Jerry Seinfeld

The world of stand-up comedy is explored from the perspectives of two very different talents -- one wet behind the years, another already a legend -- in this documentary from TV-commercial director Christian Charles. Comedian follows Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams as they navigate their way through the cutthroat world of New York's comedy clubs, each working toward the ultimate goal of an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. For Seinfeld, hitting the clubs is a way of proving himself after his years of sitcom success; for the up-and-coming Adams, nightly stand-up routines are an avenue to bigger and better things, preferably comedy festivals, talk show appearances, and sitcom roles. The two occasionally cross paths at such Manhattan comic haunts as The Gotham Comedy Club and Caroline's, where they debate ups and downs of the trade. Comedian also reveals many candid, behind-the-scenes discussions between Seinfeld and such comic legends as Chris Rock, Robert Klein, Dave Chappelle, and Jay Leno, as well as rare glimpses of the star's personal life. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

In the wake of the attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001, many figures in the entertainment community stepped forward to offer their talents to raise money towards relief efforts for the victims and their survivors. On October 20, 2001, some of the biggest names in popular music appeared at New York's Madison Square Garden in a special marathon concert to raise funds, and to pay tribute to the firefighters and police officers who gave their strength, their courage, and in some cases their lives to help the victims of this tragedy. The Concert for New York is a video that documents this historic evening. Musicians include Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bono, and many more. The long list of celebrity presenters includes Rudy Giuliani, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Halle Berry. And several filmmakers contribute short films on New York, including Woody Allen and Kevin Smith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

After drawing the curtain on his top-rated television series in 1998, comic Jerry Seinfeld went on a cross-country concert tour in which he dipped into his backlog of material from his years as a standup act. Seinfeld vowed he would never perform these bits again, using new material exclusively from this point on. Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You For The Last Time records Jerry's performance at the Broadhurst Theater in New York City, in which Seinfeld performs his wry, observational humor before a sold-out audience. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Desperate for an A-list guest as his final show draws ever closer, Larry (Garry Shandling) determines that he must overcome his discomfort with affectionate old friend David Duchovny in order to secure an appearance from the X-Files star. Meanwhile, Artie (Rip Torn) struggles to keep the emotional staff afloat in hopes of producing a memorable swan song for The Larry Sanders Show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A few sensitive viewers bailed out on Seinfeld at the end of season seven, in response to George's (Jason Alexander) apathetic reaction to the "death by envelope" of his fiancée, Susan. Others realized that a "show about nothing" can do just about anything, and thus stuck with Seinfeld as it entered its eighth season. As a reward for their loyalty, those viewers were treated to such first-rate episodes as the season opener, "The Foundation," in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) crosses paths with the girl whose name "rhymes with a female body part," Kramer (Michael Richards) takes up karate, and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) "becomes" her boss, J. Peterman (John O'Hurley). A few weeks later, Seinfeld's lifelong obsession with Superman manifests itself in "The Bizarro Jerry," in which we meet a group of people who are the exact opposites of the Seinfeld gang. Other highlights: a visit to a woman's prison yields strange results in "The Little Jerry"; Kramer begins to wonder what life would be like in a coma in "The Comeback"; a toothbrush in the toilet is the catalyst for disaster in "The Pothole"; Lloyd Bridges guest stars as 80-year-old physical fitness freak Izzy Mandelbaum in "The English Patient," which is also the episode in which Kramer gets involved with smuggling Cubans (cigars, that is); and in the season finale, "The Summer of George," things come full circle from the season opener, with another character "clinging to life" (sort of) in a hospital bed. ~ All Movie Guide

With five brilliant seasons in the can (including the now-legendary seasons four and five), Seinfeld keeps up the pace, and then some, as the series enters its sixth year on the air. Things get off to a lively start with "The Chaperone," in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) persuades Kramer (Michael Richards) to act as the title character during his date with Miss Rhode Island, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) meets the "white socks guy" at Doubleday, and George (Jason Alexander) suggest that New York Yankees start wearing cotton uniforms. Can it get any better? How about, "The Pledge Drive," the one in which Elaine's boss eats his Snickers with a knife and Jerry nearly brings down PBS thanks to a misdirected finger. But wait, there's more! Consider Kramer's method of changing his sperm count in "The Chinese Woman." Or Seinfeld's contribution to NBC's famous "Blackout Thursday" (November 3, 1994), an in-depth look at George's bathroom habits titled "The Gymnast." Or Elaine's appearance on a Chinese restaurant "blacklist" and Jerry's "Superman moment" in "The Race." And how about "The Jimmy," with the guy who can't stop talking about himself in the third person (no, it's not Mel Tormé, though he's in the same episode). Season six calls it quits with another first-rate episode, "The Understudy," which explains why George and Jerry should never play softball with Bette Midler. ~ All Movie Guide

Though it may have seemed impossible for Seinfeld to top the brilliance of its fourth season ("They're real -- and they're spectacular"; "Not that there's anything wrong with that"; "Her name rhymes with a female body part"; and the immortal "Are you master of your own domain?"), season five of the "show about nothing" has more than its share of golden moments. In fact, the season is barely two episodes old before Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) is climbing into that famous "puffy shirt" for his appearance on The Today Show. A few weeks later, Jerry is suspecting his "sniffing accountant" of drug use, while Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is saddled with a boyfriend who is enamored of the exclamation point. And how about the one where Jerry has to handle his godson's circumcision? Or in another episode, where Elaine's next boyfriend has the same name as a notorious serial killer? And we can't forget the episode in which George (Jason Alexander) tries to score points with a girl by converting to Latvian Orthodox. Nor the introduction of Micky Woodburn (Danny Woodburn), the "little person" friend of good old Kramer (Michael Richards). And we can't let pass an acknowledgement of the deathless one-hour extravaganza "The Raincoats." There's no doubt about it, season five of Seinfeld is every bit as terrific as season four -- right up to the final episode, in which George vows to do everything the opposite of his normal instincts, while Elaine brings down a publishing empire by eating Jujyfruits. ~ All Movie Guide

Ace award-winner Bill Maher hosts two 1993 episodes of his provocative Comedy Central roundtable talk show. The episodes center on the questions: "Is pornography an antidote or cause of rape?"; "Are cities obsolete?"; and "Is movie sex and violence force-fed to audiences, or is that what they want?" The first discussion features guests Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Miller, Curtis Sliwa, and Dr. Wilbert Tatum arguing about pornography, police, and the future of cities. The second forum features Seinfeld and Miller again, along with Ed Rollins and Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers, as they tackle the issues of cinematic sex and violence, personal responsibility, and criminals. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

After two "mini-seasons" of six and 12 episodes each, Seinfeld finally gets off the ground in season three, toting up a whole 23 episodes -- and are they beauties! Things get off to a rousing start with "The Note," in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) prevails upon his dentist to commit insurance fraud on behalf of George (Jason Alexander) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Next up is "The Truth," which poses the question: how much trouble can an ex-girlfriend who works for the IRS really be? A choice Seinfeld running gag is inaugurated in "The Pen" (the one that writes upside down, remember?). Other classic episodes include "The Parking Garage" (or "Four People in Search of Whatever"); "The Tape," which demonstrates how to talk dirty and influence people; "The Nose Job," which largely consists of a chess match with sexual undertones between Jerry's brain and his -- er -- other brain; "The Alternate Side," the one in which Kramer (Michael Richards) utters the immortal line, "These pretzels are making me thirsty"; "The Subway," the one with the fat naked man, the 600-dollar traffic fine, and the best man en route to the lesbian wedding; "The Pez Dispenser," which is all that and more; and the hour-long "The Boyfriend," which details Jerry's fateful encounter with ballplayer Keith Hernandez. And as a bonus, Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) makes one of her rare non-Murphy Brown appearances (it makes sense in context). ~ All Movie Guide

Quite a lot happens in the "show about nothing" during season two of Seinfeld -- even though only 12 episodes were produced. For starters, there's the opening episode, "The Ex-Girlfriend," the one in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) doesn't want to get mixed up with the former girlfriend of George (Jason Alexander) -- except that she seems to have this "psychosexual" hold on him. Next up is the Emmy-nominated "The Pony Remark," said remark getting Jerry in a lot of trouble when the woman is most offended by it drops dead soon afterward. Veteran movie tough guy Lawrence Tierney makes his first (and only) appearance as the father of Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in "The Jacket," with the title "character" causing Jerry a lot of grief when he turns it inside out on a snowy night. In other episodes, George tests the "man with the wedding band" theory while looking for girls in "The Apartment," which also offers the spectacle of Kramer (Michael Richards) with mousse in his hair; "The Revenge" consists of a potent drink slipped to George's ex-boss, not to mention Kramer's sabotage of a washing machine with a bag of cement; Elaine falls for a doctor who only has eyes for her tongue in "The Heart Attack" (a classic episode, complete with "Flaming Globes!"); George has "unequivocally the worst date" of his life in "The Baby Shower"; and in the season's finale episode, "The Busboy," the hero of the piece loses his cat and nearly his life thanks to "helpful" George. ~ All Movie Guide

The famous "show about nothing," NBC's Seinfeld is regarded by many fans as the best network sitcom of the 1990s; some go farther than that, hailing it as the best sitcom ever. The series grew from the free-association monologues of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who in partnership with producer Larry David launched the program in a limited-run format beginning May 31, 1990. Slowly but surely, the series developed a rabid fan following, and by the time the 1993-1994 season rolled around, Seinfeld was America's third most popular program, reaching the number one slot the following year and never dropping below second place for the duration of its run. The eponymous star played "himself," a young, unmarried comedian named Jerry Seinfeld who lived in a medium-sized apartment (well stocked with breakfast cereals) in midtown Manhattan. However, we seldom saw Jerry at work. Most of the time, he hung out with his three best friends: the obnoxiously neurotic and self-absorbed George Costanza (Jason Alexander), who lived with his parents, Estelle and Frank (Estelle Harris, Jerry Stiller), who was for several years employed in the office of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (who never appeared on-camera), and who spent much of his spare time kvetching over his miserable love life; Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), wild-eyed, wild-haired entrepreneur, whose many get-rich-quick schemes had a tendency to backfire disastrously; and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Jerry's onetime girlfriend, who worked in the publishing industry and was ever on the lookout for a male companion who was truly "sponge-worthy."

A number of memorable supporting characters wandered through the series, including Jerry's acerbic uncle Leo (Len Lesser); his overbearing parents, Helen (Liz Sheridan) and Morty (played first by Phil Bruns, then by Barney Martin); corpulent bête noire, Newman the mail carrier (Wayne Knight); Elaine's lapdog boyfriend David Puddy (Patrick Warburton), her ubiquitous stalker Crazy Joe (Peter Crombie), and her eccentric employer J. Peterman (John O'Hurley); George's fiancée, Susan Biddle Ross (Heidi Swedberg), who in one of the series' most perverse comic twists died on the eve of the marriage after licking too many cheap wedding-invitation envelopes; Kramer's Cochranesque attorney, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris), and his little-person crony Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn); and ulcerated NBC network executive Russell Dalrimple (Bob Balaban), to whom Jerry pitched his series proposal concerning (you guessed it!) a "show about nothing."

It is doubtful that any one sitcom has ever yielded as many memorable catchphrases as Seinfeld. Even non-devotees of the series cannot help but smile knowingly at the invocation of such bon mots as "Not that there's anything wrong with that," "It rhymes with a female body part," "Maybe the dingo ate your baby," "They're real -- and they're spectacular," and the deathless "Are you master of your own domain?" Even those episodes that did not bring forth the above-mentioned catchphrases are forever etched in the collective consciousness of the American viewing public: who could forget the plot convolutions connected with "The Bubble Boy," "The Soup Nazi," "The Puffy Shirt," "The Pez Dispenser," and the classic "backwards" episode, "The Betrayal"? Seinfeld's final first-run episode, telecast May 14, 1998, was the ne plus ultra in the "show about nothing" genre, in which the entire cast faced a stiff jail turn for literally doing nothing -- that is, they neglected to go to the aid of a mugging victim, and in consequence were charged with "criminal indifference"! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide