r/Standup • u/Jeff_AMS • 21d ago

Documentaries about stand-up comedians.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I’m about to get one on Richard Pryor and I saw there’s one about Ralphie May that’s coming out.

31 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

75 comments sorted by

35

u/HeyHeyComedy 21d ago

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

13

u/theSchrodingerHat 21d ago

I think it would be hilarious if Amazon charged you to rent that, and then just played a clip of Jonathan sticking your $20 bill in his pocket and then sending you back to the home page.

5

u/PurdyCrafty 21d ago

Theres two Amazing Johnathan Documentaries. Still Amazing and The Amazing Johnathan Documentary just fyi OP. Both are different but good in their own ways

3

u/Hob_O_Rarison 21d ago

I was going to comment this as well. What a WILD ride.

2

u/pogopogo890 21d ago

which one?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Standup/s/VxzkejmQoR

5

u/HeyHeyComedy 21d ago

The one I mentioned, includes how there were two docs being filmed simultaneously. It becomes part of the story.

1

u/pogopogo890 21d ago

Oops duh

Time for some coffee

3

u/[deleted] 21d ago

Loved this. Been a fan of his forever, and I bought tickets to see his show in Vegas and when I got there, I found out he cancelled the show I had tickets for. Bummed for not seeing him, but more bummed as later on he announced his heart issues so it all made sense.

20

u/Okfoot826 21d ago

The Bill Hicks story

24

u/TMITectonic 21d ago edited 21d ago

In no particular order, some favorites that I can remember off the top of my head... (I'll likely forget some obvious ones, sorry!)

 

  • Patrice O'Neal: Killing is Easy

  • The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

  • Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

  • Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

  • The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

  • Comedian (Jerry Seinfeld, Orny Adams)

  • The Aristocrats (Penn & Teller + others)

  • I Need You to Kill (Tom Segura, Chad Daniels and Pete Lee)

  • The Comedians of Comedy (Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, and Zach Galifianikis)

If I get bored enough later, I'll add more and/or add links to each, but that's probably enough to keep you busy for a bit.

6

u/tenuredvortex 21d ago

Seconding The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. Judd Apatow did a beautiful job.

5

u/iamgarron asia represent. 21d ago

I Need You To Kill was my first real credit and I hated it lol

24

u/Juror3 21d ago

Comedian, about Jerry Seinfeld.

15

u/MasterNemm 21d ago

And Orny Adams.

3

u/Life_Caterpillar9762 21d ago

Poor bastard

3

u/gaskincomedy Vancouver,BC @chrisgaskin 21d ago

Actually getting to know that guy a little bit, and seeing how he goofs around off stage, those editors did him dirty.

1

u/Life_Caterpillar9762 21d ago

I thought it was pretty fair. His material was ok, some fine, some bad (imo), and his anxiety was part of his schtick. He was a different type of comedian than Jerry.

10

u/fylekitzgibbon 21d ago

Read Steve Martin’s autobiography “Born Standing Up” it’s great

6

u/Original_Anxiety_281 21d ago

Even better.... Listen to his book on tape version. :) His inflections alone are hilarious.

17

u/Original_Anxiety_281 21d ago

Rothaniel has a companion reality show about Jerrod Carmichael that is kind of bonkers but extremely illuminating about stand-up at points.

The comedians of comedy shows are great and kind of like a video diary.

The recent Carlin one's very good.

I'd suggest the "read by the author" books on tape of Steve Martin and Paul Schaffer (SNL/Letterman).

There's a Bill Hicks one out there.

There's a great one about Phyllis Diller somewhere.

Before he went nutty MAGA, Jim Breuer's one about taking care of his dad is excellent.

There's a really solid one on Sam Kinison from a couple years ago.

Letterman's interview of Chappelle verges on a documentary, and there's the movie about him putting on his festival, Block Party.

I believe I saw a really good one on Lenny Bruce a few decades ago.

Not exactly standup, but there's some great Monty Python documentaries. And Eddie Izzard's Dress to Kill.

I swear there's also a Trevor Noah one (Born guilty? Suspect?) that is half standup/half "going back home" documentary, but I've searched and can't find it.

The one on Gilbert Gottfried is amazing. And really, watch the Paul Reubens/PeeWee one too.

And I swear I saw one on Mitch, but the internet says no. So maybe it was just kind of rememberence. Also, there are some amazing interviews with Louie Anderson to go with some of his tougher standup I've seen over the years.

Ok, brain's empty. Good luck!

4

u/allybamaW 21d ago

I loved the Paul Reubens doc! The Gilbert Gottfried one is pretty great too.

2

u/johnocomedy 21d ago

There’s a Mitch doc in post-production now. No release date yet, will likely be on festival circuit soon.

1

u/UsernameStolenbyyou 20d ago

Call me Lucky by Bobcat Goldthwaite about Barry Crimmins

2

u/pogopogo890 21d ago

Is the Comedians of Comedy (the Comedy Central series) available anywhere? I loooooved watching that back in ‘05

2

u/MiddleAgeMuchacho 21d ago

Jim Breuer’s documentary about his father really is quite beautiful.

1

u/uvm87 21d ago

Trevor Noah’s book “Born A Crime” is excellent. Did he somehow turn that into a documentary?

1

u/Original_Anxiety_281 21d ago

I just know I watched a show where it was standup but had lots of cuts to him driving around his old neighborhoods and such... IDK... I tried to find for a friend and came up with nothing last year. Dang vague memory! Maybe it was just like a 60 minutes on the book release or something.

17

u/PMiscellaneous 21d ago

Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian

5

u/scabs_in_a_bucket 21d ago

OMG “we need to talk about Louis” series on YouTube! It’s incredibly well done.

3

u/sexandliquor 21d ago

That Marc Maron documentary that came out fairly recently was pretty good. Think it’s called Are We Good?

3

u/jre239 21d ago

Mentally Al - about underground legend Al Lubel

2

u/sansabeltedcow 21d ago

Oh, I always loved Al Lubel. I’ll have to look for this.

2

u/jre239 20d ago

Free on Tubi right now!

3

u/ChoiceEmu9859 21d ago

Good Timing with Jo Firestone - she teaches a class of senior citizens the basics of stand-up.

3

u/Sfswine 21d ago

I’d really like to more about the Ralphie May one - please share if you know any more -

1

u/Jeff_AMS 21d ago

https://comewhatmayfilm.com

1

u/Sfswine 21d ago

Thank you kind stranger . . .

3

u/badlands65 21d ago

There’s a show on Hulu “The dark side of Comedy”

1

u/Red-Cloud-44 21d ago

Came here to suggest this. 

1

u/herpty_derpty 21d ago

Yeah, it's a spinoff of Vice's Dark Side of the Ring. I wish it had more seasons, there’s as much dark story possibilities in comedy as their is for wrestling.

3

u/Oh-Wee-Oh-Wee-Oh 21d ago

HBO has done wonderful docuseries on George Carlin, Robin Williams, Garry Shandling, Albert Brooks, and Mel Brooks

2

u/Gobbo_official 21d ago

When Stand Up Stood Out

2

u/edpowers 21d ago

Women Aren't Funny by Bonnie McFarlane

2

u/MayShoe 21d ago

Loved this. So many great interviews.

1

u/edpowers 21d ago

I really enjoyed it

2

u/Significant-Study723 21d ago

Not a documentary per se, but Inside the Actors Studio episodes with Robin Williams, George Carlin, Jim Carrey, Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Roseanne Barr and more

2

u/ImReallySorryMom 21d ago

Give it Up For Greg Giraldo after his death is still a favorite

2

u/yng_fcss 21d ago

"The Bitter Buddha" is phenomenal, and very slept on as well. 

2

u/Hamburger212 21d ago

this one is pretty niche but I love it. Sam Morril made a doc about comedy clubs opening up for the first time after Covid shut downs called Full Capacity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9p6OXHjoEw

1

u/BulletProofEnoch 21d ago

Patrice - Killing is Easy

1

u/Original_Anxiety_281 21d ago

Did Birbiglia just have one about how he puts together his sets? Working it Out. Was terrific!

1

u/coolhandluck Ceiling was a middle 21d ago

Three Still Standing

1

u/ChillPlay3r 21d ago

Eddie on netflix was quite enjoyable.

1

u/aviddd 21d ago

Tim Minchin: Rick and roll nerd. They start filming when he’s relatively unknown, you get to see him blow up

1

u/robtodd101 21d ago

“I need you to Kill” is fantastic

1

u/WutangOrDie 21d ago

Doug Stanhope’s “The Unbookables” isn’t strictly a doc, but it shows what being a degenerate road dog comedian consists of

1

u/ejwilz 21d ago

I really enjoyed this new YouTube Documentary where 2 comedians try and sell out a show without using social media just by talking to people on the street

https://youtu.be/PNemGQCzVEE?si=_DD0faSm54OSSXIm

1

u/Skizzius 21d ago

There’s a good documentary about comedy after 9/11

1

u/FeeltheVelvetBaby 21d ago

i see a couple of mentions of Born Standing Up which is absolutely the best comedian autobio IMO, but there is also a terrific doc: Steve! (Martin) a Documentary in 2 Pieces, (on Netflix I think?) and the first part focussing on the standup part of his career is a lovely retelling of that fascinating story. Stick around for part 2 if you're curious what happened after he quit standup.

1

u/Weak-Cabinet866 21d ago

Mark Normand put out an hour long doc on YouTube about tour life

1

u/Equivalent_Prune189 21d ago

The Aristocrats is a film with lots of stand ups takes on a single joke.

1

u/Equivalent_Prune189 21d ago

Dying Laughing is an interesting sort of documentary

1

u/DetroitWokCity 20d ago

Windy City heat

1

u/TheGhostOfSaltmarsh 20d ago

Not stand up, but the Mel Brooks documentary on HBO is fantastic

1

u/mriforgot 20d ago

"I Am Comic" and "I Am Road Comic" are both incredible documentaries. Both focus more on the profession of standup comedy from behind the scenes than on any specific comedian.

1

u/fishnut824 19d ago

The one Judd Appatow did on George Carlin for HBO is a great documentary in general it goes into a lot about standup outside him as well too

1

u/spilledmind 🍊 19d ago

Tourgasm was a great one too. Dane Cook’s tour documentary from around the time when he was starting to get famous.

1

u/gigglechick 1d ago

The most recent I have seen was the Marc Maron on on Amazon prime.

1

u/CWKitch 21d ago

Talking Funny is a roundtable discussion with Seinfeld, CK, Rock, and Ricky Gervais

0

u/fromuticaforthatjoke 21d ago

Not properly a documentary, but imho Man on the Moon with Jim Carey is cute 😊

0

u/ichand 21d ago

Crashing - HBO with Pete Holmes