Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"I thank God every day, jack. I do..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 17, 2024

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. first graced the planet twenty-four days before Christmas, on December 1, 1940. He would depart this life sixty-five years later. Just fifteen days before Christmas, on December 10, 2005. And despite all the criticism and controversy, the hatred and racism that dogged Pryor throughout his iconic comedy career, the world is a lesser placed without him. Part legendary stand-up, part unwavering philosopher, part profane poet, Richard Pryor survived an inhuman amount of drugs, years of crippling addiction, literal flames and fire, even at least one suicide attempt to become one of the most influential comedians of the 20th century; not just among African American comics, but all comics. He also posthumously won an unspoken little feud that often goes unmentioned, proving he was the true saint in his complicated relationship turned moral war of words with a notably self-righteous, now disgraced Bill Cosby. I hope Pryor's grinning at us all from the clouds, muttering, "I told ya'll mutha fu**ers he wasn't on the up and up." More than any accomplishments, though, Pryor's routines, vulnerability, observational rants, scathing cultural indictments and willingness to take vicious shots at himself allowed him to emerge as something far more important than one of the greatest comedians of all time. And watching a show like Live on the Sunset Strip makes it clear: in spite of all his flaws and burdens, all his missteps and misdeeds, Richard Pryor was a genuinely good man.

One thing I got out of [my trip to Africa] is magic. I'd like to share it with you. You know, it's like I was leavin' and I was sittin' in the hotel and a voice said to me, it said to me, "Look around, what do you see?" And I said, "I see all colors of people doin' everything." You know? And the voice said, "Do you see any n***ers?" I said... "no." And it said, "You know why? 'Cause there aren't any."

Shot live at the Hollywood Palladium theater, Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip captures all the excitement, lunacy and electric force of Pryor's patented brand of standup. But he's not alone. He might strike you as standing alone on the stage, but he's joined by an endless parade of characters and split personalities, each one appearing in rapid-fire succession as his face and voice shift and distort. He details his trip to Africa in search of his roots. Refuses to pull punches in recounting his dangerous years in the throes of addiction. Speaks frankly and somehow hilariously about depression, despair and suicidal ideations. Recounts the early days of his tough-fought career playing one-night gigs in Mafia-owned venues and strip. Most unforgettably, he introduces "Pryor on Fire," a rundown of a deadly accident that nearly claimed his life while free-basing cocaine. It is perhaps Pryor at his best, and certainly at his most self-reflecting and self-effacing.

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I tell you one thing, man, when that fire hits your ass, that will sober your ass up quick! I mean, I was standing there on fire and then something said, "Well, that's a pretty blue. You know what? That looks like fire!" I'm talkin' about fire is inspirational. They should use it in the Olympics, because I did the 100 dash in 4-3. And you know somethin' I found out? When you on fire and runnin' down the street, people will get out of your way.

Sony's 2160p 4K presentation of Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip may not drop jaws or elicit glowing praise at first sight, but good God, does its blazing reds pop. Colors are extremely limited in the show. Pryor's cherry red suit, a bit of earthy mahogany in brief shots of the venue, the faint blue shimmer of a spotlight streaming above a crowd, on occasion a backdrop curtain bathed in various heathered hues... otherwise it's nothing but perfectly saturated skintones, naturally absorbing black shadows, and small swaths of gray. Not that I'm complaining. Newly scanned from the original elements, the native 4K source leads to a welcome level of detail without over-sharpening the affair or smearing any the negative's neatly preserved, wonderfully velvety veneer of grain (which rarely, if ever, distracts). Edges are crisply defined on the whole (though some optical, photography-born softness invades) and fine textures are quite remarkable, particularly in closeups of Pryor's face. Hair, stubble and pores are resolved precisely, delineation is surprisingly excellent (considering how dark the auditorium and stage can be), and I only noticed one or two print specks here or there. There's no real criticism to level against the encode either. Blocking and banding are MIA, compression is a non-issue, and the Dolby Vision/HDR10 boost is subtle but apparent. High marks here.

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I was going to talk about somethin' that's very serious, and I hope no one gets offended. I want to talk about f***ing. And sometimes I talk about it... and a lot of people in the audience don't know what I mean. So, would you raise your hand if you don't know what f***ing is?

Live on the Sunset Strip's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track isn't cutting edge but it gets the job done, rendering Pryor's fiercest diatribes and punchiest punchlines clean, intelligible and (presumably) faithful to the original audio elements. It might have been nice to hear a 5.1 mix bring an immersive environment to the show, complete with auditorium acoustics and enveloping crowd laughter and cheers. But so it goes. There's little to complain about here, so long as your expectations are set to "solid."

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Despite Richard Pryor's immeasurable influence on comedy and his legacy as one of the preeminent comedians of the 20th century, you'd think there'd be a host of special features dedicated to separating the man from the myth and legend. Instead, we get a lone theatrical trailer. Nothing more. Boo.

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My wife has been puttin' up with me. I mean, we went together for six years before the bitch landed me. Cause she paid dues. Cause I am no day at the beach. I know I'm hard to get along with. I know that...

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip is comedy gold. One of the best comedians of our age delivers one of the best shows of his career, a refined routine born from a culmination of years of success and heartache in equal measure. You'll double over laughing. To drag this toward a cliche, you might even cry. Regardless, most everyone will agree Live on the Sunset Strip is something special. Sony's 4K UltraHD release is pretty great too. Despite a disappointing lack of extras, its AV presentation delivers, making this an easy one to recommend.