MPAA Rated – Not.
It’s 1:29 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right
| The Aristocrats Movie Stats & Links |
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| Starring: | Lots and lots of comics. |
| MPAA Rated: | Not. |
| Released By: | ThinkFilm |
| Kiddie Movie: | For the love of any God you might have, leave them at home. |
| Date Movie: | Easily offended – no, she’ll drag you out of the theater before you see Gilbert’s great version at the Hefner roast. |
| Gratuitous Sex: | More talk than you have probably ever heard. |
| Gratuitous Violence: | Some talk about it, namely a baseball bat and a hammer, and how a dad’s fist is way too big for a, well, never mind. |
| Action: | Nope. |
| Laughs: | If you understand what you are getting into by going to see this movie. |
| Memorable Scene: | Bob Saget and Gilbert Gottfried |
| Memorable Quote: | I can’t repeat them here for fear of losing sponsors. |
| Directed By: | Paul Provenza |
It seems that as the years have gone on, the joke titled “The Aristocrats” has gotten a little raunchier and a little raunchier, or maybe a lot raunchier and a lot raunchier, because as the boys from the movie “The Aristocrats” were interviewing Phyllis Diller, well, she knew of the joke, but when it appeared the folks showed her a current version of it, she seemed to say that it wasn’t the version she remembered. Who knows, maybe the versions she had heard were even worse, but I would have loved for her to tell one of her own.
Anyway, the movie “The Aristocrats” isn’t just a raunch-fest, there is also a lot of explaining about the supposed origins of the joke, how it has been a favorite of comics for years, how it has evolved, and how Gilbert Gottfried stole the show at the Hugh Hefner roast when, as he was sort of tanking by making some September 11th jokes (it was only a short time after the attack, and Gilbert miscalculated the tragedy + time = comedy equation), he went into a version of the joke and every comedian in the place was rolling with laughter, although Hef looked a little lost. The joke, in its simplest terms, isn’t that funny, it’s the stuff inside that either makes you totally disgusted or makes you howl with laughter.
Here’s the set-up for the joke. A guy walks into an agent’s office, telling him he has the most fabulous act he could sign. The agent isn’t interested, but gives the guy a chance to sell his act. The guy tells him it’s a family act, and then it’s all improv from here, at least until the punch line. After the guy is done telling the agent about the act, the agent asks the guy what the group is called. He simply says “The Aristocrats.” Seems pretty boring, right? Well, it’s the stuff in the middle that is the stuff of comedic legend, because that stuff is usually the vilest stuff you can ever imagine, especially with a family usually being involved. Usually there is something about bowel movements, usually something about urine, usually something about the family dog, maybe even toss in some vomit. There is definitely a lot about sex, and remember, it’s a family here, so it’s not really just mom and dad having it, and then the really sick stuff kicks in, as noted by Bob Saget, yes, that Bob Saget, Dad from “Full House,” explaining that as the son lost an eyeball, well, it left another opportunity.
Look, this is one sick joke most of the time, but for all except the most chaste of people, and I’ll bet some of them would even go blue for a few minutes, then confess their sin and ask for forgiveness, but we can all tell a version of “The Aristocrats.” This movie does a little bit more, explaining how it changes, how even the beginning and the ending sometimes change, how Sarah Silverman turns it into a version where she was actually a member of The Aristocrats, and it even has one of the most entertaining mimes I have ever seen, especially as he does his version in front of people passing by.
If you are the most easily offended, this is not the movie for you. For some of you, even not easily offended, you might still be sickened and want to leave the theater. For the rest of you, I’ll guess you find the movie pretty funny. For all of you, though, I’ll bet you can tell a version of “The Aristocrats” that you find funny, even if it doesn’t involve vomit. For me I was grossed out and I laughed a lot. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “The Aristocrats.” My only hope is that the DVD expands on the movie, maybe giving some of the full, unedited versions of some of the comic’s versions of a joke that can, at times, be the sickest thing you have ever heard that still makes you laugh.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!