Director:
Paul Provenza
Editors:
Paul Provenza and Emery Emery
Cast:
100 comedians. Look at the poster. I’m not writing all those names.
Thinkfilm presents a Mighty Cheese Production.
Running Time: Approximately 90 Minutes.
UNRATED
Street date: Jan 24, 2006
The Movie
On the simplest level, The Aristocrats is the story of one joke being told and examined for 90 minutes. Such a thing can get quite repetitive, but the film somehow makes it work without over-staying its welcome. Perhaps it is due to the feeling the audience gets of hanging out with entertainers, both celebrities and semi-celebrities. Or it could be the level of joy expressed by the comedians during the course of the documentary.
But the movie does reward a closer examination, mostly thanks to the editing of Emery Emery and director Paul Provenza. In turning 140 hours of footage into 1.5 hours of movie, they have done something quite remarkable. Similar themes collide and contrast, the joke is taken into different directions despite similar wording, interpreted in numerous ways. To use the film’s own mantra, “it’s the singer not the song.”
There is some insight to be taken away. For some it might be simply a glimpse into the creative processes of performers. For others, it might be some deeper cultural message, capturing a Zeitgeist through that which is currently shocking.
But at the very least, there are jokes about fisting.
And I should add that it is also educational for the more innocent amongst us who wish to learn the definitions of Dirty Sanchez, Strawberry Shortcake, Space Docking, The Rusty Trombone, etc.
Score: 7.5/10
The DVD
The Audio and The Visual:
The film was shot without the benefit of a single professional camera man, so it looks as good as it is going to look.
For the most part, it sounds fine, but there are a couple of sequences where the audio is slightly out of sync.
The flick was obviously made on the cheap; the DVD ain’t gonna make it look like a STAR WARS.
That’s probably a good thing.
The Box
My wife hates the cover. Otherwise, the box is nice. There is an insert with a couple of interesting essays about the film by Penn Jillete and Paul Provenza, and a list of the special features.
Special Features
“More From the Comedians”: There are about 20 different things to click on here, amounting to about 2 hours worth of stuff. They include extended versions of the interviews seen in the movie, different takes, a dirty poem by Ron Jeremy, a disturbing yet amazing performance piece by Billy the Mime, and a music video of the joke. Most are worth watching.
The “Aristocrats do the Aristocats” highlight reel: An extended version of the joke spliced together from the many versions seen in the film.
Not much else to say about that thing. It is what it is.
For Johnny Carson: A tribute to Johnny Carson and an explanation as to why the film is dedicated to him, short and to the point.
Behind the Green Room Door: Comedians Tell Some of Their Other Favorite Jokes – It is pretty much just what it says. It plays like a mini-sequel to the film proper.
“Be An Aristocrat” Contest Winners : One winner’s film of himself, dressed as a black and white cartoon character, telling the joke. Another winner has an animated version of the joke. Not unfunny, especially considering they were the results of a contest.
Filmmakers’ Commentary: It is a joy for me to listen to Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette. No, seriously. The commentary is smart, funny, frank, and not at all pretentious. It is definitely a worthwhile track.
Score: 8/10
