Search - The Robin Harris Story - We Don't Die, We Multiply on DVD

The best introduction to this pioneering stand-up comedian

Michael Dennis | Philadelphia, PA USA | 10/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Robin was a true pioneering comic--a loving mix of Redd Foxx, Don Rickles and Richard Pryor, he was on the verge of superstardom (he was being courted as the original host of Def Comedy Jam and had 3 films in development), when he died suddenly of sleep apnea at the age of 36 in 1991. This documentary, lovingly produced and directed by Topper Carew, his former manager and co-creator of the MARTIN show is the definitive portrait of the late comedian. It contains rare footage of Robin performing at the Comedy Act Theater (that is not duplicated in the other recently released Robin DVD) as well as interview footage filmed by Carew on the night of his final performance in his hometown of Chicago. Endorsed by the Harris estate, it include footage with Harris' wife and only son (who was not yet born at the time of his dad's untimely death) and interviews with a parade of comics who Robin opened the door for. Perhaps the best thing about this DVD is that it contains nearly the entire HBO ONE NIGHT STAND as a bonus feature including the famous BE-BE's KIDS routine. Dollar-for-Dollar, this dwarfs the previously released Robin Harris Live DVD by galaxies. If you are a fan of comedy, you owe it to yourself to add this DVD to your cart and buy it today. Along with Spike Lee's THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY and REDD FOXX--ON LOCATION, this is next generation African-American stand-up at it's rawest, uncompromised best."

SMALL WORLD!!!!

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 10/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, if you know Robin Harris' work, you get the title of this review. If not, see this DVD and you will. Everything you wanted to know about Robin Harris but were afraid to ask. Informtion about his family, rare early clips from juke joints of his standup up to and including the classic HBO ONE NIGHT STAND which introduced him and BEBE's KIDS (like Abbott and Costello is to WHO'S ON FIRST, Bill Cosby is to FAT ALBERT, and Richard Pryor is to MUDBONE..you get the idea). beyond the Chitlin Circuit juke joints of the ghettos (where he built his following the hard way) to mainstream American stardom.

The only thing that's missing are clips from his film appearances in HOUSE PARTY, DO THE RIGHT THING, and HARLEM NIGHTS, but what we have here will suffice. This is raw, uncut African-American comedy with considerable intelligence for the genre and Harris was the personification of the street-corner trash talker and philosopher with a microphone. He was the type of guy you could smell cheap whiskey on his breath while reading Socrates.

Robin Harris was poised to be the King of Comedy and the heir to Richard Pryor's throne in the late 80s and early 90s. Like Pryor, he mixed the profane and the profound in a mannner all his own-unlike many of the trash talking curseaholics who rose from the sewer in his wake. Harris also brought back (for a while) something missing in so much of comedy today-the art of storytelling and imagination. All of these aspects of his style and personality are captured in this EXCELLENT set.

Some really touching moments with Harris' surviving wife and son. The scene where the teenaged son performs comedy at Robin senior's old club juxtapositioned with film of his late father may seem morbid at first, but it has the family's consent which makes it heartwarming, as is Robin Jr.'s rap to the memory of Robin Sr. (who sadly died before his son was born).

In a way, this DVD is somewhat theraputic. At first, it seems tragic and senseless that a man at the peak of his fame at age 36 should die so untimely of natural causes and leaving a family behind. But it reminds you that, as Frederick Douglass said, "Where there's life-there's hope" and that we should appreciate the very fact that we are alive.

Parents be warned-our man could lay down some cursing on this CD, but he uses it in reserve and its not too gross for teenagers on up."

A Very Personal Insight Into A Forgotten But Very Influentia

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Orlando, FL | 04/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can still remember the weekend in 1990 when comedy legend
Robin Harris died suddenly in his hotel room from sleep apnea,
right at the threshold of what was to be his career breakthrough
into the mainstream of comedy! (He was only 36 yrs old!)
He had just "turned it out" at a sold out show at
Chicago's Regal Theatre where he had people rolling in
the aisles with laughter and up & comers like the late
great Bernie Mack who was a friend and a few years from
his own career breakthrough, taking notes!
He had also just recently began to appear in films like
"House Party", "Do The Right Thing", "Mo Better Blues",
and HBO Specials like Robert Townsend's.
It was very sad news to hear that he'd passed away and
many people were personally shaken because Robin Harris,
like Bernie Mac, was like that crazy family member that
shows up at the family reunion and has everybody rolling
with laughter with his antics!--You took him to heart!
This documentary is very "homemade" in it's look and approach,
but you have to keep in mind that this was put together by
the people who knew him best and loved him, who may not have
had a huge budget to do this, but what you get is an insight
and unedited interviews that you would've never gotten with
a large production. I really enjoyed this DVD and everyone
who I've shown it to enjoys it as well.
The interviews with his family as well as black comedy's
elite (many of which he influenced!) are priceless!
Rest In Peace Robin Harris (1953 - 1990)
"

Robin Harris..What happened..

D. Threatt | Los Angeles, CA United States | 09/18/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I review this video and it didn't give a full show of his comedy. I enjoyed the snippets, but I thought I would get more for my money. Robin was a great comedian and this video don't show you enough of the real Robin Harris."