I saw the Aristocrats last night, and I loved it.

The movie basically is about a joke, told about a hundred times by the world’s greatest comedians. The movie is priceless not only for each iteration of the joke (a vaudeville number that has been around at least a century), but for the comedians ruminating on the joke. The joke itself isn’t very funny- in particular, the punchline sucks. But what it has become is a mental stretching exercise for comedians, to see how far into left field they can go.

Note for the squeamish: by left field, I really mean the dark depths of depravity. This movie is by no means safe for the kiddies or the pure of heart. Still, it gives an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the creative process in another field – stand-up comedy – and for that it’s worth it.