ReelBob: ‘Murder, Anyone?’ ★★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Murder, Anyone?” is a labor of love from a son to a father.

The movie, directed by James Cullen Bressack, is adapted from a play by Bressack’s late father, Gordon.

“Murder, Anyone?,” as you can guess, is a spoof of such plays as “The Mousetrap” and “Death Trap.” But it also is a satire on the constant show business battle of art vs. commerce.

Two playwrights, George (Maurice Lamarche) and Charlie (Charles M. Howell IV), are trying to write a thriller for the stage.

As they write, tossing around ideas and characters, their story comes to life.

To differentiate, the scenes with the playwrights are in black and white, while their story is filmed in color.

George and Charlie bicker as their views on the project differ: George’s focus is an artful stage production, while Charlie wants to create a commercial product that can be adapted for film.

As their viewpoints change, so does Bressack’s movie, as it becomes sillier and more biting as it progresses.

Bressack’s sly filmmaking lets us know that the actors — especially those in the constant-changing play within the movie — are in on the joke.

“Murder, Anyone?’ is appealing and fun, abetted by a jaunty score by Tim Jones. The actors performances are sometimes a bit broad, but that only plays into the overall concept of the feature.

The actors in the play, Kristos Andrews as Cooper, Galadriel Stineman as Bridgette, Cara Collins as Marie — a blind, French medium — and Spencer Breslin as Blain, are delightful as they continually shift the personalities of their characters to conform to the whims of the playwrights.

“Murder, Anyone? Breezes by at 81 minutes, as the play grows more preposterous with the inclusion of zombies, martial arts and vampirism.

And, yes, it’s all fluffy nonsense, but it’s totally enjoyable and definitely makes its point about the tensions continually pulling against each other in show biz.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

“MURDER, ANYONE?”
3½ stars out of 4
Not rated, bloody violence, language