Jim Carrey Becomes Andy Kaufman in Netflix Doc ‘Jim and Andy’ (VIDEO)

As a lifelong devotee of Andy Kaufman, I looked forward to 1999's Man on the Moon with great eagerness. The following summer, it was the first DVD I purchased along with my first DVD player. My biggest disappointment with the DVD was that the bonus features didn't include any behind the scenes material. I had heard all of the stories and read about how deep into character Jim Carrey went to play Kaufman, but saw none of it in any sort of backstage material. 

As it turns out, Universal Pictures was sitting on the footage that was shot, partially because it had been shot by the real Lynne Margulies—Kaufman's real life partner played by Courtney Love in MotM—who was in the midst of a legal dispute with Kaufman's family. Thanks to some legal footwork, Netflix and American Movie director Chris Smith have teamed with Margulies, Carrey, and Bob Zmuda to make sure this footage finally sees the light of day.

The documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond will finally take us there, along with some traditional hagiography for Carrey to compare his career arc to Kaufman's. But still, it will be great to finally be able to see the Tony Clifton footage and all the rest of it. It's gonna be a blast watching this thing when it comes out on November 17. Man, Netflix has a vested interest in keeping me from seeing Justice League that weekend, what with this and Punisher.