It Started as a Joke

2019

1 hr. 16 min.

Documentary

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10 Reviews

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71%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

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

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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

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Audience Member

Bam arrête tes conneries

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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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

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Audience Member

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/12/20

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Ken Druckerman

Director

Julie Smith Clem

Director

Michael Ian Black

Self

Wyatt Cenac

Self

Jo Firestone

Self

Jon Glaser

Self

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It Started as a Joke: Trailer 1

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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

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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

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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

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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
Executive Producer: Jordana Mollick, Olivia Wingate
Production Co: Left/Right
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2020

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