Murder by Numbers (1989) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
2 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
2/10
I'm a Poet and I Know It!! CONTAINS SPOILERS
anxietyresister27 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Late at night, a film reviewer-In the absence of anything newer-Watched an old film on the TV-It was called Murder One, on ITV.

It starred Shari Belafonte (daughter of Harry)-She was going out with a man she wanted to marry-But he was a private dick investigating a killing-And to settle down he wasn't exactly willing

It also had Cleavon Little of 'Blazing Saddles' fame-Sorry? You have never even heard of that name?-SHAME ON YOU! He is a really big star-Why would he feature in something below-par?

As twenty minutes went by without a care-Our critic started to notice the actresses hair-It was all puffed up and starched beyond belief-He bet that those do's caused the stylist some grief!

An hour had elapsed, a body was found in a bath-But all the watcher could do is sit back and laugh-He'd seen pantomimes that were acted better than this-It was all he could do to not take the p*ss

The murderer was obvious from the start-It was the dick's ex, a stupid old tart-Her new boyfriend was cheating on her, so she drowned him-But it took her ages to be caught, thanks to Mr Dim.

When it was over I stared at the screen-That damn insomnia can be so very mean-Next time, rather than sit through crap-I'll hit my head with a mallet.. well, just a tap.

... Oh, and 2/10
3 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Questionable whodunit
lor_14 May 2023
My review was written in May 1990 after watching the movie on Magnum video cassette.

This listless whodunit trades on the AIDS epidemic as a poor taste plot device. It's reviewed here for the record as a current direct-to-video feature.

Real-life couple Sam Behrens and Shari Belafonte add some chemistry to Paul Leder's plodding tale of murdered Walter, a gay man whose ex-wife (Debra Sandlund) hires Behrens to investigate the death. Walter was dying of AIDS, a story gimmick announced early in the script and key to the mystery.

There's an abundance of suspects to interview: Walter's mean mom (Jayne Meadows), his lover (Robert Hosea), shady real estate agent Dick Sargent. Identity of the killer is laboriously unveiled in the talky final reel, replete with flashbacks. It's Leder's answer to the format of the old tv series "Petrocelli".

Boring feature is notable only for the silly marketing gimmick wherein screening copies were sent to video retailers with the final reel missing, as a contest. Guessing the killer correctly could win one a Salvador Dali print! Too bad the use of pointless ballyhoo has shifted entirely from theatrical to the home video arena these days.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed