A passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.A passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.A passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.
- Won 1 BAFTA Award
- 3 wins & 8 nominations total
Chuck Low
- Man in Chinese Restaurant
- (as Chuck L. Low)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
What Scorsese Film Ranks Highest on IMDb?
What Scorsese Film Ranks Highest on IMDb?
Cinema legend Martin Scorsese has directed some of the most acclaimed films of all time. See how IMDb users rank all of his feature films as director.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMartin Scorsese has said that he thought Robert De Niro's best performance under his direction was in this film.
- GoofsThe TV sets in the store display window near the end, where Jerry Langford angrily watches the end of Rupert Pupkin's TV appearance, are all tuned to channel 3. There is no TV station in New York City on channel 3 (two major stations, WCBS and WNBC, are on channels 2 and 4 respectively). However, channel 3 was (and is) commonly used for connecting video devices such as home computers and videotape recorders to TV sets. The film crew most likely rigged a videotape player to the TVs to mimic a network broadcast, thus requiring them to be tuned to channel 3--a small detail that most audience members wouldn't have noticed.
- Quotes
Rupert Pupkin: Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Saturday Night Live: Jerry Lewis/Loverboy (1983)
- SoundtracksJerry Langford Theme
Written, arranged and performed by Bob James
Featured review
Darkly, Starkly Funny
Saw it first time late at night and never thought about sleeping again for a couple of days.
DeNiro nails perfectly the unflappable and determined comic wannabe. We watch him throughout the whole film, wondering, Is he really just that sure of himself, or is he dangerously deranged? That question will take you through right to the end. Between Rupert, whose basement (in his mother's house) is decorated like a comedy club, and his oddball chum (S.Bernhard), there's considerable pathos. Jerry Lewis gives a lot of insight into the real person behind his easygoing public persona.
Part of what makes this movie so compelling is Scorsese's decision to keep the musical score to a minimum. Music could force the viewer to a conclusion that isn't entirely accurate. Listening to Rupert's endless exchanges Jerry, and everyone who stands in his way -- as is, without musical coloring -- enhances the "squirm factor."
Anyone who has been in the uncomfortable position of coming to regret being nice to someone will relate to this movie. It's a must-see, and despite being more than 20 years old now, it is not a bit dated.
/r
DeNiro nails perfectly the unflappable and determined comic wannabe. We watch him throughout the whole film, wondering, Is he really just that sure of himself, or is he dangerously deranged? That question will take you through right to the end. Between Rupert, whose basement (in his mother's house) is decorated like a comedy club, and his oddball chum (S.Bernhard), there's considerable pathos. Jerry Lewis gives a lot of insight into the real person behind his easygoing public persona.
Part of what makes this movie so compelling is Scorsese's decision to keep the musical score to a minimum. Music could force the viewer to a conclusion that isn't entirely accurate. Listening to Rupert's endless exchanges Jerry, and everyone who stands in his way -- as is, without musical coloring -- enhances the "squirm factor."
Anyone who has been in the uncomfortable position of coming to regret being nice to someone will relate to this movie. It's a must-see, and despite being more than 20 years old now, it is not a bit dated.
/r
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El rey de la comedia
- Filming locations
- Paramount Building - 1501 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Jerry Langford's offices)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,536,242
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $137,624
- Feb 21, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $2,537,298
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