tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post413252063322066793..comments2024-02-10T01:22:29.316-08:00Comments on Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies: Revisiting 1999: The Forgotten Films --- Bowfinger (Frank Oz)Kevin J. Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-54977855136377750072009-06-20T16:19:35.851-07:002009-06-20T16:19:35.851-07:00Pat:
Thanks for stopping by and reading. It'...Pat:<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by and reading. It's great to hear from another fan of this underrated film. "The Man With Two Brains" is truly one of the crazier Reiner/Martin collaborations, and I really want to watch it again and put a DVD review up here for it. We'll see if I have time. <br /><br />Thanks again for stopping by!Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-42097239896058362092009-06-20T12:27:25.384-07:002009-06-20T12:27:25.384-07:00I love "Bowfinger" - I could watch it o...I love "Bowfinger" - I could watch it over and over. It's a truly sweet comedy that never really got its proper due.<br /><br />"The Man with Two Brains" is also a favorite of mine, and also one of Martin's comedies that I think is highly underrated.<br /><br />Good choice, Kevin.Patricia Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394997608325540950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-65973750741598136712009-06-16T15:21:22.896-07:002009-06-16T15:21:22.896-07:00Sam:
I'd be interested in hearing what you di...Sam:<br /><br />I'd be interested in hearing what you disliked about the picture. Watching it again the other night as I was preparing to write this I realized that the film still held up to me. Are you a fan of Martin's writing? I think that has a lot to do with it, too. Some of my friends really dislike <i>L.A. Story</i>, but I think it's a brilliant comedy. <br /><br />I also have to admit that I like some of Martin's goofier stuff, which <i>Bowfinger</i> definitely falls under, like <i>The Man With Two Brains</i> and <i>The Jerk</i>.<br /><br />Thanks as always for the kinds words...even if we don't agree here I'm glad you still took the time to read the review.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-27311795630486315382009-06-16T14:26:44.615-07:002009-06-16T14:26:44.615-07:00As Kevin and i are now good friends, I can be hone...As Kevin and i are now good friends, I can be honest without fear of reprisal. I am no fan of BOWFINGER, but the critical number say I am in the minority, and I regularly aversive towards this genre. For satire give me a little BEING THERE or NETWORK, or even the other film you mention there, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. With that one I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I personally found BOWFINGER somewhat flat, tedious and lacking in inspiration.<br /><br />Still, my own opinion as such means nothing, especially when a review of this quality can be written which defends the film most spiritedly:<br /><br />"The film is a lot of fun, and like Galaxy Quest and Mumford, once the plot of Bowfinger kicks in it's a breezy comedy that makes you smile more than laugh out loud. But don't get me wrong, there are some hilarious moments as when Jiff has to run across traffic for an action scene, and Bowfinger convinces him that all of the drivers are stunt drivers. I also love the how Daisy plays all of the men in the film in order to get what she wants. Her only knowledge of being a starlet is to sleep your way towards the top, so that's what she does. Her and Bowfinger have a hilarious date where they both get what they want while simultaneously thinking that they are playing the other for the sucker. It's a brilliant piece of writing and acting by Martin."<br /><br />You write with passion at all times, but it's a telling reflection of your personality my good man.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-44585591798783551792009-06-15T18:45:33.919-07:002009-06-15T18:45:33.919-07:00Thank you very much!
I'll be sure to check t...Thank you very much! <br /><br />I'll be sure to check that post you point to in particular; I'm trying to view as much of your material as I can. I promise myself I won't do this, but I'm voracious and cannot be stopped one I begin.<br /><br />Thanks for the thanks, haha.Coleman's Corner in Cinema...https://www.blogger.com/profile/04761319284479513957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-15711073195418527802009-06-15T18:35:11.994-07:002009-06-15T18:35:11.994-07:00Hooray! Alexander Coleman is back. Mr. Coleman I...Hooray! Alexander Coleman is back. Mr. Coleman I hope you'll take a look at my post on why being a cinephile matters (the post is entitled The Jumbled, Incoherent Ramblings on Why I am a Cinephile), most specifically towards the end as you get a much deserved Thank You for your kindness towards this blog. <br /><br />As for this film...I wish I would written more about the parallels as it pertains to Bobby Bowfinger and Ed Wood, but I figured if people had seen the movie those similarities came off as being pretty obvious. I'm glad you champion this film, too. <br /><br />I hope you'll look at some of the other selections. This has been a fun project so far. I still have a handful of these "forgotten gems" to write about, then it's on to the top 10 films of 1999. <br /><br />Thanks as always for stopping by, and welcome back!Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-41486740017734390412009-06-15T18:28:37.248-07:002009-06-15T18:28:37.248-07:00Fantastic review, Kevin.
I'm happy to be bac...Fantastic review, Kevin. <br /><br />I'm happy to be back online and this is a fine read. I have always felt similarly about this picture. <br /><br />The connection to <i>Ed Wood</i> cannot be ignored, either! :-)<br /><br />Those are some good films you have as your forgotten gems of 1999 as well.Coleman's Corner in Cinema...https://www.blogger.com/profile/04761319284479513957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-71873013740108326942009-06-15T15:25:36.458-07:002009-06-15T15:25:36.458-07:00Body of Lies isn't terrible. Good enough to b...Body of Lies isn't terrible. Good enough to be entertained by on a Saturday night. Crowe was quite pudgy in that movie. And hammed it up as always.<br /><br />Leo better be careful...he's starting to play the same character in every movie (another parallel between him and DeNiro...Scorsese being their other connection).Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-47210830784729541302009-06-15T15:19:52.346-07:002009-06-15T15:19:52.346-07:00I saw Yes, Man on video a few weeks back when we w...I saw <i>Yes, Man</i> on video a few weeks back when we went to the RedBox and ended up getting that and <i>Body of Lies</i> (there wasn't much left to rent, obviously). Obviously, I didn't really care to watch any good movies that night :)Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-30436166165072873412009-06-15T15:16:43.651-07:002009-06-15T15:16:43.651-07:00Troy:
Yes, they certainly don't make comedies...Troy:<br /><br />Yes, they certainly don't make comedies like this anymore. I miss when Eddie Murphy was actually funny and looked like he enjoyed his job. Now he just sleepwalks through all of his kid-friendly films. The same with Martin, although I still think he's a good writer as proven by his film adaptation of his own novella Shopgirl and the thriller Traitor with Don Cheadle and Jeff Daniels, which I was surprised to find that he'd written.<br /><br />I like that you either knew that Stamp was in Yes Man or you've seen Yes Man, either way, nice work.<br /><br />And yes...The Jackyl...good times.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-69063813901431266412009-06-15T14:11:42.610-07:002009-06-15T14:11:42.610-07:00Bravo again for picking a great, forgotten comedy....Bravo again for picking a great, forgotten comedy. <i>Bowfinger</i> is a great example of what good comedy is. I too liken it to <i>Dirty Rotten Scoundrels</i> in regards to its ability to mix "high" subtle humor with "low" physical comedy, something most comedies don't attempt anymore.<br /><br />It's sad that Martin and Murphy have denigrated to the gross-out and sub-kid level humor in their current films, because the style of humor in <i>Bowfinger</i> still can work, even amongst the Apatow-esque stuff of the late 2000's, and those two have shown that they at one point had a knack for supplying that (Martin, moreso than Murphy).<br /><br />Going to a TV analogy, it's similar to a show like <i>Cheers</i>, which I feel still holds up as good comedy, but is a style of show (your basic set-up/punchline deal, as opposed to the abstract humor that is more popular now) that is either made poorly or just not made at all anymore. Yet, if someone makes it right, it can still be a viable comedy style. Anyways...<br /><br />Also, I forgot about Terrance Stamp as the new age guru. I recently saw he played pretty much the exact same role in <i>Yes, Man</i>. That's nothing more than a useless bit of trivia for you.<br /><br />(My verification word was "acalate" which made me think of Farooq and Bradshaw and The Jackyl)Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.com