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AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORYMovie Reviews
Biographical documentary about the acerbic comedian Bill Hicks who died in 1994 at the age of 32. Cast:Bill Hicks, Kevin Booth, Mary Hicks, Steve HicksDirector:Matt Harlock, Paul ThomasRelease Date:April 8, 2011DVD Release:June 7, 2011From:Variance FilmsLength:1 hr. 42 min.
JUNE 7, 2011
American: The Bill Hicks Story, Good (Not Great) Reviews (Doc) Limited
American: The Bill Hicks Story played in limited release to good not great reviews. • Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...a solid introduction to a man who mastered the art of telling painful truths with a twinkle in the eye. It’ll make you laugh, mourn and, above all, think." • And Norman Wilner wrote in Toronto Now, "...we don’t get to the good stuff for a very long time, but when we do it’s worth it." More Reviews Below...
American: The Bill Hicks Story Positive Reviews (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a film of depth, breadth and originality.... Posthumous albums and now this film are securing Hicks' legacy and enduring influence."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 04/15/11
Greg Quill, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "Blended with dozens of clips of the comedian at work, the novel graphic device creates the impression of a constant physical presence. It's clever and enlivening..."(See all of Greg Quill's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 640 words, 04/15/11
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Hicks's shtick is so good and his life so ordinary that it's hard to escape the feeling that we might've been better off just watching a compilation of his work."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/06/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...takes a straight chronological approach, starting at birth and moving through to Bill Hicks' death from pancreatic cancer..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 04/15/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...we don't get to the good stuff for a very long time, but when we do it's worth it. Hicks had a great voice - lucid, perceptive and outraged - and it's great to hear it again."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 04/14/11
KEY CITIES (3 Reviews)
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the prevailing impression is that Hicks (who died of pancreatic cancer) was born for stand-up greatness, and taken from us all too soon."(See all of Jeff Shannon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 92 words, 04/15/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a solid introduction to a man who mastered the art of telling painful truths with a twinkle in the eye. It'll make you laugh, mourn and, above all, think."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 04/15/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...relies heavily on friends' videos and photographs.... But when it comes to the comedic high-wire act for which Hicks is belatedly famous, you had to be there."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 07/08/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Hicks's shtick is so good and his life so ordinary that it's hard to escape the feeling that we might've been better off just watching a compilation of his work."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/06/11
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a complete portrait of how Hicks became the brilliant social commentator and comedian he was.... Even now, fifteen or twenty years later, Bill kills."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 609 words, 03/15/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...applies a thick gloss of reverence and sentimentality to the story of a comic pioneer who challenged the kinds of neat, convenient, slickly packaged narratives..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 04/07/11
Bill Weber, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...its doting over places and landscapes instead of Hicks's onstage jeremiads, keeps the filmmakers from presenting more than piddling amounts of performance clips..."(See all of Bill Weber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 04/06/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...we don't get to the good stuff for a very long time, but when we do it's worth it. Hicks had a great voice - lucid, perceptive and outraged - and it's great to hear it again."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 04/14/11
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a film of depth, breadth and originality.... Posthumous albums and now this film are securing Hicks' legacy and enduring influence."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 04/15/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "Hicks came out of Bible Belt suburbia and pushed stand-up into arenas of political commentary and philosophical speculation most comics had abandoned by the '80s."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,294 words, 04/05/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...hagiographic... might have impressed more of the unconverted had it included more performance footage of its subject.... a fascinating portrait of a born funnyman..."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 06/01/10
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...will move fans while letting the uninitiated witness enough onstage highlights to leave them wanting more... funny, well executed..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 438 words, 10/15/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a film of depth, breadth and originality.... Posthumous albums and now this film are securing Hicks' legacy and enduring influence."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 04/15/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an uneven film, one that attempts with varying degrees of success to be revelatory, inspirational, and funny at the same time."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 03/25/11
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
American: The Bill Hicks Story's reviews are separated by an average 16.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
American: The Bill Hicks Story (17 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:American: The Bill Hicks Story's reviews cover 15.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,270 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 428 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
American: The Bill Hicks Story Coverage, Volume & Length (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 32 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
American: The Bill Hicks Story's reviews on average broke 32 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is American: The Bill Hicks Story's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
American: The Bill Hicks Story (17 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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