|
|
|
The Aristocrats
Movie Stats & Links |
| Starring: |
Lots and lots of
comics. |
| MPAA Rated: |
Not. |
| Released By: |
ThinkFilm |
| Web Site: |
www.thearistocrats.com |
| 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 |
| Produced By: |
Peter Adam Golden |
|
|
The Aristocrats
A Movie Review |
|
 |
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!!! |
