Robert DeNiro Stand-Up Comedy

Scenes taken from the 1983 movie, "The King of Comedy" directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin and Jerry Lewis as Jerry Langford.

[@ImagesByDavid]

"Better to be King for a Night than a Schmuck for a Lifetime" after what preceded that statement, makes it the greatest one liners in movie history.

[@Aj_470]

So much in common in today's age with Instafame for 5 seconds, he'll, social media fame is getting more hits then national television.

[@sunyata1016]

In spanish they say "prefiero vivir un día como rey que toda mi vida como un wuey"

[@joscar062]

@@sunyata1016 😂😂😂

[@Platerpus7]

ImagesByDavid right? Who would have thought he would turn into a smuck?

[@improbablywrongabouteveryt6781]

Live your damn life.

[@zacharymontoto9646]

most underrated martin scorsese and robert dinero movie in my opinion

[@mattheww797]

they are basically remaking it into a joker movie now.

[@vitamindealer7915]

this movie was so, so, so, so funny. This guy was so pathetic, and he practiced for one, single appearance his entire life. It's so funny and outrageous it actually worked, and is a precursor to reality TV.

[@frankiegee6135]

This is my favorite movie

[@johnmac91]

Absolutely, very underrated film. A classic dark comedy. Both very funny and profoundly disturbing.

[@AJ8871]

Also color of money

[@rustykuntz94]

"Better to be King for a night, then schmuck for a lifetime", sums it up brilliantly. SO many people misunderstood this movie, severely underrated in the Scorsese box set.

[@popcornandzerocoke5043]

this and gangs of new york

[@candelise]

Now it's called a masterpiece!

[@candelise]

Within the first six minutes of watching this movie when it came out, in a theatre of three people, I knew that I wanted to see this film again. What is there to misunderstand? Years of Reality TV full of untalented nobodies and this movie convincingly told you what was coming. De Niro is an acting magician in this piece, let alone the whole movie and the entire story was ahead of it's time. I suspect that many who misunderstood this film were wannabe Rupert Pupkins.

[@christpierre]

@@candelise He made bank when he was broke and had no other skills in the area he loved, only spending 6 years in minimum-security prison which is practically a retirement home Maybe he's pathetic but that kind of sacrifice for millions when you can barely afford to eat is worth it

[@candelise]

@@christpierreImagine how many failed Rupert Pupkins are out there?

[@KoolAidManOG]

This is the most honest the character was in the entire film. His act was almost therapy

[@alexanderrenz4066]

I loathe you

[@jmadrid3209]

@@alexanderrenz4066 love u too

[@gruntingskunk2237]

@@alexanderrenz4066 what the fuck.

[@johnycage7460]

OH YEAAAAHHH

[@geg6315]

He just wants to be heard

[@peehaha9742]

"her alcohol had 2% blood" lmao

[@Kickex]

I love how his comedy is purposefully good but not great. It fits so perfectly with the context of the story.

[@horseaphoenix1016]

The jokes are good and sincere, but his delivery wasn’t polished or smooth, he seemed nervous as well, that takes talent, and great attention to details from the crew.

[@codyburgett7962]

I actually think that making the comedy good but not great, is actually wayyyy harder than writing good or bad comedy. That’s such an oddly specific quality

[@gamer46653]

I feels over rehearsed hahahaha as if he is talking to himself in the mirror taxi driver style.It adds perfectly to the plot of the movie

[@70marco80]

That's pretty much what Marty said on the "Dinner with Don (Rickles)" show; that the jokes are "good but not great, and that was the idea"

[@TheBombShhh]

Never realized it, but the scenes of Rupert yelling at his mom are part of his fantasy that she is still alive. Very sad.

[@emilianoabarca7983]

and who does the mother's voice? Martin Scorcese's beloved mother of course

[@jibm4402]

Holy shit I didn't realize that

[@richardimmanuel9775]

😲😲😵

[@shahadatali74]

🙁

[@Boots43096]

wow i never realized she didn't exist, tho she never DID show up on camera

[@hagertt]

Rupert Pupkin is one of those completely insane characters that somehow just makes sense to me. His motives are so beautifully unfolded in this movie and especially in this perfectly written routine, that I can't help but sympathize - even empathize in a weird way - with him.

[@boxer12350]

Tom H truly

[@LMR72]

He reminds me of Trump in some ways...

[@AgentFTW1]

Of course, in his long awaited debut on national television he tells the whole world about his alcoholic mother, how he would routinely be beaten on at school, and how his own father rarely payed him any attention and would sometimes attack rupett as well. And they all ate it up and enjoyed themselves just like he wanted. "Rather be King for a night than of schmuck for a lifetime" Very heart wrenching but heartwarming at the same time.

[@fntime]

You remind of Jack Homo, the idiot who the whole family hates, just like you Lars

[@fntime]

That's no 'alley cat' that's Sam's mother. By the way Sam, why can't you spell? 'spare chance' that's the action of dumb alcoholic with mom issues. Grow up Lester, your make up is running. "Now go home and get your shinebox!

[@onnixcarmichele3911]

The best subversion in this movie was that his stand-up routine was actually pretty good lol

[@sampsonroofing7377]

It wasn't good. But it was genius; it was very close in tempo and spirit to something a funny, gifted comic would have, but not funny at all. And the audience is laughing like it is really good.

[@hesoerus59]

@@sampsonroofing7377 Excellent points. This is what makes the writing brilliant. The monologue is the product of someone who worked hard and studied all the rules, but sadly lacks real talent. He knows that great comedians use the pain in their lives for comedy, but he does this in such an uninspired way that he comes off as pathetic. I find it interesting that the only remotely funny bit, in my opinion, is when he tells the truth about how he got on the show by tying up Langford.

[@ccdogpark]

He was better as Robert Mueller with Alec Baldwin on SNL.

[@RossMcCarthy1990]

What? It's terrible.

[@seltonk5136]

Ffs

[@lex5813]

“Die like the stand up guy or live longer to get killed by one".

[@invaderGiz1]

Nice 👍

[@lex5813]

@@abdullahbukhari7611 You're welcome.

[@abyssalrayz9499]

@@abdullahbukhari7611 He never stated what movie he was referring to. So doesn't that mean you would already know the context behind the quote? Meaning you were already spoiled?

[@muhammadhussam659]

@@abyssalrayz9499 is it shutter island What's the stand guy part from

[@bl5533]

​@@muhammadhussam659Joker

[@spamwithrice]

For most of the movie I thought of Rupert as pathetic and crazy and kind of had little sympathy for him. But his stand-up reveals so much about his past. He reveals how horrible his parents were, how he was bullied, and how everyone thought he would amount to nothing. I understood Rupert after this scene.

[@southbeachtalent]

See here's the thing. Standup material can absolutely be personal, however it can also just be bullshit to cater to the audience. Scorsese works this masterfully. Rupret's set is actually decent, and of course we know the Jerry Langford bit is the absolute truth. However, we don't know anything about his past. We know Rupert is desperate for fame and the lights shining on him. Considering all the crazy shit he pulled during the course of the movie, making up stories about his parents for some material is for sure a possibility

[@bellsTheorem1138]

He had something he had to prove to the world and his father.

[@jimtreebob2096]

Tiger Lily I also find it interesting how he said that his mom had been dead for 9 years, even though he was yelling at her earlier in the movie.

[@southbeachtalent]

@@jimtreebob2096 yeah that was weird. Again, you don't actually see her. For all we know it could be all mental, or shit, a Bates motel type deal

[@kongfeet81]

He took the horrible things in his life and turned them into something funny. Holy shit

[@IGetAround29]

Fun fact: the woman at the bar was De Niro’s first wife. She was also the usher at the theater in Taxi Driver that Travis hit on.

[@acslater8899]

A youthful and beautiful Diahnne Abbott.

[@SenseiJosh]

"I look at the terrible awful things in my life, and turn it into something funny" Rupert says this earlier in the film, and it's perfectly showcased here, in a super comedic way he explains his backstory and his messed up life through stand up comedy and begin to understand the character because of hearing what he went through as a child, and by seeing the comedy that he has been hyping up through out the movie to be pretty good. What a brilliant film.

[@kieranhurst8543]

I love this, cuz the whole movie you think that his comedy routine is just gonna be crap, they even cutaway from it earlier to build suspense, and when he walks out on stage and starts his routine you see that he's actually got talent even though he is an unhinged stalker type

[@RewindingFilm04]

Exactly, and it left me thinking in the end that if he took the "legitimate" way to fame by performing at comedy clubs and working his way up, he could've possibly ended up with the fame he wanted as a comedian. Unfortunately, his impatience and obsessions led him to get there the illegal way via kidnapping.

[@horseaphoenix1016]

His material was good, but his delivery isn’t smooth or polished at all. Which matches his character to a tee with how obsessed he is with taking shortcuts and not putting in the honest grind. Great attention to detail by the crew to craft a good but still very flawed stand up set.

[@kolsveinnskraevolding]

It's cool, he ended up as a late-night host in Gotham city. Shame about his last guest, though.

[@entropysermons1876]

That was a MIND BLOWING episode

[@heisen-bones]

But he became very open minded after that episode

[@StephNuggs]

You get what you fucking deserve tho

[@lracseroom8286]

He ended up in a rip-off of a film by a hack piece of shit that Phoenix should be ashamed of.

[@lracseroom8286]

You're the third best Joker! Good job buddy! Now tell me how fishing is cruel you weird ass cult grown fuck.

[@darthlemon]

I love the build up of the final comedic act in the film. Rupert never makes a joke throughout the course of the film, and gets degraded by the secretary, but all of that comes to a close, when Rupert does his act, and knocks it out of the park.

[@jotacep]

Rupert's routine is interesting due to the fact that he ends his routine telling the truth and the audience laughing in turn, which leads us to believe his childhood retelling may have been just like the gags he uses. Tragicomic at it's best, and one of Scorsese's most underrated yet powerful films. A great movie indeed!

[@sexobscura]

choot

[@juckoosaurus]

i think he made it up too

[@justthinking650]

​@@juckoosaurusI don't think he did because that would greatly explain why he's the way he is

[@nk56950]

This is Scorcese's AND De Niro's most underrated work. I think, it's also their best. I know that those two have produced some of the finest moments in American cinema, but this film is amazing. Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard are also great in this one.

[@miks48]

+Nick Gerard I agree. And Diahnne Abbott also deserves a mention. She had a tiny role, but she was absolutely fabulous.

[@el34glo59]

Not their best, but dam close

[@ccdogpark]

Yeah but now we know Jerry Lewis was never the kind person he pretended to be.

[@wilky1189]

he's a really funny guy. I like the way tells a story, he's funny, you know?

[@soccrattes2295]

Funny how, like he amuses you funny? Like he's a clown?

[@ThePanzerFreak5]

Soccrattes man I love this community hahaha

[@Johnnysmithy24]

@@ThePanzerFreak5 😂

[@hussainlali4630]

Great comment

[@ronniehernandez6090]

I think it's important to note that he did Raging Bull right before this film.The shift in Dynamics will always be amazing to me.

[@MIloszKluski]

4:33 Hit me! Hit me! Maybe that was foreshadowing? ;-)

[@martinvikbjrky8858]

He also made The Wolf of Wall Street right after Hugo...

[@Anthonycheesman2024]

@@martinvikbjrky8858 I think he's talking about Robert de niro lol

[@yosefdemby8792]

But he also did "True Confession" in between the two.

[@elestireninsanylmaz9581]

Świadomy Malkontent not foreshadowing its reference ;)

[@kylereese8509]

DeNiro: "When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a comedian, everyone laughed at me, well no one's laughing now" Joker: "You could say that again pal".

[@tbewin]

is this the same bar as the one in goodfellas (billy batts)?

[@themysteriouscatperson9483]

Nahueltastico I too hate things that people like and are popular

[@actimeladdict2564]

@@IlSH2 why? I’m just interested

[@plinkertonman]

@@themysteriouscatperson9483 this but unironically

[@Daniel1132Micah5]

Other way round, bro

[@fluff975]

one of scorcese's darkest, and one of his best.

[@ImagesByDavid]

absolutely

[@phertek]

@Alejandro Méndez It's absolutely true, until After Hours comes into the picture ;)

[@quadrant7493]

Thomas Zizzo have you seen taxi driver??? 🤨

[@Alienkiwi730]

No one dies in the movie. It isn't dark

[@GuruRaga]

@@Alienkiwi730 people die on the inside Negan, is that dark enough for you?

[@bronson6838]

"That's the same guy, who was just now on television!"

[@joel8583]

I thought he looked familiar!

[@miks48]

+Bill Patrick Jones The guy who delivered that line was Mardik Martin. He wrote the screenplay for Raging Bull with Scorsese. Scorsese's father is the older man who's watching the movie at the beginning of the scene.

[@eleanorsmith696]

I love it when that guy says that!

[@DonVal86]

His delivery is so innocent and childlike.

[@dani.phantm]

astute observation from him

[@fft9917]

“How about another joke, Murraay?”

[@A_29886]

Please no. That movie was shit.

[@plumpstery5199]

@@A_29886 false

[@aquarius4884]

@@A_29886 You need a new line of work. 😂

[@orion0098]

Archie mac Ur opinion

[@A_29886]

@@plumpstery5199 it's my opinion.

[@adibsiddiki7409]

"Right now Jerry is strapped to a chair somewhere in the middle of this city" [LAUGHTER] 😂

[@tonypro5607]

Wats funny about it?

[@adibsiddiki7409]

@@tonypro5607 The audience thinks it's a joke but it's true

[@tonypro5607]

@@adibsiddiki7409 yes I know but why audience laugh at it ? It's not a joke

[@tonypro5607]

@@adibsiddiki7409 he also says "I'm the one who tied him" the audience laugh more but wats so funny?

[@adibsiddiki7409]

@@tonypro5607 I'm assuming English isn't your first language. When we say someone is "tied up", it means they are busy, not that they are literally tied up. The joke here is that Rupert, the main character, DOES literally mean Jerry is tied up, which he reveals by saying, "I'm the one who tied him"

[@pulixpulix2420]

Remember, he shot that scene in one take. One of the few actors who played every role great. That what it really means to act. To play comedy, drama, romance, horror, psychopath, murderer, mobster, husband, lover, etc. He did them all. The other greatest were great in one or two of the above, but he was the greatest in them all.

[@erakattack]

eh, I don't agree that that's what it means to "act". That's just what it means to be a jack of all trades. Plenty of excellent actors out there who don't excel at every genre and I don't think that fact takes away from their talent.

[@pulixpulix2420]

@@erakattack Of course it does not take away their talent, I agree.

[@stevennieto9898]

I heard it was one of his hardest scenes to act. I forgot where I heardbthat from, but I think Scorsese may have said it.

[@gsmbach6836]

When he said during his monologue that he tied Jerry up , I came to the conclusion that everything he said was real.

[@GeoffreyBronson]

You would come to that conclusion from watching the fucking movie you dolt.

[@jasondavidfrank6452]

+Thisismytrollingface Hey come on now! Have you seen my movie The Junior Defenders?!

[@paulwhitelaw3824]

Everything Pupkin says in this routine is real, albeit exaggerated for comic effect. He's never more honest in the film than during this routine. The alcoholic parents, the physical and psychological abuse he suffered as a child, he's laying it all bare here. His routine is hacky yet passable - not great, but not bad either - and that's the tragedy of the character. He's a mildly talented comedian who can only process reality via studied stand-up tics and his twisted showbiz fantasies. It's De Niro's greatest performance by miles.

[@aaronstark5060]

Geoffrey Bronson He means the stuff about his childhood. It wasn’t that cryptic.

[@theguywhoisaustralian1465]

@@GeoffreyBronson If you want people to listen to you, you shouldn't insult them

[@666Shinigamieyes]

"Better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime" words to live by

[@crashbandicoot5636]

“I used to think my life was a tragedy... but now i realize... its a comedy”

[@salman_3833]

i used to think my life was a cringe compilation, but now i realize it's a you laugh you lose challenge

[@Brainbuster]

"Applaud, the comedy is ended." - Beethoven's last words

[@Ultradude604]

This is actually a good movie. It's like Taxi Driver but with a standup comedian.

[@MiorAkif]

Perfect comparison

[@Aman-nk5uq]

Amazing movie.

[@Tronathon242]

Taxi Driver is a grimy, dark movie about a violent psychopath. The King of Comedy doesn't have this sort of tone at all. Rupert isn't like Travis. He only wants fame. He doesn't want to lash out at society and the filth around him.

[@yvngarmz5984]

Tronathon242 yh but at a basic level it’s about delusional outcasts with troubled pasts and mental issues doing insane things to try and matter/leave some sort of impact. Also this movie is also very dark and grimy but instead of the darkness coming from violence like taxi driver here its shown through intense jealousy,stalking and kidnapping.

[@me6271]

@@Tronathon242 Travis isn't a violent psychopath he's a lonely bitter man, who starts to blame the world for it and then releases his anger on those who deserve it: worthless pimps.

[@dskywalker3397]

Even doing stand-up, DeNiro is still menacing as hell.

[@spoonful1018]

Yeah, but did you know that DeNiro sits down when he pees?

[@stevenlee5893]

Not really. De Niro really integrates himself into every character he plays. Throughout this film, he never for a split second came across as any mobster role he’d played.

[@johnr.7906]

The "king for a night, than schmuck for a lifetime" line is delivered perfectly. This movie gets better every time I see it..

[@Diatonic5th]

This movie is much more relevant now than it was in the 80's. We're living in a age where talentless sociopaths are elevated to celebrity status and mediocrity is praised.

[@theresaguzman1745]

tRump

[@ggthewhale]

Lmao what has this to do with anything? Rupert was great in his stand up

[@FilmsAreBest]

Yeah not sure I get that from this movie

[@abrahandelabastida843]

Watch the film again, this time try turning your brain on

[@FilmsAreBest]

Abrahán De Labastida Okay just cause you got some interpretation from the film doesn’t mean my fucking brain was turned off fuck off

[@skylerspence7878]

Murray Franklyn in his younger days

[@adamrizqy6977]

*Franklin

[@natandiaz2911]

Now that I think about it it can actually make sence WTF?!?!?! 0_o

[@doctatofen2.089]

@Adam Rizqy *Franklyn

[@RapAndCereal]

@Gold Face The Scuba Diver *N O*

[@jlouis4407]

Murray forgot where he came from

[@captain_hat6247]

2:20 That is creepy. He says his mom has been dead for 9 years, but earlier in the film he appeared to be talking to her. So were we just hearing the voices he hears in his head?

[@unholyspark8262]

Yo stop. To creepy

[@me6271]

He could've just been lying. Who knows if he had alcoholic parents or got bullied at school? He made his career by lying, would he only tell the truth on tv?

[@erickalejandrocv]

Well in the movie he said that HE can barely pay the rent, maybe he is lying, we cant know for sure lol

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

Or, get this, he's a mediocre *comedian* doing *comedy* , telling *jokes* , having a laugh, lads? Do they really pump lead into the tap water in the US or what the fuck?

[@sgshumblecrumb6046]

Comedians make stuff up for their act all the time. That's a way more likely explanation.

[@UniversalLopes]

The fact that his jokes are just his sad life, being both funny (but not thay funny) and again, sad, is geniuus God i love this movie

[@giuseppepucci80]

De niro's great actor...

[@Aman-nk5uq]

^greatest.

[@filmishit]

Who?

[@dawsondjodvorj2408]

@@filmishit Pacino in my opinion.

[@keithrube22-Chicago]

Have seen this film over 25 times in my life. Don’t know why is struck me in the 80’s but it did. Jerry Lewis was so marvelous as were Sandra, Robert and the rest. Not one like able character yet I love em all.

[@Woozler554]

DeNiro was terrific in this, as was Jerry Lewis.

[@ninjawraith17]

An exceptionally disturbing bit is when he mentions his mom being dead for 9 years even though she's yells at him from off-screen several times earlier in the film. If she really is dead then that means Rupert has been imagining arguing with his dead mother making the scenes Hitchcock levels of creepy.

[@dagetheevil1]

"How about another joke Mur-ray"

[@kube410]

knock knock

[@bartmansette]

No

[@IanLukeProduction]

@@kube410 and you had to look that up?

[@The-Big-Boss]

STOOOOOOP its not funny and its old

[@markusforsberg6741]

@@The-Big-Boss nopp its not and im tierd of pretending that its not my life is nothing more than a comedy🤡😊

[@KKSmith]

It's really tricky for a good actor to play a bad actor.

[@gfoster31]

+K.K. Smith No it's not. A good actor simply takes every good instinct he / she has for the character; then ignores them, or does the complete opposite.

[@linkbiff1054]

And to play a villain your heart goes out to.

[@Mrsvale180]

He's not playing an actor and he's not a bad comedian according to the movie

[@janyozenith9037]

Like Leo playing Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.

[@sameenanaz903]

@@janyozenith9037 DiCaprio's example is playing more of a bad actor than bad comedian. Kinda similar but still different. Also, I didn't like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and DiCaprio's performance in general. Pitt on the other hand oozed absolute charisma and killed it but the movie was still underwhelming.

[@zackkrenn5985]

I think the ultimate tragedy here is that Rupert honestly does show some genuine promise as a comedian. He’s got an upbeat, accessible attitude, he actually attempts to connect to his audience, and some of those jokes are actually pretty funny. If he had ACTUALLY worked hard the way most comedians do, he probably WOULD have made it onto Jerry’s show, or paved his own path. Also, how we find out about some of the truly horrible things that happened to him is pretty shocking considering how we’ve viewed him before throughout the film. Because of his suffering in youth, he’s probably sick and tired of being told he isn’t good enough. It kinda makes sense he’d react the way he does throughout the film. It doesn’t justify it, but it does make him a more sympathetic character in my eyes. Scorsese’s forgotten masterpiece.

[@jimmyguitar2933]

Rupert Pupkin is almost an Andy Kaufman character.

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

His mannerisms are so insanely accurate to how comedians acted then that even if you watched this with the sound down you'd probably know exactly what was going on. Insanely awesome performance.

[@Hannibal082]

Actually thought this was a preview for Joker on thumbnail and clicked.... Wait....hold on.

[@edwardhernandez6668]

STFU no you didn't

[@jlouis4407]

Prequel

[@whitedevil2]

needs more hand movements. there's still a couple planes trying to land

[@comicsgalore1660]

That’s just how we talk in New York

[@amadousef846]

Awkward body language like that could be a sign of Asperger’s

[@gloriboigaming7583]

@@amadousef846 lol

[@thegreathawk2244]

I'm stealing that joke

[@StandardNerdBR]

I imagine that's what Don Rickles would say about him

[@fraundakelmbrilpondaprost90]

My favourite part about this film is how they build up Rupert as a character who probably doesn't really have what it takes to entertain a whole audience and is delusional enough to entitle himself and argue with Jimmy's staff, yet in the end it turns out he really does put on a fantastic show. I just got done watching the film for the first time earlier today, so I'm not sure if perhaps I missed something- as in, maybe this broadcast is all in Rupert's head. Either way, though, this scene really makes the whole movie.

[@bighendrixfan]

As a comedian I have to say, he was hilarious. He got mad applause breaks. If they hadn’t played him so bad they all could’ve made some money.

[@ntinosaggelopoulos6718]

I mean this movie taught in order to take what you want you must to fight as a dirty bastard

[@raymondwilson8005]

Of all his iconic, epic, acclaimed, award winning performances this was always my favourite DeNiro film in collaboration with Scosese. Undetected and under the radar when it came out over 40 years ago, in an age now dominated by social media and the entertainment industry this film and its subject matter resonates to this day. A visionary, overlooked, understated and underrated masterpiece. Mr DeNiro and Mr Scorsese, we are not worthy.

[@Dragonface013]

Can't really explain why, but making Rupert's actual stand-up act 'good', but not 'great' is one of the many things that make this film genius in my opinion. Like, you get the sense that 'maybe' he could have made it into showbizz legitimately had he listened to the advice they gave him earlier in the film and worked on his act, but instead, he thought he could take a shortcut to stardom through violence. It basically contradicts Rupert's entire self-narrative as a struggling loser whom nobody wants to give a chance and reframes everything he's done in the film up until that point as an act of supreme entitlement. EDIT: I should maybe clarify that, at the same time, I also think Rupert's monologue humanizes him. It's a scene that really makes the various complexities of his character come to the surface.

[@losthighway8141]

De Niro is SO GOOD in this movie...one of the greatest performances all time!

[@rossbooth4635]

It's Scorcese's favorite performance in any of his films.

[@rossbooth4635]

It's Scorcese's favorite performance in any of his films.

[@ankitsur2258]

Versatility of De Niro is on full display here. I bet he learnt every mannerisms, fits, histrionics of comedians before putting this together. Very methodical.

[@scottmiller6495]

What a brilliant film this was, Scorsese, Jerry Lewis, and Robert De Niro all Icons, incredible people from a time that we will never ever see again Period!!!!!

[@ccdogpark]

I'm not sure if Jerry Lewis is still an icon considering how much his kids hated him.

[@scottmiller6495]

@@ccdogpark Yes he is and was, if everyone would stop digging up dirt about his personal life which is nobody's business and realize how great he was especially with The Muscular Dystrophy association and his movie industry, he would be considered extremely important and brilliant, really he was!

[@sjh2002]

Hopefully with the upcoming Joker movie people will revisit and appreciate this underrated masterpiece.

[@joscar062]

Along with Taxi Driver

[@sjh2002]

Oscar Jimenes Taxi Driver may be a masterpiece, but it sure as hell ain't underrated lol

[@kaiko70]

Like i did. I love this movie, and honestly i prefer this to Joker. Don't misunderstood me, i like Joker, but i appreciate this more.

[@robcoIncorp]

@@kaiko70 two different styles imo, Joker doesn't pull punches with mental illness you're inside Arthur's head (it is very dark, depressive and empathetic) Whereas in KoC everything is implied and you re just an outside spectator with no knowledge of the characters' feelings.

[@jessec.6876]

@@robcoIncorp i think that works better for the film if you ask me, king of comedy is more subtle with Rupert being deranged and that makes his character more interesting to me. Whereas Arthur fleck is constantly randomly getting beat up for no reason which is just so cliche and uninspired. Its the number 1 go-to for "feel bad for this character"

[@carsonyoung9965]

They position this scene so well. We've never heard one bit of his comedy and now we do and it's... actually pretty dang funny

[@adityabhaledar831]

"I used to think, my life was a tragedy. But, now I realise, its a comedy." This line sums up the whole scene

[@jessec.6876]

not at all wtf?

[@chocolatephone7840]

Dont tou mean the movie? He is laughing at his life, using his jokes to explain some twisted thing about his past

[@Person-ex4bx]

Wtf are you talking about

[@vice2versa]

@@Person-ex4bx Are you stupid or something????

[@grossograndissimo]

it's strange to say it, but Pupkin is funny ...

[@sumonesumone961]

Pipkin

[@debgib007]

You are a first class idiot.

[@streq9199]

@Bill Patrick Jones I think it also speaks to the fact that showbiz has only part to do with talent and a lot more to do with connections/seniority (and more so in the 80's). A lot of people are "as funny and charismatic as" Jimmy Fallon/Stephen Colbert/etc. But none of them will ever reach their position, because they simply can't, or won't, climb all the way there. Pupkin was in love with the goal, but not at all with the journey (despite the fact that he had enough raw talent to have a chance), and that is something I think a lot of artists struggle with, nowadays, and back then.

[@spinat-shirts9199]

Bill Patrick Jones completely agree, the part where its the rupert pupkin show finally and it zooms in on him slowly with that somber synth mash up intro/outro, the shot just feels so sad and it takes such a long time to get to him... the last time he will be regarded as a success

[@aisha-mw3ie]

Can't explain why but I was so happy when his comedy actually turned out pretty good lmao

[@sambringit7859]

I have seen nearly all of De Niro's performances and this is the best one.....he really crushed it....unbelievable amazing.....superb......

[@juxe411]

All we know about Rupert is that he has a passion for comedy for the whole movie. It’s all were given. We have no idea where he came from. Despite his passion for comedy he hasn’t made us laugh the whole movie. Up until this point. When he first makes us laugh whilst telling us his true heartbreaking backstory. In my opinion Martin Scorsese’s best movie and Robert de Niro’s best performance

[@pleaseenteraname1103]

This movie was so ahead of its time it’s incredibly relevant today, I would argue even more so than it was back in the early 80s when it came out.

[@TheRealLange21]

Just watched this film a couple days ago and thought it was pretty ahead of its time in terms of displaying the effects of celebrity worship and how much people crave being popular and being seen in media. Great film.

[@konami1979]

The upcoming "Joker" movie was heavily influenced by this movie.

[@1polyron1]

Explain

[@thomassharoniard4629]

@@1polyron1 konami wanted to say that Rupert Pupkin was some kind of troubled character with some kind of blurred tortured past we don't know if the facts are brought about by an incredible imagination or rearranged by the disturbing richness of the character..

[@1polyron1]

@@thomassharoniard4629 I hope the Joker movie has twists and ambiguity in a similar vain as well.

[@mr.nobody9697]

I havent seen either and I absolutely get that vibe from this film.

[@fightermma]

@@1polyron1 IGN just watched the Joker movie at the Venice Film festival and gave it a 10.

[@babakzk]

I watched this movie for the first time in a very dark period of my life. It's such a meaningful ending and rewatching this scene now brings tears..

[@colduser2994]

I think this is one of my fav DeNiro performances. He seems to have been typed cast as the tough mobster but here he really shines as an eccentric delusional psychopath.

[@JohnBatman111]

why not both?

[@Illewithskill]

Lol the guy at the end was classic!

[@NolanSullivan-d8v]

Deniros walk as he enters the bar is otherworldly physical acting. He’s truly one of the greatest to ever do it.

[@apollosun2725]

This movie is like finding the missing piece to the puzzle at the very end

[@tattyshoesshigure5731]

This is such a great movie… never really attracted the same attention as his & Martin Scorsese’s other films, but it’s definitely up there with the best of them!

[@stutteringcris468]

When you bring me out, could you introduce me as "joker"?

[@themysteriouscatperson9483]

For this movie, it's more like "when you bring me out, could you introduce me as 'The King'"

[@antrimlariot2386]

The way he walks into the bar, puffing up his chest, with a grin on, is an amazing moment.

[@tfuenke]

The alcoholic bit actually got me. Great writing on this film

[@jackhackett80]

We know DeNiro is one of the greats, but is no one going to mention this 6 -minute monologue in one take?

[@tvviewer4500]

Stand ups do that every night sometimes 3-4 times a night

[@puplover7991]

Notice how the audience is roaring with laughter to a sub-mediocre comedy routine. I wonder if this is from Rupert's skewed perspective. Absolutely brilliant.

[@Craydlin]

pup lover I feel like, given how the entire routine, the part we hear, is shown through the filter of the television means this whole routine is in his head. I'm not saying he didn't go on the air, but that his routine is much worse than the one we see and "hear".

[@auditmail4842]

I really like the routine. I thought it was very funny.

[@MegaLiterally]

I think it was real. His routine was pretty decent for those days. The audience probably was laughing. I think that’s the point of it all. Someone ‘pretty decent’ can be hailed as a King just by being on that show

[@PeterEhik]

I thought it was really funny, he had some great lines, the stuff about his mom's alcohol having 2% blood, and the stuff about getting beat up in school were absolutely hilarious and would get a laugh from any audience any time.

[@majestyk3337]

His routine was real. Most people (including myself) thought he was going to be a total douche on stage but turns out he did have talent. This is why they showed other people watching him in the bar, to affirm that it was real.

[@jennifermilford5925]

What really got me about this film the first time I saw it is that it's an exaggerated caricature of what a lot of people are actually like. Sure they don't go full on insane the way Pupkin does, but that misguided belief you're going to "make it" (and then depression/mania when you realise you're never going to get there) is a pretty common experience for a lot of people in a lot of fields. Inside Llewyn Davis is the only other film that's really successfully captured that and in both cases they got the balance perfectly because Pupkin/Davis are mediocre performers, but there's just enough talent in there to understand why they might think they could make it.

[@afonsolucas2219]

Jennifer Milford I’d disagree with Llewyn. He was talented, you could see it but he was not commercial. Thing is, loads of talented people don’t get recognition. EVER. Sometimes people only get where they are because of luck and persistence. Besides Llewyn made rash decisions and only focused on his “art” as if it were the only reason he was alive and the rest where poor humans

[@emigrant1510]

I'll give Pupkin credit, this was actually pretty good.

[@wearealloneexceptforthatgu7848]

My favorite of all the excellent films made by Marty Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Uncomfortable, strange, honest portrayals. I love the ambiguity of the ending; which presages today's celebrity-obsessed culture. I enjoyed that fictional movie star Vincent Chase in "Entourage" used "Rupert Pupkin" as his hotel alias to screen phone calls to his room. We film aficionados who love "King of Comedy" are esoteric members of a "granfalloon."

[@JMFilms123]

Great scene. Movie still freaks me out

[@James-cu9ul]

Wanna hear a joke Murray? HAHAHAAA!

[@fft9917]

Joker Murraay

[@JesusChrist_313]

It's 'how about another joke, Murrrayyyy?'

[@JawBurst1]

This is actually a good stand-up act, at least in that 80's talk show way. Rupert has excellent delivery and timing, his punchlines connect, and he knows how to play off of the audience's energy. His jokes are very dark and revealing, but so is Christopher Titus. The problem, of course, is that Rupert is an unhinged psycho who has no limits.

[@StevemanChair]

I always thought the audience laughs were imagined in his head. There are certain points like 3:35 where it looks like he’s looking to the audience for laughs, as well as the people in the bar looking confused after it was over

[@lonewalkerproductions]

This man Robert DeNiro is a king of film in his own right, been going through all his films and i am floored at the range of this guy. Might i add my excitement for Joker has been elevated even higher after watching this

[@Aman-nk5uq]

Greatest actor ever. Yes i am in awe. Fuck trumptards who demean him by saying he plays the same role in every movie.

[@garydburl]

I don't know if any others picked up on this or not, but when the Jerry Langford character (played by Jerry Lewis) finally escapes from his captors, he does something that I think is one of the funniest bits in the entire film. As he's tearing off the white tape covering his socks, I can't help but think of all the Jerry Lewis comedies where his characters wore nerdy white socks with high water pants. If the white tape is symbolic of those white socks, it's as if Lewis is announcing to the entire world that his screwball comedy days playing such characters were over, and that he's only going to be playing serious roles from now on. I don't know if this was intentional or merely accidental, but it has definitely helped enhance my enjoyment of this film. Also love the "Chock full O' Nuts" sign in the background of the scene where Masha confronts Rupert after he got kicked out of Langford's office. It's as if Scorcese was saying, "Hey, this whole city is chock full o' nuts."

[@fynnthefox9078]

"Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "It's the police, ma'am. Your son's been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead."

[@fuckiopussigetti453]

OH MY GOD (Aaau hummidingao)

[@FunFilmzProductions]

I feel like one detail that gets overlooked is when he says that his mother has been dead for 9 years, really puts into perspective the "arguments" he was having with her earlier in the movie

[@Fexiixxx]

"No, mom! I'm gonna be a comedian." "You should've listened to your mother."

[@sterlingsilver2343]

I see taxi driver and king of comedy elements in the new Joker film. What’s crazy is that deniro is playing a talk show host. Maybe he’ll be getting kidnapped by the joker....

[@ShubhamSingh-rk8zc]

If you've seen the dc animated movie *'The Dark Knight Returns part 2'* you'd probably get the idea what he might do to Robert De Niro's character during his time on the talk show.

[@sterlingsilver2343]

Shubham Singh dammm! I’ve never seen it. Gonna try to watch it asap!

[@afonsolucas2219]

Sterling Silver You could see the animated movies or read the Dark Knight Returns Graphic Novel. I’d say for you to read it then watch the movie.

[@luisalonso959]

Wouldn't be great if de niro it's actually playing an older ruppert pumpkin?

[@sscoconut1265]

joker just shot him straight to the face during the interviee scene

[@goPistons06]

This scene ties up the whole film together. You finally get to see Rupert's talent, and understand his motivation and background. The kidnapping was what gave the routine's best lines, including the one about being "king for a night". He impresses Rita, and walks off with the melancholic piano blues that accompanied him the rest of the film.

[@Bloom_HD]

You laughing at me??? You laughing at me!!?.. well I'm the only one here...

[@WhyTho525]

Nice refrence

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

It’s insane to see De Niro as this character thinking of him in The Deer Hunter or Raging Bull.

[@FunFilmzProductions]

so wait did Rupert's mom actually die? because he could have hallucinated those conversations in his basements

[@paratrip]

Nice one. Never thought of it. I guess it's open to imagination

[@bronson6838]

this whole movie could be hallucinated lol

[@MalnourishedGoat]

No, most probably not. It's common for stand-ups to create fictitious versions of their life to milk the most out of jokes, etc. While a lot of his routine is probably based in truth (dad not caring about him, kids kicking the crap out of him in school), if there's a joke to be had in pretending his mother is dead, Rupert will use it even if she's alive. It would be unlikely (and counteractive) for Rupert to hallucinate his mother just so that she could interrupt his preferred hallucinations. His living with her allows for him to be an autograph hound and fanatic rather than hold down any real steady jobs.

[@davidmansour7482]

Well, you never do see his mom in the film.

[@jihangamal5823]

It was a major surprise to me that his stand-up turned out to be pretty good.

[@badreddineramdani8214]

"Better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime" (y)

[@dvlarry]

According to an interview with Jerry Lewis in 1983, Robert De Niro's comic timing was so perfect even though he never did stand up comedy. Martin Scorsese asked Jerry Lewis to teach Robert De Niro how to be a standup comic who's timing is imperfect.

[@Aman-nk5uq]

*De Niro is the greatest actor ever* Don't fight me on this please.

[@alansmithy7930]

I won't fight ya, but hug ya

[@AladdinSane649]

I like how, at the end, after he leaves, the guy at the bar is like "That's the same guy who was just now on television" like he couldn't comprehend that being possible.

[@LocationLocationLocation247]

just came here from the joker trailer pretty sure that was a nod to this

[@hoejoecinco3253]

Who else is here after de niro got popped ? 😂 Edit : typical OMG what a load of likes. I think I'm going to have myself a steak today.

[@user-km5zq6sh3v]

Joe mama

[@darkpassenger9336]

What u mean

[@hoejoecinco3253]

@@darkpassenger9336 I came here after the JOKER lol

[@nicolascaballero1320]

dark passenger I think he means how he got accused of sexual harassment.

[@hoejoecinco3253]

@@nicolascaballero1320 I do not mean that 😂😂 who cares about that lol

[@Stephen0560]

It's pretty depressing when you think about it. I need to get around and watch this film again.

[@williamb1933]

In addition to what others has said about the subversion in rupert's comedy being actually decent, one other thing I love about this is that the feedback given by jerry lewis's assistant/secretary was actually accurate and in good faith, not just a polite brush-off like you're lead to believe. His comedy DOES have potential, he just needs to spend a few years in the clubs refining it.