The King Of Comedy (dir. Martin Scorsese)
Known for: Taxi Driver (1976), Goodfellas (1990), The Departed (2006)
What it’s about: Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) aspires to be successful in show business but living in his mom’s basement and collecting celebrity autographs, he can’t seem to get his feet off the ground. So he figures the best way to make it to the top is by stalking his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), who wants nothing more than his privacy.
Why it’s worth watching: Two years after winning Best Actor for his work in Scorsese’s masterpiece, Raging Bull, Robert De Niro and his common collaborator released The King of Comedy, which was undoubtedly unimpressive compared to the former, but still a very entertaining picture. The film sees De Niro and Scorsese’s first comedic work together, though it seems they’ve done it a hundred times over. In the years after, Scorsese suggested himself that it may not have been so well received because of its grave look at obsession “that people didn’t want to look at or know.”
Published: Feb 26, 2017 11:31 am