movie for On the Campign Trail '72 with Bill Murray. Is it worth seeing? ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/24 "2000-11-22T05:19:57Z")
The movie whereof you speak is _Where the Buffalo Roam_. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve since it, and it was in gonzoier (gonzer? gonzier? gonzoer?) days, but my lasting impression of it was, eh, so-so. Allow me to add my endorsement to _Shark Hunt_. Great collection of stuff. I think I’ll go run for Sherriff, or something. ---
**Author:** ![Azargoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Azargoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azargoth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/25 "2000-11-22T07:48:27Z")
I thought they did a good job of bringing the book to life. The best lines of the whole movie. (paraphrasing of course) “I was in a f\*cking reptile zoo, and someone was giving booze to these bastard.” “ahh devil ether.” “Makes you act like the town drunk in some early irish novel.” “as your attorney I advise you to take a couple hits out of the brown bottle in my shaving kit…” ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/26 "2000-11-22T11:20:30Z")
we can’t stop here! this is Bat Country! ---
**Author:** ![uberDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f04885/32.png) [@uberDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uberDave)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/27 "2000-11-22T14:40:27Z")
…there’s nothing worse than a man in the depths of an ether binge…nothing. Big fan here. Read all the books and saw the movie. The movie was pretty true to the book. Got terrible reviews though. I also got to read a car rewiew by the good doctor when the manufacterers of Porche gave Thompson a 911 to drive for a week or so. The review was pretty funny. I think ‘Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972’ was probably his best work. His take on the political process is often right on the mark. I really like Ralph Steadman’s artwork. Its perfect for Thompson’s work. The tale of Thompson and Steadman at the Kentucky Derby is priceless. Dave ---
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/28 "2000-11-23T09:41:31Z")
Here’s the link for “ **The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved** ”. ---
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/29 "2000-11-23T09:43:25Z")
I’m an idiot. [http://www.derbypost.com/hunter.html](http://www.derbypost.com/hunter.html) ---
**Author:** ![JimmyNipples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/30 "2000-11-23T14:31:23Z")
I fear and loathe the man. I also have read almost everything he has written. ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/31 "2000-11-23T14:52:07Z")
Probably not JimmyNipples. Think of the sewage that hits the stream, never to be distinguishable or seen. And all the shopping lists and letters to his mum… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/32 "2000-11-23T17:01:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stimpy \* > \*\* letters to his mum… \*\* HST had a Mother? ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/33 "2000-11-24T01:38:29Z")
I though this was interesting… From: [medialifemagazine.com](http://medialifemagazine.com) (snip) If Dennis Miller can cross over into sportscasting, why not Hunter S. Thompson? The journalist, author and political commentator has signed on with [ESPN.com](http://ESPN.com) to contribute to the Disney-owned web site’s forthcoming Page 2 section, which offers an alternative look at sports. “Alternative” is very likely what they’ll get when Thompson, famous for his portrayal of drug-bingeing, hard-drinking social misfits, begins work for the family-friendly Disney on November 6. The site’s Page 2 section will be “a sort of cross between ESPN and Rolling Stone or People magazine,” according to a spokesperson. Thompson was once a sports reporter and still incorporates sports into his work. His credits include a stint at Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s and the books “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Generations of Swine.” (/snip) Never in a million years would I have thought Disney and HST would team up on anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/34 "2000-11-24T04:04:50Z")
Now I kind of like Hunter, the crazy old fuck. The Great Shark Hunt and Fear and Loathing were good books. Hell’s Angels was interesting. But I thought Generation of Swine sucked eggs. And I don’t think I like Hunter as much as I like Duke. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837/35 "2000-11-24T19:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” An abundance of fruitful Thompson links can be found here: [http://www.webcrawler.com/education/arts\_and\_humanities/literature/authors\_a\_z/authors\_t/thompson\_hunter\_s/](http://www.webcrawler.com/education/arts_and_humanities/literature/authors_a_z/authors_t/thompson_hunter_s/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freak-power-dangerous-drugs-and-hunter-s-thompson/41837.md?page=1)