Dir: Joe Layton
1982
*****
Live on the Sunset Strip probably represents the best of Richard Pryor, a comedian who was always funny, at his funniest. I've since discovered, thanks to the insightful and informative 2013 documentary; Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic by Marina Zenovich, that the recorded version that we all know and love was Pryor on his second night, the first night being a total disastor that had the comedy legend leave the stage after only 10 minutes, apologising to the crowd that he just couldn't do it. You wouldn't believe it unless you've seen the footage, as the 2nd night shows a man at the top of his game in a faultless performance. Live on the Sunset Strip represents a return to the stage after a very difficult and well documented few years of drug problems and that notorious free-basing accident. The fact that he overcame these issues (for a while anyway) and that he could talk about them so openly and laugh about them only makes the routine that more powerful, personal and special.
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