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A portrait of the life and career of one of comedy's most iconic figures, Gilbert Gottfried.A portrait of the life and career of one of comedy's most iconic figures, Gilbert Gottfried.A portrait of the life and career of one of comedy's most iconic figures, Gilbert Gottfried.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
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Featured reviews
Gilbert Gotfried makes a joke about having oral sex with an actress and not minding that it would give him cancer (relating to Michael Douglas, hint) and then says he'd even get some kind of dystrophy, which he ended up dying of...
The thing about this documentary, more of a home movie, is that he's obviously... very, very obviously dying of something...
He's very skinny and he can't talk very well, and it's not just him being his real self unlike the stage persona... so that aspect is the elephant in this otherwise somewhat cozy room...
They say he was a comic's comic (and one of the first to be cancelled), but that doesn't really seem like the right word, seeming more befitting to George Carlin...
He was more of a niche, a deliberately annoying niche, always playing annoying characters...
And despite Corpse Artie Lange being interviewed, Gilbert's best times on The Howard Stern Show was during the 1990's when Howard, talking about when Gilbert was sick in the hospital for a month, got the human side out of him, in spurts...
Which sums up this documentary, spurts, about a guy who is surprised he's rich, famous and has a wife, but, why? He's famous, he's rich... oh and his daughter is so adorable...
It's good he was able to retire with a loving family but it wouldn't be shocking if he had a wife in the 1980's... because that character he played was a character, no different than Rodney Dangerfield getting no respect when he was the most respected comedian ever...
Anyhow, it's a nice little slice, could have been deeper, but makes more sense now that he's already gone (it was made, of course, and released when alive) because it's obvious, again, that he's very sick here.
The thing about this documentary, more of a home movie, is that he's obviously... very, very obviously dying of something...
He's very skinny and he can't talk very well, and it's not just him being his real self unlike the stage persona... so that aspect is the elephant in this otherwise somewhat cozy room...
They say he was a comic's comic (and one of the first to be cancelled), but that doesn't really seem like the right word, seeming more befitting to George Carlin...
He was more of a niche, a deliberately annoying niche, always playing annoying characters...
And despite Corpse Artie Lange being interviewed, Gilbert's best times on The Howard Stern Show was during the 1990's when Howard, talking about when Gilbert was sick in the hospital for a month, got the human side out of him, in spurts...
Which sums up this documentary, spurts, about a guy who is surprised he's rich, famous and has a wife, but, why? He's famous, he's rich... oh and his daughter is so adorable...
It's good he was able to retire with a loving family but it wouldn't be shocking if he had a wife in the 1980's... because that character he played was a character, no different than Rodney Dangerfield getting no respect when he was the most respected comedian ever...
Anyhow, it's a nice little slice, could have been deeper, but makes more sense now that he's already gone (it was made, of course, and released when alive) because it's obvious, again, that he's very sick here.
A behind the scenes look at the life and comedy of Gilbert Gottfried.
My impression: Gilbert is a comedic genius who is often misunderstood, misinterpreted. In real life he is a sweet, kind caring guy, a real family man with two kids and a good marriage. He gets himself into trouble (and sometimes fired) because he has no filter, he just goes right ahead and says what we all are thinking in the deep recesses of our minds, and he makes it sound hilarious....but often not "politically correct". So he gets into trouble and then he regrets it. But he's actually a brilliant comedian and, little know fact...one of the greatest impressionists in all of show business. I've actually never seen a better impressionist than Gilbert. Who else does an impression of character actor John McGiver?! It was surreal and hilarious when he went into his McGiver impression for a baby! Unfortunately he doesn't do impressions very much any more.
Great documentary. I highly recommend it!
I love Gilbert. I've known Gilbert's act when I started listening to the Howard Stern show, Gilbert always had a special place in my heart. It was difficult to separate the comedian verse the real Gilbert. There were hints of his love life and then eventually his family life on Howard's show and at that point, I knew there was much more to Gilbert than the voice. I'm so happy I watched this documentary about his life. You'd would never know that Gilbert is the type of dad that would leave cute notes in his children's lunch boxes or frequently visits his sisters. I think what goes unsaid about Gilbert is that he is a master of creating a comedic personal that could tell the most offensive jokes and while making his audience laugh.
This is an at times touching look behind the wall of the persona he puts up. You'll see the real person, but only somewhat as he's quite guarded. You'll laugh at a lot of jokes and see some genuine moments, which makes this a nice watch.
I've been a fan of Gilbert Gottfried ever since seeing the Problem Child movies as a kid and one of his early (and few) stand-up specials. Gilbert also made what seemed like countless cameos in movies all throughout the 80's and 90's and even had a brief stint as part of the Saturday Night Live cast. In the 2000's he was was still famous mostly for his role as the Aflac mascot (the duck) and was a frequent guest- roaster. Presently, he is still a touring comedian and has a very well received and informative podcast, in which he and his co-host, chat with Hollywood legends, such as Dick Van Dyke, Dick Cavett and all sorts of other Dicks..
Chances are, if you're reading this, you already know Gilbert in some aspect, maybe for his infamous telling of the Aristocrats joke, his infamous firing for his tweets, or some other infamy surrounding the prolific comedian.. What you most likely don't know, is that Gilbert is a husband, a father, a brother and son. The squinting eyed, harsh voiced, foul mouthed comedian is a human being, but barely.
Sometimes Gilbert comes off more as an alien who crash landed on Earth during puberty and was never quite able to blend in amongst actual humans. This documentary shows you the REAL Gilbert Gottfried and makes a fine attempt at explaining who he is and why he is... It's interesting, funny and heart warming. If you've ever asked yourself "I wonder who would ever have sex with that Jewish guy who squints and yells a lot" this movie is for you.
Chances are, if you're reading this, you already know Gilbert in some aspect, maybe for his infamous telling of the Aristocrats joke, his infamous firing for his tweets, or some other infamy surrounding the prolific comedian.. What you most likely don't know, is that Gilbert is a husband, a father, a brother and son. The squinting eyed, harsh voiced, foul mouthed comedian is a human being, but barely.
Sometimes Gilbert comes off more as an alien who crash landed on Earth during puberty and was never quite able to blend in amongst actual humans. This documentary shows you the REAL Gilbert Gottfried and makes a fine attempt at explaining who he is and why he is... It's interesting, funny and heart warming. If you've ever asked yourself "I wonder who would ever have sex with that Jewish guy who squints and yells a lot" this movie is for you.
Did you know
- Quotes
Jeffrey Ross: He doesn't really filter himself and I think that's why people are drawn to him in this politically correct world we live in to have a loose cannon running around in the world is refreshing. I mean if someone doesn't say it nobody will.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sven Uslings Bio: Gilbert (2023)
- How long is Gilbert?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,362
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,362
- Nov 5, 2017
- Gross worldwide
- $8,362
- Runtime
- 1h 34m(94 min)
- Color
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