Chris Rock: Bring the Pain

Chris Rock: Bring the Pain (1996) is the HBO stand-up special that moved Rock into a class of his own — watch it online on iFILM. Recorded in Washington, D.C., it took home two Emmy Awards in 1997: Outstanding Variety Special and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Program.

Rock covers race, class, and the distance between America's self-image and its actual behavior — fast, with nothing padded. The sets are tight. He doesn't let the audience get comfortable. Other comedians point to this hour as the moment the bar moved. Stream Chris Rock: Bring the Pain (1996) on iFILM.