|

|

 |
Man On the Moon
Man on the Moon, starring Jim Carrey, is the forthcoming film biography
based on the eccentric life and work of the late comedian
Andy Kaufman, who died at the age of 34 in 1984. Kaufman was
an anarchic personality who utterly disappeared into the characters
he invented, including the obnoxious lounge singer Tony Clifton,
or Latka Gravas, the sweet foreigner in the TV series, "Taxi".
The title track, Man On The Moon was first heard on R.E.M’s 1992 release, Automatic
For The People. A song that brilliantly captures the spirit
of Kaufman’s comic genius, it is also R.E.M’s affectionate
and affecting paean to Andy Kaufman. The soundtrack also highlights
the new R.E.M single and video " The Great Beyond ", which
has been climbing the charts at US radio stations. Both these
songs evoke the mystery, childlike appeal, and spiritual yearning
at the heart of Kaufman's desperate -- and desperately funny
-- efforts to escape and transcend the prison of the self.
Quite incidentally, the songs also capture the simultaneous
fear and wonder of the current millennial moment, as does
the beautifully simple orchestral score the band composed.
Jim Carrey, joins R.E.M. in character as Kaufman and Tony Clifton on "This
Friendly World," and, again as Clifton, on a mad version
of "I Will Survive." All these performances, as
well as snippets of dialogue from the film, whet the listener's
desire to see Man on the Moon, and, afterwards, they
will no doubt serve as a moving reminder of it
|
|