The King of Comedy

Almost twenty years before the current plague of reality television, Martin Scorsese's 1983 black comedy anticipated the lengths some people would go to for their 15 minutes of fame. In one of his most fearless performances, Robert De Niro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a delusional aspiring standup comedian who--figuring that "it's better to be king for a day than schmuck for a lifetime"--kidnaps his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis in a brilliant, revelatory performance). On its surface, the film is a cynical satire on the nature of celebrity, but at heart, it is also a revenge of the nerd fantasy. At one point, Rupert fantasizes that his former high school principal apologizes to him on nationwide television while performing an on-air wedding ceremony between Rupert and his unrequited high school crush. You'll laugh, you'll squirm. And you will wonder: How was it that Lewis and Sandra Bernhard, as a demented stalker socialite, were not nominated for Academy Awards? Sporting a vibrant widescreen transfer, the disc also includes a making-of featurette that skims lightly over what was reported to be a hard shoot. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 8, 2014—Fox, 109 min., PG, $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1983's The King of Comedy features a great transfer and a DTS-HD mono soundtrack. Extras include deleted and extended scenes (38 min.), a Tribeca Film Festival conversation with director Martin Scorsese and costars Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis (30 min.), a “making-of” featurette (19 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: Scorcese's offbeat film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]