Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian
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DVD details
Actor: Bill HicksBrand: WEA-DES MOINES VIDEO
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 210 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Rykodisc
DVD Reviews of Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian
DVD Review: Standup comedy spreading the truth
Summary: 5 Stars
Lenny Bruce paved the way so that George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Bill Maher, Lewis Black, etc. could talk the way they talk on stage, using "the seven words you can never say on television", that are, incidentally, the same "seven words you can never use in an amazon review".
But Bill Hicks is the comedian using those very words in the most intelligent way, breaking up many other social taboos at the same time. What is even more remarkable is that he did so at a very young age. He was the first to openly talk on masturbation on stage. He was the first - and I think still the only one - to say "I love pornography" on stage. His stand on drugs is also brilliant : "It is not a very popular truth. You don't hear it very often... I don't do drugs... anymore... Done drugs before. Had a good time on drugs and have absolutely nothing whatsoever against them." And gays in the military : "Anyone... dumb enough... to be in the military... should be allowed in."
He is also unequaled in his interacting with the audience. "I can talk for every man in the room... tonight... and I will..." Or when he laughs with the round of applause he got from the smokers and "the energy they put out at will", then lights up a cigarette, and begins picking on the non-smokers.
But what makes him really great was his political understanding of how the country really works. He said that in the US, "there is only one party, the BUSINESS PARTY". Hicks has this great bit on what happens when a new president is elected. After the ceremony, the new president is taken to a small room, where 12 of the top CEO's are awaiting, and is shown, from an angle nobody has ever seen before, footage of the Kennedy assassination... "Any questions, Mr. President ?"
Therefore, I think, should he still be alive, he would be joking on 9/11. 9/11 makes great stand-up material. Think of it. The collapse of the twin towers occurred in 10 seconds, following the path of the GREATEST RESISTANCE. Ten seconds, that is free-fall speed. That is physically impossible, unless... we use explosives... Al Qaeda couldn't do it. They tried it in 1993. It didn't work out too good for them. The building didn't move a millimeter. So WE DID IT. Because "WE ARE THE EVIL EMPIRE". (This is an exact quote.)
And you also have the hole in the Pentagon too small for a Boeing to fit in. The Arab pilots performing complicated maneuvers with Boeings in a perfect way, although... they couldn't even fly a Cessna... Worse : they were not even aboard, as we soon would find out, with 6 of them still working and living happily in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
Also GMO's make great stand up. When testing the "eternal life" tomato, rats needed to be force-fed. They knew why. Seven of forty animals died within two weeks. Consequently... the tomato was... approved.... by the FDA... for human consumption... Huh ? But some firms are aware of the dangers. Ben & Jerry's literally "oppose recombinant BGH". That is what the package of their ice-cream says. This made Monsanto blame them to be using "marketing tricks" to sell more ice-cream. Ben Cohen's - co founder of Ben & Jerry's -reaction was : "Of course, it is in our self-interest. We want to keep our customers alive ! They eat more ice-cream when they are alive !" This reaction of Ben Cohen is exactly what Hicks said in his bit on Judas Priest, after two of their fans died.
Following his mum, Bill was a preacher. He went along with that. He said he was "spreading the truth".
Bertold Brecht once said that dark ages are characterized by the fact that the truth has to be argued. We live in such ages. People believe all the lies governments and big business are spreading through the mass media. Will the next Bill Hicks please stand up ? We need him very hard.
DVD Review: Pure genius.
Summary: 4 Stars
Bill Hicks was one of the most prolific comedians, philosophers and thinkers of my generation. He delivers his thoughtful, intelligent ideas about his perception of world and how the world should be with sarcastic biting wit. Some of his rants you'll like and other you may not agree with, but to quote Jesse Custer from Preacher Vol. 5: Dixie Fried, "Now I didn't agree with everything he said or believed, but by god I could see that guy stood up an' told the truth as he saw it: No Compromise, No Retreat." The ONLY reason this DVD did not get a full five stars is due to the fact that there are some repeats of jokes in the three performances. Unfortunately the world lost Mr. Hicks in 1994 to pancreatic cancer. R.I.P. Bill and thank you for everything you shared with us.DVD Review: Better performances are out there
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm a big Bill Hicks fan who thinks the man was a genius. That said I tend to like his political satire and philosophical rantings over his more bawdy sexual humor. Both are in abundance in this DVD collection of 3 performances and a biographical documentary.
The first two performances are fantastic, as expected, but I was left disappointed with the last (and longest), set in London. With the exception of a few poetic moments, the performance was mediocre and he has audio of some of the same jokes performed much better. In addition, the documentary (to which I was really looking forward) was a HUGE disappointment - it was lacking in content and looked like it had been edited by a freshman film major.
The DVD is still worth owning if you're a big fan but if you haven't been introduced to his material, I would start with one of his superior CD albums such as Rant in E Minor.
DVD Review: Memories of one of Bill's high school teachers
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't resist recording here that I was twice Bill Hick's high school teacher: For freshman algebra and for senior English. I was proud that I was one of the teachers he gave no trouble, mostly because I left him alone regarding trivia so long as he tested out OK. He was above average in both subjects. A few days before graduation, I took him aside and told him that I had become a pretty jaded audience but that I could tell that he was really special. He didn't seem especially impressed. I never flattered myself that I was an influence in his life, but I did know quality when I saw it. He was not a class clown, actually seemed rather sad and withdrawn much of the time, but he was no outcast; he had the respect of the "in group," I think. The only gag I remember: "I wanted to be an orthodontist, but my parents insist that I become a comedian."DVD Review: Not bad if you have to have some Hicks on DVD
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, I am a newcomer to Bill Hicks, having just discovered him earlier this year. That being said, my familiarity with his work prior to purchasing this DVD was relatively small, limited only to seeing "Relentless" and hearing his "Arizona Bay" CD. Therefore, I am unable to give any real commentary on how well this might encapsulate the larger body of his work and any other considerations like that.
This DVD is good simply for the fact that it is a DVD copy of some of Hicks' material. The gem on here, to me, is definitely "Relentless," with the other two performances being enjoyable but lacking the emotion of that particular show.
The documentary was really pretty disappointing. This is primarily due to the fact that a good portion of the allotted time for the documentary is filled by clips from the performances that are actually included on the DVD. Basically, an interviewee makes a statement about Bill, and then the film cuts to a particular performance clip of Bill's that exemplifies that point. The problem, though, is that most times the clip lasts longer than the amount of time the interviewee actually speaks, and usually they are clips you've already seen on the DVD. It's not a total waste, though, as there are some interesting segments with some of Bill's childhood friends as well as his parents. One final complaint, though, lies in the documentary's treatment of the "Letterman incident." What incident? Well, I wish I could tell you, but the final minutes of the documentary talk about it and how upset Bill was by it, but as for what actually happened...all we get is some vague description that he said something that was potentially offensive to political sensitivities while performing on Letterman, and his act got pulled from the showing. More seasoned fans of Hicks' probably know what this is all about, but if you're a relative newcomer such as myself, you're left extremely frustrated at not being told what exactly happened.
In addition, there seem to be some production or mixing issues with both "Relentless" and "Revelations." The former does actually have a disclaimer before it in regards to one segment that is of a lower quality than the rest, but my complaint here is not the quality of the footage but the fact that not only is the editing pretty choppy and, for the lack of a better word, obvious at times, but there are also points in both of these shows where the performance seems to skip. Basically, the show randomly cuts to a series of jokes that have already been shown before. Perhaps this is simply a problem with my copy and not all versions of the disc, but, as relatively minor of an annoyance it might be, it is still pretty annoying and, well, cheap.
Also, as some reviewers have mentioned, the material on here is somewhat repetitive. I hope this is more so a consequence of poor choice of what shows to include rather than a reflection of his typical work, but either way, some of the same jokes get rehashed between the different performances here. Each set is different, no question, but you will definitely find yourself many times saying, "Wait? Haven't I heard this one...?"
All that being said, it's still not a bad disc. If you're especially itching for some of Hicks' work on any kind of viewable medium, then I would say it's worth the money. If you don't absolutely have to have something you can pop into a DVD player, though, you might be just as well off downloading copies of the performances off the internet - the ones I've seen really aren't that much worse in quality than the ones here.
Description of Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian
BILL HICKS - ON DVD AT LAST!Bill Hicks Live is the first official DVD release from the legendary and beloved comedian.
Since Bill died in 1993, his work has reached a new audience and he has become a powerful cult figure. For these fans who never had the opportunity to see Bill in person, this DVD will be a revelation. The DVD captures Bill at his very best, with three of his legendary filmed performances:
"One Night Stand" from the Old Vic Theatre in Chicago (approx 30 minutes)
"Revelations" from the Dominion Theatre in London (approx 65 minutes)
"Relentless", Bill's breakout performance at the Montreal Comedy Festival (approx 70 minutes)
The DVD focuses on his incredible live act, with Hicks hilariously assaulting the stage and the audience with a non-stop cornucopia of insights into our twisted world; the government, the military, the police, religion, smoking, pornography, drugs and of course, for those of you who are getting antsy, a couple of dick jokes.
As a bonus, the documentary "Just A Ride" surveys Bill's remarkable career with insights from his peers; including Brett Butler, Eddie Izzard, Richard Jeni, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Thea Vidale. (approx 45 minutes)
Total running time: approx 3.5 hours of pure, unadulterated Hicks.
Bill Hicks's scathing, fearless standup comedy is on full display in Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian, the first official DVD release containing the late performer's work. Hicks, who died in 1994 at age 32, may not have been a total original; he's often compared to Lenny Bruce, as well as Sam Kinison and others, and he was hardly the first comic to talk about sex, drugs, politics, and religion, even if Hicks's takes on these matters are usually strikingly fresh. But there's simply no denying the unabashed, in-your-face power of these three early '90s performances, one each from Chicago, Montreal (entitled Relentless, this show originally aired on HBO), and London. Hicks is profane, to say the least, but never crude for its own sake, and certainly not stupid (we're not talking Andrew Dice Clay here). His humor is abrasive, passionate, shameless, provocative--calling non-smokers "obnoxious, self-righteous slugs" is one of his milder observations--and it's delivered in riveting, almost preacher-like fashion, with a strong physical element. And anyone who doubts his impact, both during and after his short, turbulent life, need only watch "It's Just a Ride," the 40-minute documentary accompanying the three live shows, in which both family and famous (Jay Leno and David Letterman among them) comment on him and work. In the end, you realize that since his death, no comic has come along who can touch Bill Hicks. --Sam Graham
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