Kaufman was a brilliant textbook example of how to win an audience over through subversion. His best stand up routines were always when he’d level playing-field by being extremely unfunny/awkward at first, and then take advantage of that low-standard by doing something completely ridiculous and unexpected. Had he just led off this specific routine by going straight into the Elvis impression immediately, nobody in the audience would’ve given a crap. But he highlights that impression by making them all think “Oh Christ... this guy is gonna try to do Elvis now?” And then he nails the impression. The standing-ovation is earned through a communal sense of sympathy and pity. If the audience thinks you suck from the start, just about anything completely off-the-rails afterwards is going to suddenly impress. It’s like following a comedian who completely bombs their performance. You, as the next in line, have the comfort of a low-standard expectation. But Andy just did the process all on his own.
His reverting to the Foreign Man persona at the very end is the icing on the cake. If you didn’t know who Andy really was, you’d have no idea how much of what you’d just seen was an act.
The first time I saw this I was laughing and crying at the same time. That has never happened to me before or since. Andy Kaufman was a complete one off. Never will anything happen to top this in comedy. Not in the next hundred years, I guess, although I hope I'm wrong.
Yeah, RU-vid/digital formats can be pretty high without losing quality. People should record at safe levels on the set, but in terms of broadcast and digital files, might as well make it louder and headphone-friendly or else people need an amplifier, speakers, etc.
I love Danny Devito is here an said heck yeah im in u better put me in this movie...hes was close as a witness can be..its good to see that...what a killer job any really did on elvis...then he goes back to that voice nuts
I have come to dislike Jim Carry lately because of his leftist political views. However, there is no way to deny his immense talent. The way he was passed up for an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Andy Kauffman was nothing but pure, unabashed Hollwood politics.
Jim carry as Andy as latka and Elvis is legendary! Jim carry made this even more special an iconic!!! He’s truly my favorite an even funnier then Andy an has so much talent he’s a genius of our time
He takes it off at 3:33. You can see him return to the mic at 3:35. Normally Andy's Elvis skit would start with a slow song on guitar and then he'd take it off for the uptempo number. It's quite probable they filmed Carrey doing the whole skit and cut it to fit (especially given his method acting approach to the role)
This is brilliant enough if you have never seen the real Andy Kaufman, or the real Elvis for that matter, but it becomes truly mind blowing if you have. Jim Carrey becomes Andy Kaufman, who becomes the Foreign Man, who becomes Elvis, and all of the crazy build up just serves to deliver that minuscule "thank you very much" at the end. You know that it's coming from watching this a hundred times before... and still roll of your chair laughing. Comedy genious.
As brilliant as the original bit is, and as brilliant as the performance/imitation is, the thing that always really hits me about this scene is the way that Shapiro looks around and realizes that somehow, SOMEHOW, he has the audience completely hooked on his every moment.
