A 1992 ensemble black comedy mystery directed by Eugene Levy that has a group of people (John Candy, Ornella Muti, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Richard Lewis, Sean Young) getting caught up in a murder mystery that involves a lost dog and losing their common sense and luck along the way.
It is a remake of the 1960 Italian movie Crimen.
The movie also stars Giancarlo Giannini, George Hamilton, Joss Ackland, Ann Way, Caterina Boratto, and Elsa Martinelli.
It was released on March 6, 1992.
Not to be confused with the 2023 Japanese movie of the same name.
Tropes for the film:
- The Alibi: Augie (John Candy) tells the police detective Bonnard he was with his wife in their hotel room when the murder took place. The detective then tells him that a witness saw a man leave his room and climb down the fire escape. Augie claims that the man was himself and the detective asks him to recreate those feats as well. After performing those feats, Augie asks if that matches the witness' account. The detective confirms that it did and also puts him at the scene of the crime.
- Be as Unhelpful as Possible: Several of the characters lie outrageously and try to create alibis for each other about the murder they're caught up in. It's a rare justified example because they're all innocent but due to several bizarre twists of fate (such as one of them stealing a suitcase that contains the body) they find themselves implicated, and fear that unless they have some kind of alibi, they'll be sentenced no matter how innocent they are.
- Lotsa People Try to Dun It: None of the characters had any reason to kill the victim to begin with, but a series of ill-advised actions and hijinks dig them so deep that they have to resort to further hijinks to cover themselves, including trying to dispose of the body and inventing fake alibis for each other. They also believe that the local police will not believe them and will pin the crime on them just for being foreigners. Once the real murderers have been caught, the actually very sensible police call them out on that last bit.
- Mistaken for Prostitute: Inverted when jaded housewife Marilyn (Cybill Shepherd) thinks a guy is paying her for sex, and to spite her gambling-addicted husband, she says she will sleep with the guy for free. It turns out he was just giving her the share of the roulette winnings for calling the right number.
- Pet Heir: The wealthy Madam Van Dougan leaves her fortune to her dachshund, to the fury of her servants, who kill her for it.
