Richard Pryor

[Ace]

Died today........a thouroughly nasty piece of work. Was it JUST me or did anyone else find him UN-funny?
Mind you, when he set himself on fire whilst freebasing cocaine in 1980, THAT must've been pretty funny

[Jock Strap]

I recently rented Richard Pryor - Live In Concert and thoroughly enjoyed it. A true legend of stand-up. His influence cannot be underestimated.

[one eyed jack]

Didnt know him personally Ace but from what I understand all the best comedians are miserable fuckers anyway...I guess thats why they are so funny with there jaded and oft perceptive views on the world. Richard pryor is no exception. Confined to a wheel chair and unable to fuck with parkinsons....you wouldnt be the most excitable of people either....Plus he came from a fucking miserable background....Hats off to the chap is what I say. Rest in peace. He bought a smile to my face on many an occasion.

As for me. I found him fucking hilarious!!!!

[nachovx]

I only ever watched one movie of his that I liked - Silver Streak with Gene Wilder. Neither of the two did anything else funny, some humour doesn't cross the Atlantic - Billy Crystal comes to mind, he's as funny as a brick wall, yet Americans think he's a living legend.

[Jock Strap]

Most sorely missed stand up comedian - Bill Hicks.

[Deuce Bigolo]

Each to their own

I can think of a few high profile comedians that many love but do bugger all for me

His best comedy was when playing films opposite Gene Wilder IMHO

If you read his list of credits at imdb
you'll see he was one talented guy

My favourite memory of him will be the films Stir Crazy & See No Evil,Hear No Evil

cheers
B....OZ

[fudgeflaps]

Definitely, Jock, the guy was an outrageously gifted all-out genius. Got his books, scripts, vids.......... !thumbsup!

America: "Iraq, incredible weapons. INCREDIBLE weapons. "
Hicks: "How the fuck do you know?"
America: "Errr...we checked the receipt......."

Do not underestimate Richie Pryor, purely on the basis of co-writing another work of genius, Blazing Saddles.

!wink!

[The Last Word]

Obviously had his problems, but a genuinely talented innovator and door-opener for others. Certainly left his mark.

*and still sharp towards the end. Gig in California a few years back, health fading, chair-bound etc. Someone drops a wine glass. Pryor: "What's that? White people rioting?"

[Jock Strap]

Ahhh........Blazing Saddles.

'The sheriff is a n*****!'

Classic.

Pryor should have played that role but certain people just couldn't handle him.

He was great in Blue Collar with Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto. The director Paul Schrader said that Keitel and Pryor failed to hit it off and physically came to blows a few times.

We need Bill Hicks back more than ever these days. What with that monkey in the White House.
There's a comedy show touring the UK at the moment called Bill Hicks: Slight Return. It's coming here to Aberdeen in Feb. It's a tribute to the great man....Looking forward to it.

Hicks used to bemoan the fact that John Lennon was struck down while Billy Ray Cyrus still lived.
I feel the same way about Hicks and Joe Pasquale.

[Jock Strap]

We are lacking a true stand-up legend these days.
There are a lot of great comedians around.......Gervais, Kay, Dee, Evans, Noble.....etc.
But no real heavyweights like Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Billy Connolly, Woody Allen......
I can't see us looking back at any of the current crop and saying they were amazingly innovative, original, exciting and influential.
Although for me, outside of stand-up, The Office was all of those things.