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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

Director: Carl Reiner

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Not the first movie to be built around cameo performances, but these are somewhat novel. Forties stars (Bergman, Bogart, Cagney, etc.) are exhumed from the Hollywood vaults to live again in a new mystery comedy whose convolutions stem not least from forcing various clips from old thrillers to look as though they belong together. Some amusement is derived from watching a film that so obviously had to be worked out backwards. The bits in between feature likeable Martin as a keen but clumsy detective - with all the good lines, which is no bad thing because he's the best part of this fairly amusing, clever exercise in editing.

Author: CPe

Time Out Film Guide


User reviews of this film

  • Magmabulle said...
    Posted on Jun 09 2008 11:36 A surprisingly good and underrated film noir pastiche, and also very funny. They could have removed the pointless cameos though, as they don't feel very natural.
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