Richard Pryor… Here and Now (1983)

Richard Pryor… Here and Now: Directed by Richard Pryor. With Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney. Part live stand-up performance, part documentary, this film is one of comedian Richard Pryor’s later stand-up performances. As foul-mouthed as ever, Pryor touches on most of the same topics as in his previous live shows.

“Richard Pryor was one of the three greatest stand-up comedians of all time (along with George Carlin and Lenny Bruce), and there are three films that collectively show why: Richard Pryor: Live in Concert, Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip, and this comedy-concert film. In Here and Now, Pryor finds one of his best audiences in New Orleans – one patron even gives him a pet crab mid-show – and stumbles upon one of his most relaxed performances sans-u0026quot;king of comedyu0026quot; garb. His elderly character Mudbone shows up to discuss rude children, Mexicans, and earthquakes, along with a junkie character later who speaks of jail, invincibility, and tells us, u0026quot;I did it myselfu0026quot; before depriving us of his company. There are no scenes in a comedy concert, so my favorite bit is the gut-clenching finale about erections, vibrators, herpes, and public toilets. Pryor was a master.”