(off topic) Check out what I just saw..!

BeeKayNutCase · Mar 19, 2015

Hey guys,

Not sure if this has been spoken about before (this specifically anyway) but I was just watching some clips from one of my favorite movies, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in particular, the scene where Dr. Gonzo is tripping in the tub. Anyway, when he gets cranky at Duke he rolls over and pulls out a large knife, which looks (I'm certain it is) like full size FU. It's polished and you can't see the handle but the blade is unmistakable and it has the double sided guard.

Anyway, like I said, not sure if anyone has mentioned this specific example of Kabars in film before, just thought I'd bring it to light. (Hope this link works)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (6/10) Movie CLIP : http://youtu.be/1RBwoUbvxx0

orezona · Mar 19, 2015

Ha! I never noticed that and I've watched that movie about a dozen times or so.

Only thing... It's completely polished?

It's hard to tell but it definitely looks like there's a stamp on the blade near the guard.

It would be interesting to know more about that prop but it's been too long since that movie was made.

Good eye, though!

wazu013 · Mar 19, 2015

BeeKayNutCase · Mar 19, 2015

Awesome screen shots wazu. In that top shot you can see just under the heel of Dr. Gonzos hand what looks like a stacked leather handle too. Yeah, the blades polished up but I reckon they've done that for a more dramatic effect than what the coated knife would've given. I just zoomed in on that top picture where the stamp is. Rotating the picture you can ever so slightly make out what looks to be USMC. Its blurry but distinct enough.

sac troop · Mar 19, 2015

Looks like the recent knife to me. Appears like the black spacer is present at the guard, and it has that heavy stamp for the USMC. Finish stripped off and buffed up to me.

orezona · Mar 19, 2015

Well, the movie came out in '98 so the knife has to be from at least '97...

It's just surprising that someone would go through the trouble to strip and polish a blade for dramatic effect when they could just buy a cheap Bowie or something.

Maybe it was a crew member's personal knife?

The more I wonder the more I want to know!

I love this quote from the movie, though:

You can turn your back on a person, but, never turn your back on a drug. Especially when it's waving a razor-sharp hunting knife in your eye.

BeeKayNutCase · Mar 19, 2015

That is a valid point there orezona. Did the FU's in the early seventies ever come polished from the factory? If so, maybe they were trying to be period accurate. Maybe Hunter S. Thompson owned a polished FU and he just wanted to put it in there for shits and giggles. Who knows.

There are so many awesome quotes from that movie you'd have to start a dedicated thread just to list them all!

zzyzzogeton · Mar 20, 2015

orezona said:
Well, the movie came out in '98 so the knife has to be from at least '97...

It's just surprising that someone would go through the trouble to strip and polish a blade for dramatic effect when they could just buy a cheap Bowie or something.

Maybe it was a crew member's personal knife?

The more I wonder the more I want to know!

I love this quote from the movie, though:

It would not have been a crew member's personal knife. Not allowed any longer. Back in the "old days", pre-1970s, an actor or actress might provide their own knife for a scene or three, but currently industry safety regulations, insurance companies, ....., require that all such props are owned by the production company or rented by the production company from a professional prop supplier. This knife would have come from one of these 2 sources. Most likely, costuming would have taken the writers notes and then placed an order with the prop department for "a knife that looks like this". If the internal prop department did not have something matching the requirements, the prop people would have called a prop supply company and got something from them. Providing a "large knife with polished blade" would have been child's play. If the scripted called specifically for "a 1219C2 w/ mirror polished blade", it would have been available in almost no time.

From personal experience on set while filming Revolution Season 2, all knives and swords were maintained under the control of a prop manager and were required to be returned at the end of each days shooting or else you didn't get paid. All knives were dulled to the point that butter knives were sharp. One of the knives carried by Charlie (Tracy Spiradakos) was an extremely good condition (just a few scratches on the handle and having been dulled) Buck 119 with a single line stamp. Among the knives issued to "Patriots" were chinese and pakistani bowies, a Robeson-Shuredge No. 20 USN MK1 with 99.5% of the original parkerization still in place, a few rubber 1219C2/USN MK2s, ....

ETA::: When I asked Tracy if I could look at her knife (I thought it was a large Buck just looking at the handle), I think she thought I was trying to hit on her. When I started gushing info about it, she realized I really did just want to look at her knife.

I think she might have thought I was a "little" crazy. Another thing is that the prop people, rather than just relying on the retainer strap to keep the knife in the sheath, has also used some kind of green "pliable, non-hardening, chewing gum like substance" to "glue" the knife into the sheath. They might not have been too happy with me for removing it, but I just couldn't leave it in there messing with the blade finish.

BeeKayNutCase · Mar 20, 2015

Wow. Incredible info there Zzyzzogeton. Thanks! That's really cool that you have that experience. Sounds like it would've been a great thing to be a part of!

And as for the knife, it's amazing that it could've been (potentially) specifically requested and sought out like that. Thanks again for the insight brother..

Springy..

orezona · Mar 20, 2015

Well if there's something I know absolute F'all about it, it's Hollywood production practices! Thanks for the insight, Zz.

I didn't even think about all the safety regs that have to be followed on set for film/TV productions. The Buck 110 that Del Toro used in the elevator scene was assuredly the same type as the polished F/U knife in that it was duller than a spoon...

My curiosity is definitely piqued but I'd be shocked if we ever really found out the story behind that particular polished Ka-Bar as to how it made it on set and why.

It's still a cool bit of obscure trivia for Fear and Loathing. Not to digress from the topic but Hunter S. Thompson was a HUGE knife/firearms fan and had a significant collection. Loved his writing and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a personal favorite.

BeeKayNutCase · Mar 20, 2015

orezona said:
...Hunter S. Thompson was a HUGE knife/firearms fan and had a significant collection. Loved his writing and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a personal favorite.

Well. There you go. That is quite likely the VERY reason that Kabar was used. I bet he owned one just like it. Bet he owned a Buck 110 as well.

Thompson did have a fair input into the production of the movie, like shaving Depps head to look like his and amongst other things tried to have to scene where Duke throws the tip for the dwarf waiter on the ground deleted as he said he would never have done that as it was rude and unclassy. So knowing that, there is a fair possibility that he had a say in other small details such as the types of knives used for those scenes.

"When white rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that effin radio into.. the tub.. with me"
"You've gone completely effin sideways man! That'll blow you through the wall! You'll be stone dead in ten seconds!"