This is a different kind of murder mystery party.
A group of improvisational comedians will turn cult-classic movie “Clue” — based on the beloved board game of the same name — into a live, interactive experience at Williamsburg bar-cinema Videology on May 30. The performers all came together through their mutual love of the surprisingly funny film, which features a star-studded cast including Tim Curry and Michael McKean, said the show’s organizer.
“It’s a movie that people love so, so, so, so much, and especially comedians, because a lot of the cast are comedy idols and the entire movie consists of jokes,” said director Peter Smith, who lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
“Clue Live!” will incorporate both on-screen and on-stage elements, Smith said. The ensemble will transform Videology’s screening space into a makeshift study akin to the one in the movie, and every time the characters in the film find themselves in that room, the performers will take the stage to act out the scene. The cast won’t steer too far from the original script, despite their pedigree as improv performers, Smith said, because you can’t improve on perfection.
“Because it’s so perfect, we’re not going to add anything special,” said Smith, who will be playing the role of the Butler, portrayed in the film by Curry. “We’re just creating another way to watch it.”
The audience will also play along by taking a drink every time a character does — which is no small feat, he said.
“In the movie, there’s a lot of drinking involved,” said Smith. “Alcohol is the silent character in the movie.”
“Clue” was a box-office flop when it hit screens for the first time in 1985, but has since developed a devout following thanks to its silly concept and stellar cast. The film has long been fan-favorite at Videology, which regularly hosts screenings where the audience can play the titular board games while they watch. Film fanatics always pack those nights out, said a Videology staffer.
“There’s always been a lot of people very excited about it,” said programmer Austin Kim.
Smith and his cohort of “Clue”-loving comedians didn’t even realize the film was already such a phenomenon at Videology when they approached the bar about doing “Clue Live!” But such is the film’s underground popularity in Brooklyn, said Kim.
It must be something that’s just in the water,” he said.
“Clue Live!” at Videology [308 Bedford Ave. between S. First and S. Second streets in Williamsburg, (718) 782–3468, www.video
