A FILM BY PHILLIP RODRIGUEZ
the life of Oscar Zeta Acosta
a.k.a The Brown Buffalo
a.k.a Dr. Gonzo.
In May of 1974, Oscar Zeta Acosta disappeared off the Pacific Coast of Mexico and was never heard from again. Immortalized as the “300-pound Samoan” Dr. Gonzo in Hunter S. Thompson’s cult novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the 39-year- old Acosta had already left an enviable legacy: two critically praised novels, a high-profile turn as lead attorney for LA’s Chicano movement, a quixotic run for L.A. County Sheriff, and innumerable feats of radical activism-cum- performance art.
Yet, while Acosta’s mysterious disappearance sent shockwaves through the counterculture that had embraced him, his larger-than- life legacy soon faded tragically from memory – relegated, at best, to a supporting player in Thompson’s literary universe. The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo rescues Acosta from obscurity, exploring the man’s personal and creative evolution against the backdrop of a society in turmoil, laying bare his brilliance, his contradictions, and his unique contribution to American society.
To learn more, visit PhillipRodriguez.co.
CREDITS
LEAD CREW CREDITS:
Director/Producer/Writer: Phillip Rodriguez
Cinematographer/Editor/Animator: Claudio Rocha
Writer: David Ventura
Executive Producer: Benicio Del Toro
Producer: Alison Sotomayor
Associate Producer: Ricardo López
Original Music by: Alejandro Cohen & Aaron Drake
LEAD CAST CREDITS:
Jesse Celedon (Oscar Zeta Acosta)
Jeff Harms (Hunter S. Thompson)
SUPPORT
Major funding by:
AWARDS
WINNERS
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Engagement
PRESS
"The flyest history lesson since Hamilton."
- Remezcla
"Astonishing"
"A Must See Film"
- Salon
"Brilliant, original and genre-bending" "It isn't typical PBS fare
(welcome young people)."
- Latino Rebels
"Remarkable, informs, entertains, filling your mind with challenging, provocative ideas."
- Sacramento Bee
"Fascinating"
- NBC News
"Genre-defying"
- L.A. Taco
"Larger than life"
- People Magazine
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"
"THE RESULT IS NOT ONLY A CLEVER CITIZEN KANE-TYPE COMPOSITE PORTRAIT OF A COMPLEX, FALLIBLE FIGURE IN IDENTITY POLITICS, BUT ALSO A MORE SUCCESSFUL TRANSLITERATION OF GONZO JOURNALISM THAN TERRY GILLIAM'S 1998 FILM ADAPTATION OF FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS."
- VIDEO LIBRARIAN
NPR: The Best Latinx Films Of 2017 Won't Win An Oscar. They Weren't Even Nominated
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Los Angeles Times: How 'brown buffalo' Oscar Acosta, best known as Hunter Thompson's Dr. Gonzo, inspired his own TV doc
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The Sacramento Bee: He was immortalized by Hunter S. Thompson for the wrong reasons. Now hear his story
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Latino Rebels: PBS Documentary ‘The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo’ Takes BIG Storytelling Risk… And Scores
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NBC News: Documentary on 'Dr. Gonzo' captures Oscar Zeta Acosta's wild ride
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KPCC Take Two: Documentary features true story of Chicano civil rights leader
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Salon.com: Hear the real Dr. Gonzo roar: Astonishing new PBS doc celebrates Oscar Zeta Acosta
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AP News: Erratic Chicano writer who vanished focus of new documentary
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Remezcla: This Documentary Chronicles the Life of Oscar Acosta, the Real-Life Dr. Gonzo from ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’
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Variety: Benicio del Toro Joins ‘Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo’ as Exec Producer
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Colorlines: WATCH: New Doc Explores Life and Disappearance of Oscar Zeta Acosta
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STREAMING RIGHTS
A purchase of $500 allows educational streaming rights of The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo, the award-winning PBS feature documentary directed by veteran filmmaker Phillip Rodriguez and executive produced by Academy-Award winning actor Benicio Del Toro.
A purchase of $650 allows educational streaming rights of the film with the DVD included. The DVD features the documentary including a five-part companion podcast series.'
This license grants a perpetual streaming license to an institution who agrees to host the film on a secure server, providing access only to its students, faculty, or members of the educational institution, and not allowing downloading or public screening rights to the film in any way. It also grants an unlimited term license for the educational DVD, and as part of the package, offers the DVD at a reduced price.
If a public screening is desired, an institution may order a separate screening license with the educational and streaming rights as part of a reduced price package.
Thank you for your interest in The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo!
MERCHANDISE
Minimum order of $20 per purchase.