Totally Bill Hicks

Funnier than Lenny Bruce, way smarter than all of his contemporaries, perhaps edgier than Richard Pryor. Most Americans need to see his stand up to witness his brilliant skewering of all that is false, corrupt, sleazy and hypocritical in America. Bill had no time for morons. Although "It's Just A Ride" is a nice little "primer" on his beginnings and the development of his routines, the truly enlightened will watch his routines "Relentless" and "Revelations' WITH JAWS DROPPED. Bill was an evangelist. He loved humanity. His wish was to have us evolve beyond the robotic consumerism and greed of our society. His stand up routines were not basic stand up, not just sermons. They were epistles. He pointed to the Pharasees and revealed their hypocrisy. If this is your first exposure to Bill Hicks, follow up with his live shows. HBO plays his One Night Stand every so often. Then check out his CD's. "Rant in E Minor" and "Arizona Bay" are brilliant. It breaks my heart every time I watch his routines. I laugh my guts out, but also realize that fate took away possibly the Jonathan Swift of our time. Bill always told the truth, and sometimes the truth is painful. But he was not a misanthrope. He had a basic faith in the (potential) goodness in humanity. And the loss of Bill Hicks is great indeed. Maybe in another generation they'll be someone like him.

This documentary about the life and comedy of Bill Hicks features bits from Hicks' "Revelations" and other stand-up gigs. It also features interviews with fellow comedians and people in the industry who knew him, as well as reporters and journalists who talk about how his political commentary was raw and brutal.

I enjoyed it very much. I had already seen "Revelations" but the comedy clips were still refreshing. It's a nice balance of comedy and documentary that will explain Hicks' popularity to non-fans and please those who are already familiar with him.

I rated it a ten.

I've never really been sure whether I liked this documentary or not. It was shown on Channel 4 before a cut down version of Revelations, and is on the Revelations video tape before the uncut show. The documentary is basically friends of Bill saying how great he was for an hour with video clips of the show mixed in, a bit like a trailer for the film you're about to watch. It also features David Letterman grovelling like a worm for dumping Bill off the his show before he died, the reason? Bill made a joke about how Pro-Life people should picket funerals, and Letterman had Pro-life advertising. Anyway look out for the video as Revelations is Bill at his ranting best :)

This is a great but short documentary about Blll Hicks and the length deducts 1 star from the final score. In my opinion this is the precursor to American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009).

If you're new to Bill Hicks, this is a place to start, although the 2009 documentary would give you a more comprehensive overview. And if you're into his work, you've already seen more or less everything in this movie.

What amazed me is that the insights shared in Totally Bill Hicks (1994) reveal the situation hasn't changed almost two decades after it's creation. The media still favors what they want to see and the people prefer to be entertained than to know what's going on around them. Most of those who could make a difference go along with the flow and deliver the audience what they want to hear. In this sense, Bill Hicks was a hero...

This video is a fantastic testament and insight into the work of Bill Hicks. Thought provoking barely begins to describe it.It's funny and moving and educational and a whole host of other things that are good for you. Make sure you see it.