Preface: I discovered George Carlin's "Jammin' in NY" on VHS in middle school. My friends and I watched him religiously; memorizing his routines. I still quote him in my daily life, having sampled and referenced his works on probably dozens of songs as a musician.
I'm a huge fan of Judd's films and books. His Garry Shandling doc was incredible, too. So when he announced this film, a doc about my absolute hero, I was elated.
The opening five minutes are tremendously exciting. I knew that it was made by people who truly got what George was about. Every era is represented, and for the most part, quite thoroughly. Many clips of his standup are presented without interruption.
The film opts for quality over quantity. I expected a plethora of comedians, but here we get the best voices working today: Chris Rock, Bill Burr, and Jerry Seinfeld. Frequent collaborator Kevin Smith also provides some valuable background on George's personal life.
After nearly four hours, it left me wanting more. I would've loved to see "Euhemisms" and "The 10 Commandments" represented, and the timely commentary of his Parental Advisory album cover.
Additionally, this was released 20 years and two days after the Complaints & Grievances album. Being one of his finest works, it's the only HBO special that was completely ignored. There was a brief mention of the original title, I Kinda Like it When a Lotta People Die-and what an amazing story to omit-but the content itself is not found. (For the backstory, listen to my interview on the Take 92 Podcast with Complaints & Grievances artist, Winston Smith.)
In the end, this film offers a closer look at the reasons for what he does. I was compelled by the timing of Brenda's death in relation to You Are All Diseased. It was that deep hurt that led to his most epic bits on religion. And it may have been the reason that he closed his heart to such an extent on his last two specials.* He was protecting himself. (*Note: I do not endorse the opinion that his last two specials were "too dark" or any less brilliant.)
The film shows someone who was deeply empathetic and also quite sensitive, using his stage persona to make sense of the world around him. George was dedicated to a fault, and sacrificed his most important relationships to become the fearless performer we all loved. His pursuit of the craft remains unparalleled by anyone in his field.
I miss George dearly and regret that I never got to meet him. I'll watch this documentary countless times, like so many of his specials. This is a gift to the fans. Thank you to Judd, Michael, and HBO. Joe bless GC.
I'm a huge fan of Judd's films and books. His Garry Shandling doc was incredible, too. So when he announced this film, a doc about my absolute hero, I was elated.
The opening five minutes are tremendously exciting. I knew that it was made by people who truly got what George was about. Every era is represented, and for the most part, quite thoroughly. Many clips of his standup are presented without interruption.
The film opts for quality over quantity. I expected a plethora of comedians, but here we get the best voices working today: Chris Rock, Bill Burr, and Jerry Seinfeld. Frequent collaborator Kevin Smith also provides some valuable background on George's personal life.
After nearly four hours, it left me wanting more. I would've loved to see "Euhemisms" and "The 10 Commandments" represented, and the timely commentary of his Parental Advisory album cover.
Additionally, this was released 20 years and two days after the Complaints & Grievances album. Being one of his finest works, it's the only HBO special that was completely ignored. There was a brief mention of the original title, I Kinda Like it When a Lotta People Die-and what an amazing story to omit-but the content itself is not found. (For the backstory, listen to my interview on the Take 92 Podcast with Complaints & Grievances artist, Winston Smith.)
In the end, this film offers a closer look at the reasons for what he does. I was compelled by the timing of Brenda's death in relation to You Are All Diseased. It was that deep hurt that led to his most epic bits on religion. And it may have been the reason that he closed his heart to such an extent on his last two specials.* He was protecting himself. (*Note: I do not endorse the opinion that his last two specials were "too dark" or any less brilliant.)
The film shows someone who was deeply empathetic and also quite sensitive, using his stage persona to make sense of the world around him. George was dedicated to a fault, and sacrificed his most important relationships to become the fearless performer we all loved. His pursuit of the craft remains unparalleled by anyone in his field.
I miss George dearly and regret that I never got to meet him. I'll watch this documentary countless times, like so many of his specials. This is a gift to the fans. Thank you to Judd, Michael, and HBO. Joe bless GC.