American: The Bill Hicks Story

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06/21/2021 Depressing. This is an important artifact to assist with any discussion of the myth of Bill Hicks and danger in comedy. When Hicks was performing, it was still dangerous to do abortion jokes on Letterman, and his act got cut.* People censoring his work was ultimately a motivator. Could Hicks be Hicks if he wasn't considered controversial at the time? Hicks gets me asking myself questions; Was it more dangerous for him to do comedy then, or now? Was the network censoring him evil, or was it the motivating factor behind all his comedy? If Bill Hicks got his world of peace and love, would someone like him really be happy? He practically lived to turn his nose down at waffle house waitresses to prove he was smarter than them! Even Hicks admitted he would succumb to commercialization if he got to sell something like Aloe, so, he didn't want everyone to kill themselves, really, but how would those messages hang in the air of today's depressed society? I still love Bill Hicks even though time has given me some perspective on his work. He was the first comedian I ever saw Live............through Denis Leary ;) *His act would now be cut for his documented appreciation of very young girls and homophobia, and probably still for the abortion jokes, too. See more 07/29/2020 Interesting, but not as entertaining as you'd hope considering the subject See more 07/01/2017 A documentary (not a stand-up performance) on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. Unaware of Hicks myself, I randomly chose to watch this doc and learned about the late Mr. Hicks, from his meteoric rise at only fourteen to his battles with alcohol and smoking, and ultimately his death from cancer at far too young an age (33). From watching this, I wouldn't say I found his comedy especially funny, but what it showed me was that Bill Hicks had transcended beyond comedy. I would have been a fan, not of his stand-up acts, but of his determined stance on all things meaningful in this life. He had the knowledge and charisma to lock horns with anybody, and it would have been nice to see his spoken opinions on today's tumultuous topics, from politics to media sensationalism. I wouldn't have agreed with him fully, but he had a powerful way of getting his message across. I wish I knew more about Bill Hicks. See more 03/11/2015 Bill Hicks was as overrated as Sam Kinison, and so is this film. See more 01/24/2015 Pays an amazing homage to the best comedian I've ever heard See more 12/03/2014 Three years ago, I discovered a different, more mature side to comedy. I grew up with the likes of Harry Hill and Lee Evans, material that really made me laugh, but never focused on a point that raised my attention. Obviously at the age of sixteen, I was finding out about more adult topics, like politics, history and war. Serious subjects don't necessarily don't mix with stand up comedy, but Bill Hicks managed to combine the two expertly, becoming an inspiration with his anarchistic presence, rebelling against a system he sought to fix. Hicks' life is put into perspective through animation of images of his personal and stage life (Not that they were ever seperate), with narration from his family and friends. It completely advances what seems like a simple documentary, and creates a rollercoaster of dark, emotional, often hilarious stories and events that shaped the "Little Dark Poet" into one of the most important stand up comedians of all time. Bill is presented as an American hero, shouting his voice to an audience gripped onto his every word about problems they want to hear. Problems that were relevant to the current culture. Problems that other stand up comedians would never speak about in fear they would lose their job. Bill was fearless, and this made him more popular with audiences. His life seems to me to be much more of a sad tale. A tragedy to a man who was taken too fast from life. Even when his material seemed bitter and full of anger, Bill did in fact have a love for life, and that is essentially what the documentary is showing. His family and friends loved him for being so honest, caring and most importantly, different. Bill is one of my many inspirations in life, and rightly so. The film is an access to learn and understand the life of a man who was more than just a stand up comedian. He was a voice of righteousness, for generations then, now and for the future. An incredible insight to a wonderful man who was cut short from a world he adored and hated at the same time. See more Read all reviews

American: The Bill Hicks Story

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