Many comedy fans may be too young to remember Hicks, who died terribly young in 1994 just as he was on the verge of being a big star. However this doc wont win any new fans, and is a frustrating experience for those of us who remember him with some fondness. Put simply, there isnt enough Bill Hicks in it.
Hicks was something of a radical American stand-up, as he was left wing, anti-war and pro-drugs and alcohol. A hippie, in other words, although that word is never mentioned. He was also a very talented stand-up, especially for someone so young. By the time he was 19 he had found his voice and his material as his brother says, We werent brought up Methodist, we were brought up Baptist, which is worse. Hicks material was aimed mainly at his mum and dad in the early years, and his audience responded.
When he leaves home and decides to split with childhood friend Dwight Slade, he tries his luck in Hollywood. His film script is rejected, but by the time he returns home he has collected a wealth of material, and a fondness for experimentation. He announces to his two old chums they are going to do magic mushrooms, and he then develops a taste for cocaine and alcohol. Its at this point he became famous, but the drugs have taken their toll and his humour becomes more bitter and less spontaneous.
The problem with this as a film is the lack of Hicks voice, There is apparently no material featuring him just talking or being interviewed, so the film relies on his pals and his family to tell the story which makes it somewhat hard work. His brother and sister, and Slade especially, are good interviewees but they cant make up for the lack of Hicks himself revealing what made him tick, and we never really find out where his talent came from. We certainly see where it went up his nose, mainly. His demise is a painful one, but there is something of an uplifting ending, a clip from his British tour when he was in control of his material and himself. As is said in the film, us Brits get his sense of humour.
There remain two audio albums of Hicks material which continue to sell well, but this adds little to that catalogue, apart from some rarely-seen stand-up material filmed on quite poor quality video tape. Well, it was the 80s.
Overall verdict: Fans will learn little about the American stand-up, and this will win few new followers.
Reviewer: Mike Martin