Product: Murder by Death (1976)
Rating: 5.0
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES EVER!!!
I remember watching this movie as a child and it absolutly terrified me. The dark setting; the maid who was unable to speak or hear; the murders; these were all so much for a young girl to handle. However, when I was away at college and since we were unable to afford cable my roommates and I would occasionally buy videos and watch them over and over and over... When I found a copy of Murder By Death for sale I thought of this as an opportunity to overcome the scarring this film had left me with as a child. We went home and popped the video in the VCR and for the next 94 minutes we laughed until we cried. I absolutly loved this movie!The casting was excellent! I couldn't imagine anyone else but those incredibly talented actors/actresses playing the richly developed characters. The setting was well done and the script is hilarious!!! By today's standards some of the jokes/lines can be considered to be very politically incorrect and the idea of a caucasian (Sellers)portraying an Asian would probably receive much protest. But considering the time the film was made this is not an issue for me personally (I'm part Asian). The set is beautiful and yet haunting and the costuming is wonderful. I dream of having a beautiful dress like the one worn by Dora Charleston (portrayed by the incredibly talented Maggie Smith).I can honestly say that I watch this movie at least once a week and I know this film so well I can almost follow the dialogue line by line when watching it. I was so happy when it was finally released on DVD and I appreciate all of the little extras found on the DVD but I really would have enjoyed a Dirctor's Commentary to follow along with the movie. Overall I highly recommend this movie for anyone in need of a very good laugh.