Review of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) by Ryan D — 27 Jun 2008
Steve Martin, Rachel Ward and Carl Reiner are the only three actors who are "really" in this movie. The rest of the characters are made up of clips from old 1940s movies, featuring Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Veronica Lake, Bette Davis, Alan Ladd, Ingrid Bergman, and others.
This isn't the funniest comedy ever made, but it is probably the most ingenious. Through clever editing and intricate duplication of old sets (this was before CGI), Reiner took small clips of old classics and, with new footage shot to look like it is from the same era, reassembled it into a whole new plot.
It's great fun to watch, especially if you're a movie buff. The ongoing joke throughout the film where Steve Martin is constantly nagging Humphrey Bogart about how he dresses ("Are you wearing a tie?") is probably one of the funniest uses of editing you'll see.
This review of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) was written by Ryan D on 27 Jun 2008.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid has generally received positive reviews.
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