In the 1970s, Richard Pryor dropped like a bomb into the sanitized landscape of American television. Raised in his grandmother’s Illinois bordello, he became famous for his expletive-filled stand-up routines about the black man trying to survive in the land of whiteys. His transition to television was stormy, and he had to battle to get every scene past the censors. The sacrifices he made to the white establishment contributed to a self-loathing that plagued him throughout adulthood. Seven marriages, and chronic drug abuse fueled endless media interest — as did Pryor’s setting himself on fire whilst freebasing cocaine. A string of friends including Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams recount how whenever Pryor was poised on the brink of mega success, his behavior would sabotage him — for most people to understand the comic legend you need to “omit the logic”. CN
You May Also Like
The story of 12-year-old Mahendra Ahirwar from India, who has a rare muscle-wasting condition that means that he cannot stand or walk and his neck muscles are so weak his head hangs upside down.
A Netflix Comedy Special: Comedian and actor Chris D’Elia (“Undateable” and “Whitney”), known for his dynamic physical comedy, explains why the NFL would be way more entertaining if it were real lions, bears and Vikings battling each other, that babies are the worst prize ever, and that you should never ask a Cuban directions unless you’re ready for the best time of your life.
A concert film that the former Pink Floyd singer-songwriter made on various tour dates between 2010 and 2013, when he was playing his former group’s 1980 double-album in its entirety.
A documentary on young actress, Marianna Palka, as she confronts her risk of Huntington’s Disease.
An enthralling look at the Arctic’s biggest predator on ice, capturing rarely-seen behavior, and featuring breathtaking cinematography shot over 12 months in the Canadian Arctic.
Documentary about the discovery of the largest T-Rex fossil found.
Small-town import Ryan Hamilton charms New York with folksy comic observations on big-city life, hot-air ballooning and going to Disney World alone.
American citizens in more than 25 states are followed as they set out on the morning of the presidential election, throughout the course of the day, until the polls close in the evening and the results are revealed.
Soul Power is a 2008 documentary film about the Zaire 74 music festival in Kinshasa which accompanied the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight boxing championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in October 1974. The film was made from archival footage; other footage shot at the time focusing on the fight was edited to form the film When We Were Kings.
Doctors, nutritionists, authors and entrepreneurs from 4 countries share why they choose to go against conventional health wisdom to promote Paleo. The film also reflects on how they were profoundly transformed by the lifestyle beforehand.
Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.
