The Film
You probably didn't even know it, but Bill Hicks is widely regarded as one of the best comedians of all time. Sadly, Bill is no longer with us. In 1994, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 32. Hicks never really reached his full potential, but American: The Bill Hicks Story gives him a tribute tailor-made for a comedy king.
Plenty of people did know about Hicks and his talent. A few of them even help to narrate this BBC documentary. The film covers the comedian's humble beginnings, his career, and some of his health, substance abuse and sobriety issues.
In other words, it's not very funny. Those expecting gushing tributes from famous faces or a crazy concert video will be disappointed. Instead, it's an in-depth look at his life, from the people that knew him best.
That said, you will crack plenty of smiles. The film creates animation with actual old photos, and includes plenty of footage from old performances. American: The Bill Hicks Story is a unique, touching portrait, even if it does wash over some of controversial portions of his life that probably deserved a little extra attention.
The Picture
The bulk of the film has old photos and concert footage. It's probably not the type of movie that commands a Blu-ray transfer. However, this 1.78:1 transfer looks good considering the variety of original sources. Some of the performances are old and grainy, but we can't imagine how poorly the film would look without the Blu-ray boost. When the image shifts to newer material, it's decent and clean. Despite the issues, this film is geared towards fans, and fans will want it on Blu-ray.
The Sound
The most interesting portion of this audio track is that Bill Hicks himself wrote the music. The DTS-HD Master Audio track does his creations justice, and delivers all of the interviews clearly. As with the image, the archive footage packs less of a punch, but it's never hard to understand what's going on.
The Extras
Those BBC people really know how to put together a Blu-ray package. For Bill Hicks fans, the special features will make this set an absolute must-have. We can't remember a blockbuster having this type of package, let alone a small-ish documentary.
For the listing below (see Product Details), we opted to branch out all of the extras featured, although many of them fall under main categories titled "Extended Interviews" and "Featurettes." There is just too much here to lump everything together. The actual American movie disc includes additional interviews and featurettes. However, there's also an entire extra Blu-ray filled with even more interviews, clips, audio tidbits, and other extras. The most interesting thing is that the extra interviews don't have the film's same photo animations, which allows you to put faces to the people narrating the movie. Overall though, this wealth of extra material will make you sad for the talent that was lost.
Final Thoughts
If you've never heard of Bill Hicks, you probably aren't ready for American: The Bill Hicks Story. That said, it's an absolutely wonderful epitaph for a comedian who deserved a much larger, longer career. While the audio and video are far from demo material, this is a stellar Blu-ray package that should not be missed.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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