Salon
It's Martin Scorsese's second least popular movie, after The Last Temptation of Christ. Which is a shame, because it's Scorsese's second greatest film, after Taxi Driver.
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The King of Comedy
Martin Scorsese's 11th film, a black comedy following desperate, aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) as he attempt to achieve showbiz success by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host (Jerry Lewis).
Best Original Screenplay, 1984 BAFTA Awards.
1982Rating: PG, Mature themes, sexual references109 minsUSA
ComedyDrama
- Director:
- Martin Scorsese ('Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull', 'Goodfellas')
- Writer:
- Paul D. Zimmerman
- Cast:
- Robert De NiroJerry LewisDiahnne AbbottSandra Bernhard
The King of Comedy / Reviews
The New York Times
It's very funny, and it ends on a high note that was, for me, both a total surprise and completely satisfying. Yet it's also bristly, sometimes manic to the edge of lunacy and, along the way, terrifying.
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Variety
To be sure, Robert De Niro turns in another virtuoso performance for Martin Scorsese, just as in their four previous efforts. But once again -- and even more so -- they come up with a character that it's hard to spend time with.
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Empire Magazine
De Niro gleefully rubs our nose in the excruciating experience of watching someone who thinks they're funny flail helplessly, but the movie's one undisputed triumph is Jerry Lewis' performance as chat show king Jerry Langford.
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Roger Ebert
It is frustrating to watch, unpleasant to remember, and, in its own way, quite effective.
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Daily Telegraph
A disturbing picture of a world in which television is taken for a "reality" higher than everyday life, it's also darkly funny.
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Village Voice
Brilliantly keeps viewers unmoored, the result of its consistently off-kilter tone.
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