Product: Murder by Death (1976)
Rating: 5.0
Murder by Death review
I was rather young when I first saw this film, probably around 12 or so. My best friend and I were always watching movies on weekends, usually B horror films and slapstick comedies that were broadcast in the afternoons. We stumbled onto this one, and it's been a lifelong memory of ours. The insanity of it, the over-the-top characters and plot left us howling and to this day we STILL quote lines from it. Truman Capote was a hoot, and Peter Falk was a riot. The whole cast was outstanding, playing off each other in the numerous utterly absurd situations. I was overjoyed when it was finally released on DVD and it made the perfect Birthday present for my friend (still my best friend after almost 30 years). This film is most certainly NOT for those interested in "serious" movie plots, and it has a few moments where things get a bit bogged down, but it does well at not taking itself seriously and showcases some outstanding slapstick comedy from the cast members. The parodies of well known literary sleuths are excellent, those who know who the characters are based on will get a chuckle out of seeing these madcap renditions of them.