Bill Maher Movies

Bill Maher: The Decider features the popular stand-up comic and host of Real Time and Politically Incorrect offering his typically unique views on a variety of political and social topics. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

When comedy legend Tommy Chong was arrested in 2003 and given a nine-month prison sentence for the manufacture and sale of drug paraphernalia, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's revamped war on drugs soared, like a mighty eagle stricken with vertigo in mid-flight, to new levels of absurdity. Fortunately, filmmaker Josh Gilbert's cameras were rolling at the time, offering viewers a firsthand account of the vengeful American justice system in action. In addition to glamorizing drug use, prosecutors argued that Chong was also guilty of trivializing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat drug proliferation. When all was said and done, Chong, along with 54 others, was indicted on federal charges. For two years, Gilbert's prying lens followed the highly publicized case, allowing an amusing and sometimes frightening portrayal of eroding civil liberties in modern-day America. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Comedian, talk-show host, and occasional pundit Bill Maher delivers a king-sized portion of the biting wit that has made him famous in this performance video. Bill Maher: Be More Cynical features the host of Politically Incorrect and Real Time With Bill Maher sharing his views on everything from the current political scene to the mysteries of men and women in this stand-up performance. Bill Maher: Be More Cynical was originally produced for the premium cable network HBO, where it aired in 2004. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Comedian and social commentator Bill Maher has developed a nationwide reputation for pushing the political and cultural envelope -- so much so that he was fired from his own show, Politically Incorrect, for some of his comments regarding the September 11th terrorist attacks, and almost immediately picked up by HBO to host a similarly formatted program. The Tony award-nominated Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home (the one-man show originated on Broadway) features Maher tackling politics, religion, war, the tumultuous Middle East, sexuality, and the ever-growing hypocrisy that binds them all together. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

With their blend of folk singing and stand-up comedy, Tom and Dick Smothers became a popular nightclub attraction in the early 1960's and were frequent guests on many television variety shows of the day. In 1967, in a bid to win younger viewers away from NBC's perennially popular western series Bonanza, CBS gave The Smothers Brothers an hour-long comedy-variety series airing on Sunday evenings The show became an unexpected hit, and in their second season, The Smother Brothers and their writing staff (which at the time included Rob Reiner and Steve Martin) began using the show as a platform for satiric humor which examined key issues of the day, including the war in Vietnam, drugs, racism, and the right-wing policies of the Nixon White House. While the show remained popular, it also became wildly controversial, and the Smothers Brothers soon found themselves battling their network and the FCC for the right to say what they wanted on their own show. Smothered: The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars is a documentary which explores the history of the show, and how network brass and Nixon's cabinet worked together to pull the plug on a hit TV series; the film includes interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers, Rob Reiner, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, and Joan Baez. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

While organizing a roast for Larry (Garry Shandling), Norman (David Paymer) invites Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, and Al Franken to take their best shot at the self-absorbed talk-show host. When Artie (Rip Torn) invites Carl Reiner to host instead of Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), the sensitive sidekick retaliates by practicing his heckler defense skills and inviting an unexpected guest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cable Ace award-winner Bill Maher hosts two special episodes of his irreverent and provocative Comedy Central round-table talk show that both have only one guest: educator, writer, and libertarian provocateur Camille Paglia, author of Sexual Personae, an 800-page treatise on sex, art, and literature through the ages. She also penned the iconoclastic essay collections Sex, Art, and American Culture and Vamps & Tramps. It's a rare opportunity to see Maher taken aback; Paglia's diatribes tend to leave him groping for a response. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

In January 1996, Politically Incorrect moved to Los Angeles and began booking local talent on the program. In this video Bill Maher hosts two 1996 installments of his provocative and irreverent round-table talk show. Jay Leno headlines both episodes. In the first, Maher, the prodding moderator, stirs things up between Leno, star George Clooney, former Beverly Hills 90210 cast member Gabrielle Carteris, and former L.A. police chief Daryl Gates. The second bout features Leno, Ed McMahon, Randy Newman, and the first woman speaker of the California Assembly, Doris Allen. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

Bill Maher hosts a 1993 and a 1995 episode of the irreverent and provocative Comedy Central round-table talk show. The episodes center on the questions: "Do rap music's violent lyrics incite violent behavior?"; "Will Americans get nostalgic about almost anything?"; and "Why do people join cults?" In the first episode, Maher leads guests Quentin Tarantino, Corbin Bernsen, Dick Clark, and Margaret Smith on an examination of rap music, America's cultural expansionism, and ill-considered nostalgia. The second episode also features Tarantino, this time mixing it up with Maher, Janeane Garofalo, Bonnie Hunt, and Robin Leach over cults, juries, and a Disney history park. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide