American: The Bill Hicks Story
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas
Starring Kevin Booth, John Farneti, Bill Hicks, Lynn Hicks, Mary Hicks
BBC Warner
Release Date: June 7, 2011

Welcome America, welcome to Bill Hicks. You may have heard of this guy. We have.

And by that I mean we, English.

Not to get on my high-horse about this, but I feel somewhat proud that Bill Hicks adopted the UK as his second home, a place where his comedy seems to fit. His popularity in 1991 was evident at the peak of his career whilst filming for the iconic stand-up tour Revelations at the Dominion Theatre in London. His cynical approach and opinion on current matters and affairs that informed his comedy, cloaked in a riding coat and hat, he grieved that the death of the American Dream became too uncompromising and conflicting for the U.S. He grieved to the English people, the outsiders to the Americans.

And so, after his passing in 1994, his star could have waned. Extinguished and forgotten. He was on the verge of wider success, with interest from British TV in the works, when he fell ill with terminal cancer. But he didn’t, thanks to his effortless comedy stylings and timeless subject matter that still resonates today especially when you tie together the political climate of the late 1980s, early 1990s, and the scary similarity with ol’ Dubya… which has made it’s way online to YouTube… where it has faced new and greater audiences and will continue to do so. I would love to say more on the guy – but I implore you to discover for yourself, his words say enough, and you’ll find out more below…

Continue reading after the jump for an interview with Bill’s brother Steve Hicks.

I found him on YouTube. And then I heard about the movie in the works, American: The Bill Hicks Story. To help, I inquired, sent my address, and received a package of stickers [decals], badges [buttons], and postcards to blanket market Manchester City centre to the film. This was April 2010. Yes, well over a year ago.

I still have the cinema ticket for the Odeon screening on the 17th May 2010. And then a couple of months later I purchase the DVD — American: The Bill Hicks Story in my hand. Critically acclaimed across the board on the cover, the film itself is a joy to watch, indented with animation utilising original photography from Bill’s youth and comedy experience…I loved it, another film that fits snuggly into my Top 10 films, if not in my Top One Documentary films along with Gonzo: The Life And Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Bukowski: Born Into This, and Howl all favourites of mine, and yes, I’m bias — I bought stuff I like.

And yet, this was still a year ago. So why the wait?

Well thanks to the relentless touring of the movie across the known world, America has only recently received the pleasure of viewing it themselves, with the recent DVD release in the U.S. giving me a kick up the arse to get a review done.

So with the use of that current phenomenon and magical tool known commonly as ‘The Internet’ I managed to persuade and pester Steve Hicks, Bill’s brother, who has been ultimately busy with the promotion of this film, and managed to get him to bother to answer some inane questions…

Interview: Steve Hicks

Geeks of Doom: What is the one question you get asked the most about this?

Steve Hicks: Three things have come up at every Q&A session we attended for the film:

1) Tell us about the Letterman appearance of our mother, Mary.

Answer: David’s call to my mother came out the blue; at first she told him no, she did not feel comfortable going on his show but then they asked again, saying that Dave really wanted her on so she finally said yes. There is all sorts of speculation about why Dave did this after all those years; I just think that he is a decent guy and this had bothered him for a long time so he wanted to make things right. He didn’t have to do it so you have to give him his props.

2) Why was there no mention of Bill’s love life in the film?

Answer: Bill had 3 significant relationships in his life. One of the women has since passed away and the two others have their own lives now, married with families. It was too raw for them, or they just did not feel comfortable, reliving that part of their lives. So, they were left out of the film rather than have other people speculate about the nature of the relationships.

3) What do we think about Denis Leary?

Answer: While Bill was alive he was aware of the whole Leary-stealing-his jokes thing. It bothered him but he did not dwell on it. I think over time it has had a bigger impact on Leary’s life, in that he has to defend or speak to it, while it was not a huge aspect of Bill’s life so the directors chose not to approach that subject.

GoD: The reception and love for this film has been huge – did you anticipate this?

SH: Bill’s legacy has continued to grow around the world in the years since his death. I think YouTube and the web in general has done a lot to help spread his message to all points of the world. So, we’ve seen the steady growth of interest over the years. When we attended the world premiere in London in October 2009 and the film got a standing ovation at the end, we knew Matt and Paul [Producers and Directors] had really achieved something. That reception has followed the film to all the festivals and screenings since then. So, no I don’t think that we anticipated it but we sure hoped for that kind of reception. It’s very gratifying to be part of this film and share Bill’s story with more people. We traveled to about a dozen screenings and festivals over the last 18 months to support the film; it’s a been a great experience that we are very thankful we got to be a part of.

GoD: Are you a dab hand at comedy yourself?

SH: HA HA; I’m a smartass around my friends and they say I make them laugh; but, beyond that, no. I shuffle paper at a big corporation; that is my lot in life. Bill did the comedy.

GoD: Do you share any of Bill’s views?

SH: Sure some; I don’t do drugs but I don’t care who does if done in moderation and not harming themselves or anyone else; I hate hypocrisy; lack of integrity; dishonesty; mediocrity-all those things Bill ranted against. I hate being expected to be like everyone else; I hope to hell people think I’m different than them. Also, I share Bill’s compassion, love for family, hope for mankind, etc. I’m not political at all, except that I hate and don’t trust any politicians. I love music like Bill did; we were always sharing our favorites with each other.

GoD: Does it seem ironic that recent political/war matters shadows that of the 1990s informing his comedy?

SH: See my above answer about me not being very political. But, I will say, Bill definitely had the ability to see the bigger picture; i.e., things that still matter 20 years later. I would say that is what his gift was. That’s been very impressive to witness over the last two decades-about just how much is still relevant. It’s impressive.

GoD: If Bill loved England so much, what do you think he would make of it today?

SH: Not sure if you know, but right towards the end of Bill’s life, he was lined up to do a television show in London-Counts of the Netherworld; if that had happened he would have moved over there, at least for part of the year. Of course, that never happened. I’m not sure what his worldview of England would be these days, but I’ve got no doubt he would have never lost his love for the country and its people. It was a big part of his life and he didn’t take it lightly.

GoD: What would Bill make of the state of comedy today? Is it as politicized as it used to be?

SH: It’s hard to tell where the Bill Hicks of 1992-1994 would fall in today’s comedy scene. Many people say he was the precursor to people and shows like Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Michael Moore in that he was the first to really challenge the status quo, at any cost. Again, it is so hard to speculate, but my sense tells me Bill would have progressed to do more writing (two publishers were vying for him to write a book at the time of his death); I could see him hosting a not-mainstream talk show (in fact that was the vision for Counts of the Netherworld). I’m almost positive that no matter where life would have taken him that he would still be trying to enlighten people and get them to think for themselves. I am 100% sure he would never have sold out; his integrity was part of his DNA.

GoD: What does the future hold for you and the Hicks family as this has become a full-time thing?

SH: Well, we will keep sharing Bill with the world as long as people are interested in hearing about him. It’s a privilege for us to be able to do this. One of our favorite things is meeting and interacting with Bill’s fans. He is held in such high regard that it is an honor to speak to all the people who have made this thing what it is today. You know, Bill was a good guy, honest, sincere, passionate-I think that is what people find to connect with. He was a very real person; he didn’t hide behind a façade. He told the truth as he saw it, plus he had a few nice dick jokes ;)

GoD: Dick jokes. What a way to end this article. Thanks Steve!