I only have MURDER BY DEATH on an old VHS tape I recorded years ago, buying it on DVD sounds like a fine idea.
THE CHEAP DETECTIVE is not up to MURDER BY DEATH, in my opinion. It has some great lines and a good ensemble of comedic talent. But, to me, it doesn't have good pacing and (most of all) it doesn't have the premise of assembling great fictional detectives to deflate them. Still enjoyable but not one of my favorites. What do you think of it?
Although a definite improvement over a vhs tape, the DVD is a fairly bare bones affair, with the only notable extra being an interview with Neil Simon on the genesis of the screenplay.Still worth getting, though.
I agree that THE CHEAP DETECTIVE is not quite up to the level of MURDER BY DEATH. Its best aspect is Peter Falk's highly enjoyable performance.
Thanks for mentioning this film. I've been meaning to get a copy of it for a while, but had forgotten to do so. Two minutes ago I ordered the DVD from my library.
The weather people say it'll snow here in less than a week, and this will be the perfect movie for a chilly evening.
I first ran across this film on a rainy Sunday afternoon on HBO, having no idea what it was, I decided I was too lazy to reach for the remote. It has turned into one of my favorite movies of all time.
When I met my wife (Mrs. Cheese), this was one of the first DVDs we bought together, each having no idea how much the other loved this film.
Each of us now have large chunks of this film's dialogue memorized.
My favorite scene is when Dick Charleston approaches Wang's car: Dick: "Excuse me, but you haven't seen a litte white - WANG!" #1 Son: "A white wang?!"
and who can forget this line from Tess: "He was arrested in 1932 in Chicago for selling pornographic Bibles. The D.A. couldn't make the charge stick when the church refused to turn over the Bibles."
And here I thought only my wife and I were the only ones on the planet to love this movie.
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Favorite scene:Sam and Tess are driving up to the mansion:
Sam: Nobody asked you, baby.
Tess: Yes, they did. You asked me back there if I thought --
Sam: That was then. This is now. And nobody knows what tomorrow will be.That's the way things are, whether we like it or not.
Tess: Sam, I really worry about you sometimes.
I crack up every time I watch Falk deliver those lines.
By the way, Doc, what do you think of Neil Simon's THE CHEAP DETECTIVE?
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THE CHEAP DETECTIVE is not up to MURDER BY DEATH, in my opinion. It has some great lines and a good ensemble of comedic talent. But, to me, it doesn't have good pacing and (most of all) it doesn't have the premise of assembling great fictional detectives to deflate them. Still enjoyable but not one of my favorites. What do you think of it?
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I agree that THE CHEAP DETECTIVE is not quite up to the level of MURDER BY DEATH. Its best aspect is Peter Falk's highly enjoyable performance.
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Falk was so good at comedy. He knew just how far to take it and still be believable.
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The weather people say it'll snow here in less than a week, and this will be the perfect movie for a chilly evening.
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When I met my wife (Mrs. Cheese), this was one of the first DVDs we bought together, each having no idea how much the other loved this film.
Each of us now have large chunks of this film's dialogue memorized.
My favorite scene is when Dick Charleston approaches Wang's car:
Dick: "Excuse me, but you haven't seen a litte white - WANG!"
#1 Son: "A white wang?!"
and who can forget this line from Tess:
"He was arrested in 1932 in Chicago for selling pornographic Bibles. The D.A. couldn't make the charge stick when the church refused to turn over the Bibles."
And here I thought only my wife and I were the only ones on the planet to love this movie.
Wait! Wait! I gotta go to the can,
Michael OCD
http://classicsandcheese.blogspot.com/
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