Celebrating the success of KNIVES OUT with these two worthwhile tales of mystery
The Archivist — Welcome to the Archive. As home video formats have evolved over the years, a multitude of films have found themselves in danger of being forgotten forever due to their niche appeal. Thankfully, Warner Bros. established the Archive Collection, a Manufacture-On-Demand DVD operation devoted to thousands of idiosyncratic and ephemeral works of cinema. The Archive has expanded to include a streaming service, revivals of out-of-print DVDs, and factory-pressed Blu-rays. Join us as we explore this treasure trove of cinematic discovery!
Audiences everywhere simply cannot stop talking about Knives Out. Rian Johnson’s passion project has reshaped the murder mystery genre is currently cleaning up at the box office, pulling in crowds seeing it for the first time and/or returning for another go at unraveling the deeply layered mystery. The movie has it all: an all-star cast, timely commentary, fantastic production qualities and an involving mystery packed with twists and laughs, which never let up. In every way imaginable, this story of a wealthy author’s death and the scheming family he leaves behind screams labor of love for Johnson, who pulls off the incredible trick of both paying tribute to the genre and offering up a totally unique entry.
We here at The Archivist love Rian Johnson’s spellbinding mystery (I personally am thinking of who else I can take to go and see it with me). Therefore, in honor of Knives Out’s runaway success (and because I happen to like mysteries in general), I thought in this edition, we’d take a look at a pair of Warner mystery titles, 1978’s Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? and 1998’s Zero Effect, both of which likewise aimed to rewrite the genre in their own highly entertaining ways.
Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)
In this little-known mystery/comedy (which inexplicably continues to live in obscurity), American restaurateur Robby (George Segal) and renowned dessert extraordinaire Natasha (Jacqueline Bisset) are perfectly content with their lives as ex-spouses until a series of murders brings them back together. It seems that someone somewhere is offing the world’s top international chefs in methods which mirror their most famous dishes. Determined to find the killer, the pair team up with the flamboyant publisher of a food magazine (Robert Morely) in order to prevent more culinary masters from meeting their untimely end.
There’s nothing but pure joy and delight in a film like Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? The movie has everything fans crave from a title of this sort, including a winning central couple and a curiously odd premise that provides plenty of room for both laughter and a well-thought out mystery. The European locales are spectacularly used and there’s plenty of food porn at hand, especially the unbelievable dessert Bisset’s character is known for. Segal is at his most affable, while Bisset (in a Golden Globe-nominated turn) gets a rare chance to show off her funny bone. Her character’s reactions at having to be the one to find every dead body are their own kind of comical. No one beats an Oscar-worthy Morely however as the larger-than-life Max, who manages to steal all his scenes in a role which channels Sheridan Whiteside allowing him to take the hilarity as far as it can go. It’s Max who, as the film’s most standout character, is blessed with the script’s best zingers. “I knew that divorce was too good to last,” he says referring to Robby and Natasha’s reunion. “Don’t tell me another cook has been murdered,” he sarcastically exclaims at one point. “Who is it this time, Aunt Jermima?” Food, murder, a witty script and a collection of some of the decade’s most welcome film actors turn Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? into one of the most whimsical movie mysteries of all time.
Zero Effect (1998)
Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is unlike any detective that has ever been. Based in L.A., the genius detective has made a name for himself as a master sleuth who can solve any crime with a combination of a keen eye for detail and an almost clairvoyant sense of perception. Daryl is aided by his long-suffering right hand man Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller), who interfaces with potential clients and makes sure the semi-reclusive Daryl only emerges from his fortress-like L.A. penthouse when the case is worth it. When such a case is presented to Daryl courtesy of Gregory Stark (Ryan O’Neal) who believes his life is in danger and that mysterious blackmailers are responsible, the detective jumps right into action. The case seems pretty straightforward until the appearance of a beautiful woman named Gloria (Kim Dickens) threatens to thwart it all.
Written and directed by Jake Kasdan, this feature debut is a near-perfect exercise in both great screenwriting and a love of genre. From a mystery standpoint, the central mystery driving Zero Effect alone would make for a great case. The frantic rich industrialist being blackmailed, the presence of an alluring, but slightly guarded, beautiful woman and an unsolved murder from the past means that our unconventional hero has his work cut out for him. Unconventional is certainly the word to describe Daryl. At times the detective comes off as a neurotic slacker genius before altering his hairstyle, posture and voice to magically become the kind of guy a girl could take home to mom. The way he instinctively knows where clues will be, what a suspect will say borders on the supernatural, and the way his mind guides him from theory to theory is simply dizzying in the best possible way. Only someone of Pullman’s approach and demeanor could bring Daryl to life the way he does with a curiosity, edge and a willingness to attack his character with the kind of reckless abandon he deserves. It’s true that Stiller has the less showy part between the two leads, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t well-used here. As Steve, he embodies a man who has been the voice and face of a ghost-like figure to the point where he doesn’t even recognize his own life anymore. The way the actor goes from in control to barely keeping it together at the hands of his unpredictable boss results in some of Stiller’s most fascinating work on film. Watching the pair in their scenes together brings forth plenty of amusing banter as the two take on a sort of Holmes and Watson vibe by way of late West Coast 90s in one of the most curious indies of the decade.
Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? and Zero Effect are both available as part of the Warner Archive collection.