Bill Murray Week: Where the Buffalo Roam

Welcome back my little campers to Day 2 of that funny man Bill Murray’s week.  I have been doing some digging for the more obscure titles that he has done as well as find something for me to watch and chuckle at.  Today’s bijou flick hails from the askew brain of one Hunter S. Thompson (American journalist of Rolling Stone magazine and author of such titles as: Where the Buffalo Roam, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Woman Found Dead in Elevator and The Rum Diary) the self proclaimed Gonzo writer that indulged in various drugs and alcohol prior to involving himself directly in the action of said story that he became the focal point of the story.  Now I am sure many of you saw Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Thompson in Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but few can probably tell me of Murray’s likeness in today’s movie.  So grab that bottle of ether, do a few lines of this Bolivian dust and for God’s sake watch the road.  This is Where the Buffalo Roam.

Nick Nolte?? Oh no, wait it's Thompson.

Hunter S. Thompson:  In my case, you know, I hate to advocate spoilers or liquor, violence, insanity to anyone.  But in my case it’s worked.

Our film opens in the Colorado ranch of Dr. Thompson (Bill Murray of SNL, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and Lost in Translation) as he feverously tries to finish a story about his former attorney and long time friend Carl Lazlo (Peter Boyle of Young Frankenstein, Taxi Driver, Outland, NYPD Blue and Everyone Loves Raymond) when he suddenly flashes back to some shenanigans he and Lazlo got up to.  LSD can do this folks so don’t hunt for the formula. 

Murray's Batman audition as the Penguin does not go as planned.

In 1968, Lazlo is avidly fighting for some young kids in San Francisco who are getting stiff prison sentences for the possession of marijuana.  Yes 5 to 10 for grass, people.  Lazlo convinces Thompson to write an article about this injustice in Blast Magazine.  Thompson’s editor Marty Lewis (Bruno Kirby of The Godfather: Part II, Good Morning, Vietnam, When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers and Sleepers) is at his wit’s end in reminding Thompson he has a little less than 19 hours to make the deadline.  During the trial the last kid get s a five year stretch for having a pound of wacky tabaccy in his possession and Lazlo reacts badly by beating the crap out of the prosecutor and jailed for contempt.

The story is a huge success and Lazlo disappears out of Thompson’s life for 4 years only to pop back while our hero is doing a freelance gig covering the Super Bowl, Lazlo tells him to drop the story and journey with him on a smuggling ring story instead and enlist with his freedom fighters.  

This whole film revolves around drunken antics, falsified representation in the search for the truth and benders that would put Charlie Sheen off his lunch.   It was said that to capture the character of Thompson that Murray hung out with him, drank, went shooting guns and in general had a great time but much to the chagrin of his fellow SNL cast members as he was still a bit “Gonzo” for the next season of Saturday Night Live.  Hey that just makes the audience’s show that more enjoyable, gang!

No smoking on the flight, sir!