The first feel-good movie made out of fecal matter.

| Nov 1, 2007

This all-star open-mike night loses its luster before its own loud laughter dies down.

| Feb 9, 2006

With a showman's respect for the power of the build-up, Provenza touts his product thoroughly before unveiling it.

| Jan 27, 2006

A stunning comedy masterclass. For those with strong stomachs, obviously...

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 7, 2006

... The Aristocrats proves that sometimes you don't have to be a great filmmaker to make a great documentary.

Full Review | Dec 9, 2005

Within a single joke, The Aristocrats unlocks an entire universe of comedy.

| Sep 26, 2005

The film has the feel of a long and fascinating chat rather than a formal thesis. But if it feels a little self-congratulatory at times, that's a small price to pay.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 24, 2005

In comedy, as in life, it's the journey, not the outcome, that proves most fascinating.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 28, 2005

Let me reiterate. This movie is really, really dirty.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 25, 2005

See it if you aren't too jaded to appreciate a few laughs in these mostly mirthless times.

| Aug 25, 2005

Exudes cheerfulness and expansive joy.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2005

For my taste, the joke is a little too scatological for comfort.

| Aug 12, 2005

Under normal circumstances, nothing kills a joke faster than trying to explain it. Yet here, such examination is the film's strong suit and provides much-needed respite, quite frankly, from the exhaustion of constant laughter.

| Aug 12, 2005

If the Marquis de Sade had set The 120 Days of Sodom in a Catskills club, the result might have been something like The Aristocrats.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 12, 2005

It's very funny, but it's also a bit dull.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 12, 2005

Like the joke, the filmmakers keep their movie alive, not by changing any of the fundamentals but by finding new ways to embroider the basic material.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 12, 2005

I laughed myself blue.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 12, 2005

Alone, the jokes would become a tedious, 87-minute blur. But The Aristocrats also has eloquent analyses by George Carlin, show-stealing bits by Sarah Silverman and Whoopi Goldberg, and inventive ways to keep the joke from getting stale.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 12, 2005

The iron rule: There ain't nothing funny about analyzing comedy. The bizarre exception: The Aristocrats..

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 12, 2005

The dissection of a joke is never pretty, but it has never been nastier than it is in The Aristocrats.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 12, 2005