Bowfinger (Satellite: 2001)

Witty, industry in-joker scripted by Martin who plays the eponymous small-time player who embarks on his greatest project yet, Chubby Rain, enlisting Hollywood's biggest star (Murphy). The only trouble is Murphy is having none of it and so the director sets about unperturbed, making the film with Murphy as its star but without him knowing.

This intriguing premise is supported by an astounding cast of star-struck maggots. Heather Graham shines as the innocent just-off-the-bus female lead intent on sleeping her way to the top, Murphy is brilliant as the paranoid superstar who thinks everyone from scriptwriters to aliens are out to get him, while Terence Stamp is the underused (and badly acted) head of HW in-cult Mindhead (read Scientology?) and personal guru to the stars. Throw in a bunch of wetbacks who go from ignorant immigrants to cinephiles by the final cut, a host of OTT B-movie actors, a dumb Murphy lookalike (played by Murphy - a psychoanalyst could have a field day with all his multi-roles) and the film makes for great entertainment.

It staggers a little toward the end but Murphy is on top form as the troubled star pushed over the edge as he is visited by aliens, sirens and even the LA Laker's Cheerleader team as Martin sets about completing his masterpiece.

RATING: 1/2

(c)Limer 2001