Enter through the delulu foyer for an appetiser only treat and broadcasted national apology. Take the awful stuff in your life and make it funny with The King of Comedy this week.

Every February, we kick off our Reference Degustation. A month-long celebration of the sizzling Scorsese cinema for our fifth year of the For Your Reference podcast.

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Summary

In this episode, the hosts celebrate the fifth anniversary of their podcast, For Your Reference. They introduce the fifth Reference Degustation, a month-long celebration of Martin Scorsese cinema. They share their general thoughts and first impressions of the film King of Comedy, discussing its grounded approach and delusional protagonist. The hosts explore the themes of direction and stylistic choices, religion and Catholic guilt, conflicted protagonists, and the struggle to be spiritual in a materialistic world. They also discuss embarrassing moments and delusions in the film, and end with thoughts on national apologies.

Takeaways

  • King of Comedy is a unique and captivating film that remains thoroughly enjoyable.
  • The film explores themes of direction and stylistic choices, religion and Catholic guilt, conflicted protagonists, and the struggle to be spiritual in a materialistic world.
  • The delusional protagonist, Rupert Pumpkin, is deeply flawed yet sympathetic in his relentless pursuit of success.
  • The film offers a grounded approach to storytelling and delves into the mundanity and monotony of celebrity interactions.
  • King of Comedy is a standout film in Martin Scorsese’s filmography, showcasing his ability to create compelling and morally complex characters.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Celebration

01:41 The Fifth Reference Degustation

03:03 General Stats and Information

04:29 First Impressions of King of Comedy

06:38 General Thoughts on King of Comedy

08:34 Pupkin’s Character and the Seduction of Fame

10:55 Direction and Stylistic Choices

16:15 Voice Over as a Storytelling Tool

18:51 New York as a Setting

20:47 The Minutia of Large-Scale Operations

22:23 Throwback Film

25:18 Religion and Catholic Guilt

27:37 Conflicted Protagonists

28:04 Powerful Cabals and Inner Workings of Power

29:02 Living by a Specific Code of Conduct

33:24 The Struggle to be Spiritual in a Materialistic World

36:33 Keeping Necessary Secrets

41:03Embarrassing Moments and Delusions

42:24 Ending Thoughts and National Apologies