Synopsis
It's No Laughing Matter.
Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.
The King of Comedy
1982 Directed by Martin Scorsese
Cast
Robert De Niro Jerry Lewis Diahnne Abbott Sandra Bernhard Ed Herlihy Lou Brown Loretta Tupper Peter Potulski Vinnie Gonzales Whitey Ryan Doc Lawless Marta Heflin Katherine Wallach Charles Kaleina Richard Baratz Catherine Scorsese Cathy Scorsese Chuck Low Liza Minnelli Leslie Levinson Alan Potashnick Michael Kolba Robert Colston Ramon Rodriguez Chuck Coop Sel Vitella Margo Winkler Tony Boschetti Shelley Hack Show All…
Director
Producers
Writer
Editor
Cinematography
Production Design
Composer
Sound
Costumes
Make-Up
Studios
Country
Language
Alternative Titles
O Rei da Comédia, 喜劇之王, Král komedie, Ο Βασιλιάς της Κωμωδίας, Re per una notte, キング・オブ・コメディ, 코미디의 왕, Король комедии, Король комедії
Popular reviews
More-
-
-
Both deliciously funny and scary as hell; Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy is a work of ingenious, prophetic wisdom and focus. Both grounded and elevated by one of Robert De Niro's finest performances, the film slivers and slides through different forms of deconstruction and satire until the final irony hits like a ton of bricks.
Martin Scorsese's direction is magnificent here. While not as classical as Raging Bull or as lush as Taxi Driver, It feels just as pure, mainly when the camera decides to watch Rupert Pupkin in all his mesmerizing and terrifying glory. Both hilarious and creepy, De Niro embodies this complex character with glorious quirkiness and a sense of childish playfulness. In particular, the scenes involving…
-
-
-
Kind of thought of this as second-tier Scorsese—second tier being a still pretty high perch—until this recent rewatch. When I got to the monologue I felt like I was watching pretty much a perfect movie.
Recent reviews
More-
A very good film. I think that, if De Niro had been a good comedian, he would've been perfect here. I feel that was the weakest part.
I was really surprised by Sandra Bernhard though; she was nothing short of mesmerizing. Jerry Lewis was pretty good as well.
I loved the night scenes at Masha's apartment. The cinematography there was moody and beautiful.
And the ending is fine, but I don't think De Niro was up to the task. It made it less believable for me.
The parallels with Joker are obvious, but I feel it's honestly intended as an homage rather than a ripoff. -
-
I really wish I watched this before Joker. Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy is a dark, cynical black comedy mainly focused on the societal topics of celebrity and how the general public acknowledges those in the spotlight and vice versa. Back when the film released in 1982, the relevance of The King of Comedy has only grown stronger with the advent of the internet and how overnight success can turn casual schmucks into the cultural zeitgeist, then having to deal with this new found relevance in day to day life, as well as the people chasing after the shadow of their successes.
The King of Comedy shows a mentally battered Rupert Pupkin: a man dead set on achieving his…
-
Classic
1. Cinematography 7.5/10
2. Story 8/10
3. Writing 9/10
4. Performers 8.5/10
5. Soundtrack 6.5/10
6. Atmosphere 8/10Score 79/100
-
damn can't believe scorsese got away with doing literally the same thing as joker (2019)
-
My 11 year old sister’s review: It was good, but the people were crazy.
My review: I really really liked it. -
An interesting and funny detail I noticed while watching this was that nearly everyone mispronounces and misspells Pupkin, it kind of serving as a metaphor for how forgettable he is as a person when trying to rise up in the social ladder. De Niro is as expected fantastic, and is the main highlight overall. Pupkin is an incredibly interesting character to think about and even more entertaining to watch, especially when considering the timeframe this was released in. I enjoyed this quite a bit more than Taxi Driver and I feel the need to see it again as I feel like I missed what everyone else seems to love about it.
-
-
Popular Lists
More
TSPDT THE 1,000 GREATEST FILMS (2020 Edition)
Oscar Lau 1,000 films
The 15th and the latest edition of TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000.htm The complete list of "1,001-2000" is available HERE.
Anxiety-Induced Cinema
Jack 380 films
Films that leave you visibly shaken; masterclasses in building tension that make you truly feel anxious for whatever is happening…