The Aristocrats (2005, Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza)

For those who don't know, The Aristocrats is 90 minutes of comedians telling and discussing this joke (NOTE: this link points to a clip from the film and could be considered a spoiler. Also it contains language which it could be argued is not appropriate for anyone at all.) Supposedly passed down since the vaudeville days, the joke is the stuff of lore in the showbiz community. Comedians tell it to each other, but almost never to the public, giving them the freedom to riff and go off on the central bit without ever having to worry about offending anyone or bombing.

The Aristocrats is also about the funniest goddamn thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Beyond vulgar, intensely offensive, and utterly hilarious. The entire audience was rolling in the aisles from the first line. The film has a lot on its mind and is an intelligent statement on the work comedians do and how they do it. You really start to notice how every comedian makes their mark, adds their own little bit, turns this joke into their own. At its heart, The Aristocrats is a documentary about the art of comedy, and it succeeds fabulously. Thinkfilm had the balls to pick this up for distribution, look for it in your local Landmark complex in mid-August and do yourself the favor of seeing it with a crowd. This isn't one for Netflix.