It would seem that Wayne Ewing has out-done himself with his latest trip down Hunter S. Thompson lane. Already I have received a couple of reviews of Animals, Whores & Dialogue, and the word is good.

First review is from renowned HST fan and scholar Peter W. Knox. Regular visitors here will know Peter from his contributions to our HST for Beginners series. As usual Peter in his usual genius has added a twist to his review with the introduction of a drinking game to accompany Animals, Whores & Dialogue. First his review and at the end is the drinking game. Here’s Peter’s Review.

It’s been more than five years since Hunter left this world and seven years since Ewing’s first HST documentary “Breakfast with Hunter” but his legacy lives on in the latest “Animals, Whores & Dialogue”, a wonderful behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life he lived his last decade alive.

Filled with such spectacle as the 25th Anniversary party of Fear and Loathing, his Kentucky homecoming, and the comings and goings of Aspen, Colorado, Ewing gives us a fly-on-the-wall opportunity to be there and share in the memories we missed.

A sure no-brainer fan collection such as this will no doubt delight the many gonzo-ites looking for the next hit, or as Hunter put it himself, “the next addiction” in the many options we have in which to revel in his brilliance, wisdom, wit, humor, and company. I watched, by myself, comforted by his intimate moments discussing his work, interviewing with press, interactions with his fans, and precious scenes with family and friends.

My favorite segment of this documentary comes about one-third in, where Hunter is shown an original Scanlon’s Monthly containing his infamous article of “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” where he puts into words how he felt about its publication and status of a writer, where he felt he was looking at the end of his journalist career but in fact had only stumbled onto its true beginning.

To anyone not familiar with “Breakfast with Hunter” or Ewing’s other works, this is as sure an entry point as those, more focused on Hunter himself and not the celebrity culture surrounding him. I have seen all of Wayne’s movies; Breakfast (weirdly wonderful), Till I Die (intensely personal posthumous, I was there for the blast-off!), Free Lisl (tragic & soberly lacking in Gonzo), and now this “Animals, Whores & Dialogue” picks up the Gonzo pulse and gives us exactly what we’re looking for, the b-side to those fantastic opinions, phrases, and character he pumped into each word he wrote.

Take part in this well edited and spliced homage to the man that changed journalism and brought us all together at the same time and buy this DVD now.

Next is Peter’s drinking game.

Fill your glass with Chivas or Heineken and follow along. I’d never recommend these rules for anyone, but they’ve worked for me.

Finish your drink

Hunter blows up at someone
Hunter gets ice for himself
Hunter holds a gun
Hunter says Gonzo

3 drinks

Hunter reads from his own words
HST smokes his pipe
HST shown actually typing
HST claps his hands
Hunter’s phone rings

2 drinks

Someone else reads from HST’s words
Someone plays music
HST talks sports
HST talks politics/mentions a politician
The Gonzo brand is shown (counts double if its on an undergarment)
HST lights a cigarette
HST drinks from his lobster mug

1 drink

Title of a HST book is mentioned by anyone
Someone addresses a crowd
Music is played
HST is wearing something on his head, once each scene
HST takes a sip from his glass
Someone compliments HST
Owl Farm peacocks are shown

Review and Drinking game. (©) Peter W. Knox 2010.

Next review is by Edaurdo The Voice of the Doomed Jones. Edaurdo has been mentioned numerous times on this site and interviewed here too. Edaurdo is a busy man these days. He’s currently working with a screenwriter to have one of his pieces been made into a short film. He’s also one of the subjects in Finding the Beat, a documentary in pre-production which will follow a bunch of writers and artists while on the road. His review is as follows…

So my good friend Martin Flynn sent me over a copy of Wayne Ewing’s new release Animals, Whores, & Dialogue. I think I was supposed to have this done for Hunter’s birthday yesterday, but I was busy drinking Chivas on the shores of Portland, Maine with three beautiful women. I find due to the subject of this piece it’s only fitting to be over my deadline. I believe Hunter would have been doing the same thing on his birthday.

Wayne Ewing has created a masterpiece. This is not your typical documentary. Imagine sitting in the kitchen with an old friend. Just the two of you, a bottle of Chivas, and a handful of friends and neighbors. What would you give to just watch the good doctor do his thing? How would it feel to be part of the Owl Farm club? Wayne Ewing has bought you the ticket, so you can take the ride. I now feel as if I was and am a good friend of the family after viewing this. The film is incredibly personal. It’s beyond just the Gonzo persona. It’s the good Doctor just being Hunter and telling you how it is. Hunter shares his secret to success in life and the method behind the madness or “the formula” as he calls it.

It’s incredible to watch the excitement in Hunter’s eyes as either a friend or he himself reads aloud past works. It’s as if he was hearing them for the first time. Hearing Hunter tell the story behind the stories is just, for the lack of a better term simply amazing. I don’t think there really are any words that could capture the true Just-us factor this film has. This film is a must watch for any fan of Hunter S. Thompson. Anybody who’s ever thought or said “I wish I could have hung out with Hunter S. Thompson one time.” Well now you can thanks to Wayne Ewing. It was a high honor just to watch this film. In closing all I can say is after watching this “ I now feel as if I’m a close friend of Hunter S. Thompson and spent an evening at Owl Farm and had a few drinks with the gang.”

Review (©) Edaurdo Jones. 2010.

Many thanks to Edaurdo and Peter for taking the time to make a contribution. As more reviews come in I’ll be adding them in more entries here…