
Rupert Pupkin is obsessed with becoming a comedy great. However, when he confronts his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford, with a plea to perform on the Jerry's show, he is only given the run-around. He does not give up, however, but persists in stalking Jerry until he gets what he wants. Eventually he must team up with his psychotic Langford-obsessed friend Masha to kidnap the talk show host in hopes of finally getting to perform his stand-up routine.... (Full plot summary below)
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Rupert Pupkin is obsessed with becoming a comedy great. However, when he confronts his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford, with a plea to perform on the Jerry's show, he is only given the run-around. He does not give up, however, but persists in stalking Jerry until he gets what he wants. Eventually he must team up with his psychotic Langford-obsessed friend Masha to kidnap the talk show host in hopes of finally getting to perform his stand-up routine.
Leave your thoughts about The King of Comedy.
| Fantastica DailyChuck O'LearyOne of the most disturbing, thought-provoking and funniest films of the 1980s. This underappreciated Scorsese great is more relevant today than ever. |
| Associated PressBob ThomasScorsese is capable of building tension, but what is he trying to achieve? A comedy about the nature of fame? But he evokes only the most nervous of laughter. |
| Film Freak CentralBill ChambersScorsese's magnum opus 'til Kundun came along. |
| Chicago ReaderDave KehrYou feel for the first time that Scorsese is trying to distance himself from his characters—that he finds them grotesque. The uncenteredness of the film is irritating, though it's irritating in an ambitious, risk-taking way. You'd better see for yourself. |
| n+1A.S. HamrahThere's something epic in the confrontation between Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis. The modern sculptures it takes place around lend it a Greek quality. |
| Film Companion ReviewsPratim D. GuptaAn early cautionary tale from Scorsese about the desperation amongst common people to achieve fame and the obsession with celebrity culture. Clearly, it's more relevant than ever right now. |
| Miami HeraldBill CosfordThough The King of Comedy seems less substantial than past De Niro-Scorsese collaborations, it's a funny, stinging film in which there's much to enjoy. Miss Abbott, Mr. De Niro, Mr. Lewis and the unforgettably alarming Sandra Bernhard (as a fan even crazier than Rupert, and one who looks like an enraged ostrich) deliver fine performances, and the film's satirical edge can indeed be cutting. |
| Village VoiceMelissa AndersonThe King of Comedy, which Film Forum is presenting in a new 4K restoration for a week-long run, brilliantly keeps viewers unmoored, the result of its consistently off-kilter tone. Though filled with sight gags and corny jokes, the movie is also darkened by genuine menace. |
| Apollo GuideDerek SmithTakes an equally harsh look at the dark side of comedy, society's value of success driving people to desperate acts, and the press' bloodthirsty desire to sensationalize. |
| Creative LoafingMatt BrunsonThis jet-black comedy is a symphony of unease. |