A standing 'O' for obscene 'Aristocrats'

Okay, so a guy walks into a talent agent's office with his wife, two kids and a dog. Stop me if you've heard this one.\nActually, don't. Chances are even if you have heard it, you haven't heard it the way it's told in "The Aristocrats," a hilarious, if flawed, quasi-documentary from Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) and Paul Provenza. \nIn "The Aristocrats," Teller and Provenza track down roughly 100 of their comedian buddies to tell an industry joke so old some trace it back to the days of vaudeville. A strange concept, yes, but the beauty is in the details: Besides the punch line, every comic's tale is different, and generally more vulgar than that of the last. \nIn fact, the purpose of the yarn isn't to amuse so much as it is to shock. Interlaced footage of the comedians telling the tale, as well as explaining its history and variations, introduce the audience to an in-joke told for one purpose: to one-up the last guy. Placed in the hands of Lewis Black, Sarah Silverman and Bob Saget (yes, that Bob Saget), among many others, we receive a rare look at a joke even the crassest comedian would strike from his stage material.\nPretty it ain't -- this isn't a movie to take Grandma to, for sure -- but when it works, it works well. The joke's countless variations blanket everything from incest to bestiality to necrophilia. The results are funny in different ways, some in a genuinely funny sense, others in a "how did they get away with that" one, but rarely does the piece fail in terms of comedy.\nOn the technical side, however, things can become a bit sketchy. Unlike a traditional documentary, "Aristocrats" features no narrative whatsoever: every bit of history, lore and superstition behind the joke comes straight from the comedians, who are not even formally introduced until the credits roll. While it is an interesting concept, the way it is handled -- jumping from comedian to comedian, topic to topic -- can be unsettling. Rarely is a person given more than a minute of screen time, and combined with the aforementioned lack of narrative, the result can be more of a confusing mess than an engaging storytelling method.\nThe movie also seems to run about 20 minutes longer than it should, especially given the segments shown during and after the credits. \nStill, if you're not easily offended and looking for new jokes to stun your friends, "The Aristocrats" is an amazing watch and a truly interesting look into the inner workings of the stand-up world. Just look out for Bob Saget -- and prepare to never look at "Full House" the same way again.