Richard Pryor is arguably the greatest comedian of all time, even though he's not my favorite. I can't stand Tom Brady (in a sports context),but I won't deny that he's the greatest QB of all time.
I like Richard Pryor a lot. He's in my top ten for sure. "Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic" makes me appreciate him even more. He was a phenomenal comedian with some serious personal flaws. "Omit the Logic" interviews over a dozen friends, family, colleagues, and associates of Pryor detailing his rise and his fall. If you are a fan of comedy and stand-up comedians, this is a must watch.
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
2013
Action / Biography / Documentary
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
2013
Action / Biography / Documentary
Plot summary
The life and times of Richard Pryor.
Uploaded by: OTTO
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
The Mercurial Comedy G.O.A.T.
"Nothing was too sad, some humor couldnt be found in it"...
I truly think this is the best portrait of Richard Pryor. Are you into Dave Chapelle, better start watching Richard Pryor first, because Dave Chapelle thinks Richard Pryor is without any question the best comedian that has ever lived.
What's sad about Richard Pryor is that his upbringing in a brothel was the source of pain from which he drew his jokes. His mamma got f90ked on a daily basis by white men. THAT should give you some idea where his jokes about white folks originated from.
"Nothing was too sad, some humor couldnt be found in it".
I got to know Richard Pryor from his block buster movies like "Silver Streak", like most people did, but the incrowd of comedians came to know of Richard Pryor through his stand up comedies that were too provocative and insulting to be aired on television. Nonetheless his longplay records (remember those?) of his live stand up performances topped the number 1 spot at the black music charts back in the sixties.
WHAT he said and HOW he said it and with the POWER he said it, has been unmatched ever since.
I highly recommend you for whomever is reading this review to google some of Richard Pryor's appearances at Johnny Carson. Youtube has tons of it available and it showed me what an extraordinary person Richard Pryor was. He was the real deal. Hurted, scared, unable to maintain any relationship, but making a career out of his pain by making jokes about it that the masses loved.
I truly think he was the best African American comedian that has ever walked this earth. I highly recommend this wonderful portrait of him, with an excellent biography of his entire life.
Well-Paced & Interesting
This documentary, I thought, was a well-paced and interesting look at the iconic comedian, writer, and actor Richard Pryor.
His epiphany early on in his career to be himself, thus to use raw language and the N-word, although giving him rough times at first, would eventually pave the way for his stardom and be a catalyst for many other performers to follow. It would also actually serve as a bridge for better relations between the black and white communities.
The movie delves somewhat into Pryor's personal life, looking as his difficult upbringing in a bordello, where his father and uncle were pimps and his mother a prostitute. Pryor was very close to his grandmother who actually raised him and set disciplinary boundaries for him. He had various personalities, per those that knew him well, and ended up marrying seven times to five different women.
The documentary also goes into some detail about Pryor's cocaine addiction, and how his physical and mental health especially deteriorated when he switched from snorting to freebasing the drug. This would lead eventually to the infamous traumatic event where he lit himself on fire, while high, and ran down his neighborhood street. He would miraculously survive extremely serious burns.
There's the usual array of interviewees in the film, from former colleagues, collaborators, and those that knew him well, including his widow Jennifer Lee Pryor, who obviously held great affection for him. There's also clips of Pryor's concert, film, and TV appearances which I thought were well edited.
Overall, as mentioned, I found this movie, directed by Marina Zenovich, to be quite engaging and informative, and I certainly learned more about the great comedian than I knew before.