Bill Cosby: Himself (1983) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
39 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
9/10
Funny and truthful.
SmileysWorld13 January 2005
When I saw this film in the 80's,I was but a teenager who knew nothing about life.The jokes about child rearing were a riot to me.Now,I am 39 years old,married and a father of two.As I watch the film now,I find they are not only funny,but downright truthful as well.I can not only laugh,I can also say to myself,"He's absolutely right".I once heard Bill Cosby joke that HBO had run this movie "way too much",and that they needed to stop it.However,to me personally,it never gets old.I watch at least once a year and it is just as fresh and funny to me now as it was then.I admire Bill Cosby because he is living proof that you don't need vulgarity to be funny.He is truly the last of his kind.
20 out of 20 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Bill is always a laugh-riot.
Phil_H1 December 1999
For the longest time, I was afraid to rate any stand-up comedy performances here for the simple fact that I didn't want my opinions to become less valid based solely upon changing societal views on acceptible comedy. However, Bill Cosby is a classic example of a great comedian, placed alone in his element (a stage), commanding the audience with his natural wit and charm. Let us not forget that Bill is probably one of the funniest men on the planet. I've seen "Bill Cosby: Himself" at least a dozen times, and each time I laugh until it hurts. He never seems to lose the edge, his jokes never seem trite, and you never become immune to Bill's humor. If only every comedian was as funny as he is.
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
The Funniest Man Alive Delivers This Spin-Splitting Showstopper!
jbartelone29 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The unmatchable master of comic story telling, Bill Cosby, using only a chair and microphone as props takes center stage in a filmed concert sequence. He will have his viewing audience in stitches most of the time! What makes Bill Cosby work so well as a comedian and storyteller is how he is able to see humor in the real life experiences that he and his wife shared in raising five children. The situations he describes are natural, never forced, and can be seem through the eyes of any parent with a child or children.

Standout skits are: "Going to the Dentist," "Natural Childbirth," "Visiting Grandparents", "The Same Thing Happens Every Night" and my two LANDMARK sketches: "Little Jeffrey on the Airplane" and "Chocolate Cake For Breakfast!!!" (Not only my favorite part of the film, but perhaps the greatest comic sketch I have EVER seen!) If you like The Cosby Show, you will LOVE THIS tape/DVD!

The only reason that I can not give this movie a 10/10 is because the opening sequence about getting drunk ("which he calls, "Having A Good Time") I didn't think was all that funny. However, this is the only downer in an otherwise great movie. If you have the DVD, you can just skip that track. It's not a bad skit. But it's not up to the classic comedy par as the others.

If you love THE COSBY SHOW, YOU MUST OWN THIS MOVIE!
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
The Master at work....
Mister-614 August 1999
A couple of years before "The Cosby Show" debuted and rejuvenated his career, Bill Cosby did a filmed concert, reviewing his opinions on drugs, alcohol, dentists, natural childbirth, child rearing and what really makes good parents.

In short, just being the Cos.

"Bill Cosby, Himself" is one of the only films I have laughed at so hard that I had to lie down for minutes afterwards. It's almost like this concert film was just a continuous string of highlights. But it works so well because the Cos sees so much of the truth in families, from both the parent's and the child's points of view. Everything rings true, and therefore, the humor reveals itself naturally.

Aside from the drug and alcohol routines, "Bill Cosby, Himself" is a perfect film for the entire family. Every member can see a little bit of themselves in one routine or another. No wonder Bill Cosby remains the great comedian he is today: he's still a family man.

Ten stars. Perfect.

Thanks, Cos.
10 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
If this doesn't make you laugh, you are dead...
planktonrules29 August 2009
This is a wonderful and timeless film that shows Bill Cosby doing what he does best--his wonderful stand-up routine (though, oddly, he's sitting during the presentation). I saw it back when it first came out and years later saw it again and the film STILL made me laugh hysterically. The only difference is that now I am joined by my family who also laughs along with it.

Unlike some of Cosby's early routines, he doesn't do the characters he's famous for (such as his routine with his brother, Russell, or Fat Albert or the like). Instead, Cosby just talks...talks about life...fatherhood...kids...or whatever seems to be on his mind. Amazingly, he does this all so effortlessly and without using filthy language or humor that you can't let the kids hear. Of this kind of humor, it just doesn't get any better.

Oh, and since watching this film, I have learned that the best breakfast for my kids IS chocolate cake and have served it to them many times. So there.
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Push it out...shove it out....way out!
cabasaexpert35125 May 2006
Bill Cosby does it again with this hilarious video that will keep you laughing from beginning to end. He talks about drinking, going to the dentist, childbirth, marriage, raising children among other things. The funniest thing about it is everything he says is so true. I think anyone can appreciate this, it is good clean comedy. He will keep you laughing with his jokes, his tine of voice, facial expressions and body movement. I especially like when he talks about "Natural child birth", "Brain damage", and "The same thing happens every night". It may start out a little slow at first but keep watching it, you'll be glad you did. It will definitely keep you laughing!
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Wonderfully funny!
Morgan873 April 2006
Absolutely hilarious, you won't be able to stop laughing. Bill Cosby is a comic genius! I grew up with this movie, and it's one that will live on in my family forever. Brilliant! Whether he is talking about dentists, parenthood, or his own childhood, Mr. Cosby draws us into his stories, and enthralls us with his tales of "brain-damaged people." His stories touch our hearts and remind us of the good times of our own childhood, adolescence, parenthood, and life in general. This is definitely a show that everyone should see, if not own for their own collections. I've shown it to countless people, and not a single one has not liked it. Usually we go around quoting it for a few days. There is so much goodness in Mr. Cosby's humor, and it's something I think that we need more of in the world today.
4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Great!!!!
MotorheadOnly1227 July 2002
Can't get sick of this stand-up comedy Bill Cosby is one of the most funniest comedians of all time he can make you laugh all the time. Bill Cosby: Himself shows what i mean it was a brilliant show he was great at that show his stories about drunks, dentist, and his family is non-stop laughs i give this a 10 out of 10.
7 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Do not watch if you hate to laugh!
Op_Prime4 January 2000
This is classic Cosby. If you thought The Cosby Show was good, you'll love 'Himself.' Bill Cosby deals with the dentist, natural child birth, kids and their 'brain damage' and so much more. Bill Cosby is one of the funniest people in the world. His material is clean and for the family, that's why he's so good. He can be funny without swearing or... whatever. I watch this as often as possible and always get a pain in my side afterward from laughing so hard. Way to go Cos!
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Bill Cosby: Himself is a great film of one of his concerts
tavm18 February 2018
I first watched this hilarious performance of Bill Cosby in concert on HBO some 34 years ago. Having just watched it again on YouTube, it still is very funny. He begins by talking about drugs, then segues into talking about going to the dentist, that goes into having his first kid which then goes into stories of the rest of his children and his wife, and then finally on his own parents. The only time I found myself wincing a little this time was the part when he jokingly said his only son wasn't going to live long as Ennis would eventually be killed some years back. Watching this again, I didn't think much of the recent accusations against him. To me as I was seeing this just now, he still seemed that funny guy just muddling through the joys and pains of fatherhood, doing it with great humor. So on that note, if you don't think less of him now because of what is said against him these days, I very much highly recommend Bill Cosby: Himself.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Jon Monsarrat review: good but dated
johnnymonsarrat25 October 2006
Everybody loves Bill Cosby, not just for his humor but for the social commentary. I liked how the Cosby Show was just a show about people being people, not focusing on racial issues. It makes me think how the first black president of the United States will always be "the first black president". I guess it will take black US president two or three before it finally progresses to people just being people. Bill Cosby had that down early, in the 1980s. So in a way he was the first black entertainer to not need to base all his humor on his minority status.

Unfortunately, the humor in Bill Cosby: Himself is not at all edgy. The movie is simply a live recording of one of his stand-up shows. Compared to today's stand up comedians there's really nothing wild about it, and personally I don't have any kids so the family jokes were fine but didn't strike me.

The worst part of the film, and the reason I downgraded it to a 6 out of 10, was the casual references to child abuse. Giving kids a "beating" wasn't really appropriate in the 1980s and today it is the kind of thing that no stand-up comedian would touch, even if they're talking trash about celebrities and drug use.

So I would call Bill Cosby: Himself, mildly amusing, worth a few laughs but definitely not must-see material.

Who should see this film:

-- Serious Bill Cosby fans only, but then again, serious Bill Cosby fans may already be familiar with this work

-- Everyone else, skip it I'll give Bill Cosby: Himself a 6 out of 10.
1 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
very very funny
thepulse10123 May 2006
This was so funny my dad laughed non stop through the entire show. I found his impressions to be the funniest like when he pretended that the dentist had frozen his lip, man I could not stop laughing. It was so funny that I had to leave the room because I couldn't breath anymore. That's how hard I was laughing! I think that it kinda took him a long time to get going but after about ten minutes the whole crowd was roaring. Considering the prices of most live shows like U2: Live in Boston which costs 45$ I think it was a good deal to buy this because it only cost 11$ and it wasn't on sale. I would recommend this DVD to anyone who likes good clean fun from one of the most legendary comedian of all time. A must see!
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
A comedy special almost entirely ruined by its comedian's pacing
StevePulaski18 September 2014
Bill Cosby: Himself is arguably Cosby's most well-known and successful comedy special, as its depiction of what we assume from the title is Cosby acting naturally, voicing his opinion on life, marriage, and the actions of his colleagues for about one-hundred minutes as he sits before a packed house on stage. Himself even worked to establish The Cosby Show, one of Cosby's many pet-projects that succeeded beyond any expectations.

Cosby may be considered an invaluable comic treasure, and is certainly one of the most influential black comedians to have ever lived, but Bill Cosby: Himself was a stand-up (or sit-down, in Cosby's case) comedy special I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by. For starters, Cosby's delivery on the aforementioned subjects is incredibly sluggish and plodding, spending roughly fifteen minutes on every subject, not really to develop or expand on ideas, but to tell a story in the slowest manner possible. When it comes to comedy, especially stand-up comedy, most comedians look to taking an approach to subjects by giving them a rapid-fire spin, spending roughly six to seven minutes on a topic and then smoothly transitioning it to another. In Cosby's case, he acts in an unhurried manner, which is find and makes a case for individualism on his part, but after spending roughly ten to fifteen minutes on the same story, with the punchline taking forever to show up, and finally, not always being that funny, it becomes a stunted exercise in humor.

Furthermore, Cosby takes a safe, family-friendly approach to the subjects, which is absolutely fine, for few comedians today are bold enough to operate on such a clean scale. Yet something about this, combined with the pacing of the special, makes the entire special feel lukewarm and forgettable. Cosby's mannerisms are interesting, and his facial expressions consistently amusing and fun to watch, but other than that, the comedic delivery is one I'm not accustomed to, and find self-defeating in the realm of comedy.

Directed by: Bill Cosby.
0 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Constructing a Society
tedg11 May 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.

You are what you laugh at. And what you choose to think funny invents you. When enough people find a humorist and laugh, a society is changed.

Consider: here is a man whose jokes are not blue (sex jokes are always class jokes). Here is a black comedian whose routine is not based on some corporately-defined cultural difference (`white folks are prim, we is cool').

Think about it. Cosby saved the situation comedy and incidentally NBC. He may have saved the US from a real race war by his simple humanity -- by employing avuncular timing and describing simple family characteristics.

How many recorded concerts can you watch that are both historically important and damned funny?
4 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Riotously Funny
gcd7026 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Bill Cosby, the world famous star of the popular sit-com "The Cosby Show", and now one of the richest men in America, started his career as a stand-up comedian, and it's no wonder why. The man is a natural in front of a live audience, and is easily able to relate day to day events of regular life in hilarious, anecdotal fashion.

Cosby touches on everything from childbirth to dentists, with often riotous results. Especially funny is his description of the birth and rearing of his children, which he recounts with tenderness as well as humour. Even alcoholics get a right royal serve, as Mr. Cosby goes a long way to exploding the myth that going out and getting blind drunk is loads of fun.

In all this is an enjoyable, most inoffensive, laugh-a-minute show, that can be highly recommended for anyone from seven to seventy years who has the slightest sense of humour. Cosby is a master raconteur.

Sunday, July 14, 1996 - Video

Monday, October 13, 1997 - Video
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Bill Cosby, Himself
barbara-sprague26 July 2005
A hilarious movie that STILL has me laughing as hard as the first time! Anyone who has kids or even got drunk will sit back in approval having similar experienced. My kids have watched this and found it Hilarious! I'm so glad that they enjoyed watching it! Appropriate for children to view (he only uses mild profanity three times). I also hope to obtain a copy of this as well. A Must See!!! A Classic Comedy to watch time and time again! Bill Cosby at his best! It's like fine wine, it gets better with age. If you have never seen this hilarious movie, then what are you waiting for? Rent it! Borrow it from your local library! Or borrow it from a friend who does own it. GET IT AND WATCH IT TODAY, NOW!!!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Excellent Concert! Recommended for First Time Parents.
keithpkennedy7 October 2005
This concert is by far the best Bill Cosby I have ever seen. Fell out of my chair while holding my sides several times laughing. Granted this concert is much funnier if you are a parent as you can absolutely relate to many of the experiences. And if you have ever been in the dentist's chair you will love his bit about getting dental work done. In the first part of the concert he goes a bit out of character about using profanity (the cocaine bit--he ask's "but what if your an A**hole") however it does seem to fit the scenario so it really is not that bad. Parents may wish to fast forward through that part due to the nature of what is being talked about. Still my favorite work of Bill Cosby---right up there with Noah!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Be Yourself
NoDakTatum8 December 2023
Bill Cosby wrote and directed a concert film that provided enough material to launch his most successful sitcom. The stage features Cosby, a chair, a microphone, and nothing else. He is caught on film in a Canadian concert, and sometimes acknowledges the audience. While Cosby is alone on the stage, but he populates his routine with more characters than a David Lean film, all of them memorable. He opens with perhaps the funniest anti-drug and anti-alcohol rant ever done, more effective than the ads on airwaves today. He visits his dentist. He and his wife decide to have children, producing four daughters and a son. He covers childbirth, raising these "brain damaged" children, and his parents' reactions. He closes with a riff on living with his own parents, perhaps the funniest twenty minutes ever filmed at a live concert. Unless you are a toothless test tube orphan virgin, you will find something to associate with during the film, and this is why "Bill Cosby: Himself" is my all-time favorite comedy concert film. Cosby does not tell us how difficult it is to be rich, how tough kicking addictive narcotics is, or how to make up stupid nursery rhymes using profanity. He simply spins his tales, and the audience and viewer is able to find the humor in the universal themes.

When I watched this decades ago, I had two sons, ages three and seven, and I sympathized with everything that goes into being a father. I have one sister and two brothers, and sympathized with everything that went into being a bratty sibling. I have been to the dentist, I have been out having fun on the weekend "because I deserved it," and dragging back into work, happy to be alive. Bill Cosby knows his audience is full of average people, and vividly illustrates his routine using "characters" we all know. A reviewer once said "The Cos proves himself a master storyteller and a hilarious comic." He is much more than that. In the intervening forty years since this film was released, his only son was brutally murdered and he committed horrific assaults that permanently damaged his reputation, turning him from beloved to one of the most reviled people in the country. I had watched this film many times before the proven allegations serviced, but I'll never watch it again. I hate that I have to put a disclaimer on a film I loved so much, but here it is.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Possibly the funniest stand-up routine ever performed.
razorwyre112 December 2009
For those who only know Bill Cosby from his TV shows, this film will show you why he got to do them. It also shows a more mature, thoughtful Cosby than the comic recorded in his earlier works, but one who hasn't yet aged into over-sentimentality, as he eventually did. His bits, which are loosely strung together in a sort of connect-the-dots" way, certainly resonate with every American who has seen typical family life during the latter half of the 20th century, and do so simply by holding up a mirror and pointing out our own absurdities to us. Best of all, he does so without ever getting cruel, mean spirited, or vulgar. (There is only 1 single word in the entire film that would need to be censored for broadcast TV, and its relatively mild.) This is almost certainly Cosby's "career best". I'd love to know how long it took to write and refine, because there isn't a klunker in the lot. some bits are funnier than others, but all of them are very very funny. Be prepared to laugh until it hurts, and be sure only to drink when you see Cosby take a drink onstage, otherwise you risk flooding your sinuses as you try to laugh and drink at the same time (as I did).
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
I was there in person...
freeport7774 October 2008
The show was on my birthday, May 7th. I sat immediately to the left of the big Panavision camera just behind the soundboard, in the middle of the orchestra seats. I was with my then fiancé and I remember that it was the funniest show I had ever seen. They talk about splitting your sides laughing, but that night I was in real pain from laughing so hard before the show was halfway through. I was sore the next day too! It was a classic! You will not regret watching this film! I have watched the film many times since and it is still almost as funny as that night. I think that this film and Delirious by Eddie Murphy and Never Scared with Chris Rock are the three funniest stand up (or in Bill Cosby's case sit down), shows I have ever watched on screen.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Bill Cosby at his best!!
SHB_732 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I have been a fan of Bill Cosby for a long time and this documentary is one of the main reasons why. I remember first seeing this on TV back in 1983 and I could not stop laughing! Filmed in Toronto, Canada Bill takes us through his life from when he became a father to his childhood and to raising 5 children. 30 years later and it still makes me smile. Bill proves why he is one of the greatest comics of all time. He includes such bits such as why children have brain damage, being drunk, a story about Jeffrey on the airplane, and my personal favorite: "The same thing happens every night". Bill Cosby is a laugh riot from beginning to end. You will enjoy it!
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
This movie has been rated EF (Extremely Funny)
D MIKE V18 October 1998
If you were a Bill Cosby fan & could only see one concert, this would be the one to watch, dealing with such topics as dentists, natural childbirth, getting wasted on Friday night, & the crazy things children do, this movie shows a comic master at his best.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
What the Cos Does Best!
EmperorNortonII17 November 2000
This is one of Bill Cosby's best performances. It showcases classic Cosby comedy routines, such as his famous "Dentist" monologue, and his hilarious study of alcohol and drugs. If you liked his TV show, you'll enjoy the jokes that inspired it!
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
hilarious
sugardaisy12 August 2001
i watched this movie one day when i was home babysitting a little girl that had the chicken pox. we could not stop laughing throughout the whole thing. i especially like the part where he's talking about the dentist. that was the funniest of all. and the part when he was talking about his kids and eating cake for breakfast. i loved it!!! i never knew he could be that funny.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Hands-down, one of the funniest...
tzar2614 February 2003
ANYTHINGS of all time. I grew up on this movie/stand-up/sit-down act playing on HBO seemingly every day back in the mid-80s. It was incredibly funny then, and incredibly funny now. Cosby has a way of bringing class to the stage and telling stories in a way that can make you laugh until you hurt.

Remember when you were young and there was that one person in your family who, no matter what he/she said, made you laugh until your stomach ached and you'd get actually get in trouble for laughing too much? That's Cos in this. Sheerly, sheerly hilarious. Even if you aren't a fan of his, have an open mind and watch this classic work.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed