Prince of Space
Banned
So they're making a movie about the joke.... This should be interesting.
For the uninitiated, a Wall Street Journal article about the documentary:
The comedians appearing in the film:
And a South Park retelling of the joke itself. WARNING: THIS JOKE IS VERY, VERY FILTHY AND NOT WORKSAFE IN THE LEAST! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!
For the uninitiated, a Wall Street Journal article about the documentary:
Expletive Repeated
Film Has Whoopi, Robin,
But Not a Distributor;
Making Stir at Sundance?
By JOHN LIPPMAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
January 14, 2005; Page W5
One of the most unusual movies at this month's Sundance Film Festival seems
like it should be a sure thing: It features some of Hollywood's most beloved
comedians, from Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and Phyllis Diller to Jon
Stewart and Chris Rock. Its filmmakers include Penn Jillette, half of the
magician-comedian team of Penn & Teller. It is already getting buzz, thanks
to a short clip starring characters from "South Park" that's going around
the Internet. Still, the movie has yet to find a distributor.
The problem? The film includes a joke that's so extremely off-color it is
rarely told in public. Another problem: It's a documentary that consists of
nothing but the telling, retelling and discussion of the same joke.
"The Aristocrats" is named after an anecdote that has existed since the days
of vaudeville and involves extensive improvisation -- the raunchier the
better. Comedians have passed the joke on over the years, mostly in private,
with comic Gilbert Gottfried causing a stir in 2001 by telling it at a roast
for Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The documentary, which Mr. Jillette
produced with stand-up comedian Paul Provenza over a four-year period,
includes interviews and footage of some 100 comedians. It is, according to
its makers, a deconstruction of the joke, as well as a meditation on
stand-up comedy and censorship.
Mostly Under Wraps
The film raises a number of questions: How did comedians, including some
known for acts clean enough for network television (Bob Saget, the Smothers
Brothers), agree to participate in such a risqué film? Why did Sundance
agree to screen it? And will the film find a distributor -- and theaters
that will show it?
For now, the movie's contents are mostly under wraps. The joke's premise is
clear, though: A family approaches a talent agent, hoping to pitch its
performance act. They offer to demonstrate their routine, which turns out to
be extremely sexually explicit -- and the comedians describe it in as
foul-mouthed and taboo-breaking terms as possible. At the end of the joke,
the stunned impresario asks the family for the act's name. Their nonchalant
answer -- and the punchline of the joke -- is "The Aristocrats."
Neither the filmmakers nor Sundance is doing any prefestival screenings,
which is unusual. The producers hope the film's premiere will provoke an
enthusiastic reaction that will generate a scramble for distribution rights.
Sundance, which runs from Thursday to Jan. 30 in Park City, Utah, is
considered the most influential film festival in the U.S., and such
acclaimed recent documentaries as "Super Size Me" and "Capturing the
Friedmans" premiered there. This year, "The Aristocrats" is one of 16 films
entered in competition in the documentary category; the grand-prize winner
is chosen by a panel of five judges.
Sundance Director Geoffrey Gilmore says that an unusual film such as "The
Aristocrats" would normally be given a midnight screening slot, and not put
in competition for one of the major prizes. But when festival executives saw
it this past summer, they sought to have the film submitted in competition.
That move, however, blocked "Aristocrats" from entering other festivals,
since Sundance requires that films in competition also have their official
premiere in Park City. So it was withdrawn from a planned summer showing at
Scotland's Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Mr. Gilmore says he was impressed with "The Aristocrats" because it took
audiences to a "comedian's world we haven't seen before." It is not simply a
gag film about a dirty joke, but a work with a "real sense of purpose" that
"asks real questions about taboos and moral values," he says. "It has no
nudity, no sex, but it is one of the most shocking films people will see.
It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea."
Hopes for the DVD
Whether or not the film's Sundance exposure yields a distributor, the film's
producers say they're pinning their hopes on the DVD market, where small or
specialized films can sell millions of copies. That would be more than
enough to allow the producers to recoup their investment: "The Aristocrats"
had a five-digit cost, since the film was shot on a high-end home
videocamera. The comedians -- others credited with appearances include Drew
Carey, George Carlin and the editorial staff of satirical newspaper The
Onion -- agreed to appear without payment. (One exception, Mr. Jillette
says: The late Buddy Hackett insisted on being paid, and so the filmmakers
never shot footage with him.)
But even if "The Aristocrats" is acquired for distribution, there is the
next challenge of getting theaters to book it. If an independent distributor
picks up the film, it's likely to show it without a Motion Picture
Association of America rating. Many of those distributors aren't members of
that trade group and so they can release their films without a rating. That
doesn't exactly make "The Aristocrats" a must-play at the Peoria multiplex.
"There's probably a market for it in Santa Barbara, but probably not in
Colorado," says David Corwin, president of Metropolitan Theatres, a chain
with theaters in both markets.
Despite the filmmakers' low-profile strategy, word of the film has slowly
spread. Already, there's been wide Internet distribution of a clip of the
joke interpreted by characters from the popular, expletive-laced cartoon
show "South Park." Mr. Jillette says "South Park" creators Trey Parker and
Matt Stone created the clip for the film; Messrs. Parker and Stone couldn't
be reached for comment.
For his part, Mr. Saget says he agreed to participate in the project in part
because he found it "scary and fascinating." With a squeaky-clean image from
his role as a widower trying to raise three kids in the sitcom "Full House,"
and as host of "America's Funniest Home Videos," the comic says his humor
has become more adult-oriented since his shows were network hits. "I've done
other things like this," he says. He says he was also impressed by the list
of other comedians who had agreed to participate. As for the film, Mr. Saget
says, "I imagine people will go nuts. I wouldn't be surprised if people walk
out."
The comedians appearing in the film:
Chris Albrecht
Jason Alexander
Hank Azaria
Shelley Berman
Lewis Black
David Brenner
Mario Cantone
Drew Carey
George Carlin
Mark Cohen
Billy Connolly
Pat Cooper
Wayne Cotter
Andy Dick
Frank Digiacomo
Phyllis Diller
Susie Essman
Carrie Fisher
Joe Franklin
Todd Glass
Whoopi Goldberg
Judy Gold
Eddie Gorodetsky
Gilbert Gottfried
Dana Gould
Allan Havey
Eric Idle
Dom Irrera
Eddie Izzard
Richard Jeni
Penn Jillette
Jake Johannsen
Alan Kirschenbaum
Jay Kogen
Sue Kolinsky
Paul Krassner
Cathy Ladman
Richard Lewis
Wendy Liebman
Bill Maher
Howie Mandel
Merrill Markoe
Jay Marshall
Jackie Martling
Chuck McCann
Michael McKean
Larry Miller
Martin Mull
Kevin Nealon
Taylor Negron
Rick Overton
Gary Owens
Trey Parker
Otto Peterson
Emo Philips
Peter Pitofsky
Kevin Pollak
Paul Reiser
Andy Richter
Don Rickles
Chris Rock
Gregg Rogell
Jeffrey Ross
Jon Ross
Rita Rudner
Bob Saget
T. Sean Shannon
Harry Shearer
Sarah Silverman
Bobby Slayton
The Smothers Brothers
Carrie Snow
Doug Stanhope
David Steinberg
Jon Stewart
Matt Stone
Larry Storch
Rip Taylor
Teller
The Amazing Johnathan
Dave Thomas
Johnny Thompson
Scott 'Carrot Top' Thompson
Peter Tilden
Bruce Vilanch
Fred Willard
Robin Williams
Steven Wright
And a South Park retelling of the joke itself. WARNING: THIS JOKE IS VERY, VERY FILTHY AND NOT WORKSAFE IN THE LEAST! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!
