Day One Hundred and Seventy-eight - Radioland Murders, "How much YOU love ME? Well, how about how much I love YOU?!"

The last movie to come out of Lucasfilms in the 90's before good old George put the entire studio into "Prequel Mode" for production of The Phantom Menace, for some reason Radioland Murders never caught on, making a paltry 1.3 Million in the theaters and only getting a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes.

19... percent!

Just thinking about it, I feel like Gene Hackman's character at the end of The Birdcage, exasperated and confused, spouting, "I don't understand!"

Set in the late 30's, the golden age of radio, Radioland Murders is a quirky murder mystery with tons of slapstick and wit wrapped around a melodramatic series of murders on opening night of WBN's (stand in for Chicago's WGN) brand new radio network.

The night is utter chaos already as debut jitters have everyone from the writers to the sponsors birthing kittens, but as the bodies stack up, the laughs just get louder as leads Brian Benben (Dream On) and Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes) try and track down the killer while dealing with their own marital issues.

Supporting them is probably one of the greatest ensembles of character actors, comedians, and old standbys that I have ever seen assembled, including: Jeffrey Tambor, Ned Beatty, Corbin Bersen, Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Harvey Korman, Peter Macnichols (whom regular readers know that I just adore), and Larry Miller... as well as the last film appearances of George Burns and Rosemary Clooney.

And Stephen Tobolowsky... Steven-freaking-Tobolowsky... while I love him in pretty much everything he does, this has to be one of my favorite roles for him. Usually when I see him, he's a one-trick background pony like the role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day or Sammy in Memento... great, but just a side note to the primary action. Here, he's a major character with an end twist that allows from some really riveting climax drama and action.

He's just golden.

And pretty much the same can be said for the majority of the film. I cannot understand why it has such a bad rap.

Sure, it's cheesy and melodramatic, but that's half the fun! The other half being a stylized romp through the nostalgia of the radio era. I have to say, I get much more enjoyment out of Radioland Murders than Woody Allen's Radio Days.

Sometimes the tastes of others just boggles my mind.

I love Radioland Murders and I think, if you give it a chance, you will too. It has that same sort of retro sheen and witty banter that made Clue so great (though the latter is obviously superior). But, who knows, maybe I'm wrong? Going over the critics, I find myself soundly in the minority.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Leaving the Queue: "That's Big BooTAY... stop calling me Big Booty!"

Despite the fact that I am sooooooooo glad that Big Trouble in Little China wasn't a direct sequel to The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, I still love the latter for it's oddly endearing zaniness.

I mean, honestly... a Brain Surgeon/Physicist/Rockstar/Superhero?

Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Clancy Brown, Dan Hedaya... just a perfectly quirky, personality-heavy cast that works as one of the greatest bad movies of all time.

Honestly, the only problem that I have see is with Ellen Barkin, who just doesn't fit (but that may have just been her hairstyle... and it was the 80's, so I'm probably just projecting).

It's iconic... it's a cult favorite... it's... leaving the queue.

Crap.

Centered around the larger than life persona of Buckaroo Banzai (Weller), renaissance man of the 80's, and his ragtag crew of whitehat enforcers, who are there to save the world when it needs saving or just play a hip tune, the movie follows the conflict between Buckaroo and alien criminals from Planet 10, masquerading as humans on earth. Having invented a device that allows one to travel through solid matter, Buckaroo finds himself in the crosshairs of Lord John Whorfin (Lithgow), who wants to use the device to take over the universe.

Antics ensue.

The narrative makes no sense, the characters are colorful but insane, and there's absolutely no actual chemistry between the actors... really, the only performances that are great are those of Lithgow and Lloyd... but it's just so fun.

If ever there was a movie that joyfully would embrace a riffing from Mike and the guys, it's Buckaroo Banzai. If ever there was a movie that managed to maintain it's cheese and likability equally, it's Buckaroo Banzai. If ever there was a need for Jeff Goldblum in sheepskin chaps, you'll find it in Buckaroo Banzai.

Though, really, I think the world would've been a much better place without the image of Jeff as a Roy Rogers cowpoke.

It's terrible. It's stupendous. It's crass. It's brilliant. It's... best while high or drunk... or maybe both.

It's certainly better with friends.

It's gone (as of 6/1/13).

See you, Space Cowboy.

Day One Hundred and Two - Clue, "Communism is just a Red Herring"

There is something just so infinitely pleasing about Clue.

What could have been a travesty of an example of Hollywood mining the kids games and shows of yesteryear (GIJoe, Battleship, Transformers), was given such sterling treatment in terms of concept, writing, and quality actors.

I mean, seriously... Madeline Kahn? Christopher Lloyd? Michael McKean?

Tim Curry, for crying out loud!

If I were to criticize anything about the casting, I'd be left only with Lee Ving as Mr.Body. He really isn't convincing either as the king of a blackmailing ring or a butler in his own right, but maybe that's just me.

I suppose they were just going for as oily a character as they could make for the fifteen or so minutes he's onscreen before someone in the house makes him the requisite murder victim we all knew he'd be from the game.

Anyways, the basic premise is that of the board game with a few twists to make rational the liberties taken with the game's names and scenarios.

A group of six men and women, from differing professions, backgrounds, and means, and known of whom know each other, all come together for a dinner party where they are invited to confront the person who has been blackmailing them individually. They are served dinner, treated to the revelation of their own shames, and shown the administer of their misfortune... and then the murder begins.

Now, that sounds dark, but it's really a rather lighthearted affair because, despite the seriousness of the situation as nerves begin to crumble and bodies stack up, just about every line is embedded with amusing snark and there's just the right amount of whimsy and slapstick.

As far as comedy goes, you can never go wrong with Clue.

All of the main ensemble and a good many of the victims (that's right, victims, plural) have golden moments of sarcasm, innuendo, or just outright buffoonery, but you never feel like any of it is forced or hackneyed.

Whether it's Col.Mustard being outwitted by everyone in the room or Professor Plum's lustiness, Mrs.White's black widow routine or Mr.Green's cowering dorkiness, each actor plays their archetypes with such comedic aplomb that I cannot help but memorize their lines, intonation and all, and play the fool right along with them.

The standout for the film is, of course, Tim Curry as Wadsworth the Butler. Sure, everyone is spot on perfect, but he all but steals the show from the rest of the cast. Where they are all immaculate cogs in the murder-mystery machine, he is at the helm and drives the entirety of the film.

This is, for me, Tim's finest role. While I love Rocky Horror to death, it's not even close to as neat, tidy, funny, and consistent as Clue.

The entirety of the film gels in such as way as to beg perfection. It's only real issue is that it's never quite cinematic. It feels more like a stupendous bit of theater that just happens to have been put to film.

Maybe that's due to there only really being one location and being a one-trick genre pony that is just so darn clever and appealing, but still, I'd be hard pressed not to nominate this film for Best Comedy and Screenplay.

Speaking of theater, I've seen rumblings online that someone has managed to make a stage production of the film. Boy, would I love to see that! Hell, I'd love to produce that!

If you haven't seen Clue, put it in your queue/buy it immediately. If you have, watch it again! Set up viewings with friends and introduce it to as many Clue-virgins as you can. This is a film that is meant to be enjoyed over and over again until you almost know every line and gesture by heart. It comes with my highest recommendation and woe to the movie-lover that hates it, as I will find you and force feed it to you Clockwork Orange-style until your eyes bleed from its pure awesomeness.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~