Bill Hicks Live: Satirist, Social Critic, Stand Up Comedian (DVD, 2004)

This long-awaited document of three live standup performances by legendary comedian Bill Hicks displays the complicated genius, social insight, and hilarity that characterized his performances. Remembered as one of the best comedians in American history, Hicks was also one of the most outrageous, regarding himself as a self-styled outlaw with a message. Not everyone wanted to hear that message, however, rendering him an enormously controversial figure in the vein of Lenny Bruce. Hicks used comedy to critique the institutions of government and consumer capitalism, and his metaphysical beliefs, which rejected organized religion in favor of a shared consciousness, as well as his extensive experiments with drugs of all sorts, often found their way into his act. Hick's premature death in 1993 at the age of 33 from pancreatic cancer was devastating to fans, the tragic loss of a truly great talent who injected life, humor, and healing into the world. The three performances collected here include Bill's breakout performance, "Relentless," at the Montreal Comedy Festival, "One Night Stand" in Chicago, and "Revelations" from the Dominion Theatre in London.