Review: Sam Kinison still rocks the funny

Posted Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 4:39 PM Central

by John Couture

While today has been coined "the day the music died" by musician Don McLean in his hit song "American Pie," I will always think of April 10 as the day the funny died.

Sam Kinison was a comic that not only symbolized the free-wheeling American stand-up circles of the 1980s, but he was the true red-blooded patriot that would have sneered at the politically-correct society that we have become. He was everything that was right about this country pre-9/11 and he was tragically lost to us way too soon.

Sam was an edgy and abrasive comedian. He certainly wasn't everyone's cup of tea, so to review a DVD of his works and to make a recommendation is hard because if you're not a Kinison fan, no amount or prodding or glorious reviews will convince you to check it out. But then again, Sam would probably be ok with you not checking out his stuff.

Sam Kinison: Unleashed is a compilation DVD of two of his HBO specials "Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules" and "Sam Kinison: Family Entertainment Hour" along with new footage.

The almost three hours of Sam at his rawest best is a fitting tribute to the man who used his guttural screams as not only his signature motif, but a punctuation to his comic brilliance. Sam Kinison was unique and this DVD will be like a trip down memory road and, hopefully, introduce a whole new generation to his brash and crude style of comedy.

As a whole, many of Sam's jokes and routines stand the test of time. His comic timing is on display, especially in "Breaking the Rules." In "Sam Kinison: Family Entertainment Hour," you see Sam at the high point of his career and sadly only a few short months from his tragic death.

There are very few stand-up comedy discs that are must own. Eddie Murphy: Raw. Richard Pryor: Live In Concert. Chris Rock: Bring the Pain. Any George Carlin DVD. And now Sam Kinison: Unleashed.