Simon Dunn

Scriptwriter and Comedian

Best Defense

If you’ve listened to the latest episode of Comedy Is …, or if you know such things, you’ll be aware that the movie Best Defense is not considered by Eddie Murphy to be his finest hour. The film was shot with Dudley Moore, and when it tested poorly with preview audiences, Jeffrey Katzenberg took a cheque for a million dollars to the Saturday Night Live studio, and practically begged Murphy to appear in the re-shoots. Murphy agreed, and headed out to Israel to film a completely new part that was then, some say, inelegantly edited into the original movie.

I’ve not seen it since 1988. Dare I watch it again?

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    Proctology: A Bottom Examination

    For a long time now I’ve been wanting to write an old-fashioned programme guide. One you can hold in your hand and thumb through, make notes on, spill coffee on. So I did. Proctology: A Bottom Examination is my deep dive into Bottom, the hit BBC Two sitcom starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. That’s…

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    Keanu Reeves is 56. That makes him eight years older than Clive Dunn was when he was first cast in Dad’s Army. But don’t panic, Clive Dunn was always playing much older characters than his own age. Keanu Reeves is 56. That makes him seven years older than Stephanie Cole was when she was first…

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