Gonzo @ the Derby(2016)
The lasting legacy of the 1970 Kentucky Derby has nothing to do with the winner, Dust Commander. Its true impact came from the assignment that Scanlanâs magazine gave to a 32-year-old writer from Louisville named Hunter S. Thompson. Director Michael D. Ratner revisits that story in this 30 for 30 Short, talking with the late journalistâs editors and friends and the actor who tried to revive what is known as âgonzo journalism,â Sean Penn. The piece that Thompson turned inâfantastical, riotous and, by the way, lateâopened so many eyes that âgonzo journalismâ became an art form. As Thompsonâs partner in crime, illustrator Ralph Steadman, says, âWe were the face of the crowd weâd gone there to find.â