Hunter S. Thompson

13 Stories

Lawsuit: Depp Spent $3M on a Cannon for Writer's Ashes

He also blew $30K a month on wine, former managers say

(Newser) - Johnny Depp spent more than $3 million on a cannon to blast Hunter S. Thompson's ashes over Aspen, Colo., spent $30,000 a month on expensive wines, and apparently just wasted much of the rest of his income, according to a lawsuit filed by his former managers. The lawsuit,...

Hunter S. Thompson's Weed Coming to a Dispensary Soon

His widow is creating strains from his preserved stash

(Newser) - For years, marijuana growers have approached Anita Thompson, the widow of Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, to put her late husband's name on their weed. "I always ended up saying no because it's the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter's name on their...

Movie Review Roundup: 'The Rum Diary,' Starring Johnny Depp

 More Booze 
 Than Plot in 
 Rum Diary 
movie review

More Booze Than Plot in Rum Diary

Johnny Depp stars in Hunter S. Thompson story

(Newser) - The Rum Diary is like a superhero origin story, several reviewers note: Set in Puerto Rico, it tells the story of how journalist Hunter S. Thompson became himself—complete with heavy drinking and plenty of sex.
  • You get the sense that the film is a "passion project" for the
...

Celebs You'd Want to Be Friends With

Famous people who manage to be polite and pleasant

(Newser) - Within days of blowing the whistle on celebrities who act like jerks , the Frisky is back with an exposé about famous folks who are just folks—people "we were pleasantly surprised to find were lovely in person."
  • Paris Hilton: "Always drunk or stoned but really friendly."
...

Gonzo Blogger Exposes SoCal Housing Market

Jim Klinge's unrestrained criticism of real estate practices brings him buyers

(Newser) - With “transparency” a political mantra and the housing market an unqualified mess, one real-estate broker is seeking unfettered truth, the Los Angeles Times reports. Armed with a video camera, blogger Jim Klinge is chronicling California’s real-estate crash, sparing no broker’s feelings with scathing appraisals not just of...

Need a Blurb? Meet the Usual Suspects
Need a Blurb?
Meet the Usual Suspects
OPINION

Need a Blurb? Meet the Usual Suspects

New writers' book jackets reveal the top 10 lazy comparisons

(Newser) - Blurbs for hot new writers' books unfailingly liken them to a handful of known quantities, Chris Rovzar observes in New York. Here are some of the most-abused blurb comparisons:
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald or Edith Wharton. Writing about crumbling, decadent high society? "If you're a boy, you're Scott; if you're
...

Hunter Thompson Left Gonzo Sperm Behind

Writer's widow considering having the child he wanted to have with her

(Newser) - Gonzo journalist and general wild man Hunter S. Thompson left more than just his writings behind when he committed suicide in 2005 at the age of 67, his widow tells Scotland's Sunday Herald. Anita Thompson, who was 35 years his junior, has the outlaw journalist's frozen sperm and is wrestling...

10 Books to Pass Up With Confidence
10 Books to Pass Up
With Confidence

10 Books to Pass Up With Confidence

Richard Wilson saves us all a bunch of time and effort with a not-reading list

(Newser) - Forget the coma-inducing titles that lit lovers keep telling you to read, Richard Wilson writes in his book, Can’t Be Arsed: 101 Things Not to Do Before You Die. He lists the top 10 clunkers in the Daily Telegraph:
  • Ulysses, James Joyce: notoriously hard, so why bother?
  • Lord
...

Gonzo Gets It
 Gonzo Gets It 

movie review

Gonzo Gets It

'Mesmerizing' documentary tells story of Hunter S. Thompson

(Newser) - There’s a “fascinating history lesson” in the documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson, “a lively collage of interviews and found materials,” writes A. O. Scott in the New York Times. The film cements the journalist's “place in the great American parade...

Beastie Directs Film, Reilly Does Double Header

Esquire picks 5 performances to watch next month

(Newser) - Who will reign in pop culture next month? A dead drug addict and rapper-turned-filmmaker are on Esquire's list of predictions:
  1. Actor John C. Reilly will compete with Will Farrell for jokes in the upcoming laffer, Step Brothers.
  2. Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has directed Gunnin' for that #1 Spot, a doc
...

50 Favorite Cult Books
50 Favorite
Cult Books 

50 Favorite Cult Books

From Hunter to Ayn, the Telegraph lists books you can 'wear like a leather jacket'

(Newser) - It’s hard to define the "cult" book, but the Telegraph compiled 50 of the top contenders that “rewire your head.”
  • The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe (1968)
  • Baby and Child Care by Dr Benjamin Spock (1946)
  • Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (1922)
  • The Fountainhead by
...

Burning Man Torcher Calls It an 'Act of Love'

Festival has become 'too suburban,' says gonzo former lawyer

(Newser) - The San Francisco prankster who put an early torch to the 40-foot-tall Burning Man last week—earning himself a felony arson charge—tells the San Francisco Chronicle his stunt was a plea to put spontaneity back into the Nevada festival that culminates tonight. "This was not an act of...

Aspen Paper Gonzo Over Hunter S. Thompson's 70th

(Newser) - The Aspen Daily News put out a special "Gonzo Edition" Saturday to honor iconic hometown journalist Hunter S. Thompson on what would have been his 70th birthday.  Thompson committed suicide in February, 2005.  It was edited by his widow, Anita; contributors include long-time friend Ralph Steadman and...

13 Stories