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Brace yourselves,
I'm not kidding.
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-Sam Kinison.
-Sam Kinison!
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[narrator] He was an evangelical
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preacher who had
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lost faith in the church and
turned to comedy.
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00:00:18,649 --> 00:00:22,027
Sam Kinison was the full-on,
the American dream.
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I woke up this morning,
ha, somebody told me,
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"You don't have to lose!
You don't have to be defeated!
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You can change your life!"
You know, that kind of stuff.
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Sam Kinison tapped into
something raw, unexplored.
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All eyes were like, whoa,
this is really unique.
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Who's this guy,
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cause he's got something
really different.
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It's a shame that
he has to die.
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And Jesus is going, "Well,
maybe I wouldn't have to if
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somebody would get a ladder
and a pair of pliers!"
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He gave voice to the
broken hearted man.
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Strangle me, shoot me,
run me over.
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Whatever it takes,
I'm in hell!
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Agh! Agh!
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His trademark scream
catapulted him
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into the stratosphere
of comedy.
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He was breaking rules that
you weren't supposed to break.
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He was changing comedy.
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It was intoxicating
to be around him.
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He was out of his mind,
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but he was a
generational talent.
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How the ---- are you,
New York City?!
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But Kinison wore his
demons on his sleeve.
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Sam cared more about
the party than
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he did the business.
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I'm just celebrating
with people and
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having a great time.
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He would just always
have big cocaine parties.
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He was like a real
straight-laced preacher,
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and boom! Got into the
party and the rock scene,
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the comedy scene.
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I don't know how
you handle that.
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I'm snorting these foot-long
----ing lines of coke.
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I don't get a straw,
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I get a piece of
a garden hose!
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Every fricking night,
I mean, every night-
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strippers, and
rock and roll stars.
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Orgies, sex.
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I miss having sex with
women that you
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never have to
see again. Oh!
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No subject was too sacred
for Kinison to attack.
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They say heterosexuals
die of AIDS, too.
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Name one!
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He spread a controversial,
angry gospel.
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Thanks for giving us the
black plague of the 80s!
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Thanks!
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He had extreme opinions,
he had extreme thoughts,
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he had extreme friends.
He was extreme.
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We're talking Roseanne
times a zillion.
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I mean, he would've been
canceled now, for sure.
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People count on me
for ----ing bad taste.
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He had way too
many demons.
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He was just a,
a tortured soul.
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There's no other
way to put it.
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Plunging full-on
into the darkness,
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he pushed his
career to the brink.
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----ing cunt that ----ed
her boyfriend's brother,
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----ing bitch!
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How did a man of God
fall into an abyss of
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addiction and
self-destruction?
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[Overlapping voices]
Ladies and gentlemen!
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You're about to
be entertained!
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Getting the laugh is
the greatest addiction.
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They want more of it,
they want more of it.
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She was getting
death threats.
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It [beep] with your head!
...he's out of his skull!
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That's what took her down.
This is a crazy story.
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♪
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♪
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Together with
his 3 brothers,
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Bill, Richard,
and Kevin,
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Sam Kinison is raised
in Peoria, Illinois.
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We lived in a church,
you know,
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cause my dad probably
couldn't have afforded
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to preach if we didn't,
you know.
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The household that
Sam grew up in
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was a very
religious household.
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You have to live
this bible belt life.
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I'm Bill Kinison, and
I'm Sam's brother and
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was his manager.
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We were hardcore
Pentecost.
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Our dad was
a fantastic-
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one of the greatest
preachers ever heard.
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And, if you're a
preacher's kid,
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you're supposed
to be a preacher.
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Well, Sam was acting like
anything other than
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some kid that's
gonna grow up and
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end up being
a preacher.
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He was the type of guy,
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you couldn't make him
do anything.
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My mother, she wasn't ever
able to handle him.
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You know, he was a
crafty little guy.
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Raised in a strict
environment,
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Sam finds escape listening
to comedy records
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he secretly brings into
the Kinison home.
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There was a comedian that
most people probably
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don't even know now,
named Rudy Ray Moore.
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Girl, you may not
know I'm in there,
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but you damn sure
know I'm on there.
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[Laughing]
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Sam bought his album,
and we would have to go
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up in the attic of our
church that we lived in,
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and listen to this album
'cause we knew
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that our parents
would kills us.
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He looked at us and said,
"Why in the world did you
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bring me these carrots
and lettuce out here?
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She looked at him,
said, "Mother----er,
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you ---- like a rabbit, you
might as well eat like one."
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[Laughing]
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Sam is drawn back to the
church in his late teens,
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when the Kinison family is
hit with a sudden tragedy.
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My father passed away, so
it was kind of a spiritual
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experience, and I went
into ministry for a while.
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You have to understand
that my dad,
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at least for he and I,
was our hero.
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That was probably one of
the hardest times that
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Sam and I went
through together.
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That's when he decided,
since he was named
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after my father, "I gotta
do it for dear old dad."
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My brothers and
I got together,
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and we laid our hands on
the casket, and we said,
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you know, "We're gonna go
out there and be the greatest
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preachers in the world and
we're gonna really, ah...
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do our best to
live for God."
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He's a good preacher,
and to him,
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a good service was if he
could get people laughing.
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And so, after the service
was over, he'd come back
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and go, "Brother,
that was great."
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But Sam struggles with
one vital aspect of
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the preaching game...
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raising money.
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I didn't do very
well actually.
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You were not a
good minister?
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No, well,
not financially.
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I didn't, I didn't
rake in the bucks.
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When Sam was in
the ministry, he,
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he married a, a young
lady named Gail.
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And, they had only known
each other six weeks.
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They were married
for two years.
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And then Sam found out she
had been cheating on him.
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After Sam went through
all the emotions,
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he somehow gets it out
of her who the guy was.
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And where he's living.
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Sam went over to his
apartment with a gun.
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Sam sticks a gun right
underneath his chin,
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then he tells him, "I want
you to go get everything
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she's ever given
to you." And,
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so this guy's going around
in his apartment bringing him
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pictures, and notes,
and cards, and pie pans,
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and everything- it ended up
filling up a big box.
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The failure of Sam's
marriage proves disastrous
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for his career
as a preacher.
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I was 23, and I'd been
ministering for
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about 5 years, and...
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it wasn't a good thing to
have on your spiritual resume.
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In that Pentecostal circle,
the worst thing that could 'a
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happened to you is to get a
divorce, if you're a minister.
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They used to say, "If you
can't take care of your own
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house, you're not fit to take
care of the house of God."
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So, Sam knew
it was over.
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I think that his background
in the Pentecostal church
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left him with questions,
frustrations,
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disillusionment with
scripture and religion.
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I told him, I said, "Sam,
I want you to take
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some time and think, and
look down in your heart,
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find out what you
really want to do."
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He took about 3
seconds and said,
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"I always wanted to be a
stand-up comedian."
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He figured, well, if I can't
make it as a preacher
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I'll be antithesis of that.
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He went from one
end to the other,
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but he was always
an entertainer,
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he was always onstage.
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It was like two different
ends of the same animal.
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Leaving the ministry behind,
Sam heads to Houston,
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intent on making a
career in comedy.
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He immediately makes an
impression on another
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up-and-coming comic
named Bill Hicks.
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Sam Kinison showed up,
who had a background of
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intense individuality, and
personality, and charisma,
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and went up and killed,
and the crowds loved it.
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You guys ready
for a show?!
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[Audience]
Yeah! [Laughing]
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The success Sam finds in
Texas inspires him to
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try his luck in the mecca of
comedy, Los Angeles.
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Sam started off as a doorman
at The Comedy Store.
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He, like everyone else,
that my mom
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Mitzi Shore liked,
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"Oh, you're awesome,
You could park the cars,
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you can answer
the phones. Seat people."
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And when you
seat people,
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you get to watch
the comedians.
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There was a system
in place that
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all the comics
were doormen.
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It was a way to
live at the place.
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Sometimes you could get
onstage if there was
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no one around, 'cause
you were a comic.
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I was a free spirit in
the next stage of life.
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I walked in the cosmos
not imprisoned by a
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body of flesh, but free
in a body of light.
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I knew all things, there were
no questions, only answers!
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No weaknesses,
only strength!
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00:08:06,825 --> 00:08:10,203
I was light, I was truth,
I was a spiritual being!
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I was a god,
but you had to ----!
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When Sam first
came to the Store,
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00:08:15,500 --> 00:08:18,378
I think he would go on
periodically, but not a lot.
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00:08:18,378 --> 00:08:19,796
I was standing with him
one night-
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Mitzi's boyfriend at the
time might have been
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00:08:21,256 --> 00:08:23,049
roughing her
up by her car.
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He was choking her,
and Sam stepped in and
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00:08:25,176 --> 00:08:27,053
pulled him off
of her and...
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I think maybe hit him.
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And from that point on,
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she gave him midnight
every night.
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At The Comedy Store
when you're new,
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you go on late at night.
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People just sat through
14, 15 acts.
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These were all power hitters,
late at night, you know,
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00:08:41,067 --> 00:08:42,527
the crowd's a little burned
out and you have to
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go out of the way to
get the attention.
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Sam believed that
you figure it out,
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00:08:51,077 --> 00:08:53,621
how to make an impact in
the middle of the night.
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00:08:53,621 --> 00:08:56,166
The first time I saw
Sam Kinison,
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he was just this force.
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And it was like,
who the ---- is this guy?
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This guy's ----ing nuts.
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[Screaming]
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They didn't get him at first.
They would just walk out.
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And, to make matters
worse, he would yell,
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00:09:12,807 --> 00:09:15,685
"I wipe my ass with the name
of your sacred dead,"
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as they were leaving,
just to endear himself.
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He would scream,
"Out of my house,
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00:09:19,898 --> 00:09:22,400
this is my house," and then
he'd take a stool and
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00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,069
he'd throw it
at the audience.
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00:09:24,069 --> 00:09:25,278
And the audience
would kind of like
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00:09:25,278 --> 00:09:27,322
scamper off
and run off.
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00:09:27,322 --> 00:09:30,116
And from that,
eventually he built up
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00:09:30,116 --> 00:09:31,910
a late night following.
245
00:09:31,910 --> 00:09:34,996
All eyes were like, "Whoa,
this is really unique.
246
00:09:34,996 --> 00:09:36,915
Who's this guy cause
he's got something
247
00:09:36,915 --> 00:09:37,916
really different."
248
00:09:37,916 --> 00:09:40,001
And people would say,
"You gotta go see this guy,
249
00:09:40,001 --> 00:09:42,170
he's crazy.
He's the devil."
250
00:09:42,170 --> 00:09:44,214
The thing that filled me
with fear when
251
00:09:44,214 --> 00:09:47,008
I first saw Kinison is...
252
00:09:47,008 --> 00:09:50,512
Just that he would say
anything to get a reaction,
253
00:09:50,512 --> 00:09:52,222
It was so powerful.
254
00:09:52,222 --> 00:09:55,433
Mitzi Shore knew
he was special.
255
00:09:55,433 --> 00:09:58,561
We all knew he was
out of his mind.
256
00:09:58,561 --> 00:10:01,856
He was breaking rules that
you weren't supposed to break.
257
00:10:01,856 --> 00:10:03,358
I pulled him aside
one night, and I said,
258
00:10:03,358 --> 00:10:06,861
"You have no fear."
He said, "Well, Allan,
259
00:10:06,861 --> 00:10:10,073
I used to have to heal them.
Laughter is much easier
260
00:10:10,073 --> 00:10:12,200
than giving them
their eyesight."
261
00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:13,785
Every day you wake up,
you look in the mirror,
262
00:10:13,785 --> 00:10:15,286
and you go, "What did I do?
What did I do?"
263
00:10:15,286 --> 00:10:17,914
Rr-argh!
264
00:10:17,914 --> 00:10:20,291
When he'd scream at the
audience, and scream,
265
00:10:20,291 --> 00:10:23,253
it came from this real place,
which made it a lot funnier.
266
00:10:23,253 --> 00:10:25,129
[Screaming]
267
00:10:25,129 --> 00:10:27,382
It wasn't really a character,
it was really like this guy
268
00:10:27,382 --> 00:10:28,925
that was free
from the church,
269
00:10:28,925 --> 00:10:30,552
and this guy that
was free from
270
00:10:30,552 --> 00:10:32,262
these shitty relationships.
271
00:10:32,262 --> 00:10:34,889
It's when he stumbled
onto the primal scream,
272
00:10:34,889 --> 00:10:39,769
that- "Agh!"- that
everybody related to.
273
00:10:39,769 --> 00:10:42,313
Sam starts to win the
respect of his fellow comics,
274
00:10:42,313 --> 00:10:44,023
and is welcomed into
the notorious
275
00:10:44,023 --> 00:10:46,401
Comedy Store party scene.
276
00:10:46,401 --> 00:10:50,154
The Comedy Store in 1984,
1985, was the wild west.
277
00:10:50,154 --> 00:10:51,906
There were a lot of drugs.
278
00:10:51,906 --> 00:10:54,909
That was just
an insane time.
279
00:10:54,909 --> 00:10:57,328
Sam, first 25 years
of his life,
280
00:10:57,328 --> 00:10:59,038
never had a drink,
never smoked.
281
00:10:59,038 --> 00:11:02,041
He never really started
getting into cocaine and
282
00:11:02,041 --> 00:11:04,460
drinking heavily 'til
he went out to LA.
283
00:11:04,460 --> 00:11:06,796
When Sam got around
these big stars like
284
00:11:06,796 --> 00:11:09,007
Richard Pryor,
Robin Williams,
285
00:11:09,007 --> 00:11:11,843
who pretty much
introduced him to cocaine,
286
00:11:11,843 --> 00:11:14,387
they would all party
after the shows were over.
287
00:11:14,387 --> 00:11:16,222
He was like a real straight
-laced preacher and
288
00:11:16,222 --> 00:11:17,891
boom, got into the party
and the rock scene,
289
00:11:17,891 --> 00:11:19,017
the comedy scene.
290
00:11:19,017 --> 00:11:20,351
I don't know how
you handle that.
291
00:11:20,351 --> 00:11:22,937
He was a kid in
a candy store.
292
00:11:22,937 --> 00:11:24,814
After years of
religious abstinence,
293
00:11:24,814 --> 00:11:27,609
Sam dives headfirst into
the rock and roll comic
294
00:11:27,609 --> 00:11:31,779
lifestyle, and becomes a
fixture of late night parties.
295
00:11:31,779 --> 00:11:33,448
Well, Sam was
always a partier...
296
00:11:33,448 --> 00:11:35,199
from the day I met him.
297
00:11:35,199 --> 00:11:38,328
He would just always have,
you know, big cocaine parties.
298
00:11:38,328 --> 00:11:40,830
Every frickin' night, I mean,
every night Sam
299
00:11:40,830 --> 00:11:43,541
was doing copious
amounts of cocaine.
300
00:11:43,541 --> 00:11:46,794
He was just a person that
didn't understand limits.
301
00:11:46,794 --> 00:11:49,839
He kept going and going,
he'd pull all-nighters.
302
00:11:49,839 --> 00:11:52,550
You can only sustain
that for so long.
303
00:12:01,059 --> 00:12:03,144
♪
304
00:12:03,144 --> 00:12:04,687
There's a buzz around
Sam Kinison
305
00:12:04,687 --> 00:12:06,814
in the comedy community.
306
00:12:06,814 --> 00:12:08,733
But what he needs now
is an opportunity
307
00:12:08,733 --> 00:12:10,985
that will push him to
the next level.
308
00:12:10,985 --> 00:12:12,320
He'd been asking me
to manage him,
309
00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,447
and I just went out there-
not knowing if it's gonna
310
00:12:14,447 --> 00:12:17,784
work or not because he'd
been out there for 7 years,
311
00:12:17,784 --> 00:12:19,160
nothing had happened.
312
00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,496
But it just so happened that
Mr. Rodney Dangerfield
313
00:12:21,496 --> 00:12:24,082
came into his life, and that
changed everything.
314
00:12:24,082 --> 00:12:26,167
Rodney would go into the
Store and he would
315
00:12:26,167 --> 00:12:28,252
find comics that were
about to break,
316
00:12:28,252 --> 00:12:29,879
and he'd put
'em on his show.
317
00:12:29,879 --> 00:12:32,590
Rodney Dangerfield
and young comedians,
318
00:12:32,590 --> 00:12:34,467
and he shot
it in New York.
319
00:12:34,467 --> 00:12:36,052
And he would
come out onstage,
320
00:12:36,052 --> 00:12:38,221
and he would host it,
and he had Saget, Dyce,
321
00:12:38,221 --> 00:12:41,808
and he had Roseanne,
and all these comics.
322
00:12:41,808 --> 00:12:44,560
Here's a guy who's
rather unusual.
323
00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:46,896
And I love people who
are different, you know.
324
00:12:46,896 --> 00:12:48,314
When I say, "rather
unusual," you'll know
325
00:12:48,314 --> 00:12:49,774
what I mean when you
meet him, okay.
326
00:12:49,774 --> 00:12:51,067
We all love him here.
327
00:12:51,067 --> 00:12:53,653
Let's have a nice, warm
reception for Sam Kinison.
328
00:12:53,653 --> 00:12:55,113
Okay, here we are,
Sammy!
329
00:12:55,113 --> 00:12:57,657
-[Applauding]
-Ah, there you are!
330
00:12:57,657 --> 00:13:00,910
The first time that I remember
Sam really popping
331
00:13:00,910 --> 00:13:03,496
on a national level was
that Rodney Dangerfield
332
00:13:03,496 --> 00:13:05,123
HBO special.
333
00:13:05,123 --> 00:13:07,458
Anybody here that's
never been married?
334
00:13:07,458 --> 00:13:09,252
You never been married?
335
00:13:09,252 --> 00:13:11,796
[Laughing]
What's your name?
336
00:13:11,796 --> 00:13:13,506
Michael?
337
00:13:13,506 --> 00:13:15,049
Well, Michael, if you ever
think about getting married,
338
00:13:15,049 --> 00:13:16,467
if you ever think you've
met the right woman,
339
00:13:16,467 --> 00:13:18,845
you want to settle down,
change your life...
340
00:13:18,845 --> 00:13:20,430
will you do me
a favour, Mike?
341
00:13:20,430 --> 00:13:22,348
Remember this face.
342
00:13:22,348 --> 00:13:24,600
[Screaming]
343
00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,812
-[Laughing]
-Agh!
344
00:13:27,812 --> 00:13:29,314
'Cause if you get
married, Mike,
345
00:13:29,314 --> 00:13:32,150
that's gonna be your
----ing face every day, man.
346
00:13:32,150 --> 00:13:34,902
6, 7 minutes, 8 minutes
of just like holy ----,
347
00:13:34,902 --> 00:13:36,946
you know, this is
the real deal.
348
00:13:36,946 --> 00:13:38,281
Best thing about
marriage is that
349
00:13:38,281 --> 00:13:42,910
these are connected.
They don't come off.
350
00:13:42,910 --> 00:13:44,078
Cause if they did,
your wife would
351
00:13:44,078 --> 00:13:45,955
take it as soon as
you got married.
352
00:13:45,955 --> 00:13:47,457
She'd go,
"You're married now,
353
00:13:47,457 --> 00:13:49,292
you won't be
needing that."
354
00:13:49,292 --> 00:13:51,961
[Laughing]
355
00:13:51,961 --> 00:13:53,379
He was just on fire.
356
00:13:53,379 --> 00:13:56,424
And he just lit
that special up.
357
00:13:56,424 --> 00:13:58,259
Everybody was talking
about that special
358
00:13:58,259 --> 00:14:00,136
when it
aired on HBO.
359
00:14:00,136 --> 00:14:02,472
It went viral,
big time.
360
00:14:02,472 --> 00:14:04,223
Do you love me?
Can you do me a favour?
361
00:14:04,223 --> 00:14:05,975
-Kill me.
-[Laughing]
362
00:14:05,975 --> 00:14:07,769
Kill me-
strangle me, shoot me,
363
00:14:07,769 --> 00:14:10,229
run me over- whatever
it takes, I'm in hell!
364
00:14:10,229 --> 00:14:12,315
Agh! Agh!
365
00:14:12,315 --> 00:14:16,861
Agh! Agh!
366
00:14:16,861 --> 00:14:19,864
[Applauding]
367
00:14:19,864 --> 00:14:21,032
You guys have been
a great crowd.
368
00:14:21,032 --> 00:14:22,408
Thank you very much.
My name's Sam Kinison,
369
00:14:22,408 --> 00:14:23,785
good night!
Thank you.
370
00:14:23,785 --> 00:14:26,037
That 6 minutes
started his career.
371
00:14:26,037 --> 00:14:28,539
I got a 4-special
deal with HBO.
372
00:14:28,539 --> 00:14:29,957
3 appearances on
David Letterman.
373
00:14:29,957 --> 00:14:33,252
4 appearances on
Saturday Night Live.
374
00:14:33,252 --> 00:14:35,671
A 4-record deal with
Warner Brothers.
375
00:14:35,671 --> 00:14:38,341
All of this within
two or three weeks.
376
00:14:38,341 --> 00:14:41,344
♪
377
00:14:41,344 --> 00:14:44,180
When Kinison came,
it was the era of Reagan.
378
00:14:44,180 --> 00:14:47,850
Where money was king,
and here all these little,
379
00:14:47,850 --> 00:14:50,520
dirty street urchins,
where suddenly people
380
00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,523
are paying attention,
and they didn't care
381
00:14:53,523 --> 00:14:55,566
how they were perceived
when the rest of society
382
00:14:55,566 --> 00:14:58,277
cared how they, themselves,
were perceived.
383
00:14:58,277 --> 00:15:00,696
Like everything in culture,
there's a pendulum.
384
00:15:00,696 --> 00:15:03,866
The comedy that
characterized sort of
385
00:15:03,866 --> 00:15:05,409
the 60s and early 70s
386
00:15:05,409 --> 00:15:07,286
was born out of
the counterculture.
387
00:15:07,286 --> 00:15:10,998
That is very much
about the Vietnam War,
388
00:15:10,998 --> 00:15:14,001
and the JFK assassination,
and Watergate.
389
00:15:14,001 --> 00:15:16,254
So, it was a lot of
social consciousness.
390
00:15:16,254 --> 00:15:19,507
But by the time the 80s
comedy boom came around,
391
00:15:19,507 --> 00:15:22,176
suddenly it was
the disco era,
392
00:15:22,176 --> 00:15:25,430
it was the me' generation,
it was Reagan's America.
393
00:15:25,430 --> 00:15:30,017
There was probably a, a
vacuum for someone to
394
00:15:30,017 --> 00:15:34,647
come and scream at the
heavens like Sam Kinison.
395
00:15:34,647 --> 00:15:37,150
Sam Kinison is the
comedian of the moment,
396
00:15:37,150 --> 00:15:39,569
seemingly satisfying
a hunger for
397
00:15:39,569 --> 00:15:41,696
a different kind of comedy.
398
00:15:41,696 --> 00:15:44,073
I know a lot of you
come here, you watch TV,
399
00:15:44,073 --> 00:15:45,408
you wait every night...
400
00:15:45,408 --> 00:15:47,076
[Laughing]
401
00:15:47,076 --> 00:15:48,661
For somebody to
come on here and give you
402
00:15:48,661 --> 00:15:51,122
an answer for your lives,
waiting for someone that'll
403
00:15:51,122 --> 00:15:53,124
come and say,
"Hey, this is it!
404
00:15:53,124 --> 00:15:55,459
I don't have to settle
for defeat anymore!
405
00:15:55,459 --> 00:15:57,545
I can rise up out
of my routine!
406
00:15:57,545 --> 00:15:59,547
I can get a
hold of myself!
407
00:15:59,547 --> 00:16:02,091
I don't have to lose!
I can win!
408
00:16:02,091 --> 00:16:05,678
There's something inside me
that's not gonna let me
409
00:16:05,678 --> 00:16:08,139
go down anymore!"
But I'm not the guy.
410
00:16:08,139 --> 00:16:10,683
[Laughing]
411
00:16:10,683 --> 00:16:12,351
He came across as a
preacher, definitely.
412
00:16:12,351 --> 00:16:13,561
A comedy preacher.
413
00:16:13,561 --> 00:16:15,646
It was like a revival
meeting except with like,
414
00:16:15,646 --> 00:16:18,816
he had dirty material,
and real funny material.
415
00:16:18,816 --> 00:16:22,361
I think what Sam conveyed,
and what people responded to
416
00:16:22,361 --> 00:16:24,238
was that there was
an authenticity.
417
00:16:24,238 --> 00:16:27,700
All of his material about
religion came from that place.
418
00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:30,786
It felt like he knew what
he was talking about.
419
00:16:30,786 --> 00:16:33,873
Jesus had a tough life,
boy, I read about that guy.
420
00:16:33,873 --> 00:16:36,209
Jesus was the only guy that
ever came back from the dead
421
00:16:36,209 --> 00:16:39,045
that didn't scare the ----
out of everybody, man.
422
00:16:39,045 --> 00:16:40,463
[Laughing]
423
00:16:40,463 --> 00:16:43,341
That was a revelatory
kind of joke.
424
00:16:43,341 --> 00:16:46,844
It was smart, you got it,
and you went, like,
425
00:16:46,844 --> 00:16:49,597
"I trust that this guy
kind of knows
426
00:16:49,597 --> 00:16:51,224
what he's talking about."
427
00:16:51,224 --> 00:16:53,059
I don't know if Jesus has
actually spoken in
428
00:16:53,059 --> 00:16:56,812
an audible voice to anybody
in about 2000 years.
429
00:16:56,812 --> 00:16:59,148
I think his last words may
have been-
430
00:16:59,148 --> 00:17:00,191
[Hammering]
431
00:17:00,191 --> 00:17:01,400
Oh, agh!
432
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,152
[Indistinct shouting
& screaming]
433
00:17:03,152 --> 00:17:04,987
[Hammering]
434
00:17:04,987 --> 00:17:07,573
[Cheering & applauding]
435
00:17:07,573 --> 00:17:09,533
Besieged with offers
and now a headliner
436
00:17:09,533 --> 00:17:11,035
at The Comedy Store,
437
00:17:11,035 --> 00:17:13,829
Sam takes up
residence at Crest Hill,
438
00:17:13,829 --> 00:17:16,540
a house next to the club
owned by Comedy Store
439
00:17:16,540 --> 00:17:18,292
owner,
Mitzi Shore.
440
00:17:18,292 --> 00:17:21,087
Sam looked at Crest Hill
as a lane to party.
441
00:17:21,087 --> 00:17:24,298
So, he would just always
have big cocaine parties and
442
00:17:24,298 --> 00:17:26,175
invite girls over there.
443
00:17:26,175 --> 00:17:28,970
In Sam's phase, it
became the party house.
444
00:17:28,970 --> 00:17:30,638
I mean, it was a party
house to begin with,
445
00:17:30,638 --> 00:17:33,266
but it became
the party house.
446
00:17:33,266 --> 00:17:36,310
I'd set up the house so,
I was sort of the host
447
00:17:36,310 --> 00:17:39,272
of all the,
the Sam-related riff raff.
448
00:17:39,272 --> 00:17:41,357
And then we'd just start
doing Sam's blow
449
00:17:41,357 --> 00:17:43,234
sometimes for two,
three days straight.
450
00:17:43,234 --> 00:17:44,527
It was crazy.
451
00:17:44,527 --> 00:17:46,153
Sam did have his
share of binges.
452
00:17:46,153 --> 00:17:47,530
Usually about 3 days.
453
00:17:47,530 --> 00:17:49,532
That's when I'd see the
biggest comedians there was,
454
00:17:49,532 --> 00:17:51,158
and they'd have a
rock of cocaine.
455
00:17:51,158 --> 00:17:52,702
It's not cut up
or anything else,
456
00:17:52,702 --> 00:17:54,412
and they literally take
a knife and just
457
00:17:54,412 --> 00:17:56,706
scrape off the
stuff to snort.
458
00:17:56,706 --> 00:17:58,332
Then, people would
come in and out.
459
00:17:58,332 --> 00:18:01,002
Sometimes they would fold
in and out over the 3 days.
460
00:18:01,002 --> 00:18:02,795
The parties were
around the table,
461
00:18:02,795 --> 00:18:04,547
because
everybody's a comic
462
00:18:04,547 --> 00:18:06,632
trying to hold court and
top each other.
463
00:18:06,632 --> 00:18:08,134
And that was always fun.
464
00:18:08,134 --> 00:18:11,387
The uglier cocaine parties,
you know, involved women,
465
00:18:11,387 --> 00:18:14,807
involved orgies,
sex, and...
466
00:18:14,807 --> 00:18:17,351
I don't think we
were particularly
467
00:18:17,351 --> 00:18:19,895
picky about where the
girls came from.
468
00:18:19,895 --> 00:18:23,441
His excessive way of
life got more excessive.
469
00:18:23,441 --> 00:18:24,984
You know what I mean?
470
00:18:24,984 --> 00:18:27,153
Now you don't have to be nice
to people to get your coke.
471
00:18:27,153 --> 00:18:29,030
Now you got
some pockets.
472
00:18:29,030 --> 00:18:30,406
If you got into
that inner circle,
473
00:18:30,406 --> 00:18:32,074
sooner or later you got
the gun pulled on you,
474
00:18:32,074 --> 00:18:33,200
you got the drink
thrown in your face,
475
00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:34,994
you got yelled out,
you got slapped around.
476
00:18:34,994 --> 00:18:36,620
It was ugly.
477
00:18:36,620 --> 00:18:38,039
When shit started
to get gnarly,
478
00:18:38,039 --> 00:18:39,290
that's when you
want to bail.
479
00:18:39,290 --> 00:18:40,583
You're like, ----,
I'm out of here.
480
00:18:40,583 --> 00:18:42,835
And then if he'd
see you, he'd stop,
481
00:18:42,835 --> 00:18:45,296
and he'd rip his shirt,
and he would scream,
482
00:18:45,296 --> 00:18:47,340
"Party goalie,
party goalie!
483
00:18:47,340 --> 00:18:49,884
You can't leave,
the bees are, 'r-r-r'!"
484
00:18:49,884 --> 00:18:51,969
SFX: [Groaning]
485
00:18:51,969 --> 00:18:54,638
He gave loyalty to you,
but he wanted loyalty back.
486
00:18:54,638 --> 00:18:56,724
So, if that meant that you're
gonna be sitting there
487
00:18:56,724 --> 00:18:58,809
for 3 days doing
drugs and stuff,
488
00:18:58,809 --> 00:19:00,227
you're gonna do it or
you're never gonna be
489
00:19:00,227 --> 00:19:02,271
sitting there when
he does it again.
490
00:19:02,271 --> 00:19:06,400
He was not in the dark
about what he was doing.
491
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,029
He was completely
self-willed.
492
00:19:10,029 --> 00:19:11,906
You're gonna try to outdo me,
you're gonna try to
493
00:19:11,906 --> 00:19:13,616
out-drug me, you're gonna
try to out-drunk me,
494
00:19:13,616 --> 00:19:15,076
you're gonna
try out----- me.
495
00:19:15,076 --> 00:19:16,786
That was his thing.
496
00:19:16,786 --> 00:19:20,289
There was never a
mediocrity with him.
497
00:19:20,289 --> 00:19:22,291
It was either all-in
or all-out,
498
00:19:22,291 --> 00:19:24,293
and ordinarily
it was all-in.
499
00:19:24,293 --> 00:19:27,171
♪
500
00:19:27,171 --> 00:19:29,173
Within a year, the
opportunities that Sam
501
00:19:29,173 --> 00:19:31,842
signed onto after the
Rodney Dangerfield special
502
00:19:31,842 --> 00:19:33,969
are coming to fruition.
503
00:19:33,969 --> 00:19:35,179
♪
504
00:19:35,179 --> 00:19:37,723
He is on an
unstoppable roll.
505
00:19:37,723 --> 00:19:41,268
♪
506
00:19:41,268 --> 00:19:44,188
He played a part in Rodney's
movie, "Back To School".
507
00:19:44,188 --> 00:19:45,981
I wish I could,
but I was there.
508
00:19:45,981 --> 00:19:47,817
I wasn't here
in a classroom.
509
00:19:47,817 --> 00:19:49,610
[Mike Binder]
And he just killed!
510
00:19:49,610 --> 00:19:52,196
He just destroyed.
511
00:19:52,196 --> 00:19:54,281
...with guns, and then we're
going up against Charlie,
512
00:19:54,281 --> 00:19:57,702
slugging it out with him,
while pussies like you...!
513
00:19:57,702 --> 00:19:59,412
[Cheering]
514
00:19:59,412 --> 00:20:01,497
But it's his HBO special,
'Breaking The Rules',
515
00:20:01,497 --> 00:20:04,125
that makes him a
household name.
516
00:20:04,125 --> 00:20:05,668
I think as a comedian,
517
00:20:05,668 --> 00:20:08,295
Sam Kinison might be
one of the greats.
518
00:20:08,295 --> 00:20:11,340
His HBO special,
in my mind...
519
00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:13,634
is one of the
finest ever done.
520
00:20:13,634 --> 00:20:15,511
I know about ----ing
the dead, I do.
521
00:20:15,511 --> 00:20:16,804
[Laughing]
522
00:20:16,804 --> 00:20:18,389
I know what it's like to
stick your dick in a corpse.
523
00:20:18,389 --> 00:20:21,976
I was married for
two ----ing years!
524
00:20:21,976 --> 00:20:24,520
I ----ed the
dead a lot, pal!
525
00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,063
That special
was so good,
526
00:20:26,063 --> 00:20:27,773
the best thing
he'd ever done.
527
00:20:27,773 --> 00:20:29,358
I remember being
back in Michigan,
528
00:20:29,358 --> 00:20:31,235
and everyone was talking
about that special.
529
00:20:31,235 --> 00:20:32,445
[Cheering & applauding]
530
00:20:32,445 --> 00:20:34,989
You guys have been great,
I appreciate you coming out!
531
00:20:34,989 --> 00:20:37,825
[Cheering & applauding]
532
00:20:37,825 --> 00:20:39,785
Sam's debut live
comedy album,
533
00:20:39,785 --> 00:20:41,078
'Louder Than Hell,'
534
00:20:41,078 --> 00:20:43,205
the first record of his
Warner Brothers deal,
535
00:20:43,205 --> 00:20:45,708
lands securely on
the Billboard Charts,
536
00:20:45,708 --> 00:20:47,668
drawing rave reviews.
537
00:20:47,668 --> 00:20:49,545
That first record,
it's pretty precise.
538
00:20:49,545 --> 00:20:51,756
I don't think he ever beat
that first record.
539
00:20:51,756 --> 00:20:53,799
I don't think you get any
better than that.
540
00:20:53,799 --> 00:20:57,553
Ladies and gentlemen,
Sam Kinison!
541
00:20:57,553 --> 00:20:59,388
[Cheering & applauding]
542
00:20:59,388 --> 00:21:01,724
Riding a wave, Sam takes
his act on the road,
543
00:21:01,724 --> 00:21:04,018
playing to bigger
and bigger houses.
544
00:21:04,018 --> 00:21:07,062
I remember when he first
started doing theatres,
545
00:21:07,062 --> 00:21:09,774
and we were all in the
basement of this theatre,
546
00:21:09,774 --> 00:21:13,027
and the crowd started
going crazy and
547
00:21:13,027 --> 00:21:14,945
stomping their feet.
548
00:21:14,945 --> 00:21:17,406
And I just remember being in
the bowels of this theatre,
549
00:21:17,406 --> 00:21:21,368
and feeling the building
shake and be like...
550
00:21:21,368 --> 00:21:24,246
comedy has changed.
551
00:21:24,246 --> 00:21:26,040
He was the first
comedian to ever
552
00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:27,958
sell out Madison
Square Garden.
553
00:21:27,958 --> 00:21:29,627
Now his ego...
554
00:21:29,627 --> 00:21:31,253
started exploding
to where, you know,
555
00:21:31,253 --> 00:21:33,130
he and I would
have friction.
556
00:21:33,130 --> 00:21:34,590
It got to the point that
I think he thought
557
00:21:34,590 --> 00:21:36,383
he was the
god of comedy.
558
00:21:36,383 --> 00:21:39,428
How the ---- are you,
New York City!
559
00:21:39,428 --> 00:21:41,430
[Cheering & applauding]
560
00:21:51,607 --> 00:21:55,027
It is the beginning of 1988,
and Sam Kinison
561
00:21:55,027 --> 00:21:57,821
is arguably the biggest
name in comedy.
562
00:21:57,821 --> 00:22:00,991
His approach has just
completely shifted.
563
00:22:00,991 --> 00:22:04,078
There's no sense of
him being an underdog.
564
00:22:04,078 --> 00:22:06,580
There's no sense of him sort
of being this, you know,
565
00:22:06,580 --> 00:22:08,791
loser who's
licking his wounds.
566
00:22:08,791 --> 00:22:10,751
A lot of people are starting
to find out about me.
567
00:22:10,751 --> 00:22:12,253
There's been a lot of
articles written on me.
568
00:22:12,253 --> 00:22:14,880
Everywhere I go,
people scream, you know.
569
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:16,006
People walk up to me,
they act like
570
00:22:16,006 --> 00:22:17,508
they're looking at the
angel of death.
571
00:22:17,508 --> 00:22:19,677
It's like, "Oh! Agh!"
572
00:22:19,677 --> 00:22:23,305
I think he was too
seduced by his own PR.
573
00:22:23,305 --> 00:22:27,893
Fell in love with fame,
and power, and success.
574
00:22:27,893 --> 00:22:31,647
Falling in love with
this image of himself.
575
00:22:31,647 --> 00:22:34,441
Sam signed to do a
movie called Atuk',
576
00:22:34,441 --> 00:22:37,236
and he never read the script
until he got into the trailer.
577
00:22:37,236 --> 00:22:38,487
And, you know,
as comedians,
578
00:22:38,487 --> 00:22:40,823
you're just used to doing
things your way,
579
00:22:40,823 --> 00:22:42,199
right or wrong.
580
00:22:42,199 --> 00:22:43,784
And he said, "Well,
I'm just gonna rewrite it."
581
00:22:43,784 --> 00:22:44,952
And they said, "What are
you talking about?
582
00:22:44,952 --> 00:22:46,579
We're here,
we're filming it."
583
00:22:46,579 --> 00:22:49,540
And, of course from there
it went into a lawsuit.
584
00:22:49,540 --> 00:22:52,293
He didn't pay
attention to anything.
585
00:22:52,293 --> 00:22:53,877
I just had to go to ----ing
court because they're
586
00:22:53,877 --> 00:22:56,964
suing me for $5 million for
not making a bad movie.
587
00:22:56,964 --> 00:22:59,592
Agh!
I love my life.
588
00:22:59,592 --> 00:23:01,969
As he became more popular,
cared more about
589
00:23:01,969 --> 00:23:05,931
the partying than
he did the business.
590
00:23:05,931 --> 00:23:08,559
As Sam plays fast and
loose with his career,
591
00:23:08,559 --> 00:23:11,270
his off-stage behaviour
continues to escalate...
592
00:23:11,270 --> 00:23:13,188
spilling out of the
Crest Hill house,
593
00:23:13,188 --> 00:23:16,692
into the uncontained
Los Angeles night life.
594
00:23:16,692 --> 00:23:18,277
Yeah!
[Laughing]
595
00:23:18,277 --> 00:23:20,529
One time we were all
----ing drugged up,
596
00:23:20,529 --> 00:23:22,364
and we ran out of coke.
I was like,
597
00:23:22,364 --> 00:23:23,741
"Alright, well,
I guess that's it."
598
00:23:23,741 --> 00:23:25,659
He's like, "No, man,
let's go get more coke."
599
00:23:25,659 --> 00:23:28,162
It was like 3:30 in the
morning, we get in my car.
600
00:23:28,162 --> 00:23:30,289
We're driving through
Hollywood to this
601
00:23:30,289 --> 00:23:32,666
dealer's house,
whacked out of our skulls,
602
00:23:32,666 --> 00:23:34,668
and I just remember
Sam's like in and out of
603
00:23:34,668 --> 00:23:36,629
consciousness, and at some
point he wakes up and he
604
00:23:36,629 --> 00:23:38,380
looks at me and he's like,
"I don't even know you, man,
605
00:23:38,380 --> 00:23:39,757
you could kill me."
And I'm like,
606
00:23:39,757 --> 00:23:41,800
"Where are we
going, dude?"
607
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,218
And we get to this
apartment, like,
608
00:23:43,218 --> 00:23:45,095
"Hey, man, it's me,
hook me up, hook me up."
609
00:23:45,095 --> 00:23:46,847
He was a hairdresser,
this guy,
610
00:23:46,847 --> 00:23:48,182
but he was a coke guy.
611
00:23:48,182 --> 00:23:49,558
And he's like,
"What do you want?"
612
00:23:49,558 --> 00:23:51,435
So, "Got anything, man,
you know?" And he's like,
613
00:23:51,435 --> 00:23:52,770
"Just be quiet,
my roommate's sleeping,"
614
00:23:52,770 --> 00:23:54,355
you know, this poor
roommate.
615
00:23:54,355 --> 00:23:55,981
And he gives us
some coke.
616
00:23:55,981 --> 00:23:57,691
And then Sam's like,
"Got any booze?"
617
00:23:57,691 --> 00:23:59,985
And, so he gives Sam this
little miniature Smirnoff,
618
00:23:59,985 --> 00:24:02,863
and Sam's like on the
floor drinking a miniature.
619
00:24:02,863 --> 00:24:05,449
He looked like
a little giant.
620
00:24:05,449 --> 00:24:07,326
And then he
just passes out.
621
00:24:07,326 --> 00:24:10,204
♪
622
00:24:10,204 --> 00:24:12,790
With Sam's life of excess
serving as a backdrop,
623
00:24:12,790 --> 00:24:14,875
he releases his
second comedy album,
624
00:24:14,875 --> 00:24:16,794
Have You Seen
Me Lately?'
625
00:24:16,794 --> 00:24:19,838
♪ Wild thing, I think
you move me. ♪
626
00:24:19,838 --> 00:24:22,383
Placed at the end of the
record is a full-on cover
627
00:24:22,383 --> 00:24:25,052
of the classic rock song,
'Wild Thing'.
628
00:24:25,052 --> 00:24:26,637
♪
629
00:24:26,637 --> 00:24:29,598
♪ OH! WILD THING! ♪
630
00:24:29,598 --> 00:24:31,016
♪
631
00:24:31,016 --> 00:24:35,020
That video catapulted Sam
into rock star status.
632
00:24:35,020 --> 00:24:36,939
We were driving
around in Studio City,
633
00:24:36,939 --> 00:24:38,482
on Ventura Boulevard...
634
00:24:38,482 --> 00:24:41,276
every car, you could
hear 'Wild Thing'!
635
00:24:41,276 --> 00:24:43,404
♪
636
00:24:43,404 --> 00:24:45,823
When Have You Seen Me
Lately?' lands on the charts,
637
00:24:45,823 --> 00:24:48,033
Sam puts a band together.
638
00:24:48,033 --> 00:24:49,868
♪
639
00:24:49,868 --> 00:24:52,454
He takes his rock and roll
comedy show on the road.
640
00:24:52,454 --> 00:24:54,707
♪ [Screaming] ♪
641
00:24:54,707 --> 00:24:56,291
The show went to a
whole different level
642
00:24:56,291 --> 00:24:57,835
when that curtain opened.
643
00:24:57,835 --> 00:25:00,796
From that, he became
the rock and roll comic.
644
00:25:00,796 --> 00:25:03,590
The Wild Thing,
Mr. Sam Kinison, y'all.
645
00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:05,050
[Cheering]
646
00:25:05,050 --> 00:25:06,719
Bon Jovi asked us
to come play to
647
00:25:06,719 --> 00:25:08,846
84,000 people
in Jersey.
648
00:25:08,846 --> 00:25:11,015
The last song they
did was Wild Thing'.
649
00:25:11,015 --> 00:25:12,808
It was insanity.
650
00:25:12,808 --> 00:25:16,019
And I think because he was so
counter everything that was
651
00:25:16,019 --> 00:25:19,273
stand-up, it made him
even more popular.
652
00:25:19,273 --> 00:25:23,277
I think he believed in and
lived the rock and roll myth.
653
00:25:23,277 --> 00:25:25,612
♪
654
00:25:25,612 --> 00:25:27,865
Sam Kinison is at the
height of his career,
655
00:25:27,865 --> 00:25:30,242
seemingly an
unstoppable force.
656
00:25:30,242 --> 00:25:32,828
[Cheering & applauding]
657
00:25:32,828 --> 00:25:34,079
But a tragic event
is about to
658
00:25:34,079 --> 00:25:36,039
pull him back
down to Earth.
659
00:25:36,039 --> 00:25:38,709
Kevin, Sam's brother,
my sister,
660
00:25:38,709 --> 00:25:41,587
and myself were in
Tulsa, Oklahoma.
661
00:25:41,587 --> 00:25:45,090
Sam, my sister, and myself
were staying at a hotel.
662
00:25:45,090 --> 00:25:47,217
We were gonna go
shopping and,
663
00:25:47,217 --> 00:25:49,136
I hear five,
six ambulances.
664
00:25:49,136 --> 00:25:51,221
I was like,
"What's going on?" And,
665
00:25:51,221 --> 00:25:54,308
it turned out that Sam's
brother had killed himself.
666
00:25:54,308 --> 00:25:57,227
Shot himself in the head,
in his mother's room,
667
00:25:57,227 --> 00:25:58,937
on Mother's Day.
668
00:25:58,937 --> 00:26:00,689
Kevin was 28.
669
00:26:00,689 --> 00:26:03,442
He wasn't just our little
brother, he was our baby.
670
00:26:03,442 --> 00:26:05,152
Wouldn't have
hurt anybody.
671
00:26:05,152 --> 00:26:08,030
It was very difficult for
Sam and I, both,
672
00:26:08,030 --> 00:26:09,782
to handle that.
673
00:26:09,782 --> 00:26:12,367
But Sam suffered the most.
674
00:26:12,367 --> 00:26:14,077
Why would a
kid that's 28,
675
00:26:14,077 --> 00:26:15,245
that had everything
going for him,
676
00:26:15,245 --> 00:26:17,623
that was great looking, that
had a great personality,
677
00:26:17,623 --> 00:26:19,249
just was a
wonderful person,
678
00:26:19,249 --> 00:26:21,251
take a gun and
shoot himself?
679
00:26:21,251 --> 00:26:23,170
That was a big
turning point.
680
00:26:23,170 --> 00:26:26,298
Sam had buried himself
in alcohol and drugs
681
00:26:26,298 --> 00:26:28,091
to numb the pain.
682
00:26:28,091 --> 00:26:29,760
He wouldn't take a break
to mourn his brother,
683
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,387
and this was kind of like
the beginning of the end.
684
00:26:42,105 --> 00:26:43,982
The sudden death of
Sam Kinison's brother
685
00:26:43,982 --> 00:26:46,109
threatens to
overwhelm him.
686
00:26:46,109 --> 00:26:47,903
This was a very dark period
because he wouldn't
687
00:26:47,903 --> 00:26:50,781
take off time to mourn
Kevin's passing.
688
00:26:50,781 --> 00:26:54,576
Sam kept partying, and
partying, and partying, and...
689
00:26:54,576 --> 00:26:57,246
he was grieving so much.
690
00:26:57,246 --> 00:26:59,748
The problem is when
you get past the grief,
691
00:26:59,748 --> 00:27:01,583
or you stop grieving, ah,
692
00:27:01,583 --> 00:27:03,919
you're left with
those bad habits.
693
00:27:03,919 --> 00:27:05,754
I wanted to take Sam off the
road for a while to
694
00:27:05,754 --> 00:27:08,882
get him emotionally healthy
enough to do shows.
695
00:27:08,882 --> 00:27:11,426
He said, "I need
to work it out."
696
00:27:11,426 --> 00:27:16,306
The next city that we
went to was New York.
697
00:27:16,306 --> 00:27:18,392
We were at the China Club.
698
00:27:18,392 --> 00:27:20,853
The owners just
locked us in the club.
699
00:27:20,853 --> 00:27:22,396
Sam had a gun,
700
00:27:22,396 --> 00:27:24,982
and Sam would not stop
crying about Kevin.
701
00:27:24,982 --> 00:27:27,317
High out of his mind,
drunk,
702
00:27:27,317 --> 00:27:29,403
that he wasn't
there for Kevin.
703
00:27:29,403 --> 00:27:33,323
And he got so angry
we didn't know what to do,
704
00:27:33,323 --> 00:27:35,993
because what are you gonna
say in the basement
705
00:27:35,993 --> 00:27:37,452
of the China Club?
706
00:27:37,452 --> 00:27:40,539
Sam,
after Kevin's death...
707
00:27:40,539 --> 00:27:43,083
he would go on
rampages sometimes.
708
00:27:43,083 --> 00:27:45,252
Sam kept getting
deeper and deeper.
709
00:27:45,252 --> 00:27:48,881
He felt like that Kevin's
death was his fault because
710
00:27:48,881 --> 00:27:51,383
what he believed happened
was a result of them
711
00:27:51,383 --> 00:27:53,427
partying all the time.
712
00:27:53,427 --> 00:27:56,221
So, that's why he felt
so guilty about it.
713
00:27:56,221 --> 00:27:59,683
And I'll have to admit
for a while, I, I...
714
00:27:59,683 --> 00:28:01,226
I kind of
blamed Sam, too.
715
00:28:01,226 --> 00:28:03,228
I think Sam may have
turned his back on God
716
00:28:03,228 --> 00:28:06,356
after his brother
committed suicide.
717
00:28:06,356 --> 00:28:08,483
Ladies and gentlemen,
718
00:28:08,483 --> 00:28:10,986
the undisputed
king of comedy...
719
00:28:10,986 --> 00:28:16,950
the leader of the band,
Mr. Sam Kinison!
720
00:28:16,950 --> 00:28:19,870
Unable to lift himself out
of the tailspin of grief,
721
00:28:19,870 --> 00:28:21,663
Sam keeps working.
722
00:28:21,663 --> 00:28:24,917
Oh, wild thing I think I want
to ---- you in the ass.
723
00:28:24,917 --> 00:28:26,084
♪
724
00:28:26,084 --> 00:28:27,711
But the humour is
different now-
725
00:28:27,711 --> 00:28:30,047
darker, meaner.
726
00:28:30,047 --> 00:28:31,757
You two are the nastiest
----ing bitches
727
00:28:31,757 --> 00:28:33,675
I ever met in
my ----ing life.
728
00:28:33,675 --> 00:28:36,178
[Laughing]
Was Sam misogynistic?
729
00:28:36,178 --> 00:28:39,723
Yes, he was, because he
didn't have respect for women.
730
00:28:39,723 --> 00:28:43,185
These are the operators
we have standing by.
731
00:28:43,185 --> 00:28:45,020
Misogynistic?
732
00:28:45,020 --> 00:28:47,648
Sam is everything that
comes with that word.
733
00:28:47,648 --> 00:28:48,857
Hello?
734
00:28:48,857 --> 00:28:50,192
He might be the picture
735
00:28:50,192 --> 00:28:51,777
when you look it up in
the dictionary.
736
00:28:51,777 --> 00:28:52,861
[Phone] Hello?
737
00:28:52,861 --> 00:28:54,196
[Sam] Hi, Kate?
[Kate] Yeah?
738
00:28:54,196 --> 00:28:55,864
[Sam] Do you remember Kevin?
[Kate] Yeah.
739
00:28:55,864 --> 00:28:57,991
Did you used to
go out with him?
740
00:28:57,991 --> 00:28:59,368
[Kate]
Ah, a long time ago.
741
00:28:59,368 --> 00:29:00,994
Well, that's what
he was telling us,
742
00:29:00,994 --> 00:29:03,538
and we were looking for a
girl who was a ----ing cunt
743
00:29:03,538 --> 00:29:06,583
that ----ed her boyfriend's
brother, and you won,
744
00:29:06,583 --> 00:29:08,335
you ----ing bitch!
745
00:29:08,335 --> 00:29:11,380
How do you live with
yourself, you piece of shit?
746
00:29:11,380 --> 00:29:12,923
Yeah, you're a
----ing bitch!
747
00:29:12,923 --> 00:29:15,008
[Indistinct shouting]
748
00:29:15,008 --> 00:29:17,844
Yeah, you ----ing cunt!
You ----ing bitch!
749
00:29:17,844 --> 00:29:20,764
I think he had drugged
himself into a place
750
00:29:20,764 --> 00:29:22,975
where he couldn't
generate material
751
00:29:22,975 --> 00:29:25,894
anymore that was very good.
752
00:29:25,894 --> 00:29:28,647
I mean, here's the thing
about comedy- if you're
753
00:29:28,647 --> 00:29:31,858
saying so many edgy
and dangerous things,
754
00:29:31,858 --> 00:29:34,027
and you're really
going out on a limb,
755
00:29:34,027 --> 00:29:35,487
and you're living
on that limb and
756
00:29:35,487 --> 00:29:37,864
you're staying up for
three days in a row,
757
00:29:37,864 --> 00:29:40,242
you're not gonna be
terribly focused.
758
00:29:40,242 --> 00:29:43,704
Sam raises the ire of women's
groups across the country,
759
00:29:43,704 --> 00:29:46,248
and the media grabs on.
760
00:29:46,248 --> 00:29:49,042
You're a ----ing cunt!
You deserve to die!
761
00:29:49,042 --> 00:29:50,836
You ----ing bitch!
How do you live with yourself,
762
00:29:50,836 --> 00:29:52,754
you ----ing pussy?
763
00:29:52,754 --> 00:29:56,133
But at this moment, Sam is
too popular to bring down.
764
00:29:56,133 --> 00:29:58,969
You're always gonna be
looking for something
765
00:29:58,969 --> 00:30:01,471
even more
shocking to say.
766
00:30:01,471 --> 00:30:02,848
I mean, that's the
thrill of it.
767
00:30:02,848 --> 00:30:04,641
It's playing
Chicken with words.
768
00:30:04,641 --> 00:30:06,935
Sam, as this
powerful figure,
769
00:30:06,935 --> 00:30:09,021
would scream, you know,
770
00:30:09,021 --> 00:30:11,857
profanities and
obscenities at this woman.
771
00:30:11,857 --> 00:30:14,401
It just felt like
misogyny and bullying.
772
00:30:14,401 --> 00:30:16,486
He definitely wasn't
dancing with the devil.
773
00:30:16,486 --> 00:30:18,321
He had become the devil.
774
00:30:29,124 --> 00:30:31,752
Defiant in the face of
charges of misogyny,
775
00:30:31,752 --> 00:30:34,296
Sam Kinison continues a
scorched earth approach
776
00:30:34,296 --> 00:30:36,048
to his comedy.
777
00:30:36,048 --> 00:30:38,550
I'm a triple X-rated
----ing comedian.
778
00:30:38,550 --> 00:30:41,011
People count on me
for ----ing bad taste.
779
00:30:41,011 --> 00:30:43,096
[Cheering]
780
00:30:43,096 --> 00:30:45,515
It was a lack of respect
for anything he was doing,
781
00:30:45,515 --> 00:30:47,225
or anybody else.
782
00:30:47,225 --> 00:30:50,479
I miss ----ing
total strangers.
783
00:30:50,479 --> 00:30:52,230
I miss having sex
with women that you
784
00:30:52,230 --> 00:30:55,025
never have to see again.
Oh!
785
00:30:55,025 --> 00:30:56,568
He didn't care.
786
00:30:56,568 --> 00:31:00,030
He was going to do what he
wanted to do in his comedy.
787
00:31:00,030 --> 00:31:02,282
Kinison openly provokes
the gay community,
788
00:31:02,282 --> 00:31:04,201
daring them to respond.
789
00:31:04,201 --> 00:31:07,537
Yeah, I guess you would
lose weight if you're gay.
790
00:31:07,537 --> 00:31:09,498
Who the ---- wants to eat
after they've had a dick
791
00:31:09,498 --> 00:31:11,208
in their mouth all day!
792
00:31:11,208 --> 00:31:13,085
[Retching]
793
00:31:13,085 --> 00:31:15,837
His lampooning of AIDS in
the midst of the disease
794
00:31:15,837 --> 00:31:18,673
decimating the community
becomes a flashpoint.
795
00:31:18,673 --> 00:31:21,718
Comedy and controversy,
the two went hand-in-hand
796
00:31:21,718 --> 00:31:24,262
tonight at Syracuse's
Landmark Theater.
797
00:31:24,262 --> 00:31:26,306
[Protesters chanting]
798
00:31:26,306 --> 00:31:28,016
They marched tonight,
angry at the
799
00:31:28,016 --> 00:31:30,227
appearance of comedian
Sam Kinison.
800
00:31:30,227 --> 00:31:32,979
Angry over his comments
on women and Blacks.
801
00:31:32,979 --> 00:31:35,857
Angry about his stance
toward AIDS and gays.
802
00:31:35,857 --> 00:31:38,151
And in one joke,
I said, I said,
803
00:31:38,151 --> 00:31:40,070
"They say heterosexuals
die of AIDS too.
804
00:31:40,070 --> 00:31:43,281
Name one!"
805
00:31:43,281 --> 00:31:47,619
Alright? Just, just as like
a little social commentary.
806
00:31:47,619 --> 00:31:49,454
Sam was controversial.
807
00:31:49,454 --> 00:31:51,456
But if Sam felt like
something was funny,
808
00:31:51,456 --> 00:31:52,582
he'd do it.
809
00:31:52,582 --> 00:31:54,501
Man, they came out of
the ----ing woodwork.
810
00:31:54,501 --> 00:31:56,753
"You ----ing son of a bitch,
how could make fun of such a-"
811
00:31:56,753 --> 00:31:58,380
[Chattering]
812
00:31:58,380 --> 00:32:00,757
The condemnation goes
nationwide when Elton John
813
00:32:00,757 --> 00:32:02,926
calls Sam out on
live television.
814
00:32:02,926 --> 00:32:04,386
I'm doing this show
under protest.
815
00:32:04,386 --> 00:32:06,972
I'd like to congratulate Sam
Kinison on being the first
816
00:32:06,972 --> 00:32:08,932
pig ever to introduce a
rock and roll show.
817
00:32:08,932 --> 00:32:12,269
I don't think Sam was
anti-AIDS and anti-gay.
818
00:32:12,269 --> 00:32:13,979
I think they were
jokes to him,
819
00:32:13,979 --> 00:32:16,231
and they seemed like
low hanging fruit.
820
00:32:16,231 --> 00:32:18,441
And, you know,
Sam's one of those guys that
821
00:32:18,441 --> 00:32:20,986
it might be low hanging
fruit, but it's still fruit.
822
00:32:20,986 --> 00:32:23,029
So, he went for it.
823
00:32:23,029 --> 00:32:25,866
It's just comedy, yes.
824
00:32:25,866 --> 00:32:28,285
But it's at the expense of
thousands of people
825
00:32:28,285 --> 00:32:30,996
that are dying every
day from AIDS.
826
00:32:30,996 --> 00:32:32,455
It's at their expense.
827
00:32:32,455 --> 00:32:34,958
It's not at the
expense of Sam Kinison.
828
00:32:34,958 --> 00:32:36,376
[Cheering]
829
00:32:36,376 --> 00:32:38,670
AIDS, with Sam,
that was a problem.
830
00:32:38,670 --> 00:32:40,797
And that started on
David Letterman.
831
00:32:40,797 --> 00:32:42,966
And I'm in the green room
with the other people that's
832
00:32:42,966 --> 00:32:45,010
gonna be on, and Sam's
talking to David.
833
00:32:45,010 --> 00:32:47,679
Then he just goes
off the cuff.
834
00:32:47,679 --> 00:32:49,431
I told a joke, I said,
835
00:32:49,431 --> 00:32:52,893
"They say heterosexuals
die of AIDS too. Name one."
836
00:32:52,893 --> 00:32:55,145
You know, just as a joke,
and, and, man,
837
00:32:55,145 --> 00:32:57,189
they act like, "Oh, it's the
most hideous joke of all time!
838
00:32:57,189 --> 00:32:58,190
It's the worst joke
that involves
839
00:32:58,190 --> 00:32:59,733
drinking human blood."
[Retching]
840
00:32:59,733 --> 00:33:02,027
And as soon as he says that,
I know I got my hands full.
841
00:33:02,027 --> 00:33:04,029
I just want somebody
to name one.
842
00:33:04,029 --> 00:33:07,240
[Laughing]
843
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,826
So... so what you're saying
is you're just,
844
00:33:09,826 --> 00:33:11,411
you're just
misunderstood?
845
00:33:11,411 --> 00:33:12,621
When he's saying that,
I'm just going,
846
00:33:12,621 --> 00:33:16,666
"Oh, God, no."
We got death threats.
847
00:33:16,666 --> 00:33:20,462
Everything else that we
never had before, over that.
848
00:33:20,462 --> 00:33:22,422
[Chanting]
849
00:33:22,422 --> 00:33:25,592
Minneapolis was not good.
They raised our tour bus.
850
00:33:25,592 --> 00:33:28,637
Portland was not good,
they threw acid in on
851
00:33:28,637 --> 00:33:31,097
the side door on people that
were sitting in the show.
852
00:33:31,097 --> 00:33:32,891
Seattle wasn't good.
853
00:33:32,891 --> 00:33:35,602
They had probably
300 protestors that
854
00:33:35,602 --> 00:33:37,896
the police had to,
had to clear out.
855
00:33:37,896 --> 00:33:41,066
They caught 78 people
carrying guns into
856
00:33:41,066 --> 00:33:42,692
Madison Square Garden.
857
00:33:42,692 --> 00:33:46,863
And so, we had to carry
extra security, ah,
858
00:33:46,863 --> 00:33:49,741
for probably a
year because,
859
00:33:49,741 --> 00:33:51,034
because we had death
threats everywhere.
860
00:33:51,034 --> 00:33:53,245
That was, that was probably
the biggest bump
861
00:33:53,245 --> 00:33:55,455
we ever had
in his career.
862
00:33:55,455 --> 00:33:57,499
♪
863
00:33:57,499 --> 00:34:01,378
I saw something in Sam
one of the days that
864
00:34:01,378 --> 00:34:03,755
he was being picketed,
Warner Brothers with the
865
00:34:03,755 --> 00:34:05,090
records and everything,
they were saying, like,
866
00:34:05,090 --> 00:34:08,009
"We're just gonna ban him."
867
00:34:08,009 --> 00:34:10,053
We were in the limo.
868
00:34:10,053 --> 00:34:12,138
The gay community was
coming out with signs going,
869
00:34:12,138 --> 00:34:16,309
"Sexist, racist, anti-gay,
Sam Kinison go away!"
870
00:34:16,309 --> 00:34:18,478
And they're pounding
on the limo with their
871
00:34:18,478 --> 00:34:22,357
picket signs, and Sam
started crying.
872
00:34:22,357 --> 00:34:24,150
And it was such a
poignant moment, like,
873
00:34:24,150 --> 00:34:26,736
he wouldn't turn around.
874
00:34:26,736 --> 00:34:28,947
And it wasn't just that
he was being banned.
875
00:34:28,947 --> 00:34:31,408
There was something
else going on.
876
00:34:31,408 --> 00:34:34,452
♪
877
00:34:34,452 --> 00:34:37,080
I just think he had too
many things, mentally,
878
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:38,915
that he was fighting.
879
00:34:38,915 --> 00:34:41,584
I think a lot of it was he
was just a tortured soul,
880
00:34:41,584 --> 00:34:43,503
there's no other
way to put it.
881
00:34:43,503 --> 00:34:47,590
I think Sam's comedy came
from a need to be heard.
882
00:34:47,590 --> 00:34:51,094
What makes people stand on
a corner and scream?
883
00:34:51,094 --> 00:34:53,722
It isn't because things
were happy-go-lucky
884
00:34:53,722 --> 00:34:55,056
during their life.
885
00:34:55,056 --> 00:34:57,809
I can't speak to what
actually happened to Sam,
886
00:34:57,809 --> 00:34:59,894
but I can...
887
00:34:59,894 --> 00:35:02,230
guarantee
nothing good.
888
00:35:02,230 --> 00:35:04,024
You know, I mean,
I've been through a lot of
889
00:35:04,024 --> 00:35:05,817
family death, I've been
through a lot of...
890
00:35:05,817 --> 00:35:09,154
ah, mental,
mental torment.
891
00:35:09,154 --> 00:35:11,906
And, pressure, life
pressures like divorce,
892
00:35:11,906 --> 00:35:16,328
and broken marriages
and, you know.
893
00:35:16,328 --> 00:35:19,914
Unprocessed trauma
and grief stays there.
894
00:35:19,914 --> 00:35:21,916
It, it simmers
underneath the surface,
895
00:35:21,916 --> 00:35:24,586
and it starts to come out in
other ways in your life-
896
00:35:24,586 --> 00:35:25,962
in the choices
that you make,
897
00:35:25,962 --> 00:35:28,340
in your interpersonal
relationships.
898
00:35:28,340 --> 00:35:30,842
It's an escapist behaviour.
899
00:35:30,842 --> 00:35:33,219
I can't deal with this, so
I'm not gonna deal with it,
900
00:35:33,219 --> 00:35:35,263
and I'm gonna use drugs.
901
00:35:35,263 --> 00:35:37,098
I don't have a home.
902
00:35:37,098 --> 00:35:40,352
I don't have a car,
I didn't eat yesterday.
903
00:35:40,352 --> 00:35:42,354
I had to borrow
these clothes.
904
00:35:42,354 --> 00:35:44,689
She took it all!
905
00:35:44,689 --> 00:35:46,524
When we're betrayed
in a marriage,
906
00:35:46,524 --> 00:35:48,651
or in any interpersonal
relationship,
907
00:35:48,651 --> 00:35:52,655
we start to feel that
no one is trustworthy.
908
00:35:52,655 --> 00:35:56,326
And so, we start living
our life in a way that...
909
00:35:56,326 --> 00:35:58,203
no one can be trusted.
910
00:35:58,203 --> 00:35:59,829
The person who was
supposed to love me
911
00:35:59,829 --> 00:36:01,748
the most in the world,
the person that was
912
00:36:01,748 --> 00:36:06,836
supposed to have my back
has now betrayed me.
913
00:36:06,836 --> 00:36:10,882
I believe all of the anger
that came out of Sam onstage
914
00:36:10,882 --> 00:36:13,051
in regards to women,
or anything,
915
00:36:13,051 --> 00:36:15,678
is because of him
being so damaged.
916
00:36:15,678 --> 00:36:18,765
Anybody that was decent
to him, he ran off.
917
00:36:18,765 --> 00:36:21,601
He wasn't honest with
anyone in his life,
918
00:36:21,601 --> 00:36:23,895
and that's profound.
919
00:36:23,895 --> 00:36:25,688
That lack of trust
can turn to anger,
920
00:36:25,688 --> 00:36:27,357
it can turn to
substance abuse,
921
00:36:27,357 --> 00:36:30,068
it can turn to misogyny,
it can turn to
922
00:36:30,068 --> 00:36:33,488
your own way of
functioning in the world.
923
00:36:33,488 --> 00:36:35,615
It's amazing when I
hear people say, "Oh,
924
00:36:35,615 --> 00:36:37,951
I was so close to Sam,"
and how well they knew him-
925
00:36:37,951 --> 00:36:40,370
nobody knew who
Sam Kinison was.
926
00:36:40,370 --> 00:36:43,873
Nobody, because how can
you know who anybody is
927
00:36:43,873 --> 00:36:46,709
if there's no honesty?
928
00:36:46,709 --> 00:36:51,005
By mid 1991, Sam has a
reputation in steep decline.
929
00:36:51,005 --> 00:36:52,590
The press has turned on him,
930
00:36:52,590 --> 00:36:55,301
his comedy is a shadow of
what it once was,
931
00:36:55,301 --> 00:36:57,971
and his addictions have
overwhelmed him.
932
00:36:57,971 --> 00:37:01,516
Sam Kinison, he had that
five-year run from
933
00:37:01,516 --> 00:37:04,978
Letterman to the Rodney
Dangerfield to the HBO,
934
00:37:04,978 --> 00:37:07,564
and it was this capsule.
935
00:37:07,564 --> 00:37:10,525
And then it got, you know,
obviously sad because
936
00:37:10,525 --> 00:37:13,361
he became a
caricature of himself.
937
00:37:13,361 --> 00:37:16,030
There's a certain point,
he was doing shows,
938
00:37:16,030 --> 00:37:18,116
not preparing for them,
not caring,
939
00:37:18,116 --> 00:37:22,370
and more importantly, going
out totally messed up.
940
00:37:22,370 --> 00:37:24,122
The shows were tragic.
941
00:37:24,122 --> 00:37:25,874
Sam was booed offstage.
942
00:37:25,874 --> 00:37:28,376
He was an absolute
nightmare.
943
00:37:28,376 --> 00:37:30,295
You know, it wasn't fun,
it wasn't silly,
944
00:37:30,295 --> 00:37:31,629
it wasn't whacky.
945
00:37:31,629 --> 00:37:33,006
You know,
it was disgusting.
946
00:37:33,006 --> 00:37:36,009
It was like seeing your hero
just fall beneath the cracks
947
00:37:36,009 --> 00:37:38,094
before your very eyes.
948
00:37:38,094 --> 00:37:40,263
And...
949
00:37:40,263 --> 00:37:42,807
You know...
950
00:37:42,807 --> 00:37:44,559
Yeah.
951
00:37:44,559 --> 00:37:47,103
♪
952
00:37:47,103 --> 00:37:49,439
We got back to California.
953
00:37:49,439 --> 00:37:51,357
I told him, I said,
"Come out to my house."
954
00:37:51,357 --> 00:37:54,277
So, he came out, and I had
the tape from his show.
955
00:37:54,277 --> 00:37:55,361
"I want you to watch this."
956
00:37:55,361 --> 00:37:57,405
I put the tape in the
player in the bedroom,
957
00:37:57,405 --> 00:37:59,240
and I leave him there.
958
00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:01,868
When it's all over,
I come back in,
959
00:38:01,868 --> 00:38:03,745
and I go,
"What do you think?"
960
00:38:03,745 --> 00:38:06,998
And he goes, "I was
----ed up, man."
961
00:38:06,998 --> 00:38:07,999
I said, "Well, let me
tell you what that
962
00:38:07,999 --> 00:38:09,459
----ed up cost you.
963
00:38:09,459 --> 00:38:10,960
It just cost you a
half a million dollars,
964
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,880
probably closer to a million
dollars because of
965
00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:15,798
the bonus money you
would've picked up.
966
00:38:15,798 --> 00:38:17,634
Your contract's
not being renewed.
967
00:38:17,634 --> 00:38:20,678
So, you can mark that
off of your income."
968
00:38:20,678 --> 00:38:23,973
And I told him, I said,
"I'm done, I quit.
969
00:38:23,973 --> 00:38:25,725
I'm off your party train."
970
00:38:25,725 --> 00:38:28,436
♪
971
00:38:28,436 --> 00:38:31,231
And so, for the first time
I ever can remember,
972
00:38:31,231 --> 00:38:35,151
he said, "I got a problem."
I said, "Yeah, you do."
973
00:38:35,151 --> 00:38:36,444
From then on,
he, he...
974
00:38:36,444 --> 00:38:37,904
he cleaned up.
975
00:38:37,904 --> 00:38:39,239
I had enough of
that stuff, man.
976
00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:41,032
If you're involved with it,
get dis-involved with it
977
00:38:41,032 --> 00:38:43,284
because you're either
gonna get busted,
978
00:38:43,284 --> 00:38:44,953
or you're gonna die,
so you know...
979
00:38:44,953 --> 00:38:47,830
Get, get rid of it.
980
00:38:47,830 --> 00:38:49,165
With renewed focus,
981
00:38:49,165 --> 00:38:51,668
driven by a newfound
attempt at abstinence,
982
00:38:51,668 --> 00:38:55,463
Sam sets out to
rehabilitate his career.
983
00:38:55,463 --> 00:38:57,674
I got him on a
Bernie Brillstein series
984
00:38:57,674 --> 00:38:59,509
called Charlie Hoover'.
985
00:38:59,509 --> 00:39:01,052
I know Amish people
having more fun than you!
986
00:39:01,052 --> 00:39:02,428
Oh, oh!
987
00:39:02,428 --> 00:39:04,180
...in Charlie Hoover!
988
00:39:04,180 --> 00:39:06,516
It's a palatable
version of me.
989
00:39:06,516 --> 00:39:08,560
I've crossed over, actually
like family entertainment,
990
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:09,686
so it's kind of fun.
991
00:39:09,686 --> 00:39:11,980
Charlie Hoover lasts
a mere 7 episodes,
992
00:39:11,980 --> 00:39:13,439
but it helps pave
the way for
993
00:39:13,439 --> 00:39:15,775
changing the
perception of Sam.
994
00:39:15,775 --> 00:39:18,361
The reviews were, Sam was
too good for the show.
995
00:39:18,361 --> 00:39:19,904
Honey!
996
00:39:19,904 --> 00:39:21,823
But it is an appearance on
997
00:39:19,904 --> 00:39:21,823
In Living Colour' that
998
00:39:21,823 --> 00:39:25,034
shows how far Sam is willing
to lampoon himself in the
999
00:39:25,034 --> 00:39:26,786
service of his comedy,
1000
00:39:26,786 --> 00:39:28,955
and the love of
his audience.
1001
00:39:28,955 --> 00:39:30,415
Happy anniversary,
pumpkin face!
1002
00:39:30,415 --> 00:39:32,083
I don't believe it,
you remembered!
1003
00:39:32,083 --> 00:39:33,960
Even after 3
months of rehab!
1004
00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:35,336
Rehab? Hey!
1005
00:39:35,336 --> 00:39:37,380
How about a drink!
A-ha-ha!
1006
00:39:37,380 --> 00:39:39,591
I think that was the most
thrilling premise of
1007
00:39:39,591 --> 00:39:42,010
having two Sams-
a Sam and a Samantha-
1008
00:39:42,010 --> 00:39:44,429
these identical
screaming people.
1009
00:39:44,429 --> 00:39:48,182
Ah!
Happy anniversary.
1010
00:39:48,182 --> 00:39:51,811
I was very aware that he
publicly had issues with
1011
00:39:51,811 --> 00:39:54,022
drugs and alcohol,
had been to rehab.
1012
00:39:54,022 --> 00:39:55,565
[Laughing]
1013
00:39:55,565 --> 00:39:59,569
Here's to five years
of living! Agh!
1014
00:39:59,569 --> 00:40:01,946
It was incredibly
brave of him to,
1015
00:40:01,946 --> 00:40:04,490
not only show up 100%,
1016
00:40:04,490 --> 00:40:06,743
but also to be
very vocal about
1017
00:40:06,743 --> 00:40:10,330
what his struggles were,
and not to be like,
1018
00:40:10,330 --> 00:40:12,081
"poor me,"
in any way.
1019
00:40:12,081 --> 00:40:15,710
I definitely felt like he
was in a very happy place...
1020
00:40:15,710 --> 00:40:18,338
and excited about
what he was doing.
1021
00:40:18,338 --> 00:40:21,716
But for Sam, fate will
step in and rob him of
1022
00:40:21,716 --> 00:40:24,135
a chance to fully turn
his life around.
1023
00:40:32,644 --> 00:40:34,687
Comedian Sam Kinison
is dead,
1024
00:40:34,687 --> 00:40:36,856
killed in a car crash
late last night.
1025
00:40:36,856 --> 00:40:39,359
But who will ever forget the
man who made his audiences
1026
00:40:39,359 --> 00:40:41,444
laugh by
screaming at them?
1027
00:40:41,444 --> 00:40:43,905
The sudden death of Sam
Kinison sends shockwaves
1028
00:40:43,905 --> 00:40:45,948
through the comedy
community as it tries to
1029
00:40:45,948 --> 00:40:48,868
process the magnitude
of the tragedy.
1030
00:40:48,868 --> 00:40:51,913
Saget called me, and he said,
"Did you hear, Sam's gone?"
1031
00:40:51,913 --> 00:40:54,666
First thought is, was he drunk,
was he doing coke?
1032
00:40:54,666 --> 00:40:56,542
Bob said he got
in a car accident.
1033
00:40:56,542 --> 00:40:58,169
It took the wind out of me.
1034
00:40:58,169 --> 00:41:01,839
I sat down on my bed,
and I just started to cry.
1035
00:41:01,839 --> 00:41:03,508
He always thought
that he was gonna die,
1036
00:41:03,508 --> 00:41:05,885
because I think he
knew down deep inside,
1037
00:41:05,885 --> 00:41:08,554
you can't light the
fuse that hard...
1038
00:41:08,554 --> 00:41:12,308
and survive, yeah.
1039
00:41:12,308 --> 00:41:14,811
It's all fun and games,
man.
1040
00:41:14,811 --> 00:41:17,980
It affected me.
It affected me pretty bad.
1041
00:41:17,980 --> 00:41:20,108
He was, you know,
not only my friend,
1042
00:41:20,108 --> 00:41:21,859
he was my mentor.
1043
00:41:21,859 --> 00:41:23,903
A part of me died that day.
1044
00:41:23,903 --> 00:41:27,323
It's something that
you never get over,
1045
00:41:27,323 --> 00:41:31,035
but you make
adjustments for it.
1046
00:41:31,035 --> 00:41:34,789
I've had preachers and other
kind of people laugh at that,
1047
00:41:34,789 --> 00:41:36,791
you know,
Sam's in hell.
1048
00:41:36,791 --> 00:41:39,544
No, he's not in hell.
1049
00:41:39,544 --> 00:41:41,254
I know exactly
where he's at,
1050
00:41:41,254 --> 00:41:44,549
and that's the only peace
that I get out of it.
1051
00:41:44,549 --> 00:41:46,551
Over 30 years later,
Sam Kinison
1052
00:41:46,551 --> 00:41:49,721
has left a complex
legacy in comedy.
1053
00:41:49,721 --> 00:41:52,390
He was quite wonderful,
and that he did- you know,
1054
00:41:52,390 --> 00:41:54,100
he's one of those people
like out there, you know,
1055
00:41:54,100 --> 00:41:56,185
he offended people sometimes
and other people loved it,
1056
00:41:56,185 --> 00:41:58,062
but there's people that
have to be out there to
1057
00:41:58,062 --> 00:41:59,981
kind of mess
with the envelope.
1058
00:41:59,981 --> 00:42:02,734
I read the darkest,
sickest thing
1059
00:42:02,734 --> 00:42:04,694
I've ever read in my
life this summer.
1060
00:42:04,694 --> 00:42:06,821
I read in the paper,
they said...
1061
00:42:06,821 --> 00:42:09,824
that a group of homosexual
necrophiliacs-
1062
00:42:09,824 --> 00:42:11,868
-Woo!
-[Laughing]
1063
00:42:11,868 --> 00:42:14,454
...have been going
around to mortuaries,
1064
00:42:14,454 --> 00:42:17,039
offering them money...
1065
00:42:17,039 --> 00:42:19,417
to let them come in at night,
spend a couple hours
1066
00:42:19,417 --> 00:42:22,962
undisturbed with the
freshest male corpse.
1067
00:42:22,962 --> 00:42:25,590
Boo!
[Laughing & shrieking]
1068
00:42:25,590 --> 00:42:28,634
It was really just, you know,
it's a simple joke.
1069
00:42:28,634 --> 00:42:29,927
Ha, I felt the same way.
1070
00:42:29,927 --> 00:42:32,597
I read this thing,
and I went, "Oh! Oh!"
1071
00:42:32,597 --> 00:42:35,057
The joke is like, imagine
if you're that dead guy.
1072
00:42:35,057 --> 00:42:36,726
I mean,
that's the joke.
1073
00:42:36,726 --> 00:42:39,270
It's simple, but it
was just, you know...
1074
00:42:39,270 --> 00:42:41,564
just when he lies down.
1075
00:42:41,564 --> 00:42:43,524
And these corpses,
'cause I know these guys
1076
00:42:43,524 --> 00:42:45,985
were laying out on slabs...
1077
00:42:45,985 --> 00:42:47,028
They're in there,
going-
1078
00:42:47,028 --> 00:42:50,948
"Well, well, life was
tough and, ah...
1079
00:42:50,948 --> 00:42:53,201
It was pretty hard
to live up to, and...
1080
00:42:53,201 --> 00:42:55,286
I have faced death, and
I'm glad I went through it,
1081
00:42:55,286 --> 00:42:56,704
and ah...
1082
00:42:56,704 --> 00:42:59,123
well, now I'm ready to
spend eternity in heaven,
1083
00:42:59,123 --> 00:43:00,833
be with Jesus and...
1084
00:43:00,833 --> 00:43:03,961
rock of ages.
Hey..."
1085
00:43:03,961 --> 00:43:05,379
[Laughing]
1086
00:43:05,379 --> 00:43:07,965
"Hey,
what's this shit?!"
1087
00:43:07,965 --> 00:43:10,885
-"Oh, I don't believe this!"
-[Laughing]
1088
00:43:10,885 --> 00:43:13,721
"There's a guy's
dick in my ass!"
1089
00:43:13,721 --> 00:43:15,640
[Laughing & cheering]
1090
00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,266
"Oh, you mean life keeps
----ing you in the ass
1091
00:43:17,266 --> 00:43:19,393
even after you're dead?
1092
00:43:19,393 --> 00:43:21,479
Ah, it never ends,
it never ends, oh!
1093
00:43:21,479 --> 00:43:23,689
Oh! Oh!"
1094
00:43:23,689 --> 00:43:25,858
[Cheering & applauding]
1095
00:43:25,858 --> 00:43:27,902
And just to see him laying
down and start rocking
1096
00:43:27,902 --> 00:43:30,029
like that, I get chills
about it now.
1097
00:43:30,029 --> 00:43:32,240
The zone he created,
it was outer space.
1098
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:33,991
No one had ever
gone there before.
1099
00:43:33,991 --> 00:43:35,284
No one ever seen
anything like it.
1100
00:43:35,284 --> 00:43:36,911
I've never seen
anything like it.
1101
00:43:36,911 --> 00:43:39,330
I think the biggest
misconception about
1102
00:43:39,330 --> 00:43:42,750
Sam Kinison is that he
enjoyed insulting people.
1103
00:43:42,750 --> 00:43:46,045
That was not where
his kicks came from.
1104
00:43:46,045 --> 00:43:48,214
I think he enjoyed
making people laugh.
1105
00:43:48,214 --> 00:43:51,050
And, that was Sam's
number one goal,
1106
00:43:51,050 --> 00:43:55,054
was to just make a
room pee their pants.
1107
00:43:55,054 --> 00:43:57,598
I've been in love
about 9 times now.
1108
00:43:57,598 --> 00:44:00,560
[Laughing]
1109
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,062
And it's been
real every time, folks.
1110
00:44:03,062 --> 00:44:05,898
Every time it was
gonna last forever!
1111
00:44:05,898 --> 00:44:08,150
Remember, you ----ing
bitches, huh?!
1112
00:44:08,150 --> 00:44:10,903
-[Laughing]
-Forever!