May 15, 2010

Bill Hicks Documentary

Bill Hicks died at the age of 32 in 1994. Next to Carlin, he's one of my all-time favorites. A truthsayer in the church of brick walls and two drink minimums.

Behind the film are British producers Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock who were lucky enough to easily get family members and friends of Hicks on camera to fill in stories and tales of his youth, even during the formative years.

What is nice for viewers is that instead of the straight head shot visuals that documentary viewers are used to, the film making duo used a cut and paste animation style that makes it a much cleaner viewing experience. Much like 'The Kid Stays In The Picture.'

His background is fairly simple, as the child of a strict Baptist couple that convinced him his purpose in life was to get far away from them and his town. It was in Houston that he found his first comedy club and started on his path towards becoming famous comic and an alcoholic which it took him 21 years to even try, making it a little less of a surprise that he fell into the habit so hard.

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