I SURE MISS SISKEL AND EBERT AND THE KING OF COMEDY IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

I feel where Ebert's coming from. I was baffled when I first saw it. After viewing again and again, it grew on me. It was unique in it's time, and very prescient of today's culture (2022)

Two very brilliant critics having an interesting discussion - a lost art, it seems. I'm so glad I was able to watch this on tv when I was in high school. I learned a lot from this show - and not just about the movies.

Siskel got Taxi Driver wrong on first viewing, Ebert got King of Comedy wrong.

@angelthman1659

4 жыл бұрын

@@ScottMartinD I loved Wolfen.

@ricardocantoral7672

4 жыл бұрын

Ebert was so far off the mark. Good lord. He doesn't seem understand that the film is a tragedy. This man, Pupkin, has denied himself life in order to please those who don't really care about him. This shot says everything. images.app.goo.gl/PLHbp7iK57KbQyjj6

@bijibadness

4 жыл бұрын

one cannot be "wrong" in their opinion. unless, of course, that opinion is a positive one about _Star Wars: The Last Jedi._ that's the ONLY time one's appreciation of a thing can actually be deemed factually "incorrect."

@Pivot-Shorts

4 жыл бұрын

@@bijibadness lol, what a stupid comment

@dkelly26666

3 жыл бұрын

They often had that kind of reaction to Scorsese. Siskel at first hated Taxi Driver, Ebert loved it; Siskel loved King of Comedy, Ebert didn't; Siskel loved The Last Temptation of Christ, Ebert didn''t; and Ebert loved Casino, and Siskel didn't. The ones they both agreed were masterworks right off the bat were Raging Bull and Goodfellas. But in almost every case, they would both eventually wind up changing their minds later about disliking a Scorsese film, and would re-evaluate it and love it later. A lot of great films require time to digest. Many people hated Vertigo by Hitchcock when it first came out, and many Kubrick films, too, for instance. Then they all became classics later.

jesus christ, how could anyone NOT like this movie?? it's fucking brilliant!

Robert DeNiro is one of the best at being both funny and scary at the same time.

@dnasty312

4 жыл бұрын

You stopped caring? ⚾️

One of the darkest most uncomfortable and smartest films from Mr Scorsese

@waynej2608

4 жыл бұрын

I thought the film and Bob De Niro were terrific! Dark, yet brilliant.

@gregmattson2238

4 жыл бұрын

@David Topchiev um.. had your meds recently?

@TheWuCepticon1981

4 жыл бұрын

@David Topchiev stfu dipshit

@ScottMartinD

4 жыл бұрын

"Uncomfortable"? Far from uncomfortable for me.

@dickthebirthdayboy2132

4 жыл бұрын

@Mourning Star You're friviolous

Great movie on so many levels.

@harmonyjones8035

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah. It's a bit like that Robin Williams film, One Hour Photo. Great film! But disturbing and hard to "enjoy" on a purely entertainment level.

saw it 3x at the theater in 1983 my film buff geek friends and I were anticipating it so much, I mean, Jerry Lewis at his schmalzy peak, DeNiro still in his prime and Scorsese all-in-one

I can’t even imagine what it must’ve been like on the set of this movie - Lewis had to play two different characters: the Langford that hated Rupert and Rupert’s fantasy-image of Langford, who becomes his best buddy.

I had a similar experience to Ebert the first time I watched the film this film, but after a rewatch it became one of my favorites.

When De Niro created characters instead of playing himself.

@anthonymartensen3164

4 жыл бұрын

He's real good in Irishman

@Aman-nk5uq

4 жыл бұрын

Cry less moron. Respect the greatest actor of all time.

@zyrrhos

4 жыл бұрын

​@@Aman-nk5uq Obviously you're a poor judge of acting if you think I'm crying.

@waynej2608

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aman-nk5uq Word.

@JerrySaraviaCinema1895

4 жыл бұрын

Actors always bring something of themselves to any role. Not sure he ever played himself. The greatest disservice to his fans was making The Fan.

Ebert's reaction to the film is interesting to see unfold. His original print review gave it 3 of 4 stars, which is a thumbs up from him. But his expression about the aversion he felt showed that, in a bizarre way, "The King of Comedy" and its sheer unpleasantness was what made the moviegoing experience worthwhile. This is a bit of a pickle; even in films about unpleasant subjects or characters, there is usually some semblance of satisfaction that one expects to feel about a movie, assuming that they like it. So when a film reviles you, despite the fact that you find the revulsion is unsatisfying, yet a part of what makes it so lasting an experience, how do you communicate that to people? How do you convince them that a film like that is worth seeing? I think what he said at one point actually solved that problem: when he said that the film wouldn't leave his mind, I don't think there are many compliments about a film that can compare.

@stillsberry

3 жыл бұрын

Well written, thank you.

@BULL.173

3 жыл бұрын

Spot on. King of Comedy is, at its core, deeply disturbing. The character of Rupert could be diagnosed with any number of DSM diagnoses. His love of Jerry and unambiguous belief in his own bottomless well of talent isn't cute or endearing. Rupert's shocking obliviousness to reality and obsessions are cringe inducing but still kind of funny. But that's only at the surface level. Bubbling just underneath is not only disturbing but also quite frightening in a way. It's a barely contained fury over a lifetime of rejection and utter failure. So King of Comedy is indeed a hard sell lol.A lot of people can't handle a movie whose main character is repellant. They want cuddly Kevin James playing an oafish but lovable mall cop. But for a person with the right sensibilities, KOC is absolute dynamite.

@stuart5811

2 жыл бұрын

@@BULL.173 Scorsese made this film to respond to John Hinckley's assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was inspired by Taxi Driver. Inspiration for Taxi Driver came from the 1972 assassination attempt on George Wallace. We have art imitating life and life imitating art. Some people will do extreme things to be famous

Joker seemed to take some elements from this great film.

@FloraWest

4 жыл бұрын

Massively.

@FloraWest

4 жыл бұрын

@Mantorras Montquilla It seems more than just inspired by "The King of Comedy" but I'm glad the director acknowledged borrowing.

@FloraWest

4 жыл бұрын

@Mantorras Montquilla I'll check it out--thanks for the link!

@JustJack6719

4 жыл бұрын

Ripped off

@koastaats3536

4 жыл бұрын

some?

Love the old vhs quality lol brings back memories. Thanks for the upload.

@lysanderofsparta3708

4 жыл бұрын

You actually feel nostalgic for poor quality VHS???

@hauntingtheshadows1331

4 жыл бұрын

Jason Wills how can you not when that was so much a part of some people’s childhood??

@lysanderofsparta3708

4 жыл бұрын

@@hauntingtheshadows1331 I might feel nostalgic for the movies, but not for lousy quality VHS tapes.

@hauntingtheshadows1331

4 жыл бұрын

Jason Wills it’s everything for me. All that shit brings me back not just the movies personally

Not any easy film to like? I loved this film when I saw it theaters and still enjoy it to this day. It’s the greatest black comedy of all time.

Smart guys. Miss em

jerry lewis was so great in this movie

He called him a "shnook" lol

Don’t worry folks, in 1990 these two found a Scorsese movie they both liked!

@SuperColonel91

3 жыл бұрын

Goodfellas!

Brilliant film

It has that absurd Kubrick comedy from Clockwork Orange.

@StevenCarinci

5 жыл бұрын

Good observ. It does have that way over-the-top feel about it. Highly conceptual. I would only disagree on one point with S&E in that the acting is so good that the characters are all very likable. They have a kind naivete and innocence that does allow you to like them. REAL comedy or social satire is very hard in that it's a thin line between love and hate.

@dnasty312

4 жыл бұрын

And Roger only gave that masterpiece *2* stars

This is a good movie.

Jerry Lewis was spectacular in this film. But Robert De Niro became my favorite actor between this and midnight run. I loved them both. Even though they were De Niro's least known great films.

@TheKwod

Жыл бұрын

Both outstanding movies loaded with great cast.

Underrated movie to me, I think. I laughed out loud when seeing it 1st time in theater.

Hey thanks for these uploads; you definitely saved the great ones.

The King of Comedy is Marty's greatest film.

One of my favourite Scorsese films

Love the movie

“The talkshow as our favorite medium of dialog.” That line is VERY prophetic: since the year 2000 we’ve overdosed, died and overdosed again on “reality” TV, and now we have a “reality” TV star as president.

Nobody plays Jerry Lewis like Jerry Lewis.

Ebert: "It does not deliver on an entertainment level"? He got it wrong so often.

@rosario508

4 жыл бұрын

No shit eh? I saw with my parents when it came out and I was VERY entertained from beginning to end.

Hey Scorsese, King of Comedy... I liked it! ✊

@darshin95

4 жыл бұрын

Sopranos reference!

@sonnyblack0870

4 жыл бұрын

Blake Ward Hah well done surprised anyone got that.

Rupert Pupkin is a metaphor for John Hinckley

Utterly brilliant. The best film Scorsese made.

Scorsese's most underrated film. A masterpiece. These two critics were so overrated.

@williambartholmey5946

2 жыл бұрын

Haven't seen either in a long time, but I remember enjoying After Hours more.

I don't like Scorsese movies, but I love this one. I found it scary because we all know someone like Rupert. In some ways it's a prequel to Joker.

I was one of the relatively few who saw it in the theater, without knowing what to expect. The people I went with didn't get it. I thought, and still think, it was brilliant. Way ahead of its time. Jerry Lewis was brilliant - because I think he was playing the real him! And the ending is ambiguous..

I love it when people get angry at Siskel or Ebert not liking a now beloved movie back in the day. Get over it, people have different opinions

I thought it was hilarious. Sandra Bernhardt was great.

Interesting comments on this fascinating movie.

My mother saw this movie and complained that it wasn't funny. I had to explain it wasn't actually a comedy.

@ricardocantoral7672

4 жыл бұрын

There are meant to be laughs but there is underlying discomfort that repels people.

Deniro looks like Burt Reynolds here

Huh. I remembered them both bashing the film. Nice one, Siskel. At least Ebert could respect the artistic statement.

I liked it more than Taxi Driver and I have no idea why.

@joel8583

4 жыл бұрын

It might be because, Rupert is likeable or tolerable.

@dnasty312

4 жыл бұрын

@@joel8583 How would you describe Travis precisely?

does anybody at all know what else they reviewed on this old episode?

A very interesting film with marvellous performances. Shame it bombed at the box office - people are stupid.

if you can derive entertainment from cringe, this is a great movie. ebert and siskel couldn't stand the delusional loser that is de niro's character, but he and shelley duvall have so many great, uncomfortable, insane scenes. i loved the king of comedy

@gavinbrando8255

Жыл бұрын

You mean Sandra Bernhard

@idklol4197

Жыл бұрын

@@gavinbrando8255 yeah you're right

I loved this movie the first time I watched it...which was the only time I watched it! It is not an easy film to watch, but I learned a lot from it: it really changed the way I perceived fame and the need for adulation.

Jerry Lewis could act, who knew?

@mrnocal

4 жыл бұрын

He was always in silly comedies that didn't show his talent as an actor of dramatic parts. Even other actors like Eddie Murphy who didn't get the respect as an "actor" until Dreamgirls fell under the same cloud. It's a shame that comedic actors aren't given the credit they're due.

@lynnturman8157

3 жыл бұрын

me

Roger's reaction was similar to mine with "Fanny and Alexander." Edit: also, Scorsese has ruined so many otherwise solid movies with loudly mixed soundtracks of shitty oldies that I'd settle for musak in this one.

Thematically - Scorsese's most complete film Scorsese movies are often thematically confused, often stuck somewhere between affection and contempt. I mean as great as Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Goodfellers were, I'm confused about their ultimate meaning. They seem to be savagely subverting classic genre types - such as Rocky, Death Wish, the Godfather - but at other times they seem to pay homage to Hollywood. There's nothing equivocal about King of Comedy, thematically it hits the bulls eye. Basically a savage indictment of celebrity culture. Not only the deluded wannabes - but television's clubbable, backslapping phoniness that feeds them, .

@davidtester3239

4 жыл бұрын

That’s right. Nothing equivocal at all. And I think the most honest character. In a lot of his other films, he can only go halfway or maybe a little further with the insanity or lack of irredeemable qualities his characters have. He has a soft spot for them, and just can’t quite shut the door on their humanity. It’s obvious, as Siskel & Ebert said, Scorsese hates this guy. So he has no problem showing his complete dissent into utter madness. Rupert has no connection to the real world, so invents his own, and plays only by his rules. Definitely his best film, and a film he would never make again.

@nobodyspecial675

4 жыл бұрын

I don't know about that. You seem to misunderstand a lot of Scorsese's films. The man likes exploring characters as products of their environments/cultures, examining how their surroundings, from the values/attitudes of the people around them to the media they consume, can shape who they become. In that light, King of Comedy actually falls right in line with all five of the other films you listed. It just makes a more apparent commentary by virtue of being outright satire.

@JAMAICADOCK

4 жыл бұрын

@@nobodyspecial675 Schrader criticized Scorsese for changing the Raging Bull screenplay. In Schrader's original screenplay, there's no redemption for Jake LaMotta. No biblical quotations about seeing the light. In Taxi Driver, he made the pimps white - because he didn't want Travis Bickle to appear too racist. Such changes screw with the original meaning. They send out mixed messages. Wherein you're confused about the film's ultimate meaning. As in, are we supposed to hate these characters or like them? For that reason, I don't see Scorsese as a genuine artist in the New Wave tradition. He seems to lack the courage of his convictions. What you might see as nuance, is really just a confused meaning. Which I think holds back Scorsese in terms of being up there with the likes of Kubrick and Lynch, Ultimately great directors are philosophers as well as great technicians.

@nobodyspecial675

4 жыл бұрын

@@JAMAICADOCK "Are we supposed to like these characters or hate them?" I think the point is for you to consider that on your own. The philosophy Scorsese is trying to convey is that both LaMota and Bickle are ultimately products of a corrupting environment. How you feel about them is up to you, but simply because they're despicable in many regards doesn't mean they can't be understood. Same goes for Pupkin, Henry Hill and Jordan Beflort. I don't see how making it more black and white makes it a truer artistic statement. If anything, it's only more thoughtful to emphasise the humanity of these dark characters. I don't even think he's taking that hard a stance on Pupkin. Jerry Langford hates the character and rightfully so, and Siskel and Ebert clearly interpret Scorsese's intent as aggressive, but you can also easily see the character as a pathetic mentally ill man desperately trying to compensate for a dark childhood. In fact, considering his only crimes are being unbearable, having no sense of boundaries, threatening a man with a toy gun and trolling a TV station into giving him airtime, I'd say Pupkin is easily one of Scorsese's most pleasant protagonists.

@JAMAICADOCK

4 жыл бұрын

@@nobodyspecial675 People being products of their environment, that's hardly a profound insight. The point is, what is his view on the environment? What is creating the environment? Poverty, toxic masculinity, racism, the endless chase for dollars? For instance, Scorsese claims to hate fight movies, so why does he make Raging Bull? Obviously as an anti-fight movie, like boxers are not all lovable thickos outside the ring - e.g. Rocky. Many of them are violent and dysfunctional. But then Scorsese seems to pull his punches, he takes it light on LaMotta - who let's face it, was a pretty odious character. And his apparent redemption doesn't seem to merit Biblical quotations. I mean it's not like the guy, became a saint. He just stopped hitting people For me, a great director has to have a world view, like a great author or artist. I don't understand what Scorsese's world view is. Stylistically h'e's obviously brilliant, but intellectually, I don't see him as a great director.

I agree that it's a hard film to like, but some of Scorsese's films are unsatisfying. Even though I didn't like this one, part of his appeal is that he hasn't been afraid to take risks.

yeah, it really was a different time back when this movie was made: there were a lot of people desperate to become stars, and a lot of those people became really sick and did strange, fucked-up things to try and BECOME famous . . . or failing that, _infamous._ it was a much more conceited, celebrity-obsessed time; a whole bunch of untalented idiots were given careers simply because they became famous for being famous. people made sex tapes, even. it was disgusting. things are much better now. society isn't nearly so ridiculous and embarrassing - you'll find people are much more chill, relaxed and happy with who they are and with their lot in life. not nearly so much social discordance. 2020 is a glorious time to be an American.

@rustyshackleford6035

Жыл бұрын

You must be joking 🧐🤨😒🙄

I've never made a list of my favourite Martin Scorcese films but King of Comedy would be in the top ten. Those that deviate from his gangster films are gems that often don't get great critical acclaim or a wide audience are ones that I warm to. The King Comedy is a film that almost dares you to watch it. It really has no likeable characters and, like Taxi Driver, it has a main character who is mentally unstable and is liable to explode at any time. Rupert Pupkin is not Travis Bickle but just as uncomfortable to watch as he pursues his dream of the being a comedian. Perhaps it is because DeNiro is not known for his comedic skills that makes him the best casting choice. His scenes (fantasy and reality) with Jerry Lewis are by far the best moments in the film, especially when one bleeds over into the other and create these cringe inducing moments. I've read that the ending might be a fantasy in Rupert's mind. I've never seen it this way. In the culture of instant fame it is not at all improbable that he would find this kind of fame, fleeting as it might be. "Better to be a king for a night than a schmuck for life."

Underated movie, which is a weird thing coming from great director Scorsese.

Great movie. Strange that both Siskel & Ebert died horrible deaths from cancer, brain cancer and mouth cancer. RIP, guys.

@blackstonpoetrymusic8744

4 жыл бұрын

The cancer rate in America is over 50%.

@JAMAICADOCK

4 жыл бұрын

@@blackstonpoetrymusic8744 Some directors and actors they maligned might call that Karma

5:20: that's why I didn't like "Shutter Island"

@GlorifiedTruth

6 жыл бұрын

That's funny--different strokes, I guess. Usually I can't stand Scorsese because his films are so heavily dubbed with loud, shitty oldies. I liked Shutter Island quite a bit. (Just saw it on Amazon Prime.)

@davidalkhed3368

5 жыл бұрын

Glorified Truth What are you saying? You don’t like Scorsese’s movies because they’re old?

@GlorifiedTruth

5 жыл бұрын

That's not what I said.

@davidalkhed3368

5 жыл бұрын

Glorified Truth What did you say?

@GlorifiedTruth

5 жыл бұрын

That Scorsese often ruins his movies with constant soundtracks of shitty music that are mixed in too loud.

hey everybody jim and sam are here

Taxi Driver and King of Comedy stole lots of scenes from Joker, a damn shame they re not bad films

gene always got the subtext before roger did....except in the big lebowski and both were right and it took years before the movie was embraced

This film certainly isn't for everybody. I wasn't alive to see how it was promoted, but i can understand people being led astray believing it's a comedy. There are times for laughter in it, but it's more cringe inducing laughter

I found this movie hilarious when it first came out. The guys name captures the loser quality .

I wonder if Siskel and Ebert were still alive would they've loved Joker or rightfully give the movie the Thumbs Down!

@toasterroast7678

4 жыл бұрын

rightfully?

@rustyshackleford6035

Жыл бұрын

Rightfully Joker was a Great movie 🧐🤨😒

I always thought this movie is a good Joker episode

@MrMarsFargo

5 жыл бұрын

Headcanon now, he becomes Joaquin Pheonix's

joker FMJ

ANTI-AMERICAN DI NIRO

Stupid Scorsese film like his other completely over-rated film, Taxi Driver. Maybe the most over-rated film in history. This film is junk.