Bill Cosby, Himself

Bill Cosby Director: Bill Cosby

Overview

"Bill Cosby, one of the most popular and influential standup comics in history, takes center stage in the concert film Bill Cosby, Himself. Featuring routines about parenthood, childhood, and dentists, the film debuts on DVD sporting both a widescreen transfer that preserves the original aspect ratio and a full-screen version for those who wish to relive their experiences of watching the film on cable. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital Stereo and Dolby Digital Mono. The only extra is the film's original trailer, but this gem of a performance makes the DVD well worth viewing."

Product Details

Release Date:	08/10/2004
UPC:	0024543106296
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	PG
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00

Special Features

Closed Caption; Original trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bill Cosby

Performer

Technical Credits

Bill Cosby

Director,Producer

Editorial Reviews

Bill Cosby, Himself is the kind of absorbing viewing experience that reminds audiences that good comedy once grew out of great storytelling, not a constant flow of one-liners or two- to three-minute riffs. With a pace that's notably slow and deliberate by modern standards, Cosby allows himself numerous pregnant pauses in unwinding a variety of family friendly tales, whose building absurdity earns bigger payoffs in the laugh department. Drawn (ostensibly) from his own experiences with whining children and an exasperated spouse, the material seems to lay the groundwork for his hit sitcom, The Cosby Show, which would begin its eight-season run just two years hence. What's most pleasurable about this concert film -- and consistent with Cosby's career-long ideals -- is his ability to seem fresh and insightful without resorting to envelope-pushing vulgarity. There's something almost corny about a 45-year-old man who loves to do dead-on impersonations of children, whether they be his own eating chocolate cake for breakfast, or others' kicking the seat throughout an unending airplane flight. That he gets away with it, and appeals to a broader range of fans than might like to admit it, is a testament to his unique position in the standup landscape, as well as to a proud sense of integrity.