The King of Comedy (1983)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  The plot here seems a bit far-fetched, I know, but in a world that has turned so celebrity-obsessed (and, no, itâ(TM)s not just dumb little girls acting as if Justin Bieber is somehow the Beatles; most of us have actually been guilty of this, though usually at a much lower level), it… More
  The plot here seems a bit far-fetched, I know, but in a world that has turned so celebrity-obsessed (and, no, itâ(TM)s not just dumb little girls acting as if Justin Bieber is somehow the Beatles; most of us have actually been guilty of this, though usually at a much lower level), it seems (for the most part) absolutely plausible. Like Peter Weirâ(TM)s THE TRUMAN SHOW, the film is a comedic gem, medicated with the highest possible dose of political satire; ironically, any comedy mastermind would ruin it. Had Woody Allen done it, he would have delved into the charactersâ(TM) persona too far, quite possibly so much that we could see some unintended and unsubtle hypocrisy. Had Mel Brooks directed it, it would have become a nonsensical joke-fest with all too much emphasis on the stand-up comedy and not nearly enough on the underlying theme of mania. Martin Scorsese tackles it perfectly. You canâ(TM)t expect a film from him without some sort of violence (except last yearâ(TM)s family movie HUGO), even if itâ(TM)s a comedy. The first person to bring obsession to crime would certainly be him. I especially love the scene in which Langford is confined to a chair, held at gunpoint, a phone in front of him, and Pupkin is raising up cue cards (some of which are upside-down or blank) for Langford to read to tell someone in his office to make Pupkin the âKing of Comedyâ� on the upcoming show. READ MORE ABOUT THIS OVERLOOKED CLASSIC: http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/review-the-king-of-comedy/

• Chris W

  
  Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis star in Martin Scorsese's darkly comedic satire about media obsession, and the lenths people will go to in order to become famous. Rupert Pumpkin (Robert De Niro) is an aspiring stand-up comedian with ambitions that outweigh his talent. He sees… More
  Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis star in Martin Scorsese's darkly comedic satire about media obsession, and the lenths people will go to in order to become famous. Rupert Pumpkin (Robert De Niro) is an aspiring stand-up comedian with ambitions that outweigh his talent. He sees television talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) as his idol, and is willing to do anything, including kidnapping in order to get Langford to give him his big chance to become the star he's always seen him self as being. Lewis and De Niro give some really good performances in their respective roles, and it is a joy to see them playing off one another. Lewis seems really grounded and downplays his schtick tremendously, but I think that is all for the best. De Niro is wonderful at playing these desperate, pathetic types who you feel bad for, even though you maybe shouldn't. Sandra Bernhard is terrifically nuts as an obsessed Langford fan and stalker who agrees to help Rupert with his scheme. She's really unhinged and sometimes grating, but it is quite funny and a job well done. In a lot of ways, this really felt like Taxi Driver, but, uh, with jokes, and not quite as dark and gritty. When I first heard about this film and its plot, I really was expecting it to be quite dark, gritty, and intense, especially with Scorsese at the helm. Surprisingly though, the film is only PG, but it still manages to get its point across without being too extreme. I believe there's probably some sort of word for being able to pull off a feat like this without things coming off as watered down, but I can't think of it right now. Maybe it's nuance, perhaps genius. This is another one of Scorsese's films that is quite terrific and well made, yet unfortunately more overlooked and underappreciated than it deserves. It's not a brilliant masterpiece or anything, but it's definitely quite solid and enjoyable (though not for all tastes), and fits in perfectly with Marty's oeuvre. If at this point, you like what I've had to say, then you should definitely go give it a watch.

• Graham J

  
  This small masterpiece by Martin Scorsese features yet another great performance by Robert DeNiro.

• Martin S

  
  It's been a while since I saw it. But this is a very good movie. Robert De Niro is just brilliant in this. I really wanna see it again.

• Aditya G

  
  Martin Scorsese's 1983 black comedy, "The King of Comedy" is also most probably the 'King of all underrated pictures'! It is boggles the mind to know that a superb film of such grand qualities could be so mercilessly sidelined by the film-going public and… More
  Martin Scorsese's 1983 black comedy, "The King of Comedy" is also most probably the 'King of all underrated pictures'! It is boggles the mind to know that a superb film of such grand qualities could be so mercilessly sidelined by the film-going public and even Scorsese fans for that matter! This film is significantly different in style from the iconic director's earlier works, but it is still one of the most refreshingly unique stories told on screen! Maybe the expectations from people were different, what with it being preceded by one of his masterpieces, "Raging Bull". but hell...it still had Robert De Niro in it, for Christ sakes..and that too in one of his most accomplished performances ever! De Niro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a struggling stand-up comedian who is waiting for that "big break", as he believes he is really good at his work. So far without luck, Pupkin keeps going to stage-doors to seek autographs from other famous stand-up comics! After trying really hard, he finally manages to strike a first meeting with an established and highly popular stand-up comic, Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Rupert tries to convince him about how good he is and believes that all he needs is one chance and urges Jerry to listen to his work. Jerry seems to show some interest and asks Rupert to get in touch with his secretary. Elated about his meeting with Jerry, Pupkin starts building castles in the air and indulges in surreal fantasies including various scenarios about how it would be when he is famous..he spends a lot of time at home imagining having conversations with Langford, imagining himself performing to a wide audience, so forth. Meanwhile, he starts bragging to his friend Rita (Diahnne Abbott) about how he met Jerry and they are practically friends and that he is soon gonna be famous. However, Rupert has to come face to face with the ground reality, when things turn out to be drastically different in real life! He is initially discouraged by Jerry's secretary on his daily visits who politely keeps sending him back. Even Jerry avoids meeting him personally and asks his staff to get rid of Rupert under some pretext or the other. Refusing to take a hint and call it quits, Rupert finally resorts to drastic measures to get what he seeks.... Paul D. Zimmerman's screenplay is certainly out of league compared to what Scorsese had done thus far with De Niro, but not entirely. The character of Pupkin is just another version, albeit of a much lighter shade of a frustrated loner resorting to extreme behaviour, earlier depicted in the form of Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver". But of course, the dark comedy of "The King of Comedy" is miles apart from the bleak, hard-hitting drama of "Taxi Driver"; yet as far as the subject handling is concerned, this film succeeds just as well as any other great Scorsese film in terms of story-telling. Sure enough, Scorsese's direction is nothing short of brilliant and is in no way any weaker compared to his earlier directing efforts. There are some remarkably well executed scenes which are quite unforgettable. Robert De Niro portrays one of the best on-screen characters he has ever portrayed and delivers one of his greatest performances..yes, you read it right! This acting performance of his is right up there in terms of sheer sincerity and talent, with his Jake La Motta or his Travis Bickle or even the early Johnny Boy! Comedian Jerry Lewis pleasantly surprises with a great performance as the famous man fed up with the adulation of this particular fan. He proves that he can pull off serious scenes just as well as he can do comedy. Sandra Bernhard is superb as the freaky Masha. Diahnne Abbott appears momentarily but does well. Do watch "The King of Comedy". It is a scathing satire on the world of popular media and stardom. And watch it especially for an effervescent performance by Robert De Niro...no one else could've pulled this one off quite like he did!

• Conner R

  
  An extremely well done film from Martin Scorsese that brings together comedy and horror quite nicely. Robert De Niro gave one of his best performances as Rupert Pupkin, the talk show host that never was. It is a highly suspenseful and shocking film that should be essential to any fan… More
  An extremely well done film from Martin Scorsese that brings together comedy and horror quite nicely. Robert De Niro gave one of his best performances as Rupert Pupkin, the talk show host that never was. It is a highly suspenseful and shocking film that should be essential to any fan of Scorsese or De Niro.

• danny d

  
  its difficult to even describe this film other than to simply say, its brilliant. its hilarious at moments, and disturbing at others. deniro gives us one of the best performances of his stellar career, and really all of the other actors delivered as well. the film feels like a coen… More
  its difficult to even describe this film other than to simply say, its brilliant. its hilarious at moments, and disturbing at others. deniro gives us one of the best performances of his stellar career, and really all of the other actors delivered as well. the film feels like a coen bros. style black comedy, only scorsese made this film before the coens even started working. the execution of the film is perfect. a true masterpiece.

• Tim S

  
  De Niro is amazing, one of his best performances. I watched this movie again and it was like watching for the first time. I honestly think this is one of Scorsese's best. Not only is De Niro amazing, but also what surprised me is how amazing Jerry Lewis is in this film. It seems… More
  De Niro is amazing, one of his best performances. I watched this movie again and it was like watching for the first time. I honestly think this is one of Scorsese's best. Not only is De Niro amazing, but also what surprised me is how amazing Jerry Lewis is in this film. It seems like every performance in this film is extremely naturalistic and that just shows how great Scorsese is with actors. There is also the scene stealing Sandra Bernhard who really astounds ("I feel like Tina Turner!!" is one of my favorite lines of the movie.) There is also the mixture of reality and the surreal which is done perfectly. The scene where he is standing in front of the black and white picture of everyone laughing is a work of art. One of the best of the black comedies and worth another watch if you haven't seen it in a while.

• Anthony L

  
  De Niro's best comedy performance of his career. I guess there isn't much competition really, he's not really known for his 'Laugh out loud' comedy performances, which is strange though because this is a fantastic dark comedy, where his timing is perfect. One… More
  De Niro's best comedy performance of his career. I guess there isn't much competition really, he's not really known for his 'Laugh out loud' comedy performances, which is strange though because this is a fantastic dark comedy, where his timing is perfect. One of Scorsese's (and De Niro's) more overlooked pieces. Jerry Lewis is also, as always, brilliant.

• Aaron N

  
  Secretary: Is Mr. Langford expecting you? Rupert Pupkin: Yes, I don't think he is. A film that manages to be much more disturbing than one might think. It features good performances and provides some satirical looks at the celebrity obsessed culture. Mainly though, this is a… More
  Secretary: Is Mr. Langford expecting you? Rupert Pupkin: Yes, I don't think he is. A film that manages to be much more disturbing than one might think. It features good performances and provides some satirical looks at the celebrity obsessed culture. Mainly though, this is a very awkward film that gives you an interesting look at a desperate man that takes things a bit too far. Rupert Pupkin: Why not me? Why not? A guy can get anything he wants as long as he pays the price. What's wrong with that? Stranger things have happened. Robert De Niro teams up again with director Martin Scorsese, staring this time as Rupert Pupkin, a wannabe stand-up comedian. Rupert's idol is talk show host Jerry Langford, played by Jerry Lewis. Rupert manages to have a conversation with Jerry, who tells him to give him a call some time, in an effort to get rid of Rupert. This doesn't work. Rupert begins to try with all his might to get a meeting with Rupert, get him to listen to his material, and become a good friend of his. Rupert tries to impress a woman through these efforts. He even brings another Jerry fan, played by Sandra Bernhard, into the mix. During all this, we are treated to a number of fantasy sequences in which Rupert has become successful and is in fact a good friend of Jerry's. There is no need to spoil what ends up happening, but things do take some radical turns. As mentioned, I found this movie to be very creepy and dark (especially whenever Bernhard was on screen). De Niro does a great job with this character, a lonely man, who may or may not have the talent he needs, but is clearly standing in the same weird-man line that Travis Bickle is in. Rupert is made more interesting by his basic manner. He is a polite individual, well spoken and dressed, looking for a way in. Jerry Lewis deserves a lot of credit here for being an amazing straight man in this movie. The way he puts up with a lot of the events that unfold in this movie is portrayed wonderfully through his facial expressions and reactions. This was a strange picture, but not one I regret watching. The Scorsese/De Niro team does manage to remain solid. Rupert Pupkin: I'm gonna work 50 times harder, and I'm gonna be 50 times more famous than you. Jerry Langford: Then you're gonna have idiots like you plaguing your life!

• Stella D

  
  this may be de niro's greatest performance; funny, creepy and criminally underrated. it's also the only jerry lewis film i can stand. it's like a black comedy version of taxi driver. it may not be bloody but it's nearly as tough to watch

• Lanning :

  
  As a huge fan of De Niro, this is one I always wanted to see but hadn't until now. No surprise to me here: What a beautiful movie. I'm not a big Scorsese fan, as you may know by reading my past comments about his work. Have to say, however, this is a masterful directing… More
  As a huge fan of De Niro, this is one I always wanted to see but hadn't until now. No surprise to me here: What a beautiful movie. I'm not a big Scorsese fan, as you may know by reading my past comments about his work. Have to say, however, this is a masterful directing effort that draws outstanding performances out of all the actors involved. <p>And speaking of folks for whom I'm not planning to join a fan club, Sandra Bernhard . . . she's a problem. But she's wonderful here.; I kid you not. <p>But I've saved the best for last. I think I actually might have sensed this before, but because Jerry Lewis often plays to type, it's very difficult to determine whether he has innate ability. I've now decided the question -- at least for me myself. Jerry Lewis is a very good actor. This may be the best work he's ever done. Astonishing. Maybe this is the one that convinced the French to name him the greatest American actor of all time. See this just for the great ensemble effort. I really do have to give Martin Scorsese kudos for this work. I never thought I'd say that about him. <p> Thinking about it as I'm typing this, I'm struck by the fact that one of the great emotional beauties of this film is that it reads pretty much like classic tragedy from the beginning. Rupert Pupkin is destined to fail. You know it by every single one of the signposts along the way. Flaw after flaw after pathetic flaw. But he doesn't fail. Amazingly, he succeeds; he is a winner. It's tragedy turned on its head. Actually, in the end, this truly is classic comedy.

• Gordon A

  
  Squirm inducing satire on the distorted world of fame and those who seek it. Skewers the forced civility celebrities must present to their public and ably illustrates the old adage, ' no publicity is bad publicity'.

• Mark H

  
  Dark satire of our celebrity obsessed culture, the desperate need for fame and the lengths at which people are driven to achieve that fame. One of Scorsese's most overlooked films. A classic.

• Chris G

  
  Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese team up yet again in this 1983 satire about the appeal of celebrity that seems to have been prophetic in what the entertainment industry has become a quarter of a century later. De Niro's Rupert Pupkin almost seems like a cousin to his other New… More
  Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese team up yet again in this 1983 satire about the appeal of celebrity that seems to have been prophetic in what the entertainment industry has become a quarter of a century later. De Niro's Rupert Pupkin almost seems like a cousin to his other New York resident Travis Bickle- loners who live within an alternate reality inside their own heads. Jerry Lewis and Sanra Bernhard are both terrific in their roles as "Carsonesque" talk show host Jerry Langford and his stalker Masha respectivly. Overall a great flick.

• Ken S

  
  This movie makes me SOOO uncomfortable. A great companion piece to Network.

• Mister C

  
  It's Robert De Niro and the great Jerry Lewis in one of Martin Scorsese's greatest comedy picture ever teaming with one of the greats in a riveting performance.

• xGary X

  
  A blackest of the black comedy and fascinating study of obsession. It takes a while to get going, but De Niro is magnificent as you'd expect, and Jerry Lewis is a revelation. A powerful and funny commentary on the power of the media and "cult of personality".

• Michael G

  
  One of the few comedies DeNiro has pulled off.

• Luke T

  
  The King of Comedy. Possibly purposeless, but then again... I think the biggest problem with Scorsese's The King of Comedy is how comparable it is to movies like All About Eve (which by the way is awesome!). First I'll cover what it accomplishes on its own. DeNiro was… More
  The King of Comedy. Possibly purposeless, but then again... I think the biggest problem with Scorsese's The King of Comedy is how comparable it is to movies like All About Eve (which by the way is awesome!). First I'll cover what it accomplishes on its own. DeNiro was great, showing off some comic capability and drawing in the audience to this playful creep Rupert Pupkin (&quot;often misspelled and mispronounced&quot;). The supporting female character (too lazy and apathetic to look up her name) was unnecessary in my opinion, she was far less interesting than creepy, which was the appeal of Pupkin. Scorsese is Scorsese, so the film was beautifully directed, and he played down the awkward moments and focused more on what his primary character (was he an antagonist or protagonist? Definitely an anti-hero of some sort) was feeling. In the end, it fell short, I was slightly turned off by the conclusion, and in general I get frustrated by Scorsese's unwillingness to demonstrate a clear message (I get it, he's all about the characters). Why 60%? Because as interesting and captivating as stalker Rupert Pupkin may be, it seemed to lack specificity and the ending may be dissatisfying. Extra: How does the name Pupkin come about? You know that awkward moment when you meet someone with a last name you'd hate to have? At least sometimes you befriend someone with a strange name, and you're like &quot;But it's not that weird&quot;... but that's not what you thought when you met them. Be honest with yourself. Anyways, I guess it's really all about perspective. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/#!/luke_turley">Did you find this mildly amusing? Follow me on Twitter!</a>

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