The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

Comedian Garry Shandling died in March of 2016, his close friend and fellow comedian Judd Apatow now brings us a look into Shandling's life and the impact he has had on the comedic landscape.

I don't usually review documentaries because I don't know enough about the format to really say whether it was made well or not.

This is more of a recommendation for a film that really impacted me. Apatow does a great job of capturing what made Shandling so special and the interviews with his friends and family range from hilarious to heartbreaking.

If you are at all a fan of Garry Shandling's work or the history of comedy at this is definitely worth checking out. It's in two parts, both are about 2 hours long so it is a commitment but it's worth it.

My guess is that Garry Shandling would be very appreciative of how well of a job that Judd Apatow did on this wonderful documentary that chronicalized his life and spirituality. I had not had much exposure to Garry's comedy before watching this. After watching it, I have come away with the fact that he very well may have been the best performer of his time due to the way he held his material to such high standards and also because of the countless amount of people who he mentored.

There is more to learn in this documentary than just how effortlessly funny Garry really was (although he worked tirelessly on his material). It shows the journey to enlightenment. How to accept ones place in the universe. How to resist being egotistical in an effort to not take life more seriously than it needs to be taken.

Thank you Judd. Thank you Garry.

Judd Apatow remembered and honored his friend and mentor with this touching documentary where you could really feel and see the love from all he came in contact with during his career. I remember growing up and seeing Garry when he appeared on the Tonight Show and couldn't believe when he walked away from it. One of my all-time favorite HBO series was the Larry Sanders Show which for lack of a better description was sheer genius!

Simply put, Garry Shandling was an amazing performer who left us too soon and considered by many one of the best comedians ever to grace the stage and entertain us. Judd, you brought tears to my eyes when I watched this HBO special. Thank you for remembering and honoring Garry Shandling in such a manner!

The late comedian Garry Shandling was, without a doubt, funny. Sometimes falling-down funny, sometimes cringeworthy-funny. But always engaging. This documentary produced by his friend and writer Judd Apatow is outstanding. It's not fawning. But it gives a touching, honest inside view of the creative process. It's in 2 parts and it's long but not at all boring. I can always tell when a show is dragging because my butt starts to hurt. This didn't hurt my butt one bit.

Apatow paints a finely woven, richly detailed journey of Garry Shandling's state of being. As a documentarian Apatow makes a most impressive debut, it is the best I've seen in a very long time. HBO has chosen the right subject and the right person to tell this deeply intimate fully formed biography of a brilliant comedian.