During his short life, Bill Hicks managed to establish himself as one of the most groundbreaking, angry and flat-out hilarious comedians of his generation. His unique, confrontational stand-up has been well-documented in films like Sane Man and Relentless, but it's great to finally see a documentary like American: The Bill Hicks Story that delves deeper into his life, his philosophy and his battles with the establishment. That said, what's with all of the goofy animation here?
Granted, it totally comes down to personal taste, but for me, this 3-D animation of a Hicks photograph riding in a van through colorful, CGI backgrounds does not really not gel with the rest of the trailer or the style of Hicks' comedy. Your mileage may vary.
But that's nitpicking anyway. This trailer does a nice job introducing Hicks' intelligent, in-your-face comedy style while teasing biographical information and behind-the-scenes stories of his struggles. It's past time that someone made a definitive, in-depth documentary about the comedian, and hopefully, American will deliver.
Verdict: Sold!