When I got word that Alex Gibney would be heading once again to Park City, I knew we needed to talk to him about his latest project, Gonzo, a wild ride through the life and work of an American original. It was a tricky proposition, due to this magazine’s very early production schedule and the fact that Gibney was deep into the publicity tour for another film he directed and produced, the soon-to-be-released documentary, Taxi to the Dark Side. Already on the shortlist of potential Oscar nominees for best feature-length documentary, Taxi is a difficult yet measured analysis of the use of torture practices during the ongoing U.S. war on terror. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last spring and took home best documentary honors there.
My colleague Bryant Frazer, who edits our online-only sister publication, Film & Video, caught up with Gibney just days after the Sundance finalists were announced and talked to him about the making of both Gonzo and Taxi (page 26).
Gibney often narrates his documentaries. "It’s part of how he crafts his story," his colleague, Alexandra Johnes, told me. But Gonzo is an altogether different kind of animal, like its subject, and relies solely on the words of Thompson himself for its narration. Gibney’s gift as a filmmaker is in the way he builds a compelling narrative with those excerpts— from books, unpublished manuscripts, articles, letters and audiotapes. He also wisely chose Johnny Depp, star of the film adaptation of Thompson’s acclaimed novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to bring Thompson’s words back to life.
No word yet on when Gonzo will be in wide release. In fact, it’s still in post at this writing. But if you aren’t lucky enough to see a screening at Sundance, you can still follow along in real time with Gibney and the other filmmakers who will be posting to our Sundance Blog on Studio Daily. Just log onto www.studiodaily.com during the week of the festival, January 17– 27. The blog will be archived long after the last Zegna cashmere jacket and pair of Diesel boots leaves town.
Our New Managing Editor
Last but not least, I’m very happy to announce the newest member of the Studio Group team, Jessica Clegg, who joined us last month from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill to begin work on this issue. Welcome, Jessica!
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