The menu theme to Marmalade Game Studio's Clue: Classic Edition Android/iOS/Steam/Switch game, which sounds like the intro to a classic murder mystery film/show.
Hilarious in Hindsight: A cast of characters known by colors, trying to figure out which of them is up to something, has become this with the release of Reservoir Dogs and Among Us.
"It was [person] in the [location] with the [weapon]"
Sometimes, people might turn it into sexual innuendo by saying "It was [person] in the [location] with [person]."
Memetic Psychopath: Reverend/Mr Green is most often depicted as the murderer.
No Problem with Licensed Games: There are several video game versions, many of which are genuinely fun. Of particular note is the version available on Steam, which features online multi-player and DLC containing alternate settings and characters.
Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Dr. Orchid. While her backstory on being the adopted daughter of Dr. Black irked some players, what made people really dislike her is that she replaced Mrs. White, with the explanation that she was Killed Off for Real. The Clue: Classic Edition mobile version changed it by not only bringing back Mrs. White, but that she homeschooled Dr. Orchid when she was young. Even with the adopted backstory still being kept, these changes made fans warm up to her.
Scrappy Mechanic: The broad critical consensus is that the investigation and deduction aspects of the game are well-done and very enjoyable, with the chase to be the first one to solve the mystery being exciting in theory, but the movement is far more contested. Just like any game with the mechanic, most competitive board game buffs frown upon the game's use of Roll-and-Move, fundamentally putting the game entirely at the mercy of dice rolls, which isn't helped by how accusations teleport suspects into the same room as the accuser, which can throw them entirely off their course. Later editions of the game add two dice, and the 2016 version added Comeback Mechanic in the form of bonus info for those who roll a "1", though whether they sufficiently fix the pacing issues is still debated.
They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: The 2008 "modernized" version of the game garnered this reaction to some, which is probably why said changes were dialed back in the newer releases of the game to the classic version. Notably, dubious additions include the Clock mechanic (which might result in a player suddenly being killed off, the new character backstories (which replace Colonel Mustard with retired footballer Jack Mustard and make Mrs. White a former child star desperately clinging to relevance, among others), and giving one-use character powers (such as Mrs. Peacock instantly being able to shut down a Suggestion without revealing anything, or Mrs. White's ability to instantly teleport to any room in the house).
Wadsworth. In the Scarlet and Peacock endings where he's working for the FBI is he deliberately making it harder on Boddy's victims and not protecting the accomplices out of some sense of justice? In the ending where he's Mr. Boddy is he behaving the way he does throughout the movie to torment his victims?
In Ending #1, it isn't explicitly stated that Wadsworth is an actual FBI agent, and he may really be Mr. Boddy’s former butler who's cooperating with the authorities to bring his former employer to justice and is being honest about his backstory.
Did Mr. Boddy bring the weapons and pass them out to the guests because Wadsworth, the real Mr. Boddy ordered him to? Or did he plan to use the guests to eliminate Mr. Boddy and his informants to take over the blackmail scheme himself?
Aluminum Christmas Trees: Miss Scarlet mentions Perry Mason. Though the television show premiered in 1957, it was adapted from a successful book series which debuted in 1933 and lead to seven movies between 1934 and 1940, and a radio show from 1943 to 1955.
Audience-Alienating Premise: When in theaters, the film ran with the gimmick of Multiple Endings where a moviegoer would be treated to one of three different endings. This alienated the audience because they didn't want to go multiple times just to see all the endings (if possible), and the film performed poorly at the box office as a result. It says a lot that when the film was released on cable and video, and with all three endings combined together to make one (with two fake and one real), it performed far better and is still viewed as a Cult Classic today.
Better on DVD: With its three endings, which not only heavily encourage re-watching to work out the various solutions, but also make a trip to a theater showing only one ending less satisfying, Clue seems specially designed for viewing at home. The DVD even added an option to choose a random ending.
Broken Base: Which ending is the best? Ending #3 is the most crafty and iconic but many people feel that Ending #1 makes more sense.
Critical Dissonance: The film stands at 62% at Rotten Tomatoes, barely achieving a fresh status. Not a single "top" critic gave it a positive review. By comparison, it has an 86% audience rating on RT, 7.3 (out of 10) on IMDB, and 4.8 (out of 5) stars on Amazon.
Critic-Proof: Critics couldn't stand the movie, but just about everyone who actually watched it went bananas laughing at the Rapid-Fire Comedy.
Cult Classic: The film was a bomb, only making $14.6 million with a budget of $15 million, and film critics thought it was a gimmicky slog. The movie would eventually find its fans on home video, taking a liking to its charismatic cast, its witty lines, fast-paced comedy, its Multiple Endings and the Fountain of Memes inspired by the script.
The cop has his fans for having some humorous lines, being fairly friendly, and making some attempts to do his job despite his corruption.
Fan-Preferred Cut Content: One of the film's Multiple Endings was filmed but has never been shown in theaters or on DVD. While the scripted version of it does sound less funny than the three that were kept, many people still mourn its deletion. This is due to the script describing some interesting twists and it being the only ending where the interesting backstory Wadsworth recounts to the guests is entirely true.
Heartwarming Moments: When Wadworth shares his backstory about how his wife was Driven to Suicide by their indented servitude to Mr. Boddy, Mrs. White comes up and kindly gives her handkerchief as the butler cries over the painful memory. She may be a black widow with an equally black heart, but she has a heart nonetheless.
The scope of the third ending which reveals Mr. Green actually isn't gay. Throughout the movie, he's shown no interest in Yvette, much less the other women, because he's presumably gay. But if his remark in the third ending is any indication, he didn't show those women interest because he just loves his wife that much.
Hilarious in Hindsight: Several times it's suggested the drinks may have been poisoned. A special edition of the game for its 50th anniversary added poison to the weapons.
Magnificent Bastard: In the third ending, Wadsworth, the real Mr. Boddy, is a ruthless blackmailer who is blackmailing every guest in the house. Having lured them to the manor, he used a body double to fake his own death as a decoy before manipulating every guest to murder his former co-conspirators and destroy the extra evidence so he no longer has to worry about their treachery. After having every impediment to his schemes killed, he reveals he knows the guilt of every single guest and plots to continue blackmailing all of them. Despite his villainy, Wadsworth conducts himself with total charm and a dapper congeniality, pleasant even after he's been shot.
A rather silly premise with over-the-top acting and lines, but the actors seem like they're having the time of their life and the laughs come fast. It might not be the best movie, but most people have a genuinely fun time with it.
The third ending has the murderer of Mr. Boddy take credit for the deed by saying "If you're wondering who killed Mr. Boddy, <guest> did, in the <location>, with the <weapon>." In context, the line is worded awkwardly due to the circumstances, but because they're quoting the iconic suggestion/accusation line of the board game, it's a perfect capstone to end the film on.
Older Than They Think: While most fans might think the version with all of the endings was produced especially for home video and TV, it's actually the version that Paramount originally screened for critics. The likes of Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, and Kevin Thomas suggested that this would provide a more enjoyable viewing than a version with one random conclusion would.
Ebert: Since this movie is so short anyway (88 minutes), why doesn't the studio abandon the ridiculous multiple-ending scheme and show all three endings at every theater? It would be more fun that way.
One-Scene Wonder: Jane Wiedlin as "your singing telegram (BANG!)".
Signature Scene: Most people remember it for the Multiple Endings, specifically each playing in succession in the Home Released version of the movie, complete with the title cards and the jaunty tune played between endings.
Stock Footage Failure: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example, the scene where Wadsworth acts out discovering the cook's body re-uses the same reaction shot of Miss Scarlet screaming from the initial discovery (the cigarette she's holding is the giveaway — she isn't smoking the second time around).
Tear Jerker: When the group sees the dead singing telegram girl on the front doorstep, Prof. Plum mentions that she was the patient he had an affair with. You can tell by the tone of his voice that he feels absolutely responsible for her death.
of classic jazz pieces.