Filmbrain's Screen Capture Quiz: Round 15, Week 8

I saw The King of Comedy the other night, and it really struck home. I walked out of the theatre, and there was a crowd of people waiting to come in. They all started to shout, 'Hey, it's Sting!' I'd just seen Jerry Lewis brutalised by a fan, and I felt vulnerable. I walk on the street a lot more than many performers I know because I feel it's my right. I don't have bodyguards and limos, because you have to maintain some kind of grown-up autonomy or you end up a baby... Still, The King of Comedy frightened me, and the end of the movie, where Pupkin becomes famous, really pissed me off. I wanted Jerry Lewis to just wipe the floor with him. I wanted Pupkin to fail as a comedian because he'd taken such a liberty with a man's life. But I realised that I saw the film from an isolated point of view. The rest of the audience seemed to find the idea funny of tying up a famous person and torturing him. – Sting, 1983 I vividly remember reading this interview on a beach in Santa Barbara back in '83, and the fact that it frightened Mr. Sumner so has (for some odd reason) never left me. Special thanks to quiz regular Mr. Mangold for locating it on the interweb! I've always considered The King of Comedy as an alternate version of Taxi Driver, with Rupert Pupkin being Travis Bickle's separated-at-birth brother. A box-office failure for Scorsese, I find it to be one of those films that only gets better with age. It's got Jerry Lewis basically playing himself, Sandra Bernhard in her underwear, and Kim Chan uttering the unforgettable line, "I'm having a heart attack already." Plus, it features members of The Clash in a cameo. What's not to love? Congrats to those who recognized Rupert's photo of his pride and joy. This week – you've seen this film dozens of times. I know this to be twue. Name it. Submit your answers to this address. Good luck!

Comments

[coccodrillo]

A Family Guy episode did this great hommage to King of Comedy, when Meg falls in love with Brian, she kidnaps him and tapes him up from head to toe and straddles him in her underwear.

Good stuff.

[Vincent]

And a better version of Taxi Driver as well. Thankfully rid of all the Paul Schrader junk.

[MovieZen]

I confess I'm in the minority among my friends when I say I dont like The King of Comedy. I dont despise it, I just dont like it, especially when compared to Robert De Niro's body of work.

[wells]

Amen, Vincent.

[clone]

Anna is one of the most beautiful faces that ever lit up the screen- and truly talented.