The King Of Comedy details
| Format: | PG DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Tony Randall, Sandra Bernhard, Robert De Niro |
| Director: | Martin Scorsese |
| Genre: | Drama - African/American |
| Studio: | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
The King Of Comedy |
PG Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 44 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 16 Apr 2004 |
| Main languages: | English |
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Most helpful review
An undervalued gem from Martin Scorsese
By Philip Concannon from London , 01 Jun 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
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.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(52)Brilliant Disturbing
By buffyrules (335 reviews) from southend on sea , 04 Sep 2012Arguably De Niro's finest Scorcese performance which always gets put behind the more famous Taxi Driver. This film infuriates yet dazzles throughout and seems just as current today. This and the remarkable film 'Network' are still the most pertinent examinations of celebrity and TV culture that can be found on film.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Boring and not funny
By WorldFilmWatcher (5 reviews) , 18 Jun 2012I really did not like this film. In my opinion it's the worst film I've ever rented on this site. I forced myself to watch the first half, but couldn't make it all the way to the end. It's boring and not very funny. The humour is repetitive.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Better to be king for a day than schmuck for a lifetime!
By SmithD (7 reviews) from Wolverhampton , 27 Mar 2012Quite an original dark comedy about aspiring(but not very talented) stand up comedian Rupert Pupkin & his journey through obsession, rejection & tenacity which finally leads to kidnapping & success.
Brilliantly directed by Scorsese. Jerry Lewis is a fish out of water portraying talk show host Jerry Langford who is dead pan but more business like rather than comical. Sandra Bernhard is also very convincing as a crazy celebrity stalker. However i agree with Scorseses statement that he believes the character of Rupert Pupkin to be Robert De Niros finest ever performance. This character is detached from reality & extremely animated but also quite tragic & a little dangerous. If you are a De Niro fan then you must watch this movie.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Jerry Lewis, Gem
By a customer from Nantwich , 24 Jan 2011Jerry Lewis steals the film by a long way. De Niro is wonderful and the concept of the film was a masterpiece.- Was this review helpful to you?
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King of Comedy
By Filamina (25 reviews) from Great Yarmouth , 25 Aug 2010Sad indeed that this is considered an unsung masterpiece. To the contrary, it is more like a good first attempt which shows budding talent in its director. As a story it lacks conviction and even labelling it as a black comedy did not fool me; I watched it because I was waiting for some paint to dry!- Was this review helpful to you?
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