Joker: Every Easter Egg & Reference We Spotted

17. The King Of Comedy

Joker The King Of Comedy
Warner Bros. & Fox

Even more so than Taxi Driver, Joker pays homage - if we're being kind - to Martin Scorsese's 1982 black comedy classic The King of Comedy.

Scorsese's film revolves around Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), a deranged, failed stand-up comedian who kidnaps successful talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) in order to perform on his show.

The parallels speak for themselves, a fact exacerbated by the knowing casting of De Niro in the Jerry Lewis role this time around.

But of course, Phillips' film decides to take its hostage scenario to a far darker conclusion, ending with Arthur shooting De Niro's talk show host Murray Franklin dead on live TV.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.