Call Me Lucky
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
Starring Barry Crimmins, David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Tom Kenny and Margaret Cho
An inspiring, triumphant and wickedly funny portrait of one of comedy’s most enigmatic and important figures, CALL ME LUCKY tells the story of Barry Crimmins, a beer-swilling, politically outspoken and whip-smart comic whose efforts in the 70s and 80s fostered the talents of the next generation of standup comedians. But beneath Crimmins’ gruff, hard-drinking, curmudgeonly persona lay an undercurrent of rage stemming from his long-suppressed and horrific abuse as a child – a rage that eventually found its way out of the comedy clubs and television shows and into the political arena.
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Reviews
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★★★★ review by Nathan Rabin on Letterboxd
Bobscratch Goldfarb really outdid himself with this one.
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★★★★★ review by Leticia Fernandes on Letterboxd
"I'm whatever threatens you. I'm a Communist with AIDS and I bite."
It feels ironic how I've heard of every single comedian who's been part of this documentary except for the one who this is about. It's even more ironic that after only about 105 minutes he became one of my favorites. Not because he's the funniest (tho in my opinion he might be) but because of the person he's become despite everything he's been through. And how he dedicates his life to informing people about what really goes on and why is it wrong, why it should be different. And, even with his rage fits, he does so in a way that is so kind? I don't have many people I can say are my "role models" but if there's someone I could see myself aspiring to be, when it comes to ideals and how to handle people with different opinions than mine, he fore sure is the number one. Also, Barry whenever you need help to overthrow the governament and close the catholic church just hmu because I'm down.
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★★★★★ review by Wood on Letterboxd
Apparently there are some stories still worth telling left out there. Bobcat Goldthwait is probably the only one who could have done this right. His familiarity with the early Boston comedy scene, Barry Crimmins, and is not afraid to go dark.
Tell everyone the truth, tell anyone the truth.
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★★★★ review by Jeremiah Dollins on Letterboxd
Barry Crimmins is a legendary comic that only comedians seem to know about, but he's one of the most influential in the modern era. This documentary, directed by Crimmins' friend, Bobcat Goldthwait, looks at how the man inspired those around him with his acidic brand of social commentary. More importantly, though, it examines the pain behind the laughs. Crimmins was the victim of sexual assault as a child, and the incidences inform the way he is seen by the public, his friends, and himself. Goldthwait's film does a great job painting a portrait of this artist as more than a survivor, but as an American hero.
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★★★★½ review by DBC on Letterboxd
It's incredibly rare when someone comes along who not only helps to kick an artform into overdrive--as Crimmins did when he enthusiastically supported a generation of up-and-coming comics and gave them a regular venue in Boston back in the 80s--but who is also hilarious themselves AND proves to be a consistent force for good in every area of life they touch upon.
RIP Barry Crimmins.
1953-2018 - See all reviews