The Greatest Black Comedy Of All Time Is Finally Back On Streaming
It’s time to brush up on your sleuthing and detective skills, because the greatest black comedy of all time, Clue, is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The classic film from 1985 is based on the board game of the same name, an entertaining whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end—when three alternate endings reveal who the killers are.
Clue is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
In Clue, six guests with dark secrets are invited to a New England mansion for a mysterious purpose. They are welcomed by Wadsworth, the butler, and Yvette, the maid, who give each guest a pseudonym to try and conceal their identities: Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet. Mr. Boddy, a man who has been blackmailing each of the other guests, arrives at the house as the seventh guest.
The evening really kicks off when Mr. Boddy is found dead, and no one knows who did it. Each guest, armed with a specific weapon (rope, dagger, wrench, pistol, candlestick, and lead pipe), must try and survive. The bodies and lies begin piling up, leading the guests and viewer to try and figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.
Years later, Clue has become a cult classic that fans can’t get enough of.
When Clue first hit theaters back in 1985 it was not very successful, failing to even earn back the $15 million spent on its production. The film offers three alternate endings, and audiences across the country would see different outcomes and killers. While the concept is interesting and unique, it must have made it hard for friends to chat about the movie and compare notes, which is part of the fun of seeing a movie in theaters.
Years later, Clue has become a cult classic that fans can’t get enough of. While some people can’t stand the wacky performances from the eccentric characters, others absolutely love it. Part of what makes the film so great is its ensemble cast that includes Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, and Colleen Camp.
Tim Curry plays Wadsworth, the outlandish butler who is responsible for inviting all the guests to the mansion, and he has a personal vendetta against Mr. Boddy. Eileen Brennan puts on a hilarious and entertaining performance as Mrs. Peacock, the chatty wife of a senator who is accused of bribery. Madeline Kahn portrays Mrs. White (a widow to five different men) who gives a famous “flames” speech that she improvised on set.
The script for Clue was co-written by John Landis and Jonathan Lynn, with the latter going on to direct the movie. Originally, John Landis wrote a fourth alternate ending, but felt that it was not good and that three alternate endings would suffice.
To achieve the 1950s aesthetic of the film, the production used authentic furnishings from the 18th and 19th century and even used the estate of the late President Theodore Roosevelt. Nearly all of the filming took place at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, except for the ballroom scene and shots of the driveway gate which were filmed at a mansion in South Pasadena, California.
Supposedly, Ryan Reynolds is on board to star in the remake while Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who wrote Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Life) were set to write the script.
Clue has gone on to create quite a legacy, and has been referenced in TV shows like Psych, Family Guy, CSI: NY, and Vagrant Queen. Fans are so fascinated by the film that Who Done It: The Clue Documentary was released earlier this year.
You can stream it on Screambox to learn more about the making of Clue, see interviews with cast members, and find out how it became such a cult classic.
There have been talks of a Clue remake since 2011, though the details of the development have changed quite a bit over the past twelve years. The director of the remake has changed hands several times, from Gore Verbinski to Jason Bateman to, most recently, James Bobin.
Supposedly, Ryan Reynolds is on board to star in the remake while Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who wrote Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Life) were set to write the script. However, in 2022, Oren Uziel, who is best known for writing Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, took over the script.
Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time seeing it, you can watch Clue on Amazon Prime Video. All of the alternate endings play in succession at the end, so you can enjoy all three.
