Indeed, there are many different ways to be funny. Scorsese and De Niro’s 1983 collaboration, The King of Comedy, is certainly funny at times, but, despite the name, it is far from a comedy.

The King of Comedy could have been the end of Martin Scorsese. The film opened on 18 February 1983; about a month later, Universal pulled it from cinemas. It made back $2 million of its $19 ...