Rita recommends….Clue

Based on the Parker Brothers board game of the same name, Clue, the comedic whodunit, was released in theaters in 1985 with a huge ensemble cast. When it originally opened in theaters, it received mixed reviews and was considered a flop at the box office. It was then released on DVD in 2000 and has had a resurgence as a cult favorite. Clue has received very favorable customer reviews on Netflix.

After I saw that my brother had recently watched it, I decided to see for myself, since Clue was one of my favorite childhood board games. I awaited my little red envelope anxiously, like a little kid. I was not disappointed!

The director, Jonathan Lynn and John Landis developed the screenplay. They use the same character names as the game: Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) is the man murdered in the game—in the movie he is the mysterious host who has invited six strangers to his sumptuous mansion on a dark and stormy night in 1954.
Mr. Boddy’s butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), assigns each guest the names to those of you familiar with the board game: Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Col. Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), and Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn). Two additional servants, the Cook (Kellye Nakahara) and Yvette, the maid (Colleen Camp), help the butler as he informs the guests that they have been invited to meet the man who is blackmailing them.

It is very campy and over the top. Many memorable one-liners ensue. It is a riot to see the old game pieces, the candlestick, the lead pipe, the rope, etc..worked into the plot. The expressions of Eileen Brennan are priceless and I especially love Madeline Kahn’s character, Mrs. White who is suspected of murdering two of her former husbands. She deadpans: “Husbands should be like Kleenex - soft, strong, and disposable.” See under Blogroll for links to Clue fan web sites where you can find more fun quotes from the movie.