Deep Clean is a comedy horror short starring Paul Kaye which premieres on Dust May 23rd. A troubled kid discovers his Uncle’s road crew is hiding an amazing secret – they fight monsters! Created by Matt Harlock (American The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist Krent Able (I Feel …
The post Deep Clean launches on Dust May 23 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.
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- 5/17/2019
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Almost two years ago we brought you a podcast with the man behind sci-fi short film Deep Clean and now comes news that the short will premiere on the Dust YouTube channel next week, on 23rd May to be precise. For those unfamiliar with Dust (where have you been?), it is the first multi-platform destination for binge watchable sci-fi, featuring science fiction short films and other content from emerging filmmakers with stunning visual effects, captivating plots and complex character explorations.
Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy sci-fi short and comes from director/co-creator Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist co-creator Krent Able. Matt and Krent teamed up with Ben Wheatley’s regular SFX collaborator Dan Martin and Territory Studio, the VFX team behind Bladerunner 2049 and Ready Player One, to bring the unique world of Deep Clean to life.
The Story:
What if the council road crews...
Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy sci-fi short and comes from director/co-creator Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist co-creator Krent Able. Matt and Krent teamed up with Ben Wheatley’s regular SFX collaborator Dan Martin and Territory Studio, the VFX team behind Bladerunner 2049 and Ready Player One, to bring the unique world of Deep Clean to life.
The Story:
What if the council road crews...
- 5/15/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Richard Linklater is set to write and direct and new film based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. The project is set up at Focus Features and it seems like another solid movie for Linklater to take on.
Linklater was a big fan of Hicks who grew up in Houston, Texas. He started doing stand-up comedy there when he was just 16-years-old and performed at a place called the Comedy Workshop. He rose to comedy fame in the 80s, but his life was cut short when he died in 1994 at the age of 32 due to pancreatic cancer.
Collider reports, “Following an Austin screening of the 2009 documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, co-director Matt Harlock told IndieLondon that Linklater considers himself a contemporary of the late comedian, and that he felt a real resonance with Bill’s story given his own Southern Baptist upbringing in Houston. In fact, Linklater’s...
Linklater was a big fan of Hicks who grew up in Houston, Texas. He started doing stand-up comedy there when he was just 16-years-old and performed at a place called the Comedy Workshop. He rose to comedy fame in the 80s, but his life was cut short when he died in 1994 at the age of 32 due to pancreatic cancer.
Collider reports, “Following an Austin screening of the 2009 documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, co-director Matt Harlock told IndieLondon that Linklater considers himself a contemporary of the late comedian, and that he felt a real resonance with Bill’s story given his own Southern Baptist upbringing in Houston. In fact, Linklater’s...
- 10/26/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Richard Linklater will write and direct an untitled film based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks for Focus Features.
Hicks was raised as a Southern Baptist and began performing comedy in the late 1970s in Texas. He toured extensively during the 1980s, specializing in dark humor and social commentary. A typical joke: “I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ I’d say ‘Yeah? When?'”
Hicks died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32. Linklater has said publicly that he regretted that he was not able to work with Hicks, who was a fan of Linklater’s Texas-based coming-of-age movie “Dazed and Confused.”
Hicks was the subject of a 2009 documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story.” The film, which was screened at SXSW, was produced by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, and featured...
Hicks was raised as a Southern Baptist and began performing comedy in the late 1970s in Texas. He toured extensively during the 1980s, specializing in dark humor and social commentary. A typical joke: “I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ I’d say ‘Yeah? When?'”
Hicks died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32. Linklater has said publicly that he regretted that he was not able to work with Hicks, who was a fan of Linklater’s Texas-based coming-of-age movie “Dazed and Confused.”
Hicks was the subject of a 2009 documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story.” The film, which was screened at SXSW, was produced by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, and featured...
- 10/24/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Arrow Video FrightFest unleashes an intoxicating six-pack of horror, sci-fi and fantasy for their popular Halloween all-day event, now at the Cineworld Leicester Square on Saturday 3rd November. The 12-hour monstrous marathon embraces four continents and includes two world premieres and four UK premieres
The day kicks off with Julian Richards’ latest chiller Reborn, a Carrie for the Z Generation, starring the First Lady of FrightFest, Barbara Crampton, and featuring a stunning performance from rising newcomer Kayleigh Gilbert. Richards, famous for The Last Horror Movie, is with us for this World Premiere screening. Next up is the UK premiere of Parallel, director Isaac Ezban’s first English language horror fantasy after The Incident and The Similars. Be prepared for an ingenious killer alternate-universe concept, pitch-black thrills and a top-notch cast including Brit-star Georgia King. You’ll definitely keep your eyes wide open for the UK premiere of Mara, Clive Tonge...
The day kicks off with Julian Richards’ latest chiller Reborn, a Carrie for the Z Generation, starring the First Lady of FrightFest, Barbara Crampton, and featuring a stunning performance from rising newcomer Kayleigh Gilbert. Richards, famous for The Last Horror Movie, is with us for this World Premiere screening. Next up is the UK premiere of Parallel, director Isaac Ezban’s first English language horror fantasy after The Incident and The Similars. Be prepared for an ingenious killer alternate-universe concept, pitch-black thrills and a top-notch cast including Brit-star Georgia King. You’ll definitely keep your eyes wide open for the UK premiere of Mara, Clive Tonge...
- 10/5/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Director Matt Harlock (American The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist Krent Able, whose previous short, Ink, C**ks & Rock’n’Roll is live on Vice, have launched a new supernatural horror, entitled Deep Clean, on Kickstarter. In his latest podcast/interview, host Stuart Wright talks to Matt about the film, the Kickstarter campaign, collaborating with comic artist Krent Able and their first film together…
The campaign is Live Now, runs until July 13th. Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy horror, in the vein of films like Trollhunter, Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block. Official synopsis:
What if the council road crews you see causing traffic jams every day were not what you thought? 16-year-old Alex on a boring work placement with his loser Uncle. What he doesn’t know is that Deep Clean is a secret council unit whose job…is blocking up demon portals.
Halflife Films...
The campaign is Live Now, runs until July 13th. Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy horror, in the vein of films like Trollhunter, Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block. Official synopsis:
What if the council road crews you see causing traffic jams every day were not what you thought? 16-year-old Alex on a boring work placement with his loser Uncle. What he doesn’t know is that Deep Clean is a secret council unit whose job…is blocking up demon portals.
Halflife Films...
- 6/30/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Director Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) has teamed up with notorious artist and graphic novelist Krent Able (just google him) for what sounds like a fantastic UK horror short in Deep Clean. 16 year old Alex is a troubled kid, excluded from school for fighting and for his weird drawings, evidence to some of a disturbed mind. To keep him out of juvenile detention, he is forced into doing a boring work placement with his loser Uncle Brian who works for the council. What he doesn’t know is that Deep Clean is a secret council unit whose job is...blocking up demon portals. Imagine a horror film, but set in a world created by Mike Leigh or Ken Loach ... The creative team...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 6/20/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Shorts starring Sally Hawkins and Maxine Peake among those in the line-up.
Sini Anderson’s feature documentary The Punk Singer, about Bikini Kill and Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, is to open the 11th London Short Film Festival (Jan 10-19). The opening night is presented in associated with Birds Eye View.
There will be a record 32 programmes of new short films in this year’s Lsff selected from open submission entries.
They include the opening night selection Funny Sh*t which will feature work ranging from Benjamin Bee’s one-minute Orange Charlie to Rémy Bazerque’s 15-minute Have You Seen Napoleon?.
Regular programmes include Femmes Fantastique featuring Mat Kirby’s The Phone Call starring Sally Hawkins, and Douglas King’s Let’s Go Swimming, starring Josie Long.
Lo-Budget Mayhem will see 29 inventive works in the running for the Lomography Award, and Global Stories will present British filmmakers illuminating the world in works that will include Karen Martinez...
Sini Anderson’s feature documentary The Punk Singer, about Bikini Kill and Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, is to open the 11th London Short Film Festival (Jan 10-19). The opening night is presented in associated with Birds Eye View.
There will be a record 32 programmes of new short films in this year’s Lsff selected from open submission entries.
They include the opening night selection Funny Sh*t which will feature work ranging from Benjamin Bee’s one-minute Orange Charlie to Rémy Bazerque’s 15-minute Have You Seen Napoleon?.
Regular programmes include Femmes Fantastique featuring Mat Kirby’s The Phone Call starring Sally Hawkins, and Douglas King’s Let’s Go Swimming, starring Josie Long.
Lo-Budget Mayhem will see 29 inventive works in the running for the Lomography Award, and Global Stories will present British filmmakers illuminating the world in works that will include Karen Martinez...
- 12/17/2013
- by tuttlouise@gmail.com (Louise Tutt)
- ScreenDaily
All hail Gravitas Ventures, which has dared to do what no one else will: They've delivered real numbers around VOD releases. Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas, will be discussing them this afternoon as part of a case study panel at SXSW. "How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love VOD" also features Magnolia's Eammon Bowles, "American The Bill Hicks Story" director Matt Harlock, Variance Films' Dylan Marchetti and moderator Orly Ravid of the Film Collaborative. Based on the document, which Gallagher kindly provided to Indiewire in advance, it promises to be a meaty session. Here's some of the highlights: It took more than a dozen tries to develop the marketing design for "American" Variance's theatrical advertising budget for "American" was very limited: $500. The producers broke even after the theatrical release, which earned $90,000. Estimated VOD gross (over three...
- 3/12/2012
- by Dana Harris
- Indiewire
Chicago – Does it say something about the current market of Blu-rays that nine of our top ten releases of the year (and, honestly, most of the runner-ups considered) are for catalog releases and special editions instead of films produced in the current era? More and more often, modern releases seem kind of lackluster. Throw on a featurette, maybe a deleted scene or two, and put it on the shelf.
More often, it is the anniversary editions, special release, and, of course, The Criterion Collection that lives up to the true potential of the format. Critics Matt Fagerholm and Brian Tallerico have assembled their ten best of 2011, all of which should be added to your collection as soon as possible. Or ask Santa if you think you’ve been good enough this year.
Matt Fagerholm’s Five Best Blu-rays of 2011
5. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Photo credit: Paramount...
More often, it is the anniversary editions, special release, and, of course, The Criterion Collection that lives up to the true potential of the format. Critics Matt Fagerholm and Brian Tallerico have assembled their ten best of 2011, all of which should be added to your collection as soon as possible. Or ask Santa if you think you’ve been good enough this year.
Matt Fagerholm’s Five Best Blu-rays of 2011
5. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Photo credit: Paramount...
- 12/7/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (ouf of 5): ***
In American: The Bill Hicks Story, British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas set out to tell the tale of the influential comedian who was underappreciated in his time and then taken from us too soon. The Texas-raised Hicks was a remarkable comic who dared tell truths in this country in a time (the 1980s and into the 90s) when a lot of Americans lived in a trance and didn't want to hear them told so bluntly--or at all. The film will probably be more of a revelation to the uninitiated than to longtime fans (such as myself), but fans of the cult comic will also find much to appreciate here.
Rating (ouf of 5): ***
In American: The Bill Hicks Story, British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas set out to tell the tale of the influential comedian who was underappreciated in his time and then taken from us too soon. The Texas-raised Hicks was a remarkable comic who dared tell truths in this country in a time (the 1980s and into the 90s) when a lot of Americans lived in a trance and didn't want to hear them told so bluntly--or at all. The film will probably be more of a revelation to the uninitiated than to longtime fans (such as myself), but fans of the cult comic will also find much to appreciate here.
- 6/28/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
Best Movie to Watch on Netflix This Week:Let Me In (R | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #526
Times Ranked: 8021
Win Percentage: 64%
How Many Top-20′s: 20 Users
________________________________________________
Begins streaming on Netflix starting July 1st
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Starring: Chloe Moretz •� Kodi Smit-McPhee •� Richard Jenkins •� Elias Koteas •� Sasha Barrese
Genres: Drama •� Fantasy •� Horror •� Romance •� Romantic Drama •� Vampire Film
• • • • • • • •
Best TV Show to Watch on Netflix This Week:
A bunch of Star Trek Series come to Instant Streaming on July 1st. Including:
Star Trek (1966-68)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-93)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2000)Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-04)New to Netflix Streaming On Wednesday June 29thAmerican: The Bill Hicks Story (Nr | 2009)
Flickchart Ranking: #6383
Times Ranked: 521
Win Percentage: 53%
How Many Top-20′s: 2 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas
Starring: Bill Hicks •� Kevin Booth •� John Farneti •� Lynn Hicks •� Mary Hicks
Genres: 2010 SXSW Festival •� Biography •� Comedy •� Documentary
• • • • • • • •
New to Netflix Streaming On Friday July 1stRubber (R...
Flickchart Ranking: #526
Times Ranked: 8021
Win Percentage: 64%
How Many Top-20′s: 20 Users
________________________________________________
Begins streaming on Netflix starting July 1st
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Starring: Chloe Moretz •� Kodi Smit-McPhee •� Richard Jenkins •� Elias Koteas •� Sasha Barrese
Genres: Drama •� Fantasy •� Horror •� Romance •� Romantic Drama •� Vampire Film
• • • • • • • •
Best TV Show to Watch on Netflix This Week:
A bunch of Star Trek Series come to Instant Streaming on July 1st. Including:
Star Trek (1966-68)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-93)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2000)Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-04)New to Netflix Streaming On Wednesday June 29thAmerican: The Bill Hicks Story (Nr | 2009)
Flickchart Ranking: #6383
Times Ranked: 521
Win Percentage: 53%
How Many Top-20′s: 2 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas
Starring: Bill Hicks •� Kevin Booth •� John Farneti •� Lynn Hicks •� Mary Hicks
Genres: 2010 SXSW Festival •� Biography •� Comedy •� Documentary
• • • • • • • •
New to Netflix Streaming On Friday July 1stRubber (R...
- 6/27/2011
- by Daniel Rohr
- Flickchart
American: The Bill Hicks Story more than likely wasn’t something you caught in the theaters, but BBC is bringing it to blu-ray and has sent it on to us here at Tmp so we can review this not so conventional documentary.
The Set-up
Here’s the official synopsis:
American: The Bill Hicks Story brings to life the amazing true story of one of modern culture’s most iconic figures. Much more than just a comedian, Bill Hicks has become an inspiration to millions around the world. As a rebellious teenager, he discovered that comedy was a way to break all the rules, but then he found it could also open people’s minds. Bill’s comedy challenged the injustices of life head on, but his uncompromising approach met with conflict in America and it was instead on the international stage where he found fame. In 1993, on the verge of wider success,...
The Set-up
Here’s the official synopsis:
American: The Bill Hicks Story brings to life the amazing true story of one of modern culture’s most iconic figures. Much more than just a comedian, Bill Hicks has become an inspiration to millions around the world. As a rebellious teenager, he discovered that comedy was a way to break all the rules, but then he found it could also open people’s minds. Bill’s comedy challenged the injustices of life head on, but his uncompromising approach met with conflict in America and it was instead on the international stage where he found fame. In 1993, on the verge of wider success,...
- 6/9/2011
- Cinelinx
Bill Hicks was one of the funniest comedians of our time. So funny, he had to leave Earth and is waiting for us in the future. Last year at SXSW we saw the touching, unapologetic, and hilarious documentary that celebrated Hicks' life, American: The Bill Hicks Story. On Tuesday, June 7th the film releases on Blu-ray and DVD and we've teamed up with the directors, Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas to give our readers a chance at winning the DVD and a poster signed by Bill's family. If you want good things to happen in your life, you'll want to own this movie.
Read more on Giveaway: Win a DVD and signed poster of American: The Bill Hicks Story...
Read more on Giveaway: Win a DVD and signed poster of American: The Bill Hicks Story...
- 6/3/2011
- by Chase Whale
- GordonandtheWhale
Everett A scene from “A Clockwork Orange”
The movie “A Clockwork Orange” turns 40 this week, and to commemorate Warner Home Video is not only putting out a deluxe Blu-ray of that title, but all of Stanley Kubrick’s work at that studio. Meanwhile, Universal and Paramount are keeping pace with their own re-releases of classic pictures like “American Graffiti” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Take a look at this week’s Blu-ray choices and see which ones are worth your time,...
The movie “A Clockwork Orange” turns 40 this week, and to commemorate Warner Home Video is not only putting out a deluxe Blu-ray of that title, but all of Stanley Kubrick’s work at that studio. Meanwhile, Universal and Paramount are keeping pace with their own re-releases of classic pictures like “American Graffiti” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Take a look at this week’s Blu-ray choices and see which ones are worth your time,...
- 6/2/2011
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Plastic Paper is Winnipeg’s celebration of animation, illustration and puppet films, organized by the Big Smash! filmmaking collective. Their second annual event will be held on May 4-8 at the Park Theatre.
The big score for this year’s edition is a special screening of Ralph Bakshi’s 1981 feature-length musical opus American Pop with the filmmaker in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. For this groundbreaking work, Bakshi utilized the innovative technique of mixing rotoscoping, water colors, computer graphics, live action shots, and archival footage. This screening and discussion will be a real treat for animation junkies.
But that’s not to say that the rest of the festival isn’t also filled with other amazing films.
Because, speaking of groundbreaking work, the fest kicks off with Brent Green’s simply astounding film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, the first full-length film utilizing real-life actors in amazing stop-motion animation.
The big score for this year’s edition is a special screening of Ralph Bakshi’s 1981 feature-length musical opus American Pop with the filmmaker in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. For this groundbreaking work, Bakshi utilized the innovative technique of mixing rotoscoping, water colors, computer graphics, live action shots, and archival footage. This screening and discussion will be a real treat for animation junkies.
But that’s not to say that the rest of the festival isn’t also filled with other amazing films.
Because, speaking of groundbreaking work, the fest kicks off with Brent Green’s simply astounding film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, the first full-length film utilizing real-life actors in amazing stop-motion animation.
- 4/30/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
American: The Bill Hicks Story is a documentary along the lines of Richard Pryor: I Ain.T Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! or Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh? All three films take a look at great comics, travelling back in time to try and better understand the life of the artist, what made them tick and why their brand of humor was so well received by audiences.
Bill Hicks was just a kid from Houston who, like so many teenagers, felt the need to rebel and do something different. So, instead of going to college like the rest of his family, Hicks knew at an early age he wanted to be a comedian. His career started at the tender age of 15 when he performed with popularity at a comedy club in Houston, Texas.
Before long, Bill Hicks found himself becoming a potential star, but that.s also about the time...
Bill Hicks was just a kid from Houston who, like so many teenagers, felt the need to rebel and do something different. So, instead of going to college like the rest of his family, Hicks knew at an early age he wanted to be a comedian. His career started at the tender age of 15 when he performed with popularity at a comedy club in Houston, Texas.
Before long, Bill Hicks found himself becoming a potential star, but that.s also about the time...
- 4/22/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Interview - Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas just had to answer one question for me, just one, when it came to the fame and popularity of Bill Hicks when he was still walking back and forth across the stand-up stages: What made him so popular in the UK?
I could easily understand why jokes, an inherently idiomatic expression of specific cultures and not given to easy translation, wouldn’t fly but what was it about Bill that made audiences in another country embrace this defacto expat? He was revered by a culture who “got it” while American late night comedy consumers didn’t get what was so endearing about the man with a wicked mouth.
The film,...
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Interview - Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas just had to answer one question for me, just one, when it came to the fame and popularity of Bill Hicks when he was still walking back and forth across the stand-up stages: What made him so popular in the UK?
I could easily understand why jokes, an inherently idiomatic expression of specific cultures and not given to easy translation, wouldn’t fly but what was it about Bill that made audiences in another country embrace this defacto expat? He was revered by a culture who “got it” while American late night comedy consumers didn’t get what was so endearing about the man with a wicked mouth.
The film,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
How does one document a legend, especially one as controversial and influential as comedian Bill Hicks? Throughout his career, he was labeled a rebel, a saint, someone who looked out for the best of America, and someone who was the embodiment of everything wrong with America. Instead of making the film an indictment or tribute to a comic that transcended telling jokes, directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas use their film American: The Bill Hicks Story to simply tell the story of the man himself.
There doesn’t seem to be anything revolutionary in the idea, but the truly riveting aspect is how the filmmakers tell the story through animating a wealth of photos accompanied with current voice over of the people who knew his story the best, including his family, his closest friends, and fellow comedians. This style, somewhere between cut-out dolls and Pixar movies, allows us to see...
There doesn’t seem to be anything revolutionary in the idea, but the truly riveting aspect is how the filmmakers tell the story through animating a wealth of photos accompanied with current voice over of the people who knew his story the best, including his family, his closest friends, and fellow comedians. This style, somewhere between cut-out dolls and Pixar movies, allows us to see...
- 4/15/2011
- by Mike Anton
- The Film Stage
Coming off a disappointing frame last weekend , the specialty box office also didn't have any significant breakouts debut this weekend. A slew of limited openings included Kelly Reichardt epic indie Western "Meek's Cutoff," Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas' doc "American: The Bill Hicks Story," Keanu Reeves-Vera Farmiga starrer, "Henry's Crime," "No Wave" documentary, "Blank City," and "Meet Monica Velour," which features Kim Cattrall as an aging porn star. Among ...
- 4/10/2011
- Indiewire
Even if you don't know who Bill Hicks is (technically a dead comedian), American: The Bill Hicks Story is as good of a place to start as any. British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas have painstakingly assembled a loving portrait of a man who was too smart, too funny and too completely ahead of his time to make a solid impact in his country of origin, the good old U.S. of A. Matt and Paul were kind enough to give me a slice of their time on Monday, and the ensuing dialogue was nothing short of fascinating. Matt actually took charge and asked me the first question for a change.
Matt - Did you know Bill quite well before hand?
read more...
Matt - Did you know Bill quite well before hand?
read more...
- 4/6/2011
- by Benny Gammerman
- Filmology
Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of the Texas stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, who died in 1994 at age 32, having found resounding success overseas and little more than professional respect at home. Since then, I’ve devoured several hours of his comedy specials on my Netflix Instant account, marveling at the way this artist managed to blend blisteringly caustic commentaries on sex, politics, rock music, religion, and drug addiction with a weirdly humane, almost holistic philosophy of life. Stand-up comedy in any form is not normally my thing, but I’ve become rather attached to The World According to Hicks.
Heir to Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, Hicks was a hard-working club habitué who built his material from life experience — he was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home in Houston and was transformed head to toe by an experience with psychedelic mushrooms before he ever touched a drop of alcohol.
Heir to Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, Hicks was a hard-working club habitué who built his material from life experience — he was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home in Houston and was transformed head to toe by an experience with psychedelic mushrooms before he ever touched a drop of alcohol.
- 4/6/2011
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A stand-up comedian's job is to make people laugh. But the more you learn about stand-ups, the more you see how unfunny their own lives often are. Many of the best comedians are forged in the darkest places. Comedian Bill Hicks struggled with substance abuse for years and then just as he got himself clean and his career started to take off, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 31. He was dead by the time he was 32.
Funny as it is, "American: The Bill Hicks Story" is a deeply moving tragedy about the miserable luck of an absolute genius. And I don't use the word "genius" lightly here. Hicks was like the stand-up comedian version of a five-tool baseball player. He could do it all. He had great timing. He did great impressions. He had amazing physical gifts. His humor came from a distinctive and really unique perspective.
Funny as it is, "American: The Bill Hicks Story" is a deeply moving tragedy about the miserable luck of an absolute genius. And I don't use the word "genius" lightly here. Hicks was like the stand-up comedian version of a five-tool baseball player. He could do it all. He had great timing. He did great impressions. He had amazing physical gifts. His humor came from a distinctive and really unique perspective.
- 4/6/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Reviewed by Randee Dawn
(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)
Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.
Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.
“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...
(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)
Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.
Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.
“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...
- 4/4/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Randee Dawn
(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)
Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.
Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.
“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...
(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)
Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.
Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.
“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...
- 4/4/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Directors: Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas There is a bloody good reason that this documentary by co-directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas is titled American: The Bill Hicks Story. Harlock and Thomas are British BBC veterans -- and we all know how much the Brits love the American comic Bill Hicks. In 2010 he was voted the 4th on the UK's Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups; and, though an American, he is certainly not held in the same esteem by most Americans. That is not to say that Hicks did not develop a dedicated cult audience in the U.S., especially after his premature death at the age of 32. (Note: Hicks did not die from drugs, alcohol or cigarettes -- though he certainly indulged enough for death by overindulgence to be a possibility -- he died from pancreatic cancer.) Hicks' dedicated fans claim that he is the most influential comedian since Lenny Bruce; and like Bruce,...
- 4/4/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
On June 7, Warner Home Video will release the DVD and Blu-ray of American: The Bill Hicks Story, a biographical documentary on the life — too short life — of controversial comedian/social commentator Bill Hicks, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32.
American: The Bill Hicks Story looks at the controversial funnyman's life and career.
Produced and directed for the BBC in 2009 by British filmmakers Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock, American: The Bill Hicks Story notably applies a unique cut-and-paste animation technique to a number of still pictures of Hicks — who once described himself as “Chomsky with dick jokes” — to document his life and career. The film also includes archival footage, as well as interviews with Hicks’ family and friends, including Kevin Booth, an American filmmaker and musician who was one of Hicks’ frequent collaborators.
The movie was well-received at Stateside film festivals and during its run in theaters last year in England,...
American: The Bill Hicks Story looks at the controversial funnyman's life and career.
Produced and directed for the BBC in 2009 by British filmmakers Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock, American: The Bill Hicks Story notably applies a unique cut-and-paste animation technique to a number of still pictures of Hicks — who once described himself as “Chomsky with dick jokes” — to document his life and career. The film also includes archival footage, as well as interviews with Hicks’ family and friends, including Kevin Booth, an American filmmaker and musician who was one of Hicks’ frequent collaborators.
The movie was well-received at Stateside film festivals and during its run in theaters last year in England,...
- 3/24/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
I have been a fan of Bill Hicks’ unique brand of stand-up comedy for years, preaching the proverbial gospel to those who have yet to experience the man’s genius for themselves. As such, I’ve been closely following Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ Hicks-oriented documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story” for a while now. The film was released theatrically in the UK last year, much to the dismay of North American fans who have been waiting patiently for the picture to arrive in our neck of the woods. That wait, as they say, is over. “American” is set to open in New York on April 8th, with more dates to follow. Needless to say, I’m anxious to see this puppy on the big screen, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will play somewhere around here. If you missed the trailer when I covered the flick last year,...
- 3/21/2011
- by Todd Rigney
- Beyond Hollywood
Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!
- 3/19/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!
- 3/19/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!
- 3/19/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Gravitas Ventures and Variance Films are teaming for the theatrical day-and-date release of Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas' award-winning documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story,” which will open simultaneously in theaters and on VOD on April 8 in New York City. "American" will then expand into 25 theaters across the country throughout April and May, while simultaneously being available in over 100 million homes across North America through leading cable, satellite and online providers. "American" is a photo-animated documentary featuring stand-up footage that is narrated by the 10 people who best knew...
- 1/23/2011
- The Wrap
The Cinema Eye Honors, devoted to highlighting the best of the year's nonfiction films, have flipped for Lixin Fan's fantastic "Last Train Home," which follows a family of migrant workers as they struggle to stay connected while living separated by hundreds of miles. "Last Train Home" received the most nominations -- seven -- while Banksy's "Exit Through The Gift Shop" and Afghanistan documentary "Armadillo" each received six. The award ceremony will take place on January 18 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and will be broadcast on the Documentary Channel.
Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
Armadilllo
Directed by Janus Metz
Produced by Sara Stockmann and Ronnie Fridthjof
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Directed by Banksy
Produced by Jaimie D'Cruz
Last Train Home
Directed by Lixin Fan
Produced by Mila Aung-Thwin and Daniel Cross
Marwencol
Directed by Jeff Malmberg
Produced by Jeff Malmberg, Tom Putnam, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen...
Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
Armadilllo
Directed by Janus Metz
Produced by Sara Stockmann and Ronnie Fridthjof
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Directed by Banksy
Produced by Jaimie D'Cruz
Last Train Home
Directed by Lixin Fan
Produced by Mila Aung-Thwin and Daniel Cross
Marwencol
Directed by Jeff Malmberg
Produced by Jeff Malmberg, Tom Putnam, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen...
- 11/5/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
Bill Hicks is my hero — it’s as simple as that. However, as much as I appreciate the man’s comedy, I am woefully ignorant of him as a person. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ “American: The Bill Hicks Story” will hopefully correct this problem next May, when the acclaimed documentary arrives on North American DVD. If you currently reside in the UK, the film is already available for mass consumption. For more information on the feature and the genius that was the late Bill Hicks, stop by the official website. In the meantime, check out the trailer. function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf", "mplayer", "590", "375", "8", "#000000"); so.addParam("wmode","transparent"); so.addParam("swliveconnect", "true"); so.addParam("allowscriptaccess", "always"); so.addParam("allowfullscreen", "true"); so.addVariable("pid", "byhw013"); so.addVariable("siteId", "243"); so.addVariable("videoId", "213381"); so.addVariable("autostart", "false"); so.addVariable("file", "http://cms.springboard.
- 11/1/2010
- by Todd Rigney
- Beyond Hollywood
Arizona Bay, Relentless, Counts of the Netherworld, Rant in E Minor, Dangerous – if you’re smiling now, it’s because you already know who Bill Hicks is, and how powerful and influential his comedy was, and is.
Commanding respect from audiences and fellow comedians Hicks’s philosophy and extremely funny stand up routines were inspirational, freeing and hilarious experiences, and no-one has done it better since his death in 1994 at the ridiculously young age of 32.
Telling the story of the life of Hicks has been attempted many times, with Agent of Evolution (written by his friend Kevin Booth) doing it best, intermingling the words of Hicks with those of the people who knew him best. Along with a collection of his stand up routines, Love All the People, the picture which forms is of a man doing what he loved, without any scent of an egotistical agenda, and doing it to encourage people to engage,...
Commanding respect from audiences and fellow comedians Hicks’s philosophy and extremely funny stand up routines were inspirational, freeing and hilarious experiences, and no-one has done it better since his death in 1994 at the ridiculously young age of 32.
Telling the story of the life of Hicks has been attempted many times, with Agent of Evolution (written by his friend Kevin Booth) doing it best, intermingling the words of Hicks with those of the people who knew him best. Along with a collection of his stand up routines, Love All the People, the picture which forms is of a man doing what he loved, without any scent of an egotistical agenda, and doing it to encourage people to engage,...
- 10/4/2010
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The short film Yellow Plastic Raygun directed by Alessandro Cima, which was featured on Bad Lit just a few weeks ago, has won the Best Experimental film award at the Downtown Film Fest Los Angeles that ran Sept. 8-12.
I believe this was the second year for the festival, which was created by the former organizers of the defunct Silver Lake Film Festival in an effort to help promote the formerly neglected, but now popular downtown neighborhood of L.A.
Yellow Plastic Raygun is a mix of found and original footage that creates a retro-futuristic tale of society crumbling. The film also ends with creative shots of the World Trade Center that Cima filmed himself several years ago prior to 9/11. You can watch the film on Bad Lit here.
Another winner of the Dffla include the Matt Harlock and Bill Thomas’ documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, which also screened Australia twice recently,...
I believe this was the second year for the festival, which was created by the former organizers of the defunct Silver Lake Film Festival in an effort to help promote the formerly neglected, but now popular downtown neighborhood of L.A.
Yellow Plastic Raygun is a mix of found and original footage that creates a retro-futuristic tale of society crumbling. The film also ends with creative shots of the World Trade Center that Cima filmed himself several years ago prior to 9/11. You can watch the film on Bad Lit here.
Another winner of the Dffla include the Matt Harlock and Bill Thomas’ documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, which also screened Australia twice recently,...
- 9/17/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 4th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival, which runs for three days on Sept. 9-11, will screen about 10 features from all over the world and a veritable ton of short films from even further out there.
The fest will open with the latest documentary by a Hollywood icon. It’s Oliver Stone’s South of the Border, which has the director meeting with South American politicians and dignitaries. (The film opened to mixed reviews here in the States earlier this year.) Also screening is Trash Humpers, the latest film by indie rabble-rouser Harmony Korine, which has been confounding audiences on the indie film fest circuit, and Gaspar Noe’s Enter the Void, which has been earning rave reviews.
The rest of the features in the lineup are an eclectic, oddball concoction, including Mladen Djordjevic‘s Serbian atrocity Life and Death of a Porno Gang, Victor Nieuwenhuijs and Maartje Seyferth’s twisted Netherlands tale Meat,...
The fest will open with the latest documentary by a Hollywood icon. It’s Oliver Stone’s South of the Border, which has the director meeting with South American politicians and dignitaries. (The film opened to mixed reviews here in the States earlier this year.) Also screening is Trash Humpers, the latest film by indie rabble-rouser Harmony Korine, which has been confounding audiences on the indie film fest circuit, and Gaspar Noe’s Enter the Void, which has been earning rave reviews.
The rest of the features in the lineup are an eclectic, oddball concoction, including Mladen Djordjevic‘s Serbian atrocity Life and Death of a Porno Gang, Victor Nieuwenhuijs and Maartje Seyferth’s twisted Netherlands tale Meat,...
- 9/8/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Once again, I have written a review that is a couple of months after the film’s initial release date, but I feel that this has to be reviewed as this is proves to be one of the funniest and honest documentaries that I have seen at the cinemas.\
American: The Bill Hicks Story (dir. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas) ranks among Anvil! The Story of Anvil and The People vs. George Lucas, which have both received critical acclaim.
For people such as me who didn’t know who the controversial comedian Bill Hicks was, or for people who are familiar with his work, the documentary tells of Hicks’ journey and struggles in becoming a comedian. The documentary is narrated by the friends and family members who knew him the best.
The visuals of the film are made up of interviews with the family members and friends, but the majority...
American: The Bill Hicks Story (dir. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas) ranks among Anvil! The Story of Anvil and The People vs. George Lucas, which have both received critical acclaim.
For people such as me who didn’t know who the controversial comedian Bill Hicks was, or for people who are familiar with his work, the documentary tells of Hicks’ journey and struggles in becoming a comedian. The documentary is narrated by the friends and family members who knew him the best.
The visuals of the film are made up of interviews with the family members and friends, but the majority...
- 7/16/2010
- by Martyn Warren
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Is it a revelation or a revolution? It’s both! The Revelation Perth International Film Festival is tackling the theme of “Revolution” when its 13th annual edition begins violating Australia on July 8-18. Get set for 11 days filled French zombies, Belgian cowboys, outer space outlaws, Beat poets, cat ladies, gospel musicians and other revolutionaries.
Actually, one of the main features of the festival this year is a slew of music documentaries, mostly spotlighting both American and Australian music. On the U.S. side of things there’s Wheedle’s Groove, a look at the history of Seattle funk; Rejoice and Shout, which examines gospel music’s impact on African-American culture — and vice versa; Tom Dicillo’s Doors documentary When You’re Strange; plus The Family Jams and 72 Musicians. And, from Australia, there’s Megan Simpson-Hubberman’s classic concert film The Night of the Triffids.
There’s lots more than music docs,...
Actually, one of the main features of the festival this year is a slew of music documentaries, mostly spotlighting both American and Australian music. On the U.S. side of things there’s Wheedle’s Groove, a look at the history of Seattle funk; Rejoice and Shout, which examines gospel music’s impact on African-American culture — and vice versa; Tom Dicillo’s Doors documentary When You’re Strange; plus The Family Jams and 72 Musicians. And, from Australia, there’s Megan Simpson-Hubberman’s classic concert film The Night of the Triffids.
There’s lots more than music docs,...
- 7/2/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
From July 13th to the 18th, the Just for Laughs Festival will hod its 14th edition of Just for Laughs Film in Montreal. Besides, The Cultural Post got wind of Just for Laughs Film's line-up.
First of all, speaking about Canadian feature films, there will be two ones: Alain Desrochers's Cabotins and Seth W. Owen’s Peepers. The first film stars Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques, Dorothée Berryman, Gilles Renaud and Pierre-François Legendre. It tells the story of a ruined ex-showman and actor who would like to get back in the world of burlesque theatre with his former colleagues and organize a tour. As for Peepers, it stars Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault and Ricky Mabe. It tells the story of three men who sneak across Montreal's rooftops with binoculars. However, a young female student gives to these men a taste of their own game.
Furthermore, the...
First of all, speaking about Canadian feature films, there will be two ones: Alain Desrochers's Cabotins and Seth W. Owen’s Peepers. The first film stars Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques, Dorothée Berryman, Gilles Renaud and Pierre-François Legendre. It tells the story of a ruined ex-showman and actor who would like to get back in the world of burlesque theatre with his former colleagues and organize a tour. As for Peepers, it stars Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault and Ricky Mabe. It tells the story of three men who sneak across Montreal's rooftops with binoculars. However, a young female student gives to these men a taste of their own game.
Furthermore, the...
- 6/11/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Lebanon (15)
(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins
You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.
Robin Hood (12A)
(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins
Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...
(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins
You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.
Robin Hood (12A)
(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins
Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...
- 5/14/2010
- by The guide
- The Guardian - Film News
A worthy tribute to the late, great comedian and iconoclast Bill Hicks. By Andrew Pulver
Ever since Bill Hicks's death in 1994 at the age of 32, the Texan comic has been subject to a creeping lionisation that has promoted him gradually into the upper reaches of those all-time greatest lists magazines and TV channels love to establish. I personally have never had a great deal of time for Hicks's shouty, hectoring comedy – it's like being trapped in a room with a sociology student who's just drunk a dozen espressos – but this is a really interesting film biography of him, mining the deepest reaches of his childhood and adolescence to produce a thoroughly convincing and detailed portrait.
Film-makers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas – both British – are lucky that Hicks's family and childhood pals were happy to unburden themselves to camera, and fill in the blanks of Hicks's early years; they're even...
Ever since Bill Hicks's death in 1994 at the age of 32, the Texan comic has been subject to a creeping lionisation that has promoted him gradually into the upper reaches of those all-time greatest lists magazines and TV channels love to establish. I personally have never had a great deal of time for Hicks's shouty, hectoring comedy – it's like being trapped in a room with a sociology student who's just drunk a dozen espressos – but this is a really interesting film biography of him, mining the deepest reaches of his childhood and adolescence to produce a thoroughly convincing and detailed portrait.
Film-makers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas – both British – are lucky that Hicks's family and childhood pals were happy to unburden themselves to camera, and fill in the blanks of Hicks's early years; they're even...
- 5/14/2010
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Bill Hicks left behind the legacy of an iconic comedy talent. But is American: The Bill Hicks Story the right film for the right man?
I can still remember seeing Bill Hicks for the first time, a late night Channel 4 Just For Laughs special called Relentless. I can still remember the intro music (which was, as I would later discover, Hicks' very own take on Hendrix), the opening gags ("Comedy is the greatest job in the world. It's not the sharing of laughter and all that horse shit... It's the fact that I don't have a boss. Picture that... And envy me").
I remember scrabbling for a VHS cassette. I remember feeling I was watching something special, huddled in front of the TV in my parents' living room. As a fifteen, maybe sixteen-year-old, I think that in that slightly cherubic, sad-eyed, pasty, acerbic, razor-edged motormouth I saw everything that I was,...
I can still remember seeing Bill Hicks for the first time, a late night Channel 4 Just For Laughs special called Relentless. I can still remember the intro music (which was, as I would later discover, Hicks' very own take on Hendrix), the opening gags ("Comedy is the greatest job in the world. It's not the sharing of laughter and all that horse shit... It's the fact that I don't have a boss. Picture that... And envy me").
I remember scrabbling for a VHS cassette. I remember feeling I was watching something special, huddled in front of the TV in my parents' living room. As a fifteen, maybe sixteen-year-old, I think that in that slightly cherubic, sad-eyed, pasty, acerbic, razor-edged motormouth I saw everything that I was,...
- 5/14/2010
- Den of Geek
Bill Hicks is one of the most renowned cult figures in the world of comedy, adored across the world for his unique brand of astoundingly filthy yet spell-bindingly poetic satire. But relatively little is known about his personal life, and in the fifteen years since his untimely death, only a smattering of short documentaries and live recordings has kept his memory alive. Well Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas have put this glaring injustice to rights with their passionately detailed and evocative feature documentary, American: The Bill Hicks Story. They were granted unprecedented access to the Hicks’ estates mountainous archive of unseen footage and photographs collected by the wild man himself throughout his career. They have been given what may well be the last say on one of America’s most important spokespersons, and they have proved more than worthy of this huge responsibility. Tcr: How did a project like this leapfrog La,...
- 5/12/2010
- by Nicholas Deigman
- t5m.com
For a part of the world often reviled as backwards, Texas has the habit of producing geniuses. Howard Hughes, Terrence Malick, Steve Martin (at least the early years) and Bill Hicks all hail from the Lone Star state.
It was said in the 1980s and 90s that alternative comedy was the new rock n’ roll. It gained a new credibility and excitement with comedians pushing the boundaries and limits of decency and taste.
But one man, who died at the age of 32, towered above the rest with his righteous and furious critiques of American culture. Bill Hicks was not anti-American he merely deconstructed the American Dream and held it up to the light to expose the sham that it is. Indeed, Hicks himself once described his act as, “Chomsky with dick jokes”.
American: The Bill Hicks Story, directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, is in essence the portrait of...
It was said in the 1980s and 90s that alternative comedy was the new rock n’ roll. It gained a new credibility and excitement with comedians pushing the boundaries and limits of decency and taste.
But one man, who died at the age of 32, towered above the rest with his righteous and furious critiques of American culture. Bill Hicks was not anti-American he merely deconstructed the American Dream and held it up to the light to expose the sham that it is. Indeed, Hicks himself once described his act as, “Chomsky with dick jokes”.
American: The Bill Hicks Story, directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, is in essence the portrait of...
- 5/10/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Ryan Piers Williams’ “The Dry Land” and Lucy Walker’s “Waste Land” were among the award winners at the Dallas International Film Festival.
The Documentary competition jury also gave a Special Jury Prize to Michael Pertnoy’s and Michael Kleiman’s “The Last Survivor” and a Special Mention for Editing (for Claire Didier’s work on the film) to Mark Landsman’s “Thunder Soul.”
Matt Harlock’s and Paul Thomas’ “American: The Bill Hicks Story” was the recipient of Mps Studios’ Texas Filmmaker Award and $20,000 in cash, goods and services, while Robert Byington’s “Harmony and Me” received a Special Jury Prize.
The Documentary competition jury also gave a Special Jury Prize to Michael Pertnoy’s and Michael Kleiman’s “The Last Survivor” and a Special Mention for Editing (for Claire Didier’s work on the film) to Mark Landsman’s “Thunder Soul.”
Matt Harlock’s and Paul Thomas’ “American: The Bill Hicks Story” was the recipient of Mps Studios’ Texas Filmmaker Award and $20,000 in cash, goods and services, while Robert Byington’s “Harmony and Me” received a Special Jury Prize.
- 4/19/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
By Sean O’Connell
Ryan Piers Williams’ “The Dry Land,” a Sundance Film Festival favorite, took home the top prize at the Dallas International Film Festival Friday evening, earning a $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature. In addition, Lucy Walker’s “Waste Land” received a $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature.
“Dry Land” stars America Ferrera and Wilmer Valderrama were on hand during the fest. Their film follows a U.S. soldier as he returns home from Iraq to Texas and tries to assimilate back into society.
The Documentary competition jury also gave a Special Jury Prize to Michael Pertnoy’s and Michael Kleiman’s “The Last Survivor” and a Special Mention for Editing (for Claire Didier’s work on the film) to Mark Landsman’s “Thunder Soul.”
Dallas Star Award recipient John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) made the...
Ryan Piers Williams’ “The Dry Land,” a Sundance Film Festival favorite, took home the top prize at the Dallas International Film Festival Friday evening, earning a $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature. In addition, Lucy Walker’s “Waste Land” received a $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature.
“Dry Land” stars America Ferrera and Wilmer Valderrama were on hand during the fest. Their film follows a U.S. soldier as he returns home from Iraq to Texas and tries to assimilate back into society.
The Documentary competition jury also gave a Special Jury Prize to Michael Pertnoy’s and Michael Kleiman’s “The Last Survivor” and a Special Mention for Editing (for Claire Didier’s work on the film) to Mark Landsman’s “Thunder Soul.”
Dallas Star Award recipient John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) made the...
- 4/17/2010
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
SXSW Review
American: The Bill Hicks Story
Director: Matt Harlock & Paul Thomas
North American Premiere
Emerging Visions
Complete Coverage of SXSW 2010
Synopsis
Much more than a comedian, Bill Hicks was and still is an inspiration to millions. His timeless comedy tackled the contradictions of America and modern life head on, as he skewered organized religion, railed against the hypocrisies of his government and exposed the collusion of the mainstream media, earning him censorship in the USA, but whose messages continue to resonate with subsequent generations. He also had some excellent dick jokes.
Pushing documentary storytelling in a new direction, ‘AMERICANÕ uses a stunning new animation technique to bring the tale of one of modern cultureÕs most iconic heroes to the big screen.
Director Bio
Matt Harlock is a director whose films have been screened widely at festivals and on television.
Paul Thomas has worked in-house at the BBC and created...
American: The Bill Hicks Story
Director: Matt Harlock & Paul Thomas
North American Premiere
Emerging Visions
Complete Coverage of SXSW 2010
Synopsis
Much more than a comedian, Bill Hicks was and still is an inspiration to millions. His timeless comedy tackled the contradictions of America and modern life head on, as he skewered organized religion, railed against the hypocrisies of his government and exposed the collusion of the mainstream media, earning him censorship in the USA, but whose messages continue to resonate with subsequent generations. He also had some excellent dick jokes.
Pushing documentary storytelling in a new direction, ‘AMERICANÕ uses a stunning new animation technique to bring the tale of one of modern cultureÕs most iconic heroes to the big screen.
Director Bio
Matt Harlock is a director whose films have been screened widely at festivals and on television.
Paul Thomas has worked in-house at the BBC and created...
- 3/31/2010
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
One of the documentaries that made some big buzz at SXSW this year was American: The Bill Hicks Story. During the festival, I sat down with the directors of the film, Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, to discuss the trials and tribulations of bringing Bill Hicks’ life to the big screen. The film tells the story of legendary stand-up comedian Bill Hicks through the eyes of his family and friends and sheds some light on aspects of his life that many people might have misunderstood. We discuss being impartial while making such a film, the influence of Hicks even after his death and how the animated segments came to be. You can check out my our interview after the jump!
Read more on SXSW 2010 Video Interview: Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas (American: The Bill Hicks Story)…...
Read more on SXSW 2010 Video Interview: Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas (American: The Bill Hicks Story)…...
- 3/25/2010
- by John Mulhern
- GordonandtheWhale
The full line-up and schedule for this year's Hot Docs film festival went online earlier today, and if you're a documentary fan living in the Toronto area, I think you'll be pretty pleased with the selections. This year's festival runs from April 29th to May 9th, and even if you don't plan on attending, it's still worth perusing the listings just to make a note of some of the intriguing non-fiction films to keep an eye on in the coming months. Although there don't seem to be quite as many high-profile films this year, there are still a lot of cool hidden gems buried among the various programs. I've made a short list of some of the highlights after the jump, but you should head over to the Hot Docs official site [1] to browse the full line-up for yourself. You can also see reviews of some of these films over...
- 3/24/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
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