Bill would have been 50 on Dec 16th 2011, so there were celebrations around the world – including Steve Hicks IN PERSON in London at the Roxy Bar:

Thursday, Dec. 15, 7pm: Kessler Theater, Dallas TX

Friday, Dec. 16, 1pm: Fugard Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

Friday & Saturday, Dec. 16 & 17, 10pm: Alamo Drafthouse Village, Austin TX

Friday, Dec. 16, 6pm: Brezza Italian Coffee House, Sheffield UK

Friday, Dec. 16, 11pm: Ninja Bachelor Party + Kevin Booth Q&AComedy Store, LA

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2pm: Roxy Bar & Screen, London UK – with Steve Hicks

Saturday, Dec. 17, 11pm: BBC4 (aka the telly), London UK

Sunday, Dec. 18, 8:30pm: ABC2 (also aka the telly), Australia

4/8 – New York, NY – Cinema Village

4/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Laemmle’s Sunset 5

4/22 – Austin, TX – Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

4/27 – Portland, ME – SPACE Gallery

4/30 – Phoenix, AZ – MADCAP Theater

PLUS MORE DATES HERE!

Join us for the Release Screening at Rough Trade Weds 29th off Brick Lane
Featuring Q&A, Skype with Steve Hicks and exclusive prizes! www.roughtrade.com

We are so pleased to be releasing the film as we have compiled OVER 5 HOURS
of amazing extras in this SPECIAL 2 DISC SET which includes an exclusive 16page collectors booklet.

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS – over 3 hours of new interviews from Bills friends and family

RARE and UNSEEN CLIPS – 30 mins of
never-before-seen performance material.

FEATURETTES - following the Hicks family’s journey and the making of the film:

• Austin Panel at SxSW with Bill’s friends and brother Steve

• Festivals in UK & USA with the Hicks

• Hicks at Abbey Road Studios – remastering Bill’s tracks

• Kevin Booth shoots his film in LA

• 15th Anniversay tribute

• Comedy School

• Dominion Tour with the family, Revelations director Chris Bould and producer Charles Brand

• Dwight gigs in London

• Making of Arizona Bay

• The Ranch

BILL AUDIO JOURNAL CLIPS - Bill’s own personal audio diaries

• Bill lonely in LA, 1981

• Bill leaves New York for LA, 1992

PLUS Nick Doody radio interview from 1992

TRAILERS

• Audience Reactions Trailer

Pre-order/BUY HERE from Amazon

We are also running a panel ‘Modern Comedy in America” at 5.30pm on Sat at the Friars Club
featuring rare clips of Bill and comedians talking about Bill’s influence>

Book tickets here! www.friarsclub.com

It has been selected as the opening night film and will kick off 5 days of films in the downtown area. We hope all our LA friends can join us there – Bill’s family and Kevin Booth will join us for the Q&A afterwards.

http://www.dffla.com

So, American opened on 11 screens last Friday to great attendances and a packed Q&A event at Curzon Soho – thanks to all the Shooters who joined us, it was a very special night with great support from the wonderful Sheffield Doc Fest, who presented the event as part of their DocDays tour. The Q&A was by our friend Hussain, and we also managed to get in a lovely phone call with Steve Hicks.

Also present was Charles Brand, Bill’s exec producer and the man very responsible for bringing Bill to the UK, who gave some wonderful insight into what Bill was like in England, and the TV show they greenlit just before Bill died. The Curzon bar was filled till closing time with friends and many wonderful stories…

We are delighted to be holding over in 7 screens, plus opening in 5 more (Bradford, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool and Norwich) today!

The totals currently in mean we are the 19th most successful documentary theatrical release of the last two years, and we are opening in more cities the next two weeks, so looks like it could go higher than that.

Over the weekend, we did Q&A’s at the lovely Everyman cinema on Sat and then the Ritzy Brixton on Sunday, and the best thing for us is always those people who come up to us after the screening with a slightly wide eyed look and say “How can I not have heard of this guy before?” This is why we made the film in many ways, to reach people who had maybe not had a chance until now to discover Bill.

Kermode in Cannes

The next day, Mark Kermode who we spoke with on Friday does his BBC News 24 round up live from the Croisette about films out this week, and from maybe 8 or 9 possible choices, reviews Robin Hood, Lebanon and American (“one of the best films around, if you get the chance to see it you must!” Heres Mark’s report from Cannes;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8683796.stm

(PS. Extra from the 5 Live podcast on Friday. At the end, Simon Mayo asks what is their Movie of the Week and Mark answers “American’ – Simon hesitates and asks if he didnt mean Robin Hood? Nope says Mark. Its great, check it out:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/kermode_20100514-1626a.mp3

More updates to follow…

American The Bill Hicks Story opens in Bradford, Leicester, Manchester, Norwich and Liverpool tonight, and is still playing at several West End venues and in Scotland and Ireland – do check it out of you get the chance!

http://www.americanthemovie.com

8.40am RADIO4 TODAY programme - SIMON PEGG will be talking about Bill/the film with Nick Doody.

12 NOON Bill Hicks Official ‘NO WORK HOUR”
“Why dont YOU pretend I’m working?”

Close your spreadsheets, and remember a man who’s aim was to “enlighten people to think for themselves” by pretending to work. Share your memories, thoughts, quotes of Bill via twitter (hashtag “#noworkhour”), Facebook, blogs etc.
At 12, we’ll send you the exclusive “No Work Hour” clip link we’d like you to share and repost during the hour.

2.15pm RADIO 5 LIVE - Simon Mayo/Mark Kermode/us
Mark won’t there in the studio, he’s in Cannes, but he will be coming down the wire!

Opening weekend Q&A’s:
Curzon Soho – tonight, 6.15pm (SOLD OUT)
Screen on The Green – Sat May 15th 7.15pm
Ritzy Brixton – Sun May 16th 5pm.

Showing from TODAY Friday May 14th at these cinemas:
LONDON Curzon Soho
LONDON Greenwich Picturehouse
LONDON Odeon Covent Garden
LONDON Ritzy Brixton
LONDON Screen on the Green
BRISTOL Cube
BRISTOL Orpheus
CARDIFF Chapter
EDINBURGH Cameo
GLASGOW Film Theatre
MANCHESTER Printworks/Odeon
NEWCASTLE Tyneside FT
DUBLIN IFI
DUBLIN Screen D’Olier

Please come and support Bill and the film! See you at the movies…

okay so its less than a week to go until the UK release May 14th!

We’ve got a new trailer up – the BLACKBAND version! Check it out – its got swearing in!

Also check out the UK press today (Sat) – articles and interviews about the film in:
The Telegraph – Arts Review – Andy Fyfe feature on Bill Hicks
FT Weekend – Life & Arts – Interview with us as part of Emma Jacobs feature on subversive humour
The Times Playlist – Wit & Wisdom of Bill Hicks

Okay hope you have bought your tickets for next weekend, and if you can, drag a mate who doesnt know Bill along!

More news soon,

Team American