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The Comedians of Comedy

Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford and 1 more

Netflix · 2005 · 1 h 43 min

Four alternative comics test unpolished material in indie rock clubs.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Instead of dealing with hecklers at standard comedy clubs, four stand-ups packed into a van and booked a tour of indie rock venues. This 2005 documentary captures the resulting shows. On stage, Patton Oswalt works through his frustrations with the Bush administration, Brian Posehn delivers a pointed Star Wars rant, and Zach Galifianakis messes with audiences from behind a piano. Maria Bamford anchors her sets with deeply specific, character-heavy observations about depression and family dynamics. The material is loose, experimental, and frequently aimed at alienating anyone expecting a traditional sitcom-style setup.

Financed by Netflix as its first true original production, the film was shot guerrilla-style at Los Angeles venues like the Troubadour and the El Rey Theatre. Director Michael Blieden uses a handheld, lo-fi approach that spends as much time on hotel room tedium and backstage riffing as it does on the live acts. The footage remains a grainy record of the alt-comedy boom, capturing four professionals wasting time on the road between sets.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Zach Galifianakis acts as an 18th-century standup comedian named Nathanial Buckner from 1778.

    Adopts period phrasing ('Thank ye, thank ye, good to be hither') to vent frustration with historical figures, asking 'Am I the only one tired of this Ben Franklin motherfucker?'

  2. Patton Oswalt riffs on politics and buying comic books.

    Takes aim at George W. Bush and Republicans while likening the experience of buying comic books to scoring illicit drugs.

  3. Brian Posehn discusses newlywed life, getting a puppy, and heavy metal fandom.

    Contrasts his domestic life and fading Star Wars obsession with a disappointing encounter with the metal band W.A.S.P. when he was 15.

  4. Maria Bamford explores the horrors of retail interactions and office work.

    Uses stark vocal shifts and spot-on impressions to mock overbearing customers at Target and coffee shops, contrasted with the dullness of desk jobs.

How it plays

Tone
Droll, absurd, honest, geeky, and unapologetic.
On stage
Offbeat, self-deprecating, geek-enthusiast performers rejecting traditional sitcom punchline formulas in favor of raw, idiosyncratic comedy personas.
Pace
Fast and loose; sets are unpolished and exploratory, shifting between casual conversational riffs, dry absurdism, and manic impressions.
About
nerd and comic book culture, alternative comedy versus traditional comedy clubs, political commentary, mundane road life and office work, heavy metal and aging fandom, relationships

What the critics said

Divided between critics who found its behind-the-scenes downtime indulgent, slow, and overly banal, and reviewers who lauded it as an authentic, hilarious, and influential showcase of modern alternative comedy.

In the room: Energetic, indie-rock-loving young crowds appreciative of loose, experimental, and offbeat comedic sets.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, catalog.afi.com, themoviedb.org, rottentomatoes.com, villagevoice.com, vulture.com, latimes.com, cinafilm.com, en.wikipedia.org, austinchronicle.com, slashfilm.com.

Backstory

An alternative comedy tour inspired by indie rock touring ethics and Neil Hamburger, aiming to bypass high-cost, brick-walled comedy clubs with two-drink minimums to reach younger, music-oriented crowds in rock clubs. It served as Netflix's first original production.

Details

Lineup
Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis
Released
Runtime
1 h 43 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Michael Blieden
Honors
1 nomination total
Topics

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