It Started as a Joke

Play trailer

1:41

It Started as a Joke

2019

1h 16m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Filmmakers Julie Smith Clem and Ken Druckerman chronicle the decade-long run of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival - including a final farewell show.

Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

It's a warm and inviting bio-doc of Mirman, one of the funniest and most delightful people in comedy

Apr 29, 2019

Full Review

David Ehrlich

indieWire

More than a time capsule but less than it could have been, "It Started as a Joke" makes a lovely case that laughter is the best medicine...

Rated: B-

Mar 15, 2019

Full Review

Kimber Myers

The Playlist

It Started As A Joke is often as entertaining as a solid set from any one of the featured comedians, but it also has a serious streak in the insight it offers into Mirman's challenges off the stage.

Rated: B

Mar 13, 2019

Full Review

Sean Burns

WBUR’s Arts & Culture

There's a raw power in this footage I'm not sure the filmmakers really have a handle on. It hits upon that primal human need to turn grief into art, to salvage something positive out of all this sadness.

Apr 5, 2020

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Common Sense Media

This documentary breezes by quickly, but it manages to capture its subject soulfully while touching on serious subjects and demonstrating that laughter really is the best medicine sometimes.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 3, 2020

Full Review

Dominic Griffin

Spectrum Culture

Seeing the absurdity of Mirman's stage work, coupled with the irreverent, inside-baseball tenor of the festival's approach to humor, it feels sad that this film is documenting what seems to be an end to this era.

Rated: 3.5/5.0

Apr 3, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

A beautiful tribute that joyously reminds us to always keep a sense of humor... even during the darkest of times.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bam arrête tes conneries

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved this documentary. I moved to park slope brooklyn, near union hall, in 08 and lived there for the next six years. i got to see many of the comics featured, including eugene. (shared drinks and tater tots with some of them). This documentary really does a great job of capturing the comedy scene at that time. I was also surprisingly touched by eugene mirman's family storyline. I don't want to spoil? anything, so i'll just say that i was very touched and moved. The only part of i didn't like about the documentary -- this is admittedly ironic -- is eugene's stand-up comedy bits. literally all of them. I never liked his comedy. shrug, it just is what it is. But that doesn't take away from this documentary, because even though his name is part of the title and the comedy festival, I feel like this is also celebration of the entire culture, comics and this aspect of brooklyn. also, this probably doesn't shine a light on the people behind the scenes that made much of this possible, namely julie. And finally, their first kiss was at the boat bar? haha seriously? that bar suuuuucks :-)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a wonderful time capsule of the early 2000's Brooklyn comedy scene

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/12/20

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ken Druckerman

Director

Julie Smith Clem

Director

Michael Ian Black

Self

Wyatt Cenac

Self

Jo Firestone

Self

Jon Glaser

Self

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Apollo

96%

86%

The Apollo

Watchlist

House of Cardin

80%

%

House of Cardin

Watchlist

TRAILER

for House of Cardin

Searching for Mr. Rugoff

100%

%

Searching for Mr. Rugoff

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Searching for Mr. Rugoff

Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History

80%

%

Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

It Started as a Joke: Trailer 1

1:41

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Filmmakers Julie Smith Clem and Ken Druckerman chronicle the decade-long run of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival - including a final farewell show.

Director: Ken Druckerman, Julie Smith Clem
Producer: Meri Haitkin, Geoff O'Brien
Production Co: Left/Right
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2020
Runtime: 1h 16m

Most Popular at Home Now