Robert Small – “Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” [DVD Review]

Back From Hell is a documentary style film that provides a behind-the-scenes peak at one of the greatest comics of all time. Through interviews with friends, peers and those who drew their inspiration from the iconic comic, viewers gain insight into the stories behind the bits. Before his untimely death in a car accident nearly twenty years ago, Kinison had a way of entertaining and offending just about everyone he came across. His larger than life persona was not an act just for the camera; he truly led a hedonistic rock star lifestyle complete with drugs, booze women and debauchery of unimaginable proportions.

I found the video to be a touching tribute to Kinison; some of the biggest names on the comedy circuit (Jay Leno, Ice-T, Chris Rock and many more) all telling stories and reminiscing fondly about Kinison. In between the interviews and stories are clips of Kinison performing in a live setting. He was loud and he was abrasive, but he was also clever, extremely funny and talented. Kinison was truly a one of a kind talent who influenced so many comedians; he will live on in infamy as one of the greats.

The bonus features on the DVD contain the infamous, “Wild Thing” video as well as additional live comedy footage. The overall length of the film is a bit disappointing though and seems as if the project was made for TV; coming in at exactly an hour. At the end of the day I think Back From Hell is a good disc that provides good insight into the inner working of this comedic genius. If you’re a fan of comedy you might want to consider picking this DVD up.

Run Time: 60 minutes
Release Date: November 16, 2010

Check out the movie trailer