Murder by Death 1976

As the evening sun gracefully faded from view, five esteemed detectives arrived at the mysterious Lionel Twain’s lavish mansion, each accompanied by a trusted companion or significant other. The house was managed with an unsettling precision by the seemingly blind Jamessir Bensonmum. Tension filled the air as the group assembled for dinner, blissfully oblivious to the thrilling challenge that awaited them. Their enigmatic host, Twain, entertained his guests with grandiose tales of his prowess as a criminologist. However, the true motive behind their gathering was soon unveiled: a murder was set to take place at midnight, and the detective who could solve it within the hour would walk away with an astonishing reward of $1 million.

As the hours unfolded, tragedy struck; Bensonmum’s lifeless body was found, only for Twain to mysteriously reappear, bearing the gruesome marks of twelve butcher knife wounds on his back. The cook, initially believed to be Yetta, was ultimately revealed to be nothing more than an animated mannequin, now stored away in a crate. The detectives found themselves ensnared in a tangled web of deceit, where cleverly devised clues and distractions threatened to derail their investigations.

As the night progressed, the atmosphere shifted from friendly rivalry to a seething undercurrent of suspicion. Each detective began to suspect their fellow sleuths of harboring motives to eliminate Twain. Yet, it was only after retreating to their guest rooms that the true nature of Twain’s sinister game became starkly evident. One by one, they faced deadly challenges: a venomous snake, a searing ceiling, toxic fumes, and an explosive contraption, each designed to eliminate competitors.

Miraculously, all detectives endured the nightmarish trials; come morning, they reconvened in the office to share their theories. In a shocking twist, Jamessir Bensonmum, alive and sighted, stepped forward to reveal himself as the mastermind orchestrating the entire affair. As the detectives exchanged their insights, they began to accuse Bensonmum of being a former ally of Twain, only to discover they had been mere pawns in a deadly game of strategy, with death lurking at every turn.

As Bensonmum’s façade crumbled, he dramatically shed his personas to reveal the elusive Lionel Twain himself, emerging from the shadows. With a playful glint in his eyes, Twain scorned the detectives – and by extension, their creators – for their glaring oversights in weaving the narrative. He expressed his disdain for writers who introduce pivotal characters at the very end, merely to create a twist foreshadowed by the detectives themselves. Additionally, he criticized those who purposefully withheld essential clues, making it impossible for readers to untangle the complex mystery.

As the detectives departed the manor, empty-handed and disillusioned, their failed quest for the $1 million prize lingered poignantly. When asked about the murder’s absence, Wang’s sardonic response—“Yes: killed good weekend”—echoed through the air, serving as a darkly humorous postscript.

To heighten the absurdity, Twain once again transformed, unveiling the enigmatic Yetta. Her eyes twinkled with a sinister glint as she lit a cigarette, bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter. The screen soon filled with a swirling veil of smoke, cloaking the scene in a sense of ominous uncertainty.