Customer Reviews

Man on the Moon [VHS]

5 star:		(101)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

My favorite Kaufman routine is one in which he is in a club and he is being heckled by a guy. The guys says "You suck, Kaufman" and Kaufman gives some line back to him. Kaufman takes care of the heckler, classic comedian style. And then the heckler days "yOU'RE NOT FUNNY, kAUFMAN. tHE TRUTH IS, YOU PAID ME TO DO THIS...Am I right? Am I right Kaufman, didn't you pay me...to heckle you? So you would look good, huh?" And this bit goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time. Kaufman seemed to be about layers of uncomfortability...about making the audience feel something other than laughs..

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are fun screenwriters, (though I am not sure they are still working) having produced script for Larry Flynt and Ed Wood....they are not always concerned with tradition, and find great hools in telling the story. They then seem like the perfect choice for writing the story of Andy Kaufman, the most non traditional of performers...and certainly the first five minutes of the film does not dissapoint...Kaufman(Jim Carrey) stands in a movie screen, tells everybody it is his movie and the weirdness ensues.

Ok.

Well, then the next two hours never captures this same kind of "what is real?" feeling. I mean, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this movie, and Carrey does an amazing job of recreating Kaufman onstage...but I thought there were a few problems...one is that no one knew Kaufman that well, and therefore it is almost impossible to create a bio pic for someone you can't actually identify with. Therefore we are saddled with forties bio cliches" I Want to Be The greatest of all times" and the fantastic"I want To Play Carnegie Hall", and the obligatory "guy finds cyst on his neck".

Second of All, Kaufman just comes off like a jerk half the time.

Third of All, when the film ends, we are no further along about Kaufman than When the film started.

But as I think about it, here an hour and a half after seeing the movie, I wonder if the wanting more, the frustration, the unanswered questions is not the ultimate Kaufman prank. And the pranks are the major gist of the film. Much of the film is about an audience not knowing how to take it all...and they are brilliant pranks...just when you think you have it figured out, Kaufman's illusionary reality takes over.

So have we been had? Is this film pretending to be a meaningful bio, and is the ultimate prank? Did we watch
this just to be part of a giant illusion, to be caught up in the routines, to cringe at the innapropriate gags, to wonder why all the members of Taxi are playing themselves twenty years later and DiVito is playing someone else?, and then walk away feeling we have seen a genius or a madman or both...
and feel like we have been involved in some giant Kaufmanesque experience...

All in all, I think this is a worthwhile experience...

or maybe Kaufman is alive, and paid me to write this.

First of all, I would like to say that this is a great movie -- you'll find yourself totally immersed into the universe of Andy Kaufman during this movie (at least I was). Before I saw this movie, I had never seen anything by Andy Kaufman (although I tried to change that fact prior to seeing the movie, but since I live in Denmark, it's hard getting any of his stuff) -- right after seeing it, I went straight home and ordered some of his work on DVD.

Also, anyone who has seen this movie must agree with me, in that Jim Carrey was at least ripped for an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, if not the Oscar statue itself. I can only imagine that it is very rare when an actor is nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards, wins the Golden Globe, and doesn't even get nominated for an Oscar? I've lost most of my respect for the Academy.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this movie didn't sell as good as most of the other Jim Carrey movies -- this is definitely his best performance so far (though not as funny as some of his previous blockbusters, this movie is not intended to be a "full-blown" comedy).

The DVD release looks great too. Not only do you get a great movie at a great price, you also get a lot of extras at that price, something which is rare these days when you often pay somewhat extra to get the "collectors edition" or "special edition". I'm a huge R.E.M. fan too, so the inclusion of two R.E.M. music videos ("Man on the Moon" and "The Great Beyond") is simply great!

How strange is this; a biopic about a groundbreaking and enigmatic comedian's life (Andy Kaufman), starring one of Hollywood's top actors (Jim Carrey), illustrated through an Academy Award winning director (Milos Forman) is considered a bad movie! Why? Because nobody knows or likes Andy Kaufman? Because it was rated R? It's more like under appreciated...

This is an amazing movie in which we see Andy brought back to life through Jim Carrey's performance. In fact, you do not see Carrey anywhere in this film. All the jokes and gags are by Andy, not Jim, ANDY. The rest of the casts' performance supports the movie, such as Paul Giamatti's portrayal as Bob Zmuda and Courtney Love's portrayal as Andy supporting and loving girlfriend, Lynn Marguiles.

It's odd how it did bad at the box office and with some critics, who were writing it off as one of the worst films of 1999. Now that it's on video and DVD, it's getting good reviews! Where was the support during the 2000 Academy Awards (it didn't even get 1 nomination!)? You have to understand and figure out the movie before passing judgement.

The first half an hour of this film shocked me cause I was in tears laughing because of how untamed the humor content is. I couldnt believe this kind of humor was unleashed at an unsuspecting audience watching this film. Jim Carrey is the most underrated actor in the world and No, I didnt like Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind because it is the opposite of what Man On The Moon is all for.

You see, Eternal Sunshine just might be the most conscious semi dark heartful effort ever. All in all, it's consciousness is what makes it "everything that is wrong with our world". Man On The Moon is not for one second taking itself too seriously.
I've always been a fan of Carrey but it is Man On The Moon that made me realise that there is no higher level of acting than this. THIS IS EASILY HIS BEST PERFORMANCE.

Man On The Moon has the most extraordinary of beginnings and the story relation is different yet captivating and it doesn't make you wanna be anywhere else for one second. Based on the life of Andy Kaufman, this film manages to recreate the life of an extraordinary man. Many people felt Jim Carrey is Andy Kaufman. The level and kind of humor this film contains is not meant to be understood by an average movie go'er. Between the 41st minute and 91st minute the film goes into an enjoyable dull period where most actions by Andy have no explanation.

I hate Bongo drums but I cannot believe anyone can possibly sound better on them than Andy in the film. The reason the casting of this film is perfect is because Jim Carrey has one big heart for a comedian. Andy's funeral was the most touching scene in the film and almost a tearjerker.

Im trying really hard to explain what it was about this film that touched my heart but I cannot quite get there because my comprehension fails me. Watch this film to know what I'm experiencing.

Peter Sellers said that when he was not doing a character he was a man with no personality. At one point in MAN ON THE MOON Andy's girlfriend tells him "There is no real you" and means it. Although I don't believe it, I actually believe that both Kuafman and Sellers had personalities in there somewhere I thank the heavens that Milos Forman didn't try to find the "real" Andy Kuafman. His ingenious film, plays like one of Kuafmans acts. The audience in the theatre where I saw it today where expecting to watch Andy irritate his audience and laugh because they would be in on the joke. But THE ABSOLUTE GENIUS OF THIS FILM IS THAT WE'RE NOT IN ON THE JOKE. We are in exactly in the same position Andy's audiences were in back when he was doing his sketches. Most of the time we don't know weather its a joke or real or a bizzare mixture of both. No wonder then that half of the people in the theatre walked out about two thirds of the way in. They were expecting a traditional biopic, which starts with the discorvery of talent, the rise and the inevitable and tragic fall. Instead we were as his audience was back then, toyed with and involved in an elaborate scheme. He would have loved this movie. Andy Kuafman was revolutionary in that unlike almost every human being on the planet, his actions were not to please or even leave a positive impression on those around him, his primary audience was himself. Once the fear of failure was out of the equation, the door was completely open for the most bizzare and original acts to be created. And although he didn't nessecarily want to please his audience he did want to have them, to toy with them. In a way he was a behavioural scientist. The film is beautifully made, Courtney Love and Danny DeVito don't really give performances as much as points of sanity to anchor the film. Without them we would be completely lost in Kuafmans world. Now we come to Carrey's performance which is incredible, he never lets on, never winks, he is what the Andy Kuafman legend is, it is a riveting performance. To those who walked out on this film, or get bored and press stop on video "You are disgusting and here is a soap to clean yourself", just kidding. Andy Kuafman would have left out the just kidding part.

Fifteen years after the unprobable death of joker Andy Kaufman, "Man on the Moon" was released to remember one of the most loyal characters to public entertainment, whom is modeled by a significant quantity of today's comic superstar's, including Jim Carrey. Every single scene within "Man on the Moon" is a reenactment of Kaufman's life, scripted in a raw, realistic method that could bear similarities to a biographical clip show. The life of Andy Kaufman is a fascinating journey, full of up's and down's that were all publicized by everyone who was anyone. What it boils down to is that Andy had his mind on show business prior to his years as a pre-teen, and he wanted more than anything else to grow up and become what he grew up and became, but, he had to overcome a misinterpretation: he possessed a sense of humor that was only child-based. He wasn't naturally funny, in other words. Despite this, Andy would go to extremes to be famous: everything from imitating Elvis to wrestling women. When he didn't like the looks of his work, he actually took a job as a busboy, all the while denying he was the celebrity that customers believed he was. Andy Kaufman was a highly misunderstood person because the fact that he never meant to hurt anyone could've been hard to swallow. Fame was in his blood and Andy Kaufman felt he was destined for it.

Jim Carrey shot down what I feel was his best performance ever, making an absolute replica of the legend in the way he looked, walked, talked and felt towards himself and others. Not to mention, Danny De Vito performed a notable role as Andy's manager and Courtney Love's role fit well as his girlfriend. At times, "Man on the Moon" is out-of-control hilarious and can transition to being devastatingly sad. "Man on the Moon" is a brilliant recollection of the life of the intriguing public figure Andy Kaufman, covering all of the events in his life from beginning to end.

I've always loved Andy's odd sense of humor. Beides all the pratical jokes and Elvis routines, he would always make you think some really big punchline was coming, and then nothing would happen. But even I didn't think they could possibly capture the essence of Andy with a feature film. But with a performance by Jim Carrey and the direction of Milos Foreman, they were able to make a very wounderful movie. Everything you have heard about Jim Carrey actaully becoming Andy Kaufman is true. Besides the obvious facial diferences, you'd swear you were watching Andy play himself. It's a shame this movie has not been getting any attention.

The greatest comedian who ever lived! Andy was very special, a rare breed! My hometown hero from Long Island, NY. Sorry that you had to go so quickly. God bless you Andy where ever you are? Here I come to save the day...

"Man on the Moon" is definitely underappreciated. One of its criticisms is that Foreman never explores Kaufman's personal life. But in all honesty, and due respect to the director's artistry, that's not what his goal was. The reason the film is so great is, it makes you feel as if you're watching Andy Kaufman. According to Kaufman's real-life acquaintences, working with Carrey was frighteningly like working with Andy, and that's the true magic behind the film.

What stirs my interest is like many people my age, I went in thinking it was just another comical Jim Carrey performance, and what I got out of it was something that stuck with me. Here was this totally believable character, this rising comic, who didn't make a whole lot of sense and doesn't try to define what he is or what he wants to do. I went through an emotional ride, at first shaking my head and asking myself, "What's with this guy? And furthermore, where's the movie going?" As it turns out, the reason why many people disliked Andy was the simple fact that they were never let in on the joke. He was known for taking things to the extreme. Yet, the movie dramatically emphasizes all the jokes, and for me instantly transformed him into as lovable a character as his imitations, namely Foreign Man and Tony Clifton.

Some movies are great for certain people, because there's something about it that's personal for the viewer. "Man on the Moon" is that type of movie. At the time I saw it, I was working with my own brand of comedy, and I was able to immediately relate to him. It was one of those films that I can honestly say changed the way I look at my own life. As little as I know about Milos Foreman, he's quickly become one of the directors I've grown respect for. This is masterful filmmaking at its finest.

I've been a huge Jim Carrey fan ever since "Ace Ventura" and I can honestly say, this is his best performance yet. His portrayal of Kaufman is beyond perfection, he really gave life to his character. You'll forget it's a movie if you're not careful.

The actual plot of the movie is full of laughs and even a few deep moments. I laughed and cried and when the movie was over I still wanted more. Overall, this movie has truly earned it's perfect five-stars!