Bowfinger [DVD] [1999]

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Employing a novel premise and utilizing the comic skills of Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger remains one of Hollywood's wittiest and most enjoyable attempts at self-satire. Universal's DVD edition is a superb realization of the film's strengths, delivering excellent sound and picture quality and a host of worthy extra features. Director Frank Oz is not known for his visual flamboyance, but the Tinseltown settings do look appropriately glossy on this anamorphic disc. The sound quality is equally high and features both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound audio tracks. It is the special features on this disc that make it unusually impressive, and they can be accessed from a clever and likeable menu screen. The "Spotlight on Location" featurette is a useful background to the movie, lasting around 24 minutes. Other basic features include the original theatrical trailer, production notes, and some very thorough cast and filmmaker information. Although they total only eight minutes between them, the two best additions are the deleted scenes and outtakes footage. The deleted scenes include an entirely different version of the cast and crew meeting which takes place early on in the film, as well as a funny revelation as to how Martin's character gets the address of Murphy's reclusive movie star. The outtakes include some amusing mishaps on set and some brilliant ad-libbing from the two stars. Director Oz provides the feature commentary, and surprisingly, he concentrates on the technical side of moviemaking, revealing several tricks of the trade when it comes to filming comedy. All in all, this amounts to an exceptional DVD, one that should further enhance Bowfinger's reputation as a first-class comedy.