Gonzo Utopia (2006) User Reviews

Gonzo Utopia

[Lance-94 · 10/10 · 14 June 2006]

This tribute to Hunter S. Thompson, written and directed by Lance Miccio, features interviews with author/actor Peter Coyote, Ken Babbs, Country Joe, Paul Krassner, Wavey Gravey, Mountain Girl, Lenore Kandel, Elsa Marley, John Trudell, Martin Lee, Jamie Cohen, Fito de la Parra, and Steven Hagar. "Gonzo Utopia" is the perfect salute to Gonzo journalism; filmed all over America and Holland, the film effectively captures the driving force behind the counter culture revolution, prominently characterized by LSD and hemp.

Shot in documentary style, the filmmaker and Happy Trailers HD, which produced the project, effectively evoke 60's nostalgia; icons covered in Miccio's film bring back memories of the counter culture movement that began in the 50's with the beat generation then with groups that Hunter connected with in the 60's such as Merry Pranksters, and The Hell's Angels.

Miccio and his crew document hippies, authors, musicians, and journalists throughout their relevant discourse on this genre of New Age Journalism. "Gonzo Utopia's" interviews take place in Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Alaska, Amsterdam and New York, landing at Ken Kesey's ranch with the Magic Bus "FURTHUR" which remained at that time in all its glory The Kesey farm in Eugene Oregon .

In a word, "interesting."

[hauptfub · 10/10 · 22 June 2006]

This film effectively demonstrates the sheer number of legendary counter-culture icons that Miccio has managed to get on camera. Fitting, since "Gonzo Utopia" pays homage to the most influential icon of them all, Hunter S. Thompson.

As alluring and eccentric as the intra-documentary subjects are, they pale in comparison to the intrigue of the film's subject matter; this Happy Trailers HD product features the emergence of psychedelic drugs to the consequent emergence of a vibrant new form of literature.

Whether you were an active participant in the counter-culture debauchery or have only had the opportunity to vicariously live through your gloating elders, it is difficult to imagine why you'd pass up a documentary in which the most interesting people explain the most interesting features of our most interesting epoch.