The King of Comedy

Locations
Call Number: DVD Comedy King
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 1st Floor 1-week checkout	DVD Comedy King	1-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult A/V 1-week checkout	DVD Comedy King	1-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult A/V 1-week checkout	DVD Comedy King	1-week checkout	On Shelf

Originally released as motion picture in 1983.
Special features: "A shot at the top" making-of featurette; still gallery; theatrical trailer and TV spot.
Robert DeNiro, Jerry Lewis, Tony Randall, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard.
Talk show host Jerry Langford is kidnapped on his way to the studio by an aspiring stand-up comic who is short on talent but long on ambition. The ransom demand: an appearance on Langford's show to perform his routine.
DVD, widescreen.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

32 submitted by kscapellie on July 14, 2020, 5:24pm comedy films

far more hilarious then i expected submitted by pmheard on June 1, 2023, 12:08pm firstly, de niro is so beautiful, like wow! a little insane, but wow! secondly, i can’t believe i put off watching what would become my favorite scorsese film because i thought it’d be boring. this was entirely up my alley — dark, hilarious, and raw. the script gives light into rupert’s mind without really saying much at all, his delusions paint a large enough picture and the subtext provides all the explanation. he’s a product of severe generational trauma, desperate to finally feel seen, appreciated, and admired — something we find out he largely lacked during his ultimate performance on the langford show. in combination, he’s victim to capitalism and modern media. a desperation for attention quickly expands to a demand for fame, despite its unrealistic attainability. he passionately studies langford, creating a parasocial relationship so deep that he believes the two of them to be legitimately close friends. whether or not this level of delusion is directly tied to his mental state or the state of celebrity culture is unclear, but it’s entirely revealed as an issue when the audience is let in on the fact that his mother, a voice heard throughout the film, has actually been dead for nine years.

despite rupert’s insanity and undeniable social and professional failures, an irony is revealed at the end — his intense hyper-fixation turned reality, despite the “critics” who told him he sucked, he succeeded. even after literally kidnapping langford, he is able to climb to fame, proving in the end that he really just needed someone to listen, and simultaneously revealing the corruption of celebrity itself.

i could watch this over and over again, it was that good (and hilarious). i’m sure there are more contexts i’m missing, but i’ll spot those on a rewatch i’m sure! love love love!