The King of Comedy

[Fonz]

I found the Bernard character hard work. The film went downhill when she got more prominent.

[PresMuffley]

It's top tier, but Taxi Driver is his best work and will always be my favorite.

[PresMuffley]

I feel the ending of Taxi Driver is clearly meant to hammer home just how delusional Travis was. You can take it as being nebulous if you like, but that has never been my interpretation. It's been a while since I've seen The King of Comedy, and I haven't watched it nearly as many times as Taxi Driver, so I will refrain from speculation.

[naughty boy]

It's a very good film and it's especially interesting because De Niro's playing against type (I don't think he ever managed such an atypical performance again). Scorsese got great performances out of Lewis (very subtle) and Bernard (not so subtle) too.

It's not the first time I've heard this line about it being Scorsese's masterpiece but I think that's just crazy talk. Maybe people make these exaggerated claims to bring it to people's attention (like saying The Soft Parade is The Doors' best or something). As far as I'm concerned, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas all beat it - and I probably enjoy After Hours just as much.

[The Write Profile]

It's a very good film and it's especially interesting because De Niro's playing against type (I don't think he ever managed such an atypical performance again). Scorsese got great performances out of Lewis (very subtle) and Bernard (not so subtle) too.

It's not the first time I've heard this line about it being Scorsese's masterpiece but I think that's just crazy talk. Maybe people make these exaggerated claims to bring it to people's attention (like saying The Soft Parade is The Doors' best or something). As far as I'm concerned, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas all beat it - and I probably enjoy After Hours just as much.

I'd agree with everything you wrote there. I think it's a film that's probably more interesting to think about than actually watch, and partly this is because it's pitched at such an uneasy level. There's a squirming intensity to so many of the scenes (I wonder whether it influenced Ricky Gervais's later work- I wouldn't be surprised)--not least the scene where Deniro turns up on Jerry Lee's doorstop and just doesn't seem to realise he's completely unwanted. I think it's aged reasonably well because it predicted what we now know as "celebrity culture", but as a satire, it's a pretty mean-spirited work.

Nice shout on After Hours. I watched it for the first time a couple of months ago and was really taken by it- it had a fittingly (ha!) nocturnal sense of weirdness, where just about everything that could go wrong does. It also made me think that Scorsese could have made more comedies if he wanted to.

[Phil T]

Coincidentally, I recommended this particular film to Pippa just a few days ago.

It's an odd artefact, but I love it, though I haven't seen it for a long time. As as already been said, De Niro's acting against type is interesting and for me, rather refreshing. Down side? Yes, Bernhard's performance does drag things down a little in places

I've read elsewhere - written by people who know him - that Jerry Lewis' performance as Jerry Langford is very close to what the man is really like. I don't know how true this is, but certainly De Niro has gone on record as saying that he was a Lewis fan, but working with him made him realise how sour & unpleasant Lewis is.

Anyway, I really should get the DVD for this.

[naughty boy]

I've read elsewhere - written by people who know him - that Jerry Lewis' performance as Jerry Langford is very close to what the man is really like. I don't know how true this is, but certainly De Niro has gone on record as saying that he was a Lewis fan, but working with him made him realise how sour & unpleasant Lewis is.

This would certainly seem to bear that out:

[sloopjohnc]

As far as I'm concerned, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas all beat it - and I probably enjoy After Hours just as much.

You would be correct, sir.

[Quaco]

Nice shout on After Hours. ... [I]t had a fittingly (ha!) nocturnal sense of weirdness, where just about everything that could go wrong does.

My most hated 'genre'.

I always loved The King of Comedy. Altman's The Player pushed some of the same buttons.