Bill Hicks is widely regarded as one of the best comedians of all time. Sadly, Hicks died in 1994, succumbing to pancreatic cancer at just 32. Honestly, I was only vaguely familiar with Bill Hicks before watching the newly released BBC documentary, American: The Bill Hicks Story. Before the film was done I was a fan. One thing is for sure: Hicks had “it.” Like most great stand ups—Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce are just a few that come to mind—Hicks could shine a spotlight on an issue, make you think, and have you dying of laughter at the same time.
Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, tell the story of Hicks’ life through interviews with those that knew him best—family, friends, and colleagues. There is no narration, and only a few ‘talking head’ interviews. Instead, the majority of the interviews are voiceovers, accompanied by animated versions of still photographs. If you’ve ever seen 2002’s The Kid Stays in the Picture, about producer Robert Evans, the interview style here is very similar. They trace his childhood, in which he was raised in a strict, religious household that moved often.
Fascinated at a young age by showbiz, comics in particular, Bill and a friend named Dwight Slade began performing as a duo; first at high school events and then Houston nightclubs. After Slade moved away, Bill decided to go it alone. At that time he hadn’t yet developed the style that would gain him fame. His routines had little anger. According to Slade, Bill “never swore.”
That would soon change, as he began to drink and use drugs. Free of inhibitions, Hock was finally able to develop his true “comic voice.” He became a man full of barely contained rage. His routines while pointed walked the fine line between outright mean, and hilariously funny. Hicks didn’t seem particularly concerned about being famous or liked. He wanted to provoke his audiences; make them ink right then and there.
For this documentary, Harlock and Thomas have wisely chosen Hicks bits on topics that remain relevant today: gays in the military, creationism, anti-intellectualism. All of the archive footage displaying Hicks’s gradual evolution—from a straight-laced teenager, to boozed up angry drunk, to a sober tactician of his craft, to someone who realizes the end is far to near—are the reason to see this film.
If you’re a fan of Bill Hicks, this film is a fitting tribute to a man who obviously had so much more to say. If you’re not familiar with him, American: Bill Hicks offers his material and insights about him that serve as an excellent introduction to a very funny man who was taken way too soon.
This 1080i transfer, presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, isn’t top quality stuff. However, it’s mostly because of the abundance of analog archive materials. It should be noted that the animated sequences, presumably recently constructed, look clean and crisp, as do the few “talking head” interviews that appear in the film.
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is a solid one. Bill’s routines are loud and clear, even on the older, VHS dubs. The music cues are dispersed well throughout the soundstage.
English subtitles are available.
This 2 Disc set is packed with several hours of special features. All are presented in 1080p with Dolby Digital stereo tracks and optional English subtitles unless otherwise noted.
- Extended Interviews Part 1 (HD, 59 min) Four categories of extended interviews with Hicks’s family and friends are provided here and are viewable either separately or together. Some topics include the environment Hicks grew up in and how it may have shaped him, his religious upbringing, some funny anecdotes about his behavior in school, and his brotherly relationship with Dwight Slade. Almost none of this material is repeated from the main feature.
- Austin SXSW Panel w/ Bill’s friends (HD, 10 min) – This is some footage from the panel at the SXSW Music and Film Festival where the movie screened. Moderated by one of the film’s directors, Matt Harlock, the panel includes Steve Hicks, David Johndrow, John Farneti, and James Ladmirault.
- Dominion Tour (HD, 8 min) This is an interview with Chris Bould and Charles Brand, the director and producer of Hicks’s Revelations show in England. Joined by Hicks’s mother, sister, and brother, the two discuss conceptualizing the theme of the famous stand-up show and share stories about shooting its elaborate cowboy opening.
- Extended Interviews Part 2 (HD, 2 hr) More extended interviews with Hicks’s family, friends, and fellow comedians, available to watch in nine separate parts or all together. Topics discussed include Hicks’ confidence in his friends, more on his move to LA, the influence he had on and took from his comic peers, his descent into substance abuse, his popularity in England, and his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and the aftermath of his death. Like the previous set of interviews, very little information is repeated from the main feature. While these standard interviews lack the creativity of the documentary itself, the wealth of information provided here should please fans.
- Festivals in the US and UK w/ the Hicks (HD, 15 min) This is footage of the filmmakers and Hicks’ family as they take to the film festival circuit and screen the documentary in various cities. We get glimpses of the Q&A sessions, some press interviews, and audience reactions.
- Bill’s Family visit Abbey Road (HD, 4 min) This featurette shows Hicks’ family touring the famous Abbey Road recording studio in England. They bring some rough musical recordings Hicks made while on the road to be remastered for commercial release.
- UK 15th Anniversary Tribute (HD, 8 min) – This is a look at a special tribute held in England in honor of Bill Hicks which features clips of his routines and live stand-up from contemporary comedians.
- Comedy School (HD, 19 min) These are extended interviews with Dwight Slade and James Ladmirault focusing on the art and psychology of stand-up comedy.
- Dwight in London (HD, 6 min) A brief interview with Dwight Slade discussing the differences between performing in the states and in the UK that features some footage of his stand-up act.
- Making of Arizona Bay (HD, 19 min) In this featurette, Kevin Booth discuses the making of Hicks’s comedy album along with some home video footage of the two of them working on the recordings.
- The Ranch (HD, 8 min) A tour of Kevin Booth’s ranch where he and Hicks used to hang out and experiment with mushrooms. Booth goes on to describe how it was like a safe haven for them, and discusses his deep friendship with Hicks.
- Deleted Scenes (HD) Seven very brief deleted scenes are presented.
- Early and Alternate Scenes (HD) – Seven short early and alternate cuts of material featured in the main film are included here.
- Rare Clips (HD, 30 min) This is a half hour’s worth of rare stand-up material and other footage broken up into eighteen clips. There are some real funny bits here spanning Hicks’s career.
- Audio Journals Three audio recordings of Hicks are included here with no subtitle options. They are: Bill Lonely in LA 1981 (3 min), Bill Leaves New York for LA 1992 (4 min), and a Rare Interview with Nick Doody 1992 (28 min).
- Audience Reactions Trailer (HD) – A trailer for the film focusing on reactions to screenings by audience members.