Hello, returning Happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin,
and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet, and welcome to a
Lifetime of Happiness, the podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy, while hopefully bring us smile to your face along the way.
And we're spending the month of March talking about some of our favorite murder mysteries.
It was Steven in the kitchen with a knife, cooking dinner 10 times.
Yes, he ran into my knife 10 times.
Yes. But before we get. To why we love murder mysteries. What's been making you happy recently? In my love?
Well, that one is an easy answer. It is Metro prime remastered for the Nintendo Switch. You've been asking for
that for a little bit now, right?
So many years. So it was like
we were back in the old apartment when you started
it. We were back in the old apartment and then, so we got married in 2016. I think that the switch came. around our one year anniversary in 2017. So I've been pretty much asking for Metro Prime HD Trilogy for six years. And lo and behold, Nintendo finally
listened and they, they, they listened and dropped it that day. Yeah,
and. Like I even, every time a Nintendo director would come around, I'd always be like, I really hope we get some news about Metro Prime Hope we get some Metro Prime news. And this time I didn't even say it because I got so tired of being so sad. And then they shadow dropped it the day they announced it is the day it's released and they rebuilt it from the ground up. Retro Studios. It's beautiful. It may be the most beautiful game on the switch. and it plays better than I remember.
and Ugh, it's so good. It's why it's in my top 10 favorite video games of all time. Excellent.
Well I am so glad that we manifested
it for you. Thank you. And what has been making you happy, my
darling? Well, while I'm starting my 30 something, a three watch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We also have more Sarah Michelle Geller in our lives right now because we haven't binging the New Wolf Pack. Yes. On Paramount Plus. And that's been making me happy. It's a
very good show. I don't know where it's going with some of the stuff and with her character.
And it's very interesting with this most recent twist. Yes. So there's a couple episodes left in the season. We're excited to see where it goes, but we're enjoying the binge so far. And I
think that this might be my fourth three watch of Buffy or Fifth probably in
parts.
Yes. I've re I've watched everything in entirety once. Yes. And so, cause you've had to, to
audition to be my husband
Yes. And so this is probably, if you count all the episodes that I've seen, I've probably seen it all the way through. Two and a half times, three times maybe. Sure.
And you'll, you'll get the, like
you'll get there. Yeah. I'm sure.
Yes. But why? As much as we love Buffy or I love Buffy at least. Why do we both love murder mysteries? Oh
my goodness. Murder mystery movies are so much fun. They challenge your brain. They bring you into the movie to the point where you feel invested because you're trying to figure out who the killer is before the characters. The main character is usually charismatic and the reveal is always a really exciting climax. Yeah.
I wanna know then, with the way that you watch it, how much of the movie do you spend in your mind trying to figure out who done it?
good bit, so, okay. Like when we recently watched Glass Onion, the Knives Out second movie. So the whole time I'm sitting there and I'm making all these notes in my head of everything while watching it and enjoying the movie. but you know that like I'll pause it and I'll be like, da da da da da da da da. And making comments on it because like certain things you're clicking and I'm like, that doesn't seem blah, blah. And yeah. Now those are very well done. I
just love murder mysteries. I do too. But I do find it interesting cuz I do remember like, especially back in the day like I did. And figure it out. But I'm at, at least right now in the point of my life where like, I don't care. We were watching the glass onion and I was like, that person seems suss. That person seems suss. Do I think they did it? Probably not. I'll just wait. Tell me, and it'll be way smarter than anything I could think of. Like, I don't, I'm, I'm just along for the ride.
Did you have the Encyclopedia Brown books when you were little? They existed, but you didn't read 'em in museums? So for those Not in the know. Encyclopedia Brown was a child detective who was extraordinarily intelligent and all of his books were. Four or five page, I, maybe even longer, little mysteries. And they were written for children, but they're really, really well done. And I guess that might have been what got me into it.
And then the game clue and then the movie Clue and then it just ran
from there. Yeah. And what, what makes a good murder mystery? Ugh.
So you have to have characters slash potential suspects that we care about because in a murder mystery, almost every character is a potential suspect. Mm-hmm. A main character and or detective that we're rooting for to figure it out, an explanation that is believable and make sense where all the pieces were there during the movie. The beginning.
Murder doesn't really need to be anybody that we have strong feelings about, but any subsequent murders need to have some stakes or involve a character that we've come to know and care about in some way. Now there are some place, some things we're watching where we're like, I'm really okay if they die. Yeah.
And that happens, especially if it's like a fraternity jock, bro. Yes, That's like the number one trope that you'll be like. Yes, but I think that the probably best murder mystery of all time we've already covered, we
did, because it's my favorite movie of all time. Clue. Clue. It's from the eighties with an all-star cast, so many quotable lines. Unlike a lot, actually. I don't know of any other movie that has three different endings to it. yeah.
And they all make sense, which I love about it. It is that like it's normally I feel hard enough to write a story from point A to point Z and keep it interesting and so that it all makes sense as one ending. But the fact that they made four endings
because there was an actual fourth. and it all would've worked out.
Yeah. I think that that's just wild that they made it work so well and
the actors, you could see were having the absolute best time doing it in that. And so, and as many times I've seen it, and I literally know Joe, I've seen it over a hundred times and there are still things that I. That I didn't notice before. Cuz sometimes my eyes usually drawn to Miss Scarlet or Mrs. White. But because like Leslie and Warren, as Miss Scarlet acts with her entire body and her face gives the most amazing performances.
But whenever you're watching them, everybody in the background is reacting to things. So there's always something going on. They. There are throwaway lines that are actually very funny that you have to be listening for. The murders well done. Its the gift that keeps on giving. Oh, Tim Curry as Wadsworth is just a blessing and the music is great. It like, I can't sing enough good things about clue. And if you want to hear more of our good things about. Go back and listen to our clue episode.
Yeah. And we'd love
to
hear what it's like listening to an episode We did back in the original days. I'd say that's in our first 25 episodes we did together. Yes. And now we're well past a hundred. And so it's just. It'd be, we'd love to hear, for someone to be like, I went back and listened to an old episode and it was different. Or like, you guys have grown, or maybe we haven't grown and we're still the same.
Or That one was better.
Yeah, we'll see. So yeah, check it out and let us know. And if you're looking for more Whodunits, my favorite horror movie franchise is all about figuring out who the killer. Oh yes. Scream. Yes. 1, 2, 3, 4, and five. We've covered them all. Yep. Every time it's a new whodunit where you get to figure out who the killer is. We know the killer is usually someone you know and. So far, it's always someone we know. It's always someone that we see throughout the movie.
And it always works upon re watches. We've watched each of those movies countless times and you know, usually there's two killers. Yep. And so you get to figure out like the logistics of how to make that work. And it does, and it really does. I, I would say that like those are five solid. Who done it? Scary
movies 100%. Because. Not only are they slashers, but the best part of the screen franchise is trying to figure out who's under the mask. Exactly. And like my time with those franchises is being worried about Gail Weather's dying. Yes. And now, and trying to figure out who's
under the mask. Yes. And now Hayden
Panier, and now that Hayden Panier is back, the only character in. Any of the other movies that became like Gail Level worthy for me.
Yes. Excellent. And then this is technically a murder mystery. I know it you did last summer. What are your thoughts on it and how it adds up in terms of being a murder mystery?
So it definitely does count as a murder mystery, the same way that the screen franchise did, because. Like you see a masked killer, but you don't know who it is. So you have all these people wondering who is it that is the fisherman? And it worked really well. It was during the what can we do to make our own type of scream movie era.
Yes. And I feel like the one thing that like made it miss the mark for me as well, you are trying to figure out who's under the mask for a lot of horror movies. In theory. Yeah. Ultimately it's someone that like relates back to the plot, but it's not someone that's been like a suspect all along. And I feel like that's some of the things that you love when you go back is having the killer in front of your face the entire time and you didn't realize it.
Right. And that's the thing with the, I know what you did last summer the first one. Mm-hmm. It was, wait a minute, now I feel ripped off. Like, because it was somebody that you didn't even know existed.
Yeah. The second one was better with that, right? It was,
but it wasn't better. It was not a better movie, It was not a better movie. But the reveal was better. Was better with that. Yes.
There we go. And other notable movies that we'll be talking more about this month include
knives. Murder or in the On the Orient Express, the remake from a few years. Murder by death, which is hailed as even better than clue. So we shall see, we shall see. And then because we have to do some sort of horror Happy Death Day, which is a murder mystery, which is a murder mystery. 100%. And we knew the suspect all along. We
did, yes. But meanwhile, here are some other murder mysteries that we love, but we'll make it into the. and why don't you go first and pick one of them. Okay.
So my favorite kind of murder mystery from a child was who framed Roger Rabbit. It is the whodunit for kids and adults alike. So I was absolutely obsessed with this movie as a child on the way back from. California or Hawaii, I can't remember which one. The entire plane was asleep except for me. And so they, Roger Rabbit was the movie they were playing and they ran it again because I was the only one up.
There you go, And so, because the movie is half animated, half real, but it mainly takes place in the real world with cartoons acting beside. I actually fully believed that Toontown was a real place. So when we were, oh, so it must have been Hawaii. So when we were going to LA, I kept telling my parents that I wanted to go to Toontown. And they were like, is that a store? And I was like, no, from the movie.
And they had to sit me down and convince me that it was special effects that made the actors. And Roger Rabbit be able to exist and that there is no cartoon world called Tale. Oh, bless your heart.
Children are so cute and stupid. I
mean, it, it would be awesome if it was Oh, I know. But like there was never anything like that before. So how was like, how was an eight year old know what special effects were? I don't know. you pick one my darling. Well, more
recently I love the, especially the Twist with Bodies', bodies', bodies. The horror movie that came out, or I wouldn't even call it a horror movie, but it was like a whodunit cuz they spent the entire movie trying to figure out the real body that shows up during the game. Bodies',
bodies. It was thoroughly entertaining with a bunch of the worst people you could ever hope to never meet. Yes, exactly.
But I, I dad definitely really enjoy it. And at the end when you find out who done it Yeah. You're just like, oh my God. Oh my
God. Of course, of course,
of course. and, but like in a way that like you don't see it coming. Of course, once, once you see it, you're like, that adds up. Yeah. But yeah, I really love that. And of course, while the film doesn't hold up as much as the book, the first big murder mystery we went through together was when you told me to read Gone Girl. And you blew my fucking mind. Oh, with that
twist, trust me, we were on, so we were coming, I was reading the book on my Kindle and we were in Ohio. We had been to my grandmother's funeral and we were driving two hours to the Columbus. and I got to the twist in the book and we were all cramped in a car together. And I remember going Who? Yeah. Scaring the shit out of everybody in the car, And I was like, I'm sorry, the biggest twist I've ever seen just happened. And like, and they were like, what? And I was like, I can't tell.
You have to read it. Yeah. And again, if you've never read or seen Gone Girl, don't look up the twist. Don't Google it. Don't do anything like that. Don't let let anybody tell you go in blind and enjoy it. Yeah. And read the book. It's better. The movie is well done and well acted if you can't read And the Twist still holds up with the movie version and I, I love the book, but the movie almost felt too dark. Yeah. To be enjoyable. Like I enjoyed the characters in the.
But there was something about the movie where I was like, I don't know if I like any of you. Yeah. And I
think that that can oftentimes happen with a lot of like the darker adaptations. Cuz I mean, when you get right down to it, I feel like you can almost be more gruesome and gnarly and descriptive in books than what you can get away with on tv. And so, but it's because ultimately it doesn't affect us as much here as, that doesn't cling to us much when we read it. Then when we.
And something similar Girl on the train. Yeah. Was also based on the book of the same name, the movie Stars, Emily Brunt Blunt, and it's about a divorcee with a drinking problem who gets entangled in a missing person's investigation. And she has all the facts in her head, but the events of the night are locked behind a blackout and there are twists and turns and great character. again, the book was better.
Yes, agreed. And Urban legends, not the concept, which is also fun and interesting. But the movies yeah, are sets of nineties slasher movies where you don't know who the human killer is, but it is again, one of us or one of them. And amazing setup with the deaths being done as urban legends, which we all loved exchanging its school or at camp. And,
Rebecca Gay Hart as Brenda Bates in the movie. is camp perfection. Like it's, she's so, so good. Rebecca Gay Hart is a very underappreciated actress. Mm-hmm. I believe. Mm-hmm. I've always loved urban Legends, like huge, huge fan. I loved this movie. I enjoyed the second one as well. The third one was Okay. But this one I actually think doesn't get as much credit as I know what you did last summer, but I think is a better scream ripoff than I know what you did last summer. Oh, okay.
Yeah, I would have to agree. And as we mentioned earlier, we loved Glass Onion, which is the second in the Knives Out series. We'll be covering the first, but this features Bewa Blanc as the main detective and had some really great performances.
Kate Hudson and Katherine Hawn. Are amazing. And Janelle Monet was a revelation that I didn't see coming with her
performance. Yes. And the mysteries are good. It's excellent comedy, super smart. And again, like it all adds up when you find out who'd done it.
So I adore Quentin Tarantino. Yes. And he like, things are very Tarantino esque movie. But they take on different genres. Mm-hmm. And so he did one called the Hateful Eight, which is a Tarantino murder mystery set in the old West. And it's a locked room mystery set up like Clue where no one outside. The people that we see are suspects. It has to be the people that are currently in the cabin. It has a phenomenal cast with some Tarantino regulars like Sam Jackson, Jennifer, Jason Lee, and Zoe.
We watched this together, right? We did.
Was I playing a good video game or was I drinking because I don't remember it?
Probably
drinking. Okay. Probably I like that. Now we know ma movies better.
Yes. And As a fair warning, I've already asked Steve for my birthday to allow me to do Tarantine timber. So all of September will be Tarantino movies. I
forgot, but I guess it's on recording now, so we have to Yes. And any others to
add? I have a couple more. All right. Sleepy Hollow. So it's Tim Burton who we love. Yeah. And it's a supernatural retelling of the story of the headless horse. It's set in. Sleepy Hollow has Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci as the leads. And so what's a little bit different about this is that we know that the horseman is the one committing the murders, but the mystery part is that we don't know who is controlling the horseman. Mm-hmm. And so that's a really fun mystery. Yeah. With that.
Cool. Because some of the suspects, you're like, oh, it's definitely that. Oh damn. The horseman just killed them. Yeah. And the scenery and aesthetics are very Burton and it's a fun I think underappreciated Tim Burton film. There you go. And the last one that I know you haven't seen, but it's quite good, is Gosford
Park, which is different than Wicker Park, which wasn't very good.
Yes. Go Park is directed by Robert Al. Written by Julian Fellows, who is the creator of Downton, creator and writer of Daton Abbey. It stars Maggie Smith, Ryan Philippe, Helen Miran, and several others. It's said in the 1930s, and it's a group of rich and famous people get together for a weekend at a hunting resort when a murder happens, and all of the interesting characters are suspects with a very upstairs, downstairs twist to it.
Upstairs, downstairs was a British show where it was about the people that were the rich that got to be. Or like in Delton Abbey, the servants were all downstairs people. Cool. Excellent. So like there, and this is just the murder mysteries that we like. There are a ton others out there.
Yes. And we would love to hear what your favorite murder mysteries are. You can do that by emailing us at Happy Life [email protected].
And you can also tell us which of the ones that we're gonna be talking about. Knives Out, murder on the Orient Express, murder by Death or Happy Death. That you're most excited to hear about, and you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok at Happy Life Pod. Until next time, everybody stay. Stay alive
or alive. I mean, stay alive. Yeah, stay alive. All right. Yeah.