Razor-sharp.  This essentially describes the wit of Clue and this new 2023 4K upgrade of the classic comedy.  It’s the movie with three different endings, remember?  And, if you remember that, you also remember that you had to go to different theaters to see the different endings.  It was an ingenious marketing ploy by Paramount, reminiscent of what William Castle did with his movies: anything to get butts in seats.  Does Clue need multiple endings?  Probably not, but they are all so damn funny no one is going to mind that they are all included here in Shout Select’s 4K upgrade to this cult comedy classic.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn, who co-wrote the script with John Landis, and produced by Debra Hill, even if the cast was sub-par, this black comedy would be in good hands.  Thankfully, the cast - featuring wonderfully over-the-top performances from Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and Colleen Camp as  Yvette, a voluptuous French maid - is up for the challenge of a madcap whodunnit and they deliver in spades. 

Clue, which is based on the board game, is what happens when six strangers are invited to a mysterious New England mansion by Mr. Boddy, who has been blackmailing all of them.  Everyone is given a new name so that there is some confidentiality in the proceedings - "Colonel Mustard", "Mrs. White", "Mrs. Peacock", "Mr. Green", "Professor Plum", and "Miss Scarlet" - and are introduced to some key weapons - a candlestick, rope, lead pipe, wrench, revolver, and dagger - and, as expected, Boddy is killed when the lights go out.  Which of the guests did it?!

Of course, there will be more murders.  So much for the plans for the evening!  Rounding out the cast of characters assembled is also Wadsworth (Tim Curry in a role he will never get enough praise for), Boddy’s butler.  He guides them through this night of chaos as victims are slain and suspicions are cast everywhere. 

With the police on their way and everyone pointing fingers at each other, all sorts of fun breaks out as the guests - now going by their pseudonyms - try and figure out just who - and with what weapon - killed their host.  And then the cook.  And then a random motorist.  Was it Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick?  Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with the rope?  The innuendos are all over the place and the hi-jinx come in rapid fire accusations as the guests scramble through the mansion from one room to another, comic moments following each random line and murder!

Clue, at the time of its release, wasn’t a box office draw by any means.  It’s unfortunate because the performances are both manic and fun and the uniqueness of the whole project, being based on a board game, seems to have been lost on the audience at the time of the film’s release.  But time is a funny thing as Clue is now considered a cult classic and has quite the reputation for being a funny, twisting, black comedy.

And now, thanks to the efforts of Shout Select, the film arrives with a 4K upgrade which absolutely delivers a perfect image for the guests arriving in the rain to this mysterious mansion!  Game on!

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout! Select
Available on Blu-ray - December 12, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: Codec: HEVC / H.265; Resolution: Native 4K; HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with the gun? Miss Scarlet in the billiard room with the rope? Or was it Wadsworth the butler? Meet all of the notorious suspects and discover all of their foul playthings. You'll love their dastardly doings as the bodies and the laughs pile up before your eyes. Here is the murderously funny movie based on the world-famous CLUE board game and brought to crackling life by an all-star cast including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Colleen Camp, and more! And now you can see all three surprise endings!

VIDEO

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the new 4K digital restoration is presented in Dolby Vision HDR and you can definitely tell!  From the beginning in the rain to the very ending, this 4K handling is perfect.  Created from the 35 mm original camera negative, the results are fantastic. Especially considering the amount of darkness and shadows in this predominantly night-time film, the exposure, color, and range is excellent. The depth, detail, and clarity are all impressive and healthy, and the grain exposure is very pleasing. There are no visible signs of any imperfections to be seen. A top-notch restoration.

AUDIO

The new uncompressed monaural soundtrack is wonderful. All dialogue, ambient noises, and music come in clear as can be. And the track is even able to greatly show off dynamic range in moments of intense audio or music. Nothing but good stuff here

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Unfortunately, nothing.

Special Features:

Fans get a couple of new supplementals, but the image upgrade is worth the price of admission.

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

• NEW Remastered From A 2023 4K Scan Of The Original Camera NegativeIn Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono3 Different Surprise Endings

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

• NEW Remastered From A 2023 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• NEW “The Perfect Motive: Directing Clue” – An Interview With Writer/Director Jonathan Lynn
• NEW “The Scene of the Crime: Producing Clue” – An Interview With Associate Producer Jeffrey Chernov
• NEW “Not Just a Game: Scoring Clue” – An Interview With Film Music Historian Daniel Schweiger About John Morris’s Score3 Different Surprise Endings
• Original Trailer

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime: 94 mins
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Writer: John Landis; Jonathan Lynn; Anthony E. Pratt
Cast: Eileen Brennan; Tim Curry; Madeline Kahn
Genre: Comedy | Crime
Tagline: It's Not Just a Game Anymore.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You want it? You want it? Eat it! Eat it till ya choke, you sick, twisted fuck!"
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: November 30, 1990
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 12, 2021.
Synopsis: Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... Shut up! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it!