Day 9, Saturday March 20
AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY
This is the last film of SXSW 2010 that I watched. I returned to the Paramount theater for my final screening early as I had been for most of the other films I previously watched. There were hardly any people in line at first which on one hand was nice because I knew that this meant a guaranteed admission, but on the other hand, felt a little sad because this film deserves a full house of energetic people much like Bill Hicks deserved as a comedian. Fortunately, the lines swelled at the last minute and my wish came true. I would watch this film with an almost full house with a highly energetic audience. Mr. Hicks would have liked this.
William Melvin Hicks was a stand-up comedian who began his career at the age of seventeen at the Comedy Workshop in Houston, Tx. He would emerge as a moderately successful and very controversial comedian in the United States developing more of a cult following. He would enjoy more success as a comic superstar in the UK before his untimely death due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 32. Hicks was controversial for his material which was critical of the United States government, organized religion, and consumerism. Posthumously, Hicks became even more of a cult figure and would become a major influence on future comics.
This film documentary is very unique in its style and presentation. Using animation created by photos taken throughout Hicks’ life, filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas recreate key moments in both his personal life and his career. Combining this with interviews of Hicks, his friends, and family along with footage of some of Hicks’ best stand-up performances, the directors create an incredible documentary about this “god” of confrontational humor and social criticism. For fans of Bill Hicks, or those interested in learning about him, this film is a must see. This was my favorite documentary of the SXSW 2010 film festival. Watching it with a very lively crowd who applauded and cheered during some of Hicks’ hilarious and ingenious bits was absolute bliss.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FOUR)
No comments:
Post a Comment