Clue

Re-released in theaters for the film's 40th anniversary, Clue (based off the board game of the same name) wasn't a big hit on its release but found its audience soon after on home video and cable where it quickly became a cult craze. Released in theaters in three separate versions, each containing a different ending to the whodunit, the film follows a group of strangers brought together in an old mansion to solve the murder of their blackmailer that night which one (or more) of them have committed. 

Mixing some farcical and slapstick elements with a murder mystery, Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), and Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren) all offer minimum information about themselves although the soon learn what the group has in common leading to murder, a frantic search through the house, and finally revelations. Also of importance are the home's butler Wadsworth (Tim Curry) crucial to moving the plot of the film along. We also get a small group of supporting characters, most notably Colleen Camp as the maid Yvette in a maid uniform tailor made to make an impression on boys of all ages.

Although neither audiences nor critics knew what to make of it at the time, the film's off-beat humor and fun murder mystery made it a must-see especially for younger audiences who, like yours truly, fell hard for the film on the first viewing and would watch it over and over again across the years (likely also helping shape my interests in both murder mysteries and wacky comedies, along with Scooby-D00). Very much an ensemble allowing each character to shine in different moments, Curry is the most notable standout for doing so much heavy lifting in terms of presenting facts to the group on multiple occasions without letting the film lose its manic energy. 

The choice to set the film in the 50s has certainly helped Clue age well as its hard not to see a full-on 80s version having more struggles to overcome. Despite which ending you saw (home video offered all three together), the fun was always more watching the mystery and craziness unfold rather than seeing the villain unmasked. I do believe one ending does stand out among the rest, but, whichever you see, Clue still entertains.

Watch the trailer

• Title: Clue
• IMDb: link