The Clue 4K Blu-ray SteelBook is dropping on October 21st to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the movie I love. So, I took this as a sign to write a love letter to the film that is a huge part of why I am the way I am. I am also here to do what I do best and state the obvious. Clue is the only film based on a board game that is worth watching. Before some of you fight me, the Jumanji game was released after the book and the movie. More importantly, while it holds a special place in my heart and I miss Robin Williams more than I can ever say, I have loved Clue almost as long as I have been alive. I am clearly biased, but I also think it had a bigger impact on many of us. Here is my story, though.
Too Cool For School
This comedic murder mystery, written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, had no business being as great as it is. It is based on my favorite board game, Clue (originally Cluedo), created by Anthony E. Pratt. The film was also produced by the legendary Debra Hill (John Carpenter’s co-conspirator on Halloween, The Fog, and other bangers). As a small child, I didn’t know these names. I just knew there was a movie that made me happy no matter how many times I rewatched it.
As a ’90s kid, there was nothing better than finishing Saturday morning cartoons and catching Clue on TV. Those countless rewatches are probably why I know the value of a great ensemble, have had a lifelong crush on Tim Curry, and have an undying loyalty to the rest of the cast. The movie is probably also to blame for why I am such a theatrical little bitch, but I digress.
A mansion full of hot and funny people obviously had a pull for most of us. While we might have been too young to fully understand what was going on, we knew this was cinema. The all-star cast was a comedic dream team. Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and Curry are the ensemble to beat. Their line readings, chemistry, and energy stood out to me as a youth. I spent countless years doing theatre, trying to find this feeling in the wings of random stages. I judged (too harshly) countless plays I was in the audience for that never gave me the same high. Clue is lightning in a bottle. It might be in the DNA of some of our favorite things, but it will never be duplicated.
Clue Changed Me
Clue is the reason I thought I wanted to be an actor for a couple of years as a kid. I literally wanted to be as funny as any of these ladies, and I wanted to live in a world this zany and cool. As a kid who was noting how few times women got to do cool stuff in the movies, I was all about it. I wanted to be Mrs. White, Miss Scarlett, and Mrs. Peacock. I even wanted to be Mrs. Ho, Yvette, and The Singing Telegram Girl because this script understands everyone should get a moment, so there are no small parts. This movie is probably one of the least traumatic reasons I have the uncontrollable urge to make people laugh. I no longer want to be an actor, but I do love being a character.
By the time all of the bodies have piled up, and the movie knows it needs to wrap it up, I feel like I am in it. No matter how many times I rewatch it, or that I know I am on the other side of a screen decades after it was released, I feel like I ran a marathon with these loveable and lethal characters. I also always want more time with the Clue crew because few things in life are as delightful as this film. I used to collect versions of the board game, and lucked into getting my hands on a copy of Clue: VCR Mystery Game by Parker Brothers in a thrift store when I was a kid. While I loved all of those things, nothing beat the cinematic experience that is this nearly perfect film that still lives rent-free in my heart.
Cinematic Magic All Around
I can hear composer John Morris’ music just thinking about certain scenes, and it makes me smile. My excitement (and shoulder work) as Mr. Body (Curry) explains his theories is embarrassing. However, this song is a banger. I listen to the score quite often because I’m a nerd and still want to live in this world as much as possible. I even shimmy to the credits as if it’s my first time watching the movie or hearing “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Bill Haley & His Comets. Clue taught me to watch the credits for the maximum experience long before Marvel bribed the rest of you to do that.
This dinner party gone deadly wrong is fun, fascinating, and frenzied. I had the privilege of finally seeing Clue on the big screen a couple of years ago. Both my friend and I were left in awe of how one of our shared favorite films still holds up. It was the first time either of us had seen it in a theater and we were speechless. I almost cried as this all too familiar story unfolded in front of me. I like a lot of movies, but I only love a few. However, this one is part of my DNA at this point and I remain obsessed. I cannot help but see traces of it in some of my short plays. It’s what I think of first when I attempt to write a comedy, and it is the reason I know even murder can be funny.
Rewatch Clue Tonight
Clue will turn 40 this December, and the new steelbook will be released in a couple of weeks. However, this movie, which has been around longer than I have been alive, deserves so much more. I doubt I’m the only kid it turned into an aspiring cinephile. I cannot be the only genre nerd who owes it a huge debt of gratitude for making me a better film kid. More importantly, this funny, lovable, and hot cast showed us that some group projects can succeed. For all of these reasons, and probably hundreds more, I hope you make time for a rewatch this year. Your inner moppet deserves it for surviving this 2025. It’s also nice to know that something we loved as children still slaps in an age where most of our favorite movies are spoiling like the veggies in our fridges.