Revealing mistake: When Kit Ramsey shoots at the drums set, you can see the explosive charges on the cymbals.
Bowfinger (1999)
1 revealing mistake - chronological order
Directed by: Frank Oz
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Steve Martin, Heather Graham, Terence Stamp, Jamie Kennedy, Christine Baranski
Genres: Comedy
Factual error: The whole Bowfinger scenario is impossible. They are using a 35mm Panavision cine camera which cannot be focused through the lens; it needs precise measurements on the set in order to be properly in register. Then there are the light readings required to ensure proper exposure. Wouldn't Kit Ramsay notice the man with the light meter, or the one with the tape recorder? Both measurements would have to be done with him or an identically dressed and made up stand-in (a "lighting double") on the spot. Then there is the sound. Any sound recordist worth his salary will have the microphone within centimetres of his subject, and he'll have a boom operator keeping in there. We don't even see a microphone in use! Please don't tell me this is based on the clandestine filming of Mary Pickford during her Russian visit: that was done with old black and white film which has very wide tolerance to exposure and most of all it was silent, and she was aware of the camera crew, she just thought they were news crews. (And the results were rubbish anyway).
Kit's Agent: This is a great script! Look, it's not Shakespeare, but it.
Kit: Hey, what did you just say?
Agent: I said, 'it's not Shakespeare'.
Kit: 'It's not Shake... ', 'It's not Shake... ' (to Freddy) Do you hear what he's doing?
Freddy: I know he's doing something, I just can't put my finger on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah... What's he doing?
Kit: Shakespeare, Freddy, Shakespeare.
Freddy: Shakespeare?
Kit: Shake a spear! Spearchucker! I'm a spearchucker now.
Trivia: The plot was based on a real Russian filmmaker who secretly shot silent film star Mary Pickford while she was on vacation, and decided to base a film around her.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: It's done with CGI. Such freeway scenes are impossible to do with stunt drivers as you would need very complicated choreography to make it look believable.
lionhead