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[Faker]

So Russell Crowe to play Bill Hicks (story here)

I am a massive fan of Hicks, and whilst I think Crowe is an excellant actor, just doesn't feel right to me.

[Jackie Blue]

That... is certainly an interesting casting decision...

He's got the look about right, but I don't know if he can really pull off the personality.

Then again, Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce probably sounded a bit strange at the time, and that turned out fantastic.

[Katherine]

Hmm... when I read the title, I thought to myself "Who on Earth would play a good Bill Hicks?"  But I have to say, when I saw that it would be Russell Crowe, I didn't scoff.  I'm not a big Crowe fan, but I think he could do justice to the late, great Bill Hicks.

[KvP]

I don't see this ending well.

DOOM

DOOM

Anyway, seeing how Crowe is "interested", not attached, and the script isn't finished yet, the real news in that story is that, alas, The Yiddish Policeman's Union will not be the next Coens joint.

[knives]

He looks kind of like Hicks, but I doubt he'll do the accent right. Either way I welcome it. Be cool to have Jones direct it though.

[est]

Man, he looks nothing like Hicks.  Hicks was kind of pudgy, boyish and hairless, Crowe is wrinkled, stubbled and rugged.  The hair is wrong, the accent is wrong and oh god he's gonna fuck it up so god-damned badly that fucking whore jesus christ.

A movie about his life could be pretty interesting if done properly, but I saw a Bill Hicks bio one time and Brett Butler was saying that Hicks pre-recorded his own eulogy because he didn't trust anyone else not to fuck it up.  Applying that and his general distrust/disdain for Hollywood to this movie makes me think that maybe he wouldn't appreciate something like this being made.

Also, googling for "Bill Hicks eulogy" gives me a hell of a lot of hits for dumbcunts who believe and swear blind that Tool's song "Eulogy" is about Bill Hicks.  What the fuck?  Do these people even read the lyrics, know anything about Hicks, or anything about how much they respected him?  In the cover notes they call him a dead hero.  How the fuck do the lyrics to "Eulogy" correlate to that?  Why would they think that?  Because he is dead?  Fuck, plenty of people are dead you god-damned shit-flinging troglofuckingdytes.  Add to that the drummer Danny telling people it's about L Ron Hubbard, which actually fits the goddamn lyrics.

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT WHY IS IT ILLEGAL TO KILL PEOPLE

[est]

AND WHY CAN'T I DO IT OVER THE INTERNET WITH MY FUCKING MIND

[est]

FUCK

[tomselleck69]

Hopefully Hollywood will come to its senses and opt to do a remake of the other Bill Hicks movie---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIvEkh3WTjg

Either that or have a subplot about his adventures through time with the Great Gazoo. This is the kind of stuff he talked about, and to under-do it would be a great disservice to him.

[David_Dovey]

NO

NO

NO

[est]

FUCK

[David_Dovey]

MAN WHAT THE HELL

[CamusCanDo]

As much as I'm intrigued by how this is going to turn out, I'd really rather it not be made at all. Jesus fucking christ.

[Oli]

This idea can suck Satan's cock.

[Ozymandias]

Some suggestions from Comedy Central about who would be better.

[est]

That is a pretty good point, Tommy.  Even though I love most of his social and political commentary/rants I probably would not have enjoyed hanging out with Bill Hicks.  He seemed like somewhat of a misogynist and the whole "if you don't like my smoking you can suck it" bit would annoy the fuck out of me.

[Jackie Blue]

These people seem to base their existence on the most tedious characteristics which Hicks occasionally seemed to embody. The habitual self-congratulatory recreational drug abuse. The weak pseudo-intellectual "I've read books, me" mentality. The endless philosophical pontificating and nauseating 'new age' detritus. The knee-jerk socio-political rhetoric and incredibly tired conspiracy theories repeated over and over. All characteristics which are excusable in the persona of a Comedian but rather pathetic amongst his followers.

Agreed, and I think this happens with pretty much every Icon.  Think about it - as bad as GG Allin was, he was genuinely mentally fucked up and he has plenty of otherwise "sane" followers who cite him as some kind of God.  There's the same disconnect with people like Kurt Cobain, Stephen Malkmus, Ian Curtis, George Carlin, and many American politicians.

Of course, Sloan nailed it: "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans."

That said, I think Hicks offstage would have been more laid back, would have been a fun guy to sit next to at a pub or whatever.  He combined the fantastic energy of the ranty Sam Kinison type of comedian with the true wit of the Carlin, Bruce, Pryor, etc. "intelligent" comedian.

[David_Dovey]

I like Hicks' actual stand-up comedy but in the years after his death I've come to somewhat dislike the people who cite him as a hero. I could always forgive the man for his perpetual adolescence because he was very funny indeed. However, this is usually not true of the hundreds of thousands of students who seem to have taken his material as gospel several years after the fact.

OK so I've got a Bill Hicks tattoo but goddamn if the pseudo-dski don't speaks him some truth. I admire Hicks for his forthrightness and for carrying on the legacy of encouraging people to think for themselves and to question everything. This includes questioning Hicks himself.

[David_Dovey]

Cos pictures of yourself as your avatar are so "theme week". Sheesh.

pee ess; Jens it's on my Facebook

[KvP]

I like Hicks' actual stand-up comedy but in the years after his death I've come to somewhat dislike the people who cite him as a hero. I could always forgive the man for his perpetual adolescence because he was very funny indeed. However, this is usually not true of the hundreds of thousands of students who seem to have taken his material as gospel several years after the fact.

These people seem to base their existence on the most tedious characteristics which Hicks occasionally seemed to embody. The habitual self-congratulatory recreational drug abuse. The weak pseudo-intellectual "I've read books, me" mentality. The endless philosophical pontificating and nauseating 'new age' detritus. The knee-jerk socio-political rhetoric and incredibly tired conspiracy theories repeated over and over. All characteristics which are excusable in the persona of a Comedian but rather pathetic amongst his followers.

If there was going to be a film, it should draw upon the anecdotal and personal evidence collected in Cynthia True's decent biography American Scream. I'm not sold on this whole 'Hicks as the Messiah' bullshit and there are some stories in there which would definitely help to show a man who was both hilarious and at times completely obnoxious on a personal level. It was very sad that he died so young but it's also worth remembering that he was more than his onstage persona.

This.

[RobbieOC]

the real news in that story is that, alas, The Yiddish Policeman's Union will not be the next Coens joint.

Goodness gracious this would be the best movie ever made.

[Hat]

They should cast John Ritter

Wait, fuck.

ANOTHER DEAD ACTOR HERO