The Rum Diary Review Thread (Use Spoiler Tags)

[ckent22]

My apologies for the random f in the title. I guess it's getting kinda late for me. This would be awesome. The original is in my top 10 favorite films of all time. I would love to see a sequel.

Here's the latest:

http://www.thebadandugly.com/2009/01...r-johnny-depp/

[matthieuxdetoux]

That actually sounds really interesting. It will be odd to see a Hunter S. film not helmed by Gilliam but Depp doesn't tend to make bad movies...

Also, he does do the best Hunter S.... Bill Murray gets an A for effort though...

[master_8ball]

Cool, hope this is good. I have never read any of his books but Fear and Loathing is a fav of mine, and Where the Buffalo Roam was enjoyable.

[Mahatma]

I really liked to book.Kind of an adventure where you can dream yourself away to another life.Gonna be interesting to see it.I see the director of Withnail&I is making this,so that is promising.I kind of hope for sort of the same mood,but ofcourse in a different setting-kind of rough,indie like.

[Mahatma]

Originally Posted by master_8ball

Cool, hope this is good. I have never read any of his books but Fear and Loathing is a fav of mine, and Where the Buffalo Roam was enjoyable.

Haven't seen the movie,but the book is hillarious!If you want to check out his writing,that's the perfect entry into it.Rum diaries is also a good entry point.Like his socio-political writing too,but that may not be everybody's cup of tea. . . . .

[Foggy]

Couldn't resist

[Riff Magnum]

'Bout time. This has been rumored for years now.

[jjbsn5192]

It Looks Great!!!

[DJ Manyak]

why does deep always take the weirdest movies

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by DJ Blend

why does deep always take the weirdest movies

you mean....most awesome movies?

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by DJ Blend

why does deep always take the weirdest movies

I dunno. I didn't think Star Trek was that weird.

[Ghasta]

That's something I love about Depp, he is always in something thats just a lil twisted and "off-center". Love his work.

[Offender_Mullet]

Here's an update.....although not exactly good news.....

"One of the many films that Oscar watchers have been talking about may not see the light of day until next year. Rum Diary for a while now has been pegged as a film with Oscar chances written all over it, but even if it lives up to what plenty are saying, don’t expect to see it during next year’s Oscar broadcast considering it might not be released until 2011.

That’s what Aaron Eckhart told me and here’s one of the possible reasons why: Depp is off shooting Pirates 4 and that renders him unavailable to do press. Eckhart sounded pretty unsure about the release date, and he had this to say:

“I don’t know. I heard next year that’s [when] it’s going to come out. Johnny is making Pirates of the Caribbean and I think that he’s too busy to promote something right now. He’s working in Hawaii. I think they’re going to wait to put it out next year.”

This makes pretty crystal clear sense. Depp is a publicity juggernaut and him promoting a film certainly wont hurt its chances of success. Still, it means that a film is being delayed from seeing the light of day because the main actor won’t be around to toss into a press conference.

I’m sure any Hunter S. Thompson fan will find this as sad news, but who knows, maybe Depp could become available by year’s end. This still isn’t anything official, but from what Eckhart says, we most likely won’t have us some Rum Diary this year…"

Link: http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/new...-and-press.php

[master_8ball]

It was announced today at CinemaCon, by Bob Berney, President, Theatrical Distribution that FilmDistrict will release “The Rum Diary,” based on the early Hunter S. Thompson novel that was ultimately published in 1998. It stars Johnny Depp and will be released on October 28, 2011. The film is directed by Bruce Robinson (“Withnail and I”) from his own screenplay and also stars Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins and Giovanni Ribisi. “The Rum Diary” is produced by Infinitum Nihil, the production company headed by Depp and Christi Dembrowski, along with Graham King and Tim Headington. Anthony Rhulen and Robert Kravis also produce.

“The Rum Diary” tells the increasingly unhinged story of itinerant journalist Paul Kemp (Depp). Tired of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local San Juan newspaper run by the downtrodden editor Lotterman (Jenkins). Adopting the rum-soaked lifestyle of the late ‘50s version of Hemingway’s “The Lost Generation,” Paul soon becomes entangled with a very attractive American woman, Chenault (Heard) and her fiancée Sanderson (Eckhart), a businessman involved in shady property development deals. It is within this world that Kemp ultimately discovers his true voice as a writer and integrity as a man.

“Hunter S. Thompson became close with Johnny Depp during the filming of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and showed Depp the unpublished manuscript for The Rum Diary,” says producer and FilmDistrict co-founder Graham King. “I am extremely proud to bring this novel to film and to honor Hunter’s legacy.”

Peter Schlessel, CEO of FilmDistrict and President of GK Films, says, “The Rum Diary” is a special project for all of us here, as it is a true collaboration between both of our entities. Depp gives an extraordinary performance in this remarkable adaptation.”

“Robinson directed one of my favorite films, “Withnail and I” – combine that with Hunter S. Thompson and it’s a match made in celluloid heaven,” says Bob Berney, President of Distribution, FilmDistrict.

“The Rum Diary” is a GK Films, Infinitum Nihil and Film Engine production produced by Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, Anthony Rhulen, Robert Kravis, Tim Headington and Graham King.

and some more...

While attending the CinemaCon opening night party last night, our good friend and colleague Kino Katey from CinemaBlend noticed a still from Bruce Robinson's The Rum Diary flashing on the screen with a release date of October 28, 2011.

This long-in-development movie returns Johnny Depp to the crazy world of Hunter S. Thompson, a character he played in Terry Gilliam's 1998 movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but this time it's based on one of Thompson's works of "fiction" in which Depp will play journalist Paul Kemp who gets frustrated with New York and moves to Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. The movie also stars Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart and Richard Jenkins.

Only having seen the image of Depp on a motorbike and the release date go by on the screen a number of times and knowing little else, we did a bit of sleuthing, and being that the film was co-produced by Graham King's GK Films, it makes sense that the movie would be released by GK's new distribution arm FilmDistrict, whose first movie Insidious comes out Friday. FilmDistrict has been a fairly prominent player at CinemaCon so far with posters for Insidious and the drama Soul Surfer (released on April 8) everywhere.

FilmDistrict was also one of the partners sponsoring the party and it also makes sense due to President of Theatrical Distribution Bob Berney's involvement in many prestige titles from his days at Picturehouse, Apparition and even Newmarket, so he may see The Rum Diary as an opportunity to get Johnny Depp back into the Oscar race, something that a late October release date would certainly make more logical.

[Walts Ghost]

Excellent news! I've been wondering when we'd finally see this hit theaters. Can't wait to see it.

[detective392]

Really happy it finally has a release date

[OrlandoEastwood]

I love Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and I am looking forward to this. ORDER SOME GOLF SHOES, OTHERWISE WE'LL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS PLACE ALIVE!!!

[Hicks62]

A release date at last! Excellent news. Here's hoping it sticks this time.

[luwanda]

Nice!, i just started reading the book and i'm loving it so far.

On a side note, it's good to see Johnny Depp outside burton's and pirate's movies again, even if it's just one single film

[broganreynik]

Here's the trailer over at AICN:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/50965

Looks good. I've been looking forward to this for so freakin' long, I can't believe it's finally coming out.