Duke becomes irrational and believes that they are in the middle of a battlefield, so he fires Lacerda and returns to the hotel. The next day, Duke arrives at the race and heads out with his photographer, Lacerda. By the time they reach the strip, Duke is in the full throes of his trip and barely makes it through the hotel check-in, hallucinating that the clerk is a moray eel and that his fellow bar patrons are orgiastic lizards. Trying to reach Vegas before the hitchhiker can go to the police, Gonzo gives Duke part of a sheet of Sunshine Acid, then informs him that there is little chance of making it before the drug kicks in. The hitchhiker flees on foot at their behavior. They bought excessive drugs for the trip, and rented a red Chevrolet Impala convertible. They pick up a young hitchhiker and explain their mission: Duke has been assigned by a magazine to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race in Las Vegas. Duke, under the influence of mescaline, complains of a swarm of giant bats, and inventories their drug stash. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a financial failure, but has since become a cult classic among film fans. The film details the duo's journey through Las Vegas as their initial journalistic intentions devolve into an exploration of the city under the influence of psychoactive substances.įear and Loathing in Las Vegas was released on May 22, 1998, by Universal Pictures. It was co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam, and stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as Raoul Duke and Dr. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1998 American black comedy adventure film adapted from Hunter S.

Chemical Reaction by Christina Thompson