Clue

Throughout time movies have been based on a wide variety of source material ranging from an article, folklore, or even other movies. The most common source material are books or stories from the printed form. Almost equally as common ste those based on an original screenplay, written only to be filmed. Today's subject though is based on something entirely different. Here the source material doesn't have a list of chapters and a prologue, but instead a set of rules and a board.

So if you're like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that's a glass of Meelot from our friends at Yellow Tail Winery. So sit back, relax, and let's talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

As a youngster, I loved the game of Clue. I used to love to play with my parents and brother growing up and my favorite character to play as was Colonel Mustard. I have fond memories of playing, especially during thunderstorms when the power went out. We'd light candles and play in the darkness, which added to the ambience of a murder mystery game. I also really enjoyed the art of the cards, the board, and the small figurines of weaponry and player idols.

My parents also owned the movie on VHS and I feel like that was on rotation as a kid. I loved to watch the characters of the board game I adored on screen. When I was up to visit my parents a couple months ago I stumbled across the tape in the basement and encountered a waft of nostalgic air.

For those unfamiliar, Clue is a board game, which can be played by up to six players. The game board resembles a mansion with halls and rooms, of which there are twelve. Players roll dice, move their player and draw cards, and gather clues, all in an attempt to make an accusation. The object of the game is to determine who murdered Mr. Body, what they murdered him with, and which room it occurred in. The game was released in 1949 under the name Cluedo in the UK and under the name Clue in the US. The game took off in popularity and remains among the most played board games of all time.

The movie version was the brainchild of John Landis who served as Executive producer on the project. If that name rings a bell, that's not surprising as his filmography is pretty impressive. He directed several great comedies including Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, and Coming to America to name a few. Landis, wanted help developing the plot he had thought out and sought aid. He attempted to hire several writers including playwright Tom Stoppard, and actor Anthony Perkins, but neither panned out for various reasons. In the end, director Jonathan Lynn helped develop the plot and the final screenplay.

Clue was released by Paramount Studios in 1985 with a budget of fifteen million dollars. Written by Johnathon Lynn and John Landis, it was played to be a comedic version of the serious boardgame. Set somewhere within New England during 1954, the film included a star-studded cast. Among them is Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Loyd, Michael McLean and several others.

The film starts as we see Wadsworth, the house butler, played by Tim Curry arrives and let himself into a foreboding and impressive mansion. Soon after, more guests arrive one by one. All of the guests entering through its doors are familiar to us from the boardgame. First on the scene is Colonel Mustard, played by Martin Mull. Wearing mustard suit, he is shown into the mansion and introduced to the veluptuous french maid, Yvette. When the doorbell rings again, it's Mrs. White, played by madeline Khan. Ironically bathed in a black dress, she's pretty tight lipped and cautious. The next introduced to Mrs. White and Colonel Mustard is Mrs. Peacock, played by Eileen Brennan. Peacock is an older woman who is snobbish and rather crass. Then comes Mr. Green, played by Michael McLean. A rather nervous and uptight man, he's a clumsy and meak individual, short on conversation, but very observant. Last to arrive is Professor Plum, played by Christopher Loyd. Plum is a reserved man who has a wandering eye. With him is Miss Scarlet, played by Leslwy Ann Warren, who he has picked up after her car broke down on the side of the road. Miss Scarlet is a fiercely independent and strong woman with a quick witt and sharp tongue.

Of course Wadsworth, their host isn't alone to serve the guests. Alongside him is the house cook played by Kellye Nakahara and the maid, named Yvette, played by Colleen Camp.

All of the invited guests have arrived to the mansion based on a letter each of them received. Each letter contained information unique to the recipient. The unique information was to be used as blackmail, but along with that each received the same invitation to the mansion to meet their blackmailer, Mr. Boddy. Soon, the man himself arrives and lresents each of them a gift, handed to them in a black box with a bow. As each of them open the lid a different weapon is revealed. Mr Boddy blames the blackmail on Wadsworth and suggests they kill him. After pleading his case he turns out the lights and when they're turned back on, Mr. Boddy lies dead in the middle of the room. Suspicions rise as each are wary of the person next to them as nobody knows who did it. They must find out who killed the man to ensure not only their own safety, but that the culprit is handed over to the police when they arrive in a matter of hours.

While this game of suspicion and the unraveling of clues takes place, the mansion is visited by seemingly random people. The list of visitors include a police officer, a beggar, a stranded civilian, and a singing telegram. Despite the knocks and doorbells from those uninvited to the mansion, the guests' resolve remains intact and the sooner they uncover the culprit, the better...afterall, they might be next.

There are a lot of great performances in this movie and I think most are on an equal playing field. Wadsworth, being the main character and played by the aptly suited Tim Curry stands out among them. While actor and character fit like a glove, the choice to cast Curry was all but simple and straight foward. One thing I found interesting in my research is that Lynn had several other actors in mind to play Wadsworth before landing on Curry. Some on the list were Leonard Rossiter, Rowan Atkinson, and John Cleese. Eventually Lynn, asked his longtime friend Tim Curry and the rest is history.

Along with Wadsworth, each charcter is played extremely well and within those performances are some terrific moments. One of my favorite parts is when the police officer arrives on scene after getting a call from a concerned party. Despite their best efforts to convince him that everything is okay, he insists on a brief search of the home. After developing a plan, they admit him entry as each of them plays a role to stage a normal party. Their plan involves a lot of moving parts and is one of my favorite moments. It also features a great song in the background, which brings me back to this scene immediately whenever I hear it.

One of the most brilliant parts, at least in my mind is the ending, which I won't spoil, however I will relay one thing ablut it. That thing is that Clue features multiple endings. In keeping with the theme of the board game, five separate and distinct endings were filmed and distributed to different areas for screening. This meant that if you and a friend went to see it in two different places, you might have seen two different endings. This was done to mimic the different possible endings in the game of Clue. I find that really thoughtful and inventive and a brilliant nod to the source material.

Of course the home version has all five back to back so you can experience them all to your delight, which I always liked.

Despite the success and fan affair of the board game and a great cast, the movie did not do well upon release. Many people did not see past its slapstick comedy and dismissed it. Years later though, it found a following and has since become a cult classic. I grew up with Clue and really enjoyed it as a movie and still do today. It's got a good mix of things that keeps it light and entertaining. Some people don't like the ending or endings, but I rather enjoyed it. Without spoiling anything, the end nods to its source material and that I feel is just and fitting.

If you'd like to watch Clue, you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on Paramount Plus. Paramount Plus is a streaming service devoted to highlighting releases from Paramount Pictures and includes pricing tiers of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

Apart from Paramount Plus, you can also find it on Prime Video. Prime Video is a streaming service from Amazon and if you're a Prime member you cna enjoy Clue with your base membership.

You can also find it on other services including YouTube, Vudu, Google Play, and Apple TV for $3.99 to rent.

If you like this podcast, tell your friends and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Each week there will be new content including hints about episodes before they air. If you'd like to learn more about the show, visit our website at glazedcinema.com. There you'll fond more infor anout the show and a place to submit ideas for future episodes. For film fans who are hearing impaired, the blog page on our website features each episode in written form as well. As always, thanks for listening and I hope to see you next time with another beverage and another fine film on Glazed Cinema.