Man on the Moon

Overview

An original celebrity biopic, Milos Forman's Man on the Moon comes to DVD with a great picture and a wealth of information about its subject, Andy Kaufman. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and does a fine job with what is a rather flatly shot film. English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. There are no subtitles, but both English soundtracks are closed-captioned. The supplemental materials include deleted scenes that for the most part show why they were edited out, but one fascinating scene -- after the wrestling match -- adds a dimension to Kaufman's relationship with his parents that is never established in the film's final cut. A text biography of Kaufman includes live clips of his performances and wrestling matches. REM, which scored the film, includes the music videos for "Man on the Moon" and "The Great Beyond," both of which are worth revisiting. The theatrical trailer, a pedestrian "making of" featurette, and some DVD-ROM features round out this superb package that offers something for Kaufman fans beyond an excellent presentation of the film.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/30/2000
UPC:	0025192072024
Original Release:	1999
Rating:	R
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital, stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:59:00
Sales rank:	39,238

Special Features

"Spotlight on Location: The Making of Man on the Moon"; Deleted scenes; R.E.M music videos "Man on the Moon" and "The Great Beyond"; "Andy Kaufman: This Is His Story" featuring live performances; Both Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks; Theatrical trailer; Special DVD-ROM features

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Side #1

Editorial Reviews

Even those who didn't particularly care for Andy Kaufman will be astounded by Jim Carrey's inspired portrayal of the late comedian in this superb biopic. Kaufman, who infused stand-up comedy with performance art (often to the befuddlement and irritation of his audiences), achieved enduring success as the lovable Latka on Taxi. But, as Man on the Moon reveals, he chafed at the restrictions imposed by formula-bound episodic television, and experimented with bizarre comic stylings. Carrey re-creates Kaufman's signature routines -- and Andy's obnoxious alter ego, nightclub singer Tony Clifton -- with amazing fidelity, and impressive supporting turns are contributed by Courtney Love, Danny De Vito, and Paul Giamatti. Although director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) struggles to capture the essence of Kaufman offstage, he wisely allows Carrey free reign in replicating Andy's most memorable bits, which are largely responsible for making Man on the Moon such a remarkable film.

Barnes & Noble

Another oddball biopic by the writers of Ed Wood (1994) and The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Man on the Moon (1999) attempts to take on the willfully unfathomable Andy Kaufman. Eschewing explanations of a man who blurred all lines between "self" and "performance," director Milos Forman and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski opt instead to simply portray Kaufman's bizarre existence and premature death. Kaufman's singular mode of self-presentation, however, does not always comfortably fit Hollywood bio conventions; still, Jim Carrey's masterful portrayal of Kaufman (with the star reportedly fully immersed in character off as well as onscreen) makes his famous routines come to life, even as the "inner" Kaufman remains a mystery. Paul Giamatti provides strong support as Kaufman's friend, collaborator, and co-conspirator Bob Zmuda, as do Danny De Vito as Kaufman's manager and Courtney Love as Kaufman's girlfriend. Kaufman proved to be as much a niche attraction at the movies as he had been in life; Man on the Moon sputtered at the box office despite Carrey's presence. Though he won a Golden Globe, Carrey was passed over for an Oscar nomination, as he was the year before with The Truman Show.

All Movie Guide - Lucia Bozzola