Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules

This is an absolutely legendary performance by the late comic genious Sam Kinison. Filmed at the Roxy in Hollywood, this is Sam before he was a superstar. He is at his best here, in pre-prodigy form. Many of his Christ-related skits and his unforgettable "alphabet" gag. This should not be missed if your are a fan of stand-up. This is better than the other 2 home videos he released, "Banned" and "Family Hour", although they are also highly recommended.

I don't think I've ever laughed harder than the first time I heard Sam Kinison's 1993 CD "Live From Hell." Indeed, to this day, I chuckle every time I think about the Captain Kangaroo, rap music and Kurds routines on that brilliant album. Feeling down and in need of some yuks the other night (and let's face it, who COULDN'T use some more laughs in his or her life?), I threw on Sam's DVD "Breaking the Rules," and am pleased to report that this HBO special, filmed in 1987 before a Hollywood audience that included Hugh Hefner, had me tearing up with laughter within 10 minutes. This DVD is well named; Sam does break the rules and push the proverbial envelope, here as always; nothing is off limits, and topics such as Jesus' wife, the importance of lies in marriage, and homosexual necrophilia are sure to be offputting to many. The majority, I have a feeling, will be cheering and roaring with laughter. Sam's act is as un-PC as it gets, but Lordy, is it ever funny! He even tells us, in one hilarious routine, of his surefire method of pleasing a woman orally; a technique that I personally can't wait to try! I might add that this DVD's bonus footage shows Sam in Vegas some four years later, more manic than ever (how did the man ever perform without a constant influx of Ricolas?); his rant on gerbils in this segment is particularly hilarious. Yes, the world surely did lose a brilliant comedic voice when Sam was taken from us in 1992. If laughter is the best medicine, then Sam was one of our most gifted surgeons. At least, he sure knew how to operate on MY funny bone! This DVD cheered me up on a glum night, and I can think of no higher praise for a comedian.

This was the first comedy show of his that I watched (on a recommendation). After watching for about 15min without cracking a smile, I thought it has to get better. It's one of those shows you know is going to be bad but you keep watching hoping it's going to get better but never does.

There was a couple jokes that made me smile a bit, but overall not very good. I mean if you like his comedy style, knock yourself out. Personally I just be don't find him funny. I even watched another special just to confirm. There's plenty of other comedians you could be watching that are actually funny. Just because you scream a pinch line, doesn't automatically make the joke funny.

In Kinison's TV breakthrough, following appearances on Rodney Dangerfield's specials, he talks about Jesus, the dangers of marriage (twice, ahhh!), and the joys of women. Also included are two of Kinison's finest bits, both funny and, indeed, smart- the first is his teaching about how to make the woman you love or want to love happy (a.k.a. 'the alphabet'). The second is a bit on a news story where some men were let into a morgue, and something, err, unpleasant occurred. So, sit back, maybe crack open a beer, and learn why Kinison is still mentioned as being one of the most influential, true, and outrageous comedians from the 80's and early 90's. A

I had not seen this in a long time. I remember how funny Sam Kinison was back in the 1980s. A lot has happened since then. His comedy topics are so off the rails that I wonder if he could even get on TV in the modern era. He not only made a lot of off-color jokes, but his graphic description of some things were shocking. I enjoyed his comedy 35+ years ago. Rest in Peace Mr. Kinison.