Late producer Debra Hill, who passed away a couple years ago at the age of 54, left a legacy of such notable classics as The Fisher King, The Fog, and the original Halloween. The one film, however, that should deservedly appear toward the top of her film credits is a movie that was a box office bomb in late 1985 but has since gained a strong cult status over the last two decades. Clue, written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, and based on the Parker Brothers board game, is one of the most whimsically hilarious and charmingly over-the-top comedies of the 1980’s.

Six strangers who all incidentally work for the government in 1954 New England receive letters that tell them to meet at a mansion one stormy night. Given aliases by the butler Wadsworth (Tim Curry), the six individuals—Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), and Miss Scarlett (Lesley Ann Warren—spend a night attempting to solve mysteries as more and more people in the mansion start getting killed.

Clue has several delights, but the most surprising one is the clever screenplay by Lynn. One wouldn’t expect such incredibly smart writing in a film based on a board game, but what Lynn does so wonderfully in this movie is take a simple premise and provide non-stop plot twists, along with the funniest of one-liners, banter, and monologues. The twists escalate as the movie goes on and really tops out in the final three endings, which reveal so much about the various characters that paying close attention becomes a must. What really makes the movie come along is the sheer lunacy in its dialogue. There is not a single line in the entire movie that lacks flavor or wit, and all the dialogue serves not to just humor up the situation but further along the plot as well.

As great as the screenplay is, however, it’s really the tremendous ensemble cast that makes this movie such a hoot. If one of the seven main performers had been cast differently, this movie probably wouldn’t work nearly as well. The non-stop laughs and entertainment comes out of the unpredictable interaction between the characters, with the audience never knowing what one of them will do and say next. There are moments of pure unabashed joy just watching the actors converse with one another, such as scenes in which Colonel Mustard asks Mrs. White how many husbands she’s had, Colonel Mustard attempts to ask Wadsworth if there are any other people in the house, and Wadsworth explains to Miss Scarlett why there are no more bullets left in her gun.

All the actors do a splendid job, but there are a select few that really should be singled out. Warren, who injects the role of Miss Scarlett with sexiness as well as intelligence, has never gotten a role to showcase her comedic talents since. She, like all of the actors, but probably most so with her, clearly appears to be having fun making the movie, and her energy and excitement leaps off the screen. Curry, so frenetically dynamite in another cult classic entitled The Rocky Horror Picture Show, plays the role of Wadsworth with the same kind of delicious wit and fast-moving physical presence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter; however, in this, he is grounded enough to connect more on an emotional level. He is essentially the narrator of the film, even taking the characters toward the end through a long rant talking about who the murderer is and why.

The award for MVP of Clue, though, has to go to the late, great Madeline Kahn. At first she appears to be in the wrong movie—her pale, rather drab version of Mrs. White seems out of place, especially considering the more over-the-top maid character in the game. Soon, however, one understands Kahn has chosen a way to portray the character that far surpasses any other interpretation that could have been made. Bitingly sardonic and contemptuous, she delivers one hilarious line after another without flinching nor breaking character in the least bit. She’s immensely entertaining to watch when she’s delivering giant monologues, and equally so when she does little expressions and makes subtle noises that one might not even pick up on during the first viewing. Kahn is absolutely brilliant in this film, and she is an actress that will be missed.

In terms of directing, Lynn makes the right decision in keeping the visual style as simple as possible. This being Lynn’s first feature film as a director, one might expect him to be experimental, using fancy camera movements and weird lighting techniques. Instead, Lynn lets his actors breathe in many wide shots, with the camera completely still most of the time. When the camera moves, it simply does so to follow a character who is talking, instead of going for an artsy visual shot. The simple style actually helps, not distract from, the humor of the film, as it feels more like a funny stage-play than an over-dramatized motion picture.

While not a huge success when first released, and unfortunately not mentioned high up on the recent articles about producer Hill’s unfortunate passing, Clue is a film that has been gaining momentum over the last twenty years as a bonafide cult classic, and it is a movie that just gets better with age. While most films get tiresome after seeing them a couple times, Clue actually gets funnier on each viewing. There is always something new to discover, whether it be as subtle as an actor’s gesture lingering in the background, or as groundbreaking as a plot thread that can finally be pieced together. This film is an unforgettable comedy gem worth watching over and over again for many decades to come.