“Did you know Tom Cruise had no idea he was in that vampire movie till two years later?”
That hilarious line – and the poster for Kit Ramsey’s epic sci-fi thriller “Chubby Rain” are the setup for one of the funniest and most perceptive movies about the movies!
See Eddie Murphy Twice! “Bowfinger!”
One of the funniest movies about movies and the entertainment industry ever made, this “Cult Movie Monday” celebrates the 1999 comedy.
Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy star along with a terrific cast including Heather Graham, Christine Baranski and Terence Stamp. And yes, Eddie Murphy stars TWICE!
There’s Eddie Murphy as Kit Ramsey, attending the premiere of his latest blockbuster with Heather Graham….and that’s Eddie Murphy as a Production assistant working for low-rent Director Steve Martin, “Bowfinger.”
Here is the trailer:
The setup is pure Hollywood: Steve Martin stars as Robert K. Bowfinger – a “no budget” Director so desperate to get a big star for his film that he secretly films the star without his knowledge! That’s right, he stalks paranoid action star Kit Ramsey and secretly films him, making up a plot as he goes along. Eddie Murphy plays dual roles: as Ramsey, and also as a goofy PA who just wants to be in the business…oh, and he happens to be Kit’s brother Jiff, and a bit slow!
Robert K. Bowfinger: Would you be willing to cut your hair?
Jiff Ramsey: Well, yeah, but it would probably be better if someone else did it. I’ve had a few… accidents.
Heather Graham is the young wannabe starlet who steps off the bus in Hollywood and asks innocently: “where do I go to be famous?”
According to IMDB:
“Eddie Murphy became interested in this movie when he heard he would be working with Steve Martin, of whom he is a huge fan. When Murphy sat down with Martin and Director Frank Oz, the first thing he said was that Kit Ramsey should be “a black action superstar”. Oz then asked if that meant he was making the film, and Murphy said yes. Martin later joked that “Eddie’s audition was VERY good”.”
One hysterical scene has Jiff, the brother, asked to run across lanes of a crowded LA freeway while being filmed.
As IMDB reports: although Eddie Murphy ran across the Los Angeles freeway, without the use of a stunt double, for the sequence in which Jiff runs across the Los Angeles freeway, the speeding cars were later added in digitally.
So that IS Eddie running across the freeway and it looks amazingly real!
The film being secretly filmed is called “Chubby Rain”, and the film is a great parody of all the bloated action spectacles that Hollywood has even us…
“Bowfinger” was directed by Frank Oz, who made one of Martin’s funniest films with him, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
This is another terrific buddy comedy, with one of the funniest teaser trailers ever – a scene that’s not even in the film! Click here to see it:
https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/09/classic-comedy-dirty-rotten-scoundrels/
So there’s a great “cult movie Monday” double bill with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy!
Categories: Comedy Movies, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Movies, Movies About Movies, Obscure Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is my wife’s favourite movie.
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My wife and I both LOVE it…every single aspect of it!
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Great post John, I really appreciate Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The Australian trailer for Bowfinger really impressed me but it seemed like the best bits were in the trailer when I saw it. Maybe time for a re-watch.
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It’s really great and as a double bill with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?” A perfect night of fun!
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I haven’t seen it in years, but every so often, I remember “Bowfinger” and laugh. I’ve probably forgotten about 90% of the movie, but this post jogged my memory a little.
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That’s the idea of the “cult movie Monday” posts – sometimes forgotten gems that are worth a re-look! Thanks for the comment!
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I love Steve Martin’s films. He always makes me laugh.
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This is one of his best, and Eddie Murphy gives TWO of his best performances!
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They must be awesome together
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If you haven’t seen this, it’s worth checking out…it really does include TWO of Eddie Murphy’s best performances in a great double role for him – he raised his game because of Martin – who is also great! Very funny movie with a great supporting cast as well!
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They are – Murphy said he did the film for the chance to work with Martin, and they both deliver!
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Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to watch this movie. Do you have any other movie recommendations?
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I post a “cult movie Monday” every week – films ABOUT Hollywood that are great include “The Player” and “Swimming With Sharks” – among my favorite cult films are “Midnight Run” and more recently “Cedar Rapids” – all very good!
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I didn’t mind Bowfinger at all, but I preferred Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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For me it’s a great double bill, Pete – and “Bowfinger” is a spot-on send up of the business I work in, filled with dreamers and hustlers in equal measure!
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