Sadly, the great Peter Falk passed away. While he is most well known for Columbo and The Princess Bride, I thought I would showcase one of his, possibly, lesser known works. It's a comedy called "Murder by Death" that pokes fun at the mystery genre.
The story follows five detectives as they are invited to a wealthy recluse's house. He explains that someone is going to die and challenges them to figure out who is responsible.
From there it just gets zany with crazy plot twists and characters. It's very well written, not surprising considering it was penned by Neil Simon, and the cast is solid as well. In addition to Peter Falk, the movie also stars Alec Guinness, Truman Capote, Peter Sellers, and David Niven.
I will warn you that one of the characters is something of a cartoonish racial stereotype, but, hard as it may be to believe, it actually works. The character actually walks that fine line and manages to pull it off without making it uncomfortable for the viewer.
I wasn't sure what to make of the movie going in, but I found myself laughing quite a bit. It's an older movie, but it holds up well over time and can still be enjoyed by someone who isn't well versed in detective stories. Those who are more knowledgeable will notice that each character is a pastiche of another well known detective from literature, likely making it that much more entertaining for you to watch.
Either way, this movie was a blast to watch and it definitely deserves more love. As such, I happily encourage you to go check it out if you haven't seen it. It's very entertaining.
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