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Common Sense Media Review

By Maria Llull , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Tedious movie based on board game; some innuendo, violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Clue is the 1985 movie based on characters and objects in the Parker Brothers board game. As it's a slapstick farce of a movie, there is frequent sexual innuendo and double entendres. Male characters gawk at female characters, including a maid dressed in a sexy uniform. One of the…

Why Age 12+?

This movie is based on the popular Parker Brothers board game of the same name.

Murder done in a kind of slapstick manner, with bodies being dragged around and

Characters drink brandy, wine, and whiskey. Characters smoke cigarettes and pipe

"Damn," "Jesus." Frequent mild sexual innuendo and double entendres throughout.

Mild sexual innuendo and sight gags throughout. One of the characters is a madam

Any Positive Content?

The movie is too cartoonish and slapstick-heavy to have anything in the way of p

The characters are too cartoonishly ludicrous to be considered positive role mod

Products & Purchases

Violence & scariness.

Murder done in a kind of slapstick manner, with bodies being dragged around and placed in awkward positions. A man is shown with his head bloodied. Gunshots in the dark. A woman is killed with a rope around her neck. Another woman is found with a knife in her back.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink brandy, wine, and whiskey. Characters smoke cigarettes and pipes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Damn," "Jesus." Frequent mild sexual innuendo and double entendres throughout. A presumed homosexual character is called "fruit."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mild sexual innuendo and sight gags throughout. One of the characters is a madam in a brothel. The maid dresses in a sexy uniform; male characters often gawk at her breasts and rear end. There is a joke involving a sexual position, which two of the characters show while fully clothed. A man places his hand on a woman's rear end.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The movie is too cartoonish and slapstick-heavy to have anything in the way of positive messages.

Positive Role Models

The characters are too cartoonishly ludicrous to be considered positive role models.

Parents need to know that Clue is the 1985 movie based on characters and objects in the Parker Brothers board game. As it's a slapstick farce of a movie, there is frequent sexual innuendo and double entendres. Male characters gawk at female characters, including a maid dressed in a sexy uniform. One of the characters is a madam in a brothel. There also is drinking, cigarette smoking, and pipe smoking. Although the violence is cartoonish, characters are murdered, and some characters are shown bleeding from the head or chest. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (23)
• Kids say (71)

Based on 23 parent reviews

I Must Stand Against the Review of this Movie

The main review is so wrong, what's the story.

Based on the Hasbro board game, CLUE attempts to explain how six unrelated, eccentric characters manage to become murder suspects while staying under one roof. The story is propelled and narrated by a character not found in the board game -- the butler ( Tim Curry ), who runs the show at a dinner to which the familiar characters of Miss Scarlet (Leslie Ann Warren), Colonel Mustard ( Martin Mull ), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Professor Plum ( Christopher Lloyd ), Mrs. White ( Madeline Kahn ), and Mr. Green ( Michael McKean ) have been invited. The guests find out they all have been blackmailed by the same man, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), who joins the party halfway through dinner. After Mr. Boddy's inevitable death, the murders compound as the group stumbles upon several more bodies, including those of the maid and the cook.

Is It Any Good?

There's really not much to this movie. There is a lot of recapping, which makes the already tedious story line even more tedious. Though the DVD offers three endings (and three murderers), none of the scenarios seems plausible or even likely.

Tim Curry is likable (and very energetic) and has moments of brilliance, but he isn't able to distract from the mess of plot holes and ill-planned nonsense. The rest of the main cast speak their weak lines as though their words are genius, but an understated style only works with a good script. Though there are moments of good comedic timing, most of the jokes and sight gags are obvious, flat, and crude. The juvenile humor and sexual innuendo will be best appreciated by the junior high and high school crowds.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about board games and which others, if any, might be good candidates for being adapted into a movie. How would the movie be different from the game?

If you could make your own movie version of Clue, what would it be like?

Which of the three possible endings did you like best? Why?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 25, 2000
• On DVD or streaming : June 27, 2000
• Cast : Christopher Lloyd , Madeline Kahn , Tim Curry
• Director : Jonathan Lynn
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 96 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : mild violence; mild sexual innuendo
• Last updated : August 10, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Young Frankenstein

Addams Family Values

Spy Movies for Kids

Mystery games.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Clue Reviews

There were definite missteps in the making of this film, but it has inspired a hilarious play which shows us what might have been. It also served as the inspiration for an exceptional episode of the TV series, Psych.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 16, 2024

Tim Curry’s high-flying turn as the able manservant Wadsworth is one of the few bright spots in this dim adaptation of the popular board game.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Dec 26, 2023

... one doesn’t expect it to be as clever, as well-executed, or as serious in its ridiculousness as it is. And yet, here we are, nearly 40 years later, still doing the math on the bullets and mimicking Mrs. White’s flames.

Full Review | Dec 12, 2023

Multiple endings toy with character deliveries, subtext, and the whodunit of it all without pulling the rug out from under the audience via pleasant deductions and winks.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

A funny but silly board game flick that's strangely appealing.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jun 22, 2023

A masterclass in comedic writing, timing, and editing.

Full Review | Mar 31, 2023

One of the funniest movies ever made, bar none.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 2, 2021

One of the best comedies ever made. The women (and Tim Curry) carry the show, while writer/director Jonathan Lynn's script and direction carries infectious energy. Witty, filled with physical pratfalls and kookiness, Clue is an absolute gem

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 29, 2021

It's amazing how fresh and vibrant Clue feels, with every member of the cast knocking it out of the park.

Full Review | Sep 10, 2021

Everybody knew what they were doing

Full Review | Original Score: 10 | Aug 12, 2020

Every single person is perfect

...a mostly entertaining yet decidedly erratic board-game adaptation.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 22, 2020

If you're open to a weirdly atmospheric comedy that dashes from deadpan to manic and back again, it's a delight.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 18, 2019

You leave it with one conviction: stick with the game.

Full Review | Jan 2, 2018

It's not the least bit scary or suspenseful but instead quickly grows tedious. The more you struggle to keep track of the constantly multiplying plot developments, the harder it gets to care who did it.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 21, 2013

Easily one of the most gimmicky films of all time ...

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Mar 21, 2013

If Clue falls a bit short of the mark, it remains a likeable artifact of talented people giving a ridiculous task the old college try... [Blu-ray]

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 23, 2012

Mostly successful and entirely strange... a comic [mystery] that doubles as a parody and triples as an ironic deconstruction of the form.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 20, 2012

The board game is a lot more fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 2, 2011

Only Lesley Ann Warren, as a tough-talking madam, finds an effective level of stylization, using her leggy physique and wildly expressive features to create a cartoonish figure that's funny within its own boundaries.

Full Review | Jan 19, 2007

Clue (1985) - 4K UHD Review

Razor-sharp.  This essentially describes the wit of Clue and this new 2023 4K upgrade of the classic comedy.  It’s the movie with three different endings, remember?  And, if you remember that, you also remember that you had to go to different theaters to see the different endings.  It was an ingenious marketing ploy by Paramount , reminiscent of what William Castle did with his movies: anything to get butts in seats.  Does Clue need multiple endings?  Probably not, but they are all so damn funny no one is going to mind that they are all included here in Shout Select ’s 4K upgrade to this cult comedy classic.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn , who co-wrote the script with John Landis , and produced by Debra Hill , even if the cast was sub-par, this black comedy would be in good hands.  Thankfully, the cast - featuring wonderfully over-the-top performances from Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren , and Colleen Camp as  Yvette, a voluptuous French maid - is up for the challenge of a madcap whodunnit and they deliver in spades. 

Clue , which is based on the board game, is what happens when six strangers are invited to a mysterious New England mansion by Mr. Boddy, who has been blackmailing all of them.  Everyone is given a new name so that there is some confidentiality in the proceedings - "Colonel Mustard", "Mrs. White", "Mrs. Peacock", "Mr. Green", "Professor Plum", and "Miss Scarlet" - and are introduced to some key weapons - a candlestick, rope, lead pipe, wrench, revolver, and dagger - and, as expected, Boddy is killed when the lights go out.  Which of the guests did it?!

With the police on their way and everyone pointing fingers at each other, all sorts of fun breaks out as the guests - now going by their pseudonyms - try and figure out just who - and with what weapon - killed their host.  And then the cook.  And then a random motorist.  Was it Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick?  Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with the rope?  The innuendos are all over the place and the hi-jinx come in rapid fire accusations as the guests scramble through the mansion from one room to another, comic moments following each random line and murder!

Clue , at the time of its release, wasn’t a box office draw by any means.  It’s unfortunate because the performances are both manic and fun and the uniqueness of the whole project, being based on a board game, seems to have been lost on the audience at the time of the film’s release.  But time is a funny thing as Clue is now considered a cult classic and has quite the reputation for being a funny, twisting, black comedy.

And now, thanks to the efforts of Shout Select , the film arrives with a 4K upgrade which absolutely delivers a perfect image for the guests arriving in the rain to this mysterious mansion!  Game on!

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout! Select Available on Blu-ray - December 12, 2023 Screen Formats: 1.85:1 Subtitles : English SDH Video: Codec: HEVC / H.265; Resolution: Native 4K; HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with the gun? Miss Scarlet in the billiard room with the rope? Or was it Wadsworth the butler? Meet all of the notorious suspects and discover all of their foul playthings. You'll love their dastardly doings as the bodies and the laughs pile up before your eyes. Here is the murderously funny movie based on the world-famous CLUE board game and brought to crackling life by an all-star cast including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Colleen Camp , and more! And now you can see all three surprise endings!

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the new 4K digital restoration is presented in Dolby Vision HDR and you can definitely tell!  From the beginning in the rain to the very ending, this 4K handling is perfect.  Created from the 35 mm original camera negative, the results are fantastic. Especially considering the amount of darkness and shadows in this predominantly night-time film, the exposure, color, and range is excellent. The depth, detail, and clarity are all impressive and healthy, and the grain exposure is very pleasing. There are no visible signs of any imperfections to be seen. A top-notch restoration.

The new uncompressed monaural soundtrack is wonderful. All dialogue, ambient noises, and music come in clear as can be. And the track is even able to greatly show off dynamic range in moments of intense audio or music. Nothing but good stuff here

Supplements:

Commentary :

Unfortunately, nothing.

Special Features:

Fans get a couple of new supplementals, but the image upgrade is worth the price of admission.

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

• NEW Remastered From A 2023 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible) Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono 3 Different Surprise Endings

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

• NEW Remastered From A 2023 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• NEW “The Perfect Motive: Directing Clue” – An Interview With Writer/Director Jonathan Lynn
• NEW “The Scene of the Crime: Producing Clue” – An Interview With Associate Producer Jeffrey Chernov
• NEW “Not Just a Game: Scoring Clue” – An Interview With Film Music Historian Daniel Schweiger About John Morris’s Score 3 Different Surprise Endings
• Original Trailer

MPAA Rating: PG. Runtime: 94 mins Director : Jonathan Lynn Writer: John Landis; Jonathan Lynn; Anthony E. Pratt Cast: Eileen Brennan; Tim Curry; Madeline Kahn Genre : Comedy | Crime Tagline: It's Not Just a Game Anymore. Memorable Movie Quote: "You want it? You want it? Eat it! Eat it till ya choke, you sick, twisted fuck!" Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures Official Site: Release Date: November 30, 1990 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 12, 2021. Synopsis : Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... Shut up! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it!

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Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

4K Ultra HD Review – Clue (1985)

December 12, 2023 by Brad Cook

Clue , 1985.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn. Starring Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren.

The cult classic Clue arrives on 4K Ultra HD courtesy of Shout! Factory, which commissioned a new 4K restoration of the movie, along with an hour of new interviews that dig into the making of it. Highly recommended for fans of the film.

Movies based on board games have been hit-or-miss (mostly miss) over the years, but Clue (known as Cluedo in the UK) was an obvious candidate for such a project, given the nature of the gameplay. Each session revolves around a murder, with the players trying to figure out who committed the crime in which room and with which weapon.

So it wasn’t hard to concoct a scenario for bringing the game’s characters together in a house, with one of them being the culprit who has committed a crime. In this case, 1985’s Clue features multiple murders, along with three endings that at the time were randomly distributed to theaters.

This new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray edition from Shout! Factory offers the ability to watch the movie with all three endings tacked on, or with one randomly inserted. That’s the way the movie has been served up on disc for a while now, although Shout! has gone the extra mile by not only commissioning a 4K restoration of Clue but also a trio of new interviews.

Clue was directed by Jonathan Lynn and stars what at the time was an all-star cast: Eileen Brennan (Mrs. Peacock), Tim Curry (Wadsworth the butler), Madeline Kahn (Mrs. White), Christopher Lloyd (Professor Plum), Michael McKean (Mr. Green), Martin Mull (Colonel Mustard), and Lesley Ann Warren (Miss Scarlet). A member of the Go-Gos even makes a small cameo, and Howard Hesseman of WKRP in Cincinnati fame plays an unnamed police chief.

Lynn’s screenplay invents back stories for the characters and a reason why they’ve all been invited to a mysterious mansion, with the story set in 1954. (I believe the game gives the characters some kind of back stories too, but I haven’t played it since I was a kid and I know they have changed over the decades, so I admit I might be wrong about that.)

The acting is over-the-top and the jokes are corny, with some being a bit cringe-inducing, as befitting a movie of this vintage. The storyline is convoluted, and I’m not sure which of the three endings I like best, but I enjoy Clue for the way a great group of actors in their prime chew the scenery. It may not be a great movie, but it’s a lot of fun, which I imagine is why it didn’t do well at the box office but has endured as a cult classic in the decades since.

I haven’t owned Clue on home video before, but I believe previous editions were pretty bare bones, aside from the inclusion of the three endings, so Shout! Factory’s inclusion of three featurettes running about an hour is a nice touch for fans. Here’s what you’ll find:

•  The Perfect Motive: Directing Clue (27.75 minutes): Writer/director Jonathan Lynn discusses his involvement with the movie in depth, from the writing choices he made (it’s not an accident that the film is set during the McCarthy era, for example) when adapting a board game (quite different from adapting a book or a play, of course) to his thoughts on the finished product and why it has resonated for decades.

•  The Scene of the Crime: Producing Clue (22 minutes): Associate Producer Jeffrey Chernov talks about meeting producer Debra Hill on John Carpenter’s Escape From New York and how that led to his involvement in more Hill/Carpenter movies and then, eventually, Clue .

• Not Just a Game: Scoring Clue (9 minutes): Film music Historian Daniel Schweiger discusses the score composed by John Morris, who died in 2018.

The theatrical trailer rounds out the disc.

Flickering Myth Rating  – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

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Clue (United States, 1985)

Calling Clue nonsensical might be an understatement, but that’s the problem with converting a plot-less board game into a plot-centered motion picture. The comedy is uneven and there’s only so much enjoyment that can be culled from watching an ensemble of recognizable actors try to avoid complete embarrassment. Director Jonathan Lynn, making his feature debut (ahead of My Cousin Vinny , which would become his “signature” film), has a good ear for quips, puns, and amusing asides but he’s on less sure ground when it comes to slapstick. The first half-hour (or so) of Clue is enjoyably witty but, after that, it’s a downhill mudslide.

The majority of Clue transpires in a gothic mansion where a butler with the appropriate-sounding name of Wadsworth (Tim Curry) has invited a group of seven guests to a mysterious dinner party. Other than Wadsworth, the only employee is the maid Yvette (Colleen Camp). To protect the anonymity of six of the attendees, code names have been assigned: Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Miss Scarlet (Leslie Ann Warren), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), and Mr. Green (Michael McKean). The seventh guest is Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), who is currently blackmailing the other six. When the lights go out, he becomes the first of Clue’ s several murder victims. Although there’s not much doubt about the weapon or the room, there’s a great deal of confusion about the killer’s identity with the movie adding two additional suspects not available in the traditional Clue deck of cards.

All three versions of Clue are identical for the first 80 minutes. Differentiation occurs in the final reel. The movie is so haphazardly composed that any of the three supplied endings can be made to fit. During its theatrical run, movie houses showing Clue commonly advertised whether they were showing “Ending A”, “Ending B”, or “Ending C” so those few who wanted to experience variations weren’t subjected to pot luck. The home video release supplies all three endings.

Although the concept of converting a popular board game into a workable motion picture narrative died a quick death as a result of the filmmakers’ inability to make it work for Clue , the movie opened the door to the potential of cross-media enterprises – movies with toy or video game linkages and, a little farther down the road, films with amusement park tie-ins. Although Clue was a failure from an entertainment perspective, it was an important way-post in the evolution of films as merchandising arms. In this instance, however, it became clear that people would rather play the game than watch someone else’s vision of it unfold on screen.

Comments Add Comment

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• (There are no more better movies of Madeline Kahn)
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Clue Reviews

• 41   Metascore
• 1 hr 34 mins
• Comedy, Suspense
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The whodunit board game comes to life as guests are invited to a swanky mansion to learn who is blackmailing them.

Easily one of the most gimmicky films of all time, CLUE must be the only movie in history to be adapted from a popular board game. Set in 1954, CLUE sees a butler, Tim Curry, greet six guests who have been called together at a mysterious old mansion. Martin Mull is a stuffy military man, Lesley Ann Warren is a sultry madam, Christopher Lloyd is a professor, Michael McKean is a homosexual civil servant, Eileen Brennan is a senator's wife, and Madeline Kahn is a widowed society dowager. Curry assigns the guests pseudonyms (Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, etc.), and after dinner, weapons are passed out to the guests (a noose, a pistol, a lead pipe, a dagger, etc.--all matching the pieces in the board game). Shortly thereafter a murder is committed and the guests must deduce who among them is the culprit, (the cause of death is ambiguous). With the board game premise as the first gimmick, the filmmakers then attached the second gimmick: The movie has three different endings, and the one the audience saw depended on which movie theater they saw it in. During its theatrical run, newspaper ads noted whether moviegoers would see ending A, B, or C at their local theater. (The videocassette release shows all three endings, one after another.)

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Metacritic reviews

• 80 Variety Variety Clue is campy, high-styled escapism. In a short 87 minutes that just zip by, the well-known board game's one-dimensional card figures like Professor Plum and others become multi-dimensional personalities with enough wit, neuroses and motives to intrigue even the most adept whodunnit solver.
• 63 Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel There's a movie here, and there's a gimmick. The gimmick undermines the movie and the gimmick is attached to the wrong part of the movie. Other than that, Clue offers a few big laughs early on followed by a lot of characters running around on a treadmill to nowhere. [13 Dec 1985, p.38]
• 63 San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle Unlike the game, Clue doesn't take murder seriously. Writer-director Jonathan Lynn has made a campy non-thriller rather than laying down the mystery and then having fun with it; the comedy kills the plot.
• 50 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Lots of sight gags and one-liners are attempted, but few of them succeed. The cast is talented but stranded in weak material.
• 50 The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jay Scott The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jay Scott If you see Clue only once, and it's hard to imagine seeing it more than once, even for the five different minutes, the "A" is by far the best, featuring as it does (this does not give away the identity of the murderer) a splendidly funny shtick from Madeline Kahn. [13 Dec 1985, p.D5]
• 40 The New York Times Janet Maslin The New York Times Janet Maslin there is so little genuine wit to be found in ''Clue.'' The film does have a speedy pace, but that could hardly be confused with Mr. Hawks's madcap humor; instead, it involves a lot of running around through secret passages, and some slapstick routines involving dead bodies. The actors are meant to function as an ensemble, but that merely means that they often repeat the same line simultaneously.
• 40 Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas Inspired by the Parker Brothers board game of the same name, Clue is more frenetic than funny, more strained than suspenseful or scary. In fact, it's not the least bit scary or suspenseful but instead quickly grows tedious. The more you struggle to keep track of the constantly multiplying plot developments, the harder it gets to care who did it. [13 Dec 1985, p.6]
• 37 TV Guide Magazine TV Guide Magazine Easily one of the most gimmicky films of all time, Clue must be the only movie in history to be adapted from a popular board game.
• 30 Chicago Reader Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Dave Kehr The murder-mystery board game becomes a frantic, unfunny spoof (1985) under the direction of British TV writer Jonathan Lynn. The script recycles Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, with six guests invited by a mysterious host to spend the night in a creepy mansion, but instead of parodying the material Lynn simply surrounds it with extraneous pratfalls and wisecracks.
• 12 Boston Globe Boston Globe Clue the movie, not the board game, isn't so much a drama as it is a marketing gimmick. Presumably, Paramount Pictures believed that an audience was clamoring to see actors play one-dimensional figures from a game. [13 Dec 1985, p.57]
• See all 17 reviews on Metacritic.com
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How Clue Went From Box Office Flop To Cult Hit

In a year when Barbie gets a star-studded live-action summer movie and "Tetris" was the basis of a corporate espionage thriller, probably no one would raise an eyebrow today if a big-screen adaptation of a classic board game was announced. Forty years ago, it was a pretty outlandish concept, but that didn't deter three big Hollywood players who could seemingly do no wrong at the time.

The big idea was to take "Clue," the venerable old murder mystery board game, and turn it into a motion picture. The people behind the project were Peter Guber, executive producer for Oscar-nominated "Midnight Express" and the welding-and-dancing hit "Flashdance;" Debra Hill, who produced John Carpenter's three name-making movies ("Halloween," "The Fog," and "Escape From New York"); and John Landis, hot after the back-to-back successes of "Animal House," "The Blues Brothers," and "An American Werewolf in London."

Perhaps they had a reason for optimism. There had been a resurgence of interest in murder mysteries during the '70s with several movies based on Sherlock Holmes as varied as "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" and "Murder by Decree;" Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile" received handsome big-screen adaptations; and "Murder By Death," penned by Neil Simon, assembled a dream-team of classic detective parodies (based on Sam Spade, Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Nick and Nora Charles) for a playful spoof on the locked room mystery.

"Clue," on the other hand, was not so successful, despite a game cast of talented comic actors. The slapstick farce failed to make its money back at the box office and it regularly makes lists of notorious flops. Almost four decades later, however, it is regarded as a cherished cult classic. So what went wrong and why is it so beloved today?

What happens in Clue again?

"Clue" is set on a stormy night in 1954 as six strangers are summoned to an isolated New England mansion by a mysterious invite. They are greeted by the butler Wadsworth (Tim Curry), who assigns them each a pseudonym to protect their identities. First to arrive is blustering Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), who is later joined by crotchety Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), the black widow Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), lecherous Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), closeted Mr. Green (Michael McKean), and vampish Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren).

Wadsworth quickly reveals the purpose of the invite: All six are being blackmailed by the same person over their shady secrets. He has called the cops with the intent of revealing the extortioner, who arrives as the late-arriving seventh guest, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). Boddy appears to have the jump on the butler, however — he gives them all a weapon (candlestick, revolver, lead pipe, etc.) and suggests that someone does away with Wadsworth to prevent their dirty laundry from being exposed.

They all have a motive and the means but, after the lights briefly go out in the study, it is Mr. Boddy lying dead on the floor. Cue much frantic scrambling around as the guests try to discover the killer before the police arrive. A lot of the comedy comes from bawdy farce (typified by Colleen Camp's saucy French maid, Yvette), groan-worthy innuendo and wordplay, and broad slapstick.

Eventually, Wadsworth reveals how the mystery all went down, which is where we reach the movie's big gimmick. "Clue" was shot with three separate endings, which were screened in different theaters at the time of release. The last is probably the most satisfying in relation to the madcap plot — while preposterous, it isn't that much more far-fetched than Agatha Christie's solution in "Murder on the Orient Express."

Clue's journey to the big screen

"Cluedo" was invented by musician Anthony Pratt during World War II, who took inspiration from popular murder mystery games and the novels of Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler. Devised as a pastime for families taking shelter during the Blitz, Pratt's idea wouldn't go into production until 1949 due to shortages of materials.

The game was an instant hit across the pond, where it became known as just "Clue." Unaware that it was such a success in the States, Pratt sold the rights for £5,000 in 1953 (roughly $142,000 today). It was a tidy sum but maybe he should have held out for more — as of 2018, the game had sold approximately 150 million copies. Over the decades, "Clue" has become a major franchise with multiple editions, musicals, game shows, a TV mini-series, and video game adaptations. To date, there is only one movie version, the brainchild of John Landis.

The director didn't have an ending so he decided to enlist a reputed writer. First up was celebrated playwright Tom Stoppard, who later won an Oscar for his "Shakespeare in Love" screenplay. Even a writer of his caliber struggled to come up with a satisfactory plot, quitting after a year and returning a cheque for the payments he had received. Undeterred, Landis approached composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim ("West Side Story") to team up with "Psycho" star Anthony Perkins to have a crack, but they asked for more money than the studio was willing to pay.

"Clue" eventually found its way to British writer Jonathan Lynn. He was renowned for his political satire "Yes Minister" for the BBC, and despite his reservations (namely, that the board game didn't have a story), he was won over by Landis's enthusiasm. When Landis dropped "Clue" to make "Spies Like Us," Lynn got to direct the thing as well.

Jonathan Lynn assembled a great cast for Clue

Despite his lack of experience directing a Hollywood movie, Jonathan Lynn was able to attract a great cast of comic actors for "Clue." He turned to his old school pal Tim Curry for the key role of Wadsworth, although he was only third-choice after British comedy legend Leonard Rossiter ("Rising Damp") passed away and Rowan Atkinson was deemed too much of an unknown quantity at that stage of his career.

Joining Curry was Christopher Lloyd, who would become a big star when "Back to the Future" dropped earlier in 1985; the wonderful Eileen Brennan, who had also played part of the ensemble in "Murder by Death;" comedy legend Madeline Kahn, who made such a huge impression in "What's Up, Doc?" and "Blazing Saddles;" Michael McKean, hot from "This Is Spinal Tap," and Martin Mull, best known at the time for satirical shows like "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" and "Fernwood 2 Night."

Unfortunately, Lynn's biggest casting coup fell through. Carrie Fisher was originally cast as Miss Scarlet but was dropped when she entered rehab for substance abuse. She was replaced by the very capable Lesley Ann Warren, who gave one of the film's most well-rounded performances.

Once on the expensive $1 million mansion set, Lynn perhaps showed his lack of experience by demanding that his actors say exactly what was written in the screenplay. There was one notable exception: Madeline Kahn's ad-libbed "Flames" speech, which is the funniest thing in the whole movie. I've never been a huge fan of the clunky wordplay in "Clue," and that moment makes me wonder what the movie would have been like if the director had allowed his cast of rich comic talent to really cut loose.

Clue was a big flop in theaters

When "Clue" arrived in theaters in the run-up to Christmas 1985, it was sandwiched between three big hits: "The Jewel of the Nile," "The Color Purple," and "Out of Africa." It was also hamstrung by the multiple endings that John Landis thought would be such a money-spinner at the box office. Jonathan Lynn remembers :

"[John Landis] thought that what would happen was that people, having enjoyed the film so much, would then go back and pay again and see the other endings. In reality, what happened is that the audience decided they didn't know which ending to go to, so they didn't go at all."

That meant that only a third of the audience got to see Madeline Kahn's brilliant moment of improvisation. It could have been worse if the film went out with a fourth ending, which Lynn chopped because he felt it wasn't strong enough. The gimmick had a major flaw: Offering alternative solutions rendered the whodunnit aspect a total irrelevance. Roger Ebert suggested that the best way for Paramount to screen the movie was the format we eventually got on home video and TV, with all three endings back-to-back.

No doubt other factors contributed to the box office failure of "Clue," which fell just short of making back its $15 million budget. In comparison, the Chevy Chase vehicle "Fletch" (also released in 1985) raked in $59 million worldwide from a modest $8 million budget, underlining how badly Landis's comedy brainchild underperformed. Someone had to take the blame and the studio pointed the finger at Lynn. He was put on Hollywood's naughty step for several years before returning with "My Cousin Vinny," a surprise hit that earned Marisa Tomei her only Oscar to date.

The cult comeback of Clue

"Clue" was one of those movies that always seemed to be on the telly when I was a kid, which is how the box office flop slowly built a cult following during the '90s. It was often screened as a cheap schedule filler by cable channels, and home video and word-of-mouth contributed to its increasing appeal among young viewers who didn't give two hoots about box office returns. That made it two times lucky for Tim Curry:

"It's got a life of its own now, this movie ['Clue']... It's a bit of déjà vu for me, really, after ' Rocky Horror.' There are really rabid fans."

There are many cult movies out there but only a few become a staple of midnight screenings. "Clue" followed in the footsteps of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," itself a flop initially, with shadow cast performances and audience participation. Los Angeles-based Sins O' The Flesh added the zany whodunnit to their repertoire back in 2002 and have performed it every year since. Liz Stockton, one of the troupe's founders, says:

"We probably do, like, three other movies a year, but Clue is the one movie that we do every single year because we know that people love it. They're gonna come dressed up, and we play music from the '50s, and we have a costume contest. It's great."

"Clue" is still as popular 20 years later and it is hard to imagine Rian Johnson's " Knives Out " and "Glass Onion" without its influence. Hasbro recently updated the board game's characters for a whole new audience, and last year it was announced that Oren Uziel ("The Lost City") was writing a remake for Ryan Reynolds. But will it match the madcap charm of the original?

Why is Clue so enduringly popular?

"Clue" is movie comfort food that fits into the "cozy" sub-genre of crime fiction that always seems to flourish when events in the real world get tough. While "cozies" is a relatively new term, their heritage can be traced back to Agatha Christie, the author often credited with establishing the tropes of the format. Then there were "Old Dark House" mysteries like "The Cat and the Canary" and, um, "The Old Dark House." This type of movie was all the rage in the '30s and '40s, usually focusing on a bunch of characters solving a spooky puzzle in an isolated mansion, often on a dark and stormy night.

The two elements combined in Christie's "And Then There Were None," first published in 1939 with a far more offensive title. The novel helped Agatha Christie become one of the best-selling authors of all time and provided one of the inspirations from Anthony Pratt's board game.

While murder mysteries have never really gone away, they enjoyed another surge in popularity in the '70s. Big-screen outings for Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie's famous sleuths coincided with the arrival of an absent-minded homicide detective named Frank Colombo.

"Colombo" made an unexpected comeback during the pandemic, comforting viewers with its low-stakes murder-of-the-week format. The resurgence of the '70s classic blended seamlessly with new shows like "Poker Face," which evoked the fuzzy vibe of its predecessor, and "Only Murders in the Building," which blended comedy with an involving mystery.

From this, maybe we can deduce that when current events look bleak (World War II, the Vietnam War, and COVID-19), viewers take comfort in cozy murder mysteries. Perhaps it is because violence is a contained force in these shows and movies, we know the killer will get always caught, and "Clue" fits right in with this category of entertainment.

Golden Age of Detective Fiction

Movie Review: Clue (1985)

“Clue” is a 1985 movie based on the classic board game of the same name, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring an ensemble cast of talented actors, including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Martin Mull. The plot revolves around six strangers who are invited to a mansion for a dinner party hosted by…

“Clue” is a 1985 movie based on the classic board game of the same name, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring an ensemble cast of talented actors, including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Martin Mull.

The plot revolves around six strangers who are invited to a mansion for a dinner party hosted by Mr. Boddy. As they arrive, they are each given a pseudonym and a weapon, representing the classic characters and objects from the game. Mr. Boddy, who has a reputation for blackmailing each of the guests, reveals that he knows their dirty secrets and threatens to expose them unless they kill Wadsworth, the butler, who he claims has been blackmailing them all.

As the guests reluctantly agree to the plot, the lights suddenly go out, and when they come back on, Mr. Boddy is lying on the floor dead. As they try to figure out who killed him, the plot twists and turns, with each character revealing secrets and motives that could implicate them in the murder.

The movie is a hilarious comedy of errors, with a fast-paced plot and witty dialogue. The characters are exaggerated and over-the-top, but in a way that fits the tone of the film perfectly. Tim Curry steals the show as Wadsworth, the butler, with his quick wit and physical humor.

The movie is also a great tribute to the board game, with clever references and nods to the classic elements of the board game. The various rooms in the mansion are represented, and the characters move around the house, playing out the game on the big screen.

The ending of the movie is perhaps its most notable feature. There are three different endings, each with a different killer and motive. When the movie was released in theaters, each theater received a different ending, which added an element of surprise and intrigue to the experience. The home video release of the movie includes all three endings, which allows the viewer to choose which ending they prefer.

“Clue” is a fun and entertaining movie that is perfect for a lighthearted night in. Its unique structure and multiple endings make it a great movie to watch with friends, as you can debate and discuss who you think the killer is and why. The movie has become a cult classic over the years, and its popularity is a testament to its enduring appeal.

While the movie has its flaws, such as some uneven pacing and an over-reliance on physical humor, it still holds up as a great comedy and a clever adaptation of the classic board game. Its humor is both silly and smart, and it provides a great escape from reality for a couple of hours.

In conclusion, “Clue” is a must-see for fans of the board game and anyone looking for a fun, light-hearted comedy. Its talented cast, witty script, and unique structure make it a classic that still holds up today. You can pick up a copy of “Clue” here or watch for free on Amazon Prime.

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Release details.

• Duration: 87 mins

Cast and crew

• Director: Jonathan Lynn
• Screenwriter: Jonathan Lynn
• Eileen Brennan
• Madeline Kahn
• Christopher Lloyd
• Michael McKean
• Lesley Ann Warren
• Martin Mull
• Colleen Camp

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SCREEN: 'CLUE,' FROM GAME TO FILM

By Janet Maslin

• Dec. 13, 1985

LIKE the board game on which it is based, the movie ''Clue'' is most fun in its early stages.

The setting-up of the game, which entails introducing a group of suspects and their chief victim-to-be and confining all of them to a Baroque mansion, is the only part of the film that is remotely engaging. After that, it begins to drag. And though it takes only 87 minutes to arrive at one of its three different solutions, it has long since worn out its welcome by the denouement.

Even at the beginning, there are indications that ''Clue,'' which opens today at the Coronet and other theaters, will lack the drawing room sophistication that might make it appealing. For instance, the first moments of the film are given over to a running dog-poop joke that has every guest making a great point of wiping his or her shoes upon entering the house. And there are plenty of stupid double-entendres to follow, not to mention the repeated and conspicuous ogling of Yvette, the French maid (played by Colleen Camp). These touches, aside from giving the film a vulgarity it doesn't need, help to make it mildly unsuitable for the young audiences that might like it best. ''Clue'' is substantially smuttier than its PG rating would indicate.

Production notes for the film reveal that Jonathan Lynn, its writer and director, screened Howard Hawks's ''His Girl Friday'' for the actors in order to help set the mood. This cannot help but have discouraged all concerned, since there is so little genuine wit to be found in ''Clue.'' The film does have a speedy pace, but that could hardly be confused with Mr. Hawks's madcap humor; instead, it involves a lot of running around through secret passages, and some slapstick routines involving dead bodies. The actors are meant to function as an ensemble, but that merely means that they often repeat the same line simultaneously.

Among the players, only Lesley Ann Warren, wearing a skin-tight outfit as the lascivious Miss Scarlet, manages to slink through the film with any semblance of merriment. Madeline Kahn makes a sleek Mrs. White, and Christopher Lloyd a suitably oddball Professor Plum; Martin Mull makes a stolid Colonel Mustard and Michael McKean is saddled with some unfortunate dialogue as Mr. Green, who is presented as a timid homosexual. Lee Ving looks more convincing than he sounds as the ill-fated Mr. Boddy. Eileen Brennan, looking ludicrous as the dowdy Mrs. Peacock, is only the most obvious of many indications of directorial misogyny. And Tim Curry, as the butler Wadsworth, prances through the film with a giddiness that seems quite unwarranted by what goes on around him.

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Review: ‘Clue: Live on Stage’ reinvigorates the 1985 movie with mindless fun

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Whether you agree with the choice of punctuation in “Clue: Live on Stage!” depends to a large extent on what you think of Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 movie. As someone who never played the board game from which all this madness derives and who found the film to be a waste of its comic ensemble’s glittering capabilities, I would have chosen to affix a question mark to the title.

“Clue: Live on Stage?” is a possibility I would never have thought to ask about, but it’s safe to say the target audience for this commercial romp isn’t a theater critic with Shakespeare and Sondheim yearnings. I’m happy to report that the North American tour production of “Clue: Live on Stage!,” which opened on Wednesday at the Ahmanson Theatre, earns its exclamation point through the breathless exuberance of its physical comedy.

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Everything about the show is brisk. The dizzying pacing, the litany of hapless jokes, the all-out slapstick and the familiar shtick. Even when the cast members are running in place to simulate a chase, there is a gust of frenzy.

“Clue: Live on Stage!” wisely doesn’t give its audience too much time to consider the fine points of the story. The production, directed by Casey Hushion, proceeds in a comic blur, ideal for theatergoers who have put their brains on a low energy setting for the summer. (If Center Theatre Group’s success with “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “Peter Pan Goes Wrong ” is any gauge, there’s quite a robust appetite for mirthful inanity at this time of year.)

Sandy Rustin, who wrote the play (with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price), closely follows Lynn’s screenplay. There are retouches to the original tale, updates to conform to modern sensibilities and a few winking asides to the audience, but the basic recipe of a whodunit spoof is preserved.

The setting for this mystery is ingeniously established with a picture frame enclosing the image of a gloomy mansion as lightning flashes in the evening sky and rain pelts noisily down. When we move inside, Yvette (Elisabeth Yancey), the flirty French maid, is going through her household paces as Sen. Joseph McCarthy spouts his anticommunist demagoguery on the black-and-white television.

The year is 1954, and McCarthy’s Red Scare has stirred paranoia throughout the land. The dinner guests who have been mysteriously summoned and assigned pseudonyms are understandably anxious. Why have they been invited and, even more curious, why have they come?

Wadsworth (a vigorous Mark Price), the butler in charge of this unconventional gathering, is in no hurry to provide answers. But it is soon revealed that all six guests have a connection to Washington, D.C., and are being blackmailed by their late-arriving host, Mr. Boddy (Alex Syiek), for misdeeds that could imperil their professional or social standing.

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Obtuse Colonel Mustard (John Treacy Egan), accident-prone Mr. Green (John Shartzer), furtive and guilty-looking Mrs. White (Tari Kelly), snooty Mrs. Peacock (Joanna Glushak), sordid and self-satisfied Professor Plum (Jonathan Spivey) and audacious Miss Scarlet (Michelle Elaine), who proudly runs a D.C. escort service, are like lambs being led to slaughter. The only difference is they have been given the murder weapons.

In handing out gift boxes with a candlestick, revolver, rope, lead pipe, wrench and dagger, Mr. Boddy has set in motion a game that by the end will leave the mansion strewn with corpses. Wadsworth presides over the homicidal goings-on like an evil genius, leading the guests on a wild goose chase to solve the mystery of a murder that is only the first of several.

The gags and laugh lines are middling at best and the situation could hardly be called a masterpiece of farcical construction. But there’s an infectious quality to the knockabout antics. The actors themselves transform into living exclamation points as the action accelerates, often to music in sequences that have the appeal of dance numbers. (Composer and music supervisor Michael Holland puts wind in the production’s madcap sails.)

Elaine’s Miss Scarlet is especially amusing when gliding heedlessly from room to room in the creepy old house. (Scenic designer Lee Savage has ingeniously arranged the swiftly shifting puzzle box of spaces.) Shartzer is so spry in his physical comedy that there are moments when he resembles a yoga master.

But as the well-synchronized production careens toward its climax, it’s Price’s Wadsworth who explodes into top farcical gear. With his back to the wall, he flings himself about the stage like a performer desperate to wring every second of his dwindling time in the spotlight. His writhing and flailing, verbally as well as bodily, serve as the 11 o’clock number.

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“Clue: Live on Stage!” does its own version of the movie’s multiple endings that played in different cinemas. By this point, it’s hard to imagine that anyone’s too invested in finding out who’s behind all the nutty mayhem. The point isn’t the plot but the mad precision of the execution. Lighting designer Ryan O’Gara, sound designer Jeff Human, fight director Robert Westley and costume designer Jen Caprio ensure the production’s smooth passage.

I can’t say this is my idea of a theatrical good time, but I appreciated the zany commitment and indefatigable exertion of a company dedicated to the worthy cause of mindless fun.

‘Clue: Live on Stage!’

Where : Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. When : 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Ends Aug. 25. Tickets : Starting at $35 Info : centertheatregroup.org or (213) 628-2772 Running time : 1 hour, 25 minutes

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Charles McNulty is the theater critic of the Los Angeles Times. He received his doctorate in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the Yale School of Drama.

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TV Talk: Lesley Ann Warren on Blake Edwards, making ‘Clue’; August Wilson’s ‘Piano Lesson’ slated

PBS’s latest “American Masters” film, “Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames” (9 p.m. Aug. 27, WQED-TV), proves entertaining and easily watchable regardless of a viewer’s familiarity with Edwards’ films.

Directed, produced and co-written by Danny Gold (“Killing Me Softly with His Songs”), Edwards’ widow, Julie Andrews, leads viewers through “A Love Story in 24 Frames,” which includes interviews with Pittsburgh native director/choreographer Rob Marshall and performers Bo Derek (“10”) and Lesley Ann Warren (“Victor/Victoria,” “Clue”).

“Rob Marshall was an easy pick, because he worked with Blake as a choreographer on the Broadway version of ‘Victor/Victoria,’ and was very close with him,” Gold said during PBS’s portion of the Television Critics Association summer 2024 press tour last month in Pasadena, Calif. “They were fans of each other as Rob began his film career.”

Warren appeared in Edwards’ 1982 film that starred Andrews as a female soprano in 1934 Paris who lands a job when she poses as a female impersonator, confusing a Chicago gangster who thinks he’s attracted to a male performer.

“(Edwards) was taking on the gender-fluidity issue in a visionary way, way before it was a mainstream conversation,” Warren said. “People come up to me with a lot of respect and admiration and excitement about what he chose to do in that regard.”

Warren described working for Edwards as a uniquely positive experience.

“I’ve actually never experienced the kind of civility and grace and comfortability on a set,” she said. “He believed that people couldn’t be funny after 10 hours of shooting. You get tired. He would bring us in at 8, and we’d be out of makeup by 10, 10:30 a.m., and we would stop shooting at 5 p.m. … Never again have I experienced that kind of understanding of what it takes to do the work from a director and the higher-ups because I’ve shot 19-hour days and more.”

In her long career, Warren recalled working in Pittsburgh, including when she filmed the low-budget 2006 movie “10th and Wolf” locally.

“It had a very gritty, Mafia-esque, kind of characterization,” she said. “So the places that we were shooting lent themselves to that overall feeling and ambiance, which always helps an actor to be in a situation that informs the actor of the sensibility of the characters, so it was great to shoot there.”

Warren said when she’s recognized in public it doesn’t vary by the demographics of the people she encounters.

“‘Clue’ goes from 9-year-olds to 75-year-olds,” said Warren, who played Miss Scarlet in the 1985 cult comedy classic based on the board game. “It’s so beloved. And people recite the lines to me.”

As a “Clue” fan from the film’s opening weekend in theaters, I was shocked at the time when it turned out to be a box office bomb. Warren said making the film was as much fun as it looked.

“We were impossible to rein in,” she said. “I’m not kidding, because we would be falling down at each other’s work. So when Madeline (Kahn) would start doing her, ‘Flames!,’ we would die. It was such a gathering of some of the great comic actors of cinematic history in one room. And we all got along, which is rare.”

Evidence of that good time made it into film, though only Warren knows where to spot it (it’s just after the film’s 48-minute mark).

“We’re trying to get through a small opening in the bar, Martin (Mull) and I,” Warren said. “We’re shoving each other, and I can see myself laughing. Nobody else can. But I can see myself laughing so hard.”

‘Piano Lesson’ slated

Netflix’s adaptation of Pittsburgh native August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” will play in limited, select theaters on Nov. 8 (it’s too soon to know if any will be in Pittsburgh) and will stream on Netflix on Nov. 22. The film will have its international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month.

Malcolm Washington, son of the film’s executive producer, Denzel Washington, directs “The Piano Lesson,” which tells the story of a family fighting over the disposition of an heirloom piano.

“The Piano Lesson” filmed in Atlanta rather than Pittsburgh, where it’s set and where Netflix’s adaptation of Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” filmed. A 1995 made-for-TV version of “Piano Lesson” was filmed in Pittsburgh.

‘Lie to Fly’

FX’s latest documentary film, “The New York Times Presents: Lie to Fly” (10 p.m. Aug. 23, FX; next day on Hulu), chronicles the case of off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson, who’s accused of trying to crash a commercial flight in 2023 while riding as a passenger in the flight deck’s jump seat.

The one-hour film walks through not only Emerson’s experience but the broader question: Is it safer to treat pilots with mental health issues or to not treat them, which is what happened in Emerson’s case because of FAA rules that can ground pilots if they seek medical and/or mental health care.

Despite sensational cable news coverage claiming Emerson staged a “domestic kamikaze attack,” in actuality he was depressed over the death of a friend, had gone on a retreat with mutual friends, drank alcohol and consumed psilocybin, which led him to think he was trapped in a nightmare when riding in the Alaska Airlines cockpit on his way home from the retreat when he disengaged the engines.

Well made and thoroughly reported, “Lie to Fly” ends with some potential good news for pilots and the flying public.

Kept/canceled

Apple TV+ renewed “Dark Matter” for a second season.

Disney+ canceled “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” after a single season.

Channel surfing

KDKA-TV and the Steelers announced a new deal to keep Channel 2 the exclusive home of Steelers preseason games and supplementary programming (e.g. “Steelers Kickoff Pregame Show,” “Mike Tomlin Press Conference,” etc.) through the 2027 season. … Kevin Costner’s flop theatrical western, “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” streams on Max beginning Aug. 23. … “Schitt’s Creek” stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy will host the “76th Emmy Awards” (8-11 p.m. Sept. 15, ABC). … Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions’ “Alma’s Way” will air a special episode during Hispanic Heritage Month on PBS Sept. 23 featuring the return of series executive producer Sonia Manzano as Granny Isa.

You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at [email protected] or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, close your eyes.

Now streaming on:

The opening twenty minutes of “Close Your Eyes,” the third fiction feature from Spanish director Victor Erice , and his first film in thirty years (his documentary, “The Quince Tree Sun,” came out in 1993; the debut feature that made his reputation was 1973’s “The Spirit of the Beehive”), are as quietly spellbinding as anything you’ll see this year, or decade, or century.

The time is 1947, shortly after the Second World War, and the Spanish Civil War as well; the setting is an estate outside of Paris called Triste Del Rey—the sadness of the king—and the characters are an older man and a Spanish man in middle age. “Chess is a reflection of the world,” the older man says before he tells the younger of his plight, the disappearance of his now-teenage daughter, thought to now be in Shanghai. He refers to a movement made by this loved one as her “Shanghai gesture,” and real heads will know. This movie is threaded through with cinematic allusions. And this scenario isn’t even the actual movie—it’s two-thirds of the extant footage of a never-finished movie called “The Farewell Gaze.” Its lead actor, Julio Arenas ( José Coronado , a relatively assured figure when we first see him), walked off the set one day after a cut was called, and was never seen again.

This, we learn, was in 1990; the movie cuts ahead to 2012, and its director Miguel Garay ( Manolo Solo , whose deep-set eyes convey universes of worry and sadness) is approached by a Spanish television series called “Unresolved Cases”—yes, the “Unsolved Mysteries” thing is worldwide—to discuss the movie and his missing friend. He’s not sure about working with these people, but they seem to have integrity and they’re offering him some money, which he can use. The “Farewell Gaze” experience put him off directing—you can see why it might—and after writing a novel or two he’s barely scraping together a living as his dotage approaches. Researching on behalf of the program takes him into some storage facilities, and even another part of Spain altogether (the movie begins in Madrid). He consults his adult daughter (played by Ana Torrent , the little girl beguiled by the image of the Frankenstein monster in “Beehive”), an old girlfriend, and his former film editor. All through his journeys the movie retains a quiet tone, one that grows ever more contemplative as the story inches forward. This nearly three-hour film is likely to be checked off as “slow cinema” by some, and the descriptor is correct. But Erice’s deeply personal style isn’t tied to anything resembling a trend.

The movie’s central mystery is solved about two-thirds of the way into the film’s running time. It’s not paradoxical in any way that the film becomes even more enigmatic after that. “Close Your Eyes” is about seeing, and about recording what you see, and it’s also about what you can’t see even when you’re looking. That is, a reintroduced character does not convey to the viewer anything definite in terms of what’s going on inside them, what they recognize or what they don’t. We have an epistemological puzzle here that you may or may find the film’s finale, in which the last ten minutes of “Farewell Gaze” are screened for an invitational audience in the hopes of unlocking something for one of its viewers, solves. Or, again, not.

The movie’s senses of cinema are never present for self-consciously clever, self-referential reasons. Rather, they’re deeply intertwined with considerations of age and mortality. The searching of a now-84-year-old maestro of cinema is exquisitely moving and speaks with an urgency that isn’t at all undermined by the films languid pace. 

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Close Your Eyes (2024)

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