American: The Bill Hicks Story

Bill Hicks is dead—and has been for 17 years! He was one of history’s most genius comics, so ahead of his time that when I listen to his stuff, it feels like he recorded it yesterday. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas have put together a fitting tribute to the man with this documentary, which uses archival footage and photos of Hicks, from his teen beginnings in Texas to his untimely death from pancreatic cancer in ’94. The film examines his experimentations with drugs and alcohol, his persistent smoking, his getting censored on David Letterman’s show, and, most importantly, how he put his standup act together. He was as good as Carlin, Cosby and Pryor. Were this man alive today … oh, the things he would say.