The King Of Comedy
1982
Martin Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY is a brutally funny depiction of the dangers of celebrity fandom. Robert De Niro plays the ridiculously inept Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comic who idolises talk-show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Still living at home with his mother, Rupert spends his days trying to arrange a meeting .. Read more
| Starring | Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Tony Randall |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Genres | Drama |
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The King Of Comedy
Martin Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY is a brutally funny depiction of the dangers of celebrity fandom. Robert De Niro plays the ridiculously inept Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comic who idolises talk-show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Still living at home with his mother, Rupert spends his days trying to arrange a meeting with his hero. When he isn't doing that, he's at home talking to cardboard cutouts in his makeshift television studio. After Rupert convinces Rita (Diahnne Abbot), a pretty bartender, that Langford has invited them to his house outside the city, the reality of the situation makes itself painfully apparent upon arriving at the star's front door. Trouble is, Rupert's too delusional to take the hint. He eventually hatches a plan with an equally obsessed fan, Masha (a scene-stealing Sandra Bernhard), to kidnap Langford in exchange for a chance to let him deliver his routine on the air. De Niro and Lewis deliver scorching performances that are at once tragic and hysterical, making for an unsettling yet highly stimulating viewing experience. Paul D. Zimmerman's script takes the time to truly crawl inside the mind of a lunatic, exposing celebrity worship as the ludicrous problem that it is. THE KING OF COMEDY stands firmly as one of Scorsese's most terrifying films.
| Starring | Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Tony Randall, Sandra Bernhard |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 44 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 16 Apr 2004 Production year: 1982 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Though a box-office failure, this black comedy is now considered by many to be Martin Scorsese's unsung masterpiece. Of all the director's outings with sparring partner Robert De Niro, it's the strangest. He plays Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring stand-up comedian and stalker-in-waiting who dreams of fronting his own TV show, rehearses for this moment of glory in his mother's basement and spends half his life waiting, symbolically, in reception. It's a powerful, complex performance, one that carries the story from farce into tragedy with ease, and keeps us on his side. Jerry Lewis is magnificent as the chilly old pro and chat-show king Jerry Langford, and Scorsese gives us another New York, the cruel but bewitching network TV capital of America. Pupkin's catch phrase remains immortal: “Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.”
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Scorsese and De Niro have been pushing each other so far for so long that audience polarisation now automatically... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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13 out of 13 people found this review helpful
An undervalued gem from Martin Scorsese
A flop on it's original release and often described as a Scorsese misfire 'The King of Comedy' is in fact one of this great director's finest films.
Robert De Niro gives one of his best performances as Rupert Pupkin, a pathetic character who believes he has what it takes to be a major star as a stand-up comedian. Just like his idol Jerry Langford(Jerry Lewis) in fact. One night Rupert corners Jerry and tries to persuade him to give him a spot on the show. Jerry fobs him off with some words of encouragement, anything to get rid of this pest. But Rupert sees this as an invite and when Jerry fails to return his frequent phone calls, he decides kidnapping is his only option.
'The King of Comedy' is a remarkable film which is both hilarious and unsettling(often at the same time). Martin Scorsese directs this unusual black comedy with panache, handling the frequent shifts in tone expertly. De Niro is on wonderful form in one of his most memorable roles but the real stand-out is Jerry Lewis who plays it dead straight and gives a suprisingly effective performance as the jaded chat-show host. Sandra Bernhard is also excellent as Pupkin's seriously unbalanced partner-in-crime.
'The King of Comedy' is probably more relevant now than ever and stands as a film ahead of it's time. With it's incisive analysis of the public's obsession with the cult of celebrity it's a lost masterpiece that deserves to be rediscovered. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Interesting take on celebrity
Scorsese shrewdly tackles the subject of celebrity worship decades before it became a current phenomenon.
De Niro plays the stuggling comedian Rupert Pupkin who has a developed a fixation for the talkshow host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis). As the film progresses we see Pupkin's fanatacism increase to excrutiating to watch levels with poor Jerry being kidnapped.
What I like about this film is the way it has been shot, the colours are bold and the camera angles interesting.
It's worth seeing if you wish to see Scorsese doing something against type. -
News and features
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I'm not difficult, says De Niro
- 24 Jun 2008
Robert De Niro has refuted suggestions that he is difficult to work with, claiming that the process of filmmaking is tricky enough without adding to it with such behaviour. The legendary star of classics such as Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Godfather II and Goodfellas, says he is easy to work with compared to some working inside the industry. "Difficult? Me? I don't think I am difficult compared to other people. It is hard to make a movie at the best of times, so you don't want to give... Read more
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Martin Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY is a brutally funny depiction of the dangers of celebrity fandom. Robert De Niro plays the ridiculously inept Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comic who idolises talk-... -