Product: Murder by Death (1976)
Rating: 5.0
Truly a showcase of brilliant comedic acting
I will never forget the day a college professor of mine bad-mouthed this movie. He hated anything with Neil Simon's name on it. Well, I must say he seriously lost credibilty with me at that very moment... This is the classic spoof on Hollywood's murder mysteries. "Clue" pales in comparison. Just look at the casts.The performances are outstanding (indeed these are final performances for several of the cast members). And yes, I love Neil Simon's over-the-top one-liners and sight gags, and this talented cast can pull them off. Truly this is a showcase of lively writing and brilliant comedic acting.OK -- now here's my grumpiness (which I did not allow to lower my rating of the overall film) -- what happened to the original cover art? Is Peter Falk really the star? It makes it look like a Columbo episode.Second, the gag ending is missing. Isn't this what DVD is all about? It should have at least been included as a "deleted scene." Ah well, perhaps there will be a special edition later on down the road -- get a commentary out of the remaining actors before they are all gone!