The Aristocrats

Name: The Aristocrats
Genre: Comedy, Documentary
Released: July 29, 2005
Duration: 89 min
Rating: 72
Cast: George Carlin

2005

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 64 Ratings

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6.0

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6.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 64 Ratings

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The Aristocrats

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Movie Details & Credits

Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment | Release Date: July 29, 2005 | Not Rated

Starring: George Carlin

Summary: Comedy veterans and co-creators Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza capitalize on their insider status and invite over 100 of their closet friends (who happen to be some of the biggest names in entertainment, from George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Carey to Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget, Paul Reiser and Sarah Silverman) to reminisce, analyze,Comedy veterans and co-creators Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza capitalize on their insider status and invite over 100 of their closet friends (who happen to be some of the biggest names in entertainment, from George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Carey to Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget, Paul Reiser and Sarah Silverman) to reminisce, analyze, deconstruct and deliver their own versions of the world's dirtiest joke, an old burlesque routine, too extreme to be performed in public, called "The Aristocrats." (ThinkFilm)… Expand

Director: Paul Provenza

Genre(s): Comedy, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 89 min

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Critic Reviews

Shawn Levy

In the wake of everything we've seen on TV and in movies in recent decades, it's amazing that something as harmless as language can still stupefy us. As The Aristocrats demonstrates, there is real humor in the confrontation of taboos. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

You'll either be screaming with laughter - or be incredibly offended. Read full review

Bob Westal

An essential for all serious humor fans who don't mind verbal grossness of the most extreme sort. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

For anyone interested in the art of comedy, it's a veritable primer on the vagaries of humor. Read full review

Peter Travers

Killer-funny documentary. Read full review

Stanley Kauffmann

What fascinates is, first, that these comics treat the joke the way jazz musicians might treat a theme that each of them plays differently; and, second, that the passage of this joke from one comic to another is like the bonding of a profession. Read full review

Stephen Hunter

As long as it stayed mainstream dirty it was okay, but when it got into perversions the American Psychiatric Society hasn't even named yet, it left me behind. Read full review

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User Reviews

JulieL.

Feb 27, 2006

You're going to love this film if you're interested in the craft of comedy, and in the relationships comedians have to other comedians, their intelligence about the craft and their delight in comdey's particular voices and styles. And you'll hate it if you have some kind You're going to love this film if you're interested in the craft of comedy, and in the relationships comedians have to other comedians, their intelligence about the craft and their delight in comdey's particular voices and styles. And you'll hate it if you have some kind of agenda about keeping things clean and making comedy serve a social good. Don't bother to see it if you're only interested in the dirty joke, because that's not what this documentary is about. What it's really about the delivery, the voice of the comedian, the style, the beautiful riffs of particular tellers of the joke, the sense of a pattern and the breaking of patters, almost like great improvisational jazz.The stand-up comedians are very honest about the joke's old-fashioned appeal, its roots in vaudeville, the appeal of it, nostagically. Some of their talk wanders over intosweet melancholy, like that of Paul Resie, whose take on the joke is my own favorite. Granted, some of the talk gets mind-bogglingly gross. But the movie is fascinating and funny. Listening to some of the comedians laughing and enjoying each other while telling it - I loved it, and laughed along with them, and learned quite a bit about the sense of voice among comedians.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

jen

Sep 3, 2005

Awesome.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Ianl.

Oct 30, 2005

I laughed during most of the film,. Being short and quick comments prevented me from getting bored at anytime despite it being an hour n half interview as a film. I did get uncomfortable at some interpretations on the joke, especially as I work with kids. uncomfortable cos I was laughing at I laughed during most of the film,. Being short and quick comments prevented me from getting bored at anytime despite it being an hour n half interview as a film. I did get uncomfortable at some interpretations on the joke, especially as I work with kids. uncomfortable cos I was laughing at the the joke. I would have been rolling on the floor at Gilbert Godfrey telling it in the manner in which he did, excellent!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

RonN.

Apr 14, 2006

First off - anyone that gave this a rating of 2 or lower should be banned from EVER giving another review again. Anyone that thinks this movie was suppose to be funny (for the actual joke) needs to check into rehab ASAP. Also, anyone who's review went down the road of complaining how First off - anyone that gave this a rating of 2 or lower should be banned from EVER giving another review again. Anyone that thinks this movie was suppose to be funny (for the actual joke) needs to check into rehab ASAP. Also, anyone who's review went down the road of complaining how "The Joke had to be explained" - PLEASE do society a favor - DO NOT HAVE KIDS! Come on folks - it was a documentary … Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

TomM.-

Feb 22, 2006

Aristocrats is a great a movie as reviews suggest. It consists of telling the same joke or parts of it about 1,019 times and the joke is not even funny after the second time. It's only worth your time because of all of the great comedians that somehow got paid off to do the movie. Not Aristocrats is a great a movie as reviews suggest. It consists of telling the same joke or parts of it about 1,019 times and the joke is not even funny after the second time. It's only worth your time because of all of the great comedians that somehow got paid off to do the movie. Not Recommended.… Expand

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Circus

Sep 21, 2010

Its a shame that they did not just have the entire footage for each comedian from start to finish rather than merely showing exerps from each comedian. Not for the faint hearted. Possibly the most foul things to hear. Hilarious to see some comedians such as Gilbert Gottfried but others don'tIts a shame that they did not just have the entire footage for each comedian from start to finish rather than merely showing exerps from each comedian. Not for the faint hearted. Possibly the most foul things to hear. Hilarious to see some comedians such as Gilbert Gottfried but others don't make me laugh as much. It's easier to type it into youtube to find your favourite comedian telling the joke.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RobertR.

Aug 29, 2005

It should be marketed for 9th grade dropouts How brave does a criric have to be before advising anyone with a college or even a highschool education that this film is literately s..t and that he would be wasting his time and money if he went to see it.

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95	#95 Best Movie of 2005
97	#97 Most Discussed Movie of 2005