BILL HICKS - RELENTLESS - Comic Book and Movie Reviews

What in God's name is f*cking wrong with people nowadays? All they ever seem to do is say things like 'f*ck', 'c*ck', 't*ts', and 'p*ssy', without even thinking of using such words as 'procreate', 'love-length', 'mammary', or 'cat'! Still, that's the way of the world I suppose. As explained by Bill Hicks for 60 minutes in 1991. Trust me. He'll open your eyes one way or another. Ha!

Bill Hicks - Relentless

THE STORY:

So there he was, Bill Hicks, standing on the middle of a stage somewhere in Montreal, Canada, talking to his studio audience about: (1) Vocations. (2) Current Affairs. (3) War. (4) UFO's. (5) Smoking. (6) Porn. (7) Faith. And (8) Drugs.

Granted, Bill being Bill, he wasn't just talking-talking. He was making everyone crack-up like a carton of eggs thrown down a flight of stairs. Yeah. I'm not kidding you, pal. Just check out some of the stuff he says during this annual film festival.

I don't get the beach. It's where dirt meets water. That's it.
What did moths bump into before the electric light-bulb was invented?
Jane Fonda, can you please f*ck Ted Turner so we can hear some good news for a change?
A war is when two opponents fight against each other. We didn't have a war. Think about it.
In the war the Iraqis lost thousands and we only lost 79. So does that mean we could have sent only 80 and still have won?
Bringing shotgun's to a UFO sighting reminds me of that saying 'You're not from around here, are you boy?'.
Have you ever noticed that certain parts of our country shout 'Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!'. Whereas other parts scream 'Evolution! Evolution! Evolution! We want our thumbs!'.
People come up to me and say 'Stop smoking and you'll get your sense of smell back'. I say 'I don't want my sense of smell. I live in New York City. Sniff-Sniff. Can you smell urine?'.
If you smoke threw a hole in your neck, I'd think about quitting if I was you.
The Supreme Court stated that pornography is an act that has no artistic merit, and causes sexual thought. Well, that sounds like every commercial on the television to me!
What does an atheist scream when he cums? Science?
A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you honestly think that when Jesus comes back he'll want to see another f*cking cross again?
The Beatles were so high; they even allowed Ringo to sing a few of their songs!

Now in closing his show, Bill informs his audience that he is also available for children's parties, before praising drugs, and then flying off of the stage like a bat outta Hell.

Next, the weather.

THE REVIEW:

Now the only thing I can find at fault with 'Bill Hicks - Relentless', is that I did notice Bill repeating a couple of his past gags from his 'Sane Man' set. Apart from that though -- nah -- this was one cracking show. Full of very open-minded and honest insights that can make anyone laugh till the cows come home. In fact, this show was so f*cking hilarious, I don't really know what type of a person would hate it.

Well. Come on. Let's think about it for a moment or two. What type of a person wouldn't find Bill Hicks funny? Someone narrow minded perhaps? Or what about some git who doesn't like hearing about taboo subjects, that'll make them think instead of blink?

Granted, here and there Bill can be somewhat crass with some of his gaffs. Like where it comes to his more sexually driven topics of note. Mainly because he illustrates both orally and visually with brash demonstrations, with what goes where and for why.

Anyway. Enough negativity for the moment. Please check out some of my Bill trivia before I then turn this negative into a positive. (1) William Melvin Hicks was born on the very same day that the Azerbaijani journalist, Salatin Askerova, was born -- the 16th of December, 1961. Moreover, he died on the very same day that the US audio manufacturer, Avery Fisher, passed away -- the 26th of February, 1994. (2) Boy-oh-boy! Musicians sure love 'the Hicks'. The prog-rock band, 'Tool', referenced some of his shtick within their 1996 album, 'Aenema'. The English band, 'Radiohead', dedicated their album, 'The Bends', to him. Plus the Welsh band, 'Super Furry Animals', dedicated their 'Fuzzy Logic' album to him too. (3) Even though Bill made eleven appearances on the 'David Letterman' show -- including his very last screen appearance -- he wasn't very happy about their 'ludicrous' censorship policies, and strongly criticized them for it in the press. (4) Considering he wasn't a big fan of television, Bill was a big fan of the cartoon, 'The Simpsons', whom dedicated a whole episode to him, entitled, 'Last Temptation of Krust'. (5) Bill ranks 19th on Comedy Central's 100 'Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time'. (6) While Bill was inspired into becoming a stand-up comic by such greats as Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and Johnny Carson, he himself influenced David Cross, Russell Brand, Doug Stanhope, and Ron White, to follow in his footsteps. (7) Bill died at the tender age of 32, which was the same age Karen Carpenter, Mamma Cass, Brian Epstein, Bruce Lee, Brittany Murphy, Alexander the Great, and many-many more, passed away. (8) Bill settled down in Houston, Texas, yet was born in Georgia, and grew up in Florida, Alabama, plus the New Jersey suburbs. (9) How the f*ck can Bill not have a website -- www.billhicks.com

Now one of the things I loved the most about 'Bill Hicks - Relentless', was how Bill takes a subject, gives it his own little spin, and then tries to engage his reasoning with the use of popular culture.

Take his analogy on how musicians use drugs for example. He doesn't just say 'Drugs are good, and f*ck whatever anyone else thinks'. He takes noted musician, and then figuratively elaborates on how they use narcotics to hone their chosen craft, before comparing them to someone who doesn't use drugs, and bashes them for it in the process.

Furthermore, another thing I liked about Bill's set; was how he kept on rebelling against those people in power or narrow minded leanings. Me, being an old school fan of comics like Monty Python, Robin Williams, Woody Allen, and Peter Sellers, I can really connect with Bill's rebellious slant in a very big way. It's the essence of no holds barred comedy. Cause in one single stroke you can both defy the sterile society, and embrace true humanity, kicking it into touch like a bull in the proverbial China shop.