Murder by Death is a very good silly-funny Neil Simon satirical comedy, with a super all-star cast cavorting as recognizable pulp fiction detectives gathered at the home of Truman Capote, wealthy hedonist fed up with contrived gumshoe plots.
Murder by Death (1976)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:16
Fresh:11
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.1/10
Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]
Starring: Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk
Starring: Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, David Niven, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith
Director: Robert Moore
Director: Robert Moore
Producer: Ray Stark
Screenwriter: Neil Simon
Reviews for Murder by Death
This spoof of the great fictional-film detectives offers consistently funny scenes.
So it all doesn't amount to much, and -- some knuckle-dragging 'he's gay'/'no I'm not' humor aside -- it's more Scooby Doo than Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Still, it's an amusing tea-cozy of a spoof with an enjoyable cast.
Director Moore and writer Neil Simon seem to have no real affection for either the characters they plunder mercilessly for laughs, or the locked room puzzle they turn on its head. Introductions over, the film slides downhill.
A sometime funny satire on the old murder-mystery detective series of the 1930s and '40s. Some jokes hit, while others just bomb.
...pokes fun at every old fictional detective you can think of and every cliché you’ve ever wanted to red pencil out of a script.
Latest News for Murder by Death
October 03, 2007:
Total Recall: The Heartbreak Kid and the Movies of Neil Simon
After toning down the crude and turning up the cute for the last three years, the Farrelly brothers return to R-rated raunch territory with The Heartbreak Kid, opening this... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 70% 70% | Where the Wild Things Are | 03/12 |
| 83% 83% | Paranormal Activity | 03/12 |
| 89% 89% | Zombieland | 03/12 |
| 76% 76% | The Informant! | 03/12 |
| | The Strength of Water | 03/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Murder by Death at Rotten Tomatoes
- Murder by Death at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

