My Breakfast with Blassie (1983) User Reviews

A buried treasure, especially for wrestling fans

[inkslave · 8/10 · 9 December 2003]

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!)

Hysterically Funny

[sol-kay · 8/10 · 30 October 2003]

It's sad that both Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie are not with us to make a sequel to this hysterically funny film about them having breakfast at a local Sambo's restaurant in LA. In the movie the two are seen discussing the news and about what's been happening to themselves, mostly Andy's and Freddie's wrestling careers, in the world of entertainment.

Seems to be mostly add-libbed with some of the weird and funny customers joining in, I still can't get over that nosy fan, making the movie even funnier then it would have been with just Andy and Freddie.

One of the most ridiculous, but true, event discussed by the pair is Andy Kaufman's reign as the "Woman's Champion" in wrestling until he got in a bout with a man wrestler who almost broke Andy's neck.

One of the best comedies in years that didn't need any stick's or actions like flying through the air being blown up or getting hit in the face with a pie and all that toilet humor that seems to be a must in most comedies these days. All that was needed to make up laugh was just two very real and funny guys sitting at a table having breakfast and talking about what's been going on in the world and with their lives and of course the occasional weirdo at the Sambo's joining in to make thing even more outrageous.

The Joke's on Andy

[stereo_realist · 8/10 · 2 August 2005]

The intention of this movie is to make fun of a pretentious art film using Freddie Blassie, the most bombastic, crude, and intellectually offensive personality in the media at the time. He was a legendary, loud-mouth wrestler known for calling his opponents, and anyone else he disliked, "pencil-neck geeks". (I remember he once held "geek" ringside announcer Dick Lane upside-down outside a window in the middle of a telecast.)

However, Kaufman's and Zamuda's cynical snot and vomit routines, no doubt intended to provoke Blassie into a rage, backfire. Although Blassie never seems to be "in" on the joke -- he is genuinely offended by (or blissfully ignorant of) Andy's mocking behavior -- Blassie comes across as warm, good-humored, brutally honest, and full of the love of life. Towards the end, Andy seems genuinely in awe of Blassie whose rich stories and politically-incorrect observations contrast sharply with Andy's feigned(?) shallowness and politeness.

Overall, this is a good film and very funny in places, but I came away more in admiration of Freddie Blassie than Andy Kaufman. Were it not for Andy's more imaginative routines in television, I would have a very poor impression of him. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this film, which, if nothing else, gave me an overwhelming nostalgia for Sambo's pancakes.

If you get it, you'll get it.

[Thunderekspam · 10/10 · 21 March 2008]

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.

Not bad, but inconsistent.

[kirwin · 3 March 2000]

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.

Good film to watch if you want to see what was Andy Kaufman like

[kurciasbezdalas · 10/10 · 6 January 2009]

I think nowadays most of the people know who Andy Kaufman was because of the movie Man on the Moon, if you are one of them and want to see some of his works, this movie would be a perfect choice. Andy Kaufman had a sense of humor which was not for everyone to understand. Sometimes it needs to be patient to understand him. This movie is so typical to him. I've seen a lot of his performances but this, yet is the funniest one. I like when he's talking rude, especially when he talks about woman, but that is not meant to be taken serious(some people did), I think that woman with a great sense of humor would understand it. So if you wanna see the real Andy Kaufman, then this movie would be a great choice.

For fans only.

[13Funbags · 5/10 · 28 February 2019]

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.

I found myself laughing

[Soul_Mann · 9/10 · 25 April 2002]

A while back I got very into Andy Kaufman. I did my best to find everything he had done. There is something about this movie that is really very funny. However I think that in order to get that humor you have to be familiar with Andy Kaufman. I think this is a great movie but I am a Kaufman Fan. Bottom line if you love Kaufman,,, you will love this film

really just an over-extended skit

[mjneu59 · 4/10 · 13 December 2010]

The formula 'comedy equals tragedy plus time' might well have been amplified, for the late Andy Kaufman, to: 'comedy equals tragedy plus time plus someone pulling long, unidentifiable objects from his nose'. When he died of cancer in 1984 Kaufman left behind this enigmatic, no-budget parody of Louis Malle's 'My Dinner With Andre', showing the ersatz comedian joining wrestling champ Fred Blassie for an early morning meal at a local Sambo's. Most of their conversation is mundane, unscripted chatter about the menu, professional wrestling, personal hygiene, artificial mucous, and the shortcomings of women (sexism was a popular Kaufman pose). Later he tries to pick up a girl sitting at a nearby table, but the highlight of the video has to be when a stranger casually pukes all over them. The cheap VHS format makes the encounter seem genuine, but make no mistake: it's all another Kaufman hoax, and like most of his radical anti-comedy it's an acquired taste, to say the least. At one point the sound dropped out during the preview screening I attended (at San Francisco's Roxie Theater, back in 1991), leaving the audience to wonder if the glitch was deliberate.

Amusing satire

[mermatt · 19 August 2000]

This is Kaufman's attempt to parody the "heavy" discussion in MY DINNER WITH ANDRE. The result is amusing, if adolescent. It is sometimes hard to tell whether he and Blassie are playing characters or merely being themselves. In any case, they show a crude, typically male-chauvinistic attitude and portray the behaviour that goes with it. Whether this attitude is being satirized or condoned is not completely clear. Kaufman's humor is not for everyone, but if you like it, the movie is enjoyable.

Inane, Random and Hilarious, it's Kaufman Through and Through

[drqshadow-reviews · 8/10 · 24 January 2012]

In this improvised pseudo-documentary, we're invited to tag along as Andy Kaufman, right in the heart of his run as a pro wrestling heel, meets up with legendary grappler / manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie for a course of waffles and orange juice at a nondescript Los Angeles restaurant. Though the two couldn't be more dissimilar in terms of size, age, background and disposition, together they make for a riotously funny comedic pairing, picking on everything from dating, personal hygiene, living conditions and travel over the course of their long, rambling mealtime conversation. Along the way, they alternately hit on and pick fights with the women seated behind them, belittle their foreign, pregnant waitress and complain about the design of the shop's menus. Kaufman even abruptly exits the shoot for a few minutes, leaving Blassie to blather on incessantly, like a crotchety old man with too much to say. Completely absurd and ridiculous, it's also one of the funniest things I've seen all month.

10 but...

[Gleeman-2 · 10/10 · 3 January 2000]

I seen this movie long ago and I will say if you really like Andy Kauffman you will give it a ten. If not well...You will hate it even if you know Blassie from wrestling but not aware of Kauffman. Truly unique however and a blast to watch. What would he have been making for movies today?

Ahead of Its Time

[Jimbo-96 · 3/10 · 17 August 2000]

I am much more of a Freddie Blassie fan than Andy Kaufman. I was hugely disappointed that Freddie had nothing significant or interesting to say about wrestling. This "movie" was filmed in the days when everyone, in wrestling, had to adhere to the wrestling code that this stuff is not scripted or fake, but legit. Wrestling is much more interesting and popular, now that the truth is out. This movie could have been so much better, for the wrestling fans, if Freddie was allowed to really open up and tell some good true stories, instead of talking about germs and nutrition. This is Kaufman's movie for his fans, wrestling fans should take a pass or they just might be chanting boring, boring.

This is a wonderful moment.

[makeham · 10/10 · 12 October 1998]

The film must be seen. It is a sparkling, witty masterpiece.

Two guys eat and talk... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Schlockmeister · 1/10 · 6 June 2001]

"Classy" Freddie Blassie and Andy Kaufmann sit at a Sambo's restaurant and talk. That's it. The End. Andy is a classic example of the "Being There" mentality. If you recall the Peter Sellers movie, it was about a gardener who spouted non sequitors and people would read whatever they wanted into it and declare him a "genius". People who are outsiders and don't quite fit in love Andy because they can sort of stand with him on the outside and laugh at society, a society that all too frequently has laughed loudly and pointed at them. Behind Andy's facade of "humor" and a mantle of comic genius that has been prematurely cast upon him is a hurt little boy who wants to make people feel as uncomfortable as he has felt all his life. There is also the feeling that if you "get" Andy, you are somehow cooler than those who just find him irritating. Lest we forget, Saturday Night Live's audience voted that he not be allowed back on the show. But the outsider mentality of being the remnant that gets Andy has contributed to his popularity among his core of teenage boy supporters.

The entire film is a set-up. The autograph hounds and other customers as well as the way over-used Bob Zmuda (whenever I see Andy performing on TV, I look for Bob somewhere and am never disappointed, his schtick as a disgruntled audience member, or here, as a "disgusting" fan, gets lame fast and is a low point of an already low film).

I don't know how much was scripted and how much ad-libbed. I am sure there was a little bit of each. It doesn't really matter, Andy was basically still doing his "I'm from Hollywood and am a big celebrity" routine that he played to death during his "wrestling career". Johnny Legend, one of the show's producers was involved in a lot of wrestling stuff (mostly Mexican) back then. I am sure he was the primary contact to get Blassie involved. Andy can't seem able to decide of he wants to play this as a starstruck fan or as one of Blassie's fellow wrestlers. He keeps switching unevenly and nonsensically.

If you must see every bit of film Andy has put out, I suppose I might recommend it. If it will bolster some loser's perception that, because I am not a fan that somehow he is better than me because he is among the chosen few who understand Andy, more power to 'em. Johnny Legend put out a lot of campy and good videos in the 80s and 90s, this was not one of them, but then again, his sister was dating Andy then.

Where were all the Andy fans before "Man In The Moon" came out?

A must-see for fans of both Andy Kaufman and Fred Blassie!

[Clams · 19 February 2000]

This movie got together because the man who produced wrestling manager and former wrestling champion Fred Blassie's novelty song, "Pencil-Neck Geek", Johnny Legend, wanted to film a very cheap parody of the awful art movie My Dinner with Andre, and decided that Blassie's young friend and protege, the eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman would be the perfect foil. Unlike My Dinner with Andre, which was carefully planned, Andy and Johnny Legend planted a few people in a Sambo's and just filmed Andy and Fred shooting the crap over breakfast for an hour. I think that's better anyway, as I HATE art movies They improvised wonderfully, and you gotta hand it to them for pulling off such a funny film in no time for no money. Andy was of course a huge fan of wrestling and he and Fred were friends for years, and you could tell by the way they talked to each other that they respected each other a great deal. The film is hilarious, and gives you real insight into the minds of Andy Kaufman, and Fred Blassie, the man who invented the infamous phrase, "Pencil-neck geek."

However, if you hate Andy and/or wrestling, I suggest you watch My Dinner With Andre instead.

Andy Kaufman hits it out of the ballpark with this gloriously quirky gem

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 5 July 2009]

Andy Kaufman was without a doubt a true comic original: a post-modern anti-humorist with a sure feeling for the absurd and wildly imaginative. This one-of-a-kind hour-long project, a wickedly funny parody of the pretentious art-house film "My Dinner With Andre," boasts Kaufman in peak offbeat form. Andy meets legendary wrestler and self-proclaimed King of Men "Classy" Freddie Blassie at a local Sambo's restaurant for breakfast. Kaufman and Blassie discuss Andy's notorious wrestling exploits (Blassie even gives Andy pointers on wrestling!), personal hygiene, the arrogance and invasion of privacy that are fundamental aspects of fame, and how much toilet paper they use. Moreover, Blassie relates how he introduced biting to Japanese wrestling, various injuries he's acquired throughout his illustrious wrestling career, and meeting Elvis Presley. Meanwhile, both guys argue with a neighboring table of attractive, yet obnoxious women and Andy tries to pick up one lady (his real-life girlfriend Lynne Marguiles), but keeps forgetting the gal's name. Blassie comes across like a crude, sexist, and even racist blow-hard (he keeps rubbing the belly of the pregnant Asian waitress!), yet still registers as a genuinely charming, hearty, and likable fellow. Andy seems polite and truly in awe of Blassie. Kaufman's collaborator Bob Zmuda pops up as an especially irritating fan who in the gut-busting gross-out comic highlight vomits all over Andy and Blassie's table! Andy's sublimely ridiculous closing philosophical monologue is absolutely priceless. My sole complaint is the unfortunately ugly and smeary look given to the picture because of the chintzy shot-on-video cinematography. A total riot.

Pencil necked geek!

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 15 May 2020]

Classy. The Hollywood Fashion Plate. The King of Men. You know, when I was a young kid, I saw an older Fred Blassie as a wrestling manager and he always made me so happy, this gruff older man barking at the camera. But I didn't know about the man who filed his teeth coming off a plane in Japan, the vampire who bit Rikidozan. I didn't know that his first match was a shoot where he fought a wrestler with no training just to impress a girl he brought to the fair. I didn't know that he was such a ruthless villain that he got acid thrown at him.

I was also a big fan of Andy Kaufman as a kid. I didn't know how much of him was real and how much was an act. You know, I'd still like to have that level of the unknown in my life. Andy taught me that failure and weirdness and danger can be hilarious.

It just stands to reason that these two men would rip off My Dinner With Andre in a Sambo's restaurant, as Freddie and Andy would have breakfast and make fun of every single person around them. I love the idea that this film presents, that Andy is pretty much unsure about being a heel while Blassie is a genuine hater of all humanity.

Johnny Legend brought this together. He helped Blassie record some of his famous songs, like "Pencil Neck Geek," which were often heard on Dr. Demento. His sister Lynne is also in this movie. This is where she'd meet Andy, who she would start dating.

Legend is also related to a moment in adult film history, as he was the man who was charged with cutting out the moments of Long Jeanne Silver using her appendage on a male star in her starring movie, Alex De Renzy's Long Jeanne Silver. He's also in the Australian softcore movie Fantasm Comes Again, Pot, Parents And Police and Bride of Re-Animator.

If you want to watch Fred Blassie flip out on people not prepared for his brutal ways, watch this. PS - I realize that Bob Zmuda is a plant, as are many of the people sitting around, but just enjoy the movie.

You have to get kayfabe.

[BlackJack_B · 5/10 · 28 August 2017]

My Breakfast With Blassie is a parody of Louis Malle's My Dinner With Andre and unlike that classic work, this movie is nowhere as memorable. Performance artist Andy Kaufman (still selling the injured neck he suffered at the hands of Jerry "The King" Lawler) has breakfast with legendary pro wrestler and manager Fred Blassie as they discuss life, breakfast, pro wrestling and various ways of insulting people.

As expected, Kaufman delivers a restrained performance for the most part except when he starts arguing with women seated nearby while Blassie remains stoic. Bob Zmuda (Kaufman's manager) plays a man obsessed with his phlegm who harasses the two. The best parts are when they are discussing their careers in the ring or the interruptions from various people but much of the film is slow and talky. Kaufman could be a frustrating talent but that's how the man operated. You had to wait for the payoff with his material. It's only an hour long so it doesn't overstay its welcome but the film could have been so much better. However, if you are a fan of these two its worth viewing once in a while.

It's a shame Kaufman died so young, though. He had a unique way of making people laugh.

One of my best works

[andy_kaufman · 24 August 2002]

Hey why didn't you guys like my film? Did you go see Return Of The Jedi instead in 1983 or something? This is classic stuff, a real Blockbuster!

Why don't you go out and rent or buy a videotape today and see why I am called a Genius?

Brilliant

[tubogoo · 4 October 1999]

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.

Effective no-budget conversational comedy

[lor_ · 31 January 2023]

My review was written in November 1983 after a screening at Thalia theatre on Manhattan's UWS.

"My Breakfast with Blassie" ia an amusing takeoff on Louis Malle's hit "My Dinner with Andre". Aimed at the home video market, pic's low technical quality is a problem, but it merits playoff in college campus and other nontheatrical situations via 16mm format (transferred from original videotape to film).

The art of the put-on requires an ability to play straight, and "Breakfast" features two masters of the form, here improvising comfortably at an L. A. fast-food emporium, comic actor Andy Kaufman and pro wrestler-manage Freddie Blassie. Though the Wallace Shawn-Andre Gregoty two-hander film is being lampooned, Blassie & Kaufman quickly assert their own personalities, and by interacting with various bystanders in the restaurant, they depart markedly from the original concept.

Central conceit is based on the two performers' massive egos: Kaufman proclaiming "I'm a famous tv star" to anyone foolish to come within earshot, while Blassie indulges in humorously sexist and misanthropic patter typified by his tirades against the "pencil-neck geeks" of the world. Blassie dominates most of the film with exaggerated anecdotes of his exploits as a wrestling champ noted for introducing biting into the sport, with Kaufman playing straight man. Kaufman wears a neck brace and self-servingly discusses his latter-day wrestling bouts with women, culminating in a serious injury when he got in the ring with a male pro.

Improvisation is far removed from the tightly-structured and rehearsed monologs of Malle's "Andre" picture, as Blassie & Kaufman spoof banalities with their pointless discussions of food between anecdotes. Running gag revolves around cleanliness, both adopting a paranoid fear of being infected by physical contact (e.g., handshakes) with their fans, cuing inslut-laden confrontations with several girls sitting at a nearby table. Picture's attempt to shock is on a sophomoric level, with a misguided climax when an obnoxious fan (Bob Zmuda) visits the duo and breaks up their meal (at dessert time) with novelty-shop simulated mucus and vomit.

Amateur filmmakers Johnny Legend and Linda Lautrec lensed this encounter in August 1982 via a three-camera setup, with what appears to be a real-time, one-day shoot. Visuals are murky and variable sound recording favors Blassie.