| | | Whodunit? You'll die laughing trying to figure it out!
Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Mono Audio, English, Subtitled, Spanish, Dubbed & Subtitled
The world's greatest detectives have been invited to dinner. But when murder is on the menu, who will make it to dessert? You are cordially invited to join an all-star cast featuring Peter Sellers, David Niven, Peter Falk, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester, Maggie Smith, Alex Guinness, Eileen Brendan, Nancy Walker, James Crumble and Estelle Winwood for Neil Simon's hilarious murder-mystery spoof Murder By Death. The isolated mansion of eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (celebrated author Truman Capote in a Golden Globe-nominated performance) is the setting for the twisted puzzler. Twain informs his guests that one of them will be murdered at the stroke of midnight. The payoff: $1 million to whoever lives through the night. Murder By Death neatly lampoons both the mystery genre and the characterizations of these instantly recognizable gumshoes. Match wits with the super sleuths, but remember, you can't win if you end up dying from laughter!
"...consistently funny, often hysterical scenes..." The Motion Picture Guide
"Entertaining and hammy spoof..." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
"Inspired zaniness..." Janet Maslin, Newsweek
"...enjoyable all-star comedy." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
Editor's Note
Neil Simon's screenplay is a clever spoof on murder mysteries in which eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) invites the world's greatest detectives to his home and challenges them to solve the perfect murder. Among the sleuths that try to solve the case are Milo Perrier (James Coco), Sam Diamond (Peter Falk), Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester), Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Maggie Smith), and Sidney Wang (Peter Sellers), all of whom are easy-to-guess but altogether sharp parodies of beloved literary characters.
Plot Summary
Playwright-screenwriter Neil Simon whipped up this frothy parody of several famous sleuths, who gather in an Agatha Christie-style setting.| A gaggle of brilliant detectives -- including Sam Diamond, Milo Perrier, Miss Marbles, Sidney Wang, and Dick and Dora Charleston -- attends a party hosted by the filthy-rich Lionel Twain in his dark mansion.| Soon it's clear Twain and his help have more on their minds than hospitality and hors d'oeuvres.
| Features | Production Notes | | Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai | | Exclusive Interview: A Conversation With Neil Simon | | Talent Files | | Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video | | Widescreen & Full Screen Versions | | Audio: English & Spanish Mono | | Theatrical Trailers | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 3/24/2009 |
| Running Time: 94 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1976 | | Catalog ID: 07934 | | UPC: 00043396079342 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: Korean, Portuguese, Samaritan, Spanish, Thai, Chinese | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1/4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Golden Globe (1977) | | | Truman Capote, Nominee, Best Acting Debut In A Motion Picture (Male) |
|
| |
|
| |
__USERID__
http://www.buy.com/prod/murder-by-death/q/loc/322/40161795.html
|
|
|
| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  4.5 | | Plot |  5 | | Acting | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
| |
5 of 5 Classic Comedy Thursday, January 08, 2009
Paul from Abington, PA
I bought this for my wife for Christmas. We saw it years ago and still quote some of the lines to each other. It was great to see it again. Laughed out loud a lot. Was this review helpful?  
5 of 5 detective spoofing at its best Saturday, June 28, 2008
A Viewer from birmingham Al
perfect casting for delightful script paying playful homage to
nearly every 1940's era fictional detective. Can a comedy
with both Peter Sellers and David Nivens possibly fail? (a
decade earlier Blake Edwards was definitly glad they were in a certain movie he directed!)One of my favorite comedys of the
1970s. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Hillarious Hijinx in a Parody of Old-school Whodun Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Bob Dewane from Manitowoc, WI
This movie is a start to finish classic comedy. Anyone who likes either old detective movies or comedies in general will love this movie. The actors all give hillarious performances, especially remarkable if you are familiar with any of their other works. Neil Simon has his characters each attempt to solve the crime using their egos almost as much as their renound intellects. The twists and turns that this movie takes are what keeps the viewer interested and involved in the film. This film is as packed with memorable one-liners as any comedy could hope to be.
If you thought that The Usual Suspects had a surprise ending, wait until you get to the end of this one! Was this review helpful?
|
|
