CRIME CORNER
May 19, 2021
We’ve talked about a lot of morbid things in this column, so how about we focus on some lighthearted murder?
Weddings are usually a joyous time in families, but when Mortimer (Cary Grant) visits his home to tell his sweet aunts that he’s married the girl next door, he finds a dead body in the house. Along with that, his uncle believes he’s President Theodore Roosevelt, his brother is a criminal mastermind with the help of a German doctor… oh, and his lovable aunts are serial killers.
Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) is enjoying her time in the French Alps until she leaves to return to her home in Paris, only to find her husband has been murdered. She knew her marriage wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but Regina’s life is put on the line when three World War II criminals come looking for the quarter of a million dollars they think she is hiding. With the help of Peter Joshua (Cary Grant, again), Regina is hopeful she’ll escape death’s grasp. She’s also slowly falling for the charming Peter — or whatever he keeps changing his name to.
Fans of Alfred Hitchcock would appreciate Mel Brooks’ spoof of his movies. When the director of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous dies, he is replaced by the esteemed Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (Mel Brooks) — who suffers from high anxiety, AKA a crippling fear of heights. Dr. Thorndyke quickly realizes there’s more than meets the eye to the two odd psychologists who run the Institute. Why are the pair seemingly against Dr. Thorndyke’s promotion? Are they the ones responsible for framing Dr. Thorndyke for murder? But more importantly, will Dr. Thorndyke ever get his newspaper?
Based on the board game, party guests quickly find out they’re being blackmailed by Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). To their surprise, Mr. Boddy was murdered by one of the guests, and they must find out who it was before the police arrive — with the help of inside information given to them by Wadsworth (Tim Curry), the butler. It should be noted that fans of Lincoln Park’s Clue will greatly appreciate the effort put into the onstage production!
Probably the darkest and most violent out of these films, Ready or Not focuses on orphan Grace (Samara Weaving) and her seemingly fairy-tale marriage to Daniel (Adam Brody). Despite clearly being from the lower classes and marrying into an esteemed, high-class family, nothing could prepare Grace for this lethal game of hide-and-seek, which involves her escaping from her new family’s murderous clutches.
Come back next week for more Crime Corner by Erin Brody!