The Aristocrats (2005) with Columbus Comedy Festival
Director: Paul Provenza, Penn Jillette Run Time: 120 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 2005
Starring: Chris Albrecht, Hank Azaria, Jason Alexander, Shelley Berman, Steven Gary Banks
Country: United States
Language: English
Presented by Gateway Film Center in partnership with Columbus Comedy Festival. Join us for a one-night-only screening at 7:00pm on August 9, 2024, featuring an introduction from Columbus Underground Co-Founders Anne Evans and Walker Evans, and short films from local stand up and sketch comedians Adam Little and Nef Johnson.
About the film:
One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY filthy joke—one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
“a raucous insider docu that invites the viewer to share a secret held exclusively by comics for untold generations”
—Todd McCarthy, Variety
To capture the infamous joke’s history and variations from top entertainment personalities, comedians Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza conceived and produced this comedy documentary. The film was a hit at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and winner of Best Documentary at the 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
“The Aristocrats” was Johnny Carson’s favorite joke, and the film is dedicated to him.
About the filmmakers:
Paul Provenza is a television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up comedians. Provenza began performing stand-up in high school, making his stage debut at The Improv Manhattan. He continued performing throughout college—he attended the University of Pennsylvania, but took a year’s leave of absence to study in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he became one of few Americans to perform as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet on the London stage. At the University of Pennsylvania, he wrote for the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl and was a cast member of the Mask and Wig Club, where he has returned numerous times to perform in the annual Intercollegiate Comedy Festival. Provenza has worked extensively in television, hosting a short-lived Nickelodeon TV show from 1988 until 1989 called Kids Court, appearing as Patrick in the sit-com Empty Nest, and playing Dr. Phil Capra in Season 6 of CBS’s Northern Exposure. He also hosted a show on Comedy Central called Comics Only. The Aristocrats (2005) was Provenza’s directorial debut.
Penn Jillette is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author who has been nominated for 10 Primetime Emmy Awards. Jillette has written five books, including the New York Times Best Sellers God No! and Presto. He hosted the NBC game show Identity and appeared on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars as well as The Masked Singer. With his long standing comedy/magic partner Teller, Jillette has had numerous successful endeavors, including three Broadway show runs; maintaining one of the the longest running headline acts in Las Vegas history; appearing in shows like The Simpsons, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and even Bill Nye the Science Guy; and hosting multiple original TV series such as Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller. The Aristocrats (2005) is Provenza’s directorial debut.
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