The stand-up comedian is a special breed, both an artist and an artisan. They work by painstakingly developing a persona, scripting and editing an act, and revising it on the spot to suit the energy of a given audience. If the audience does not grasp the countless hours crafting the routine, and the empathic micro-calculations, then the act was a success... well, as long as it was funny.
Related Movies
Best of Stand-up 2020 (2020)
Unnecessary milk substitutes. Bad passwords. Burlap underpants. 2020 may have sucked, but thankfully the jokes didn't.
Alec Baldwin: One Night Only (2017)
Alec Baldwin, one of entertainment's most iconic actors, is honored in an exclusive black tie evening full of comedic tributes, candid personal stories and a few surprises.
Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019)
In a comedy special directed by Spike Jonze, Aziz Ansari shares deep personal insights and hilarious takes on wokeness, family and the social climate.
Snoop Dogg's F*cn Around Comedy Special (2022)
Snoop Dogg hosts a night of music and stand-up as he welcomes his friends — including legendary comedians Katt Williams and Mike Epps — to the stage.
Patton Oswalt: We All Scream (2022)
Patton riffs on the hazards of aging, his failed shutdown plans, and the day his wife turned into a Valkyrie in this stand-up special he also directed.
Maria Bamford: Old Baby (2017)
She's savagely upbeat. Lovably awkward. And full of surprises. A wildly funny trip through a one-of-a-kind comic mind.
Patrice O'Neal: Killing Is Easy (2021)
A documentary about the life and career of controversial stand-up comedian, Patrice O'Neal, who released only one special before his death in 2011.
Katt Williams: It's Pimpin' Pimpin' (2008)
Americas 1 comedian Katt Williams brings to stage his raw & uncut comedy from his highly successful 100 city its pimpin pimpin tour.
Heckler (2007)
HECKLER is a comedic feature documentary exploring the increasingly critical world we live in. After starring in a film that was critically bashed, Jamie Kennedy takes on hecklers and critics and ask some interesting questions of people such as George Lucas, Bill Maher, Mike Ditka, Rob Zombie, Howie Mandel and many more. This fast moving, hilarious documentary pulls no punches as you see an uncensored look at just how nasty and mean the fight is between those in the spotlight and those in the dark.
The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up (2022)
In this comedy special, Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler and Dave Chappelle honor George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams and Richard Pryor.
Tracy Morgan: Takin' It Too Far (2023)
Grateful and hyped, Tracy Morgan owns his set and unabashedly tackling topics such as dating in his 50s (along with the unexpected side effects that comes with it), his dysfunctional family, attempting to reverse gentrification in Brooklyn, and the very public 2014 car accident that left him with multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, and a substantial settlement.
Almost There (2016)
Three men embark on a journey in search of meaning and happiness in the autumn of their lives: Bob swaps his safe home for a camper van and tries to find himself in the barren Californian desert; Steve, drag queen and stand-up comedian, is fed up of England and makes amends with his past in Benidorm; Yamada rediscovers his smile by reading stories to children in Tokyo.
Jim Norton: Mouthful of Shame (2017)
Fedoras, mom's underpants, and puppy love all make Jim Norton's s**t list in 'Mouthful of Shame'.
Hysterical (2021)
An honest and hilarious backstage pass into the lives of some of stand-up comedy’s most boundary-breaking women, exploring the hard-fought journey to become the voices of their generation and their gender.
Comedian (2002)
A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road.
Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (2002)
The controversial bad-boy of comedy delivers a piercing look at his life, lifting the metaphorical smokescreen that he feels has clouded the public view, commenting on everything from the dangers of smoking to the trials of relationships, and unleashing a nonstop litany of raucous anecdotes, stinging social commentary and very personal reflections about life.
Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth (2004)
Comedian Dave Chappelle does what he does best in this outrageous and hilarious standup performance, which allows him to push the envelope far beyond what he does on his TV show. Taped in San Francisco at the famed Fillmore, Chappelle lets loose on such topics as black celebrities, what it's like to have raunchy fans of his TV show approach him while he's trying to enjoy Disneyland with his kids, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant... and crackheads, of course. It's comedy Chappelle-style and, for what it's worth, no one is safe from his barbs. But you already knew that!
Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh (2019)
In his first HBO comedy special, Gary Gulman offers candid reflections on his struggles with depression through stand-up and short documentary interludes. While speaking to issues of mental health, Gulman also offers his observations on a number of topics, including his admiration for Millennial attitudes toward bullying, the intersection of masculinity and sports, and how his mother's voice is always in his head.
Billy Crystal: A Comic's Line (1984)
In this concert, a take-off on the play "A Chorus Line," comic Billy Crystal uses the premise of auditions for a Broadway musical to play various characters trying out for the parts.
George Carlin: Life Is Worth Losing (2005)
Carlin returns to the stage in his 13th live comedy stand-up special, performed at the Beacon Theatre in New York City for HBO®. His spot-on observations on the deterioration of human behavior include Americans’ obsession with their two favorite addictions - shopping and eating; his creative idea for The All-Suicide Channel, a new reality TV network; and the glorious rebirth of the planet to its original pristine condition - once the fires and floods destroy life as we know it.