It’s a dark and stormy night in 1954, and six guests have made their way to a New England mansion for a dinner party hosted by the mysterious Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). Welcoming the guests as they arrive are eccentric butler Wadsworth (Tim Curry) and buxom French maid Yvette (Colleen Camp). Each guest has been given a pseudonym and instructed not to divulge anything about their real identities. However, it isn’t long before the guests realize that they are all from the DC area and/or work in government, and that their host is the person who has been blackmailing each of them. So it’s no surprise when Mr. Boddy winds up murdered shortly into the evening, and they all have motives—Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan) is the wife of a senator who’s been taking bribes, Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd) is a doctor who slept with his patients, Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren) runs a brothel, Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn) has had two husbands disappear under suspicious circumstances, and Mr. Green (Michael McKean) is a closeted homosexual. With the police scheduled to arrive in 45 minutes, time is running out to figure out who the murder is. And soon the bodies start piling up, causing chaos and panic inside the mansion, with the guests not knowing who to trust, and paranoid they will become the killer’s next victim.
Clue is a madcap comedy based on the classic Parker Bros. board game of the same name, bringing all of those familiar characters, weapons and rooms to life as the viewer (and characters) try to figure out who murdered who, with what, and in which room. The all-star ensemble cast is such a delight, adding a lot of dark humor and fun to a deadly situation. All of the suspects have something to hide, and the other guests are eager to determine who is behind the murders. So there are plenty of fun interactions between members of this wonderful cast as these despicable characters constantly accuse and call out one another. The hilarious script is written/directed by Jonathan Lynn (My Cousin Vinny, Nuns on the Run). The film has a lot of physical humor, with characters constantly tripping, falling over, dealing with a dead body, or getting bonked on the head. Mr. Green is particularly accident prone, while Professor Plum is usually making inappropriate advances at the women. The film also has a French face feel at times, with locked doors and room swapping as the guests/suspects frantically run around the estate and through secret passages. There is also a lot of great one-liners and quotable moments in this movie, as well as some really clever wordplay, such as this interchange between Mrs. Peacock and Yvette:
Mrs. Peacock: Uh, is there a little girl’s room in the hall?
Yvette: Oui oui, Madame.
Mrs. Peacock: No, I just have to powder my nose.
It’s not just the cast and the writing that makes this film so much fun, it’s the entire look and feel. You find yourself transported into the game of Clue. First there’s the production design, which brings all of those rooms, secret passages and weapons we know so well from the board game into the real world. The way the characters are able to run from room to room, you feel like they are there in the actual mansion. Another wonderful element of the movie is its quirky, synthesizer score, which does an excellent job of punching up the humor and setting the tone.
The last time I saw this movie was decades ago, so I hadn’t really remembered a lot of the finer details—I had a great time enjoying it all over again and trying to solve the mystery. Each of the actors is given a chance to shine, such as the campy and over-the-top scenes from Madeline Kahn and Lesley Ann Warren, or the way Tim Curry is able to maintain such a high level of energy during Wadsworth’s recap and reveal. When the film was first released, there were three different endings, split among various theaters. For those trying to figure out who the killer is, all three endings actually make perfect sense given what transpires and the evidence that is shown. There was apparently a fourth ending as well that was scrapped. When Clue first hit home video, it included all three endings played in a row, and this has become the standard version that is shown. However, with Shout!’s new 4K release, you have the option to either watch the film with that trilogy ending or be surprised with one of the three endings!
Shout! Studio’s new 4K release is remastered from a new 2023 4K scan of the original camera negative, and the result looks fantastic. The picture looks very clean, with a pleasant amount of film grain, and a natural color palette. There is a solid level of detail in faces and in the textures of those iconic outfits. The audio track is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono, so it doesn’t have the immersive feeling of a more modern film, but dialogue remains clear throughout (primarily from the front/center). The track also does a nice job with the film’s score, which is quite delightful, and it brings to life the sounds of the storm outside the mansion.
The 4K release includes both a 4K UHD disc as well as a Blu-ray disc, which are packed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase, which is placed in a cardboard slipcover. As with all Shout! releases, there is no digital copy. While both discs offer the choice between Trilogy and Random ending, the rest of the bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc. This consists of the film’s trailer and about an hour of brand new interviews with the film’s director, producer, and a music historian. I was surprised to find that I found the last of these the most interesting. It’s always great to see new retrospective bonus material for older movies, though I wish they had been able to speak with some of the cast members as well.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:36:51, 1:27:45, 1:26:22, 1:27:34)
-
4K Ultra HD:
- 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Dolby Vision / HDR10
- Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- Subtitles: English SDH
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Three Different Surprise Endings
Playback options include “Trilogy Ending” where all three endings play back-to-back, and “Random Ending”, where you are surprised with one of the three endings. - The Perfect Motive: Directing Clue (27:47)
In this brand new interview, screenwriter/director Jonathan Lynn talks about how he got involved with the project, the film’s setting, creating a story around the rooms, characters, weapons and other aspects of the board game, constructing scenes such that the audience wouldn’t notice who was missing, how he became the film’s director, building the set, working with Tim Curry, his filming process, some of the improvised lines, the score, the multiple endings and release strategy, and more. Production photos and movie clips are mixed in with the interview. - Scene of the Crime: Producing Clue (22:04)
In this brand new interview, associate producer Jeffrey Chernov talks about his early work and how he got involved with Clue, working with Debra Hill, the production design, layout and construction of the set, the rehearsal process, the negative reactions to the multiple endings, the cult following, and more. Production photos and movie clips are mixed in with the interview. - Not Just a Game: Scoring Clue (9:07)
In this brand new interview, film music historian Daniel Schweiger talks briefly about composer John Morris’ career and then goes into more depth on his comedic scoring of Clue. Movie clips are utilized perfectly to illustrate some of the concepts raised in the interview. - Original Trailer (1:34)
Blu-ray:
Extras:
The new interviews can only be found on the Blu-ray disc, but both discs offer the random ending option.
Final Thoughts:
Must Own For Fans
Clue is a fun mystery-comedy with an amazing ensemble cast. The films holds up really well nearly 40 years later, and has never looked better thanks to Shout! Studios’ new 4K release. The new release also includes about an hour of brand new bonus material, including some retrospectives from the film’s writer/director, a producer and a music historian. Fans of the film will definitely want to add this 4K release to their collection, and for those who don’t already own a copy, the film is definitely worth checking out, and this is the version to get!
Clue (1985) – Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD]
$27.99 (as of April 26, 2024 05:03 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
