"A man walks into a talent agent's office with his family and says, Have I got an act for you! The talent agent replies, So what do you do?" So begins "The Aristocrats," a joke that has been handed down from comedian to comedian for decades but is rarely told on stage. The next part of the joke varies, allowing for improvisation, and the only requirement in telling the joke is that it be as offensive as possible.

Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette spent two years documenting as many versions of this infamous joke as possible, cornering comedians like Drew Carey, Whoopi Goldberg, Susie Essman, and Paul Reiser whenever and wherever possible. The results are surprising, and often take their humor to places that may make sensitive viewers uncomfortable. While comic legends such as Don Rickles, The Smothers Brothers, and Phyllis Diller admit their familiarity with the joke, they shy away from telling their own versions. Some may be surprised, however, to see performers who are normally associated with family-friendly material, including Bob Saget and Jason Alexander, describing scatological and incestuous acts with deadpan glee. Ultimately, though, THE ARISTOCRATS is more than just many versions of the same dirty joke--it is an exploration of the workings of the unrestricted comic mind.

Theatrical Release: JULY 19, 2005 (NY/LA) AUGUST 1, 2005 (EXPANDS)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Closed Captioned - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Extended Scenes
Behind the Scenes: Behind the Green Room Door
Audio Commentary: Paul Provenza, Penn Jilette - Stars
Featurette:
1. For Johnny Carson
2. Be an Aristocrat

Jason Alexander: American actor, director, SEINFELD
Hank Azaria: Actor, THE SIMPSONS
Shelley Berman: American Comedian/Actor
Lewis Black: American Comedian
David Brenner: Comedian
Drew Carey: 
George Carlin: Comedian, actor
Billy Connolly: Comedian/Actor
Tim Conway: American TV comedian, THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW regular
Pat Cooper: Italian-American standup comedian
Wayne Cotter: 
Andy Dick: Actor, IN THE ARMY NOW
Phyllis Diller: American comedienne/actress; many Bob Hope movies
Susie Essman: Actress/Comedienne
Carrie Fisher: American actress, STAR WARS, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
Stephen Wright: Writer/Comedian
Joe Franklin: Talk Show Host
Judy Gold: Television Writer/Actress
Whoopi Goldberg: Oscar-winning actress/comedian, GHOST
Gilbert Gottfried: American Comedian
Dana Gould: 
Eric Idle: British Actor, Monty Python Member
Eddie Izzard: British comic
Emo Philips: 
Fred Willard: American actor
Paul Reiser: American Actor/Comedian
David Steinberg: 
Jon Stewart: Actor/comedian/television host, THE DAILY SHOW
Dave Thomas: Canadian Comedian/Actor
Bob Saget: Comedian/TV Actor
Harry Shearer: American Screenwriter/Actor
Michael McKean: American actor, THIS IS SPINAL TAP, LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
Robin Williams: American actor/comedian
Rita Rudner: Comedienne/Writer/Actress
Don Rickles: American Comedian/Actor
Martin Mull: Barth Gimble of TV's "Fernwood 2-Night"
Howie Mandel: Canadian Comic Actor

Penn Jillette: Magician/Comedian of Penn & Teller Duo
Paul Provenza: American Performer

"[A]n essay film, a work of painstaking and penetrating scholarship....Original and rigorous..."
"For all the gag's Tourette's-syndrome rush of expletives and uninhibited combinations of body functions, there remains a guileless innocence here."
"A fabulous documentary, this works both for belly laughs and as a meditation on comedy's function."
"[T]he film actually provides fascinating insights into the psyche of comedians and their gleeful, childlike delight in flouting taboos."
"[A] documentary that dissects the essence of comedy as well as showcases outrageous improvisational humor....[F]or those with a keen interest in freedom of speech and indulging in plenty of belly laughs, THE ARISTOCRATS is worth seeing."
"[A] fascinating sick-joke documentary....THE ARISTOCRATS has a lot of laughs..."
"[K]iller-funny....These stand-ups on the spot tell the joke, take it apart, and reveal why they use it as the gold standard to test what a comic is made of."
"[T]he result is gloriously, painfully hilarious....[T]his 86-minute documentary never drags..."