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What if the voice in your head pushing you toward greatness wasn’t a metaphor, but a flesh-and-blood maniac in paint-splattered overalls? That’s the twisted premise behind Blockhead, the first narrative feature from Matt Harlock, whose previous work chronicled the life of comedian Bill Hicks. This time, Harlock turns the camera on the creative process itself, dissecting the desperation of a blocked novelist who latches onto a destructive new muse. Played by Joe Sims, this supposed saviour might be a hallucination, a devil, or just a dangerously persuasive builder – either way, he drags the protagonist down a dark rabbit hole where art and madness are impossible to separate.

Harlock...

Unleash your creative side with an exclusive look at the Blockhead teaser trailer below.

The cerebral thriller will have its world premiere at FrightFest in London on August 23.

A failing novelist desperate for inspiration to spark his second book thinks his muse appears to him in the form of a drunk, psychotic handyman and decorator.

As the new work begins to take shape, his life spirals out of control and erupts into a violent chaos, charting a descent into madness and ultimately murder. But all that’s fine because his next piece could be a masterwork of genius.

Writer-director Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) makes his narrative feature debut on the film.

Danny Horn, Joe Sims (“Broadchurch”), and Michele Moran star.

The post ‘Blockhead’ Teaser – Writer’s Block Is Deadly in FrightFest Thriller [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In a Cold Vein, the second feature from musician-turned-filmmaker Eric Owen, is set to receive its world premiere at FrightFest on 22 August. A lean and combustible revenge thriller, the film stars Evan Gamble as a professional criminal plunged into a desperate, 24-hour manhunt after narrowly surviving an assassination attempt.

Written, directed and scored by Owen, In a Cold Vein tracks its protagonist, Dean O’Reilley, as he fights to uncover who orchestrated the hit and why. With his family in danger and no one left to trust, Dean is forced to navigate a shifting world of double-crosses and bloodied alliances. Owen has described the film as unfolding in three distinct acts, each reflecting a different thriller mode: survival, noir and vengeance.

The film’s world premiere at FrightFest marks a significant step for Owen, who first turned heads with his 2023 directorial debut Thirst. That film, a genre-blending tale of paranoia and claustrophobia,...

Blue Finch Films has unveiled a first look at Blockhead, the surreal psychological thriller from Matt Harlock, which will have its world premiere at FrightFest on 23 August. The feature marks Harlock’s debut as a fiction filmmaker following his acclaimed documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story.

Blockhead stars Danny Horn as a creatively paralysed novelist whose life begins to unravel after he hires a volatile decorator, played by Joe Sims, in a last-ditch bid to kickstart his writing. What begins as an eccentric house call rapidly evolves into a violent, increasingly surreal descent into madness, as the boundaries between author and creation begin to dissolve. Michele Moran, recently seen in The Witcher, co-stars.

Described by its makers as a heady collision of dark comedy and psychological horror, the film explores the fragility of the creative process and the dangerous spaces artists can inhabit when fiction takes on a life of its own.

Blue Finch Films has boarded international sales on two genre titles ahead of their world premieres at FrightFest 2025, adding Eric Owen’s cat-and-mouse thriller “In a Cold Vein” and Matt Harlock’s mind-bending “Blockhead” to its slate.

“In a Cold Vein” marks the second feature from Owen, who is also recognized for his musical work as part of UTA-repped rock duo Black Pistol Fire. The thriller follows a professional criminal who, after surviving an assassination attempt, embarks on a relentless quest to identify his would-be killer and protect his family. Owen wrote and scored the film, which features a lead performance from Evan Gamble (“American Sniper”).

“I’m so excited to be partnering with the folks at Blue Finch, whose body of work speaks for itself, and whom I’ve known for some time,” Owen said. “I can’t wait for audiences to catch the wild ride that is ‘In...

FrightFest 2025 returns to London’s Odeon Luxe Leicester Square from 21 to 25 August with a heady mix of world premieres, restored classics and electrifying genre films. And excitingly, this year Love Horror will be media partners for the event!

The festival opens with the UK premiere of James DeMonaco’s The Home and closes with Kurtis David Harder’s social-media nightmare Influencers, bookending five days of horror, fantasy and dark fantasy across seven screens. Full Festival Passes go on sale Saturday 12 July at noon, with day tickets available from Saturday 19 July.

Opening night sees comedian-turned-thesp Pete Davidson as Max in The Home, a tense tale of community service gone wrong at a retirement home under siege by unseen terrors. The closing night screening of Influencers brings Shudder’s hit series to the big screen as social-media chameleon CW manipulates followers into perilous games of Fomo. These two high-profile premieres are joined...

Deep Clean is a comedy horror short starring Paul Kaye which premieres on Dust May 23rd. A troubled kid discovers his Uncle’s road crew is hiding an amazing secret – they fight monsters! Created by Matt Harlock (American The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist Krent Able (I Feel …

The post Deep Clean launches on Dust May 23 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.

Almost two years ago we brought you a podcast with the man behind sci-fi short film Deep Clean and now comes news that the short will premiere on the Dust YouTube channel next week, on 23rd May to be precise. For those unfamiliar with Dust (where have you been?), it is the first multi-platform destination for binge watchable sci-fi, featuring science fiction short films and other content from emerging filmmakers with stunning visual effects, captivating plots and complex character explorations.

Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy sci-fi short and comes from director/co-creator Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist co-creator Krent Able. Matt and Krent teamed up with Ben Wheatley’s regular SFX collaborator Dan Martin and Territory Studio, the VFX team behind Bladerunner 2049 and Ready Player One, to bring the unique world of Deep Clean to life.

The Story:

What if the council road crews...

Richard Linklater is set to write and direct and new film based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. The project is set up at Focus Features and it seems like another solid movie for Linklater to take on.

Linklater was a big fan of Hicks who grew up in Houston, Texas. He started doing stand-up comedy there when he was just 16-years-old and performed at a place called the Comedy Workshop. He rose to comedy fame in the 80s, but his life was cut short when he died in 1994 at the age of 32 due to pancreatic cancer.

Collider reports, “Following an Austin screening of the 2009 documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, co-director Matt Harlock told IndieLondon that Linklater considers himself a contemporary of the late comedian, and that he felt a real resonance with Bill’s story given his own Southern Baptist upbringing in Houston. In fact, Linklater’s...

Richard Linklater will write and direct an untitled film based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks for Focus Features.

Hicks was raised as a Southern Baptist and began performing comedy in the late 1970s in Texas. He toured extensively during the 1980s, specializing in dark humor and social commentary. A typical joke: “I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ I’d say ‘Yeah? When?'”

Hicks died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32. Linklater has said publicly that he regretted that he was not able to work with Hicks, who was a fan of Linklater’s Texas-based coming-of-age movie “Dazed and Confused.”

Hicks was the subject of a 2009 documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story.” The film, which was screened at SXSW, was produced by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, and featured...

Arrow Video FrightFest unleashes an intoxicating six-pack of horror, sci-fi and fantasy for their popular Halloween all-day event, now at the Cineworld Leicester Square on Saturday 3rd November. The 12-hour monstrous marathon embraces four continents and includes two world premieres and four UK premieres

The day kicks off with Julian Richards’ latest chiller Reborn, a Carrie for the Z Generation, starring the First Lady of FrightFest, Barbara Crampton, and featuring a stunning performance from rising newcomer Kayleigh Gilbert. Richards, famous for The Last Horror Movie, is with us for this World Premiere screening. Next up is the UK premiere of Parallel, director Isaac Ezban’s first English language horror fantasy after The Incident and The Similars. Be prepared for an ingenious killer alternate-universe concept, pitch-black thrills and a top-notch cast including Brit-star Georgia King. You’ll definitely keep your eyes wide open for the UK premiere of Mara, Clive Tonge...

Director Matt Harlock (American The Bill Hicks Story) and comic artist Krent Able, whose previous short, Ink, C**ks & Rock’n’Roll is live on Vice, have launched a new supernatural horror, entitled Deep Clean, on Kickstarter. In his latest podcast/interview, host Stuart Wright talks to Matt about the film, the Kickstarter campaign, collaborating with comic artist Krent Able and their first film together…

The campaign is Live Now, runs until July 13th. Deep Clean is a supernatural comedy horror, in the vein of films like Trollhunter, Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block. Official synopsis:

What if the council road crews you see causing traffic jams every day were not what you thought? 16-year-old Alex on a boring work placement with his loser Uncle. What he doesn’t know is that Deep Clean is a secret council unit whose job…is blocking up demon portals.

Halflife Films...

Director Matt Harlock (American: The Bill Hicks Story) has teamed up with notorious artist and graphic novelist Krent Able (just google him) for what sounds like a fantastic UK horror short in Deep Clean. 16 year old Alex is a troubled kid, excluded from school for fighting and for his weird drawings, evidence to some of a disturbed mind. To keep him out of juvenile detention, he is forced into doing a boring work placement with his loser Uncle Brian who works for the council. What he doesn’t know is that Deep Clean is a secret council unit whose job is...blocking up demon portals. Imagine a horror film, but set in a world created by Mike Leigh or Ken Loach ... The creative team...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Shorts starring Sally Hawkins and Maxine Peake among those in the line-up.

Sini Anderson’s feature documentary The Punk Singer, about Bikini Kill and Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, is to open the 11th London Short Film Festival (Jan 10-19). The opening night is presented in associated with Birds Eye View.

There will be a record 32 programmes of new short films in this year’s Lsff selected from open submission entries.

They include the opening night selection Funny Sh*t which will feature work ranging from Benjamin Bee’s one-minute Orange Charlie to Rémy Bazerque’s 15-minute Have You Seen Napoleon?.

Regular programmes include Femmes Fantastique featuring Mat Kirby’s The Phone Call starring Sally Hawkins, and Douglas King’s Let’s Go Swimming, starring Josie Long.

Lo-Budget Mayhem will see 29 inventive works in the running for the Lomography Award, and Global Stories will present British filmmakers illuminating the world in works that will include Karen Martinez...

All hail Gravitas Ventures, which has dared to do what no one else will: They've delivered real numbers around VOD releases. Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas, will be discussing them this afternoon as part of a case study panel at SXSW. "How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love VOD" also features Magnolia's Eammon Bowles, "American The Bill Hicks Story" director Matt Harlock, Variance Films' Dylan Marchetti and moderator Orly Ravid of the Film Collaborative. Based on the document, which Gallagher kindly provided to Indiewire in advance, it promises to be a meaty session. Here's some of the highlights:  It took more than a dozen tries to develop the marketing design for "American" Variance's theatrical advertising budget for "American" was very limited: $500.  The producers broke even after the theatrical release, which earned $90,000. Estimated VOD gross (over three...

Chicago – Does it say something about the current market of Blu-rays that nine of our top ten releases of the year (and, honestly, most of the runner-ups considered) are for catalog releases and special editions instead of films produced in the current era? More and more often, modern releases seem kind of lackluster. Throw on a featurette, maybe a deleted scene or two, and put it on the shelf.

More often, it is the anniversary editions, special release, and, of course, The Criterion Collection that lives up to the true potential of the format. Critics Matt Fagerholm and Brian Tallerico have assembled their ten best of 2011, all of which should be added to your collection as soon as possible. Or ask Santa if you think you’ve been good enough this year.

Matt Fagerholm’s Five Best Blu-rays of 2011

5. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Photo credit: Paramount...

Reviewer: Craig Phillips

Rating (ouf of 5): *** 

In American: The Bill Hicks Story, British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas set out to tell the tale of the influential comedian who was underappreciated in his time and then taken from us too soon. The Texas-raised Hicks was a remarkable comic who dared tell truths in this country in a time (the 1980s and into the 90s) when a lot of Americans lived in a trance and didn't want to hear them told so bluntly--or at all. The film will probably be more of a revelation to the uninitiated than to longtime fans (such as myself), but fans of the cult comic will also find much to appreciate here.

Best Movie to Watch on Netflix This Week:Let Me In (R | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #526

Times Ranked: 8021

Win Percentage: 64%

How Many Top-20′s: 20 Users

________________________________________________

Begins streaming on Netflix starting July 1st

Directed By: Matt Reeves

Starring: Chloe Moretz •� Kodi Smit-McPhee •� Richard Jenkins •� Elias Koteas •� Sasha Barrese

Genres: Drama •� Fantasy •� Horror •� Romance •� Romantic Drama •� Vampire Film

• • • • • • • •

Best TV Show to Watch on Netflix This Week:

A bunch of Star Trek Series come to Instant Streaming on July 1st. Including:

Star Trek (1966-68)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-93)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2000)Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-04)New to Netflix Streaming On Wednesday June 29thAmerican: The Bill Hicks Story (Nr | 2009)

Flickchart Ranking: #6383

Times Ranked: 521

Win Percentage: 53%

How Many Top-20′s: 2 Users

________________________________________________

Directed By: Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas

Starring: Bill Hicks •� Kevin Booth •� John Farneti •� Lynn Hicks •� Mary Hicks

Genres: 2010 SXSW Festival •� Biography •� Comedy •� Documentary

• • • • • • • •

New to Netflix Streaming On Friday July 1stRubber (R...

American: The Bill Hicks Story more than likely wasn’t something you caught in the theaters, but BBC is bringing it to blu-ray and has sent it on to us here at Tmp so we can review this not so conventional documentary.

The Set-up

Here’s the official synopsis:

American: The Bill Hicks Story brings to life the amazing true story of one of modern culture’s most iconic figures. Much more than just a comedian, Bill Hicks has become an inspiration to millions around the world. As a rebellious teenager, he discovered that comedy was a way to break all the rules, but then he found it could also open people’s minds. Bill’s comedy challenged the injustices of life head on, but his uncompromising approach met with conflict in America and it was instead on the international stage where he found fame. In 1993, on the verge of wider success,...

Bill Hicks was one of the funniest comedians of our time. So funny, he had to leave Earth and is waiting for us in the future. Last year at SXSW we saw the touching, unapologetic, and hilarious documentary that celebrated Hicks' life, American: The Bill Hicks Story. On Tuesday, June 7th the film releases on Blu-ray and DVD and we've teamed up with the directors, Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas to give our readers a chance at winning the DVD and a poster signed by Bill's family. If you want good things to happen in your life, you'll want to own this movie.

Read more on Giveaway: Win a DVD and signed poster of American: The Bill Hicks Story...

Everett A scene from “A Clockwork Orange”

The movie “A Clockwork Orange” turns 40 this week, and to commemorate Warner Home Video is not only putting out a deluxe Blu-ray of that title, but all of Stanley Kubrick’s work at that studio. Meanwhile, Universal and Paramount are keeping pace with their own re-releases of classic pictures like “American Graffiti” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Take a look at this week’s Blu-ray choices and see which ones are worth your time,...

Plastic Paper is Winnipeg’s celebration of animation, illustration and puppet films, organized by the Big Smash! filmmaking collective. Their second annual event will be held on May 4-8 at the Park Theatre.

The big score for this year’s edition is a special screening of Ralph Bakshi’s 1981 feature-length musical opus American Pop with the filmmaker in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. For this groundbreaking work, Bakshi utilized the innovative technique of mixing rotoscoping, water colors, computer graphics, live action shots, and archival footage. This screening and discussion will be a real treat for animation junkies.

But that’s not to say that the rest of the festival isn’t also filled with other amazing films.

Because, speaking of groundbreaking work, the fest kicks off with Brent Green’s simply astounding film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, the first full-length film utilizing real-life actors in amazing stop-motion animation.

American: The Bill Hicks Story is a documentary along the lines of Richard Pryor: I Ain.T Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! or Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh? All three films take a look at great comics, travelling back in time to try and better understand the life of the artist, what made them tick and why their brand of humor was so well received by audiences.

Bill Hicks was just a kid from Houston who, like so many teenagers, felt the need to rebel and do something different. So, instead of going to college like the rest of his family, Hicks knew at an early age he wanted to be a comedian. His career started at the tender age of 15 when he performed with popularity at a comedy club in Houston, Texas.

Before long, Bill Hicks found himself becoming a potential star, but that.s also about the time...

The directing duo takes us behind-the-scenes of this groundbreaking new documentary, in theaters now

Utilizing an array of animation, archival photographs, and a stockpile of never-before-scene video footage, directors Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock have crafted one of the most intriguing documentaries of the year with American: The Bill Hicks Story. Thicker than any biography could ever hope to be, we get a true sense of this groundbreaking comedian in ways we've never heard or seen before.

Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock track Bill Hicks from his meager beginnings, to his drug addiction and alcoholism, through his second coming as a clean comedian, and into his untimely death at the age of 33. This is a must-see documentary for anyone interested in the art of stand-up comedy, or the history of American originals.

We caught up with Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock as American: The Bill Hicks Story opens throughout the country.

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Interview - Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas

Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas just had to answer one question for me, just one, when it came to the fame and popularity of Bill Hicks when he was still walking back and forth across the stand-up stages: What made him so popular in the UK?

I could easily understand why jokes, an inherently idiomatic expression of specific cultures and not given to easy translation, wouldn’t fly but what was it about Bill that made audiences in another country embrace this defacto expat? He was revered by a culture who “got it” while American late night comedy consumers didn’t get what was so endearing about the man with a wicked mouth.

The film,...

How does one document a legend, especially one as controversial and influential as comedian Bill Hicks? Throughout his career, he was labeled a rebel, a saint, someone who looked out for the best of America, and someone who was the embodiment of everything wrong with America. Instead of making the film an indictment or tribute to a comic that transcended telling jokes, directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas use their film American: The Bill Hicks Story to simply tell the story of the man himself.

There doesn’t seem to be anything revolutionary in the idea, but the truly riveting aspect is how the filmmakers tell the story through animating a wealth of photos accompanied with current voice over of the people who knew his story the best, including his family, his closest friends, and fellow comedians. This style, somewhere between cut-out dolls and Pixar movies, allows us to see...

Coming off a disappointing frame last weekend , the specialty box office also didn't have any significant breakouts debut this weekend. A slew of limited openings included Kelly Reichardt epic indie Western "Meek's Cutoff," Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas' doc "American: The Bill Hicks Story," Keanu Reeves-Vera Farmiga starrer, "Henry's Crime," "No Wave" documentary, "Blank City," and "Meet Monica Velour," which features Kim Cattrall as an aging porn star. Among ...

Even if you don't know who Bill Hicks is (technically a dead comedian), American: The Bill Hicks Story is as good of a place to start as any. British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas have painstakingly assembled a loving portrait of a man who was too smart, too funny and too completely ahead of his time to make a solid impact in his country of origin, the good old U.S. of A. Matt and Paul were kind enough to give me a slice of their time on Monday, and the ensuing dialogue was nothing short of fascinating. Matt actually took charge and asked me the first question for a change.

Matt - Did you know Bill quite well before hand?

read more...

Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of the Texas stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, who died in 1994 at age 32, having found resounding success overseas and little more than professional respect at home. Since then, I’ve devoured several hours of his comedy specials on my Netflix Instant account, marveling at the way this artist managed to blend blisteringly caustic commentaries on sex, politics, rock music, religion, and drug addiction with a weirdly humane, almost holistic philosophy of life. Stand-up comedy in any form is not normally my thing, but I’ve become rather attached to The World According to Hicks.

Heir to Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, Hicks was a hard-working club habitué who built his material from life experience — he was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home in Houston and was transformed head to toe by an experience with psychedelic mushrooms before he ever touched a drop of alcohol.

A stand-up comedian's job is to make people laugh. But the more you learn about stand-ups, the more you see how unfunny their own lives often are. Many of the best comedians are forged in the darkest places. Comedian Bill Hicks struggled with substance abuse for years and then just as he got himself clean and his career started to take off, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 31. He was dead by the time he was 32.

Funny as it is, "American: The Bill Hicks Story" is a deeply moving tragedy about the miserable luck of an absolute genius. And I don't use the word "genius" lightly here. Hicks was like the stand-up comedian version of a five-tool baseball player. He could do it all. He had great timing. He did great impressions. He had amazing physical gifts. His humor came from a distinctive and really unique perspective.

Reviewed by Randee Dawn

(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)

Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas

To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.

Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.

“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...

Reviewed by Randee Dawn

(from the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival)

Directed/Produced by: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas

To comics, Bill Hicks was known as “the comedian’s comedian.” A tireless stand-up who got his start as a teenager, sneaking out of his parents’ home to sneak into Houston open-mic nights, Hicks virtually burst out of the gate as a professional, with a fully formed sense of how to make people laugh.

Yet outside the insular world of comedians, Hicks is largely known to audiences in the form of grainy Nth-generation copies of his stand-up; seen piecemeal like this it’s hard to appreciate his particular brand of genius. And today Hicks, who died of cancer in 1994, isn’t around to prove why he’s worth remembering.

“American: The Bill Hicks Story” is an inventively crafted, if occasionally myopic, look at the comic, making extensive use of those Nth-generation stand-up copies,...

Directors: Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas There is a bloody good reason that this documentary by co-directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas is titled American: The Bill Hicks Story. Harlock and Thomas are British BBC veterans -- and we all know how much the Brits love the American comic Bill Hicks. In 2010 he was voted the 4th on the UK's Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups; and, though an American, he is certainly not held in the same esteem by most Americans. That is not to say that Hicks did not develop a dedicated cult audience in the U.S., especially after his premature death at the age of 32. (Note: Hicks did not die from drugs, alcohol or cigarettes -- though he certainly indulged enough for death by overindulgence to be a possibility -- he died from pancreatic cancer.) Hicks' dedicated fans claim that he is the most influential comedian since Lenny Bruce; and like Bruce,...

On June 7, Warner Home Video will release the DVD and Blu-ray of American: The Bill Hicks Story, a biographical documentary on the life — too short life — of controversial comedian/social commentator Bill Hicks, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32.

American: The Bill Hicks Story looks at the controversial funnyman's life and career.

Produced and directed for the BBC in 2009 by British filmmakers Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock, American: The Bill Hicks Story notably applies a unique cut-and-paste animation technique to a number of still pictures of Hicks — who once described himself as “Chomsky with dick jokes” — to document his life and career. The film also includes archival footage, as well as interviews with Hicks’ family and friends, including Kevin Booth, an American filmmaker and musician who was one of Hicks’ frequent collaborators.

The movie was well-received at Stateside film festivals and during its run in theaters last year in England,...

I have been a fan of Bill Hicks’ unique brand of stand-up comedy for years, preaching the proverbial gospel to those who have yet to experience the man’s genius for themselves. As such, I’ve been closely following Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ Hicks-oriented documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story” for a while now. The film was released theatrically in the UK last year, much to the dismay of North American fans who have been waiting patiently for the picture to arrive in our neck of the woods. That wait, as they say, is over. “American” is set to open in New York on April 8th, with more dates to follow. Needless to say, I’m anxious to see this puppy on the big screen, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will play somewhere around here. If you missed the trailer when I covered the flick last year,...

Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!

Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!

Finally! After hitting UK screens in May of last year, the Us is getting American: The Bill Hicks story! The documentary about the revolutionary and controversial stand-up comedian is opening in New York on April 8th and will spread to other cities in limited release afterward. Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, the doc is full of archival footage as well as interviews with family and friends. If you're not familiar with the life and work of Hicks, now is your chance to rectify that grievous wrong and if you're already a fan, rejoice!

Gravitas Ventures and Variance Films are teaming for the theatrical day-and-date release of Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas' award-winning documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story,” which will open simultaneously in theaters and on VOD on April 8 in New York City. "American" will then expand into 25 theaters across the country throughout April and May, while simultaneously being available in over 100 million homes across North America through leading cable, satellite and online providers. "American" is a photo-animated documentary featuring stand-up footage that is narrated by the 10 people who best knew...

The Cinema Eye Honors, devoted to highlighting the best of the year's nonfiction films, have flipped for Lixin Fan's fantastic "Last Train Home," which follows a family of migrant workers as they struggle to stay connected while living separated by hundreds of miles. "Last Train Home" received the most nominations -- seven -- while Banksy's "Exit Through The Gift Shop" and Afghanistan documentary "Armadillo" each received six. The award ceremony will take place on January 18 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and will be broadcast on the Documentary Channel.

Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

Armadilllo

Directed by Janus Metz

Produced by Sara Stockmann and Ronnie Fridthjof

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Directed by Banksy

Produced by Jaimie D'Cruz

Last Train Home

Directed by Lixin Fan

Produced by Mila Aung-Thwin and Daniel Cross

Marwencol

Directed by Jeff Malmberg

Produced by Jeff Malmberg, Tom Putnam, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen...

Bill Hicks is my hero — it’s as simple as that. However, as much as I appreciate the man’s comedy, I am woefully ignorant of him as a person. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ “American: The Bill Hicks Story” will hopefully correct this problem next May, when the acclaimed documentary arrives on North American DVD. If you currently reside in the UK, the film is already available for mass consumption. For more information on the feature and the genius that was the late Bill Hicks, stop by the official website. In the meantime, check out the trailer. function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf", "mplayer", "590", "375", "8", "#000000"); so.addParam("wmode","transparent"); so.addParam("swliveconnect", "true"); so.addParam("allowscriptaccess", "always"); so.addParam("allowfullscreen", "true"); so.addVariable("pid", "byhw013"); so.addVariable("siteId", "243"); so.addVariable("videoId", "213381"); so.addVariable("autostart", "false"); so.addVariable("file", "http://cms.springboard.

Arizona Bay, Relentless, Counts of the Netherworld, Rant in E Minor, Dangerous – if you’re smiling now, it’s because you already know who Bill Hicks is, and how powerful and influential his comedy was, and is.

Commanding respect from audiences and fellow comedians Hicks’s philosophy and extremely funny stand up routines were inspirational, freeing and hilarious experiences, and no-one has done it better since his death in 1994 at the ridiculously young age of 32.

Telling the story of the life of Hicks has been attempted many times, with Agent of Evolution (written by his friend Kevin Booth) doing it best, intermingling the words of Hicks with those of the people who knew him best. Along with a collection of his stand up routines, Love All the People, the picture which forms is of a man doing what he loved, without any scent of an egotistical agenda, and doing it to encourage people to engage,...

The short film Yellow Plastic Raygun directed by Alessandro Cima, which was featured on Bad Lit just a few weeks ago, has won the Best Experimental film award at the Downtown Film Fest Los Angeles that ran Sept. 8-12.

I believe this was the second year for the festival, which was created by the former organizers of the defunct Silver Lake Film Festival in an effort to help promote the formerly neglected, but now popular downtown neighborhood of L.A.

Yellow Plastic Raygun is a mix of found and original footage that creates a retro-futuristic tale of society crumbling. The film also ends with creative shots of the World Trade Center that Cima filmed himself several years ago prior to 9/11. You can watch the film on Bad Lit here.

Another winner of the Dffla include the Matt Harlock and Bill Thomas’ documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, which also screened Australia twice recently,...

The 4th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival, which runs for three days on Sept. 9-11, will screen about 10 features from all over the world and a veritable ton of short films from even further out there.

The fest will open with the latest documentary by a Hollywood icon. It’s Oliver Stone’s South of the Border, which has the director meeting with South American politicians and dignitaries. (The film opened to mixed reviews here in the States earlier this year.) Also screening is Trash Humpers, the latest film by indie rabble-rouser Harmony Korine, which has been confounding audiences on the indie film fest circuit, and Gaspar Noe’s Enter the Void, which has been earning rave reviews.

The rest of the features in the lineup are an eclectic, oddball concoction, including Mladen Djordjevic‘s Serbian atrocity Life and Death of a Porno Gang, Victor Nieuwenhuijs and Maartje Seyferth’s twisted Netherlands tale Meat,...

Once again, I have written a review that is a couple of months after the film’s initial release date, but I feel that this has to be reviewed as this is proves to be one of the funniest and honest documentaries that I have seen at the cinemas.\

American: The Bill Hicks Story (dir. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas) ranks among Anvil! The Story of Anvil and The People vs. George Lucas, which have both received critical acclaim.

For people such as me who didn’t know who the controversial comedian Bill Hicks was, or for people who are familiar with his work, the documentary tells of Hicks’ journey and struggles in becoming a comedian. The documentary is narrated by the friends and family members who knew him the best.

The visuals of the film are made up of interviews with the family members and friends, but the majority...

Is it a revelation or a revolution? It’s both! The Revelation Perth International Film Festival is tackling the theme of “Revolution” when its 13th annual edition begins violating Australia on July 8-18. Get set for 11 days filled French zombies, Belgian cowboys, outer space outlaws, Beat poets, cat ladies, gospel musicians and other revolutionaries.

Actually, one of the main features of the festival this year is a slew of music documentaries, mostly spotlighting both American and Australian music. On the U.S. side of things there’s Wheedle’s Groove, a look at the history of Seattle funk; Rejoice and Shout, which examines gospel music’s impact on African-American culture — and vice versa; Tom Dicillo’s Doors documentary When You’re Strange; plus The Family Jams and 72 Musicians. And, from Australia, there’s Megan Simpson-Hubberman’s classic concert film The Night of the Triffids.

There’s lots more than music docs,...

From July 13th to the 18th, the Just for Laughs Festival will hod its 14th edition of Just for Laughs Film in Montreal. Besides, The Cultural Post got wind of Just for Laughs Film's line-up.

First of all, speaking about Canadian feature films, there will be two ones: Alain Desrochers's Cabotins and Seth W. Owen’s Peepers. The first film stars Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques, Dorothée Berryman, Gilles Renaud and Pierre-François Legendre. It tells the story of a ruined ex-showman and actor who would like to get back in the world of burlesque theatre with his former colleagues and organize a tour. As for Peepers, it stars Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault and Ricky Mabe. It tells the story of three men who sneak across Montreal's rooftops with binoculars. However, a young female student gives to these men a taste of their own game.

Furthermore, the...

Lebanon (15)

(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins

You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.

Robin Hood (12A)

(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins

Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...

A worthy tribute to the late, great comedian and iconoclast Bill Hicks. By Andrew Pulver

Ever since Bill Hicks's death in 1994 at the age of 32, the Texan comic has been subject to a creeping lionisation that has promoted him gradually into the upper reaches of those all-time greatest lists magazines and TV channels love to establish. I personally have never had a great deal of time for Hicks's shouty, hectoring comedy – it's like being trapped in a room with a sociology student who's just drunk a dozen espressos – but this is a really interesting film biography of him, mining the deepest reaches of his childhood and adolescence to produce a thoroughly convincing and detailed portrait.

Film-makers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas – both British – are lucky that Hicks's family and childhood pals were happy to unburden themselves to camera, and fill in the blanks of Hicks's early years; they're even...

Bill Hicks left behind the legacy of an iconic comedy talent. But is American: The Bill Hicks Story the right film for the right man?

I can still remember seeing Bill Hicks for the first time, a late night Channel 4 Just For Laughs special called Relentless. I can still remember the intro music (which was, as I would later discover, Hicks' very own take on Hendrix), the opening gags ("Comedy is the greatest job in the world. It's not the sharing of laughter and all that horse shit... It's the fact that I don't have a boss. Picture that... And envy me").

I remember scrabbling for a VHS cassette. I remember feeling I was watching something special, huddled in front of the TV in my parents' living room. As a fifteen, maybe sixteen-year-old, I think that in that slightly cherubic, sad-eyed, pasty, acerbic, razor-edged motormouth I saw everything that I was,...