"Clue" at the Music Box Theatre

[Tannerman]

As many of our friends would attest, Amy & I really like the boardgame Clue and all the stuff associated with it. Thus we were excited to see that the 1985 film of the same name was showing as part of a Mystery Series at the Music Box Theatre.

Original 1985 movie poster

We've been spending quite a bit of time at the Music Box lately, having caught White Christmas there just a few days ago on Christmas Eve. Believe it or not, I had never seen Clue on the big screen (though Amy had), so when the opportunity came up to catch it via a matinee on Sunday, we jumped at the chance!

Just a few "Clue" versions in our collection

For those of who don't know about our passion, we do own an obsessive number of different versions of the game, puzzles, spinoffs, and DVD adaptations. We also like to play with friends and host large-scale events. Yeah, we've got Clue on the brain quite a bit! I'd love to get my hands on the Disney Tower of Terror Clue (a theme park exclusive) or the Harry Potter Clue derivatives!

"Clue" playing card as seen during credits

When the film was originally released in 1985, there were actually 3 versions sent to theaters (Ending A, Ending B, and Ending C). Each version had a different ending to the mystery, and as part of the marketing at the time, theaters would advertise which ending of the movie they were showing. (There's actually a 4th ending that only appears in the novelization of the film; I picked up a copy last year and frankly, it's pretty good!)

Was it worth $7.25? Yup.

The film was not considered a success at the time and only really caught on as a cult classic via home video. It was via the VHS medium that a modified version of the movie was released showcasing all 3 endings. This is the version I was first exposed to years ago.

Returning to the Music Box once again

We wondered how the film print at the Music Box would end given these different versions. (Answer: The version they showed was identical to the home video version, i.e. it contained all 3 endings. We were cool with that.)

We had a pretty small crowd

There wasn't a large turnout for the movie, probably 15-20 people total... and we all froze outside waiting to get into the theater to see the film. When things started rolling, it was great. Now, you can laugh quite a bit during this film, but I swear there was a guy behind us that laughed at pretty much everything. It was getting a little nuts. Meanwhile, the folks in front of us had no reaction at all. Quite the opposite ends of the spectrum.

When was the last time you saw this on a marquee?

The only problem with the showing was a short 5-8 window of time where the audio dropped out. This was later restored, but frankly, it was a bummer. When we saw White Christmas just a few days earlier, the projector seemed to lose focus midway through the showing as well. I'd love to endorse what the Music Box is doing by showcasing some classic films, but unless you actually make sure your equipment is in good working order, that's kinda hard to do.

Nevertheless, it was great to share Clue with others in a public watching experience. Hard to believe that the film was a dud. We sure do enjoy it!

Oh, and our favorite part? Mrs. White: "Yes. Yes, I did it. I killed Yvette. I hated her, so much... it-it- the f - it -flam - flames. Flames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathl- heaving breaths. Heaving breath... " (Watch via YouTube)

What are your thoughts on this movie?

[FernLaplante]

I love this movie. My sister and I have seen it so many times that we quote it often still. That Madeleine Kahn line about the "flames, flames on the side of my face..." is one we still refer to and laugh. The other is when Jane Weidlin (from The Go-Gos) makes a cameo as the singing telegram that gets killed in about 2 seconds.

I would have loved to have seen it on the big screen. Classic movie.

[Squonk]

Not a great movie, but still fun. I remember clearly the ads in the newspapers when this movie came out listing which theaters were showing ending A, B, and C. Of course the video version had all three one after the other. Kind of a goofy gimick when you think about it, but not quite in the same league as something like Odorama or the Tingler. The movie would've been just fine with just the last of the endings since the first two were kind of dumb.

[spudart]

I haven't seen the movie in a long time, so I can't quite comment on the movie, but the i LOVE the board game. Just last week I wrote about Clue the board game in a flickr photo comment. Allow me to paste it here:

===================
I have a love for Clue that is matched by no other. Seriously. I just so absolutely love making notes about every single question. I have my own system. And it's so killer. It's totally the best killer Clue system in the world. My little notecard is so riveted with notes and deductions. Oh wow. I love this game. Mmmmm mmmm MMMMMM!
===================

[trickynicky21]

In my humble opinion, one of the great ensemble cast movies of the eighties. Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and Michael McKean are all fantastic in this movie. Even the supporting people are good Colleen Camp as Yvette, Bill Henderson as the Cop, Lee Ving as Mr. Boddy's Butler, Howard Hesseman as the Detective, and of course Jane Wiedlin as the Singing telegram girl. I have seen this movie at least 20 times and I still laugh everytime. I recommend it to anyone who has not seen it go out and rent it immediately. R.I.P.--Madeline Kahn and Eileen Brennan.