Sam Kinison – Outlaws Of Comedy

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C-     Concert: B-

 

 

The untimely death of Sam Kinison has been profoundly unfortunate since he was the boldest, most subversive comic of his time.  The auto accident he was in ended one of the most important comic careers of the last generation before it had peaked and had he made it into the era of George W. Bush, there is no telling what he would have had to say, do or what effect his comedy would have had on the world at large.  Outlaws Of Comedy captures what turned out to be one of his last concerts.

 

Running 45 minutes, Kinison tackles all forms of sex and stupidity, with a generous helping of character attacks on figures like Jimmy Swaggart and Dr. Ruth, though he is as central a character to his comedy as he ever was.  The bluntness and boldness would easily get this show an NC-17 and is the furthest thing from political correctness you can imagine.  It was actually refreshing to watch him in action, a now legendary figure in all of stand-up comedy history.

 

The image is a bit soft, taped on older analog NTSC equipment, but is serviceable.  The same can be said for the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound, which is barely stereo, but Sam can be heard loud and clear enough that the limits of the microphone and tape source would not stand in his way.  The only extras are biography text and a stills section, but the show itself is more than worth your time on its own.  Be sure to catch it if you like humor without limits.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo