Welcome to the movie club! This week’s movie is Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy! I don’t even know how to classify this one, because after watching it I decided that Wikipedia’s “satirical black comedy” label really does not feel correct.
In The King of Comedy, frequent Scorsese collaborator Robert DeNiro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a down on his luck wannabe comedian who begins to stalk renowned talk show host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis). Things take a dark turn as the movie progresses, as the audience learns that Jerry will do nearly anything for a shot at the big time, going so far as to kidnap Jerry in a desperate attempt to snag a spot on his show.
The King of Comedy was, strangely enough, first released in Iceland on December 18, 1982, followed by a release in the US two months later on February 18, 1983. I was unsure about how legitimate the Iceland release was due to it being mentioned frequently without a source, but in a Wikipedia talk page I found links to some newspapers confirming this, as seen above.1 Despite being well received by critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%2, The King of Comedy was unfortunately a box office bomb, grossing only $2.5 million in the domestic box office against a budget of $19 million (international figures are not available).3
Trivia:
- De Niro prepared for his role in the film by using a “role-reversal” technique in which he turned the tables on his fans and stalked them instead, even going so far as to meet one of his own stalkers.
- Three of the “street scum” during the scene where Robert De Niro and Sandra Bernhard’s character argue in the street are played by Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, and Paul Simonon from The Clash!4
- The scene where Langord refuses to speak on the phone to an elderly woman’s relative, causing her to yell at him, was inspired by an incident in Jerry Lewis’ own life, and he even directed her during the scene.
What did you think? Share your thoughts below!
Up Next: Our next movie is Edgar Wright’s millennial hipster action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! Check out the trailer below and where it’s playing:
USA
- Stream: Cinemax (via Prime Video or Apple TV) and Max (or Max via Prime Video)
- Rent or Buy: Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and Spectrum (Rental only)
Canada
- Stream: Crave, Starz (via Prime Video or Crave) and Tubi
- Rent or Buy: Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Google Play, YouTube, Amazon and Cineplex Store
UK
- Stream: Now (via Sky Cinema), Sky
- Rent or Buy: Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Google Play, YouTube, Rakuten TV, Sky Store