Watch American: The Bill Hicks Story For Free

Thanks for the memories!

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Photo-animated feature documentary, uniquely narrated by the 10 people who knew Bill best.I never liked Bill Hicks. There's a reason he was much bigger in the UK. His humor doesn't work here. And the people overseas somehow thinks he's a snapshot of American joke telling. He wasn't. He reminded me a bit of Sam Kinison who was way funnier and much more on the edge.This docu-movie is way boring. The subject matter is not a genius but we are forced to sit through so much talkie dialog about how special he was. Who cares? He didn't make a difference in life. Few people even know who he is.The definition of greatness is someone who stands the test of time. Pryor, Carlin. These people will be remembered. Bill Hicks will not. What's his name again?

This documentary is very in depth but it's focus on still photography/animation left me wanting more. The story of Bill's life is definitely covered very thoroughly but I almost felt like this could have been an audio book. I enjoyed it but would have liked to (visually) see more interviews, Bill's comic sets and video of real life people that would get you to know Bill.I just felt it could have been done better but you do get to know "the guy". IMDb requires ten lines of text for a review so I will have to fluff this review with garbage in order to have this review be approved. Are we there yet?

*...Who knows?.. I'm sure he would appreciate the fact that it is, at least, the truth.If anyone has not yet experienced any of Mr. Hick's incredibly funny, artistic and sometimes groundbreaking performances, expressing his ideas, opinions and beliefs through the medium of Stand Up comedy then (unless you are from another planet...) I would have to ask; "where have you been and what exactly have you been doing with your life??.."Although this was pretty well made and mostly interesting it is more a homage by his family and closest friends about his upbringing and his life from their point of view, not a detailed dissection of all his work and media appearances. It is also, perhaps, just a final gesture to the many fans to maybe set the record straight on a couple of minor details and to publicize his life again for a new generation of fans... Which, in an age of misinformation, illegal wars and rapid global change is, I think personally, very very important.It fails miserably however to really express just how great this man is and why he is revered by many as a genius and by most, not least his peers, as one of 'the' (sadly)rare and truly important artists in the relatively short history of the form. To be this is really a companion piece to the live recordings and the various other media floating around in the virtual ether.I gave it 8 out of ten just for the possibility that it will encourage some new fans to watch his stand up, learn about him and hopefully, more about the world around them in a humorous way.To me he still is a truly genuine human being in a world full of fake, fallacy and fear.An inspiration to anyone who believes in logic, reason, individuality, equality, the freedom to choose and that love is about the human race as one.Enjoy... :)

I approached this film half expecting a cash-in, as Bill Hicks' legacy seems to have become lucrative for his relatives & each new release is often more brazen than the last (e.g. 2003's Shock & Awe).Happily, this is not the case & the film seems to be both a genuine & sincere homage to the man himself, but also a real attempt to bring something fresh & unseen to fan-boys (such as myself).The plot is fairly simple - it starts off with his early years & ends with his death from cancer. In the process, they place each of the DVD's in context & show lots of interview clips of fellow comedians, friends & family.So far, so predictable.The great thing about this film though is that they have included many, many pieces of unseen footage & have strived to put him in the context of fellow comedians (all of whom are excellent - e.g. Jimmy Pineapple)The most original contribution that the film maker's have made is to take all the 100's of photos of Bill & turned them into action-stills. A lot of the material by the man is the same, but he always had a gift of being photogenic & hence this factor symbolises the director's efforts to bring something new to the table.By no means is this film perfect & I have heard some people say 'It's not that good', but not from anyone who's actually seen it.One thing I can pick out is that there is nothing about his relationships or Girlfriends that were so formative to much of his comedy (e.g. his Fiancé Colleen McGarr).There is also the fact that the film ends with the 'It's Just a Ride' scene, which is fast becoming cliché (e.g. Zeitgeist).(Oh, and there is a bit at the end of the film which grates a little, where the screen says something to the effect of 'The Hicks family continue to live in ... & are all remarkably intelligent'. Although they may be, this seems a little bit of an affectation towards them...)Besides this, there was too much to like about this film. It was really interesting to find out how Mr Hicks used to take mushrooms on a ranch with friends & about his final cancer-ridden days.I hope that, when the DVD is finally released, it will include full extras of his 'Rant in E-minor'/ 'Arizona Bay' routines but, for now, I really hope that people will flock to buy this DVD. If the evidence of George W Bush is anything to go by, America (& the World) could really do with knowing more about Bill Hicks.Here's hoping they move onto George Carlin next...