Fossil Soup

It's called a blind lead, where I don't necessarily let you in on where I'm going with the article from the get-go. I'm hoping it's got you thinking, "what the f?!" Yes, f. Ok, forget it. Moving on.

Still wondering? It's this film. Too many people are wrapped up in the "blockbuster" comedies that feature Jim Carrey that several of his performances as an actor even in the comedy genre are overlooked. And "Man on the Moon" is no exception. And if you aren't a whore for Hollywood, you'd also be aware of such works as "The Truman Show" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Carrey seems to be in a lose-lose situation, because the crowd that likes his "stupid" performances can't grasp what he's trying to do with the films that have a deeper theme, something more contemplative. On the flip side, those that enjoy the more serious of his films write him off when another one of those stupid films come out again. And yes, they're not all behind him. "Bruce Almighty," anyone?

Asides aside, being stuck between a rock and a hard place was the life of the very character Carrey portrayed in Andy Kaufman, who, as quoted in the comment section of the video above on youtube... is "one of the most brilliant humans ever." As ludicrous as that quote sounds, I'm inclined to agree with it. Before this cat came along, lines were clearly drawn on whether or not something was real, at least from a layman's standpoint. Wrestling was fake, magic always had a trick to it, and what we did in life was about all we had to go on. Kaufman took that very last bit and made us wonder, "what the f?"

From antics involving his alter-ego Tony Clifton to his famed wrestling feud with "The King" Jerry Lawler, Kaufman blurred the lines between reality and fiction by making every effort to stay one step ahead of the audience. Carrey, in a surprising fashion, was no slouch in hitting the nail on the head with such a demanding performance. I had my reservations because of the stains of the "Ace Ventura" movies fresh on my memory... But when I sat down and watched "Man on the Moon," I found myself pleasantly surprised.

It was awesome.

So the film features Courtney Love. As you can see, when she's sober, she's not that bad. Sound like someone you know? *cough cough* Lou *cough cough* Anyway... Several "as himself" appearances from Lorne Michaels to Lawler make this film as close to a documentary as one can get in a tribute film, not to mention great performances by Danny DeVito (George Shapiro) and Paul Giamatti (Bob Zmuda). If you haven't seen it, by all means... DO!

And why? Because whether you're more into "Ace Ventura" and the like or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Man on the Moon" provides a happy medium for people to come together and enjoy some serious acting on behalf of Jim Carrey while still being able to enjoy some of the more outlandish antics that made him famous.

On a final note, this may be the best (and only) way for this generation to fully appreciate the work of Andy Kaufman, who "died" the day my brother was born.

See you in Heaven if I make the list, Andy.