Blasted!!! The Gonzo Patriots of Hunter S. Thompson on AllMovie

On February 20, 2005, the wild world of Gonzo journalism lost its founding father when writer Hunter S. Thompson ended his own life with a single rifle shot to the head. In his last days, Thompson had requested that his ashes be fired from a cannon on the grounds of his estate just outside of Aspen, CO. While his family held an essay contest in the Aspen Daily News in hopes of finding an artillery owner who was willing to lend their cannon to the cause, it was ultimately Thompson's friend Johnny Depp who would ensure that his pal's last wishes were fulfilled. In the weeks that followed, Depp would oversee a two-million-dollar effort to construct a cannon that stood a staggering 153 feet and was constructed in the striking mold of Thompson's iconic Gonzo fist. While the participants in the Aspen Daily News essay contest may have been somewhat disheartened by the decision to construct such an elaborate cannon instead of using one of their authentic models, filmmaker Blue Kraning now offers each entrant the opportunity to reflect on their favorite author while proudly displaying their substantial artilleries.