list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Murder by Death on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Murder_by_Death/23579/default.aspx Title: Murder by Death
Year: 1976
Director: Robert Moore
Plot: As penned by Neil Simon, this satire of movie mysteries is set in motion when several prominent detectives are invited to the mansion of the reclusive Lionel Twain (Truman Capote). In Ten Little Indians fashion, the gathered sleuths are locked into the forbidding mansion, and subject to various death-dealing devices. While struggling for their lives, the vainglorious gumshoes continue to try to one-up one another. Each character is broadly based on a famous literary detective: Sidney Wang (Peter Sellers) is an aphorism-spouting Charlie Chan clone: Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Maggie Smith) are patterned on the protagonists of the Thin Man flicks; Milo Perrier (James Coco), a Hercule Poirot takeoff, stalks through the proceedings declaring "I'm a Belgie, not a Frenchie!"; Sam Diamond (Peter Falk) is Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade rolled in one; and Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester) is a dottier variation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Best bit: a "conversation" between blind butler Jamessir Bensonmum (Alec Guinness) and deaf-mute maid Yetta (Nancy Walker). The fade-out gag of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson showing up late for Lionel Twain's party was edited from the theatrical version of Murder by Death, but was restored for TV. The film marked the big-screen directorial debut of Robert Moore, who'd previously directed several of Neil Simon's Broadway productions. Moore went on to direct another Simon spoof, The Cheap Detective (1978), before his untimely death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 41
Number of Lists: 14
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:01:50 GMTMurder by Death1976Robert MooreAs penned by <a href="/players/P___111573/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Neil Simon</a>, this satire of movie mysteries is set in motion when several prominent detectives are invited to the mansion of the reclusive Lionel Twain (<a href="/players/P____84070/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Truman Capote</a>). In <a href=/films/49974/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Ten Little Indians</a> fashion, the gathered sleuths are locked into the forbidding mansion, and subject to various death-dealing devices. While struggling for their lives, the vainglorious gumshoes continue to try to one-up one another. Each character is broadly based on a famous literary detective: Sidney Wang (<a href="/players/P____64447/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Sellers</a>) is an aphorism-spouting Charlie Chan clone: Dick and Dora Charleston (<a href="/players/P____52791/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Niven</a> and <a href="/players/P____66495/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Maggie Smith</a>) are patterned on the protagonists of the <a href=/films/34757/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Thin Man</a> flicks; Milo Perrier (<a href="/players/P____13873/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>James Coco</a>), a Hercule Poirot takeoff, stalks through the proceedings declaring "I'm a Belgie, not a Frenchie!"; Sam Diamond (<a href="/players/P____22575/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Falk</a>) is <a href="/players/P____84666/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Raymond Chandler</a>'s Philip Marlowe and <a href="/players/P___187974/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dashiell Hammett</a>'s Sam Spade rolled in one; and Jessica Marbles (<a href="/players/P____40228/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elsa Lanchester</a>) is a dottier variation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Best bit: a "conversation" between blind butler Jamessir Bensonmum (<a href="/players/P____29203/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alec Guinness</a>) and deaf-mute maid Yetta (<a href="/players/P___115800/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nancy Walker</a>). The fade-out gag of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson showing up late for Lionel Twain's party was edited from the theatrical version of Murder by Death, but was restored for TV. The film marked the big-screen directorial debut of <a href="/players/P___103389/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert Moore</a>, who'd previously directed several of <a href="/players/P___111573/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Neil Simon</a>'s Broadway productions. Moore went on to direct another Simon spoof, <a href=/films/5741/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Cheap Detective</a> (1978), before his untimely death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide41Tag Target (>10)14453http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t14101ntic1.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Murder_by_Death/23579/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_13_Whodunit/625/43030/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/13/2009 6:01:50 PM
Body: With the internet all abuzz about the onslaught of board games getting the celluloid treatment, I was reminded of one of my favorite movies that is based on a popular board game: Clue. Now I get a lot of criticism for liking this film but am unwavering on my commitment to its absolute hilarity and it being a deft example of a whodunit mystery movie. Not as widespread as it was back in the Golden Age of Hollywood when the studios were pumping out Charlie Chan and The Thin Man like their lives depended on them (which they probably did, but alas), the whodunit genre has more or less been slivered into other more popular genres such as Horror and Action. I may be wrong, but movies like Scream, The Thing, and Identity definitely utilize key elements of a whodunit film. Dressed to Kill (along with Clue) is one of my favorite murder mysteries due to the insane nature of the film and all the traditional elements being twisted and played with by De Palma. The other day I grabbed a copy of Murder By Death at my local grocery store for a buck and have to say I was slightly amused by it (if not completely offended by Peter Sellers horribly racist portrayal of a Chinese detective). Gosford Park is a great recent example of a whodunit. With such an amazing cast it definitely makes me miss Altman. What do you all think?
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:01:50 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme7/13/2009 6:01:50 PMWith the internet all abuzz about the onslaught of board games getting the celluloid treatment, I was reminded of one of my favorite movies that is based on a popular board game: Clue. Now I get a lot of criticism for liking this film but am unwavering on my commitment to its absolute hilarity and it being a deft example of a whodunit mystery movie. Not as widespread as it was back in the Golden Age of Hollywood when the studios were pumping out Charlie Chan and The Thin Man like their lives depended on them (which they probably did, but alas), the whodunit genre has more or less been slivered into other more popular genres such as Horror and Action. I may be wrong, but movies like Scream, The Thing, and Identity definitely utilize key elements of a whodunit film. Dressed to Kill (along with Clue) is one of my favorite murder mysteries due to the insane nature of the film and all the traditional elements being twisted and played with by De Palma. The other day I grabbed a copy of Murder By Death at my local grocery store for a buck and have to say I was slightly amused by it (if not completely offended by Peter Sellers horribly racist portrayal of a Chinese detective). Gosford Park is a great recent example of a whodunit. With such an amazing cast it definitely makes me miss Altman. What do you all think? http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40713.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:02:03 PM
Body: Who knew that the 1985 board game adaptation Clue had so many fans? These people certainly weren’t around 24 years ago when the movie opened 6th at the box office, behind even the terrible Santa Claus: The Movie in its third week (I’ll admit, though, Santa Claus is one of my dear guilty pleasures). But suddenly, via the internet, loyalists are everywhere, up in arms over news that a new Clue adaptation is moving forward as if the original were as popular a film as the 1985 box office champ Back to the Future (which grossed as much as 14 times more than Clue). Well, I am with the devoted to an extent. I have loved Clue since seeing it in the theater, and am embarrassed to admit it was probably the film that introduced me to the comic talents of Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Michael McKean (what can I say except that I was 8 and hadn’t yet seen Rocky Horror, Blazing Saddles or Spinal Tap?). But I’m not joining the protest, because I know we’ll always have the original movie. Plus, I recognize that it was anything but an original idea (never mind that it was based on a board game; hasn’t anyone see Murder By Death?). And besides, the new version, to be directed by Pirates of the Caribbean’s Gore Verbinski, hardly sounds anything like either the game or the first film. “Global thriller and transmedia event”? I don’t know what that is, but it isn’t the Clue I played. After the jump, the internerds weigh in on their love for Clue or (gasp!) their excitement for Verbinski’s effort: Cinematical’s Monika Bartyzel apparently loves Clue enough to compare it to some of the most beloved classics and cult favorites: “Nothing is sacred. Get ready, because I’m sure Gin, The Movie is on its way, as well as remakes of Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane, plus someone with enough cojones to try and replicate Bruce Campbell’s Ash.” Adam B. Vary at PopWatch relays Entertainment Weekly editor Nicholas Fonseca’s opinion that the news is “blasphemy” and offers his own praise of the first film: You could scarcely ask for a better script — Professor Plum: “What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death?” Mrs. Peacock: “No, just death, isn’t that enough?” — or a more talented cast. But even if you (inexplicably) think this film of dubious quality, or have absolutely no idea what I’m even talking about, I think we can all agree on this: There is absolutely no need for another movie based on the Hasbro board game Clue. Josh Taylor at Cinema Blend has similar praise: “The original, hilarious, 1985 take on the mystery solving board game sported an incredible ensemble cast led by the likes of Tim Curry, and it’s brilliance defies duplication.” Vulture claims that “everyone loves the campy original,” hence the “humorless-sounding” description of this new version. Nicole at Collider looks forward to the new movie: “Verbinski’s ‘Clue’ already has a leg up on its predecessor, however.  It has a director who knows how to take a crassly commercial concept (there’s nothing more crassly commercial than a ride at Disneyland) and turn it into something sublime.” Snarkarati’s Kirsten Anderson clearly hasn’t noticed the unhappy masses and therefore agrees with Nicole: “There was a previous film version of Clue made in 1985, but it was apparently dreadful, so Verbinski has nowhere to go but up.” “maestro610″ agrees in his comment on Cinematical: “If he wants to do this I’ve got to imagine that he’s interested in putting together something that could fit next to the original. We are talking about a movie based on a board game… remember all the explanation necessary is that its a new game. Don’t disacknowledge the original just step away from it.” Megorious seems fine with Verbinski directing, but not necessarily because of his surprising success with Pirates: “Hopefully Verbinski’s version of Clue will be more like his Mousehunt and less like most everything else he’s ever made.” Commenting on PopWatch, “jd” offers up another idea for the new film: “The movie they should make- in the 70’s, National Lampoon magazine did a ghetto parody, called ‘CLOO’. The character names were a bit more urban, and the weapons were straight razors and blackjacks. Very funny, in those non-PC times!” And at Screengrab, Scott Von Doviak sees the potential for a better film with the right casting: “I may be imagining things here, but I seem to recall a notorious bomb from the ‘80s adapted from Clue. And yet … Let the Johnny Depp as Colonel Mustard rumors start now.” Meanwhile, people are commenting all over the web with ideas for who to cast in the new version, but my favorite is this old chestnut, suggested by “Furzee” at Aint It Cool News: “Kate Moss as the candlestick…” And now I present my favorite 25 seconds of the film (boy, do I miss Madeline Kahn): Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:02:03 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:02:03 PMWho knew that the 1985 board game adaptation Clue had so many fans? These people certainly weren’t around 24 years ago when the movie opened 6th at the box office, behind even the terrible Santa Claus: The Movie in its third week (I’ll admit, though, Santa Claus is one of my dear guilty pleasures). But suddenly, via the internet, loyalists are everywhere, up in arms over news that a new Clue adaptation is moving forward as if the original were as popular a film as the 1985 box office champ Back to the Future (which grossed as much as 14 times more than Clue). Well, I am with the devoted to an extent. I have loved Clue since seeing it in the theater, and am embarrassed to admit it was probably the film that introduced me to the comic talents of Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Michael McKean (what can I say except that I was 8 and hadn’t yet seen Rocky Horror, Blazing Saddles or Spinal Tap?). But I’m not joining the protest, because I know we’ll always have the original movie. Plus, I recognize that it was anything but an original idea (never mind that it was based on a board game; hasn’t anyone see Murder By Death?). And besides, the new version, to be directed by Pirates of the Caribbean’s Gore Verbinski, hardly sounds anything like either the game or the first film. “Global thriller and transmedia event”? I don’t know what that is, but it isn’t the Clue I played. After the jump, the internerds weigh in on their love for Clue or (gasp!) their excitement for Verbinski’s effort: Cinematical’s Monika Bartyzel apparently loves Clue enough to compare it to some of the most beloved classics and cult favorites: “Nothing is sacred. Get ready, because I’m sure Gin, The Movie is on its way, as well as remakes of Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane, plus someone with enough cojones to try and replicate Bruce Campbell’s Ash.” Adam B. Vary at PopWatch relays Entertainment Weekly editor Nicholas Fonseca’s opinion that the news is “blasphemy” and offers his own praise of the first film: You could scarcely ask for a better script — Professor Plum: “What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death?” Mrs. Peacock: “No, just death, isn’t that enough?” — or a more talented cast. But even if you (inexplicably) think this film of dubious quality, or have absolutely no idea what I’m even talking about, I think we can all agree on this: There is absolutely no need for another movie based on the Hasbro board game Clue. Josh Taylor at Cinema Blend has similar praise: “The original, hilarious, 1985 take on the mystery solving board game sported an incredible ensemble cast led by the likes of Tim Curry, and it’s brilliance defies duplication.” Vulture claims that “everyone loves the campy original,” hence the “humorless-sounding” description of this new version. Nicole at Collider looks forward to the new movie: “Verbinski’s ‘Clue’ already has a leg up on its predecessor, however.  It has a director who knows how to take a crassly commercial concept (there’s nothing more crassly commercial than a ride at Disneyland) and turn it into something sublime.” Snarkarati’s Kirsten Anderson clearly hasn’t noticed the unhappy masses and therefore agrees with Nicole: “There was a previous film version of Clue made in 1985, but it was apparently dreadful, so Verbinski has nowhere to go but up.” “maestro610″ agrees in his comment on Cinematical: “If he wants to do this I’ve got to imagine that he’s interested in putting together something that could fit next to the original. We are talking about a movie based on a board game… remember all the explanation necessary is that its a new game. Don’t disacknowledge the original just step away from it.” Megorious seems fine with Verbinski directing, but not necessarily because of his surprising success with Pirates: “Hopefully Verbinski’s version of Clue will be more like his Mousehunt and less like most everything else he’s ever made.” Commenting on PopWatch, “jd” offers up another idea for the new film: “The movie they should make- in the 70’s, National Lampoon magazine did a ghetto parody, called ‘CLOO’. The character names were a bit more urban, and the weapons were straight razors and blackjacks. Very funny, in those non-PC times!” And at Screengrab, Scott Von Doviak sees the potential for a better film with the right casting: “I may be imagining things here, but I seem to recall a notorious bomb from the ‘80s adapted from Clue. And yet … Let the Johnny Depp as Colonel Mustard rumors start now.” Meanwhile, people are commenting all over the web with ideas for who to cast in the new version, but my favorite is this old chestnut, suggested by “Furzee” at Aint It Cool News: “Kate Moss as the candlestick…” And now I present my favorite 25 seconds of the film (boy, do I miss Madeline Kahn): Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_films_from_your_childhood/190/36329/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Ravie13
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/14/2008 8:47:02 PM
Body: [quote user="GradysGhost"] Murder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon. Krull - Anybody? ... Anybody? ... No? [/quote] Yes! KRULL!!
]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:47:02 GMTRavie13Top 510/14/2008 8:47:02 PM[quote user="GradysGhost"] Murder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon. Krull - Anybody? ... Anybody? ... No? [/quote] Yes! KRULL!! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/18/31371.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/18/2008 1:01:16 PM
Body: I keep forgetting that Mike Myers is not actually playing an Indian in The Love Guru, and yet I’m constantly reminded by the film’s commercials, which show that ridiculous shot of a little kid’s body with Myers’ giant head digitally superimposed onto it. Really, Myers’ character (Pitka) is a white American who is left on the doorstep of an Indian ashram when he’s a child. Then he’s raised as Indian, I guess (or simply Hindu, but then why the accent?). Apparently the character, Pitka, couldn’t simply look and talk like Myers. He had to have that silly accent and the clothes and the facial hair, despite the fact that Deepak Chopra, who partially inspired the character (and who appears in the movie), is able to wear jeans and be clean-shaven. Because who would believe Myers as an Indian guru with just the voice, the clothes and his baby face? Of course, Myers is not the first actor to wear or grow a beard and/or mustache in order to take on the guise of another ethnicity. Sure, it’s also the accent and the makeup that transforms the actor, but with the most recognizable faces, it’s the facial hair that really seals the deal for supposed authenticity. Charlton Heston as Mexican in Touch of Evil (pictured above) - Maybe if Heston could maintain the accent he wouldn’t have needed the mustache. But then in photos he still would have just looked like regular old Heston. With the whiskers, however, he looks like regular old Heston with a mustache. If this look defined a man as Mexican, then many characters from the ’30s must have been Mexican. Rhett Butler? Mexican. Nick Charles (and anyone else played by William Powell)? Mexican. John Wayne as Mongolian in The Conqueror - I don’t think Wayne even tried with the accent, and it doesn’t appear like any makeup was applied to his face. But thanks to that catfish stash he’s totally convincing as Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Too bad Susan Hayward couldn’t wear facial hair to make her look more like a Tartar queen. Actually, it might have helped. Peter Sellers as Chinese in Murder By Death - He certainly wasn’t the first white actor to play Charlie Chan. There was Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters, among others. But he’s probably the only one not primarily famous for playing the Chinese-American detective. Not that it would be acceptable for anyone to portray Chan without the iconic facial hair. Edward G. Robinson as Reubenite in The Ten Commandments - Born a Romanian Jew, Robinson was more acceptably cast as an ancient Israelite than it would seem. Yet after playing so many Italians in so many gangster movies, he was going against type as the traitor Dathan. Did the character grow the beard to align him more with the Egyptians, though? If so, then this is a twofold instance of facial hair making the race. Wallace Beery as Mexican in Viva Villa! -Long before Charlton Heston wore a mustache to pass as Mexican, Wallace Beery did the same. At least Beery was playing a real person, though, and had to wear a mustache. Still, would anyone have believed the star as any non-iconically-stashed Mexican? Sacha Baron Cohen as a Kazakh in Borat - OK, so without the accent, Sacha Baron Cohen would just look like an early ’80s Freddie Mercury wannabe. But also, without that mustache, he’d merely look like Sacha Baron Cohen. Not that any of us knew what the actor really looked like prior to his publicity tour for this movie, but that’s beside the point. Eddie Murphy as white on Saturday Night Live - In the early ’80s, when many white men wanted to be Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, this kind of mustache was absolutely necessary for Murphy’s transformation. Anthony Quinn as an Arab in Lawrence of Arabia - The Mexican-American Quinn was great at playing against race. And he wasn’t the first or last to don a beard to play an Arab. But his portrayal was probably the most iconic representation of Arab for most of us who grew up in non-ethnically-diverse suburbs. John Cleese as French in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - You may recognize that he’s French by the exaggerated accent (his lines as the taunter are popular audio samples), but Cleese just wouldn’t be convincing as French without the exaggerated mustache. I know this, because at Halloween time, I see items called “French mustache,” meaning it’s an essential part of the stereotype. Meryl Streep as Jewish in Angels in America - You can’t play an Orthodox rabbi without the big frizzy beard, but when you’re Meryl Streep, regardless of how much of a chameleon you are, the beard is more than a must. It’s perhaps the only way of being passable as male and Jewish. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:01:16 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/18/2008 1:01:16 PM I keep forgetting that Mike Myers is not actually playing an Indian in The Love Guru, and yet I’m constantly reminded by the film’s commercials, which show that ridiculous shot of a little kid’s body with Myers’ giant head digitally superimposed onto it. Really, Myers’ character (Pitka) is a white American who is left on the doorstep of an Indian ashram when he’s a child. Then he’s raised as Indian, I guess (or simply Hindu, but then why the accent?). Apparently the character, Pitka, couldn’t simply look and talk like Myers. He had to have that silly accent and the clothes and the facial hair, despite the fact that Deepak Chopra, who partially inspired the character (and who appears in the movie), is able to wear jeans and be clean-shaven. Because who would believe Myers as an Indian guru with just the voice, the clothes and his baby face? Of course, Myers is not the first actor to wear or grow a beard and/or mustache in order to take on the guise of another ethnicity. Sure, it’s also the accent and the makeup that transforms the actor, but with the most recognizable faces, it’s the facial hair that really seals the deal for supposed authenticity. Charlton Heston as Mexican in Touch of Evil (pictured above) - Maybe if Heston could maintain the accent he wouldn’t have needed the mustache. But then in photos he still would have just looked like regular old Heston. With the whiskers, however, he looks like regular old Heston with a mustache. If this look defined a man as Mexican, then many characters from the ’30s must have been Mexican. Rhett Butler? Mexican. Nick Charles (and anyone else played by William Powell)? Mexican. John Wayne as Mongolian in The Conqueror - I don’t think Wayne even tried with the accent, and it doesn’t appear like any makeup was applied to his face. But thanks to that catfish stash he’s totally convincing as Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Too bad Susan Hayward couldn’t wear facial hair to make her look more like a Tartar queen. Actually, it might have helped. Peter Sellers as Chinese in Murder By Death - He certainly wasn’t the first white actor to play Charlie Chan. There was Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters, among others. But he’s probably the only one not primarily famous for playing the Chinese-American detective. Not that it would be acceptable for anyone to portray Chan without the iconic facial hair. Edward G. Robinson as Reubenite in The Ten Commandments - Born a Romanian Jew, Robinson was more acceptably cast as an ancient Israelite than it would seem. Yet after playing so many Italians in so many gangster movies, he was going against type as the traitor Dathan. Did the character grow the beard to align him more with the Egyptians, though? If so, then this is a twofold instance of facial hair making the race. Wallace Beery as Mexican in Viva Villa! -Long before Charlton Heston wore a mustache to pass as Mexican, Wallace Beery did the same. At least Beery was playing a real person, though, and had to wear a mustache. Still, would anyone have believed the star as any non-iconically-stashed Mexican? Sacha Baron Cohen as a Kazakh in Borat - OK, so without the accent, Sacha Baron Cohen would just look like an early ’80s Freddie Mercury wannabe. But also, without that mustache, he’d merely look like Sacha Baron Cohen. Not that any of us knew what the actor really looked like prior to his publicity tour for this movie, but that’s beside the point. Eddie Murphy as white on Saturday Night Live - In the early ’80s, when many white men wanted to be Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, this kind of mustache was absolutely necessary for Murphy’s transformation. Anthony Quinn as an Arab in Lawrence of Arabia - The Mexican-American Quinn was great at playing against race. And he wasn’t the first or last to don a beard to play an Arab. But his portrayal was probably the most iconic representation of Arab for most of us who grew up in non-ethnically-diverse suburbs. John Cleese as French in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - You may recognize that he’s French by the exaggerated accent (his lines as the taunter are popular audio samples), but Cleese just wouldn’t be convincing as French without the exaggerated mustache. I know this, because at Halloween time, I see items called “French mustache,” meaning it’s an essential part of the stereotype. Meryl Streep as Jewish in Angels in America - You can’t play an Orthodox rabbi without the big frizzy beard, but when you’re Meryl Streep, regardless of how much of a chameleon you are, the beard is more than a must. It’s perhaps the only way of being passable as male and Jewish. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/HORROR_MOVIES_101/Re_How_About_your_Favorite_FUNNY_Scary_Movies/222/13036/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: divinemsjunebug
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 7/4/2007 12:27:11 AM
Body: I LOVED Murder by Death. That is just one of the cutest, funniest movies. I really need to watch that again it's been years since I've seen it.
]]>Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:27:11 GMTdivinemsjunebugHORROR MOVIES 1017/4/2007 12:27:11 AMI LOVED Murder by Death. That is just one of the cutest, funniest movies. I really need to watch that again it's been years since I've seen it. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_films_from_your_childhood/190/11014/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: JEllen
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/13/2007 5:16:52 AM
Body: [quote user="GradysGhost"]Murder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon.[/quote]I loved Murder By Death Too, but didn't see it till I was grown up.Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back were the big ones from my childhood. Sorry to be repetitive, but they really did influence a lot of kids. Before those came out I didn't take much interest in films, although I do remember Sleeping Beauty and Bambi, both of which scared me a little bit.
]]>Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:16:52 GMTJEllenTop 56/13/2007 5:16:52 AM[quote user="GradysGhost"]Murder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon.[/quote]I loved Murder By Death Too, but didn&#39;t see it till I was grown up.Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back were the big ones from my childhood. Sorry to be repetitive, but they really did influence a lot of kids. Before those came out I didn&#39;t take much interest in films, although I do remember Sleeping Beauty and Bambi, both of which scared me a little bit. http://www.spout.com/blogs/gradysghost/archive/2007/5/19/9024.aspx Post By: GradysGhost
Post To: GradysGhost Blog
Post Date: 5/19/2007 8:06:00 AM
Body: Have you ever seen Murder By Death? I have. I watched it last night. It's a "dinner-and-a-murder" caper written by Neil Simon. Really, it's almost a spoof of capers, but that's a hard call to make because capers are spoofs of murder mysteries. Or homages. One of the two.Where's the distinction? Where does one cross the line between spoof and homage. Lemme go to the dictionary.My Dictionary tells me that homage (which can be pronounced "hom-ij" or "ohm-azh") is "respect or reverence paid or rendered" and that a spoof is "a mocking imitation of someone or something, usually light and good-humored; lampoon or parody." So the difference is respect?I beg to differ. A spoof can be respectful. Look at The Naked Gun: From the FIles of Police Squad. The Zuckers and Jim Abraham (ZAZ as they have been known to be called) are clearly poking fun at cop movie and TV shows (since Naked Gun started out as Police Squad, a thirty-minute television program that only lasted six episodes). But I think they do it respectfully. As in the source material, the Naked Gun series' Frank Drebin always gets the bad guy at the last second, usually at gunpoint, and always gets the girl (who is always Jane). Even though the films tend to disparage police since the main character is a bumbling idiot, they never seem to forget where they came from.Often with spoofs - and this has become painfully obvious lately with disasters like Date Movie and Epic Movie - entire scenes from original material will be played out by different actors. One scene in Scary Movie (title trend duly noted, guys) even mentions that it's all just a scene from another movie. How respecful is that? If I recall, they even mention that movie's title - Scream, of course. If respect had been eliminated from Scary Movie, I would probably have been the first to flare up in anger considering Scream is one of my all-time favorites, and probably one of the most brilliant horror films ever (I'll be talking about metafiction soon, methinks).In regards to homage, I'll provide the example Shaun of the Dead. Two unsuspecting losers find themselves hungover in a town full of stupid, slow zombies. The film pays respects to just about any zombie flick that came before it, most notably Night of the Living Dead. The title, after all, is a play on one of Night's sequels and was probably a play on the popularity of Stuart Gordon's zombie flick released about the same time, Dawn of the Dead. The difference between Shaun of the Dead and The Naked Gun (besides the fundamental fact that we're comparing cop movies to zombie features; I would compare it to Hot Fuzz, but I have yet to see it and it's just not fair to compare movies you haven't seen)? Shaun of the Dead was executed more stylistically similar to the films it credits. The Naked Gun series, indeed most of ZAZ's combined and individual efforts, have a style of their own.Also, when you laugh at Naked Gun or Scary Movie or Not Another Teen Movie, you're usually laughing at the idea that they really are making fun of something. When you laugh at Shaun of the Dead, you're not. The jokes are original.Maybe that's the root of it all - a spoof and an homage are really the same thing with only one difference. A spoof needs to be funny (or attempt to be). An homage does not.Humor doesn't hurt, as Quentin Tarantino has shown us. I laugh when I watch Kill Bill. Because it's a direct throwback to other movies that people adore and despise as much as any other, yet it feels so comfortable and natural to watch it. You don't feel bad about laughing the way you do when you laugh at movies like Spider-man 3 in the middle of a theater full of people who seem to be actually enjoying it seriously (cue caterpillar-esque lip-quiver).Tarantino is a writer/director, though who makes me question his originality. Does he actually write original screenplays and direct original movies when so much of each film he makes is grounded in movies made before his birth? Does that make him derivative? All he seems to do is make homages to other directors, but I like them all the same, even if I didn't like the movies they're referencing. That must have something to do with the true nature of homage, then. There's got to be something original in it. I guess I would say that Tarantino is original by way of being derivative. There's enough there to say, "This is just like that one movie!" but enough there to say, "This is definitely a Tarantino film."Wow. I got pretty far astray from where I started here.Murder By Death - spoof or tribute? Hard to say.Not to spoil the movie if you've never seen it, but at the very end, after all five detectives (who are all based strongly on other famous fiction detectives - Sam Spade, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, et al) make their wagers on the killer, and the butler is revealed to be Lionel Twain (Truman Capote), Twain actually stands up to reveal his motive was to get back at all the terrible endings to mystery novels and movies ("where the killer is a character who hasn't even been introduced until five pages from the end"), a screenwriting move that makes Twain's character completely break free of the realm of the movie. Never before had it been mentioned that the detectives were actually based on other fictional characters. You just assumed it. Because it's a spoof. Or an homage. Or something. It is this pivotal moment in the film that makes me unable to determine whether Murder By Death is simply farce or tribute. The fact that Lionel Twain is played by Truman Capote - a real-life novelist who even wrote a book called In Cold Blood which was a real-life murder mystery - convolutes my brain with thoughts of metafiction (will get to discuss this later when my thoughts subside a bit).Because of the lack of distinction here, I can't give this movie anything but a mediocre rating. But it really did make me think. Something that most comedies can't make me do.I'm all confused. Anybody have thoughts on this?
]]>Sat, 19 May 2007 12:06:00 GMTGradysGhostGradysGhost Blog5/19/2007 8:06:00 AMHave you ever seen Murder By Death? I have. I watched it last night. It&#39;s a "dinner-and-a-murder" caper written by Neil Simon. Really, it&#39;s almost a spoof of capers, but that&#39;s a hard call to make because capers are spoofs of murder mysteries. Or homages. One of the two.Where&#39;s the distinction? Where does one cross the line between spoof and homage. Lemme go to the dictionary.My Dictionary tells me that homage (which can be pronounced "hom-ij" or "ohm-azh") is "respect or reverence paid or rendered" and that a spoof is "a mocking imitation of someone or something, usually light and good-humored; lampoon or parody." So the difference is respect?I beg to differ. A spoof can be respectful. Look at The Naked Gun: From the FIles of Police Squad. The Zuckers and Jim Abraham (ZAZ as they have been known to be called) are clearly poking fun at cop movie and TV shows (since Naked Gun started out as Police Squad, a thirty-minute television program that only lasted six episodes). But I think they do it respectfully. As in the source material, the Naked Gun series&#39; Frank Drebin always gets the bad guy at the last second, usually at gunpoint, and always gets the girl (who is always Jane). Even though the films tend to disparage police since the main character is a bumbling idiot, they never seem to forget where they came from.Often with spoofs - and this has become painfully obvious lately with disasters like Date Movie and Epic Movie - entire scenes from original material will be played out by different actors. One scene in Scary Movie (title trend duly noted, guys) even mentions that it&#39;s all just a scene from another movie. How respecful is that? If I recall, they even mention that movie&#39;s title - Scream, of course. If respect had been eliminated from Scary Movie, I would probably have been the first to flare up in anger considering Scream is one of my all-time favorites, and probably one of the most brilliant horror films ever (I&#39;ll be talking about metafiction soon, methinks).In regards to homage, I&#39;ll provide the example Shaun of the Dead. Two unsuspecting losers find themselves hungover in a town full of stupid, slow zombies. The film pays respects to just about any zombie flick that came before it, most notably Night of the Living Dead. The title, after all, is a play on one of Night&#39;s sequels and was probably a play on the popularity of Stuart Gordon&#39;s zombie flick released about the same time, Dawn of the Dead. The difference between Shaun of the Dead and The Naked Gun (besides the fundamental fact that we&#39;re comparing cop movies to zombie features; I would compare it to Hot Fuzz, but I have yet to see it and it&#39;s just not fair to compare movies you haven&#39;t seen)? Shaun of the Dead was executed more stylistically similar to the films it credits. The Naked Gun series, indeed most of ZAZ&#39;s combined and individual efforts, have a style of their own.Also, when you laugh at Naked Gun or Scary Movie or Not Another Teen Movie, you&#39;re usually laughing at the idea that they really are making fun of something. When you laugh at Shaun of the Dead, you&#39;re not. The jokes are original.Maybe that&#39;s the root of it all - a spoof and an homage are really the same thing with only one difference. A spoof needs to be funny (or attempt to be). An homage does not.Humor doesn&#39;t hurt, as Quentin Tarantino has shown us. I laugh when I watch Kill Bill. Because it&#39;s a direct throwback to other movies that people adore and despise as much as any other, yet it feels so comfortable and natural to watch it. You don&#39;t feel bad about laughing the way you do when you laugh at movies like Spider-man 3 in the middle of a theater full of people who seem to be actually enjoying it seriously (cue caterpillar-esque lip-quiver).Tarantino is a writer/director, though who makes me question his originality. Does he actually write original screenplays and direct original movies when so much of each film he makes is grounded in movies made before his birth? Does that make him derivative? All he seems to do is make homages to other directors, but I like them all the same, even if I didn&#39;t like the movies they&#39;re referencing. That must have something to do with the true nature of homage, then. There&#39;s got to be something original in it. I guess I would say that Tarantino is original by way of being derivative. There&#39;s enough there to say, "This is just like that one movie!" but enough there to say, "This is definitely a Tarantino film."Wow. I got pretty far astray from where I started here.Murder By Death - spoof or tribute? Hard to say.Not to spoil the movie if you&#39;ve never seen it, but at the very end, after all five detectives (who are all based strongly on other famous fiction detectives - Sam Spade, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, et al) make their wagers on the killer, and the butler is revealed to be Lionel Twain (Truman Capote), Twain actually stands up to reveal his motive was to get back at all the terrible endings to mystery novels and movies ("where the killer is a character who hasn&#39;t even been introduced until five pages from the end"), a screenwriting move that makes Twain&#39;s character completely break free of the realm of the movie. Never before had it been mentioned that the detectives were actually based on other fictional characters. You just assumed it. Because it&#39;s a spoof. Or an homage. Or something. It is this pivotal moment in the film that makes me unable to determine whether Murder By Death is simply farce or tribute. The fact that Lionel Twain is played by Truman Capote - a real-life novelist who even wrote a book called In Cold Blood which was a real-life murder mystery - convolutes my brain with thoughts of metafiction (will get to discuss this later when my thoughts subside a bit).Because of the lack of distinction here, I can&#39;t give this movie anything but a mediocre rating. But it really did make me think. Something that most comedies can&#39;t make me do.I&#39;m all confused. Anybody have thoughts on this? http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_films_from_your_childhood/190/9016/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: GradysGhost
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 5/18/2007 10:50:03 PM
Body: Murder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon.Krull - Anybody? ... Anybody? ... No?
]]>Sat, 19 May 2007 02:50:03 GMTGradysGhostTop 55/18/2007 10:50:03 PMMurder By Death - Loved the mystery. Loved the comedy. My first Neil Simon.Krull - Anybody? ... Anybody? ... No? http://www.spout.com/blogs/c_joseph_w/archive/2007/5/10/8518.aspx Post By: c_joseph_w
Post To: c_joseph_w Blog
Post Date: 5/10/2007 2:13:29 PM
Body: Stage productions and films require a different focus, and adaptations from one to the other are often hard to pull of to keep the original feel intact. Robert Moore does an excellent job of transferring Neil Simon's Murder by Death onto the screen. The set, the blocking, the acting, the musical score, and the editing all lend themselves to halp create a film that pays homage to its roots as a stage play. The ensemble, which has many prominent actors in it,  works well together, providing great timing and inflection which serves well to lampoon many of the great literary and film detectives. If you enjoy absurd, zany humor, then you should definitely check out this murder mystery spoof. 
]]>Thu, 10 May 2007 18:13:29 GMTc_joseph_wc_joseph_w Blog5/10/2007 2:13:29 PMStage productions and films require a different focus, and adaptations from one to the other are often hard to pull of to keep the original feel intact. Robert Moore does an excellent job of transferring Neil Simon&#39;s Murder by Death onto the screen. The set, the blocking, the acting, the musical score, and the editing all lend themselves to halp create a film that pays homage to its roots as a stage play. The ensemble, which has many prominent actors in it,  works well together, providing great timing and inflection which serves well to lampoon many of the great literary and film detectives. If you enjoy absurd, zany humor, then you should definitely check out this murder mystery spoof.  http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/murder/MemberTagFilms.aspxmurder
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