Richard Pryor’s fourth and final concert film, Richard Pryor… Here and Now, is now available for comedy fans to bring home and watch on 4K Ultra HD.

Filmed at the beautiful Saenger Theatre, Richard Pryor… Here and Now finds the legendary comedian delivering another blazing performance at the height of his career. This high-energy concert film showcases the comedian’s freshest and most daring material, mixing sharp, incisive commentary with his unmistakable, cutting humor. The laughs keep coming as he regales the crowd with uproarious stories about politics, sex, and drugs. Commanding the stage with electric charisma and unmatched comic instincts, he demonstrates why he remains one of stand-up’s most influential talents. Richard Pryor… Here and Now offers a rare chance to see a master at work in a side-splitting performance that captures his brilliance in full force.

The concert film marks the second Pryor title to receive a 4K UHD upgrade, following Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip. Taped over three days in August 1983, the image looks about as good as one might expect from a comedy special of that era. Despite the added HDR grading, it’s hardly pristine—especially compared to some 1940s and 1950s films that look stunning in 4K when sourced from strong elements. Whether the limitations stem from the original photography or the restoration is unclear. The DTS-HD MA Mono track fares better, delivering solid audio that helps make up for a picture that doesn’t quite meet the format’s usual standards.

Allegedly five months sober at the time of filming, he makes sobriety the emotional spine of the New Orleans-filmed special. He admits he is still adjusting to performing without chemical insulation, giving the set a different texture than his earlier work. Yet we know he had a history of overstating or misrepresenting his sobriety, which adds complexity to the performance. Fully clean or not, he engages the audience as a man confronting his own mythology, balancing shame, ego, and survival, while transforming personal turmoil into laughter and insight.

The political material lands with particular bite in the early Reagan era. Pryor’s riffs on nuclear anxiety and his pointed jabs at Ronald Reagan reflect a country steeped in Cold War tension. Yet the set never settles into simple ranting. He pivots from global catastrophe to sexual absurdity, from foreign policy to personal embarrassment, maintaining control through character work like Mudbone and spontaneous bits involving the audience. He even jokes about going to the White House for a screening of Superman III! The balance of fury, satire, and confession underscores why Pryor wasn’t merely telling jokes—he was dissecting America while exposing himself in the process.

Ultimately, Richard Pryor… Here and Now captures a performer at a pivotal moment—allegedly sober, yet still fully Pryor: raw, fearless, and unflinchingly honest. His blend of personal confession, social critique, and character work creates a performance that remains both provocative and hilarious decades later. While the 4K UHD presentation isn’t flawless, it preserves the energy, timing, and charisma that made Pryor one of stand-up’s most influential voices. Even subtle gestures, expressions, and timing nuances come through, emphasizing his mastery of the stage and the enduring impact of his comedy. For fans of comedy history or collectors, this release offers a rare, electrifying glimpse of a master at the top of his game.

DIRECTOR/WRITER: Richard Pryor
FEATURING: Richard Pryor

Columbia Pictures released Richard Pryor… Here and Now in theaters October 28, 1983. Grade: 4/5

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