Aristocrats

Theatrical Release Date: 2005 07 29 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 031398187493

Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment

Summary: "A family walks into a talent agent's office..." So begins "The Aristocrats," a joke kept mostly secret by stand-up comedians for decades. An intentionally "bad" joke, the laughs in The Aristocrats aren't in the punch-line (one of the only elements that's the same every time), but in the set-up, made unique by each comedian who tells it in an attempt to fashion the world's dirtiest joke. The cat was finally let out of the bag by Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, the seasoned funnymen who gathered together a hundred people to tell a hundred different renditions of the bit. Among those presenting their personal take on The Aristocrats in this film of the same name are Jason Alexander, Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Stewart, Emo Philips, and Chris Rock. The Aristocrats premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Awards: In Competition – Sundance Film Festival Best Documentary – Online Film Critics Association Best Documentary – U.S. Comedy Arts Festival

Aristocrats

Release Date: 01/01/1899

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 90 Minutes

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Josh Ralske

The Aristocrats is an odd little documentary. The film has the ultimate one-joke premise, and the joke isn't even very funny (as many of the comics in the film note), but it offers an opportunity for several talented, inspired comics to riff on it and make it their own, while commenting on the nature of standup comedy and the intricacies of what makes something funny. The joke itself offers the basest, most falsely transgressive type of humor. While startling, the jokes about incest and spousal abuse don't seem very far-removed from the misogynistic nursery rhymes of Andrew Dice Clay. While it's certain to anger some of the right people, it's hardly a mighty salvo for freedom in the culture wars. Many of the comics seem content to merely shock. The ones who come off the best are those who break down the joke effectively (Jake Johannsen discussing the eponymous act's legal ramifications, and the illogic of the talent agent's interest in what they call themselves) or have a certain credibility derived from the genuinely transgressive nature of their previous work (Gilbert Gottfried, George Carlin). Billy the Mime works thanks to the incongruity of seeing a street performer in whiteface enact such atrocities. And the brilliant Sarah Silverman transcends the mean-spirited nature of the joke by improvising a personal history with the act, and caps it with a scandalous (and, okay, mean-spirited) revelation that is also the funniest movie line in recent memory. Director (and comic) Paul Provenza, who conceived the project with Penn Jillette and co-edited the film with Emery Emery, keeps things moving at a good clip, and structures the film in a slick, consistently engaging way. It offers a much richer, more enjoyable experience than listening to the same joke over and over for 90 minutes. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Shelley Berman  Actor 
Allan Havey  Actor 
Larry Miller  Actor 
Kevin Pollak  Actor 
Larry Storch  Actor 
Mario Cantone  Actor 
Martin Mull  Actor 
Richard Jeni  Actor 
Gregg Rogell  Actor 
Andy Richter  Actor 
Doug Stanhope  Actor 
The Onion Editorial Staff  Actor 
George Carlin  Actor 
Sue Kolinsky  Actor 
Taylor Negron  Actor 
Don Rickles  Actor 
Teller  Actor 
Franco di Giacomo  Actor 
David Steinberg  Actor 
Andy Dick  Actor 
Carrot Top  Actor 
T. Sean Shannon  Actor 
Chris Albrecht  Actor 
Phyllis Diller  Actor 
Bill Maher  Actor 
Gary Owens  Actor 
Rita Rudner  Actor 
Fred Willard  Actor 
Eric Idle  Actor 
Robin Williams  Actor 
Jay Kogen  Actor 
Drew Carey  Actor 
Jeffrey Ross  Actor 
Wayne Cotter  Actor 
Jason Alexander  Actor 
Whoopi Goldberg  Actor 
Jackie Martling  Actor 
Emo Philips  Actor 
The Smothers Brothers  Actor 
David Brenner  Actor 
Richard Lewis  Actor 
Mark Cohen  Actor 
Dana Gould  Actor 
Sarah Silverman  Actor 
Todd Glass  Actor 
Jay Marshall  Actor 
Lewis Black  Actor 
Dom Irrera  Actor 
Kevin Nealon  Actor 
Paul Reiser  Actor 
Rip Taylor  Actor 
Tim Conway  Actor 
Harry Shearer  Actor 
Jake Johannsen  Actor 
Eddie Gorodetsky  Actor 
Wendy Leibman  Actor 
Billy the Mime  Actor 
Pat Cooper  Actor 
Cathy Ladman  Actor 
Rick Overton  Actor 
Chris Rock  Actor 
Bruce Vilanch  Actor 
Carrie Fisher  Actor 
Dave Thomas  Actor 
Paul Krassner  Actor 
Eddie Izzard  Actor 
Bobby Slayton  Actor 
Merrill Markoe  Actor 
The Amazing Jonathan  Actor 
Hank Azaria  Actor 
Gilbert Gottfried  Actor 
Chuck McCann  Actor 
Peter Pitofsky  Actor 
Carrie Snow  Actor 
Billy Connolly  Actor 
Michael McKean  Actor 
Peter Tilden  Actor 
Jon Stewart  Actor 
Johnny Thompson  Actor 
Alan Kirschenbaum  Actor 
Otto & George  Actor 
Joe Franklin  Actor 
Howie Mandel  Actor 
The Passing Zone  Actor 
Bob Saget  Actor 
Steven Wright  Actor 
Penn Jillette  Actor 
Susie Essman  Actor 
Jonathan Ross  Actor 
Judy Gold  Actor 
Lisa Lampanelli  Actor 
Eric Mead  Actor 
Paul Provenza  Director 
Paul Provenza  Executive Producer 
Penn Jillette  Executive Producer 
Gary Stockdale  Composer (Music Score) 
Peter Adam Golden  Producer 

Country: USA