The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall

Comedian Kevin Hart performs in front of a crowd of 50,000 people at Philadelphia's outdoor venue, Lincoln Financial Field.

Forging his own comedic boundaries, Anthony Jeselnik revels in getting away with saying things others can't in this stand-up special shot in New York.

The Comedians of Comedy is an occasional stand-up comedy tour featuring Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford that was documented in a 2005 film and 2005 Comedy Central television series of the same name, both directed by Michael Blieden.

The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary.

A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road.

Deadpan comic and self-proclaimed world champion Judah Friedlander performs over several nights in New York, explaining why America is No. 1.

In his final comedy special, Norm Macdonald ponders casinos, cannibalism, living wills and why you have to be ready for whatever life throws your way.

Fresh off the heels of appearing in movies like Superhero Movie and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, fast-talking comedian Kevin Hart stars in his second live stand-up performance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he makes fun of everything and everybody - especially himself.

In this special live event, giants of stand-up come together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Russell Simmons's groundbreaking "Def Comedy Jam."

Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart talks about his family, travel and a year full of reckless behavior in front of a live sold-out crowd in London.

The house is rockin' and the laughs are rollin' as comedians Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show), D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys), Cedric The Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) and Bernie Mac (Life) meet in this riotously comedy summit directed by Spike Lee.

Kevin Hart serves up laughs and brick oven pizza from the comfort of his home, and dishes on male group chats, sex after 40 and life with COVID-19.

An inspiring, triumphant and wickedly funny portrait of one of comedy’s most enigmatic and important figures, CALL ME LUCKY tells the story of Barry Crimmins, a beer-swilling, politically outspoken and whip-smart comic whose efforts in the 70s and 80s fostered the talents of the next generation of standup comedians. But beneath Crimmins’ gruff, hard-drinking, curmudgeonly persona lay an undercurrent of rage stemming from his long-suppressed and horrific abuse as a child – a rage that eventually found its way out of the comedy clubs and television shows and into the political arena.

Richard Pryor's stand-up act includes his frank discussion about his freebasing addiction, as well as the infamous night on June 9, 1980 that he caught on fire.

The deleted scenes and additional stunts and sketches that originally were not presented in the original series.

Jerry Seinfeld returns to the club that gave him his start in the 1970s, mixing iconic jokes with stories from his childhood and early days in comedy.

Kevin, Joe and Nick face down quick wits and deep cuts in this comedy special featuring Pete Davidson, John Legend and more. Hosted by Kenan Thompson.

Bad Grandpa .5 gives you a whole new perspective on the world of Irving Zisman with bonus scenes and pranks also featuring Spike Jonze as "Gloria" and Catherine Keener as Irving's wife "Ellie", plus a look at the evolution of Johnny Knoxville's naughty alter-ego, the makeup effects, and a behind-the-scenes peek at the idiocy it takes to make a hidden camera movie in public.

HBO presents one of the most gifted and revered performers of our time, Academy-Award winning Robin Williams, starring in his fifth exclusive HBO special, taped before a live audience at Washington's Constitution Hall.

One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.

During what seems like an ordinary evening, three friends, Alexe, Étienne, and Gabriel, come together to celebrate Gabriel’s birthday. Between them lies a pact: to live the truth of the moment without filters. This intimate ritual becomes a fragile dance between affection and tension. As the evening unfolds, unspoken tensions surface, emotions ignite, and the boundaries between their needs and limits begin to blur.

Things go badly for a small film crew shooting a low-budget zombie movie when they are attacked by real zombies.

The Grand is in the tradition of improvisational comedies like Best In Show and This Is Spinal Tap. The story is set in the world of professional poker and follows six players who reach the final table of the world’s second most famous high stakes tournament, the Grand Championship of Poker.

A movie premiere gone awry leads to an equally chaotic trial to determine the fate of four amateur filmmakers.

An interview with one of the most influential and controversial filmmakers of some century. Marie Saint Marie opens up about her personal life and artistic processes in a raw portrait that few filmmakers would have the balls to display.

In Netflix's first-ever crowd work special, Matt Rife gets up close and personal with an unpredictable Charlotte audience to riff on all things dreams.

My dear friends, it's time for us to welcome you to another 'lost' Jane Austen novel. It's been improvised from start to finish by the amazing cast of Austentatious. The actors conjure up the story from nothing, backed by fully improvised lighting, soundtrack and, now I come to think about it, our camerawork too. This is the third time we have recorded Austentatious, this time as part of their residency at the Arts Theatre in London's glittering West End.

A successful psychoanalyst's life is turned upside down by a very anxious and extremely clingy patient who starts dating his daughter.

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.

Based on an incident in the life of Beat icon Neal Cassady and his wife, the painter Carolyn, the film tells the story of a railway brakeman whose wife invites a respected bishop over for dinner. However, the brakeman's Bohemian friends crash the party, with comic results. Pull My Daisy is a film that typifies the Beat Generation. Directed by Robert Frank and Alfred Leslie, Daisy was adapted by Jack Kerouac from the third act of his play, Beat Generation; Kerouac also provided improvised narration.

An intimate documentary portrait of world-class improvisational and traditional pianist Mike Garson as he tours, performs, and teaches.

A concert film featuring entirely improvised music.

Johnny agrees to watch Mia's cat while she's away on a camping trip. Unfortunately, the cat ends up tragically dying under his watch. Completely friendless, Johnny is forced to turn to people from his troubled past for advice.

A man in his mid-thirties searches for meaning in the aftermath of a relationship.

Artist, showman, and robe-clad raconteur Marc Rebillet embarks on one of the first live music tours after COVID-19 lockdown.

"All-Stars" is a hilarious commentary on the state of all youth sports today, fueled by the outrageous behavior of the desperate sports parent living vicariously through his or her child. In the vein of "Best in Show", where it's more about the dog owners than the dogs - "All-Stars" is about the adults involved in youth sports (parents, coaches, umpires, volunteers, board members, etc.) more than the kids. The end result is a funny, yet compelling spin on fast pitch softball as well as a unique state of affairs on the outlandish antics of a few crazed parents.

For 14 years Johanna and Boris live as a couple. Looking for her purpose in life, Johanna visits a seminar of the alternative community "Center for Inner and Outer Peace". Although she's still in love with her boyfriend, Johanna decides to change her life completely, moving to Switzerland to live in this community. Boris however is not amused. During the world-cup soccer finale, the couple experience its own crucial struggle.

Ben Schwartz tries to nail an audition. An improvised short film.

A salesman and a sexologist have misadventures with plot development determined by the votes of the studio audience.