The Aristocrats (2005)

Director: Paul Provenza

Starring: A SHITLOAD of comedians

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: 100 Superstar Comedians. One Very Dirty Joke.

Plot Outline: One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke - one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.



My Rating: 9/10 - What keeps from being a 10? It's not long enough.

Would I watch it again? Fuck, yeah!

I'm a stand-up comedian kind of guy. I've always wanted to try my hand at it and maybe someday that might happen. This documentary of sorts is loaded with some of my favorite comedians like Carlin, Lewis Black, Drew Carey, Carrot Top, Richard Jeni, Jake Johannsen, Larry Miller, Martin Mull, Kevin Pollak, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, The Smothers Brothers, Fred Willard, Tim Conway and a slew of others.


They're basically telling their versions of the joke which, as we find out, there have been some that were able to take hours telling it. We also hear about where the joke may have originated and when these comedians heard it for the first time and so on. The editing is well done to the point of giving you so much information and comedy that you feel like it's much more than the 89 minutes you actually get. Normally that's a bad thing but here it's teriffic because soooooo many of these people are a fucking riot you'll laugh your ass off and feel pain as a result.


Some of the best moments are Kevin Pollack telling the joke like Christopher Walken. Pollack is the man who started the whole Walken impersonation thing and he's pitch perfect at it. Other highlights include Bob Saget with some beautiful filth. He's a riot. In the extras (of which there are TONS) he starts telling his own jokes as Albert Brooks AND in the style of Albert Brooks. Brilliant. Larry Miller tells what is now my favorite joke. It was Carson's favorite joke but you have to hear it told and not see it in print which wouldn't give the hilarious effect. It's so sublime it kills me.

Here's a clip of his Walken bit:



We find out that Sarah Silverman, THE HOTTEST COMEDIENNE OUT THERE and one of the few female comics I like, was raped by Joe Franklin. She wasn't, of course, but it makes for a hysterical bit.


If you like comedians then you cannot pass this up. There are so many truly funny people (and a few who aren't that funny) that this is a must-see for anyone with a "good" sense of humor. If it helps, Dane Cook IS NOT IN THIS. This is a classy film. We don't need that kind of riff raff.