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Rating:  -
I agree with Steve Puchalski (author of SLIMETIME) when he calls Kaufman "The King of S***heel Schtick". In many ways Andy can be compared to Lenny Bruce for taking things a step further. A kind of 80's Antonin Artaud of comedy.
I didn't follow this stage of Andy's career closely when it was going on but was extremely surprised in hindsight at how far ahead of the rest of the world Kaufman really was. This excellent two-fer compliments one another and actually leaves the viewer wanting more.
"I'm From Hollywood" covers Andy's whole wrestling career in pseudo documentary style but when the credits role and you see names like "Jethro Bodine" listed you realize how far this schtick goes. Close friend Robin Williams provides excellent underplayed interview bites along the way along with Taxi cast members and other associates. In retrospect, it was a perfect choice for Kaufman to get mixed up in the head scratching arena of wrestling.
The real treat is "My Breakfast With Blassie" which parodies "My Dinner With Andre" and actually comes away more entertaining. Kaufman's beakfast partner is self-proclaimed "King of Men", wrestler Fred Blassie. This is somewhat of a must-see and loses something in translation but, like early John Waters, there is something here to offend most everybody whether its Blassie's continual rubbing of the pregnant tummy of the waitress (who he nicknames Buddha) for good luck or the patron who vomits next to Andy's seat towards the end of the meal.
Fans of "This Is Spinal Tap", "The Rutles", Morrissey's Warhol films other dry witted jokes that never let down their guard will love this stuff.
Watch them back to back with "I'm From Hollywood" being first for maximum entertainment value.
Rating:  -
Being a big-time wrestling fan from the old-days, I really dugged the classic wrestling footage from the Mid-South Coliseum featuring Jerry "The King" Lawler's old wrestling territory in Memphis. Andy Kaufman was simply superb protraying a wrestling heel(bad guy). He knew how to piss the fans off. "I'm from Hollywood" is a nice little time capsule of pro wrestling and the antics of Andy Kaufman from the early 80's.
Far as the second feature, I totally enjoyed the interaction between Kaufman and "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Their non-sensical ramblings were very amusing and had a natural flow to it between the comedian and wrestling manager. I liked the choice of location at a now-defunct restaurant in Los Angeles. It was also nice seeing scenes of the LA streets in the early 80's.
Also included is the LA premiere of "My Breakfast With Blassie" with an altered looking Andy Kaufman. Overall a very entertaining package for fans of classic-wrestling and Andy Kaufman.
Rating: -
As another reviewer points out, I never buy DVD's unless they're a keeper. This one is. Andy Kaufman participated in arguably the best show business hoax/performance art piece of all time. All hype? Yes sir. Stupid? No way. Looking back, Andy was the last guy that could get away with this stuff in the ring. Now it is show business. BACK THEN, THESE PEOPLE AT THE MID-SOUTH COLISEUM THOUGHT KAUFMAN AND WRESTLING WERE REAL. The end of an era indeed. The only bummer is that the whole Kaufman story couldn't be put out in it's entirerty for people crazy as me to buy it. "Breakfast with Blassie" is also amazing, in that Kaufman gets Classy into his world without the self proclaimed "king of men" knowing what's up. Another gem from the best comedic mind around, living, passed-on or not. Pure genious and hilarious. If you like your comedy spoon-fed, don't bother...
Rating: -
If you are a fan of Andy Kaufman, the TV Show "Taxi", today's Wrestling Shows, the movie "Man on the Moon", or even Live Television "Spoofs", there is no ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that you will fully and completely enjoy, and be entertainained by this DVD. I have to say that, I fully believe that Wrestling WOULD NOT EXIST on Television today (even cable), had it not been for Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler working together - and the beauty of all of it, is that in typical Andy Kaufman fashion, it all seemed so real and believable, at the time, that NOBODY knew the difference!!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!! - And just an FYI, I have a personal rule, that I DO NOT buy DVD's unless they are REALLY, REALLY GOOD, that buying them is justified - and this one DEFINITELY IS!! R.I.P. Andy - We really miss you!
Rating:  -
Interesting, but more as a portrait of a performance artist than a comedy. Best for the kaufman completists.
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