- DIRECTOR:
Martin Scorsese
- ACTORS:
Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard, Diahnne Abbott
- PLOT:
Obsessive fan Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) of famous talk show host Jerry Langford (Lewis) stalks and eventually kidnaps his idol while trying break into the stand-up comedy business.
- EVALUATION:
An often brilliant look at the uncomfortable intersection of TV stardom and mental illness that reminds me of the time Travis Bickle walked into a bar.
- WRITING:
Every line from De Niro is great, with the utterly inaccurate "I can take a hint" and the amusing refrain that his name is "often misspelled and mispronounced" taking the cake, even as some of the other characters' lines seem so naturalistic as to be improvised.
- FILMING:
In addition to a memorable tracking shot of Pupkin getting ejected from the TV station, Scorsese has some wonderful shots of Pupkin's creepy basement where he obviously sees himself as the star.
- BEST PART:
De Niro, Lewis, and Bernhard are all perfect, but De Niro's final comedy monologue is probably the most compelling part of the movie.
- TRIVIA:
Several extras credited as "street scum" were members of the band The Clash.
- STINGER:
Woman on telephone yells "I hope you get cancer!" at Jerry Lewis.
