Clue 🔎
Happy Thursday! After a series of unfortunate events including hospitalizations, multiple trips on the New Jersey Turnpike, and several parking tickets, we’re back. So, let’s decompress today with something light.
Today’s movie is Jonathan Lynn’s mystery black comedy Clue (1985)—streaming on Prime Video. Based on the classic board game of the same name, Clue was met with mixed reviews and even worse box office returns. However, since then it’s gained a cult following. When it was first released in theaters, each audience saw one of three different endings. So was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick? Here’s the trailer.
Clue tells the story of a mysterious dinner party at a mysterious mansion hosted by a mysterious benefactor. Little does each of the participants know, they’re being set up for something far more macabre (and silly). When one of the guests—aptly named Mr. Body—ends up dead, the mansion’s butler Wadsworth (Tim Curry) decides that together they must determine who is the killer. It is 96 minutes.
What I love about Clue is its ability to make its unique brand of slapstick humor surprisingly smart. While every gag goes for the easy laugh, they’re timed precisely for maximum impact and each furthers the plot instead of being for the sake of a laugh. Never did I think the murder of a singing telegram would be so funny.
However, it’s the distinct characters—each named after the characters in the board game—that make Clue truly phenomenal. Tim Curry’s in-over-his-head butler, Madeline Kahn’s devilishly deadpan black widow Mrs. White, or, my favorite, Leslie Ann Warren’s sassy brothel owner Ms. Scarlett, all dig deep to deliver some of the best comedic performances of all time.
Clue is streaming on Prime Video. It’s also available to buy or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Additional reading (or watching) 📚
Make it a double feature: Knives Out
The wealthy Thrombey family is shaken when their patriarch Harlan (Christopher Plummer), a famed crime novelist, is found dead the day after his 85th birthday. Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), hired by a mysterious benefactor, is tasked with solving how Harlan died. Was it a member of the family, the staff, or something more convoluted. [Where to watch]
The history behind Clue
PushingUpRoses breaks down the chilly reception to Clue and its eventual rise as a cult classic. Watch here.
One trailer you should watch: Dune
Have a terrific weekend. Take care of yourself.
See you Monday —
Karl (@karl_delo)