Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?

Rating:
Summary: A Lifetime Journey From Preacher To Comic Legend
Review: Clocking in around 90 minutes and moderately priced, this well made DVD is well worth having. It presents a balanced portrait of a very complex man. Sam Kinison started out as a preacher. He was very adept at public speaking. He knew how to control a crowd, how to make them listen intently and how to whip them into a frenzy. This served him well in his second career. Sam preached that God was in each and every one of us and we should not rely so much on organized religion. Needless to say, he didn't generate a lot of donations. Then he committed the one unforgivable sin that put an end to his preaching days. He got divorced.

Tired of hypocrisy and fueled by anger, he embarked on a career in stand-up comedy with a vengeance. He was not an overnight success but struggled for several years. His big break came in the form of an appearance on an HBO Rodney Dangerfield special showcasing comedians. His trademark beret and long overcoat, his now familiar ranting and raving about marriage and women, went over very well and really got him noticed. His Tonight Show appearance cemented his showbiz rise. His stand-up topics were controversial and his delivery outrageous. But, for every person he offended, he made many more people laugh. With fame and fortune came the excesses of booze, drugs and partying with women. He was well aware of the dangers involved. He was starting to get clean and sober, and even got remarried. Tragically, while going from Las Vegas to Laughlin for a gig, his car was hit head on by a drunk driver and he was killed. Sam Kinison is gone but his unique talents will never be forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: A Lifetime Journey From Preacher To Comic Legend
Review: Clocking in around 90 minutes and moderately priced, this well made DVD is well worth having. It presents a balanced portrait of a very complex man. Sam Kinison started out as a preacher. He was very adept at public speaking. He knew how to control a crowd, how to make them listen intently and how to whip them into a frenzy. This served him well in his second career. Sam preached that God was in each and every one of us and we should not rely so much on organized religion. Needless to say, he didn't generate a lot of donations. Then he committed the one unforgivable sin that put an end to his preaching days. He got divorced.

Tired of hypocrisy and fueled by anger, he embarked on a career in stand-up comedy with a vengeance. He was not an overnight success but struggled for several years. His big break came in the form of an appearance on an HBO Rodney Dangerfield special showcasing comedians. His trademark beret and long overcoat, his now familiar ranting and raving about marriage and women, went over very well and really got him noticed. His Tonight Show appearance cemented his showbiz rise. His stand-up topics were controversial and his delivery outrageous. But, for every person he offended, he made many more people laugh. With fame and fortune came the excesses of booze, drugs and partying with women. He was well aware of the dangers involved. He was starting to get clean and sober, and even got remarried. Tragically, while going from Las Vegas to Laughlin for a gig, his car was hit head on by a drunk driver and he was killed. Sam Kinison is gone but his unique talents will never be forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: More than just a loud mouth, a lot more
Review: I watched "Why Did We Laugh" with great interest. Director Larry Carroll has found something deeper and much more interesting about Sam Kinison lurking just behind the noise and laughter. I didn't think it was possible but Kinison actually seems to have been a very human, very compelling character. Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: More than just a loud mouth, a lot more
Review: I watched "Why Did We Laugh" with great interest. Director Larry Carroll has found something deeper and much more interesting about Sam Kinison lurking just behind the noise and laughter. I didn't think it was possible but Kinison actually seems to have been a very human, very compelling character. Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: Choppy
Review: If you really want to get into Sam's routine(s),don't buy this dvd. As soon as you start enjoying his material, it stops to interview someone else that knew him.

Rating:
Summary: the collection was not his best material.
Review: it just wasn't a good compliation

Rating:
Summary: Sam Kinison - I knew why I laughed!
Review: The late Sam Kinison has always been a maligned person due to his outrageous stage presence and performance. In this DVD, you can learn the way Sam REALLY died, see unseen footage of his standup start in Texas and see unseen footage of Sam when he was a preacher. Also included in this DVD are scenes with Dennis Miller, Larry King, Rodney Dangerfield, Jay Leno, Judy Tenuta and other famous faces.

Sam may have been outrageous, crazy, and many other adverbs and adjectives, but you'll know the real story when it's over. Get this and find out the REAL story. END

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The life of the late great Sam Kinison is explored from birth to his untimely death in this wonderful video. It has lots of interviews with Sam's friends, colegues, and his brother Bill. The way it is put together is great, with some of his best comedy clips on the video. It tells about the life of Sam Kinison very well, from the loud mouth hysterical man on stage, to the warm, caring man off it. Buy it... you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh again.