It was fun to watch an overly confident comic bomb. Still waiting to hear if Orney whatever got the fame he feels he deserves.. Not a funny guy.

LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 22 minutes of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, performing his comedy and doing live stand-up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really cool stuff. I love this glimpse into the behind-the-scenes life of stand-up. Reminded me a bit of the more recent, Rolling Thunder Review doc, on the Bob Dylan tour - just diving right into things as they're happening. I appreciated the music very much, and also the clear list of who wrote, performed etc. the music presented in the end credits. The soundtrack is well woven, edited in - I was particularly struck by a scene with old footage of I think a very young Richard Pryor, by the jazz that was playing over that, how it provided counterpoint to Pryor's comedic arm movements, like Pryor was the jazz conductor. Fun. There is a bitter-sweet, brief part involving Bill Cosby, long before the abuse came out. I found that heartbreaking to watch but also astonishing and insightful to see that exchange between two human beings, to realize the impact that must have on so many who looked up to him and loved him, how complicated that must be for them. And it's very sweet how the old hands council the young comedian, to see how he grows.

Found the Orny Adams segments more interesting here but will always appreciate hearing Jerry Seinfeld as well. Definitely shows the age of this doc with an appearance by Bill Cosby to be honored and gushed over.

Interesting look at the life of Stand Up Comedians in NY

Great follow up to a great show.

Think of the greats...Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Sam Kinison, Milton Berle, Andy Kaufman...many of the great comedians in the last 60+ years have entertained us for hours. On stage, in films...they made it look so easy. But when we dig down deep into their lives, we usually find a tortured soul who began using comedy to fill some void left behind for some reason or another. Many of us think that it just takes a certain personality to deliver the genius lines night after night, pushing our buttons, tickling our funny bones. Delivering what 1988's Punchline never could, Jerry Seinfeld's brilliant documentary, Comedian, displays the work, emotion, heart and agony it takes to make it as a stand-up comedian. Fans of Seinfeld know that Jerry spent years on the comedy circuit paying his dues. He appeared on countless Tonight Show and David Letterman episodes, toured the country and, eventually, developed what would become a landmark sitcom, some say the best sitcom of all time. By his early 40's, Jerry Seinfeld had it all...a family, more money than he could ever need, fame, worldwide recognition and legendary status. But shortly after his show ended, Jerry Seinfeld performed an HBO special billed as "the last time he would ever us his old material." While it didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time, since most of us would have taken the money and run, it turns out Jerry had a much larger plan in mind. Granted, it seems like it is one that is made up as he goes along, but he definitely had a direction, if even a windy one. In Comedian, the viewer is invited to small comedy clubs, backstage and even to friendly chit chat at dinner with fellow comedians. What initially looks like a behind-the-scenes look at how Jerry made it, gradually turns into a film with much deeper intentions. The viewer is allowed to watch a man, known around the world as one of the best in comedy ever, essentially start his career over. What the viewer watches is not just act after act. The viewer is allowed to watch and become part of the stress, the worry, the blind journey through beginning, developing, honing and, hopefully, perfecting an "act." We see that it is not, in fact, an easy job. In fact, I for one, never could really grasp that industry as a "job." However, now I see that it not only a job, but a very hard one. What is easy to forget, and what the viewer is quickly reminded of, is that where Jerry Seinfeld is today is the product of years of experience. When he tossed his old material away last year and decided to start over, it wasn't easy to re-develop an "act" from scratch that would satisfy an audience. During the course of the movie, we see Jerry start with a few opening lines, working clubs night after night testing new material, discussing new material with peers, like Colin Quinn, Mario Joyner and Chris Rock. We watch as Jerry gets nervous before finally performing an hour-long show with all new material in Washington DC, only to have the show fall relatively flat. There are numerous quotes throughout the movie that crystallize what Jerry, and obviously every comedian goes through when trying to build an "act." For example, at one point, Jerry tells a story to a young up-and-comer, Orny Adams, about Glenn Miller and his orchestra who, one night, had to land a plane in a field because the airport to their destination was snowed in. Upon landing, fully decked out in suits, the band walks miles to a house filled with the typical nuclear family. The family, warm and happy in their cozy home, is being looked upon by the suit-clad orchestra covered in mud and slush, tromping around for hours in the snowy mess only to have one band member state, "wow...who lives like that?" The point being that it takes a certain kind of person to be a performer. It's easy to go live the family life, safe job, salary, etc. It takes passion and the love for the art to be a full-time comedian. In one scene, Jerry and Colin Quinn are having a discussion about starting over. Colin keenly mentions that, even though Jerry is well-known, the audience only gives you a pass for about 5 minutes...then they still expect you to make them laugh. It is painfully apparent in Comedian that Colin speaks truthfully. Jerry uses the wisdom of his friend in his own routine later mentioning that, only in comedy and the comedic television industry, can artists who know the business, are around the business all the time, write the work, perform it, etc. go through the pain and heartache of trying to be funny and then leave it up to complete strangers, the audience, who know nothing about the industry and have probably never written a joke in their lives, gauge and judge the validity of their work. And whatever the audience's response is, the industry and comedians blindly accept it as gospel. Jerry correctly asks, "How would you like it if I came to your work and said that I didn't like how you talked in a meeting, even though I know nothing about the business you're in, what you were talking about or who you are?" It was a great point, though, as one could guess, one without a solution. It just works that way...It just IS. During the course of Jerry's progression in his act, his manager, the infamous George Shapiro, takes another young comedian under his wing, the aforementioned Orny Adams. While getting to know Orny, the viewer becomes aware that this young man is just as passionate about succeeding in the world of comedy. Orny shows us his seemingly endless collection of journals, jokes, notebooks and articles. This 30 year old man has spent more than half of his life either dreaming of or attempting to become his comedic childhood idols. We see Orny get accolades, offers to festivals and even his first network appearance on David Letterman. We see him moving in the direction he has worked so hard to achieve. Yet, we also see how painful it is to get there. There are different audiences who respond differently to his jokes. There are network censors bringing you in because of your talent, only to make you change much of what made it appealing in the first place, just to satisfy one microcosm of the audience. Despite all his growth and success during the movie, we see that Orny is not a happy person and, it seems, never will be. As the movie continues, the viewer is shown the strange parallels between young Orny, who so desperately wants to make it so that he could finally be happy, and wise Jerry who, after making it, still doesn't seem satisfied with the mark he left in the entertainment world. Both of them are at different points in their lives, yet seem to still be working for the same satisfaction that, for some reason, continues to elude them. Finally, after watching Jerry perform what is termed as "miraculous" progress in honing an act over 4 months, a short discussion between Jerry and Chris Rock point to why Jerry is still working toward a goal. Chris pointed out that he had recently seen Bill Cosby perform over 2.5 hours of material non-stop, twice a day. No opening act, no intermission, just non-stop comic brilliance. As much as Jerry has done for the comedic world, hearing that made his jaw drop. After working months and months to get to a starting point for performing the new material, one could tell that it was Bill Cosby's kind of success and mark that Jerry wanted to make. And, from what the viewer could see, that was still along way away. So while the young Orny Adams looks for just a shot at becoming the next Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry continues honing his new act in hopes of becoming the next Bill Cosby. Their journeys seem long and, at times, like they could not possibly ever end the way they want and bring them true happiness. But during the 30-minute sitcoms or hour-long HBO specials, the viewers will enjoy those short moments of brilliance while never truly understanding what it takes to become that brilliant.

The definitive documentary on what it's like to be a stand-up comic. The way it ping-pongs between the triumphs and unique struggles of the huge success found by Seinfeld, and the wonderfully uncomfortable and sad self-centeredness of small-timer Omy is fantastic. And the Cosby part is fascinating given what we know now.

So Orny Adams is nuts, right?

As an aspiring standup comedian, I felt it necessary to watch Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedian" before I went any further with my set development. I have to say it was both entertaining and informative. Maybe I got more out of it considering my present circumstance, but I think that it's great insight to a world that many never consider has much insight. It's an art that's taken for granted much of the time. It's easy to laugh. We tell jokes with our friends, so it must be easy to do something that is so bare at its essence. "Comedian" proves that that's not really the case. The premise is to show the construction of a one-hour set. Seinfeld is scrapping all his old material and starting over. He's made it and proven himself in the world of comedy, but seeks a higher challenge and meaning. This is paralleled with young comedian, Orny Adams, who tries to make a name for himself. For those interested in pursuing standup comedy, this is a must-watch. It aims to motivate and is pretty unbiased in its effort. And for those who just like to spectate, it will show you a different side to that world. Twizard Rating: 94

Think of the greats...Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Sam Kinison, Milton Berle, Andy Kaufman...many of the great comedians in the last 60+ years have entertained us for hours. On stage, in films...they made it look so easy. But when we dig down deep into their lives, we usually find a tortured soul who began using comedy to fill some void left behind for some reason or another. Many of us think that it just takes a certain personality to deliver the genius lines night after night, pushing our buttons, tickling our funny bones. Delivering what 1988's Punchline never could, Jerry Seinfeld's brilliant documentary, Comedian, displays the work, emotion, heart and agony it takes to make it as a stand-up comedian. Fans of Seinfeld know that Jerry spent years on the comedy circuit paying his dues. He appeared on countless Tonight Show and David Letterman episodes, toured the country and, eventually, developed what would become a landmark sitcom, some say the best sitcom of all time. By his early 40's, Jerry Seinfeld had it all...a family, more money than he could ever need, fame, worldwide recognition and legendary status. But shortly after his show ended, Jerry Seinfeld performed an HBO special billed as "the last time he would ever us his old material." While it didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time, since most of us would have taken the money and run, it turns out Jerry had a much larger plan in mind. Granted, it seems like it is one that is made up as he goes along, but he definitely had a direction, if even a windy one. In Comedian, the viewer is invited to small comedy clubs, backstage and even to friendly chit chat at dinner with fellow comedians. What initially looks like a behind-the-scenes look at how Jerry made it, gradually turns into a film with much deeper intentions. The viewer is allowed to watch a man, known around the world as one of the best in comedy ever, essentially start his career over. What the viewer watches is not just act after act. The viewer is allowed to watch and become part of the stress, the worry, the blind journey through beginning, developing, honing and, hopefully, perfecting an "act." We see that it is not, in fact, an easy job. In fact, I for one, never could really grasp that industry as a "job." However, now I see that it not only a job, but a very hard one. What is easy to forget, and what the viewer is quickly reminded of, is that where Jerry Seinfeld is today is the product of years of experience. When he tossed his old material away last year and decided to start over, it wasn't easy to re-develop an "act" from scratch that would satisfy an audience. During the course of the movie, we see Jerry start with a few opening lines, working clubs night after night testing new material, discussing new material with peers, like Colin Quinn, Mario Joyner and Chris Rock. We watch as Jerry gets nervous before finally performing an hour-long show with all new material in Washington DC, only to have the show fall relatively flat. There are numerous quotes throughout the movie that crystallize what Jerry, and obviously every comedian goes through when trying to build an "act." For example, at one point, Jerry tells a story to a young up-and-comer, Orny Adams, about Glenn Miller and his orchestra who, one night, had to land a plane in a field because the airport to their destination was snowed in. Upon landing, fully decked out in suits, the band walks miles to a house filled with the typical nuclear family. The family, warm and happy in their cozy home, is being looked upon by the suit-clad orchestra covered in mud and slush, tromping around for hours in the snowy mess only to have one band member state, "wow...who lives like that?" The point being that it takes a certain kind of person to be a performer. It's easy to go live the family life, safe job, salary, etc. It takes passion and the love for the art to be a full-time comedian. In one scene, Jerry and Colin Quinn are having a discussion about starting over. Colin keenly mentions that, even though Jerry is well-known, the audience only gives you a pass for about 5 minutes...then they still expect you to make them laugh. It is painfully apparent in Comedian that Colin speaks truthfully. Jerry uses the wisdom of his friend in his own routine later mentioning that, only in comedy and the comedic television industry, can artists who know the business, are around the business all the time, write the work, perform it, etc. go through the pain and heartache of trying to be funny and then leave it up to complete strangers, the audience, who know nothing about the industry and have probably never written a joke in their lives, gauge and judge the validity of their work. And whatever the audience's response is, the industry and comedians blindly accept it as gospel. Jerry correctly asks, "How would you like it if I came to your work and said that I didn't like how you talked in a meeting, even though I know nothing about the business you're in, what you were talking about or who you are?" It was a great point, though, as one could guess, one without a solution. It just works that way...It just IS. During the course of Jerry's progression in his act, his manager, the infamous George Shapiro, takes another young comedian under his wing, the aforementioned Orny Adams. While getting to know Orny, the viewer becomes aware that this young man is just as passionate about succeeding in the world of comedy. Orny shows us his seemingly endless collection of journals, jokes, notebooks and articles. This 30 year old man has spent more than half of his life either dreaming of or attempting to become his comedic childhood idols. We see Orny get accolades, offers to festivals and even his first network appearance on David Letterman. We see him moving in the direction he has worked so hard to achieve. Yet, we also see how painful it is to get there. There are different audiences who respond differently to his jokes. There are network censors bringing you in because of your talent, only to make you change much of what made it appealing in the first place, just to satisfy one microcosm of the audience. Despite all his growth and success during the movie, we see that Orny is not a happy person and, it seems, never will be. As the movie continues, the viewer is shown the strange parallels between young Orny, who so desperately wants to make it so that he could finally be happy, and wise Jerry who, after making it, still doesn't seem satisfied with the mark he left in the entertainment world. Both of them are at different points in their lives, yet seem to still be working for the same satisfaction that, for some reason, continues to elude them. Finally, after watching Jerry perform what is termed as "miraculous" progress in honing an act over 4 months, a short discussion between Jerry and Chris Rock point to why Jerry is still working toward a goal. Chris pointed out that he had recently seen Bill Cosby perform over 2.5 hours of material non-stop, twice a day. No opening act, no intermission, just non-stop comic brilliance. As much as Jerry has done for the comedic world, hearing that made his jaw drop. After working months and months to get to a starting point for performing the new material, one could tell that it was Bill Cosby's kind of success and mark that Jerry wanted to make. And, from what the viewer could see, that was still along way away. So while the young Orny Adams looks for just a shot at becoming the next Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry continues honing his new act in hopes of becoming the next Bill Cosby. Their journeys seem long and, at times, like they could not possibly ever end the way they want and bring them true happiness. But during the 30-minute sitcoms or hour-long HBO specials, the viewers will enjoy those short moments of brilliance while never truly understanding what it takes to become that brilliant.

There's something to respect about a household name Comedian willing to start from scratch instead of recycling jokes. Seeing what makes Jerry, Jerry was completely eye opening gaining my upmost respect.

Soundtrack is great, final scene is great

if your really into stand up you will love this. Its nice to know that its hard even for the pros.

you have the wrong jim norton

It's flawed and inconsistent, but this is still the best feature documentary on stand-up.

Think of the greats...Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Sam Kinison, Milton Berle, Andy Kaufman...many of the great comedians in the last 60+ years have entertained us for hours. On stage, in films...they made it look so easy. But when we dig down deep into their lives, we usually find a tortured soul who began using comedy to fill some void left behind for some reason or another. Many of us think that it just takes a certain personality to deliver the genius lines night after night, pushing our buttons, tickling our funny bones. Delivering what 1988's Punchline never could, Jerry Seinfeld's brilliant documentary, Comedian, displays the work, emotion, heart and agony it takes to make it as a stand-up comedian. Fans of Seinfeld know that Jerry spent years on the comedy circuit paying his dues. He appeared on countless Tonight Show and David Letterman episodes, toured the country and, eventually, developed what would become a landmark sitcom, some say the best sitcom of all time. By his early 40's, Jerry Seinfeld had it all...a family, more money than he could ever need, fame, worldwide recognition and legendary status. But shortly after his show ended, Jerry Seinfeld performed an HBO special billed as "the last time he would ever us his old material." While it didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time, since most of us would have taken the money and run, it turns out Jerry had a much larger plan in mind. Granted, it seems like it is one that is made up as he goes along, but he definitely had a direction, if even a windy one. In Comedian, the viewer is invited to small comedy clubs, backstage and even to friendly chit chat at dinner with fellow comedians. What initially looks like a behind-the-scenes look at how Jerry made it, gradually turns into a film with much deeper intentions. The viewer is allowed to watch a man, known around the world as one of the best in comedy ever, essentially start his career over. What the viewer watches is not just act after act. The viewer is allowed to watch and become part of the stress, the worry, the blind journey through beginning, developing, honing and, hopefully, perfecting an "act." We see that it is not, in fact, an easy job. In fact, I for one, never could really grasp that industry as a "job." However, now I see that it not only a job, but a very hard one. What is easy to forget, and what the viewer is quickly reminded of, is that where Jerry Seinfeld is today is the product of years of experience. When he tossed his old material away last year and decided to start over, it wasn't easy to re-develop an "act" from scratch that would satisfy an audience. During the course of the movie, we see Jerry start with a few opening lines, working clubs night after night testing new material, discussing new material with peers, like Colin Quinn, Mario Joyner and Chris Rock. We watch as Jerry gets nervous before finally performing an hour-long show with all new material in Washington DC, only to have the show fall relatively flat. There are numerous quotes throughout the movie that crystallize what Jerry, and obviously every comedian goes through when trying to build an "act." For example, at one point, Jerry tells a story to a young up-and-comer, Orny Adams, about Glenn Miller and his orchestra who, one night, had to land a plane in a field because the airport to their destination was snowed in. Upon landing, fully decked out in suits, the band walks miles to a house filled with the typical nuclear family. The family, warm and happy in their cozy home, is being looked upon by the suit-clad orchestra covered in mud and slush, tromping around for hours in the snowy mess only to have one band member state, "wow...who lives like that?" The point being that it takes a certain kind of person to be a performer. It's easy to go live the family life, safe job, salary, etc. It takes passion and the love for the art to be a full-time comedian. In one scene, Jerry and Colin Quinn are having a discussion about starting over. Colin keenly mentions that, even though Jerry is well-known, the audience only gives you a pass for about 5 minutes...then they still expect you to make them laugh. It is painfully apparent in Comedian that Colin speaks truthfully. Jerry uses the wisdom of his friend in his own routine later mentioning that, only in comedy and the comedic television industry, can artists who know the business, are around the business all the time, write the work, perform it, etc. go through the pain and heartache of trying to be funny and then leave it up to complete strangers, the audience, who know nothing about the industry and have probably never written a joke in their lives, gauge and judge the validity of their work. And whatever the audience's response is, the industry and comedians blindly accept it as gospel. Jerry correctly asks, "How would you like it if I came to your work and said that I didn't like how you talked in a meeting, even though I know nothing about the business you're in, what you were talking about or who you are?" It was a great point, though, as one could guess, one without a solution. It just works that way...It just IS. During the course of Jerry's progression in his act, his manager, the infamous George Shapiro, takes another young comedian under his wing, the aforementioned Orny Adams. While getting to know Orny, the viewer becomes aware that this young man is just as passionate about succeeding in the world of comedy. Orny shows us his seemingly endless collection of journals, jokes, notebooks and articles. This 30 year old man has spent more than half of his life either dreaming of or attempting to become his comedic childhood idols. We see Orny get accolades, offers to festivals and even his first network appearance on David Letterman. We see him moving in the direction he has worked so hard to achieve. Yet, we also see how painful it is to get there. There are different audiences who respond differently to his jokes. There are network censors bringing you in because of your talent, only to make you change much of what made it appealing in the first place, just to satisfy one microcosm of the audience. Despite all his growth and success during the movie, we see that Orny is not a happy person and, it seems, never will be. As the movie continues, the viewer is shown the strange parallels between young Orny, who so desperately wants to make it so that he could finally be happy, and wise Jerry who, after making it, still doesn't seem satisfied with the mark he left in the entertainment world. Both of them are at different points in their lives, yet seem to still be working for the same satisfaction that, for some reason, continues to elude them. Finally, after watching Jerry perform what is termed as "miraculous" progress in honing an act over 4 months, a short discussion between Jerry and Chris Rock point to why Jerry is still working toward a goal. Chris pointed out that he had recently seen Bill Cosby perform over 2.5 hours of material non-stop, twice a day. No opening act, no intermission, just non-stop comic brilliance. As much as Jerry has done for the comedic world, hearing that made his jaw drop. After working months and months to get to a starting point for performing the new material, one could tell that it was Bill Cosby's kind of success and mark that Jerry wanted to make. And, from what the viewer could see, that was still along way away. So while the young Orny Adams looks for just a shot at becoming the next Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry continues honing his new act in hopes of becoming the next Bill Cosby. Their journeys seem long and, at times, like they could not possibly ever end the way they want and bring them true happiness. But during the 30-minute sitcoms or hour-long HBO specials, the viewers will enjoy those short moments of brilliance while never truly understanding what it takes to become that brilliant.

Comedian follows two comics and up-in comer (Orny Adams) and a veteran (Jerry Seinfield) Both entertaining and a slap in the face for anyone who thinks after a hit sitcom you can just go back on stage and kill using your presence. Just not the truth, If I can paraphrase Steve Martin stand-up comedy is the single most difficult thing in show business because every other aspect of show business you can hide behind something so the audience doesn't see you wether it's a camera or a script. With stand-up your audience is right in front of you. It's a real no holds barred business. Lot's of great cameos keep this film from being a pbs special. A new favorite documedy of mine.

An interesting look at the world of stand-up comedy from backstage. However, I thought that a movie about comedians would be, you know, funny.

An interesting look to the obsession, tension, hard work and sadness behind the comedy.