In this acclaimed biopic from director Miloš Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus), Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) disappears into the role of the late Andy Kaufman—considered the most innovative, eccentric and enigmatic comic of his time. A master at manipulating audiences, Kaufman could generate belly laughs, stony silences, tears or brawls. Whether inviting the audience out for milk and cookies or challenging women to intergender wrestling matches, he specialized in creating performances so real that even his close friends were never sure where the truth lay. Also starring Danny DeVito (Get Shorty) as Kaufman’s manager, Courtney Love (The People vs. Larry Flynt) as the woman Andy falls in love with and Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as his best friend. You’ll stand up and cheer for Carrey’s hilariously uncanny performance that “may be a better Andy Kaufman than Andy Kaufman” (Newsweek).
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Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Man On The Moon with a major upgrade in the form of a new 1080p master transfer in 2.40:1 sourced from a 2K master approved and color graded by Cinematographer Anastas Michos that looks stellar. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up deep black levels. There is also a noticeable uptick in fine detail that should please fans of the film. Subtle details in the vintage production design standout more than ever before, often revealing hidden nuances. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. The film features some splendid colors within the costumes and production design that pop off the screen with a great vibrancy. The film is practically pristine with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. This presentation is another instance of Kino Classics rescuing a beloved film from the land of standard definition.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with both a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film really well. The first thing you will notice is the vibrancy and clarity of all the key tunes that are used throughout. The titular R.E.M. tune, especially, maintains perfect fidelity as it fills up the room. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. The surround channels are not consistently engaged, but elements such as the din of a crowd provide a nice sense of space in the rear. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski provides an incredibly fun commentary track moderated by Film Historian Howard S. Berger in which they discuss the origins of this film, how the script was developed with reverence to the truth of Andy’s story, gathering stories about his life, the incredible cast, the real-life people who play roles in the film, the direction from Forman, the legacy of the feature and more. This is jam-packed with information thanks to Berger asking some insightful questions, and the duo reveal so much raw information that is pretty fascinating.
- This Might Be A Story: A 22-minute vintage recording from 1999 featuring Screenwriters Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski with Director Milos Forman in which they discuss the “odd” nature of the film, not framing this story as a simple biography, what it was like giving direction to the extras, the empathy they felt during production, filming the wrestling match, the life of Andy Kaufman and more.
- Spotlight On Location – The Making Of Man On The Moon: A 19-minute archival special which features interviews with the cast and creative team interspersed with clips from the film. In this piece the subjects discuss the process of bringing Andy’s life to the film, the casting process, the characters they are playing within the film, and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Thirteen minutes of unused material is presented here in standard definition including a lengthy scene between Jim and Mimi, Jim being wheeled in on a stretcher, Jim performing standup and more.
- R.E.M. Music Videos: Music videos are provided for “Man On The Moon” (4:51) and “The Great Beyond” (4:25) in standard definition.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Man On The Moon is one of the better examples of the way some level of artistry can be brought to telling a real-life story. There is much to be said about the lead performance, but the incredible direction from the legendary Milos Forman is paramount to the success of this film. Still, there is no denying that the performance from Jim Carrey is pretty astounding and ranks as one of the best of his career. The movie captures the oddness of the life of Andy Kaufman while offering up some hilarious and poignant moments. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a sublime A/V presentation and some great supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, this release is not to be passed up. Highly Recommended
Man On The Moon is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.