THE ARISTOCRATS — ** 1/2 — Documentary feature on the world's dirtiest joke; not rated, probable NC-17 (profanity, vulgarity, brief drugs); see Page W2 for theaters.
One of the biggest complaints leveled against comedies is that so many are basically one joke repeated over and over again. And that describes perfectly "The Aristocrats."
This documentary features nearly 100 comedians telling the same joke or performing some variation of it. Among them are Gilbert Gottfried, Phyllis Diller, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Steven Wright, Penn & Teller (who use their customary comic-magic shtick) and Whoopi Goldberg.
However, just because the film shows nothing but comedians telling a joke, don't let that fool you. This is one of the most sexually profane films ever, due to the graphic language used by the comedians.
In fact, the film's concept is the-dirtier-the-better, which ensures that its audience appeal will be limited. (Even when it was screened at the generally open-minded Sundance Film Festival, there were walk-outs.)
For those who aren't familiar with the joke in question, it's the story of a talent agent who's being "pitched" a new act, in which the performers do some of the most depraved and twisted things in the name of entertainment. (The joke's punchline is that the name of the act being pitched is "The Aristocrats.")
Director Paul Provenza, a stand-up comedian in his own right, and executive producer Penn Jillette recruited many of their friends for the movie, urging them to tell it in the most perverse fashion possible.
To give you an idea of just how far the film goes, it opens with a version told by George Carlin, and things only get filthier. Believe it or not, the most extreme version is done by former "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos" star Bob Saget. And the cleanest one is told by Drew Carey.
It takes an extremely open mind and a strong constitution to stomach a lot of this. And the filmmaking is pretty amateurish; at times it appears the film was shot by a monkey with a camera strapped to its back.
Come to think of it, that might have been funnier than some jokesters in this movie; Andy Dick, for example, is painfully unfunny.
"The Aristocrats" is not rated but would probably receive an NC-17 for prevalent use of strong sexual profanity and crude and sexually suggestive slang terms, as well as some other frank references to sexual and bodily functions, and some drug content (a few references). Running time: 86 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com