by Robert Scocchi
| Published
I can't think of a single comedian who was more honest, profound, and volatile than the late, great Bill Hicks. Emerging from his mortal coil at the age of 32 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1994, Hicks left behind a treasure trove of black comedy that was not only in your face, but also socially conscious and prophetic to a degree where it still resonates with… Die-hard comic fans to this day. Having recently visited it American: The Bill Hicks Story On Tubi, it didn't take long to get my copy running A sensible man It's special to watch the master at work, screaming, chain-smoking and rolling around on stage like a madman with an ax to grind as he uses his microphone to point out all the problems plaguing modern America after Ronald Reagan turned the world into “the third place from the sun.”
Celebrating the life and times of Bill Hicks
American: The Bill Hicks Story is a documentary that tells the story of Bill “The Dark Poet” Hicks' upbringing and early love for the craft of stand-up comedy, all the way through his tragic and untimely death, and everything in between. Through archival footage and interviews with those close to him, American: The Bill Hicks Story He pulls back the curtain to his early days as a young man who wanted to change things with his worldview that was critical of religious faith, consumerism, global militarism, and the decline of the American dream as he saw it. But beneath his cynical veneer, Hicks dreamed of a future in which we stopped fighting wars and began using our abundant resources to explore space together in peace and harmony.
This means that Bill Hicks is probably the worst kind of cynic you never want to spend time with, especially during your drug days, but… American: The Bill Hicks Story He indicates that he was more disappointed in optimism than anything else.
Brilliantly edited
Through the stories of his parents and his childhood friend, Dwight Slade, American: The Bill Hicks Story It's unlike any documentary you've ever seen before. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas directed and edited the entire film documentary Using archival footage and old photos of Hicks. I'm not simply talking about the B-reels playing on screen while the audio narrates the whole thing like a typical documentary, I'm instead talking about the animation style jumping off the screen almost as if the viewer is allowed to travel with Hicks as his life unfolds for all to see.
During sections American: Bill Hicks story Highlighting his time with drug abuse before adopting a sober lifestyle (although he never quit smoking or extolled the virtues of mind-altering substances), the images become completely three-dimensional as we watch a brilliant young mind grapple with his personal demons as he tries Finding a sound that will eventually be recognized and celebrated.
American Running: The Bill Hicks Story
If you're one of those comedy fans who doesn't appreciate Bill Hicks' abrasive and often dark point of view, but want to understand why comedians hold him in such high esteem, then… American: The Bill Hicks Story A must. You may not agree with his politics (or even like his sense of humor), and I'm not here to push you one way or another, but his passion for lighting up the stage with his bombastic speeches makes more sense when you learn where he was coming from as a jaded young man who relentlessly pursued comedy like it was an artery. His only life until the day he died.
American: The Bill Hicks Story He also earns points for not getting exposed to the sun and candy canes while telling his life story. But when his family, friends, and fellow creatives talk about his journey in hindsight, their stories come from a place of love because they know what a special human being he truly was despite his many flaws. Bill Hicks burned bright and flew too close to the sun on multiple occasions, but each up and down throughout his career helps paint the full picture of how far ahead of his time he really was, and why his voice is sorely missed.
As of this writing, you can stream American: The Bill Hicks Story Free on Tubi.
