Andy's Funhouse

Andy's pet-project that was confirmed in his Taxi contract couldn't have come off much better than it did. ABC, unfortunately, refused to air it until two years after it's completion. All of Andy's best bits and characters are here along with a few things we haven't seen before. We see Andy playing the role of a big shot tv star during presumed commercial breaks and taking guest Cindy Williams (Shirley from TV's Laverne and Shirley, whom Andy was friends with before this special and friends after) around in circles during her interview. Also featured in the program is the celebrity has been corner, breaks for chocolate milk, foreign man; elvis, and all of Andy's usual tricks. This special was very near the high point of his career, and he's on top of his game here.

At the height of his powers, the iconic and influential Andy Kaufman crafted this masterpiece of a comedy special. As it gradually increases in laughs, absurdism, and awkwardness, "Andy's Funhouse" is a comedy show like no other, as Kaufman dazzles and confuses the viewer with often surrealist gags. The "interview" with Cindy Williams is a classic example of Kaufman's humor at its most uncomfortable and hilarious, and the segment with Howdy Doody is both one of the funniest and (strangely) saddest things I have ever witnessed.

Kaufman's comedy is puzzling, but also entertaining as hell. It had me laughing while also thinking; the influence Andy Kaufman had in the world of comedy is one unmatched by many. His strange style has been adapted by many of today's finest comics, and to this day people are still scratching their heads and rolling in the isles along with masterful specials such as "Andy's Funhouse".