Can see why it bombed.

I thought it was a great film but as with a lot of Scorsese, this is very uncomfortable viewing.

It’s funny in parts, but it’s a Curb or Extras style cringe comedy, and there’s an added feeling of dread the whole time because you’re waiting for Pupkin to go all Travis Bickle and kill people, possibly himself.

By the time they had Jerry kidnapped with a gun pointing at him I was ready for the mental breakdown and tragic finale, but then the film flips and it turns out Pupkin’s act is actually OK, and he goes on to be a celeb, albeit more as a loveable freak than the professional entertainer he imagined.

At the end you’re still left dreading what will happen when the spotlights have lost interest in Pupkin and he has to spend time with himself, to find nothing there.

I suspect audiences expected a lighthearted comedy, but instead got this bleak portrait of a damaged soul who is eternally trapped in his own vanity. How many moviegoers like a dose of psychological horror with their comedy, and so much awkwardness you feel you need a shower afterwards? The box office suggests not many.

I’m glad the film has earned great respect over the decades, and has proven to be ever more relevant as the world has evolved and uncovered more and more Pupkins, clamouring for the spotlight on social media and YouTube. Scorsese was ahead of the curve and was telling truths that many people would rather not hear.