“Bill Hicks, the anarchic comedian who shocked enough people in the late 80s and early 90s to be dubbed ‘Goat-boy’, is to be played by Russell Crowe in a new biopic. His tale has enough laughs, drink, drugs and general chaos to be bog-standard comedian biopic material, and the film is likely to raise more laughs than similar material such as the very intense 1975 Lenny Bruce biopic Lenny. I guess we’ll find out if Mr. Hicks was quite as sex-starved as he was always complaining of…”
(via Den of Geek. See also “10 Ways the Casting of the Bill Hicks Movie Could Be Worse” via Den of Geek)
August 21, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Oh god.
August 22, 2008 at 12:46 am
I thought we were finally rid of Russell Crowe. Out of respect to Bill Hicks, I hope this movie falls through, gets lost, or something to that effect.
August 22, 2008 at 3:57 pm
It’s probably not fair to jump to any conclusions but… I’m a bit tired of this hollywoodisation of everything. Most of the universe, they say, has some sense of decorum and discretion when it comes to the process of reincarnation but movie studios just force you into a film of yourself and freeze you with a poignant twinkle in your eye for all time. Who wants to live forever in people’s memories with a moral tacked to your arse like a tail pinned to a donkey? Crowe and the production team better pull something out of the hat here that isn’t a retread of “Walk the Line” else “We’ll be back in 2010 with ‘Let’s Hunt and Kill Russell Crowe’.”
August 22, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Whatever. This has got Watchmen complex all over it. The movie will suck, but it will get a lot more people to go out and buy Bill Hicks records. Just think of it as a commercial for his life’s work. Although as far as biopics go, comedians have been treated with greater respect than other celebrities. Lenny and Man On the Moon both stayed truer to their subject matter than most musician bios. So who knows?
August 22, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Yeah, I thought the same thing when I first read this. A big “WTF?!” Who the hell could pull off copying a one-of-a-kind like Hicks with his dry, earthy, and cynical humor? I’m sick of the “Hollywoodisation” of everything too, but if I saw Crowe walking down the street looking like that picture above, I would’ve never recognized him. Maybe he can pull it off. It will be a challenge for him, I’m sure of that. And yeah, good or bad, I’ll probably check out the movie.
August 22, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Just to add:
If Crowe can act as well as he did in one of my favorite movies, “The Insider”, it should be a good bio. if you’ve never seen this film, be sure and check it out. It’s a good summary of what goes on with corrupt corporations and the brave whistleblowers that try and expose them.
http://tinyurl.com/6jzglu
August 25, 2008 at 1:55 am
thats the worst thing ive ever heard
September 9, 2008 at 10:08 pm
If it gets more people to know about Bill Hicks then I’m all for it… I do hope that Crowe can pull it off, and I think possibly he can.
I also hope that they illustrate the comedic thievery that goes on… e.i. Dennis Leary. I so want them to do the cigarette routine that Leary stole.
I’d see it.