Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) - Au Revoir, Pee-Wee...

"I don't have to see it, Dottie. I lived it."

Director

Tim Burton

Cast 

Paul Reubens - Pee-Wee Herman

E.G. Daily - Dottie

Mark Holton - Francis Buxton

Diane Salinger- Simone

Judd Omen - Mickey

Alice Nunn - Large Marge

Jon Harris - Andy

Nostalgia and the quick passing of time really hits home when a cherished and highly appreciated part of it leaves us.
Seldom does news of a celebrity's death really sting. I recall being sincerely morose when Muppet creator Jim Henson passed away in 1990. And when comedian John Candy died in 1994, I felt bummed out that day and for a few days after.
Of course, death is always a sad thing. 

Upon hearing of Paul Reubens' death on July 31, I couldn't help but feel a lingering sadness. Reubens, known especially for his long running character Pee-Wee Herman, is among the biggest personalities I enjoyed in my childhood and after. With such sadness comes the reality that nothing lasts forever. Time plows ahead like a speeding train. We all have to go. But before we do, our past fades more and more. Thankfully, we do get to hold on to memories for as long as we can.

No doubt I'm one among millions who have paid their respects publicly with similar sentiments. Pee-Wee is the first comedian I was ever enthralled with. I could never be in a bad mood after watching Pee-Wee Herman. 

Back in the day, his presence on television, whether in an interview, on his Saturday morning show "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" or in his movies "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and "Big Top Pee-Wee" (1988) would instantly draw me to the screen. I also caught his 2016 Netflix movie "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday" as soon as it came out. I had to watch it. I just had to.

Disney's "Flight of the Navigator," released in 1986, which also stars Reubens (credited as 'Paul Mall') as the voice of the spaceship is another favorite of mine from back then. I always knew that ship sounded like Pee-Wee. I didn't learn that it was him until years after.

The plot of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" is simple. Pee-Wee's (Paul Reubens) most prized possession, his customized bike, is stolen. He immediately suspects the local rich kid, Francis (Mark Holton) who, earlier, tries to buy Pee-Wee's bike. He tried to persuade Pee-Wee to sell it to him since it was his birthday. Pee-Wee laughs in his face telling him, "It's not for sale, Francis." The interaction ends with Francis declaring, "You'll be sorry, Pee-Wee Herman." 

After the bike is lifted, Pee-Wee doesn't receive much help from the police nor his friends.

Desperate, he consults a psychic who claims his bike is in the basement of the Alamo.

So, he sets off on a journey to find it himself, starting at the Alamo. 

Unfortunately, the trip ends in complete disappointment. There's no basement at the Alamo. 

Now, his bike could be anywhere!

Pee-Wee Herman is silly and juvenile but he's not stupid nor anti-social. This adolescent persona of his doesn't wear thin in the movie as Pee-Wee acts accordingly, though still humorously, to the situations he encounters. He starts off nonsensically, utilizing his signature prop comedy as a setting for his home. As the story progresses, Pee-Wee becomes a relatable and sympathetic character. He develops as a character thanks to the variety of folks he meets along his journey. 

Pee-Wee gets a lift from an escaped convict. He's also picked up by the ghost of a truck driver. He makes friends with a diner waitress named Simone, who tells him about her hope to one day visit Paris, France. 

He also gets some bad advice from a fortune teller. And impresses an unfriendly biker gang with his signature dance to the song "Tequila" by The Champs. 

And by the end, Hollywood pics up his story and turns it into a motion picture. The movie ends with all the characters Pee-Wee met along the way watching this movie at a drive-in. Pee-Wee, reunited with his bike, turns to his love interest, Dottie, and says "C;mon, Dottie. Let's go!"

"Let's go? Don't you wanna see the rest of the movie?"

"I don't have to see it, Dottie. I lived it." Bad experiences can certainly be as beneficial to us as the good ones. There ya go, kids.

While the movie has plenty of originality in its story and humor, I heard in an interview somewhere that "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" takes some inspiration from an early Italian movie with a similar, though more dramatic, premise. I had to look up the title. 

"Ladri di Bicicleta" (1948), also known as "Bicycle Thieves" or "The Bicycle Thief" tells a story set in post- World War II Rome of an unemployed poor father who ends up finding a job that requires him to own a bike. 

However, his bike ends up stolen. He's forced to either find his bike or face losing his job leaving him unable to feed his family. While the film is available on YouTube, I haven't yet watched it. 

For those who don't know, "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" is director Tim Burton's first feature length film. Burton's dark surreal style comes through in small doses. In one scene, while Pee-Wee is in a hospital bed, he has a nightmare in which he finds his damaged bike. Doctors, dressed as evil clowns, haul it away in an ambulance. They wheel on a stretcher down a long corridor that's clearly Burton's far out style. As a surgeon tries to "repair" the bike, he shakes his head in defeat, pulls down his surgical mask, and has an evil grin painted on his face. 

I understand how much of an acquired taste Pee-Wee is. Either people love him, or don't care for his adolescent humor. 

My own love of satire and caricaturisation is definitely thanks in large part to Pee-Wee Herman. The "usual gang of idiots" over at "Mad Magazine," my other guilty pleasure, paid him quite the compliment at the height of his career. They depicted his significance in the satirical comedy world on the cover of "Mad" issue no. 273 from September 1987. It's one of my favorite covers as it equates Pee-Wee to their own humor by putting him on par with the magazine's mascot, Alfred E. Neuman.

Honestly, I can't name anyone else who made me laugh as hard as he did when I was just in single digits. 

Sometime in my youthful past, we obtained a copy of Pee-Wee's 1981 stage show "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" which aired on HBO. It would later become his Saturday morning program. Back then, the adult jokes went clear over my innocent head.
I just watched it on YouTube for the first time in nearly 30 years.

I remember talking about both "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" as far back as my days at Garner Preschool in Alameda.

Diane Salinger and Paul Reubens in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

There's a part of the stage show that made me laugh to the point of tears when I was young.

In a segment called "Pen Pals From Around the World," Pee-Wee reads a letter from a kid in Israel.

They way he reads it out loud is hilarious.
"Shalam, Pee-Wee! My name is Shalomo." It makes me grin just hearing it in my head. Watching it as a kid, I would rewind that part over and over again.
Again, in my boyhood days, "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" was an established part of my Saturday morning routine. That, along with other programs such as "Garfield and Friends," "Beetlejuice," and my personal favorite "The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show" were all the reasons I needed to wake up early on Saturday morning.
"Now we've given you fair warnin'! It's gonna be that kind of mornin' -
For bein' wacky!
For getting nutty!
Golly, it's cuckoo!
At Pee-Wee's Playhouse!"
That's the last stanza of the theme before Pee-Wee gave his signature dorky laugh.

In fact, some actors from "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" have cameos in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." 

John Paragon, who plays Jambi, stars as a movie extra in red armor on the Warner Brothers backlot. Lynne Marie, who plays Miss. Yvonne on Pee-Wee's show, plays the nun on the movie set. 

It's also worth mentioning that Alice Nunn, who plays "Large Marge" also plays a truck driver in the so-totally 80s skateboarding movie "Thrashin'." 

And Diane Salinger (Simone) would star alongside Paul Reubens again in Tim Burton's 1992 Batman sequel "Batman Returns" as well as in "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday."

One subtle detail that might be unnoticed to some, but I doubt it, is the "Mrs. Gulch" theme from "The Wizard of Oz" that plays during the bicycle chase scene around the Warner Brothers studio. 

Speaking of which. the entire film score, composed by Danny Elfman, sounds a little similar to his score for Burton's 1988 comedy "Beetlejuice." They both have a fast-paced rhythm that intensifies. The score for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" is whimsical like a children's show while "Beetlejuice" is spookier. 

But there's one story and that sticks out in my memory involving "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

'Mad Magazine' no. 273 from Sept. 1987

Once, sometime between kindergarten and second grade, my mom took me along with my older brothers and a friend or two of theirs to our local video store, California Video, after school. While my brothers planned to rent a movie, I wanted something for myself. I wasn't interested in whatever they were going to check out.

I knew before going in what I wanted to check out - "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." Mom was waiting in our '86 Toyota van. I ran out to ask if I could rent it. 

She was certainly no fan of Pee-Wee. "He's too silly," she would say. So, she gave a staunch "no." I begged and pleaded, but mom being the Italian woman she is didn't move so easily in those days when it came to decisions. I walked back into the store and told my brothers a big feckkin' lie with bells and whistles hanging off. I told them mom said it was ok to rent Pee-Wee's movie.
They did. My inexperienced adolescent brain thought mom would never find out. Or, when she did, it would be too late to return in. I might be in trouble, but at least I'd get to watch Pee-Wee Herman. Of course, she saw the VHS tape the minute we got back to the van.
Needless to say, I didn't watch "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" that evening. The other guys got to rent their movie. I had to return mine right then and there and didn't get to rent anything. Shame on me.
No matter. I had seen it before, and many times after. "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" was, and still is, a movie I don't grow tired of watching. 

I've never written any kind of sendoff to a celebrity like this. It's my own little thought bubble in a huge pool of other fans making their own tributes, memories, and send-offs. 

Pee-Wee is different for me.

This is a movie that may strike someone who has never watched it as completely stupid and pointless simply because it stars Pee-Wee Herman. The movie, speaking as objectively as I can, really isn't as stupid as some might think. It's well structured. The story and flow are well done. The score is catchy. There's a lot for the eyes to take in. It's relatable. And it has a truly original style as I said before. 

Pee-Wee's typical goofy comedy is well paced, being heavy in the beginning and then scooting aside a little so as not to get in the story's way.

It's a movie among a handful that has left a big impression on me, along with "A Christmas Story," "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Ghostbusters," and Disney's "Pinocchio." 

I guess you can call me overly nostalgic, or too sentimental, or just weird and corny for being morose over Paul Reuban's passing.
All I have to say to scoffers out there is...I know you are, but what am I?
Farewell, Pee-Wee! I pray you're with God.

Superman Returns - Comic to Movie #19 (2006)

"You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one."

Director

Brian Singer

Cast

Brandon Routh - Clark Kent/ Superman

Kevin Spacey - Lex Luthor

Kate Bosworth - Lois Lane

James Marsden - Richard White

Frank Langella - Perry White

Parker Posey - Kitty Kowalski

Sam Huntington - Jimmy Olsen

Eva Marie Saint - Martha Kent

Tristan Lake Leabu - Jason White

Potential spoilers ahead

"Superman Returns" was the first Superman film in almost 20 years. It's a continuation, and the last installment, of the film series beginning with "Superman" (1978) through "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987). The 2013 movie "Man of Steel," starring Henry Cavill and directed by Zack Snyder, is a reboot of the series. That's another review for another time - maybe.

In "Superman Returns," it has been about five or six years since the world has seen Superman (Brandon Routh). He hasn't been around since astronomers think they discovered pieces of his home planet, Krypton, floating out in space.

The story opens with Superman's infamous foe, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) who has since been released from prison, married to an elderly rich widow who's on her deathbed. 

Moments before she passes on, she signs over her entire fortune and huge estate to him. 

Meanwhile, Superman returns to Earth after finding no signs of any surviving Kryptonians out in space. 

After crashlanding back on the Kent farm in Kansas, and visiting his Fortress of Solitude, Superman picks up as his alter ego Clark Kent and returns to his job at the Daily Planet. 

He finds that his old love interest, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), has hooked up with Daily Planet Editor Perry White's (Frank Langella) nephew, Richard White (James Marsden). The two are engaged to be married. She also has a young son named Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu). 

Also, much to Clark's chagrin, Lois previously won a Pulitzer Prize for an article she wrote entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Ouch!

While Clark is busy getting his old newspaper gig back, and getting reacquainted, Luthor uses the fortune the old lady left him to venture up to the Fortress of Solitude to steal some of the Kryptonian crystals that hold information regarding Superman's origins and instructions from his father, Jor-El.

He takes them back to the mansion, again left to him by the old lady, to conduct some experiments. 

It turns out when even the smallest specs of the crystals make contact with water, they grow into massive land formations. His initial experiment causes a huge power outage all over Metropolis. 

This power failure interrupts a space shuttle launch which is piggybacking on an airliner. Being that it is an initial launch, several members of the media are on board the plane covering the story, and Lois is one of them. 

Brandon Routh as Superman in "Superman Returns."

The engines and the unlocking mechanism fail after the shuttle rockets are dragging the plane into space. 

News quickly airs about both the unexplained power failure and the effected shuttle, catching Superman's attention. 

He rescues the plane, detaching it from the rocket and returning it safely to the ground placing right in the middle of a baseball stadium during a game. All the world sees that Superman is back. While the world rejoices, Lois probably feels like a major tool as she was just rescued by Superman. 

Luthor takes advantage of Superman's return. 

He stages a runaway car incident with his henchwoman, Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey) to distract Superman while he steals kryptonite from the Metropolis Natural History Museum. 

Meanwhile, Perry gives Lois an assignment to interview Superman in regard to where he's been, and why he's back. However, she's more interested in covering the mysterious blackout that affected all of Metropolis, and the space shuttle. She discreetly covers the blackout, with leads that take her to Luthor's boat.  

Of course, she heads over to the docs to try and talk to Luthor by sneaking onto his boat. And, for some reason, she takes her son with her and has him wait in the car. Of course, he doesn't wait in the car. He also makes his way onto Luthor's boat. The boat sets sail to the middle of the Atlantic before anyone, including Luthor, knows there's uninvited company onboard. 

Luthor finds the two on board and there's not much he nor they can do about it. He doesn't intend to turn around. She links the blackout with whatever Luthor is plotting. And he reveals his plans to create huge landmasses out in the middle of the Atlantic using a mix of Kryptonian crystals and kryptonite. "You can print money, manufacture diamonds, and people are a dime a dozen, but they'll always need land," he says to Kitty. "It's the one thing they're not making any more of."

This landmass will destroy parts of the United States and kill millions. Luthor intends to be head of this new land, and Superman will be powerless to do anything about it, or so he thinks.

One of the film's major selling points at the time of its release, after the return of Superman onto the big screen, was the post humous appearance of Marlon Brando as Kal-El's (i.e. Superman) father, Jor-El, thanks to the use of CGI. Brando plays Superman's father in the first film.  

This continuing Superman story, which was hugely anticipated back in the early 2000s, should have been much more action packed. If only producers utilized the capabilities to throw in a lot more eye popping affects and a Superman story unlike what audiences have seen before, it may have been a great and unforgettable movie. As special effects came a long way in the 20 years between "Superman IV" and this story, the potential was there but was missed.

Superman hardly does a thing in this return of his. He rescues an airplane in the beginning. In one scene, he takes down a guy blasting him with a gatling gun. It's a cool scene. So much so, I once saw a collectible statue depicting this one particular scene in a comic shop. Aside from that, Superman lifts a huge kryptonite-filled island and hurls it into space. There's a rescue here and there, and that's about it. He doesn't do much. He's not utilized as much as he should be. 

The plot is decent but doesn't stand well enough amid the disappointing writing and lack of anything interesting for Superman to impress the audience with. 

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor.

Good writing and great new affects (for the time) could have gone so well together and taken the story to new heights (no pun intended). Instead, we got a boring story with nothing much new than before. This movie is a wasted opportunity. The only thing that's unique is that Superman has a son - a plot point that's intriguing but goes nowhere. 

A good story mixed with comic book action are what make "Superman" and "Superman II" enjoyable films. Those are the two best movies in the series, in my opinion. 

In part two for instance, the whole friggin' world is threatened by three outsiders with the same powers and strength as Superman. And Superman loses his powers before he's aware of what's happening. What'll happen next? It's a great story that holds up well.

The decision to cast Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel, following the legendary Christopher Reeve, is a great decision. Routh captures the character impressively well. He even resembles Reeve. But he isn't given a lot to work with for a chance to really be an unforgettable Superman. What a shame. 

Unfortunately, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane isn't such a good casting call. Her version of Lois is boring and void of emotion unlike the late, great Margot Kidder from the original flicks. Kidder is spunky and lively. Bosworth is the opposite. She's brooding and depressing. And there's no chemistry between her Lois and Superman, unlike Kidder and Reeve. 

Kevin Spacey, despite the bad news currently surrounding him, makes a decent Lex Luthor. He's more intimidating in the role than Gene Hackman from the original films. Gene Hackman is great as Lex Luthor, don't get me wrong. Spacey, though, makes the character his own.

Noel Neill, who plays Lois Lane in the classic television series "Superman" from the 1940s as well as in "Atom Man vs. Superman" (1950) portrays the elderly rich widow whom Lex Luthor is swindling at the beginning of the film. 

Anyways, "Superman Returns" should have been a fantastic opportunity to bring Superman back to the big screen with a heroic bang strong enough to blow the audience away. Instead, Superman's return is an underwhelming one with a humdrum story that bores and certainly fails to impress. 

The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

"I can explain in two words: we propose to marry your daughters."

Director

Wilford Leach

Cast

Kevin Kline - The Pirate King

Rex Smith - Frederic

Angela Lansbury - Ruth

Linda Ronstadt - Mabel

George Rose - Major-General Stanley

Tony Azito - Police Sergeant 

I love satire! My cynical inside gets a grin when the more solemn parts of culture, formalities (the pointless ones especially), and today's social influencers receive a ribbing now and then. It doesn't need to be a hostile punch in the face or a hit below the belt (except maybe some thrown at today's social influencers out in the open on the intellectual wasteland that is Tik Tok). Just some playfully facetious humor told with innocent merriment is all it takes to get a laugh out of me. Satire is the sweet and sour candy of life. It's best when given in large doses while taken in small ones, with a grain of salt of course.
Some of the best in the art of satire comes from the comedic partnered minds of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.
Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a substantial number of comedic operettas, or short operas, back in the Victorian era of England. Unlike an opera, and operetta generally has light-hearted and/or humorous themes with spoken language alongside singing.
Some of their works are still rather mainstream today, with their most noteworthy plays being "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Mikado," "Patience," and "The Pirates of Penzance."
Gilbert and Sullivan are unique for writing satirical plots that are completely awry, with round-about resolutions. And it's all decorated with catchy music and very creative comedic libretto. 

It's impossible to watch a Gilbert and Sullivan performance and not have a song or two stuck in your head for days. That's true, even if you find yourself bored with whatever play of theirs you might be watching. Their stories generally involve tongue-in-cheek jabs at such things as unqualified leadership in the British Royal Navy, British law and order, the whimsical nature of poets and the aesthetic movement, English bureaucracy, and class distinctions found in England back in the day.
"Stick close to your desks and never go to sea, and you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee," Sir Joseph sings in "H.M.S. Pinafore" as he recounts his beginnings in the Queen's Navy despite having no naval qualifications.
There's no real disdain for these things in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. It's pure light-hearted satire for a hearty laugh. Never mind the why and wherefore. 

My introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan was the "Cape Fear" episode of "The Simpsons" from the show's fifth season which aired back in 1993. In that episode, Sideshow Bob (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) sends Bart threatening letters from prison. After he's released on parole, the Simpsons enter a witness protection program, and live in a houseboat.

Rex Smith, Kevin Kline and
Angela Lansbury in "The Pirates of Penzance."

Sideshow Bob manages to follow them, and then attempts to kill Bart, but not before granting him a final request. So, Bart asks if they can sing the entire score to the "H.M.S. Pinafore."
"Very well, Bart. I shall send you to Heaven before I send you to Hell," Sideshow Bob replies.
It wasn't until my high school music class that I learned more about these Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and the significance behind them. Of course, my initial thought that day in music class, when my teacher played the class portions from "H.M.S. Pinafore" was that episode of "The Simpsons."
I never knew there was an actual movie of "Pirates of Penzance" until a few days ago when I found a copy while shelving DVDs at the library I am employed with. At first, I assumed it was a filmed stage production. Nope. It's an actual feature film with Angela Lansbury, Kevin Kline, and Linda Ronstadt.
The story, set in the 1850s, centers on a young lad named Frederic (Rex Smith). Prior to the beginning, his youth was spent under the care of his nursemaid, Ruth, (Angela Lansbury). During his boyhood, Frederic was supposed to be sent to an apprenticeship with a pilot. However, as Ruth's hearing is less than adequate, she mistakenly sends him to an apprenticeship with the Pirate King (Kevin Kline) and his Pirates of Penzance.
The story begins with Frederic at age 21. His pirating apprenticeship has come to an end, and he wants to leave the dreaded Pirates of Penzance, all of whom were orphans in their youth.
On top of that, he wants to rid the world of pirates altogether. And Ruth, who also lives with the pirates, wants to go with him.
Within no time, Frederic runs into a group some gorgeous young maidens. Seeing them makes Frederic realize just how old, especially in her face, Ruth has become.
Mabel (Linda Ronstadt), on the maidens, wants to help Frederic free himself from the pirates and offers him her love. Frederic is smitten with her and accepts her assistance...and her love.
When his former fellow pirates catch up to him, they find him in the midst of all these young ladies. So, they take them into their custody with the intent to marry them.
Their father, Major-General Stanley (George Rose), arrives and isn't too keen on the situation.
"I object to pirates as sons-in-law," he says.
"We object to Major-Generals as fathers-in-law. But we waive that point. We do not press. We look over it," the Pirate King replies.
So, knowing full well that the pirates are orphans, he tricks them into thinking he, too, is an orphan as they certainly wouldn't attack one of their kind. And he's right. The Major-General fools them, and they let him and his daughters free.
Yet, the Major-General is a man of high morals and standards. He wrestles with his conscience for having told a lie, even to pirates.
Mabel and Frederic attempt to ease the pangs of his bad conscience. Frederic calls for the constabulary, along with their sergeant (Tony Azito) to assist in defeating the pirates. The police, however, are too timid and scared to be of any real use.
"When constabulary duty's to be done, a policeman's lot is not a happy one," they sing.
Both the Pirate King and Ruth discover within Frederic's apprenticeship indenture that as he was born on a leap year, he cannot be out of his indenture until he actually turns 21 sometime in the 1940s. With really no other option available, Mabel agrees to wait for him until then.
The police come back on scene as the pirates take the still guilt-ridden Major-General. Mabel encourages the police to take on the pirates once again.
Rather, the Police Sergeant persuades the pirates to surrender "in Queen Victoria's name." The pirates, filled with patriotic sentiment, do just that.
Ruth, meanwhile, is convinced that all the pirates are great men who have simply been led astray, So, the Major-General grants them all an official pardon and allows them to marry his daughters. And

Linda Ronstadt as Mabel.

everyone is happy in the end.
For a musical comedy from 1879, "The Pirates of Penzance" still entertains and remains catchy. 

The acting, singing, and energy in the movie are spot on. It's evident the actors are enjoying it presumably just as the audience is. They clearly put everything they have into creating something enjoyable. And the movie treats the source material with the respect it deserves. 
The orchestral soundtrack and set design, however, are a bit underwhelming. 

I was hoping to see a grander set, with a boisterous musical score. Maybe the bulk of the budget went towards the talented and big name cast, leaving little for the design and soundtrack. Neither are terrible. The music and atmosphere don't really pop out and grab the audience. And some of the lead singing is done by external singers off camera for the actors on camera.
Regardless, it's still an entertaining musical with actors who put forth a lot of energy and talent.
Director Wilford Leach had directed a made-for-TV production of "The Pirates of Penzance" in 1980. It, too, starred Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, George Rose and Rex Smith in the same roles as this movie. However, Patricia Routledge ("Keeping Up Appearances") stars as Ruth in the television production.
Gilbert and Sullivan's story "H.M.S. Pinafore" satirizes the unqualified leadership in English rule, particularly the Navy. This theme is touched upon in "The Pirates of Penzance," particularly with the character of the Major-General. The sense of duty and obligation when it comes to family and society is knocked around a tad, along with the education of the day, and the formalities one is expected to practice in proper society. It's stretched so far to the point where it simply doesn't make much sense. And that's the comedy. It's pulled off beautifully in the movie.
I highly recommend this movie, and Gilbert and Sullivan in general. If it's not your cup of tea, well, then what can I say? There's lot of other movies out there - terrible ones to punish yourself with.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

"Heck yes! I'd vote for you."

Director

Jared Hess

Cast
Jon Heder - Napoleon Dynamite
Efren Ramirez - Pedro Sánchez
Tina Majorino - Deb
Aaron Ruell - Kip Dynamite
Jon Gries - Uncle Rico
Sandy Martin - Grandma

Shondrella Avery - LaFawnduh

Haylie Duff - Summer Wheatley
Emily Kennard - Trisha Stevens


It took me a long time to figure out why the 2004 comedy "Napoleon Dynamite" is as popular as it is. I'm still not certain if I know for sure. It has some funny bits, but is that enough to make a low budget flick like this so popular? Of course, I'm probably overthinking it. What I can say with certainty is that out of all the comedies I remember seeing, "Napoleon Dynamite" is the best example of lightening in a bottle. 

I first watched "Napoleon Dynamite" back in 2005 or 2006. I had no interest in it before that, and only knew about it because I had heard people often quoting it. I also kept seeing random people dawning those "Vote for Pedro" shirts out in public. I had no clue what that meant, or who "Pedro" was until I saw the movie. 

Back then. the sister of a friend of mine loved this movie! So, she had a movie night at their apartment and put "Napoleon Dynamite" on. 

Well, the penny dropped in regard to those Pedro t-shirts after watching it. 

I laughed and found some things about "Napoleon Dynamite" entertaining. It's innocent and certainly carries its own style that feels unique enough. But the one mystery that gripped my mind even upon my first viewing is the plot. What the hell is the plot? 

That was the first comment out of my mouth.

"Napoleon Dynamite" is among the movies I wanted to write about ever since starting this blog. To me, it's an enigma. 

The story begins on just another day in Napoleon's (Jon Heder) life as he waits for the school bus outside his house in Preston, Idaho. He lives with his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), his grandma (Sandy Martin), and Tina the family llama...I guess? 

Napoleon's grandma ends up breaking her coccyx bone in a quadbike accident at the sand dunes. So, his Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) stays with Kip and Napoleon to watch over them while grandma is in the hospital. 

Uncle Rico, who lives out of his van, is stuck in his past as he constantly reminisces about his high school football days back in 1982. He often wishes he could go back in time to those glorious football days and somehow change the course of his life so he can fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.

Kip spends his days in online chat rooms chatting with "babes." 

Rico talks Kip into joining his get-rich-quick scheme selling Tupperware door-to-door. Meanwhile, Kip has been trying to get his online sweetheart, LaFawnduh (Shondrella Avery), out to Preston so they can be together. 

Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite

At school, Napoleon becomes friends with new student Pedro Sánchez (Efren Ramirez). He also becomes pals with a shy girl named Deb (Tina Majorino) who stops by the Dynamite house early in the film to sell handmade tchotchkes in order to earn money for college. 

There's a bit of a romantic chemistry between Deb and Napoleon though Pedro asks her to the school dance. 

Napoleon ends up asking a random girl named Trisha Stevens (Emily Kennard) by drawing a portrait of her. Her mother forces her to go because Uncle Rico, while trying to sell Trisha's mom on his 24-piece food storage set, claims Napoleon gets beat up at school and still wets his bed. 

At the dance, Trisha ends up ditching Napoleon to go hang with her more popular friends. But Pedro lets him dance with Deb for a few songs. It's awkward for both, but the sparks are there.

Sometime later, Pedro decides to run for school president despite his lack of self-confidence. His opponent in the race is Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff) - the attractive and popular girl at Preston High. 

So, Napoleon helps Pedro campaign around school, putting up posters and handing out tchotchkes Deb made. 

He even puts together a last-minute dance routine as Pedro is unaware that he needs to perform a skit following his campaign speech in front of the entire student body. Earlier in the movie, Napoleon finds a VHS tape called "D-Qwon's Dance Grooves" at a thrift store and teaches himself dancing. So, he puts this knowledge to good use for Pedro's sake despite whatever humiliation he could face at school. But the crowd loves his routine.

By the end, this helps Pedro win the students' vote. And everything simply wraps up with a post credit scene at Kip and LaFawnduh's wedding. 

The entire movie is like a section cut from Napoleon's life. Yet, the movie manages to have some character development. Or I'm overanalyzing it. 

The first half of the movie is insight into the Napoleon's world - his high school and social experiences alongside his eccentric family life. Evidently Napoleon helping Pedro get elected school president is the plot. If that's the case, it feels like it was thrown in last minute as if the producers realized more than halfway through production that they forgot to include a plot. So, they come up with something just so their flick could have one. The general plot seems to be, simply, the life of this socially awkward kid who lives among other socially awkward people. This actual plot point doesn't happen until the final act of the movie.

As for character development, Pedro is a character used to change Napoleon's attention off of himself and onto others.  

Napoleon initially comes across as clueless and taken in by slightly amusing things. He's a bit similar to Uncle Rico and Kip constantly focused on themselves. They're cluelessness is what passes at humor. Not only is Napoleon clueless, but he's also amateurish and socially awkward...unless you consider the outlandish lies he tells others about himself, which are blatantly ridiculous, to be a form of social activity.

I'm confused if this is supposed to make him endearing or stupid. Am I supposed to like him or feel sympathy for him? Or do I laugh at how awkward he is? Is he an unfortunate character, or just a weird kid at school who's trying to find a place to fit in, in the small town of Preston?  He's often bullied and is seen playing tetherball by himself on the school yard. That much makes Napoleon a sympathetic character. As for the rest, I don't know.

Efren Ramirez and Jon Heder.

Late in the film, Uncle Rico visit Deb for some headshots (Deb is into photography). But having gone from selling Tupperware to female breast enhancements, he lies and tells her that Napoleon thinks she would be interested in these enhancements.

Deb calls up Napoleon in anger and refers to him as a "shallow friend" for thinking such a thing about her. But when she sees his last-minute dance routine to help Pedro, she becomes the first friend the audience sees play him in tetherball.

He also catches her a "delicious bass" after her phone. It's an unusual gesture, but a selfless one none the less, in an attempt to mend their friendship. 

The opening credits with the title song "We're Going to Be Friends" by the White Stripes pulls the audience into the independent low budget feel of the film. It's creative and unique as though it was made by high school students for a school video project. The opening credits sets the film in the 2004-2005 school year. The overall appearance and style make the movie feel like its set in the 1980s or early 1990s sometime. The music by John Swihart that resembles dated waiting room music is the perfect touch to that atmosphere. I take it that is writers Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess's way of making the story autobiographical to whatever degree it might be so.

After seeing this movie at my friend's house, I ended up watching it again on my own a few days later. There's a scene that had me in tears. 

After Napoleon asks Trisha to the school dance, he gets a job at a chicken farm. During an unusual lunch break, one of the farmers named "Lyle" (Dale Critchlow) randomly blurts out something unintentionally incoherent. I had to turn on subtitles to figure out what he said. He says something about finding Shoshoni arrowheads over by a creek bed. It kills me each time! I kept rewinding that scene over and over again because it made me laugh so hard.  

If I could compare the style of "Napoleon Dynamite" to anyone else's style, it would be Wes Anderson. It reminds me of an Anderson movie as far as framing, use of symmetry, and monotone dialogue. But while Anderson's movies often have a hint of fantasy and imagination, "Napoleon Dynamite" is much more realistic, and sees the humor within everyday life. 

Aside from a variety of quotable lines, I think the movie's relatability makes it appealing to younger audiences. Napoleon's experiences in the awkward realm of high school as well as dealing with the strange quirks and idiosyncrasies of his family members speak to the movie's younger audience. Despite it's weird pacing and plot (if there is a plot), it somehow works thanks primarily to its familiar scenarios and the humor behind them. 

  

Casino Royale (1967) - Springtime for Classics

"Seven James Bonds at Casino Royale. They came to save the world and win a gal at Casino Royale. Six of them went to a heavenly spot. The seventh one is going to a place where it's terribly hot."

Directors
John Huston
Ken Hughes
Robert Parrish
Joe McGrath
Val Guest

Cast

David Niven - Sir James Bond, 007

Orson Welles - La Chiffre 

Peter Sellers - Evelyn Tremble/ James Bond
Ursula Andress - Vesper Lynd/ James Bond

Joanna Pettet - Mata Bond/ James Bond

Daliah Lavi - The Detainer/ James Bond

Woody Allen - Jimmy Bond
Deborah Kerr - Lady Fiona McTarry/ Agent Mimi

William Holden - Ransome

Charles Boyer - Legrand

John Huston - 'M'

Barbara Bouchet - Miss. Moneypenny

In the James Bond universe, the 1967 film "Casino Royale" doesn't seem to show up among the 23 other listed 007 movies. Not to be confused with the 2006 James Bond movie of the same name starring Daniel Craig, this "Casino Royale" isn't a part of the Bond canon, as though the other movies are ashamed of it or something. That shame is likely due to the film being a satire of Bond movies. Still, it's loosely based on James Bond author/creator Ian Fleming's novel "Casino Royale." Afterall, the 1983 James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" with Sean Connery isn't considered canon either. It's basically a retelling of the Bond story/ film "Thunderball," the film version of which was released in 1965. And like "Never Say Never Again," this movie was not produced by Albert Broccoli who produced most of the Bond movies from 1962 up to 1989's "License to Kill." His name is listed as a presenter on the 1995 Bond flick "GoldenEye." 

Yet, "Never Say Never Again" gets to be included in the Bond filmography. That's probably thanks to Connery's presence after a 12-year hiatus since "Diamonds are Forevers" (1971). It's his last portrayal of the famous MI6 spy. 

Not even David Niven, who plays James Bond in "Casino Royale" doesn't seem have a spot on the list of actors who had the honor of playing 007 - Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig. Actually, several actors play Bond in this flick, but you won't find any of them on the "who played Bond" list. 

In this movie, Sir James Bond (Niven) has been retired from the British spy business for a good 20 years. He lives in a large mansion and has a bumbling pushover nephew named Jimmy Bond (Woody Allen).

James Bond seems to be enjoying retirement until he's paid a visit by MI6 head "M" (John Huston) along with KGB representative Smernov (Kurt Kasznar), and an executive name Legrand (Charles Boyer) from France's external military intelligence agency. 

This trio from the Cross Spy agency implore Bond to come out of retirement and help them handle SMERSH - an evil agency that has been taking out agents. 

Bond has no desire to come out of retirement. So, 'M' applies a little pressure when he orders agents to fire mortars and destroy Bond's mansion.

M is accidentally killed in the explosion, and his top is blown - literally. 

David Niven as Sir James Bond and
Barbara Bouchet as Moneypenny in "Casino Royale'

So, Bond returns M's toupee to his widow, Lady Fiona McTarry (Deborah Kerr) at their Scottish estate. 

Unbeknownst to Bond (I think), Lady McTarry has been replaced by SMERSH agent Mimi (Deborah Kerr). And the entire estate is inhabited by a respectable amount of gorgeous young girls. Together, they want to tarnish Bond's clean image as a pure gentleman by seducing him. Bond certainly doesn't fall for their hanky-panky. His restraint impresses Mimi so much that she denounces her evil ways and joins a convent. 

Bond finally agrees to be head of MI6. When he takes the gig, he's informed that a lot of British agents have been taken down by the enemy thanks to their inability to resist sexual advances from beautiful women. 

Upon hearing this, he orders that any MI6 agents still around will now be referred to as "James Bond 007." This ought to confuse SMERCH. 

Bond also creates a training program for all the James Bonds to strengthen their will power against attempted seductions and resist sexual urges. 

Bond hires Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) who's a former agent now enjoying life as a millionaire. Her job is to recruit Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers), an expert baccarat player, in order to beat SMERSH financial agent Le Chiffre (Orson Welles) who has been embezzling SMERSH money. Le Chiffre is desperately trying to cover up his wrongdoing before he's caught and executed. 

Meanwhile, Bond has it on a clue from Agent Mimi that a foreign aid group calling itself "International Mothers' Help" is actually a SMERSH training facility. So, he gets his estranged daughter, Mata Bond, to head over to West Berlin and check it out. 

While investigating, Mata comes across a plan to distribute compromising naughty pictures of various military leaders from the U.K., United States, China, and the U.S.S.R. through an art auction. 

It's really a money-making scheme set up by Le Chiffre. 

Mata puts the kibosh on these plans, leaving baccarat the only money-making option for La Chiffre. 

Tremble and Lynd makes their way to the Casino Royale to challenge La Chiffre.

Tremble notices that La Chiffre always has sunglasses on during game play. He has Lynd steal them and hand them over to him. 

These glasses give La Chiffre the ability to see the cards through infrared technology. 

Without these glasses, he has no way of cheating. La Chiffre can only use magic tricks to impress those standing around the baccarat table as he and Tremble play. 

Lynd ends up getting kidnapped outside the casino, followed soon after by Tremble after he beats La Chiffre out of a lot of money. 

Not willing to go down quietly, La Chiffre wants Tremble to return his winnings back to him. So, he tortures Tremble with some hallucinogenic stuff. 

After Lynd attempts to rescue Tremble, SMERSH agents raid La Chiffre's home and kill him. 

Speaking of kidnapping, Mata also gets kidnapped by SMERSH in a big flying saucer and is taken to Casino Royale. Bond goes to rescue her, along with Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet) - the daughter of the former Moneypenny. However, when he arrives, Bond discovers who's really behind the dastardly SMERSH plans. The casino is built above the headquarters of the evil Dr. Noah, the identity of whom takes Bond by surprise. 

Dr. Noah reveals his plans and... they're not good!

The entire movie carries on like the humor and story were written as the movie carries along. Or, perhaps, they hired a few inexperienced young teens - the kind who think kissing and boobies are hilarious - to brainstorm some ideas as to what a funny James Bond movie ought to include. The flying saucer, among other things, gives that impression. The constant make-out scenes do as well. An entire scene with nothing but Scottish jokes that go on and on feels juvenile. And (spoiler) it all culminates to one big fight at the end. 

Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress.

The humor plays out like a bad joke that overstays its welcome. The risqué humor may receive an uncomfortable laugh at first, but then carries on like the writers were proud of themselves for making someone laugh. So they tell the same jokes again and again, and again. 

That's not to say there's nothing at all funny in the movie. 

I enjoy watching Peter Sellers immensely. He's a rarity in the comedy world who can make me laugh just by staring off with a deadpan look on his face. Bill Cosby couldn't even pull off what Sellers could. His performance is where I got most of my laughs. That, and the name of one of the SMERSH agents - Miss. Goodthighs - made me laugh out loud. It's a play on the coyly seductive type of names Bond girls are usually blessed with. Speaking of Bond girls, Ursula Andress plays Honey Ryder in the first James Bond movie "Dr. No" from 1962.  

"Casino Royale" gets the Bond atmosphere right, with characters pulled out of Fleming's novel along with the gadgetry and such. But if judging by what I watched, everyone involved must have had something different in mind as to what this movie ought to be. There are too many hands in mix. That's no surprise as there are five directors for this one movie. As a result, I had trouble following the story. Aspects in the plot are left unexplained. It's anyone's guess why anything is happening. There's too much happening resulting in a comedic Bond film packed way too heavily with stuff. 

Co-director Ken Hughes later directed the children's film "Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang" based on another Ian Fleming story. Co-director and star of this movie, John Huston, previously directed some truly memorable films such as "The Maltese Falcon," "Red Badge of Courage," "The African Queen," and "Moby Dick."

Producer Charles K. Feldman worked with Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress a few years prior in the 1965 movie "What's New Pussycat?" written by Woody Allen, which Feldman also produced. 

"Casino Royale" is very much a product of the 1960s, with one scene paying homage to early German expression films of the silent era. It's garnished with music from Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, along with the song "Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield.  

Still, the entire film is a disjointed array of humor, story, and dialogue all boiling down to an ending that's just too juvenile and cheap, even for a James Bond satire. 

Thirty years later, I (re)joined a film fan club

Laugh if you have to. Or, if you don't have to laugh, laugh anyways. 

Nearly 30 years ago, my late dad and I decided to join a fan club. It was all my idea because when I become interested in something, I have a habit of diving completely into it.

This fan club called itself, and still calls itself, "The Sons of the Desert." It's actually an international organization "devoted to the work and lives of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy." So, yes...it's a Laurel and Hardy fan club. 

I first heard about this group in the early 1990s after my dad received a video collection of Laurel and Hardy films distributed by a company called "Video Treasures." Before each feature film, a series of home movies and photos of Laurel and Hardy, with narration from Stan Laurel's daughter Lois Laurel, would play. They were followed by a quick advert for the Sons of the Desert Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society. 

It sounded corny but alluring. Who doesn't want to join a crew of like-minded individuals?

Named after their 1933 film "Sons of the Desert," this organization has chapters, or "Tents" as they call them, pitched all around the world. Each Tent is named after a Laurel and Hardy movie. And the spokesperson for each of these Tents is referred to as the "Grand Sheik." During regularly held meetings, films and content pertaining to Laurel and Hardy are watched and appreciated, as is the nature of an appreciation society. It's like a classic comedy movie night, really. 

What's fascinating is that this appreciation society has been around since 1964. It was started by author and scholar, John McCabe, whose first book was an authorized biography of Laurel and Hardy.

So, back in the 1990s. I wrote an inquiry to the address shown on that Sons of the Desert blurb. I received a response back in the mail indicating that there was a Tent called "Call of the Cuckoos" located in nearby San Francisco - I was living in Oakland at the time. No other name could be more suitable for something located in San Francisco. So, my dad and I joined up and attended some of these film screenings this San Francisco Tent held month to month in an auditorium inside a Methodist Church. A projector and screen were always set up. And a folding table with snacks and beverages were always present.

I read somewhere that comedian Bill Murray himself once jokingly referred to these Sons of the Desert fan members as a "bunch of weirdos" when they were presenting him with some kind of honor or award. Again, maybe some of the members really get into Laurel and Hardy. But, so what? 

Some of the attendees were a little eccentric, but so is half the population of San Francisco. Others were friendly and fun to chat up about movies. I was still in my teens and was probably the only young kid in the group. Other members were actually about the same age I am now. Attending these film screenings spurred in me a desire to read about films in general, research movie producers, and, well, everything I do on this blog. For instance, I'm currently enrolled in a film appreciation course online. I think dad and I attended these gatherings regularly for about a year. Of course, being a member of this group wasn't anything I shared with any of my peers. None of them would have cared anyway. 

I think the highpoint of being a member occurred when dad and I attended a screening of some Hal Roach films somewhere in Sacramento. Lois Laurel was also in attendance. She was such a polite lady who was warm and welcoming. I was a bit star struck seeing her. Stan passed away in 1965, long before I was born. So, meeting his daughter was the closest I would get to meeting the legend himself. 

She gave me a signed postcard-sized photograph of herself as a little girl beside her father taken on the set of the 1937 movie "Way Out West." Unfortunately, at some point between then and now, I lost it. 

Sadly, my dear old dad passed away in 2018. Every once in a while, before he passed away, I would bring up "The Sons of the Desert" to him. 

About a year ago, I began researching a not-so-well known female comedy team comprised of Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd. These two ladies were joined together as a comedic duo by Hal Roach who produced the majority of Laurel and Hardy as well as the "Our Gang" (aka "The Little Rascals") films as well among others. 

Zasu Pitts left the act after making 17 comedy shorts with Todd. She was replaced with Patsy Kelly who, together with Todd, made 21 comedy shorts until Todd died under unusual circumstances in 1935 at age 29. 

A few Christmases ago, my wife gave me a complete DVD collection of their films. I've been working my way through every single one. I also downloaded some periodicals about them and requested my local library to purchase a copy of the book "The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, Zasu Pitts and Patsy Kelly" by James L Neibaur. I'm writing something up about this female comedy team as they deserve continued recognition. Their comedic legacy has faded too much over the decades, unlike
Laurel and Hardy and the Little Rascals. I'll have more to come about Pitts, Todd, and Kelly later. 

But watching their films, and reading about them, brought the Sons of the Desert to mind. 

I admit I was kind of embarrassed to talk about having been part of a Laurel and Hardy fan club in my teenage days. It seemed kind of stupid. Uncool. But now, again, so what? It's right up my alley.

No matter how corny or quirky it seems, the Sons of the Desert don't strike me as just a mere fan club. They actually work hard to keep this part of film history alive and well decade after decade. Laurel and Hardy are a foundational pair in comedy. Their work and dedication deserve not just appreciation, but a whole international society dedicating to appreciating. It would be ashamed if Laurel and Hardy faded too far into obscurity. The same goes for a lot of classic films. As I heard someplace before, there's no such thing as an old joke if you haven't heard it before.

This group introduces new generations to Laurel and Hardy films, classic cinema in general, and to the film industry from that era as it pertains to this comedy duo and the Hal Roach Studios. And the members certainly enjoy themselves while doing it.

Evidently, they're still as active as ever, especially in Europe. So, I looked up any nearby Tents to where I live now in Kansas. There's one in Basehor, Kan., - a town I never heard of - called the "Hog Wild Tent." Unfortunately, it's an hour and 40-minute drive from me. Well, that's too far. 

Regardless, I can still join as a "delegate at large." And I did. For a membership fee of $35, I can still be a part of things and receive the group's publications and such in the mail. After 30 years, they lure me back into this Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society "The Sons of the Desert." As Stan Laurel once said, "You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead." 

Clue (1985)

"They all did it. But if you wanna know who killed Mr. Boddy, I did. In the hall. With the revolver."

Director

Jonathan Lynn

Cast

Tim Curry - Wadsworth
Lesley Ann Warren - Miss. Scarlet

Martin Mull - Col. Mustard

Madeline Kahn - Mrs. White

Christopher Lloyd - Prof. Plum

Michael McKean - Mr. Green

Eileen Brennan - Mrs. Peacock

Lee Ving - Mr. Boddy

Colleen Camp - Yvette 

My wife and I recently watched the 1985 comedy "Clue," based on the classic board game, on the same day my fourth child was born just a few days ago. As my wife recuperated at the hospital, we both decided to watch "Clue" on our tablet while browsing through movies on various streaming apps. Though it was a day to celebrate, hospital stays are incredibly boring, too. 

"Clue" has been a favorite board game of mine since my youth. Certainly, more so than "Monopoly." I hate losing money in real life. Why would I want to lose my game money, too?  

"Clue," however, holds a special nostalgic place for me. I have a strategy, probably like everyone else, whenever I play. It often works, unless an opponent has a better strategy.   
The movie based on the boardgame has a truly respectable cast and has become a bit of a cult classic.

Sometime in my pre-teenage years while browsing the shelves of my local video rental store in the hills of Oakland, "California Video," I discovered this flick much to my surprise. Well, of course I had to check it out. 

By the way, when I first saw the trailer for the 2019 comedy murder mystery "Knives Out," my initial impression in the first few moments of the trailer was that it was a remake of "Clue." 

The movie "Clue" was a favorite of mine in my younger days. But I haven't seen it since my early teenage years until my wife and I watched it at the hospital.

Speaking of the board game, I still hope to own a copy of "Clue Master Detective" which offers more rooms, weapons, and characters for crime solving game play. Last Christmas, I found it at a calendar store at the mall. Though I didn't buy it then, I know someday it'll be mine.

Anyways, the movie starts as six individuals are invited to an eerie looking mansion for a special supper. 

As each guest arrives, they're greeted at the door by Wadsworth the Butler (Tim Curry) and given a pseudonym - Miss. Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Prof. Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Col. Mustard (Martin Mull) and Mr. Green (Michael McKean). 

However, an extra guest named Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) is scheduled to arrive. Wadsworth informs the guests that Mr. Boddy has been blackmailing each of them for some time. 

Mrs. White is suspected for murdering her physicist husband. 

Mrs. Peacock is being blackmailed for supposedly accepting bribes on behalf of her husband, a U.S. Senator. 

Prof. Plum lost his medical license after fooling around with a female patient. 

Mrs. Scarlett operates an underground brothel. 

Col. Mustard has been engaging in some war profiteering. 

And Mr. Green claims to be a closeted homosexual which could cost him his job at the State Department if he's found out. 

When Mr. Boddy shows up while dinner is being served, Wadsworth informs the party that the police have been notified and will arrive in 45 minutes.

Boddy, however, threatens to expose each one of them if the police arrest him. He gives each guest a weapon (a lead pipe, a wrench, a revolver, a rope, a knife, and a candlestick) and hopes any one of them will use their weapon to kill Wadsworth. 

If Wadsworth is murdered, Boddy says their secrets will be safe. He then turns out the lights. A shot is fired. A scream is screamed. And when the lights come back on, it's Mr. Boddy who's lying dead on the floor. 

Now the elegant yet mysterious evening becomes a classic who-dunnit as all the guests run around the mansion investigating Boddy's murder. 

The premise of the murder mystery, and its connection to the board game is fun to watch. The notable cast who all work off each other well enough is the best part of the film.

"Clue" sparks a few hearty laughs for me, but overall, it fizzles out in its efforts to get the audience to laugh as characters do a lot of running back and forth, and back and forth. Overall, its weak humor consists mostly with shouting, falling, and again running around. There's very little solid comedy in the dialogue. 

The easy jokes make the movie feel like a mere novelty rather than something worth coming back to again for laughs. It doesn't impress. There's only one joke in the movie that makes me think "now that was funny!" 

There's so much potential for a creative experience with the source material the movie has behind it, but this movie's legacy is that of a cult classic. With some tweaked writing and better jokes, "Clue" could have been a more respected comedy classic rather than just another deflated goofball comedy.  

The cast, too, could have been given a lot more comedic dialogue and material. This is a top-notch cast. Still, what they have to work with is lacking. In some scenes, the cast looks as though they're uninterested in whatever is going on. 

Three different endings were filmed for this movie. Upon its release, theaters were given any one of these three alternate endings. When "Clue" was released on home video, all three endings were included. 

Honestly, the three endings seem superfluous, though I understand the producers were trying to make the movie just like the board game. It would have been interesting to discuss the movie with others who watched it in different theaters and saw different endings back in 1985. 

Director Jonathan Lynn went on to direct other goofy comedies like "The Distinguished Gentleman," "Sgt. Bilko" and "The Whole Nine Yards." His next movie after "Clue" was the somewhat obscure comedy "Nuns on the Run" with Monty Python alum Eric Idle and "Harry Potter" star Robbie Coltrane. Perhaps Lynn's most notable film is the 1992 comedy "My Cousin Vinny." 

"Clue" has potential but ends up an unsubstantial screwball comedy with a runtime that's barely over an hour. A future remake could give this story what's lacking in this film.