The Comedians of Comedy (2005)

Excellent but underrated film

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Now granted, comedy is subjective and everyone has their own opinion of what is funny and what is not. Personally, I found this to be a terrifically funny and entertaining look at what life on the road is like for many modern-day comedians. Patton Oswalt has always been a favorite of mine, but I very much enjoy Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford and Zach Galifianikis as well. Maybe it's because I more closely identify with them and their "off-beat" personalities, this probably stems from the fact that I've been a proud "nerd" all my life. These are people who were brave enough to stand out by simply being themselves and not trying to fit into any category or alter their personalities in order to endear themselves to a wider audience. Brian and Patton are 40- year old comic book lovers, how could you not find that refreshing? Too many people take life much too seriously and spend most of it worrying about what everyone else thinks of them, these are INDIVIDUALS who could not care less about that. The comedy in this film is not always laugh-out-loud funny, but it is not forced. It's honest and unapologetic, which is what comedy is really all about.

The use of the term 'comedy' with relation to this documentary is an insult to the art of comedy, and worse yet is the pain that is inflicted on the viewers of this production. Almost nothing was funny.This documentary followed a small group of stand-up 'comics' on the road as they travel from town to town to perform in small clubs.It's interesting to note that their conversations and behavior off-stage and on-stage are indistinguishable, but sadly, equally unfunny.It's possible to understand the self delusions of grandeur which the featured 'comedians' possess, but it's harder to grasp the sounds of laughter heard from their audiences. Perhas these are the same audiences for whom the lame sitcoms on TV are intended.This was possibly the worst film I've ever watched in my 50+ years of movie viewing.

Lots of goofy fun. These guys (and 1 gal) are as funny off the stage as they are on the stage. I've always enjoyed Patton Oswalt, and this gave me a chance to see what he's like goofing with his friends. Even bits I don't really find funny (or maybe don't understand) like the whole pretending to be gay shtick, are tolerable, and the parts that are funny are downright killer.Patton was my favorite to start with, and I was really impressed with Zach Galifianakis. I didn't know him before I watched the show. He is extremely good at improv and he'll dare to do anything. He has an innate instinct for bringing a joke to the next level. I do wish I could spell his last name correctly, but no one could spell Arnold Schwarzennegger's name when he started out.Maria Bamford has always annoyed me on a subcutaneous level, and the show didn't change my opinion, but some of the stuff she does is really funny. Brian is a great foil for Patton, and you can tell the two share a strong bond of friendship.I've seen this in both episodic form on Comedy Central and in the uncut movie version on Showtime. I recommend the Showtime movie version, naturally.Don't watch this show if the word M-F offends you, or if you're a die-hard Hannity Republican, or otherwise mentally impaired.

Listen to these other reviewers!! I also saw the premiere at south by southwest......it ruled. Zach Galifianakis is great. Posehn is the man. Maria Bamford is hilarious as the "straight member of the group". But Patton is the spokesman for this new generation of comedians who will carry the torch of Bill Hicks with pride and hopefully with money it deserves....SO GO SEE IT SOMEHOW. GET NETFLIX AND SEE IT LATER THIS MONTH. WATCH THE COMEDY CENTRAL SPECIAL ON Friday. THIS IS FUNNY AS HELL!! Also Sarah Silverman's movie "Jesus is Magic" (another south by movie) premiered in NY this weekend, and will be a limited release nationwide soon. The comedy is just as funny as these guys, but the big "S" is just so damn hot!! AS SOON AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE, WE ALL MUST BUY THESE MOVIES ON DVD TO SHOW ALL OF OUR FRIENDS, AND TO GIVE STAND-UP A MUCH NEEDED KICK IN THE PANTS. I'm getting' pretty sick of what I call "sit-down comedy" , you know what I'm talking about.....