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To me, this movie is perfection.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Murder by Death is hilarious! Spoofs have to be very careful because a lot of the time, they don't turn out to be as funny as the people making it think it will be. This one, written by Neil Simon, spoofs the whodunnit genre. Five spoofs of famous literary detectives are invited to dinner by a mysterious host—mirroring Agatha Christie's "U.N. Owens" in And Then There Were None. The characters: Peter Sellars playing Sidney Wang, spoofing Charlie Chan; David Niven and Maggie Smith playing Dick and Dora Charleston, spoofing Nick and Nora Charles; Peter Faulk playing Sam Diamond, spoofing Sam Spade; Elsa Lanchester playing Jessica Marbles, spoofing Miss Marple, and James Coco playing Milo Perrier, spoofing Hercule Poirot.If you haven't seen or read any of these classic detective stories, you'll pass a few giggles and come out of this thinking it's enormously weird. However, if you know about Hercule Poirot's mustache, Nick and Nora's endless drinking, and have seen Bogart and Bacall movies, you'll be set for a hilarious, laugh-filled evening. From the tiniest details to the largest set-ups, this film will deliver laughs, chuckles, and guffaws at every turn. Joining the large cast are Alec Guiness, Truman Capote, Eileen Brennan, Estelle Winwood, and James Cromwell in his first movie. This is a great movie to watch around Halloween, for those who prefer to laugh rather than scream, or right after you've watched one of the classic it spoofs.

MURDER BY DEATH is both a send-up of the whole detective genre along with a riff on the classic haunted house movies of old. The plot, like that of CLUE and others in this sub-genre, is simple in the extreme: a group of detectives arrive at a creepy old mansion and must club together to solve a murder.What I liked most about this film was the quality of the writing. Although the producers didn't have the rights to use real-life literary detectives, they're all obvious spins on the famous names: Poirot, Sam Spade, Miss Marple, et al. The jokes come thick and fast and there's barely a slow moment as these guys bumble their way through the plot and drop the ball on regular occasions. Not all of the jokes work, but there's a noticeably higher success rate here than in other spoofs and it never flags at any rate.And what a cast! David Niven's role as a plummy toff is a highlight, but I also have a soft spot for Peter Falk, coming across as a cross between Columbo and a '40s era pulp PI. Peter Sellers stands out as the Chinese detective, and before you cry racist, it's worth noting that he's spoofing the western actors who played Chinese detectives back in 1930s and 1940s cinema. Elsa Lanchester (THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) is also a hoot as a batty older lady. With the dialogue in the hands of such reliable stars, it would have been hard for it to all go wrong, and thankfully it doesn't. It's great fun.

On a dark and potentially stormy night, the world's five greatest living detectives are summoned to an old mansion, where they are asked to solve a "Murder by Death" that is about to happen. The five super-sleuths are: hard-boiled Peter Falk (as Sam Diamond as Sam Spade), buck-toothed Peter Sellers (as Sidney Wang as Charlie Chan), portly James Coco (as Milo Perrier as Hercule Poirot), dapper David Niven (as Dick Charleston as Nick Charles) and elderly Elsa Lanchester (as Jessica Marbles as Jane Marple). Their companions include chic Maggie Smith (as Dora), sexy Eileen Brennan (as Tess) and senile Estelle Winwood (as Withers)...Blind butler Alec Guinness (as Bensonmum) and deaf mute Nancy Walker (as Yetta) attend to the guests. Butterball criminologist Truman Capote (as Lionel Twain) offers one million dollars to the winning detective. There are fewer funny moments than there should be when this Neil Simon story works, mainly during the early running time. Those figuring out the ending should receive the million dollar prize money - probably, it has something to do with confusing and unsatisfactory endings.***** Murder by Death (6/23/76) Robert Moore ~ Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Nancy Walker

Five eminent detectives are invited to a fog-bound mansion for a sleuthing contest, presided over by a blind butler, a mute maid and a lisping mastermind. What follows are a series of goofy gags and loony deceptions.What a treat for old movie fans. Sure it's an outrageous send-up of some of the popular amateur detectives of the period. But, thanks to writer Simon and a wickedly funny cast, the movie's a real hoot. I especially like Falk's no-nonsense Sam Spade, when he stomps on everyone's civilized pretensions. Then there's Sellar's Charlie Chan who can't seem to arrange his grammar to suit the snobbish Lionel Twain (Capote). Fact is that there's no telling where the next throwaway line will come from given the all-star cast, even as the gags just keep coming. One thing for sure, production didn't have to pop for more than one or two sets. Ordinarily, that would mean a cheap, boring movie, but not here. The appeal is all in the parody and gag lines, plus seeing notable stars in improbable roles. However, pity poor Guiness (the blind butler) who thought the movie would flop and so sold his share. Instead, the funfest was a major hit and I enjoyed catching up with it again, though I could have done without the very last twist.