January 22, 2024 • 31 mins
"Inconceivable!" A trip down memory lane as Alec and Ben discuss the beloved adventure-comedy The Princess Bride written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner. Alec reminisces on where he first watched the film. The guys reflect on what is now considered an all-star cast featuring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. Ben explains what the film Shrek has in common with Princess Bride. Alec discusses how the movie balances its comedic approach. Join Cinema: A to B for a celebratory episode full of laughs, quotes, and an appreciation for how versatile the art form of cinema can truly be.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
These are fun.
Off thecuff discussions on movies and streaming
series, both new and old togetherand will attempt to bridge
the gap between Hollywoodindustry insider and the casual viewer.
This is Alec and I’m Benand you're listening to the Cinema:
A to B podcast.
Hey, everybody.
Welcome to another episode of Cinema: A to B. (00:19):
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We've got a nice film here,harkening back to 1987,
The Princess Bride Revisited.
And Alec, I want you to kick us off
on this absolutetreat of a film from Rob Reiner.
I say this phrase a lot
because we seem to talk about movies thatI love, but I love this movie so much.
(00:41):
I mean, some of it is nostalgia.
Some of it is just it's a great filmin and of itself.
And growing up like this is thisis the movie we always watch at school.
Like whenever the teacher didn't
want to do something like,Hey, let's watch a movie.
It was always this film.
We always I might watch Princess Bride
dozens and
dozens of times throughout my entire,you know, school career.
(01:04):
And I still love it.
I saw absolutely I rewatched it todayspecifically just to kind of refresh,
even though I didn't need it. Likethere was nothing I forgot.
I knew the whole thing. But still,the entire time I'm enjoying it.
I'm laughing at all the jokes.
I'm here for the ride.
There's something specialabout this movie,
and I must say that on my to dolist is to read the book.
I've never read the book, but I,like I said, absolutely adore this movie.
(01:28):
There's something special about itthat Rob Reiner has just created
from the different,you know, how to build the characters
of whowho he hired and cast it in these roles,
the look of the
film, the pacing of the film,the dialog of the film.
It just all works.
I mean, this is just a film done well,and outside of a couple of points,
(01:52):
it holds up.
There's a couple of things and I'm like,Ian is a little rough now, but
but I'm going to leave that.
So then
what's your thoughts on
this has just been a fixture in thein the Starkey household.
Yeah, growing up since 87, I'mpretty confident my
my dad would have probably seen this in ain a cinema.
(02:15):
I mean, he went to a lot of movies backthen,
but later on, I mean, thisthis was a fixture on cable.
I know that for a fact.
And that's the bulk of where I watched it.
And eventually I think we didget a VHS copy and then, you know, DVD
and then this is one.
I don't own that many Blu rays.
I own this film on Blu ray.
It was just one I saw on. I saw it.
(02:36):
I think it was probably a Best Buy.
Rest in peace. Best Buy.
Given up some physical media.
You jerks about that?
Yes, but I picked it upand I'm glad I did.
It was a great transfer.
It's just a delight.
Like, it's just a delight.
And what really helpsthis movie is that the writer of the book,
William Goldman,wrote The Flip in screenplay.
(02:58):
So, yeah, you get is faithfulin adaptation as you're going to get.
And sometimes that's dangerousbecause an individual does
not want to take their their written wordand write it for the screen.
But in this case,they knocked it out of the park.
And then Rob Reineris just a heck of a director.
(03:19):
I mean, he just is.
And and then, yeah, the casting director,
they just nailevery single role in this movie.
At the time,it didn't look like a crazy cast.
A lot of these peoplewere basically considered unknowns.
And then, you know, ten years removed,it's like, whoa, who's who?
(03:41):
Kind of Yeah.
And then and now it's
just kind of iconic that you would havethis collection of talent.
So, you know, at the time of filming.
Fred Savage No, he hadn't.
I mean, I don't know.
I remember a yearhe started doing The Wonder Years.
I don't think it started by 87, though.
That seems maybe.
But Peter Fox, like the biggest name
(04:04):
and he'snot in in much like I mean he does
voiceover narration
obviously but it's and then the other guythat would have been like world
famous is Andrethe giant from because he was he
he basically had already handed
the torch off from his wrestling careerto Hulk Hogan by this point.
But prior to that, like Andrethe Giant was
(04:25):
was world wrestling's like guy.
Yeah.
And so you get him so but now it's like
you know, Robin Wright household name.
I mean, you have Christopher Guest,
you know, playing a villain in hereand a pretty like,
I don't wanna say straight, but like,not a typical Christopher Guest character.
(04:47):
You know, there's hints of it.
There's hint.
Yeah, because he'd already doneSpinal Tap.
Yeah, I think it was like 83,if I'm not mistaken.
So he was. He would have been recognized.
But he you're you're right largely he does
play it likeand he's really good at it too.
Yeah. As this as the six fingered man. So
(05:08):
obviously you
have Billy Crystaland with probably that's the biggest guy.
No, you're right.That's the number one name.
When this movie came out is.But he's barely in it.
Yeah, it's just a cameo.
His scene has reverberated through Filmdomsince.
I mean, this scene is quoted so often.
I mean. Well,this movie is quoted so often, too.
(05:29):
I mean, like. But but that'sit is my favorite.
It's like mostly mostly dead elderly,
which we all mean no means to bluff.
So just quick on that scene.
So basically, Mandy Patinkinactually had to, like, go to the hospital.
I had like take a couple days offbecause of that scene
he was holding in his laughter so muchbecause Billy Crystal
(05:49):
that he, like, busted a ribor like, like did something
like so he had to go
Rob Reiner had to leave the setbecause he kept ruining takes her laughing
like they just had to likehe just had to walk away
because apparently, like,Billy Crystal was just just going off,
you know, gone off script,just doing whatever.
And just everyone was having a blast,having a good old time with that.
(06:10):
It's, you know, man, man, he's like saidpublicly, that's his favorite role ever.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, of course, my favorite characterin the whole thing is is Disney
is well or something like that.
I read you know, I used to go all the time
like never start a land war in Asia
(06:31):
only then Secondly, yeah,it's like only slightly lesser known.
Yes. And that's I mean that'sone of the things I mean, it's it's funny
that this movie isI wouldn't say it's exactly a kid movie.
I forget it, but I think it's PG.
I can't remember
if it was PG or G,but I'm pretty sure it's PG.
(06:52):
Yeah, Yeah.
But like, itit it feels like it skews for kids,
but yet there's so much in itas an adult that I still enjoy.
And, and obviously I'm somewhat of aI can't make the judgment call
because I watched it growing up.So there is that nostalgia.
But of course I've gone backand watched things that I watched
as a child, child that I loved, thatI don't like anymore or like I watched it
(07:15):
like I turn off because, like,this is terrible.
I wanted to live herewhere this movie transcends
that time period, like I enjoynow just as much as I enjoyed it then.
And there are some things that hit betternow, obviously, than the hip then.
So I don't know this is true,but I feel like Shrek
kind of followedthe pattern created by this movie
where it really is made for adults,but it has enough trappings
(07:39):
for children that you feel comfortablebringing your kid to watch this.
And so but a lot of those jokes
go over your head when you're like,six, seven, eight, whatever.
And Shrek works that way, too,like Shrek operating on two levels.
But but Shrek is not a children's film.
It's not. It's tracks for adults.
(08:00):
But you get to bring your kidsbecause there's nothing really vile in it
and there's enough.
It's cute enoughand there's jokes and stuff for kids.
But and obviously Disney filmswork on the usually the inverse
inverse of that where it's a kid's movieand they need
just give you enough peppering of stuffthat an only an adult would get.
So I think this film feels like oneand it's not the first one to do this, but
(08:24):
it's one of the earliestthat I can remember.
And yeah, it's funniernow than I ever was when I was a kid.
I mean, when I was a kid,it just felt like
what it kind of is at face value,which is like an adventure film.
Yeah, right.
Like with with very Errol Silverman'sand noblemen
and a princess and, you know, a giant.
(08:46):
So it operates at that level.
But the reality is it's this super quick,witty
piece of comedy,like basically an adventure comedy.
And I like that it's shotkind of super bright
and the sets really aren't that great.
And because it it's
just an interpretation from a storybook
(09:08):
like soit doesn't have to look like authentic,
like it has this whole estheticthat feels, that feels very fairy tale.
And like this they feel like sets.
Like when,when Mandy and Carrie are fighting
or sword fighting at the top of thethe cliffs of insanity,
you know, when they're fighting up there,that's just a set.
(09:29):
And you worry about the factthat it looks like a set.
It's fine, because in reality,we're just watching what's in the mind's
eye of this kid that's gettinggreatest Story by Columbo. So
sorry.
I just got me.
So I it's so great.
(09:50):
Yeah, that's a good point.
So I've actually never thought about itthat way of like, really
this is it's not actually like
I mean, obviously I know it's a storyhas been told, but thinking of like, we're
just seeing what's in his imagination,what he's creating his own mind
and that's brilliant. I love that.
I absolutely think that'sthat's the way to go.
(10:10):
Yeah.
For that reason we want my points isso one of the things I'm like it hasn't
held up is some of thethe effects are really pretty rough.
I mean especially as we say,
it's definitely a set when, hey,they jump off the thing
and then they sink into the grounda little bit and come back, you know,
come back up because there's actually it'sa, you know, pad of their jumping off.
(10:31):
But yeah.
yeah.
But again,these are the things that I can slide
in left outbecause I love it so much. It's okay.
And obviously it's a, it's a pieceof its time and it kind of had to happen.
But to get that really coolfight scene with the two of them did.
And so I was so I was reading articles
talking about the factthat it in that fight scene
that is
(10:54):
mainly for taking this characterInigo Montoya is is trying to pretend
he's left handed, but he beforehandhe does everything in his right hand,
his sword is on his left hip,so he draws it with his right hand
and then switches it to his leftand fighting, where
if you actually look at CarrieEllis's character,
he has a sword on his right hand, right?
(11:15):
He pulls it so that betterhe so low that he even if you look,
he when he takes his his boot off,he does it with his left hand.
So he's interesting.
He's constantly selling the whole thingthat he's left handed.
And then he switchesto switches to his right.
And so like it'sthis weird dichotomy of like, you know,
one of the things that makesCarrie Ellis's character
(11:36):
so much better than all of these isbecause he pushes so much more,
go so much furtherin either pushing the deception or,
hey, I'm going to take poison for, youknow, for a while so I can get immunity to
you know, I can harder.
I I'd bet my life on it.
It's like an odorless
tastedoes it instantly dissolves and liquid.
(11:59):
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, even the name
some of these characters are justthere's comedy built into them.
I mean, the fact that a guy's namedHumperdinck, he, like, it's just
you can't even say Humperdinckwithout laughing.
And that guy gives
a great performance, too,because he does play it straight.
(12:21):
He does. It's an actor's name.
Chris Sarandon I didn't realize he voiced
Jack Skellington in NightmareBefore Christmas.
That's crazy. Okay.
So that that'skind of what this is, is a mix of
of most of the characters
are basically playing themselveslike straight
(12:42):
it's really interesting likeand I think so like so
the acting feels like it's a little it'sa little over the top.
Like, not a ton.
It is, but it's definitely but again,it's kind of that story base, that fantasy
setting, that imagination of kind of like,like make it bigger than what it is.
And so everyone feels like they're justputting a little English on the acting
(13:03):
and like you would on a like a, you know,pool ball, not at British or whatever.
Just, just change it up a little bitto make it feel
fantasticaland non not realist Ought to be from.
REINER Yeah,that's got to be the direction from Reiner
to know that to everybody.
Just give it a little more.
Just of course, with certain actors,you just let them do their thing, namely
(13:25):
Billy Crystal.
Yeah, like you just let him,you just sort of put it down.
You might feel with all day,there's only one thing you can do.
You can go throughhis pockets for loose change.
I wish.
I wish he would come backand do the Oscars.
It was the Oscars.
He was he was just the best.
He was always the best. Just he was.
But he was.
(13:46):
Anyways, that's beside the point.
Yeah.
Now the scene, mymy daughter was watching this with my wife
the other day and I could hearI was downstairs.
I could hear the roar as laughterfrom my daughter when and it was the
it was the wedding scenewith the guy going my age is white boys.
(14:06):
I said, God, yeah, she just busted out.
I was like another I've indoctrinatedanother generation.
Now the generation is goingto get into loving this film.
Yes, there's certain bits of itthat just transcend generations
that because I know my parents enjoyedthis film, obviously I enjoy this film
like students that work for mehave enjoyed this film.
(14:29):
Your kid enjoys this film.
It's like there's just somethingso basic about this story,
something that this movie's done so welland like with so much purpose
that it just continues to go onand attract new fans.
That's what you do when you do qualitywork, when you know, kind of
they're not trying to beanything more than what it is.
(14:51):
They know what they are.
They stick to it and like you said, it'skind of like this adventure comedy
and it just works.
It just just works.
I'm not going to quote everything,but I mean, just the exchange of like,
give us the gate key.
And the guy's like, I have no geeky.
And then he goes like physics here, his ar
(15:14):
Yeah, it's just
it's expert writing, expertcomedic writing.
Everybody deliverswhat they're supposed to it
just or the fact we'rechaos is like egos, man.
If we only had a wheelbarrowand then Inigo is just like,
because where do we keep that wheelbarrow?
And he's like,
we put it on the albino,and he's like, Well,
why didn't you list that with our assets?
Yeah, you know whatI wouldn't give for a Holocaust clock.
(15:36):
And he's just now it's like, yeah, yeah.
Because there's
the Dread Pirate Roberts Yeah.
man. It's just it's.
It's that kind of smart, funny.
Were it the beats hit?
They don't they don't try to force itthey just let it kind of happen.
The other thing happening in thisand it's it's from the writing
(15:59):
and the direction is you can tell
the actors were basicallytold to be self-aware.
It's interesting.
Most of the good the protagonists arepretty much self-aware
that almost softwareto the point that they know they're in a
in a storylike with some of the jokes they make.
And then
they're in
there in that like forest with the flamesshooting out of the ground.
(16:22):
And she's like, What about the ruinsof an usually large size it?
He's like, I, I hardly think they existthat he's attacked by, by one.
And it's like they, they dothey feel like they just kind of know him,
that they're inherentlythat they're storybook characters.
It's like she's ready to stab herself.
(16:43):
And Kari comes up to her,
shaved it to ruin a perfect set of pairof breasts.
Yeah, like, just lines like that.
Well, and I.
And I want to hearken like, it'sdefinitely not over the top.
Like, I would say like Carrie Olsen,like Robin Hood.
Men in tights, way over the top. Like.
Like this is.
(17:03):
This is like kind of this middle groundwhere, like you
said, they are self-aware,but it's doesn't push it.
You know, it stays an adventureand kind of continues
in that little believablearea of like that.
This is a character and not like, hey,
we're pretending to be a characterkind of a thing, you know?
So it's it's it's a hard place to be.
And not many movies do it.
And because either you're going,you know, men in tights
(17:26):
or you're doing something serious or,you know, the characters are not aware.
And he did have a hard timegetting out of the typecast of doing
comedies and spoofs and stuff like, yeah,But he's I mean, he's had a nice career,
so it's like he's very good in Twisteras like, as like a super unlikable guy.
Like he does. He does a nice job in that.
(17:47):
But no, I'm not I'm not saying, yeah,he was in Hotshots.
I thought he was in another spoofand he was using Hot Shots and he was in
Robin Hood Men in Tights.
So he's been around for a long time.
So. Yeah. Yes, yes. So is Mandy.
And then obviously outside of BillyCrystal, the,
you know, the best career for surebelongs to Robin Wright.
(18:10):
Like she just from this, you know,Forest Gump and then House of Cards.
Yeah. And she's fantastic.
Just Yeah, she is.
She's just pretty incredible range.
I just there's just so much on this moviethat I.
That I like rewatching itthat I want to talk.
And most of it obviously is quotesbecause this movie is so quotable,
(18:32):
but try to try to go away from that.
But I would say even the pacingfeels like it moves pretty quick.
I mean, I think it's only,what, like an hour an hour and a half?
Yeah, just a little bit under an hourand 40 minutes, I think.
Yeah.
So like, so obviously
there's not a whole lot of timethat sits around, but it's still just like
(18:53):
it's not long before you're,you know, you're in,
in the bedroom playing
hardball and Commodore 64,
I forget the exact Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think it is hardball.
He's got his beers, he's got his shirt on.
And of course, of course he does.
But like and then you're in the storyand then you kind of just move along.
(19:14):
And I love kind of like sometimesthe interplay of where Fred Savage
brings us out of his imagination is like,Well, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
What was like, Well, yeah, love the one.
The first one where he pulls him outand he's like,
he stops readingand it's like he's like, wait.
And he's like,you were looking a little concerned there.
I just want to make sure you're okay.
(19:34):
You know, He's like,You looked worried there and he's like,
Savage is really good.
He's like, no, more like, concerned.
He's okay.
Okay. Well, we'll continue
the when they first start,it's like, wait, wait, wait.
Like, this is a kissing book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it's funny,but then it's super poignant, too.
Like,it's super poignant because at the end,
(19:58):
you know,the whole thing that's been driven home
is that when Wesley says, as you wish,he actually saying, I love you
and so forth, boom says as you wish,As you wish.
And that kind of enjoying feels. Yeah.
And you know, of course, he's didn'twant to spend time with his grandfather.
And then at the end, he wants his
grandfather to come back againthe next day while he's sick.
(20:20):
So. Right.
Like a building building relationships.
This movie. Yeah.
Well, yeah, I love the wholethe whole thing of like this.
Like when he was a kid,this was like television was called
looks
because he's, like, super disappointedwhen he unwraps it.
Yeah, because it is.
It's giftwrapped, and he's like, What's this?
(20:42):
But watch the TV.
This was TV when I was a kid.
So musically thethe score is, is, is decent.
It's fine. It's all very moody.
So like, it's very much like, well, it'snot age well and it's very Mickey Mouse.
It's one of thosethat I think could be scored.
Yeah, I hate to see that.
And he probably would losesome sort of charm
(21:05):
but that many the horn, the horns
they're supposed to be playingdon't even really sound like horns,
like when she's being presentedand then like the
like the prince's introduction and stufflike it doesn't
Yeah.
That that's probably what's aged itthe most is the score.
(21:25):
Yeah. Again because I mean it feels like,like early internet when we would like
first get songs or whatever it, you know,this is kind of like before M.P.
threes really became a thing.
So Wave files are super, super large.
It would just be miniversions of the songs.
And so like,I remember getting, you know, or like,
like old video games, you'd have it like,I remember playing like,
X-Wing, your tie fighter, and listeningto Star Wars music, but in the
(21:48):
in the middle and like, you know, it'sthat's what it is.
There's so much of that in hereand it's just like, and then the Mickey
Mouse effectmousing effect is a little over the top.
It does feel much more tongue in cheek,much more not ages at the movie,
but just kind of makes it feel less,less serious or whatever.
(22:09):
And I mean, some of that could work again,
going backand this is the kid's imagination.
I've never been a fan of that,but I mean, it's all over the place.
Yeah, The only scene that I can think ofthat still feels
really pretty intenseeven for like a it's not a kid's film.
We've kind of established it'snot really what it is, but
when when Carrie is on the rack,that's like
(22:32):
taking years from his life that that scenestill feels pretty heinous.
Yeah.Like even even watching that back now,
it still hits pretty good.
And I always wondered when I was a kidand I still wanted to watch it,
it was like, Whoa,how long will Wesley actually live?
Because he didn't get those years back.
(22:54):
They didn't run the machine backlike he was on that thing for a while.
So it's like, okay,the character might not live very long,
they might leave and like, he rides offinto the sunset, but it's like.
And then damageshe stole stole a bunch time
and and I was going to that sceneit's it's super super serious super tough.
(23:17):
But I will say that'swhen Christopher Guest becomes normal.
Christopher Guest is likewhen he does the first year
and so then he pulls out and like he'stalking like like how do you feel?
well, he just remember
this is for posterity and you know,like I'm just like, there it is.
There it is. Like you've played itstraight. All that. Yeah.
There's the moment, right?
That's the Christopher Guest momentI've been waiting for.
(23:39):
So which I mean, of course, obviously,you know,
I wonder how much he got that rolebecause of Spinal Tap since Rob Reiner's.
Yeah.
When you're comfortable workingwith somebody and yeah, you know he can
deliver deliver it all it would have taken
was a quick like he probably didn'teven make him audition a bit.
(23:59):
They just ran a real quickscreen test and was like, yeah, that's,
that's my six fingered man.
They did shoot some stuff.
Most of it was studio work,but they did shoot some in the UK
because thethe cliffs of insanity are actually
are the cliffs of Moore in Irelandat least for an establishing shot.
And then that's the other thing it's likereally looks bad is like the model
(24:21):
the model boat with the little model ship
it's come in sailor like
yeah yeah not great, not great.
But largely those scenes are likein the beginning of the movie
and then there's really not anything.
There's no set pieces like thatfor the rest of the film.
So like largely they're just in, inclosed off interiors like that.
(24:45):
They're not really
anywhere else that
needs to feel real big or fantastical.
So no, I will.
I will say, though, the hideout,the pit of despair,
like watching it looks like a set.
And not only no look, like I said,it looks like a stage set.
Like it's like they're going to perform iton Broadway or something.
(25:07):
Like it just has that feel likewhere the stage sees an interesting like,
have they ever done Princess Bride
Live on stage,like on Broadway or off-Broadway?
Because this would be fantastic.
I bet they have.
There's The Princess Bride, The Musical.
gosh, Yeah, That would be fantastic.
(25:28):
It would be perfect.
The Princess Bride, Broadway World.
It opened,so I don't think it's running anymore.
Yeah, probably not.
Just do it the way sets.
Look, you would be able to recreate thatlook and feel really quickly on a
on stage. It's not.
There's really nothing that lends itselfto like a big screen experience.
(25:50):
Like, you just
I've watched it on my projectorand it was fine, but it didn't.
There wasn't anythingthat really jumped out at me that said,
I really kind of wish I would havewatched this in a movie theater,
which which isn't a knock on the movie.
In fact, it's kind of works well that it's
it's just infinitely watchableon anything.
(26:12):
I mean, I'd watch I don't usually advisewatching movies on phones and stuff,
but I'd probably be finewatching this on a tablet if I had to.
So the only other thing, Valerie,played by Carol Kane, I do
I do recognize her because she plays the
she plays one of the spirits in Scrooged.
She's constantly played.
(26:32):
She's constantly Bill Murray in theface and in the nuts in like
just destroy.
She getshim with like a toaster or something.
Yeah, she's pretty funny.
She's really a nice counterpointto Billy Crystal's
miracle. Max,
See this last line?
You think it'll work?
(26:53):
Yeah.
Yeah,
the chocolate bits.
And I feel likewhy is it coated in chocolate?
She's like, this is it.
The candy coating makes it godown. Super down.
Yeah, yeah.
It's just.
This is just a little gem of a movie.
It's.
I mean, it's like a joke a minuteor maybe two jokes a minute kind of stuff.
(27:17):
Like, it's. It's so fast.
If you laugh a lot, you've.
You could easily miss jokes,but that's okay because you know it.
There's more coming.
There's going to be more jokes.
There is.
I do think your reference to Shrekis spot on.
I, I did not think of that.
And I think that is brilliantand I agree wholeheartedly with it.
(27:39):
Shrek, I mean, it's kind of new.
It feels like a live action.Shrek in a lot of ways.
I mean, yeah, when I watch Shrek,I feel like the creators of Shrek
grew up with The Princess Bride.
Like it feels like an influence.
It does. It feels like an influence.
And there's not there's nottoo many other movies that I think of that
that do this.
(27:59):
This is not an easy thingto do to take this medieval like world
and then make it a
roaring comedy.
I'm curious, like, what is this?
Like, what's this movie's legacylike outside of the United States?
Like, you even watch it or like,
is it just is it a fixture there as well?
(28:21):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
I don't know.
Like, is itpublicity is probably just Internet.
It's like if somebody wants to emailthe bad guys from like the UK
or something, we can go to our website
or for our listeners in Peru,if you know people who are in Peru
who adore this film, let us knowbecause that was good for us.
(28:43):
Yeah, yeah.
It's not.
Please tell tons of peoplewho love this film as much as we do.
It's like you national film of Peru,you know, it's really not that.
No, you know, it's. Do you have any
any thoughts as we wrap up Princess Bride?
It's this is just a funmovie is one of those
one of those movies that makes me lovethis art form
(29:07):
just for the versatilityand just kind of like how much I can love
something like, you know, a ChristopherNolan film or a Spielberg film.
Yes. Flipside have something like thisthat is so different but so done,
you know, so well in additionthat I can enjoy for different things and
yeah and I you know,you bring up a great point because I think
(29:29):
a lot of people get caught upinto thinking that
that their favorite film list is just goneif that that if their favorite films.
Oppenheimer that the rest of their top
ten has got to lookand feel like Oppenheimer
I can feel like that's a trapsome of us kind of can fall into of like,
my top ten can only be likereally serious movies.
(29:50):
Or if I love comedies,they're all comedies
or they're all dramasor they're all sci fi.
And it's like,No, this film is as broad as
as it gets.
It's as broad as literature is.
That's what makes this so cool, is that
you can have the Princess Brideand then you can have
(30:13):
Casablanca, and then you can have
any number of of great films.
But they're great in different ways.
And yeah, this is
it sits in an eight on IMDB.
I, I think that's probably fair.
That's extremely high for a comedy.
Most comedies don't get rated that highbecause there isn't
(30:34):
always broadappeal with what makes us laugh.
But this one seems to have accomplishedthat because,
you know, a lot of I don't really knowthat many people who don't like this film.
I know people who don't.
I know people that haven't seen this film
or I don't know many peoplethat haven't that don't like it.
If they've seen it, they usually like it.
But I do know quite a few.
(30:54):
It's it's getting older. We get it 87.
But I knowplenty of folks that haven't watched it.
But yeah, I don't know that many peoplethat are like I don't like that movie. So.
Well, we'll wrap up.
I do want to mentionthis was a recommendation from my mom.
So hopefully, hopefully we did it.
(31:14):
Yeah, hopefully we did it just justice.
And to her, I say as you wish
and we will
we will bring you allanother episode next week.
And we thank you for listeningand thanks everybody.
These are fun.
Off thecuff discussions on movies and streaming
series, both new and old togetherand will attempt to bridge
the gap between Hollywoodindustry insider and the casual viewer.
This is Alec and I’m Benand you're listening to the Cinema:
A to B podcast.
Hey, everybody.
Welcome to another episode of Cinema: A to B. (00:19):
undefined
We've got a nice film here,harkening back to 1987,
The Princess Bride Revisited.
And Alec, I want you to kick us off
on this absolutetreat of a film from Rob Reiner.
I say this phrase a lot
because we seem to talk about movies thatI love, but I love this movie so much.
(00:41):
I mean, some of it is nostalgia.
Some of it is just it's a great filmin and of itself.
And growing up like this is thisis the movie we always watch at school.
Like whenever the teacher didn't
want to do something like,Hey, let's watch a movie.
It was always this film.
We always I might watch Princess Bride
dozens and
dozens of times throughout my entire,you know, school career.
(01:04):
And I still love it.
I saw absolutely I rewatched it todayspecifically just to kind of refresh,
even though I didn't need it. Likethere was nothing I forgot.
I knew the whole thing. But still,the entire time I'm enjoying it.
I'm laughing at all the jokes.
I'm here for the ride.
There's something specialabout this movie,
and I must say that on my to dolist is to read the book.
I've never read the book, but I,like I said, absolutely adore this movie.
(01:28):
There's something special about itthat Rob Reiner has just created
from the different,you know, how to build the characters
of whowho he hired and cast it in these roles,
the look of the
film, the pacing of the film,the dialog of the film.
It just all works.
I mean, this is just a film done well,and outside of a couple of points,
(01:52):
it holds up.
There's a couple of things and I'm like,Ian is a little rough now, but
but I'm going to leave that.
So then
what's your thoughts on
this has just been a fixture in thein the Starkey household.
Yeah, growing up since 87, I'mpretty confident my
my dad would have probably seen this in ain a cinema.
(02:15):
I mean, he went to a lot of movies backthen,
but later on, I mean, thisthis was a fixture on cable.
I know that for a fact.
And that's the bulk of where I watched it.
And eventually I think we didget a VHS copy and then, you know, DVD
and then this is one.
I don't own that many Blu rays.
I own this film on Blu ray.
It was just one I saw on. I saw it.
(02:36):
I think it was probably a Best Buy.
Rest in peace. Best Buy.
Given up some physical media.
You jerks about that?
Yes, but I picked it upand I'm glad I did.
It was a great transfer.
It's just a delight.
Like, it's just a delight.
And what really helpsthis movie is that the writer of the book,
William Goldman,wrote The Flip in screenplay.
(02:58):
So, yeah, you get is faithfulin adaptation as you're going to get.
And sometimes that's dangerousbecause an individual does
not want to take their their written wordand write it for the screen.
But in this case,they knocked it out of the park.
And then Rob Reineris just a heck of a director.
(03:19):
I mean, he just is.
And and then, yeah, the casting director,
they just nailevery single role in this movie.
At the time,it didn't look like a crazy cast.
A lot of these peoplewere basically considered unknowns.
And then, you know, ten years removed,it's like, whoa, who's who?
(03:41):
Kind of Yeah.
And then and now it's
just kind of iconic that you would havethis collection of talent.
So, you know, at the time of filming.
Fred Savage No, he hadn't.
I mean, I don't know.
I remember a yearhe started doing The Wonder Years.
I don't think it started by 87, though.
That seems maybe.
But Peter Fox, like the biggest name
(04:04):
and he'snot in in much like I mean he does
voiceover narration
obviously but it's and then the other guythat would have been like world
famous is Andrethe giant from because he was he
he basically had already handed
the torch off from his wrestling careerto Hulk Hogan by this point.
But prior to that, like Andrethe Giant was
(04:25):
was world wrestling's like guy.
Yeah.
And so you get him so but now it's like
you know, Robin Wright household name.
I mean, you have Christopher Guest,
you know, playing a villain in hereand a pretty like,
I don't wanna say straight, but like,not a typical Christopher Guest character.
(04:47):
You know, there's hints of it.
There's hint.
Yeah, because he'd already doneSpinal Tap.
Yeah, I think it was like 83,if I'm not mistaken.
So he was. He would have been recognized.
But he you're you're right largely he does
play it likeand he's really good at it too.
Yeah. As this as the six fingered man. So
(05:08):
obviously you
have Billy Crystaland with probably that's the biggest guy.
No, you're right.That's the number one name.
When this movie came out is.But he's barely in it.
Yeah, it's just a cameo.
His scene has reverberated through Filmdomsince.
I mean, this scene is quoted so often.
I mean. Well,this movie is quoted so often, too.
(05:29):
I mean, like. But but that'sit is my favorite.
It's like mostly mostly dead elderly,
which we all mean no means to bluff.
So just quick on that scene.
So basically, Mandy Patinkinactually had to, like, go to the hospital.
I had like take a couple days offbecause of that scene
he was holding in his laughter so muchbecause Billy Crystal
(05:49):
that he, like, busted a ribor like, like did something
like so he had to go
Rob Reiner had to leave the setbecause he kept ruining takes her laughing
like they just had to likehe just had to walk away
because apparently, like,Billy Crystal was just just going off,
you know, gone off script,just doing whatever.
And just everyone was having a blast,having a good old time with that.
(06:10):
It's, you know, man, man, he's like saidpublicly, that's his favorite role ever.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, of course, my favorite characterin the whole thing is is Disney
is well or something like that.
I read you know, I used to go all the time
like never start a land war in Asia
(06:31):
only then Secondly, yeah,it's like only slightly lesser known.
Yes. And that's I mean that'sone of the things I mean, it's it's funny
that this movie isI wouldn't say it's exactly a kid movie.
I forget it, but I think it's PG.
I can't remember
if it was PG or G,but I'm pretty sure it's PG.
(06:52):
Yeah, Yeah.
But like, itit it feels like it skews for kids,
but yet there's so much in itas an adult that I still enjoy.
And, and obviously I'm somewhat of aI can't make the judgment call
because I watched it growing up.So there is that nostalgia.
But of course I've gone backand watched things that I watched
as a child, child that I loved, thatI don't like anymore or like I watched it
(07:15):
like I turn off because, like,this is terrible.
I wanted to live herewhere this movie transcends
that time period, like I enjoynow just as much as I enjoyed it then.
And there are some things that hit betternow, obviously, than the hip then.
So I don't know this is true,but I feel like Shrek
kind of followedthe pattern created by this movie
where it really is made for adults,but it has enough trappings
(07:39):
for children that you feel comfortablebringing your kid to watch this.
And so but a lot of those jokes
go over your head when you're like,six, seven, eight, whatever.
And Shrek works that way, too,like Shrek operating on two levels.
But but Shrek is not a children's film.
It's not. It's tracks for adults.
(08:00):
But you get to bring your kidsbecause there's nothing really vile in it
and there's enough.
It's cute enoughand there's jokes and stuff for kids.
But and obviously Disney filmswork on the usually the inverse
inverse of that where it's a kid's movieand they need
just give you enough peppering of stuffthat an only an adult would get.
So I think this film feels like oneand it's not the first one to do this, but
(08:24):
it's one of the earliestthat I can remember.
And yeah, it's funniernow than I ever was when I was a kid.
I mean, when I was a kid,it just felt like
what it kind of is at face value,which is like an adventure film.
Yeah, right.
Like with with very Errol Silverman'sand noblemen
and a princess and, you know, a giant.
(08:46):
So it operates at that level.
But the reality is it's this super quick,witty
piece of comedy,like basically an adventure comedy.
And I like that it's shotkind of super bright
and the sets really aren't that great.
And because it it's
just an interpretation from a storybook
(09:08):
like soit doesn't have to look like authentic,
like it has this whole estheticthat feels, that feels very fairy tale.
And like this they feel like sets.
Like when,when Mandy and Carrie are fighting
or sword fighting at the top of thethe cliffs of insanity,
you know, when they're fighting up there,that's just a set.
(09:29):
And you worry about the factthat it looks like a set.
It's fine, because in reality,we're just watching what's in the mind's
eye of this kid that's gettinggreatest Story by Columbo. So
sorry.
I just got me.
So I it's so great.
(09:50):
Yeah, that's a good point.
So I've actually never thought about itthat way of like, really
this is it's not actually like
I mean, obviously I know it's a storyhas been told, but thinking of like, we're
just seeing what's in his imagination,what he's creating his own mind
and that's brilliant. I love that.
I absolutely think that'sthat's the way to go.
(10:10):
Yeah.
For that reason we want my points isso one of the things I'm like it hasn't
held up is some of thethe effects are really pretty rough.
I mean especially as we say,
it's definitely a set when, hey,they jump off the thing
and then they sink into the grounda little bit and come back, you know,
come back up because there's actually it'sa, you know, pad of their jumping off.
(10:31):
But yeah.
yeah.
But again,these are the things that I can slide
in left outbecause I love it so much. It's okay.
And obviously it's a, it's a pieceof its time and it kind of had to happen.
But to get that really coolfight scene with the two of them did.
And so I was so I was reading articles
talking about the factthat it in that fight scene
that is
(10:54):
mainly for taking this characterInigo Montoya is is trying to pretend
he's left handed, but he beforehandhe does everything in his right hand,
his sword is on his left hip,so he draws it with his right hand
and then switches it to his leftand fighting, where
if you actually look at CarrieEllis's character,
he has a sword on his right hand, right?
(11:15):
He pulls it so that betterhe so low that he even if you look,
he when he takes his his boot off,he does it with his left hand.
So he's interesting.
He's constantly selling the whole thingthat he's left handed.
And then he switchesto switches to his right.
And so like it'sthis weird dichotomy of like, you know,
one of the things that makesCarrie Ellis's character
(11:36):
so much better than all of these isbecause he pushes so much more,
go so much furtherin either pushing the deception or,
hey, I'm going to take poison for, youknow, for a while so I can get immunity to
you know, I can harder.
I I'd bet my life on it.
It's like an odorless
tastedoes it instantly dissolves and liquid.
(11:59):
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, even the name
some of these characters are justthere's comedy built into them.
I mean, the fact that a guy's namedHumperdinck, he, like, it's just
you can't even say Humperdinckwithout laughing.
And that guy gives
a great performance, too,because he does play it straight.
(12:21):
He does. It's an actor's name.
Chris Sarandon I didn't realize he voiced
Jack Skellington in NightmareBefore Christmas.
That's crazy. Okay.
So that that'skind of what this is, is a mix of
of most of the characters
are basically playing themselveslike straight
(12:42):
it's really interesting likeand I think so like so
the acting feels like it's a little it'sa little over the top.
Like, not a ton.
It is, but it's definitely but again,it's kind of that story base, that fantasy
setting, that imagination of kind of like,like make it bigger than what it is.
And so everyone feels like they're justputting a little English on the acting
(13:03):
and like you would on a like a, you know,pool ball, not at British or whatever.
Just, just change it up a little bitto make it feel
fantasticaland non not realist Ought to be from.
REINER Yeah,that's got to be the direction from Reiner
to know that to everybody.
Just give it a little more.
Just of course, with certain actors,you just let them do their thing, namely
(13:25):
Billy Crystal.
Yeah, like you just let him,you just sort of put it down.
You might feel with all day,there's only one thing you can do.
You can go throughhis pockets for loose change.
I wish.
I wish he would come backand do the Oscars.
It was the Oscars.
He was he was just the best.
He was always the best. Just he was.
But he was.
(13:46):
Anyways, that's beside the point.
Yeah.
Now the scene, mymy daughter was watching this with my wife
the other day and I could hearI was downstairs.
I could hear the roar as laughterfrom my daughter when and it was the
it was the wedding scenewith the guy going my age is white boys.
(14:06):
I said, God, yeah, she just busted out.
I was like another I've indoctrinatedanother generation.
Now the generation is goingto get into loving this film.
Yes, there's certain bits of itthat just transcend generations
that because I know my parents enjoyedthis film, obviously I enjoy this film
like students that work for mehave enjoyed this film.
(14:29):
Your kid enjoys this film.
It's like there's just somethingso basic about this story,
something that this movie's done so welland like with so much purpose
that it just continues to go onand attract new fans.
That's what you do when you do qualitywork, when you know, kind of
they're not trying to beanything more than what it is.
(14:51):
They know what they are.
They stick to it and like you said, it'skind of like this adventure comedy
and it just works.
It just just works.
I'm not going to quote everything,but I mean, just the exchange of like,
give us the gate key.
And the guy's like, I have no geeky.
And then he goes like physics here, his ar
(15:14):
Yeah, it's just
it's expert writing, expertcomedic writing.
Everybody deliverswhat they're supposed to it
just or the fact we'rechaos is like egos, man.
If we only had a wheelbarrowand then Inigo is just like,
because where do we keep that wheelbarrow?
And he's like,
we put it on the albino,and he's like, Well,
why didn't you list that with our assets?
Yeah, you know whatI wouldn't give for a Holocaust clock.
(15:36):
And he's just now it's like, yeah, yeah.
Because there's
the Dread Pirate Roberts Yeah.
man. It's just it's.
It's that kind of smart, funny.
Were it the beats hit?
They don't they don't try to force itthey just let it kind of happen.
The other thing happening in thisand it's it's from the writing
(15:59):
and the direction is you can tell
the actors were basicallytold to be self-aware.
It's interesting.
Most of the good the protagonists arepretty much self-aware
that almost softwareto the point that they know they're in a
in a storylike with some of the jokes they make.
And then
they're in
there in that like forest with the flamesshooting out of the ground.
(16:22):
And she's like, What about the ruinsof an usually large size it?
He's like, I, I hardly think they existthat he's attacked by, by one.
And it's like they, they dothey feel like they just kind of know him,
that they're inherentlythat they're storybook characters.
It's like she's ready to stab herself.
(16:43):
And Kari comes up to her,
shaved it to ruin a perfect set of pairof breasts.
Yeah, like, just lines like that.
Well, and I.
And I want to hearken like, it'sdefinitely not over the top.
Like, I would say like Carrie Olsen,like Robin Hood.
Men in tights, way over the top. Like.
Like this is.
(17:03):
This is like kind of this middle groundwhere, like you
said, they are self-aware,but it's doesn't push it.
You know, it stays an adventureand kind of continues
in that little believablearea of like that.
This is a character and not like, hey,
we're pretending to be a characterkind of a thing, you know?
So it's it's it's a hard place to be.
And not many movies do it.
And because either you're going,you know, men in tights
(17:26):
or you're doing something serious or,you know, the characters are not aware.
And he did have a hard timegetting out of the typecast of doing
comedies and spoofs and stuff like, yeah,But he's I mean, he's had a nice career,
so it's like he's very good in Twisteras like, as like a super unlikable guy.
Like he does. He does a nice job in that.
(17:47):
But no, I'm not I'm not saying, yeah,he was in Hotshots.
I thought he was in another spoofand he was using Hot Shots and he was in
Robin Hood Men in Tights.
So he's been around for a long time.
So. Yeah. Yes, yes. So is Mandy.
And then obviously outside of BillyCrystal, the,
you know, the best career for surebelongs to Robin Wright.
(18:10):
Like she just from this, you know,Forest Gump and then House of Cards.
Yeah. And she's fantastic.
Just Yeah, she is.
She's just pretty incredible range.
I just there's just so much on this moviethat I.
That I like rewatching itthat I want to talk.
And most of it obviously is quotesbecause this movie is so quotable,
(18:32):
but try to try to go away from that.
But I would say even the pacingfeels like it moves pretty quick.
I mean, I think it's only,what, like an hour an hour and a half?
Yeah, just a little bit under an hourand 40 minutes, I think.
Yeah.
So like, so obviously
there's not a whole lot of timethat sits around, but it's still just like
(18:53):
it's not long before you're,you know, you're in,
in the bedroom playing
hardball and Commodore 64,
I forget the exact Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think it is hardball.
He's got his beers, he's got his shirt on.
And of course, of course he does.
But like and then you're in the storyand then you kind of just move along.
(19:14):
And I love kind of like sometimesthe interplay of where Fred Savage
brings us out of his imagination is like,Well, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
What was like, Well, yeah, love the one.
The first one where he pulls him outand he's like,
he stops readingand it's like he's like, wait.
And he's like,you were looking a little concerned there.
I just want to make sure you're okay.
(19:34):
You know, He's like,You looked worried there and he's like,
Savage is really good.
He's like, no, more like, concerned.
He's okay.
Okay. Well, we'll continue
the when they first start,it's like, wait, wait, wait.
Like, this is a kissing book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it's funny,but then it's super poignant, too.
Like,it's super poignant because at the end,
(19:58):
you know,the whole thing that's been driven home
is that when Wesley says, as you wish,he actually saying, I love you
and so forth, boom says as you wish,As you wish.
And that kind of enjoying feels. Yeah.
And you know, of course, he's didn'twant to spend time with his grandfather.
And then at the end, he wants his
grandfather to come back againthe next day while he's sick.
(20:20):
So. Right.
Like a building building relationships.
This movie. Yeah.
Well, yeah, I love the wholethe whole thing of like this.
Like when he was a kid,this was like television was called
looks
because he's, like, super disappointedwhen he unwraps it.
Yeah, because it is.
It's giftwrapped, and he's like, What's this?
(20:42):
But watch the TV.
This was TV when I was a kid.
So musically thethe score is, is, is decent.
It's fine. It's all very moody.
So like, it's very much like, well, it'snot age well and it's very Mickey Mouse.
It's one of thosethat I think could be scored.
Yeah, I hate to see that.
And he probably would losesome sort of charm
(21:05):
but that many the horn, the horns
they're supposed to be playingdon't even really sound like horns,
like when she's being presentedand then like the
like the prince's introduction and stufflike it doesn't
Yeah.
That that's probably what's aged itthe most is the score.
(21:25):
Yeah. Again because I mean it feels like,like early internet when we would like
first get songs or whatever it, you know,this is kind of like before M.P.
threes really became a thing.
So Wave files are super, super large.
It would just be miniversions of the songs.
And so like,I remember getting, you know, or like,
like old video games, you'd have it like,I remember playing like,
X-Wing, your tie fighter, and listeningto Star Wars music, but in the
(21:48):
in the middle and like, you know, it'sthat's what it is.
There's so much of that in hereand it's just like, and then the Mickey
Mouse effectmousing effect is a little over the top.
It does feel much more tongue in cheek,much more not ages at the movie,
but just kind of makes it feel less,less serious or whatever.
(22:09):
And I mean, some of that could work again,
going backand this is the kid's imagination.
I've never been a fan of that,but I mean, it's all over the place.
Yeah, The only scene that I can think ofthat still feels
really pretty intenseeven for like a it's not a kid's film.
We've kind of established it'snot really what it is, but
when when Carrie is on the rack,that's like
(22:32):
taking years from his life that that scenestill feels pretty heinous.
Yeah.Like even even watching that back now,
it still hits pretty good.
And I always wondered when I was a kidand I still wanted to watch it,
it was like, Whoa,how long will Wesley actually live?
Because he didn't get those years back.
(22:54):
They didn't run the machine backlike he was on that thing for a while.
So it's like, okay,the character might not live very long,
they might leave and like, he rides offinto the sunset, but it's like.
And then damageshe stole stole a bunch time
and and I was going to that sceneit's it's super super serious super tough.
(23:17):
But I will say that'swhen Christopher Guest becomes normal.
Christopher Guest is likewhen he does the first year
and so then he pulls out and like he'stalking like like how do you feel?
well, he just remember
this is for posterity and you know,like I'm just like, there it is.
There it is. Like you've played itstraight. All that. Yeah.
There's the moment, right?
That's the Christopher Guest momentI've been waiting for.
(23:39):
So which I mean, of course, obviously,you know,
I wonder how much he got that rolebecause of Spinal Tap since Rob Reiner's.
Yeah.
When you're comfortable workingwith somebody and yeah, you know he can
deliver deliver it all it would have taken
was a quick like he probably didn'teven make him audition a bit.
(23:59):
They just ran a real quickscreen test and was like, yeah, that's,
that's my six fingered man.
They did shoot some stuff.
Most of it was studio work,but they did shoot some in the UK
because thethe cliffs of insanity are actually
are the cliffs of Moore in Irelandat least for an establishing shot.
And then that's the other thing it's likereally looks bad is like the model
(24:21):
the model boat with the little model ship
it's come in sailor like
yeah yeah not great, not great.
But largely those scenes are likein the beginning of the movie
and then there's really not anything.
There's no set pieces like thatfor the rest of the film.
So like largely they're just in, inclosed off interiors like that.
(24:45):
They're not really
anywhere else that
needs to feel real big or fantastical.
So no, I will.
I will say, though, the hideout,the pit of despair,
like watching it looks like a set.
And not only no look, like I said,it looks like a stage set.
Like it's like they're going to perform iton Broadway or something.
(25:07):
Like it just has that feel likewhere the stage sees an interesting like,
have they ever done Princess Bride
Live on stage,like on Broadway or off-Broadway?
Because this would be fantastic.
I bet they have.
There's The Princess Bride, The Musical.
gosh, Yeah, That would be fantastic.
(25:28):
It would be perfect.
The Princess Bride, Broadway World.
It opened,so I don't think it's running anymore.
Yeah, probably not.
Just do it the way sets.
Look, you would be able to recreate thatlook and feel really quickly on a
on stage. It's not.
There's really nothing that lends itselfto like a big screen experience.
(25:50):
Like, you just
I've watched it on my projectorand it was fine, but it didn't.
There wasn't anythingthat really jumped out at me that said,
I really kind of wish I would havewatched this in a movie theater,
which which isn't a knock on the movie.
In fact, it's kind of works well that it's
it's just infinitely watchableon anything.
(26:12):
I mean, I'd watch I don't usually advisewatching movies on phones and stuff,
but I'd probably be finewatching this on a tablet if I had to.
So the only other thing, Valerie,played by Carol Kane, I do
I do recognize her because she plays the
she plays one of the spirits in Scrooged.
She's constantly played.
(26:32):
She's constantly Bill Murray in theface and in the nuts in like
just destroy.
She getshim with like a toaster or something.
Yeah, she's pretty funny.
She's really a nice counterpointto Billy Crystal's
miracle. Max,
See this last line?
You think it'll work?
(26:53):
Yeah.
Yeah,
the chocolate bits.
And I feel likewhy is it coated in chocolate?
She's like, this is it.
The candy coating makes it godown. Super down.
Yeah, yeah.
It's just.
This is just a little gem of a movie.
It's.
I mean, it's like a joke a minuteor maybe two jokes a minute kind of stuff.
(27:17):
Like, it's. It's so fast.
If you laugh a lot, you've.
You could easily miss jokes,but that's okay because you know it.
There's more coming.
There's going to be more jokes.
There is.
I do think your reference to Shrekis spot on.
I, I did not think of that.
And I think that is brilliantand I agree wholeheartedly with it.
(27:39):
Shrek, I mean, it's kind of new.
It feels like a live action.Shrek in a lot of ways.
I mean, yeah, when I watch Shrek,I feel like the creators of Shrek
grew up with The Princess Bride.
Like it feels like an influence.
It does. It feels like an influence.
And there's not there's nottoo many other movies that I think of that
that do this.
(27:59):
This is not an easy thingto do to take this medieval like world
and then make it a
roaring comedy.
I'm curious, like, what is this?
Like, what's this movie's legacylike outside of the United States?
Like, you even watch it or like,
is it just is it a fixture there as well?
(28:21):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
I don't know.
Like, is itpublicity is probably just Internet.
It's like if somebody wants to emailthe bad guys from like the UK
or something, we can go to our website
or for our listeners in Peru,if you know people who are in Peru
who adore this film, let us knowbecause that was good for us.
(28:43):
Yeah, yeah.
It's not.
Please tell tons of peoplewho love this film as much as we do.
It's like you national film of Peru,you know, it's really not that.
No, you know, it's. Do you have any
any thoughts as we wrap up Princess Bride?
It's this is just a funmovie is one of those
one of those movies that makes me lovethis art form
(29:07):
just for the versatilityand just kind of like how much I can love
something like, you know, a ChristopherNolan film or a Spielberg film.
Yes. Flipside have something like thisthat is so different but so done,
you know, so well in additionthat I can enjoy for different things and
yeah and I you know,you bring up a great point because I think
(29:29):
a lot of people get caught upinto thinking that
that their favorite film list is just goneif that that if their favorite films.
Oppenheimer that the rest of their top
ten has got to lookand feel like Oppenheimer
I can feel like that's a trapsome of us kind of can fall into of like,
my top ten can only be likereally serious movies.
(29:50):
Or if I love comedies,they're all comedies
or they're all dramasor they're all sci fi.
And it's like,No, this film is as broad as
as it gets.
It's as broad as literature is.
That's what makes this so cool, is that
you can have the Princess Brideand then you can have
(30:13):
Casablanca, and then you can have
any number of of great films.
But they're great in different ways.
And yeah, this is
it sits in an eight on IMDB.
I, I think that's probably fair.
That's extremely high for a comedy.
Most comedies don't get rated that highbecause there isn't
(30:34):
always broadappeal with what makes us laugh.
But this one seems to have accomplishedthat because,
you know, a lot of I don't really knowthat many people who don't like this film.
I know people who don't.
I know people that haven't seen this film
or I don't know many peoplethat haven't that don't like it.
If they've seen it, they usually like it.
But I do know quite a few.
(30:54):
It's it's getting older. We get it 87.
But I knowplenty of folks that haven't watched it.
But yeah, I don't know that many peoplethat are like I don't like that movie. So.
Well, we'll wrap up.
I do want to mentionthis was a recommendation from my mom.
So hopefully, hopefully we did it.
(31:14):
Yeah, hopefully we did it just justice.
And to her, I say as you wish
and we will
we will bring you allanother episode next week.
And we thank you for listeningand thanks everybody.
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