Movies Of The '80s: The King Of Comedy Starring Robert De Niro

Join Film at Lincoln Center for Make My Day: Movies in the Age of Reagan... THE KING OF COMEDY Introduction by J. Hoberman In Martin Scorsese’s iconic cringe comedy, Robert De Niro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a cheerful but deranged comic who aspires to get his big break on the late-night talk show hosted by Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Beneath his cockeyed smile and dorky suits are the creepy trappings of Travis Bickle, so make no mistake: Pupkin’s a psycho, albeit a hilarious one. Featuring superb supporting performances by Lewis and Sandra Bernhard, The King of Comedy remains one of the great films about excruciating embarrassment, and an evocation of a lost New York. Hoberman writes: “Langford unavoidably evokes Ronald Reagan, nearly killed by an assassin who imagined himself as Travis Bickle, but so does Rupert Pupkin—a mediocre comic who is brilliantly delusional.” This screening is part of Make My Day: Movies in the Age of Reagan, a series of special double features selected by author J. Hoberman that explore the Reagan years as seen through the unforgettable movies of the the decade. Learn more and view the complete lineup here. More Info below.