This movie’s great! Makes me want chocolate cake! Break out the Kodak film for this week’s Movies You Have Not Seen But Should!

Thanks for joining us again for Movies You Have Not Seen But Should.  This week, we will take another trip into the wayback machine and look at the 1983 stand-up comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself.

Bill Cosby is one of the biggest comedians of all time.  He has sold millions of comedy albums and starred in TV shows and movies.  His standup routine has sold out in theaters and comedy clubs across the country.  This film is one of his comedy shows that was shot before a live audience at the Hamilton Place Theater in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

This film is like most from the stand-up comedy genre.  Cosby is on stage with just a chair.  There is simple staging, yet Cosby is completely engaging.  He spends his routine telling stories of his life.  These stories include his childhood, his married life, his time as a father raising his kids and just life in general.  It has a conversational feel, but it’s just Cosby doing the talking.

Much of what Cosby talks about in his standup routine would eventually be fodder for his successful sitcom The Cosby Show, which would debut a year after this film.  The film was also directed and produced by Cosby himself.  The film was released in theaters on May 20, 1983.  It received an 80% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bill Cosby: Himself is available on DVD (and for pretty cheap). This is a hilarious film that is worth watching. If you’re a fan of Mr. Cosby, I’m sure you’ve seen this film, but you should watch it again. There may be some of you who might have missed out. If you have, you should check it out. It’s one that you may not have seen, but you should.