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The King of Comedy

The King of Comedy

Drama · Comedy · 1982

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.

Movie details

The King of Comedy

“It's no laughing matter.”

1982 Drama · Comedy 1h 49m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.8 / 10

Community rating

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The King of Comedy?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Martin Scorsese

Written by

Paul D. Zimmerman

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Rupert Pupkin

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Langford

Diahnne Abbott

Diahnne Abbott

Rita

Sandra Bernhard

Sandra Bernhard

Masha

Shelley Hack

Shelley Hack

Cathy Long

Frederick de Cordova

Frederick de Cordova

Bert Thomas

Ed Herlihy

Ed Herlihy

Ed Herlihy

Court is in session

Put The King of Comedy on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.