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Critic’s Pick: ‘Fear and Loathing,’ ‘Buffalo’ a double dose of Hunter Thompson

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Movies about gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson tend to be much like their subject — rough around the edges and more than a little out of control. But if you’re in a renegade mood, the Egyptian Theatre has a Friday night Thompson-inspired double feature that is definitely worth the retro trip. It starts with Terry Gilliam’s wild ride: “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” stars Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and Tobey Maguire in search of the ultimate acid trip. But my favorite is next on the bill, 1980’s “Where the Buffalo Roam.” A wonderfully wry Bill Murray is let loose in a different way as Thompson. What “Buffalo” provided was a glimpse of the actor Murray would become, the one who would shock us with his dissolution and depression in 2003’s “Lost in Translation,” more than two decades later. The actor was pitch-perfect as Thompson — cigarette holder gripped in his teeth, a drink gripped in his hand, his grip on reality never much of a question.

Twitter: @BetsySharkey

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