Richard Pryor... Here and Now

"Here and now" is easily funnier than "Live on Sunset Strip", when it wants to. But also quite surreal. What makes it surreal is mainly the audience. In the middle of the show a middle-aged geezer hands Richard a crab in the water glass. Far out. Also, the heckling is quadrupled in this show. It was probably Mardi Gras time. But Man Pryor still made me choke from laughter, and the improv with the aforementioned crab was quick thinking too. Towards the end, it's Pryor's turn to crank up the surreal with his junkie-bit, which is also quite moving, if too much of a downer for a supposedly comedy show.

This show is something else.

RICHARD PRYOR : HERE AND NOW (1983) & RICHARD PRYOR: LIVE ON THE SUNSET STRIP (1982) – both ***1/2 Pryor, one of America's greatest stand-up comedians, expertly conveys the inner pain and personal demons of his tumultuous life with heartbreakingly funny takes on his drug abuse, sexual relationships, racism, spirituality abroad in Africa, getting drunk, recalling early gigs with Mob run clubs and the occasional improvs (his bit with a hermit crab shows just how quick on his feet his mind is) showcase the true brilliance of an original artist in his element and total at ease and command for the language of 'vulgur' humor that seamlessly blends into the vernacularity of his topics of discussion (say unlike his protégé Eddie Murphy and only recently touched upon with better results by Chris Rock). Lucky to be alive after his near-fatal freebasing burning Pryor even makes dying sound funny. A genius in every sense of the word.

If you happened to like Richard Pryor's movies, then please try watching one of his filmed comedy shows, because they will be more brutal, actual and relevant AND funny!

Lots of silly d88k jokes, really LOTS of them, but they are still undeniably funny as hell when Pryor makes those jokes.

What makes this comedy show stand out for me is his talking about his own drugs addiction, with an almost 10 minutes long impersonation of someone who was high and totally wasted. The audience became silent as a mouse. Most impressive part of the entire show.

Richard speaks out on ANYTHING. No taboos. He paved the road for standup comedy. What a brilliant comedy genius!!

Richard Pryor: Here and Now is a funny snippet of the late period of Pryor's active career, before MS forced his retirement. It features classic Pryor characters such as Mudbone, while also incorporating new routines such as his description of a visit to Africa.

Pryor is as hilarious and uncensored as ever, covering topics including his struggle with substance abuse. The skits range from the comical to the poignant, with one sketch about a heroin addict having a particularly sad denouement.

Some reviewers have complained about the at times disruptive audience, but Pryor's interaction with the audience gives a better sense of his talent. We see his skill at improvisation, particularly in a scene where he receives a glass of water with some surprisingly animate contents.

Richard Pryor has met with a few pot holes in life's bumpy road.He has done countless things that he never should have,and he is the first to admit this.He uses his own unique comic style to tell us the gritty details of his life and to give us the message to not travel the road that he has traveled.You see,Richard Pryor not only wants to entertain us,he cares enough about us to tell us how stupid we would end up looking if we did the things that he has done.He is hilariously funny,and he is caring,and that makes him all right with me.I would urge all Pryor fans to have it in their collection.He was definitely at his peak here. Thumbs up.