Man on the Moon (1999) Jim Carrey’s dedication to the role of legendary comedian Andy Kaufman was so in-depth that he famously alienated the cast and crew, blurring the line between imitation and performance art. The film was directed by Milos Forman (
Amadeus,
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,
The People Vs. Larry Flynt), and explored how Kaufman’s desire to mock authority dictated the unusual direction of his career. For an in-depth look at Carrey’s transformation, check out the excellent Netflix documentary
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond.
Dolemite Is My Name (2019) A great comedian played a great comedian when Eddie Murphy delivered his best performance in over 20 years as Rudy Ray Moore, the “Godfather of Rap” who was best known for his title role in the
Now streaming on:
As an amateur collector of the titles of fictional novels in movies, I propose that this one has the worst of all time:
Yeast Lords: The Bronco Years. You say you smiled? Me, too, and there are precious few smiles and laughs in Gentlemen Broncos, which is not a very good movie title, either, although it might work for an X-rated film. The author of
Yeast Lords is a teenager named Benjamin, who writes science fiction and idolizes a famous sci-fi novelist named Dr. Ronald Chevalier as much as I once, and still do, admire the Good Doctor Asimov.