Entertainment For Lively Minds
Russell Crowe as Bill Hicks anyone?
Posted by Blue Sky on 19 August 2008 - 9:27am.
Russell Crowe is apparently working on a Bill Hicks biopic and may well play the great man himself.
While I applaud Russell bringing the late great comic to wider attention is he the man for the job?
Here is Bill's own campaign for 'real rock':
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Is it just me, or is Bill Hicks not funny?
I know I'll be crucified for questioning the accepted wisdom, but do you really think he's that funny?
Not funny
I agree most of the time with the points he's trying to make, but he's never made me laugh. I'm glad he did what he did, and I wish there were more comedians like him, fearlessly kicking against the pricks and railing against religion, politicians etc., but no, never found him funny. I wish I did, because I feel like I'm missing out.
To answer the original question, Crowe may be a p***k, but I can see him doing the role justice.
Techie question, sorry...
When I play the embedded YouTube clips, I often get a buffering problem (that rotating circle) every few seconds. I recall someone else getting this and you recommending a solution. Any ideas? Or is it my broadband - I don't get it as often with normal YouTube views.
Thank you!
YouTube
I'm not sure we can do anything to speed things up - the data is being downloaded from YouTube, not us, so the slow speeds are outside our control.
You might try pausing the playback and allowing the video to fully download before playing - at least you'll get smooth playback doing this.
Thanks
I now realise that the red line moving along is the downloading bit. Previously I never waited for that to complete. I tried it again above and waited, and hey presto it worked. Now for a little patience!
Thanks again
come along fellas..
go and listen to the 'arizona bay' album and tell me it's not funny.. and if you do i will have to check you for a pulse. he was and still is IMHO one of the funniest, most inciteful, fearless, brilliant and downright filthy men who ever walked the earth.
'im tired of all this "isn't humanity great" bullshit, we are a virus with shoes'
please please don't let russell crowe pretend to be bill hicks - it would be ever so crap
Not just you...
I saw him live in the early 90's and was expecting something really special... but it just wasn't that funny. One laugh in a 2 hour show.
BF
He's overated
I bought a few dvd's and never really got what the fuss was. A bit too much shock when humour would have been (err) funnier. On balance, I stick with funny comedians. It works for me.
yes
it is just you - oh and some other people too by the looks...
Don't get me wrong
His intelligence is fantastic and he really hits the mark on occasions but sometimes it's cringe making in it's shear venom and desire to outrage.
Maybe of his time...
... but, yes, hysterically funny. I always wonder what he would have made of Bush 2, let alone Clinton and Lewinski.
Everybody loves an angry young man who doesn't live to become old and disappointing, and Hicks may be praised because of this. But that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve his reputation for his comedy rather than his early death.
i think it was Bill Hicks
who claimed quitting smoking was easy - he used nicotine patches. Put one over each eye and couldn't find his fags anywhere. I find that funny.
I also laughed a lot at his 'what you reading for?' routine, his US/UK gun crime statistics routine, his smoking/driving routine.
His sex, drugs and rawkanroll routines I can take or leave. It's just a personal taste/interest thing, so I hope you're not crucified here.
Personally I think Billy Connolly is shite and has been for about 30 years now. I'm sure lots of people love him.
Is there a film there?
Young comic gets sick and dies. He was a very interesting character but that doesn't mean his life would make an interesting film.
His story is a lot different to that of Lenny Bruce. Lenny's demise was linked to his career. His entire life pointed to his premature death.
You can see why someone thought it a worthy subject. He had a very dramatic life, people HATED him, he didn't just up and die. I don't want to trivialise Bill's death but his life just doesn't have the drama you need for a film. I may be wrong, I've been wrong before.
Anyway in answer to your question can Russell Crowe play Bill? Sure! Why not? He's pretty talented for a fat smelly-looking Kiwi git.
Well the film about Lenny Bruce
with Dustin Hoffman was brilliant, so it might work. depends a lot on the script/director as well as the casting.
The Bill Hicks music stuff has dated badly (Debbie Gibson, NKOTB not really big targets these days) but his "Your children aren't special" routine is delivered with the virtuosity of a Charlie Parker solo.
Timeless
I'd contend that you could substitute 'Westlife' of Britney' if you wanted to keep the musical targets current and it would make no difference to the point of what he was saying. The nub of these observations is that they're still going on. You can't blame him for railing against targets of his own time, and he got to the point of our frustrations with popular culture more than anyone's doing these days - that's why he's so exalted, and rightly so.
As an aside, Hicks was (unknowingly) lucky in that he had another Bush, and another Iraq war, that he managed to comment on, even after his death. Nevertheless, nobody is making pointed, political comedy of any lasting worth apart from Jon Stewart and the Daily Show gang. Hicks is still the only reference point because nobody picked up the baton. Or, they're scared to, because of their own commercial concerns.
I am a huge fan of Bill Hicks' comedy...
and I do not want to see a biopic made of his life. But if one has to be made, let the actor be someone up-and-coming, preferably with a serious nicotine addiction...
Cussack (John, not Joan)
Popping back here from a Guardian Blog where someone mentioned the proposed film and made the, in retrospect, blindingly obvious suggestion that John Cussack should play Hicks.
Yep, he was brilliant
I count myself lucky to have seen him twice, in the flesh. He was brilliant, scathing - and, yes, I laughed a lot. If nothing else, a masterclass in how to do political stuff without coming off as worthy. And his timing was sublime. I'll never forget reading that he'd died. I saw a lot of great stand-ups in the late 80s/early 90s: Eddie Izzard, Jack Dee, Larry Miller, Larry Amaros, Lee Evans, Sean Hughes, Patrick Marber; Bill Hicks was as good as any of them.
Hicks was dead at 32
and Crowe must be in his early 40's so I reckon the part needs to be played by a younger actor.
I did love Hicks, particularly the stuff he did on religion.
Non-smokers die too...
The skit he did in the same routing "No Cure for Cancer" (?) about the Jim Fixx guy, was particularly inspired.
I think that was Dennis Leary
who, some say, ripped off most of Hicks' act, brought it to the UK before many here had heard of Bill Hicks, and proceeded to have a career.
I have now way of knowing if this is true, but the similarities are remarkable.
I think Dennis Leary is fairly funny
and yet Hicks does nothing for me.
Was Bill Hicks
who did Jim Fixx (who was most famous jogger and died young) joke re smoking. I thought Bill Hicks was great myself, and I found Denis Leary funny too. Another copyist of Hicks - Ricky Gervais - he did a whole routine about religion that was very close to Hicks's routine when I saw him at Hammersmith Apollo. Gervais very much 're-interprets' US performers - see also Larry Sanders Show - for UK audiences. Still like him though.
In that case
Leary must have ripped him off:
"Because you're always telling us, "You know, ever cigarette takes six minutes off your life. If you quit now you can live an extra ten years. If you quit now, you can live an extra twenty years." Hey, I got two words for you, ok. Jim Fix. Remember Jim Fix? The big famous jogging guy? Jogged fifteen miles a day. Did a jogging book. Did a jogging video. Dropped out of a heart attack when? When he was fucking jogging, that's when! What do you wanna bet it was two smokers who found the body the next morning and went, "Hey! That's Jim Fix, isn't it?" "Wow, what a fucking tragedy. Come on, lets go buy some buds."
taken from this transcript of "No Cure for Cancer" - http://www.endor.org/leary/
Well I was really really sure
Bill Hicks did that one, so was ripped off then. I could be mistaken though - it was a long time ago.
Twas definitely Hicks' sketch
Just downloaded the skit from iTunes for 79p!
Just discovered the Secret Millionaire
79p for a short skit?!?
It's 9 minutes and makes for a perfect interlude on Shuffle!
It was from Relentless, not as I erroneously assumed, No Cure for Cancer
yes he did
shamelessly
Sorry to get to this
Sorry to get to this argument a bit late, but there's NO question that Dennis Leary's No Cure For Cancer stole outrageously from Bill Hick's previous work.
Check out the evidence below:
PROOF THAT DENIS LEARY IS A THIEF.
As you seem to think there are only fruitless accusations with regards to this matter I can easily prove they are more than just that. What follows are the earlier words of Hicks, followed by Leary's "borrowing"...don't tell me it's not stolen because "the words aren't exactly the same". Some of what Leary does is only paraphrased from Hicks (but the general idea is stolen), while a goodly portion of other routines are shamelessly stolen word-for-word and delivered in the same exact tone as Hicks, and passed off as Leary's own:
JOHN LENNON/BARRY MANILOW
Bill Hicks:We live in a world where John Lennon is murdered, yet Barry Manilow continues to make albums...if you're gonna kill someone, have some *beep* taste. I'll drive you to Kenny Rogers' house.
Denis Leary: We live in a country where John Lennon takes six bullets to the chest, Yoko Ono is standing right next to him, not one *beep* bullet....bring me the head of Barry Manilow, I want to drink beer out of his empty head, I wanna have a Barry Manilow skull-keg party at my apartment.
JUDAS PRIEST/THE UNIMPORTANCE OF THEIR FANS
Bill Hicks: You know the story about the two kids that were big fans of this group Judas Priest, and they committed suicide, and the parents of the kids sued the band? First of all, two kids, big fans of Judas Priest, commit suicide. Wow. Two less gas-station attendants in the world. What, I don't mean to sound cruel here, but I don't think we lost a cancer cure. They weren't that important. "Bill, you sound so cruel," *beep* them, they were idiots, get it?
Denis Leary: Judas Priest on trial because kids commit suicide, what is that about?...Heavy metal fans are buying heavy metal albums, listening to the albums, then blowing their heads off with shotguns. Where's the problem? That's an unemployment sollution right there folks, it's called natural selection...I say we put more messages on the albums, kill the band, then your parents, then yourself.
JIM FIX/SMOKING
Bill Hicks: Remember Jim Fix, that health-nut who died while jogging? Used to write BOOKS about jogging...what do you jot down about jogging? "Left foot, right foot, hemorage." *beep* Jim...we're gonna need a happier ending, buddy. Heart-attack while jogging, that's heavy *beep* I'm glad I stayed inside instead of jogging. I was too busy smoking.
Denis Leary: Remember Jim Fix, the big famous jogging guy? Did a jogging book, did a jogging video, and dropped dead of a massive heart attack WHEN? When he was *beep* jogging, that's when...it's always the yogurt, sprout-eating *beep* get run over by a bus driven by a guy who smokes three and a half packs a day. "Sorry officer I didn't see him, I was too busy smoking."
LOTS OF MARLBOROS
Bill Hicks: I'm a heavy smoker, I go through about two lighters a day. I lost track of the packs, all that math.
Denis Leary: I love to smoke. I smoke seven thousand packs a day...
SHAMELESS THIEVERY
Bill Hicks: (on nonsmokers) Bunch of whining *beep* maggots.
Denis Leary: (on depressed celebs) Whining *beep* maggots.
ANNOYING NON-SMOKERS
Bill Hicks: Nonsmokers say the stupidest things. "What about second-hand smoke? It's not just the smoke that you smoke, but the smoke that comes out of you, that's called secondary-smoke. That's not good smoke just cause it came out of you." Shut the *beep* up, right now. Dammit, if I dont smoke, there's gonna be secondary BULLETS coming your way.
Denis Leary: ...you got all these little facts that you dig out of a newspaper or a pamphlet somewhere, and you store that little nugget in your little *beep* head, and you see us light up and you spew 'em out at us, dont you? (Delivered exactly like Hicks portrayed a nonsmoker): "Well you know, smokin...takes ten years off your life!"
LEARY LIKES THE BOAT LINE
Bill Hicks: MC Hammer, there was another boat that left me on the island. "You wanna get on the Hammer boat with us?" No thanks, I'd rather stay here and eat my own flesh. You could sit and explain it to me from now until the end of time, and I'll go, *beep* don't get it, man."
Denis Leary: ...explain it to me, I missed the *beep* point some place, the boat left and I wasn't on the boat.
AND THE CAPTAIN LINE
Bill Hicks:Everybody, this is your captain speaking. I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, we're going to crash. The good news is, there's enough time to smoke a cigarette before we do.
Denis Leary:Folks, this is your captain speaking, look uhh, light 'em up, cuz we're going down. I got a carton of Camel non-filters, I'll see you on the ground.
Also, Leary stole the "voicebox"/tracheotomy routine from Hicks too. It is proven beyond any doubt that Leary has stolen. AND ALL FROM THE SAME FRICKIN' COMIC!
.
I guess I just like my stuff watered down
I'm not proud of it, but I just don't find Hicks to be funny while I've laughed at Leary's routine.
"The Ref" is a good, funny film starring Leary as a criminal who takes a family hostage (Kevin Spacey is the husband). I recommend it.
...fair enough
..but, looking at the post above you..it makes me ask if the monkeys are better than the beatles?
Or spinal Tap better than Maiden?
Or N-Sync/Westlife better than Boyz2Men or the Temptations?
or Justin Timberlake Better than ..err...so many, like Michael Jackson?
Hmmm....I gues Dewy Cox is way better than the man Johnny Cash cause he farted duting a song and that was cool dude!
Sorry..but, look at the above post man, come ON!
Opinion is a right, and I accept that but I just can't believe it sometimes, like that guy who was on eurotrash and drank his own piss.
There is a quote from Bill Hicks along the lines of:
'Denis and I have similar routines except mine were done 6 months before his'.
There is no doubt that Bill Hicks was totally ripped off.
And not only by Denis Leary.
Hicks was in a different league...
Leary's delivery is so breathless and forced, never mind the fact he stole a lot of his material.
Revelations
Was Hicks definitely the first with all these gags?
I love him, but I do wonder if at least some of these jokes were just floating around in the ether waiting to be plucked down.
Bill hicks is the greatest comedian...and he wasnt even one
He was a public speaker, speaking the truth with amusing observations and accecdotes. he felt what he said, you could hear it, you could feel it...not like that fake dennis leary crap...he was for real...tptb killed him for it (and no, that acronym didnt mean "that download site" ..i meant what i meant..look it up)
He was fantastic, and there is NO ONE that has made me laugh as much as him.
...even south park..lol
Is it me or is comedy just retarded these days, i apologise for the offence given to those with learning difficulties as i can see how that would be an insult. I meant it in the original form of the word. In that comedy is stupid and is making the masses more and more brain dead along with the big brother/xfactor/maxim/heat/cosmo magazine world of bull**** and false reality pushed on us. Instead of us looking at our own lives and taking the time to do so..instead of spening more and more time working as part of a system that in turns chews us up and spits us out, regardless of how much we contribute and are happy to do so.
Yes, it is important to take note of the arts and to read a multitude of onpinions of it, (my self I am an musician, actually quite successful)...but... were poisoned, conditioned and (usually) succesfully controlled and its time we woke up to that!
Thanks Bill for waking many people up, including myself, just sorry you got sucked into the comedy side and got chewed up by the systematic machine you were speaking about in so many ways, including the most important...
...spiritually.
(science being its conjoined twin..that we look at separately but are linked in soooo many more ways that we have realised as a whole)
Rest in peace, Mr Hicks...see you in the next consciousness!
and, these are my opinions, i have attacked no ones opinion here, and if you feel the need to attack me here, feel free...thats what an intelligent discourse is...
..BUT ...i beg the question, why? (did i make anyone feel threatened?..again..why?...down the rabbit hole we go!)
P.s. ...and if this is a bit off thread, as I don't really do message boards, but have read more than a few (www.abovetopsecret.com anyone?)
...But, I think Maybe Russel can do it, the media has painted a picture of him i DO NOT like, but, perhaps, its bull..maybe hes ok..who knows...still, i think the guy who played Gill Hicks in Mallrats -yes the guy from clerks, would be far better!..yeah, those movies are guilty pleasures of mine. still kevin smilth aint sh*t on the Hicks!..even that "what's a nubian?" line in chasing amy..which was quite good)
thank you ricardo
he utterly ripped bill's stuff - i remeber seeing some of it and screaming at my tv... in a balanced rational way of course.
bill was the best - god we need him now more than ever
"bill was the best - god we need him now more than ever"
...Amen to that brother, and I am not Religious!
Leary was just an
Leary was just an opportunist actor who used stand-up as a shortcut to getting bigger acting roles in . His comedic output since No Cure For Cancer has been minimal, and the little stand-up he has done, like the 1997 album Lock N Load, has been pretty duff.(maybe because there's no more Hicks material to pilfer?)
Leary also narcissiticly likes to play the same bloody acting role in every thing he does too - that of his self-image of a hard-drinking chain-smoking tough-talking pissed-off Irish American - even in crappy movies like Operation Dumbo Drop!
.
Irish American?
Is that the US term for "plastic paddy"?
"Irish American? Is that
"Irish American?
Is that term for "plastic paddy"?
It is indeed, Nodge1970, for the millions of Americans that call themselves "Irish" , but who were neither born in Ireland, or who even had first generation Irish parents.(or who have ever actually set foot in the frickin' place.)
.
Russel does Bill
First of all , I think Russel Crowe would do a fine job. Secondly, I love Bill Hicks and I am constantly delighted when his stuff comes up on the i-pod. However, poor old Billy went slightly off the rails towards the end and the inchorent, visceral rage is funny for a bit but soon wears thin.
Who´s Dennis Leary ?
Got to thinking that the
Got to thinking that the Hicks movie will need at least one villain character in the screenplay to play against Bill as the hero of the film.
Do you reckon they'll have the balls to namecheck Leary as the opportunistic material-thief baddie of the story?
(Or do you have to actually wait until someone's dead before you're allowed to show them in a negative light in a movie?)
.
lettermen
can be the baddie - was it 5 times they had him on and never got to air? - motherf*****s!
or jay leno - check out the 'nbc peacock' routine on 'rant in e minor' - genius
Hmmmm....Interesting
Hmmmm....Interesting suggestions, Carwash. Intriguingly enough, David Letterman has actually been the real-life baddie in another movie.
I don't know if you've ever seen the movie American Splendor starring Paul Giamatti as loner comic writer Harvey Pekar, but there's some great scenes when Pekar acheives cult status and gets invited on the Letterman chatshow as a guest. They actually show the original tv video clips of Letterman interviewing Pekar for these early scenes. But once Pekar realised he's only being asked onto The Letterman Show solely to be laughed at as a sad weirdo , he rebels on his next appearance by telling Letterman exactly what he thinks of him.
But for this scene, they use an actor in silouhette to play Letterman rather than showing the original Tv clips.
(Don't know if this was the director's deliberate choice, or just because Letterman was uncomfortable allowing clips of himself that portray him as a bullying asshole to be used, which made him veto the video clips of this interview ever being shown.)
actually in reference to my previous post...
I think it better we don't see another bullsh*t reenactment of a great.
So that it is twisted and moulded into something similar but lacking the spark and soul and energy and unique quality of the original so many people's first experience of the man is this movie, which will ALWAYS be their reference point from then on...thus Killing the legend and defeating another foe for "tptb"
Better re-edit some lost scenes and show a progression of his life with interview interludes and an attempltedly unbiased look at the man.
maybe get Kevin booth on board.
Heck, it would be the first time anyone released something done like this as a major release. and about bloody time!
COME ON RUSSEL, I AM CALLING YOU OUT!
BE A DECENT BLOKE AND GET BILL'S BEST MATE ON BOARD(kevin booth - www.sacredcow.com ), AND HIS FAMILY (if they want) AND WHOEVER ELSE THAT KNEW HIM. SHOW THE LETTERMAN FOOTAGE..THEN INTERVIEW THE F*CKER..AND RUN IT IN FINAL EDIT IN THAT EXACT SEQUENCE! (LIEK THE ABOVE FILM, BUT DURING INTERVIEWS AND AS PART OF THE GENERAL "SEQUENCE/PLOT" OF THE DOCU-BIOGRAPHICAL-INTERVIEW-EPIC-MOVIE
p.s. sacredcow.com is great...but it is interesting to know it is a reference to the "sacred chao" ..(Eris 23)