Flames On The Side Of My Face: Clue Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

Sure, we've been inundating you with anniversaries and reminders from Back to the Future, reminding you of the silver jubilee of even the most mundane McFly minutia. But there's another Christopher Lloyd 25th anniversary that shouldn't be forgotten, a film that was mostly ignored when first released, but which has blossomed into a comedy classic and a cult favorite. It also happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time, Clue.

Writer/director Jonathan Lynn and co-plotter John Landis smartly decided to appropriate the names and locales of the Clue board game, and use it as a frame to create an incredibly hilarious screwball comedy. Clever word play, groanworthy puns and lots of physical comedy wouldn't normally be associated with a murder-mystery, but as Wadsworth could tell you, the murders were just a red herring, only useful as a joke delivery system.

But for a film that sports a ridiculous Dream Team of comedy legends (Madeline Kahn! Michael McKean! Martin Mull!), Clue was oddly ignored by moviegoers when it was first released on December 13th, 1985. Grossing just shy of $15 million in total, it disappeared quickly in theaters, but found its audience on video and on cable, which is how I first encountered it. I've seen it more times than I can recall, and probably could quote you chapter and verse of the whole thing if given a chance. But why don't you check out the best moments from Clue, along with the original trailer (with the score from Airplane!)below



Comments

  • metroville says:

    You find me a better filmed improv in a time before most of the American major-motion-picture audience knew what the hell improv was and I will you give you nothing in return because you will be a liar.

  • sosgemini says:

    Amen! Amen...

  • NP says:

    Clue! I am so popping it into the DVD player _right now_!
    Mrs. Peacock was a man?? SLAP, SLAP

  • DadadadadadDA... I. Am. Your singing telegram... *gun*
    But your souls are in danger!
    Our LIVES are in danger, ya beatnik!
    Oui oui madam...
    No, I just need to powder my nose.
    One plus one plus two plus one...

  • Louis Virtel says:

    I'm not going to wait for Wadsworth here to unmask me. I work for Movieline, and I am a homosexual. I feel no shame or personal guilt about this, but I must talk about it constantly or I will lose my job on security grounds.
    Thankyou.

  • NP says:

    A plant? I thought men like you were usually called a fruit.

  • NP says:

    I came into money during the war, when I lost my mommy and daddy.

  • SunnydaZe says:

    Spinal Tap for the win??

  • Dixon Gaines says:

    Oh, please Louis. You know the second you go out that door, you're going home to sleep with your wife.

  • metroville says:

    The grading scale in this case only goes to 3 (as in, the 3 alternate endings to Clue), so--no.

  • Mark H says:

    Mostly ignored when first released? Try telling that to everyone who attended my 9th birthday party!

  • DM says:

    Who are you, Perry Mason?

  • buzz says:

    Thank you for recognizing this effing GEM of a film. I was 10 when the movie was released and I somehow convinced my uncle to take me to see it in a different city so that I could see multiple endings.
    And I've always preferred Kipling, myself.

  • buzz says:

    Would anyone care for fruit, or dessert?

  • NP says:

    Zee dagger will go furzer eento ehr back.

  • NP says:

    Communism was just a red herring.

  • Thanks, it was bothering me that I couldn't get this right. Thank you again!

  • david says:

    Shaaaksfin SOUP, ma'DAAM.
    Don't worry.. I will keep sumseeng wa'm fow' eem! ..What'd you have in mind, dear..?

  • Emily V. says:

    Yep, two corpses, everything's fine.

  • Stefanie says:

    This was by far my most-watched and most-loved movie as a child (even though I didn't get all the jokes back then, or really understand just how major each member of the cast was) and I happened to just re-watch it yesterday, my birthday. I am thrilled to know it came out exactly 25 years ago - on my birthday! My enduring love of this film just makes even more sense now :).
    It's my defense mechanism.
    No, merci, I am a ladeee.
    And you'd had a letter, and you'd had a letter, and you'd had a letter ... get on with it!