Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer (1993)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I was using some long journeys and my mp3 player to catch up on some audio-books and comedy shows that I had missed or not heard of for years. I was of the age at the time of this show where I was familiar with Denis Leary but not with Bill Hicks and I remember being quite impacted by the angry comedy of Leary. This time round I listened to No Cure for Cancer having listened to a few Bill Hicks shows (including Relentless)and was surprised by the similarity between the two. The boards are full of "influenced/stolen" debate so I'll not get too much into it here but I do have to say that in this show Leary is not just doing the same "themes" as Hicks but is often doing the same joke using slightly different language. The Jim Fix reference is the oft-quoted one but when you add John Lennon's murder, metal fans committing suicide, warnings on cigarette packs and so on then it is hard not to be distracted by just how much common jokes there are – not common ground, but actual jokes.This aside though the show is still funny and enjoyable, mainly because Leary keeps the energy high by simply never stopping ranting and shouting. Some here have called him the greatest ever stand-up and, while I think they are way off the mark here, he is a good performer. His material is mostly good but not great, mostly because he doesn't inform it so much as shout it. However this shouting is what works and you can feel his anger to the point where you end up laughing along with him whether you agree or not. Sadly beyond this he doesn't have a lot in this show; time has shown him to have more range that has helped his career but he plays his strongest card here throughout.No Cure for Cancer is not brilliant but it is a good example of "outraged" comedy. No doubt it is far too similar to Hicks' material to be of comfort but Leary himself helps by being convincingly and consistently angry, keeping the show's energy high throughout.

this show is what inspired me to try and be a more funny person from the moment it starts he is going crazy.He never picks on anyone in the audience and he is the essence of comedy if this man still did comedy today he would be bigger than ant and Dec.In the show you can see how much it is taking out of him but he still tries to be funny correction he doesn't have to try he is anyway.watching this was the funniest hour of my life. Denis Leary is comedy genius and deserves more than the 10/10 i rated him.my favourite line in the show is when he says happiness is "ciggarette a chocolate chip cookie and a five second orgasm" just from those words on the front cover i knew that it was going to be something special.this is a show that is guaranteed to have you laughing about a part of it days later it is just simply superb.the lnies he reads the back of his mind are so precise. Although to watch this stand up you need a strong stomach (or just to try and hold your insides in. Some people may find this offensive but i just fin it brilliant.

This is one of the funniest comedies specials I have ever seen. I highly recommend it. He expresses his views on meat, drugs, alcohol, ciggarrettes, his family, and cancer. Funny stories, funny faces, funny sounds, and funny songs help along this hilarious routine.

Denis Leary proves his insanity in this show. When he goes ballistic while talking about the French, it's like he needs professional help. He is one of the most talented comedy acts alive (a good heir to the Bill Hicks throne) and he has a way of communicating that is different from any other. When Denis jumps into the story about his brother and the Bow and Arrow set, i almost fell out of my seat, and that stone-cold father of his...unbelievably funny.See this show. It's incredible!