Murder By Death
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Movie Reviews of Murder By Death
Movie Review: A full rounded comedy to watch!
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Moore at the camera, Neil Simon as screenwriter and a set of formidable and golden actors make of this movie an enjoyable film to watch.
This sardonic black comedy begins when the best five detectives of the world are invited apparently for a dinner by an eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) with just a purpose: to demonstrate to all of them he is the number one; announcing that exactly at midnight there will be murder.
But the entire script is filled of funny and smart observations. Peter Sellers play the role of Wang - steals the show- (the famous detective) , Alec Guinness is the blind butler, Peter Falk is absorbing as the vulgar Sam Diamond (in a visible parody of Bogart in Casablanca), David Niven (Dick Charleston) and Maggie Smith make a real tour de force with this intelligent satire in which we will watch to Wang, Sherlock Holmes, Columbus, Hercules Poirot, and Mrs. Marble.
A true and brilliant comedy, and one of the three highest peaks of the genre in this decade (The prisoner of the Second avenue and Love and Death would be the other two, to my mind).
Movie Review: Murder by Death review
Summary: 5 Stars
I was rather young when I first saw this film, probably around 12 or so. My best friend and I were always watching movies on weekends, usually B horror films and slapstick comedies that were broadcast in the afternoons. We stumbled onto this one, and it's been a lifelong memory of ours. The insanity of it, the over-the-top characters and plot left us howling and to this day we STILL quote lines from it. Truman Capote was a hoot, and Peter Falk was a riot. The whole cast was outstanding, playing off each other in the numerous utterly absurd situations. I was overjoyed when it was finally released on DVD and it made the perfect Birthday present for my friend (still my best friend after almost 30 years). This film is most certainly NOT for those interested in "serious" movie plots, and it has a few moments where things get a bit bogged down, but it does well at not taking itself seriously and showcases some outstanding slapstick comedy from the cast members. The parodies of well known literary sleuths are excellent, those who know who the characters are based on will get a chuckle out of seeing these madcap renditions of them.Movie Review: Sellers Shines In This Wild Spoof
Summary: 5 Stars
For a long, long time this has been one of the most fun movies I've ever watched. In a recent viewing, it seemed a bit sleazier than I had remembered from the last time but, nonetheless, it still has tons of laughs.
This film has one of my all-time favorite characters: "Sidney Wang," played by Peter Sellers. The late English actor did a fabulous job of imitating Charlie Chan. He is the highlight among a very talented cast that includes Peter Falk, David Niven, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester, Alec Guinesses, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker and Truman Capote.
Today, the character oddest for me to view is a young James Cromwell who speaks with a French accent! I've never seen him in any role remotely resembling this. The other actors play roles typical of them, such as Niven and Smith's dapper "Thin Man" couple and Falk's, Columbo/Mike Hammer-style American detective.
This spoof of great fictional writers and detectives has a purposely exaggerated amount of twists, particularly at the end. Entertainment-wise, start-to-finish it is fun with absolutely no lulls. It's a classic!
Movie Review: Truly a showcase of brilliant comedic acting
Summary: 5 Stars
I will never forget the day a college professor of mine bad-mouthed this movie. He hated anything with Neil Simon's name on it. Well, I must say he seriously lost credibilty with me at that very moment... This is the classic spoof on Hollywood's murder mysteries. "Clue" pales in comparison. Just look at the casts. The performances are outstanding (indeed these are final performances for several of the cast members). And yes, I love Neil Simon's over-the-top one-liners and sight gags, and this talented cast can pull them off. Truly this is a showcase of lively writing and brilliant comedic acting.
OK -- now here's my grumpiness (which I did not allow to lower my rating of the overall film) -- what happened to the original cover art? Is Peter Falk really the star? It makes it look like a Columbo episode.
Second, the gag ending is missing. Isn't this what DVD is all about? It should have at least been included as a "deleted scene." Ah well, perhaps there will be a special edition later on down the road -- get a commentary out of the remaining actors before they are all gone!
Movie Review: Big house like man married to fat woman...hard to get around
Summary: 5 Stars
My hat is off to Neil Simon for this incredible movie. I grew up watching this movie and by the age of 15 I realized...nobody done it! It's seldom that a movie comes along this hillarious that makes one really think about who done it. The premise, an eccentric millionaire (Truman Capote)with a bone to pick, invites the worlds five greatest living detectives to dinner and a murder. Wang (Peter Sellers),Marbles (Elsa Lanchester),Pierre (James Coco), Charleston (David Niven) and Diamond (Peter Falk) are locked in Twain's (Capote) mansion, filled with mysteriously moving rooms, a blind butler (Alec Guiness) and a deaf and mute maid (Nancy Walker). A "murder" is committed and the detectives each render a who done it. But who really did what?
Eileen Brennan, Maggie Smith and James Cromwell also appear and together with the detectives, deliver the most hillarious lines and observations. The plot defintely deserves a nod and I couldn't be happier with the DVD presentation. An interview with Neil Simon sheds some insight into the casting and ideas brought out in this hysterical comedy.