My Breakfast with Blassie

For some reason I always believe Andy's on screen life wasn't totally scripted. When I realize what I've seen was completely planned and possibly even rehearsed, I feel a bit stupid. Then I remember that believing he was for real is all he wanted so then I feel better. The conversation here is boring. Blassie doesn't question if Andy really broke his neck and even says he told his wife Andy was really hurt when he saw it on tv. Blassie does have trouble hiding the fact that he's a total jerk but he manages to stay calm. The other people who were in Sambo's are the best part. It's clear they were meant to incite Blassie and even though they failed, they are the only reason to watch this.

Basically My Breakfest with Blassie is a hysterical classic. I came across this gem randomly 25 years after it's production. I have the distinct advantage of being both a fan of Kauffman and Blassie.

The dynamic that these two men have is incredible. Blassie is a tough, old-school, straight talking type and Kauffman plays to it wonderfully. Kauffman lets Blassie be Blassie and reacts often like a starry eyed kid in awe of his wisdom and knowledge.

This movie is funny if you get Kauffman. I read the review on here stating that this is "two guys eating...boring" or whatever. If that is your opinion then you simply don't grasp Kauffman's comedy.

Andy Kaufman was his own brand of genius, and his particular style of nonsense is on display, for good and ill, in this often overlooked gem of an indie film. It's gross, over the top, and as always Andy has fun making you guess whether what you're seeing is real or an elaborate gag for the camera (hint: that's his longtime co-conspirator Bob Zmuda sitting behind him for much of the film, and later getting rather nosey).

And then there is Blassie, one of the superstars of old time wrestling. We hope he's goofing for the camera too but some of his coarse comments seems to be coming from the heart. He reveals himself -- as a sexist clod, as a seasoned world traveler, as a garrulous guy who has played a ridiculous role all his life and loved every minute of it -- in a hundred little ways in this movie, as when he admits that he loves to kill time wandering through hardware stores, never actually buying anything, just "picking stuff up and playing with it." The hand towel gag may be over the top but it sure looks like it has roots in some personal issues for Freddie -- maybe even compulsions -- about keeping his hands clean. Check out his spotless fingernails.

I saw Freddie wrestle in the Garden when I was a kid, cheered my head off when Bruno Sammartino made him submit with a bearhug, and watched him on UHF TV in New York many times, and I always suspected he was a smart man behind all the wrestling BS. This proves it, and also gives a lot of insight into the good and bad aspects of his character. All in all, I wish I'd eaten breakfast with him too. (Especially if he paid!)

So, let me begin by saying that I like Andy Kaufman, I like wrestling, I like parodies, and I like My Dinner With Andre. I wanted very much to love this film, and I wish that I could be as positive about this as some of the other reviews that I have read about it are, but I found this film quite spotty. The parts where it is really parodying My Dinner With Andre were very funny, sometimes outright hilarious. Specifically, the beginning and ending voice-overs were very funny and a lot of the conversation between Andy and Fred was pretty good, plus the absurdity of the situation was entertaining. However, Andy and Fred did a lot of interacting with the waitress, the four girls at the next table, and Bob Zmuda (who was not playing himself), and that was all stupid and pointless. It was just Andy doing his "I'm a big, famous star" schtick and Fred being rude and insensitive. Four or five minutes of that would have been okay, but the twenty-minutes to a half hour of it to which the audience is subjected is just dull and irritating. The whole thing would be excellent had they edited it down to twenty or twenty-five minutes. So, if you're an Andy Kaufman fan, I would recommend taking the time to see it, but only if the opportunity presents itself.

Words can not convey how simply wonderful this thing is. The king of men and Kaufman sit at a Sambos and discuss everything under the sun. One of Andy's quieter achievements. A must see for any serious fan of either man's work. The other user had it correct. It is a masterpiece.