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From Amazon.co.uk
As a film, The Aristocrats is quite straightforward. At its heart is what’s renowned as the dirtiest, filthiest joke in the room, one so unpleasant that it can never be performed on stage or on screen. As the numerous talking heads testify, it’s a comedian’s joke to tell to other comedians, rather than to be shared with audiences. And the joke at heart, as they all know, isn’t all that funny. Fortunately, the telling frequently is.
The film thus rounds up a who’s who of comedy, and gets them to both discuss the infamous joke, and to commit their rendition of it to film. What the viewer then gets from it all is an at-times fascinating comparison of how different comedians can tackle pretty much the same material in wildly different ways. And with contributions from the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Eric Idle and Paul Reiser, this isn’t a tired scrape around the C-list circuit by any means, and it’s all the better for it.
With 100 comedians ultimately repeating their own version of the gag throughout the film’s running time, it’s perhaps unsurprising that The Aristocrats does slightly outstay its welcome. And the warning that the joke in question is offensive really shouldn’t be taken lightly at all--taboos aren’t just broken here, they’re shattered into umpteen pieces. If you can stomach all that though, the end result is still worth your time.--Simon Brew
Product Description
outrageous, star-studded comedy extravaganza that celebrates the art of improvisation and the finest (not to mention the most foul-mouthed) traditions of stand up
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By J. Harrison
Format:DVD
This film is a masterclass in how to take a simple, though moderately funny, joke...... and run with it.
YES !! as countless reviewers have pointed out, this is not a politicaly correct joke. It delves deep, deep, DEEP into the issues we find disturbing. It has to, in a way. Because that's all part of the setup. Part of the journey.
Gilbert Gotfried told this joke (as we hear in the documentary) to an audience too shocked to hear his material on 9/11 a scant three weeks after the event. He did this to show how true bravery means confronting the issues you shy away from.
The joke itself has become a cult. A whole language of comedy has been spawned by it, as you will see from the variations and sub-text jokes.
If you are easily offended then don't watch this. If you think 'Will and Grace' a little risque then don't watch this. If you are one of the members of the moral minority then don't watch this. If you are prepared to leave your preconceptions at the door and take a peek at what comedy is capable of then buy this DVD and show it to everyone you know. The friends you are left with are the ones you deserve, the ones who will laugh loudest and cry tears of joy at the pure genius of this masterpiece.
A word to the wise. This joke and the people who tell it DO NOT 'cross the line'. They begin from the other side of the line, and keep going.......
YES !! as countless reviewers have pointed out, this is not a politicaly correct joke. It delves deep, deep, DEEP into the issues we find disturbing. It has to, in a way. Because that's all part of the setup. Part of the journey.
Gilbert Gotfried told this joke (as we hear in the documentary) to an audience too shocked to hear his material on 9/11 a scant three weeks after the event. He did this to show how true bravery means confronting the issues you shy away from.
The joke itself has become a cult. A whole language of comedy has been spawned by it, as you will see from the variations and sub-text jokes.
If you are easily offended then don't watch this. If you think 'Will and Grace' a little risque then don't watch this. If you are one of the members of the moral minority then don't watch this. If you are prepared to leave your preconceptions at the door and take a peek at what comedy is capable of then buy this DVD and show it to everyone you know. The friends you are left with are the ones you deserve, the ones who will laugh loudest and cry tears of joy at the pure genius of this masterpiece.
A word to the wise. This joke and the people who tell it DO NOT 'cross the line'. They begin from the other side of the line, and keep going.......
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Unrated and unrelenting, “The Aristocrats” is a simple joke that gets carried far, far beyond normal human comprehension. It is funny, unique and nearly unbelievably disgusting. It simply starts out with the comedian telling the ‘agent’ that a family of four; Mom, Dad, son, daughter and the dog walk onto a stage. It ends with the ‘agent’ asking the name of the act. “The Aristocrats” is the answer. What comes between is the real meat of the package. Dozens and dozens of comedians tell hilariously different parts of their versions of the joke throughout the film. Be wary. The subject matter includes feces, vomit, incest, bestiality, murder, group sex, urine, blood, pedophilia, violence, forced consumption of every bodily fluid available and more! This is where you get to hear what comedians really like to joke about! And if you ever wondered why Gilbert Gottfried is even mildly famous, his final version of the joke is so irreverently vile, you’ll never wonder again. Disgusting stuff. You’ll love it.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By M. S. Mosley
Format:DVD
It is very simple really.
You will either love this film so much that you will talk about nothing else for days or hate it with a burning inhuman passion.
As I'm sure you know its about a joke that has become a legend behind the scenes of comedy. A Joke that comedians tell to each other as an informal competition.
The start and finish is more or less fixed but the rest is just a flight of absurd and twisted fantasy.
From a purely technical point of view this is a disjointed mess that should not be funny in any way at all.
Much of it is offensive in the extreme and the only things that redeem it is the performance and the intent.
Such an insane idea couldn't possibly happen so any offense is just a symptom of an inflated sense of self importance on the part of the viewer.
Try it but don't let the kids watch it.
You will either love this film so much that you will talk about nothing else for days or hate it with a burning inhuman passion.
As I'm sure you know its about a joke that has become a legend behind the scenes of comedy. A Joke that comedians tell to each other as an informal competition.
The start and finish is more or less fixed but the rest is just a flight of absurd and twisted fantasy.
From a purely technical point of view this is a disjointed mess that should not be funny in any way at all.
Much of it is offensive in the extreme and the only things that redeem it is the performance and the intent.
Such an insane idea couldn't possibly happen so any offense is just a symptom of an inflated sense of self importance on the part of the viewer.
Try it but don't let the kids watch it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By sean paul mccann
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
It appears to me when glancing through reviews of this that this documentary splits opinion like few others,some think the nature of this where 100 comedians retell the same joke with their own take on it as a bridge too far and people like myself view this as a brilliant exercise in talent,the divide is vast but for my opinion this is the dogs bark of comedy.
The idea behind this is that there is a joke,very few have heard of it but it exists,some whisper it,some pretend it doesnt exist,few know where it came from,some say it existed 100s of years ago,others say 50,the joke is basically a joke that comics tell other comics,it wont be aired on screen,and comics dont tell it on stage,it has mystique wrapped around it,the joke always starts and ends the same,always,but the middle section is improvised and each telling is designed to be cruder and filthier than the last,it is meant to be a joke that is always bettered with each telling.
The comedians featured here aint no c list,they are top comics,from billy connolly to eddie izzard to sarah silverman,whoopi gholdberg to a heck of alot in between,they share their versions of the joke and tell of how they came to hear of its existence,each telling is cruder and lewder than before,it is just extreme,nothing is ignored in terms of taboo,it is sickening but ultimately funny and interesting.
This is a well made,pacey,lots of cuts and keeps you on your toes,never lying still,as i said this is very adult and most will take offence and i dont blame them but if you have a strong ear for the obscene then this will do nicely,it is more than a joke,it is a challenge for each comic to gain respect from their peers,fascinating.
The idea behind this is that there is a joke,very few have heard of it but it exists,some whisper it,some pretend it doesnt exist,few know where it came from,some say it existed 100s of years ago,others say 50,the joke is basically a joke that comics tell other comics,it wont be aired on screen,and comics dont tell it on stage,it has mystique wrapped around it,the joke always starts and ends the same,always,but the middle section is improvised and each telling is designed to be cruder and filthier than the last,it is meant to be a joke that is always bettered with each telling.
The comedians featured here aint no c list,they are top comics,from billy connolly to eddie izzard to sarah silverman,whoopi gholdberg to a heck of alot in between,they share their versions of the joke and tell of how they came to hear of its existence,each telling is cruder and lewder than before,it is just extreme,nothing is ignored in terms of taboo,it is sickening but ultimately funny and interesting.
This is a well made,pacey,lots of cuts and keeps you on your toes,never lying still,as i said this is very adult and most will take offence and i dont blame them but if you have a strong ear for the obscene then this will do nicely,it is more than a joke,it is a challenge for each comic to gain respect from their peers,fascinating.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is just the sort of product that polarises Amazon reviewers, on US Amazon reviewers seems to favour the disc and quite right too. Jillette and Provenza have created a very funny movie from a simple premise: the world's filthiest joke told and analysed by the Nation's top fun folk.
I liked the way they worked over the joke with no audience so you can see how they improvised on the filth theme. Each comedian tells it in their own way, short or long (and very long in the case of Gilbert Gottfried and Bob Saget) and although the ninety minutes is basically about the same joke it is edited in such a way that I was not aware of the time. It has to be said though that the filming is on the amateur level, by Jillette and Provenza and they admit as much on the optional commentary. My favourites are the South Park crew and a very quick but brilliant sequence by Eric Mead who uses a pack of Bicycle playing cards to tell the joke. Two comedians even manage to reverse the joke by having a very safe stage act performed by obscenely named artists.
But wait! There's more! As well as the documentary you'll get to see another two hours of filth. Of the several extras these are the two I enjoyed most, 'More from the comedians' has twenty-one of them joking and revealing their thoughts on the Aristocrats and 'Behind the Green Door' lets them tell some of their other stuff. All this on a wonderful DVD and no nudity!
* Oh yes, let me spell it out for the potential one star reviewers out there: if you don't like to hear certain words that end in s, t, k, t, m and others, repeated a zillion times, steer well clear of The Aristocrats. Don't say I didn't warn you and have a nice day now.
I liked the way they worked over the joke with no audience so you can see how they improvised on the filth theme. Each comedian tells it in their own way, short or long (and very long in the case of Gilbert Gottfried and Bob Saget) and although the ninety minutes is basically about the same joke it is edited in such a way that I was not aware of the time. It has to be said though that the filming is on the amateur level, by Jillette and Provenza and they admit as much on the optional commentary. My favourites are the South Park crew and a very quick but brilliant sequence by Eric Mead who uses a pack of Bicycle playing cards to tell the joke. Two comedians even manage to reverse the joke by having a very safe stage act performed by obscenely named artists.
But wait! There's more! As well as the documentary you'll get to see another two hours of filth. Of the several extras these are the two I enjoyed most, 'More from the comedians' has twenty-one of them joking and revealing their thoughts on the Aristocrats and 'Behind the Green Door' lets them tell some of their other stuff. All this on a wonderful DVD and no nudity!
* Oh yes, let me spell it out for the potential one star reviewers out there: if you don't like to hear certain words that end in s, t, k, t, m and others, repeated a zillion times, steer well clear of The Aristocrats. Don't say I didn't warn you and have a nice day now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious
Watching comics you are used to being clean and wholesome be absolutely discusting is fascinating. It feels like you get a peek behind the scenes, for real!
Published 14 months ago by Andreas Wiik
2.0 out of 5 stars
FUNNY??? Depends, I guess...
I ordered a copy of "The Aristocrats" after seeing an out-take from it in the extras section of Sarah Silverman's totally hilarious (at least I thot so) "Jesus Is Magic" DVD. Read more
Published 18 months ago by DVD-OCD
3.0 out of 5 stars
'How to improvise a joke'
'The Aristocrats' is a joke so infamous amongst comedians that it got it's own documentary. It's also the punchline to the joke, a precis of which goes something like this:... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2010 by L. Hennessy
3.0 out of 5 stars
"...it's a blank slate and you get to play"
This is a documentary about a joke where comedians get to be as crude and offensive as they can be before announcing the punchline "...The Aristocrats!". Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2009 by @GeekZilla9000
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good good good
Ok, so I bought this as I remembered watching sections of it when it was on TV and thought it would be a good watch. Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2009 by A. Williams
1.0 out of 5 stars
Absurd, inhumane, disgusting and above all... HERESY.
HOW can a joke, which if practiced and lived, would put you behind bars or on the electric chair easily, survive that long? Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2008 by Movie Freak
1.0 out of 5 stars
NO STARS !
This film is a masterclass in how to take a joke that isn't funny and ask lots of people who think they are funny to tell it , over and over and over and over and over and over... Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2007 by Mark Wharton
3.0 out of 5 stars
interesting
This is vaguely interesting and great if you are a fan of all the American comedians that are featured. Read more
Published on 13 May 2007 by M. O. HAYNES
3.0 out of 5 stars
meh.
A documentary about an infamous joke that has done the rounds for decades amongst comedians but has rarely had a public airing. Read more
Published on 7 May 2007 by Michael K
5.0 out of 5 stars
Offensive, disgusting, crude and incredibly funny !
Went to see this twice at the Cameo, and both times members of the audience got up and walked out !
If you are likely to find descriptions of insestuous sex acts... Read more
If you are likely to find descriptions of insestuous sex acts... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2007 by Douglas Traill
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