As you wish!

September 25, 2012 3:11 PM

It's The Princess Bride's 25th anniversary! Little known facts about it. Fred Savage remembers. Why it's Jonathan Haynes's favorite film. Reunion. And don't worry, there's no remake in the works.
posted by Artw (160 comments total)

Previously
posted by Artw at 3:12 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

plz to add the HAVE FUN STORMING THE CASTLE! tag
posted by elizardbits at 3:12 PM on September 25, 2012 [9 favorites]

Is this a kissing book? - A list of 30 Princess Bride words.
posted by knile at 3:15 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Such a great film. One of the few occasions that a movie actually lives up to the book!
posted by wolfdreams01 at 3:16 PM on September 25, 2012

Fred Savage turned out to be pretty handsome! Nice job!
posted by boo_radley at 3:17 PM on September 25, 2012

. for Andre the Giant.
. for Peter Falk.
. for swordfight master Bob Anderson.

Movies this perfect are rare, and we should treasure them.
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:18 PM on September 25, 2012 [45 favorites]

Off to watch it right now for the thousandth time.
That movie has the best sword fighting scene of any movie of all time, no disrespect to Basil Rathbone or any of the classic film duelists.
posted by Muttoneer at 3:19 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

You know, this book and movie have a uniqueness to them for me, to wit: my favorite version is always whatever I last experienced. After reading the book, the book is the best version; after watching the movie, the movie is the best version.

I'm not aware of any other stories I've ever reacted to that way. I usually like the book versions of things better. But not The Princess Bride. Both versions are the best, and both are a little inferior.
posted by Malor at 3:20 PM on September 25, 2012 [15 favorites]

I only saw The Princess Bride for the first time about six years ago, and seemed to constantly run into references to it after that. I had to wonder just how many references I'd missed out on in the 19 years prior to that.

One of my favourite MeFi references to it ever appeared in an AskMe thread in which the poster wanted tips on how to have sex with his girlfriend given that they were both first timers. (That's supposed to be a picture of Miracle Max and Valerie waving bye-bye.)
posted by orange swan at 3:25 PM on September 25, 2012 [4 favorites]

When I was a little kid and reading lots of classic sci-fi I'd developed a distaste for fantasy early on and whenever my friends would put on The Princess Bride I left the room because I thought it was serious about itself (or at least as serious about itself as Star Wars) and I had no interest in that sort of thing.

I don't remember when I actually watched the damn thing through for the first time but I think it was embarrassingly late, considering.
posted by shakespeherian at 3:28 PM on September 25, 2012

I knew all the little-known facts already! I now crown myself Princess of Hammersmith.
posted by mochapickle at 3:29 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

I did not know that William Goldman also wrote Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. HUH.
posted by grapesaresour at 3:32 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

We're currently watching Homeland Season 1 and, once the shock of recognition-post-niggling-suspicion wore off, it's tremendously hard not to say "prepare to die!" at inopportune moments.
posted by Sparx at 3:34 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

His Adventures In the Screen Trade should be required reading.
posted by Artw at 3:34 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

I too enjoy this movie.
posted by inigo2 at 3:39 PM on September 25, 2012 [21 favorites]

I'm glad to hear there's no remake in the works. Any attempt to revisit it would desecrate the fond memories we all have, and it couldn't possibly be as good.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:40 PM on September 25, 2012 [4 favorites]

Mandy Patinkin went on to star in a short lived show called Dead Like Me.

I loved TPB when it came out - I was in high school at the time, and thought it was one of the best movies ever.

God.... 25 years.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 3:43 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

My first memory of The Princess Bride was NOT being allowed to see it. My mom (a single mom) was going out with her brother to see it and I wanted to go so badly, but she said, "No, this is an adult movie and I want to have an evening just with adults." Which - now that I'm 35 - I totally understand and she was right to say no. But I'm a little wistful that I never saw it in the theatre.

A year or so later, it came on TV - I taped it and watched it over and over and over again. I dressed like the "Dread Pirate Roberts" for Halloween (Buttercup is such a useless character, everyone wants to be Westley). Now I have the special edition DVD with commentary by Rob Reiner.

I still want to see it in a movie theatre.

Also, clearly the most quotable movie of all time - beating out even Casablanca.
posted by jb at 3:45 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

This movie jump-started my adult life.

Earlier that year, my father died, I left my small sheltered college with a degree but no clue, I learned my long-time college boyfriend had been cheating on me so broke up with him, and had entered into a quiet, angry, solitary drinking contest with my mother (who had quickly shown herself to be ill-equipped to finish the job of child-rearing) and my teenage brother (who pushed back hard against my lame attempts to step into that role). What a mess.

I don't even remember who I saw the movie with, or where we saw it, I just remember that watching it, I laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever, and I bawled out loud with big, gasping, snotty sobs, but without bitterness, just in response to the story and the characters. They were my first real expressions of honest emotion after I'd locked everything down so tightly. It was *exhausting* but it felt so good. Lesson learned.

I've seen that movie a million times since then and each time I'm taken in by something else. Never again to that extent, thank goodness, usually some wordplay or a sideways glance I hadn't picked up on before. And even though I have been through some seriously unpleasant shit in the years since, I know I can survive the terrors of the fire swamp.
posted by headnsouth at 3:49 PM on September 25, 2012 [22 favorites]

Mandy Patinkin is a god.
posted by thanotopsis at 3:49 PM on September 25, 2012 [9 favorites]

25 years? Inconceivable!

C'mon, some had to do it!
posted by Frayed Knot at 3:49 PM on September 25, 2012 [18 favorites]

This movie caused me to roll down so many hills spontaneously. I did that recently a couple years ago -- and it is a much harder thing to recover from the older you get.

I always forget how much I like this movie every time I come across it because it wasn't something that was particularly important to me when I first saw it -- though, when I look at this picture, I'm pretty sure something imprinted on me because for the longest time, that was pretty much exactly what I thought "attractive men/women" were supposed to look like.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:51 PM on September 25, 2012

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die" gets all the love, but what always haunted me (and still gets me right in the tear ducts every.time.) is what comes after:

"Offer me money."
"Yes."
"Power too, promise me that."
"All that I have and more. Please!"
"Offer me everything I ask for."
"Anything you want."

"I want my father back, you son of a bitch."
posted by saturday_morning at 3:58 PM on September 25, 2012 [148 favorites]

William Goldman's sequel to "Marathon Man", Brothers, was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. And with no Nazi dentistry! It seriously made me wonder if there was something wrong with him.
posted by thelonius at 4:00 PM on September 25, 2012

but what always haunted me (and still gets me right in the tear ducts every.time.) is what comes after

Yeah, anyone who's ever known a father, or a father-figure, or someone in the near vicinity that is vaguely father-like, feels exactly in that moment at that time.
posted by thanotopsis at 4:03 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Four "Princess Bride invaded my life" stories.

* I once had a roommate who would say "Have fun storming the castle!" as a farewell whenever I left the house to go do something and he was staying behind.

* In college, a friend and I both got into the stage combat classes offered to acting students. My friend was SERIOUSLY, seriously good at it - he later got into the field for real after graduation, and has done fights for and in scores of things - and back in college, he would watch the fight scenes in Princess Bride OVER and OVER to study them. Invariably, any time we all were watching it, when we got to the end of Wesley and Inigo's fight on the cliffs, he would always reach for the remote and rewind again, apologetically saying "sorry, guys, just one more time...." and we'd end up watching that one scene about three times in a row before we went on to the rest. He'd also watch the scene where Inigo meets Count Rugen for the first time over and over, because there's a sequence where Inigo takes out five guys singlehandedly in only 10 seconds.

* For my own part, there was one day in class where we had to practice doing a forward somersault while picking up a sword simultaneously, and then brandish the sword when we came upright. It LOOKED freakin' cool, but I was being a little too tentative and kept screwing up. Until -- I decided to try psyching myself up by declaring: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." And that gave me the appropriate shot of bad-ass to actually do it, perfectly, every time after that.

* Finally: my friend Colin and I are both quote jukeboxes a lot of times; we regularly drop references to everything from Star Trek to Hitchhiker to Lord of the Rings, and everything in between - including, and especially, Princess Bride. (Most recently, when I was trying to find him in a crowd, I called him to find out where he was. He had moved back to the bench I'd first met him at earlier in the day - but rather than telling me that information that way, his exact words when I called were; "Vizzini say, when the job go wrong, you go back to the beginning! So here I am, at the beginning!")

One evening, he brought me a bottle of water as we were tending the box office for one of our theater company's staged readings. We talked shop a bit, each drinking from our own bottles, and I had to go away and set something else up. I returned to the box office, saw two bottles there, pointed to him and asked whether it was mine or his.

His eyes lit up. "I switched glasses while your back was turned!" he crowed.

I recognized it instantly, and fell into complete lockstep with him as we both recited: "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is 'never get involved in a land war in Asia' - but only slightly less well-known is: 'Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line'!"

Followed by two perfectly-timed bursts into laughter, two perfectly-synchronized sudden stops, and two perfectly-synchronized slumps to the side.

Followed by two outbursts of genuine laughter when we came upright again and saw someone standing in front of the box office and looking a little scared.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:03 PM on September 25, 2012 [65 favorites]

My favorite part about Mandy Patinkin's Inigo Montoya is how he managed to turn "Ho there!" Into something that sounded suspiciously like "¡Joder!" and I always suspected that was intentional.
posted by ambrosia at 4:04 PM on September 25, 2012 [5 favorites]

Keep your ¡Joder!
posted by carsonb at 4:14 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Mrs jquinby and I break into various bits from the Miracle-Max-and-his-wife scene (including 'storming the castle' whenever I leave or 'ya think they'll make it?' whenever anyone else leaves and we're seeing them off.

"I'm not a witch! I'm your wife! But after what I heard just now I'm not even sure I wanna be that!"
"YOU NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD!"

This is pretty much a constant thing around here, along with vexation at rhyming and "...no, is too much. Let me sum up."

(whenever a baby wakes up and looks all confused, it's 'who are you? where am I? Are we enemies?')

&c. Ditto for various and sundry parts of the Monty Python corpus.
posted by jquinby at 4:21 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Not a movie memory -- that was fantastic too -- but I remember reading the first edition hardback from the library, and the narrator interjections (which would become Peter Falk's lines in the movie) were printed in red, like Jesus' lines in the Bible, and the narrator introduced himself with a big red passage including the notice that when he was talking instead of telling the story, it would be in this red type.

Then, after the movie I got my own copy of the paperback, and was mildly disappointed that the red passages were in italics.
posted by localroger at 4:22 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

My goodness - one of those articles (the reunion link) mentions a blu-ray release on 10/2!
posted by jquinby at 4:26 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

When I bought the original laserdisc (Yes, Virginia...) it had an interview on it with Wallace Shawn, who was putting on the interviewer. He said something to the effect that he (Shawn) didn't have a sense of humor and didn't understand why people thought the things he did were funny.

Which is, of course, total crap. He knows exactly why he's funny. No one can be as successful a comedic character actor as he is without understanding exactly what he's doing.

But it seems like some people have taken that quote seriously. It's on his IMDB page, for instance.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:27 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

My mom worked in PR when I was growing up, Hollywood kind of stuff. It was a great childhood--endless swag T-shirts, movie screenings all the time, riding in limos occasionally, etc. We were never high flyers ourselves, so it was amazing to have relatively constant access to that world.

One of the highlights of my childhood was seeing the NY (maybe world?) premiere of the Princess Bride at age 12. All the more so because it was my first date ever! I took a girl I had had a crush on since first or second grade. The power of my infatuation with her was so great that, when I noticed she was the sole mouthbreather in our first-grade class, I started mouthbreathing too. My romance knew no bounds.

My mother was at the premiere because she worked for Mandy Patinkin for a long time. When my mother said I could come, too, and even bring someone, Jenny (let's call her Jenny--which is easy for me to remember, because her name was Jenny) immediately sprung to mind. I didn't know much about the movie, but magical fairytale seemed like the perfect way to win her heart.

I wore a little suit. Jenny wore a pretty dress.

We milled about with my mom while waiting for the movie to start. It was a relatively fancy theater on the Upper East Side--I think the one on Second and 64th or so (not sure it's there anymore). At one point, Jenny and I went to go get some popcorn--it was a big enough deal of a premiere that concessions were free. I had been to a number of "all media" screenings, even big ones, and popcorn was rarely free. First date + Jenny + free popcorn and soda = the most incredible night of my life ever. I was more or less in heaven.

I had not counted on meeting Andre the Giant in the lobby.

But there he was.

I pretty much died.

Giant didn't do him justice, especially to a little 12 year old boy who was yet to hit his adolescent growth spurt. I felt tiny. I don't remember being taller than his belly button. AND HE WAS FROM TV! I was no bigger than a crumb.

But I knew that I had to meet him. Normally, my mother would broker that sort of encounter, but she was holding our seats, and I could never count on going to grab her, drag her back to the lobby, and get her to introduce me, without Andre the Giant wandering off. Plus, I had Jenny with me, and I didn't want her to see me relying on my mother like that.

So, I grabbed her squirmy hand and ran off across the lobby to meet Andre. I waited for some people to finish with him and then boldly stuck out my hand and said something like, "I'm Admiral Haddock, Mr. The Giant, and I am on my first date with Jenny. I am a big fan and I think you're great."

"Nice to meet you Admiral. You can call me Andre," he said in his deep, mysteriously accented voice. "Hello, Jenny. Congratulations on your date. I hope you like the movie." In his palm, my hand felt no bigger than a baby's. But he was so gentle and nice about the whole thing. I was transported. I felt like a hero: on my first date--with the lovely Jenny, of all people--meeting giants, seeing what I was then sure would be the best movie ever, eating free popcorn.

And it turned out the movie WAS great. It was pretty much everything I needed to win Jenny's heart, for sure. She liked the movie, too. Jenny lived not far from the theater, and my mom and I walked her home. I'd like to think that I would have gone in for my first kiss when we left her, but it was more than a little awkward with my mother standing there.

In the end, though, Jenny and I were not meant to be. I tried to ask her out again a few days later, but without another gala event to go to, she wasn't interested. I was fine with that, though.

Yes, she may have been super pretty. And yes, she was an alluring mouthbreather. But look at me! I not only asked her out, but I introduced her to a movie star on our date. I was a bold tween Casanova. Jenny's brush off wasn't going to send me into a funk.

My romantic life has had its ups and downs over the years (and is on a pronounced up with my recent marriage). But whenever it's been low, whenever I've felt unlucky in love, I've just thought to myself that it wasn't so bad: I am a friend to a Giant.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 4:27 PM on September 25, 2012 [570 favorites]

Yeah, the scene avenging Inigo's father's killing is really powerful to me. My dad basically dropped dead in the mid 90's and, ever since then, whenever I'm watching TPB, I always say (to Death or The Grim Reaper or whatever), "I want my father back, you son of a bitch" out loud as it's being said in the film. It feels really good, and I'm always flooded with wonderful memories of my late father afterwards.

I guess it's a form of on-going therapy for me. I may have to go cue that up and watch it even if I don't take the time to watch the entire film tonight.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 4:30 PM on September 25, 2012 [17 favorites]

Hm. Maybe I will watch this again later after my usual jewish holiday viewing of Dirty Dancing.
posted by elizardbits at 4:32 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

"I want my father back, you son of a bitch."

Mandy Patinkin's father had recently died when he performed that line. He well and truly meant every word.
posted by Foaf at 4:34 PM on September 25, 2012 [39 favorites]

Chocolate Pickle: "When I bought the original laserdisc (Yes, Virginia...) it had an interview on it with Wallace Shawn, who was putting on the interviewer. He said something to the effect that he (Shawn) didn't have a sense of humor and didn't understand why people thought the things he did were funny.

Which is, of course, total crap. He knows exactly why he's funny. No one can be as successful a comedic character actor as he is without understanding exactly what he's doing.

But it seems like some people have taken that quote seriously. It's on his IMDB page, for instance."

Laserdisc fans represent! (I still have my copy.) I was about to go watch that LD based on what you mentioned, but then I realized that that must be the same interview that is on the (IIRC) "Princess Buttercup Edition" DVD as well as the "Dread Pirate Robert Edition" DVD both of which I bought later because amazon.com's descriptions didn't make it crystal clear to me that both editions had the same extras.

Also, I found his comments about that to be strange, although, I must admit, I was suckered in to taking him at his word. I thought about it later and then thought, "Well, for a guy who has no idea what's funny or not, you have impeccable delivery and timing."
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 4:39 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

I swear I am not trying to piss on the parade with this question. Would the lovers of this film elucidate why they love the film? I remember watching it after hearing it was amazing and found it mediocre and disappointing. But it is so universally beloved I gotta be missing something.
posted by Anonymous at 4:54 PM on September 25, 2012

It's funny and clever and incredibly charming? Also it has this lo-fi we'll-do- the-show-right-here thing going on which only adds to the charm.
posted by Artw at 4:57 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

Watched the clips linked here and elsewhere, I have had an honest-to-god epiphany: everything I know about comic timing I learned at age 11 from watching The Princess Bride.
posted by minervous at 5:01 PM on September 25, 2012 [12 favorites]

We got the celebrant at our wedding to start off with, "Marriage is what brings us together today."
posted by humanfont at 5:03 PM on September 25, 2012 [30 favorites]

Would the lovers of this film elucidate why they love the film?

It's like chocolate; sweet but bitter, serious but juvenile, smooth but downright nutty.

Plus, outside of the fire swamp there were like zero special effects, and even those weren't all that. It was entirely story telling, without being too showy.
posted by Blue_Villain at 5:04 PM on September 25, 2012 [14 favorites]

But it is so universally beloved I gotta be missing something.

idk maybe it is your soul
posted by elizardbits at 5:05 PM on September 25, 2012 [86 favorites]

I am a friend to a Giant.

Andre The Giant had a reputation as being a really nice guy, outside of the ring.
According to Wikipedia, Samuel Beckett drove him to school when he was young.
posted by ovvl at 5:10 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

thanotopsis: "Mandy Patinkin is a god. "

! The things you learn here! !
posted by theredpen at 5:14 PM on September 25, 2012

HELLO.
MY NAME IS
Inigo Montoya
You killed my father.
Prepare to die.
posted by A dead Quaker at 5:29 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

When Princess Bride had passed from the realm of the first run theaters, it paused for a long, long glorious afterglow in the threadbare palaces beloved by impoverished film fans. Back then, for a bright shiny moment, all the small movie theaters that couldn't make it in the big game were converting to dollar theaters.

Me—I was desperately living on the nine thousand dollars a year I made poring over gruesome detailed photos of plane crash victims, in the waning time of my first adult, live-in relationship, and I'd developed the dollar theater habit as a way of staving off the ruinous summer heat. I would leave work, buy a ticket, and sit through two or three showings of whatever was showing in the delectably icy theaters, then head home for an argument and a half-hearted attempt to sleep swimming in sweat while the neighbors screeched about crack in the next apartment.

Every day, every night, I was in one of the dollar theaters, watching and rewatching films that ranged from the good to the lousy to the middle of the road. It was an away place, and I'd step out into the pools of mercury vapor light in the empty parking lots at the end of the night and stretch, then climb into my dented beige Datsun station wagon with one black fender and a front bumper made of 2x6 lumber and rumble homeward.

Cheap worlds, and cheap refuges, most of them. I've seen the film Ruthless People more times than the director. Hell, I've seen it more times than the film editors. I can lip sync the whole damn thing, even now, and I came away with a fetish for Ettore Sottsass at his most embarrassing extremes. A place to go, just somewhere away.

The Princess Bride, though...well, it's something else amidst the whole alienated emptiness of that time. The first time I watched it (twice, of course, as there were two shows between rush hour and closing time), I thought, hmm, that was fun. I sort of liked that one. The next night, I watched it again. The next night, again. Then Saturday and an immersive stretch from matinee to please sir, we're closing for the evening.

I didn't get bored. I laughed harder. I caught things as delicate and subtle as mayflies on the wing, little expressions and gestures and adlibs and allusions in the script that writers hide in plain sight as a obligation to the word gods. I caught my breath, let my heart race, felt involved in the characters—even fucking Billy Crystal, the worst human being since Hitler...well, maybe not that bad, but a schmucky schtickmeister worthy of the worst excesses of the infernal Robin Williams.

There are films that get better and better the more you watch. Blade Runner, Diva, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Red Balloon, The Fifth Element MOOLTIPASS!...there are many more. Other people have drug problems, a kinship for the bottle, and sex addiction, but I have repetition, observation, repetition, observation, in an evolving loop of teasing the truth out of things like strands of taffy stuck to the fingertips.

Princess Bride made me very, very happy at a time when I was beginning to feel like I would never be anything but me, living in a run-down apartment in Bladensburg with a man who'd already seen that things just weren't going to work, with no money, no high school diploma, no prospects, and nothing on the horizon. It's a fairy tale for the post-everything generation, and like the stories we begged our parents to tell us over and over and over again until they would rather read us the phone book instead, it lifts you out of what you're doing and what you are and places you elsewhere.

I sometimes think back and wonder if it could have been any movie—if it was just the serendipity of that time and a certain feeling, but I think Princess Bride carries the core of its story well. Then again, I have seen it in theaters more than virtually any living American, at least fifty times and possibly more, as I followed it when it left the grungy theater next to the old kosher market in Rockville and took up residence at the other dollar theater until it finally went away for good.

It's around that time that I started thinking maybe telling stories might be a thing to do.

The next year, I watched Earth Girls Are Easy until the theater showing it actually shut down and became a western wear discounter. For a brief, shiny moment, that film made me think I should bleach my hair, get myself a Volkswagen, and move to Los Angeles, and that's the closest I've ever come to leaving the nest I've got here in Maryland. Something wasn't quite there, though. Oddly, that film would end up being the nexus of some other connections, years and years later, but it's no Princess Bride.

Not much is.
posted by sonascope at 5:32 PM on September 25, 2012 [81 favorites]

I've spent years building up a resistance.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:34 PM on September 25, 2012 [15 favorites]

I don't remember the first time I saw it (which is mind boggling considering it is one of my top 3 favorite movies), but one year in college the local movie theater did a midnight showing so my roommate and I went. It was glorious. One of my favorite memories of college.

And on a lark I just checked one of the movie theaters that does midnight showings and they're doing Princess Bride in Dec (and Fifth Element this weekend). Those are so going on my calendar.
posted by bluesapphires at 5:35 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies in the ENTIRE WORLD. (In the top three with The Terminator and Bring It On. I contain multitudes.) I love it because it's hilariously funny, witty to a fault, sweet, and entirely good-natured. Even the dark and scary bits aren't that dark and scary. (If I think too long about Westley being tortured or Inigo being a lonely, scarred orphan, I get all sad. But the movie doesn't dwell, so neither do I.) I just love it so much. It's endlessly quotable. ENDLESSLY. My boyfriend and I do the "No more rhyming! I mean it!/Anybody want a peanut?" at least weekly. My uncle will say, "I've never seen its equal" about anything excellent. My favorite scene is when Westley and Buttercup are in the fire swamp and he's going on about how "the trees are really quite lovely" and she has just Had It and gives him his absolutely HILARIOUS look of disbelief and holds it for just a beat longer than you think she will and I DIE LAUGHING.

Also, I have never found Mandy Patinkin as hot in ANYTHING as he was in The Princess Bride. He's very, very dashing and sexy as Inigo.

That's it. I just got out the DVD and I'm watching it now!
posted by Aquifer at 5:42 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

I am going to get into that goddamn screening that the NYTimes article mentions if it's the last thing I do.
posted by spec80 at 5:50 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

You mock my pain!!
posted by bleep at 5:57 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

During our last big push to a major release I would leave work every night with these words to my team: "Good night Westley. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you on the morning."

Something died in me the first time I said it when none of them got the reference.
posted by ElGuapo at 5:58 PM on September 25, 2012 [15 favorites]

The greatness of the Princess Bride is inarguable - you either love it or you're wrong.

Something to try: don't watch the movie, but listen to it - a few years ago, the local pirate radio station broadcast the soundtrack of the entire film and it all works magnificently as a radio play! The visuals are of course a delight but the acting, the sound effects, the dialog and especially the music are all so strong that you don't even need the visuals to experience the story.
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:59 PM on September 25, 2012 [26 favorites]

Let's just take a minute to appreciate the work of Mark Knopfler and Willie DeVille.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2012 [5 favorites]

I always, always prefer the book, but I far prefer the movie Princess Bride to the book. I feel the same way about LotR, because I am a lover of controversy.
posted by thylacinthine at 6:08 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

We got the celebrant at our wedding to start off with, "Marriage is what brings us together today."
posted by humanfont at 5:03 PM on September 25 [4 favorites +] [!]

We were able to convince our best man to do the speech as well, and on the inside of our rings we engraved "As You Wish." In the month leading up to the wedding, when it seemed like everything was a catastrophe and the stress would never end, we read the book to each other just before bed, a chapter at a time. He's really good at doing Inigo's voice. I had Fezzik and Vezzini down pat. The story of high adventure and true love reminded us to enjoy the ride.
posted by deadtrouble at 6:08 PM on September 25, 2012 [9 favorites]

We named our son Westley. The day we found out we were having a boy we were spitballing names. One of us said "Ha ha, Dread Pirate Roberts would be a badass name." Then we looked at each for a beat and said "Westley" at the same time.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:12 PM on September 25, 2012 [25 favorites]

Let's just take a minute to appreciate the work of Mark Knopfler and Willie DeVille

Yah, no. That song is the achilles heel of the movie. They're riding off into happily ever after on those ridiculous white horses (of course) and that song just immediately breaks the spell. Nobody appreciates Mark Knopfler more than me, and the rest of the soundtrack (like all his movie soundtracks) is just perfect, but that song is awful.
posted by headnsouth at 6:13 PM on September 25, 2012 [4 favorites]

Love. Just...love. This movie, all of you people who love it, everything.
posted by cooker girl at 6:14 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

His [Goldman's] "Adventures In the Screen Trade" should be required reading.

The sequel, Which Lie Did I Tell?, is also excellent.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:28 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mandy Patinkin went on to star in a short lived show called Dead Like Me.

And now he's on Homeland.

Claire Danes Solves the Mandy Patinkin Greeting Problem
posted by homunculus at 6:29 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

that song is brilliant - almost as good as Never-ending story pop song.

The movie is funny and sweet and romantic (but not too romantic - it isn't a kissing book)
posted by jb at 6:41 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mandy Patinkin went on to star in a short lived show called Dead Like Me.

And now he's on Homeland.

How quickly we forget his work on Chicago Hope and Criminal Minds.

(And all y'all are missing out if you haven't seen him live in performance. Terrible bootleg video of "And the Money Kept Rolling In" from Evita here; "Buddy's Blues" from Follies in Concert here; pro footage of "Putting it Together" from Sunday in the Park with George here; "Finishing the Hat" from the same here)
posted by tzikeh at 7:04 PM on September 25, 2012 [7 favorites]

I find it interesting how Patinkin and Elwes' careers mirrored each other; some decent movies immediately after TPB, then sporadic TV work. Patinkin certainly landed much more substantive roles, though. Dead Like Me and Homeland are both benefit from Patinkin's work.

Though, Elwes was a semi-regular on X-Files. But only after the show stopped being great.
posted by porpoise at 7:08 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mandy Pantinkin was also Huxley in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Took me FOREVER to figure out who he was (giant eyebrows were distracting!).

My memories of TPB - it was actually the only movie our church youth group was allowed to watch. I guess it was wholesome enough or something. Anyway, after watching it a million times in youth group I was kind of "meh" on it. But, now that I have kids and I've introduced the movie to them I've realized what a work of genius it is and how much fun it is. It's just purely lovely.

And around here whenever someone does something I don't approve of . . . .

BOOOOOOOooooo. BOOOOOOooooO!
posted by Sassyfras at 7:20 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

Admiral Haddock, your tale makes my day. Thanks.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:46 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

Alluring Mouthbreather would be a great account name.
posted by Area Man at 7:59 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

Patinkin was also lovely in the minor (heh) role of 88 Keys in Dick Tracy. Not just anybody gets to sing a Stephen Sondheim duet with Madonna, ya know.

(I'd mention Yentl, but it seems we're talking post-Bride stuff here, so....)
posted by tzikeh at 8:15 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

TPB is one of my all-time favorite movies. Wore out TWO, count 'em, TWO copies on VHS before finally getting a DVD. Like 3/4 of the people at my office toss TPB quotes around in daily chatter. I love every minute of it.

And wow... I always thought Inigo was really intense with that "I want my father back, you son of a bitch!" line; now I know why.
posted by xedrik at 8:16 PM on September 25, 2012

A few years back, I went to a good friend's wedding. It was a pretty traditional affair, with a big catered meal, high dollar photographers, flowers everywhere, lots of grooms-dudes, whaddya call 'em, bridesmaids, etc. There was a very solemn & lengthy procession of all these eight guys and girls up to the front, followed by the groom, then the bride & her dad, then finally, the reverend, who slowly and solemnly turned towards the audience, and said "MAWWIDGE!"

It brought the house down.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:22 PM on September 25, 2012 [21 favorites]

Ha! Yes, my older son was the celebrant for my younger son's wedding - and when he looked out at all of us and intoned, "MAWWIDGE....", well, fully half of us fell down on the grass laughing and the other half looked at each other like "Wha?".... and so guess who got which DVDs for Christmas later that year.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 8:27 PM on September 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

Goddammit, Saturday_Morning. That line always catches me by surprise in the movie, and always makes me tear up. And now I have something in both eyes.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 8:42 PM on September 25, 2012

Aw, this is all reminding me of why I loved that movie so much as a kid. I got put off of it in college, when everyone couldn't shut up about how it was their favorite, but...it really was great. And if you love Mandy Patinkin, you must queue up Dead Like Me on Netflix. Totally different role, but he's still great.
posted by limeonaire at 8:54 PM on September 25, 2012

Oh yeah, and William Goldman? Also amazing. This Yom Kippur, let's take a moment to think of the many awesome Jews who came together to make The Princess Bride so delightful.
posted by limeonaire at 9:00 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

And if you love Mandy Patinkin, you must queue up Dead Like Me on Netflix.

Hell, if you love good tv, you must watch Dead Like Me. What a terrific, underrated, under-seen show. (You can skip the "movie," though. It's just a shame it was canceled after only two short seasons, especially when the finale to S2 had set us up with a whole new aspect to the George's story....)
posted by tzikeh at 9:02 PM on September 25, 2012 [11 favorites]

This movie is the best birthday present ever.
posted by azpenguin at 9:07 PM on September 25, 2012

I first came across the book in the late 70s, and loved it. When I heard they were making a movie of it, I was a bit nervous. I went to see it in the theater with my future husband, who been on the fencing team at Berkeley High and was a bit of a snob about movie swordfight scenes. He had no idea what was coming up, but I did, and I couldn't wait for his reaction. Of course, he loved the duel, and the whole movie. 25 years later, we are still quoting it back and forth, to the point where the quotes are just absorbed into our lexicon.
posted by mogget at 9:19 PM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

> Not just anybody gets to sing a Stephen Sondheim duet with Madonna, ya know.

Please tell me you're being facetious.
posted by desuetude at 9:33 PM on September 25, 2012

Please tell me you're being facetious.

Sorry -- a bit of inside baseball there. Patinkin has... things to say about working with Madonna. If you've ever attended any of his solo concerts, you may have heard some of them.
posted by tzikeh at 9:36 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

I cross the Navajo reservation fairly often, and they still raise lots of sheep out there. So one day I called my wife. "Hey, I'm in Chinle, just had lunch!"
"OK, so you'll be home by seven or so... Wait a minute, Chinle, lunch... You didn't..."
"Yes I did, I finally got me a MLT! Pretty tasty!"
"Oh boy."
posted by azpenguin at 9:36 PM on September 25, 2012 [8 favorites]

My husband and I had our first dance at our wedding reception to the theme from TPB. Loved the song. Did not realize it was as long as it is until we were into minute 4, all alone on the dance floor. Awkward.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 9:49 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

So much of this film is about what it is to be a man [I swear to god, ladies, it's just my perspective and what I got out of it, I'm totally down with women's lib, really. Peace.] -- having first seen it on the cusp of manhood at 17 and now just recently with my 3 and a half year old son, there are so many themes about fatherhood, courage, virtue, love, tolerance, standing up to injustice, and pain...I'd like to think this film had a measurable influence on who I am today. I hope someday my boys can quote lines with me.

Also,

"Iocane powder. I'd bet my life on it!"
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:49 PM on September 25, 2012 [4 favorites]

Was the mutton nice and lean?
posted by coriolisdave at 9:51 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

And the tomato is ripe. They're so perky, I love that.
posted by mochapickle at 10:19 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

Aside from all the other things that are great about it, I love Inigo Montoya's 'joder', as noticed by ambrosia and carsonb... And that a lot of it is filmed in the Peak District outside Sheffield (where I spent a large chunk of my early life).

The fight with Andre takes place at Robin Hood's Stride, and the long roll down the hill to the fire swamp is Cavedale, above Castleton. I think the Iocane duel is Monsal dale, but I'm not certain. Going to work now, but I'd bet there's a map somewhere of locations. They're really worth a visit in their own right, particularly if you like hiking or climbing!
posted by Isn't in each artist (7) at 11:04 PM on September 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

There's a site, "Listen To A Movie", devoted to hosting audio tracks from movies and TV shows, which has the audio track to The Princess Bride. (For future reference, the movie is in the 'T' directory.)
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:16 PM on September 25, 2012 [9 favorites]

Damn, Rob Reiner had a streak:

1984 "This Is Spinal Tap"
1985 "The Sure Thing"
1986 "Stand by Me"
1987 "The Princess Bride"
1989 "When Harry Met Sally..."
1990 "Misery"
1992 "A Few Good Men"
posted by Marky at 12:00 AM on September 26, 2012 [11 favorites]

Buttercup is such a useless character

Yeah, this is what spoils the "Princess Bride" for me. She spends almost the entire second half of the movie just waiting for the man to come and rescue her. The rest of the movie is so much fun and has such well written characters, there's just no need for the only woman in the movie to be a damsel in distress, I think. (Sure she does some feats of action like throwing herself into the sea and pushing Westley down the hill, but that's about it.)
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:14 AM on September 26, 2012 [7 favorites]

HELLO.
MY NAME IS
Inigo Montoya
You killed my father.
Prepare to die.

I have that shirt. Whenever I wear it, people invariably think I forgot to remove an actual name label.
posted by kmz at 12:15 AM on September 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

I first saw TPB at a tiny cinema at an old stately home which had reinvented itself as an arts college, and was the only place locally that showed foreign films. It also had child friendly matinees, and was where I watched all of the Asterix films.

I was taken there by my best friend and his father, and I was probably eight years old. I loved swordfights and pirates and derring-do. Sadly, I don't remember much of the film. I was so terrified of the screaming eels, that I left the cinema in tears, and sat in the auditorium for the rest of the film!

Imagine my surprise when I watched it for the second time, ten years later. I must have been walking up the stairs to leave whilst on screen another boy was reassured that "Buttercup is not harmed at this time".
posted by fizban at 12:22 AM on September 26, 2012 [6 favorites]

If you've ever attended any of his solo concerts, you may have heard some of them.

He'll also tell you in no uncertain terms why he'll never play the theater inside the Marriott Marquis hotel, besides the fact that "it's like a giant barn in there." The construction of the Marquis in the 1980s required razing the Morosco and Helen Hayes theaters, two old and beloved venues. Patinkin participated in Joseph Papp's protests wherein a giant stage was set up on the street with continuous performances of scenes from every Pulitzer-winning play put on in the doomed theaters. There were arrests.

I had the very good fortune to see Mandy Patinkin on Broadway last winter in a revue with Patti LuPone. One of the best parts of the evening, besides the incredible two numbers from Evita and the stories of the Morosco and Helen Hayes, was when they started talking smack about the Disneyfied version of Times Square and its outdoor cafe-like seating and stuff. "After the show," Mandy said, "Let's all go out to Times Square, pull up a chair, get to know each other." I couldn't have been the only one in the house who wished he wasn't joking.
posted by Spatch at 12:48 AM on September 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

I once had an oral argument and the lawyer on the other side kept saying something was "inconceivable." I so wanted to get up and start my argument with "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
posted by Cocodrillo at 1:53 AM on September 26, 2012 [12 favorites]

A few years ago, in a discussion on the wisdom of the Afghan conflict with a member of Her Majesty's Government at the time, I took the opportunity to remind him that his cabinet had fallen victim to one of the classic blunders: never get involved in a land-war in Asia. He nodded sagely. I don't think he got it.
posted by Hogshead at 2:36 AM on September 26, 2012 [21 favorites]

I've never seen it.
(There, I said it)

I was thinking of getting it for my two girls.

but:
"Buttercup is such a useless character

Yeah, this is what spoils the "Princess Bride" for me. She spends almost the entire second half of the movie just waiting for the man to come and rescue her. The rest of the movie is so much fun and has such well written characters, there's just no need for the only woman in the movie to be a damsel in distress, I think. (Sure she does some feats of action like throwing herself into the sea and pushing Westley down the hill, but that's about it.)"
posted by soundofsuburbia at 8:14 AM on September 26 [+] [!]

WTF?! I dont want that to be "a measurable influence" on who they become.
posted by BadMiker at 3:48 AM on September 26, 2012

Mandy Patinkin also starred in the Broadway version of The Secret Garden, which I love, having been in it myself. When I found out it was him on the recording I was shocked. Inigo can sing? Can he get any more perfect????
posted by Cygnet at 4:18 AM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

WTF?! I dont want that to be "a measurable influence" on who they become.

I understand where you're coming from, but if it helps, I watched the hell out of The Princess Bride and I'm now a radical(ish) feminist who does a fair amount of science in her job, plays a sport and is generally very un-Buttercup-y. The rest of the film is so magnificent, with such emphasis on courage, loyalty, teamwork, love, wisdom, etc etc, I wouldn't worry about it screwing your kids :)
posted by kalimac at 4:25 AM on September 26, 2012 [13 favorites]

Yeah, I'd show them the movie, let them like it (cuz they will), and then later mention casually that one thing you didn't really like about it is that the one girl in the movie didn't get to have as many cool adventures as all the boys, and that nowadays when movies like that get made the girls get to do everything the boys do. When they watch it again (cuz they will), they'll notice that part, still probably enjoy all the other parts and - ta-da - you will have taught them a valuable lesson that will stay with them all their lives.

Then show them one of these.
posted by mediareport at 5:48 AM on September 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

I don't think, in the context of the film, Buttercup "spends half the movie waiting to be rescued."

The entire film is about True Love, so while yeah, she's technically waiting around, what she's actually doing is remaining True to Love, enduring and not losing faith. She does prepare to kill herself rather than be married, so she's willing to stay true to the end.

This is arguably more difficult than what Westley has to do, for at least Westley knows she's alive while this is the second time Westley has been (mostly) dead.
posted by digitalprimate at 5:51 AM on September 26, 2012 [12 favorites]

BadMiker, reread the comments in this thread to see the "measurable influence" this movie has had on people. Humor, comic timing, wordplay, adventure, friendship, courage ... that's what people get out of this movie. Your daughters won't become damsels in distress by watching it.

FWIW I love Buttercup. "Although the law of the land gave Humperdink the right to choose his bride, she did not love him." And she showed it! Like most women in most societies throughout most of history, she had no rights and no voice. But she never lost sight of what she wanted - her own life, a love match with a partner, friendships with "commoners" - and whenever she had even the slightest opportunity to take even the smallest action, she did, no matter the consequences. Pretty admirable IMO.
posted by headnsouth at 5:51 AM on September 26, 2012 [12 favorites]

The stories and discussions in this thread remind me why I love Metafilter. Ya'll rock.
posted by DigDoug at 6:03 AM on September 26, 2012

I dunno, I think that's a bit of a whitewash of the movie's only real flaw. I think you have to have your eyes closed to not see Buttercup's relative lack of agency as a character. She's *completely* useless, frozen and off-screen in the Rodents of Unusual Size fight scene, for instance, something it would have been very easy to fix with just one single really effective move on her part. The movie misses other opportunities like that for her, too.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great, fun flick that is generally good for daughters and other sentient creatures. Just don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you the passive sexism in the characterization of Buttercup isn't there. It's there.
posted by mediareport at 6:03 AM on September 26, 2012 [9 favorites]

I have lived my entire life dismayed that the world did not raise Cary Elwes to the same level of superstardom that I believed him to be after TPB. God Bless Mel Brooks, though, he got it.
posted by Atreides at 6:07 AM on September 26, 2012 [11 favorites]

Inigo can sing? Can he get any more perfect????

Erm, he's a Broadway star. He was Che in Evita in 1979!
posted by Summer at 6:13 AM on September 26, 2012

11 reasons we still love The Princess Bride 25 years later
posted by Artw at 6:16 AM on September 26, 2012

(....Can I come up with my one reason why I hate that SyFy interface? How do you make the pages advance?)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:30 AM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

The Princess Bride was the first movie I saw in a theatre without adults. I was 8 or 9, so of course we were brought there and picked up, but I felt so grown up.

And yeah, there's a lot of passive sexism in this movie -- sure, Buttercup could have less agency and make fewer choices, but not by much -- and many women who see it as adults now cannot get past that, which is fair enough.

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a friend who was teasing me about something, and I said to her "You mock my pain" and she just said "Yes". I don't know if that was deliberate or if she just didn't know the quote.
posted by jeather at 6:48 AM on September 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

> Sorry -- a bit of inside baseball there. Patinkin has... things to say about working with Madonna. If you've ever attended any of his solo concerts, you may have heard some of them.

Whew. Yes. I was already gearing up to tell the whippersnappers just how major of a Broadway star he is, especially in regards to Sondheim. (I actually saw him on tour supporting his first solo album.)
posted by desuetude at 7:32 AM on September 26, 2012

My parents had a close family friend that worked at Disney when TPB came out, so I got to go to the L.A. industry sneak preview. I would have been 6 or 7. I think I was sort of whiny on the way, as I got the idea it was a fairy tale movie. I was blown away. And of course, I only got the most obvious jokes and references, so it was the movie that kept on giving for years later. Years and years, considering it would eventually become kind of a generational touchstone for rapid identification of kindred spirits.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:35 AM on September 26, 2012

Also, I think Buttercup's passivity is meant to parody itself.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:36 AM on September 26, 2012 [9 favorites]

My friend and I were 15 and neither of us had driver's licenses yet. Her mom dropped us off at the theater. We walked up to the box office and analyzed our choices. Most of the films were R but there were two that were PG-13 or PG: An American Tail and The Princess Bride. Neither of us had heard of The Princess Bride but we weren't much interested in an animated film about immigrant mice. So we bought our tickets and took our chances.

My mom came to pick us up. She knew it was something special when two 15-year-old girls were quiet on the ride home, except for the occasional "Inconceivable!" or "Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!"

A few days later I dragged my mom to the cinema to watch it. I knew it was something special when she was quiet on the ride home. It's still one of our favorite movies, as I enter middle age and she is in her 70s.
posted by workerant at 8:19 AM on September 26, 2012 [5 favorites]

WTF?! I dont want that to be "a measurable influence" on who they become.
posted by BadMiker at 6:48 AM on September 26 [+] [!]

Well, they might ignore Buttercup and dream of growing up to be the Dread Pirate Roberts, like me.

(This was before I realized that pirates killed people. I thought they just wore all black and weren't left-handed).
posted by jb at 9:12 AM on September 26, 2012 [4 favorites]

Whenever I do find myself at an interminable wedding, which thankfully is less often these days, but may pick up steam again as kids, nephews & nieces start to get hitched, I have to fight off an almost uncontrollable urge to jump out of my chair & yell "MAN AND WIFE! MAN AND WIFE!"

I'm pretty prone to using "Have fun stormin' the castle!" too, and it helps weed out the ignorant, depending on whether I get a laugh or a quizzical look. Princess Bride is probably a bigger part of my personal lexicon that even Spinal Tap or Lebowski.

My wife has steadfastly refused to watch it with me for 15 years now because she "doesn't like fantasy," (Museum people! Argh!) but I think this weekend I will attempt to prevail yet again. It might help her understand some things I've been saying for a while now. That, and I want to see it again now, anyway.
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:36 AM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

A friend's 11-year-old daughter had this to say when Buttercup was frozen in fear during the ROUS scene: "Why doesn't she help him?"
posted by luckynerd at 10:07 AM on September 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

She's a bit rubbish, yes. I don't think my daughter pays much attention to her. Princess Leia, on the other hand, is a definate role model with perhaps a greater emphasis on strangling giant space slugs with chains than I am completly happy with in a 6 year old.
posted by Artw at 10:10 AM on September 26, 2012 [5 favorites]

Westley: There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.

Miracle Max: they're so perky, I love that.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:19 AM on September 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

thylacinthine: "I always, always prefer the book, but I far prefer the movie Princess Bride... I feel the same way about LotR..."

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:38 AM on September 26, 2012 [9 favorites]

The movie is about True Love, but the book is about a Bitter Divorce. Much of what comes across as sickly sweet in the movie is leavened by a healthy dose of cynicism in the book.
posted by empath at 11:57 AM on September 26, 2012

Such a classic movie! I really wish they still made films like this. So many great line! thanks for the link
posted by TRUELOTUS at 12:29 PM on September 26, 2012

That song is the achilles heel of the movie.

Bite your tongue. One of the best movie songs of the 80's.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:18 PM on September 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Frayed Knot: "25 years? Inconceivable!

C'mon, some had to do it!"

I do not think that word means what you think it does.

Sorry, I SO couldn't resist it. I even say that in normal conversation when people drop the I-bomb.
posted by Samizdata at 5:24 PM on September 26, 2012

"One of my favourite MeFi references to it ever appeared in an AskMe thread in which the poster wanted tips on how to have sex with his girlfriend given that they were both first timers. (That's supposed to be a picture of Miracle Max and Valerie waving bye-bye.)"

Hmm... now in retrospect I wish I'd hosted the image myself. I don't suppose the mods would grant me the boon of editing the URL if I could provide an updated link to the picture?

(Also, now I know where those favorites were coming from!)

(Also also: the board game!)
posted by Eideteker at 6:32 PM on September 26, 2012

I first fell in love with Mandy Patinkin when I saw a documentary on PBS about the recording of a studio version of "South Pacific." His interpretation of "Younger Than Springtime" literally gave me goosebumps. Someone (maybe in the same documentary) described it as "method singing." Ever since, he has been someone to watch.
posted by emilypdx at 8:06 PM on September 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

I play Pool. A lot. I'm pretty good. Although I write right handed, for some reason I play pool left handed.

But I can hit a decent shot from a classic right handed stance also. When - as happens from time to time - I actually make the shot, I'll offer the "I know something you don't know - I am not left handed" line.

I've been doing this for something approaching 24 and a half years, and no-one has got it yet.

But at least I feel very comfortable in present company, thank you MeFi.
posted by Nick Verstayne at 10:05 PM on September 26, 2012 [3 favorites]

My wife has steadfastly refused to watch it with me for 15 years now because she "doesn't like fantasy,"

It's parody. Willow, which came out the next year (?), was actual fantasy.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:41 AM on September 27, 2012

And, wow, I totally just realized that I was using Willow imagery to visualize the North of Westeros before the TV series started.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:42 AM on September 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

My wife has steadfastly refused to watch it with me for 15 years now because she "doesn't like fantasy"

The only thing remotely approaching fantasy in that movie is the ROUSs, and they don't even exist.
posted by headnsouth at 7:08 AM on September 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

Oh no. I just had the presence of mind to look up "princess bride" on Etsy.

ps. Listen to Mandy Patinkin from a broadway show sometime if you really to get impressed by his range. I've always thought he on/off TV appearances were more because he had other plays/music etc going on.
posted by ejaned8 at 7:49 AM on September 27, 2012

The only thing remotely approaching fantasy in that movie is the ROUSs, and they don't even exist.

It's weird. I'm married to someone who I'm mostly compatible with in areas of taste, like furniture, art, music, food, travel locations, clothing, etc. But it utterly falls apart at movies. It's one of our few actual sources of tension, really. If either of us watched more movies, it might be a problem, but the only thing we ever sit down together to watch is the NBA. It's just the small price I pay for an otherwise mostly perfect relationship.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:23 AM on September 27, 2012

It's parody. Willow, which came out the next year (?), was actual fantasy.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:41 AM on September 27 [+] [!]

Willow was not a parody, but it was definitely not Serious Fantasy(TM) ala Excaliber or anything of that ilk - which is why I love it so much.

"This Way!" "No, This Way!" "You're Drunk, and When You're Drunk You Forget that I Am The Leader! I say, This Way!"
posted by jb at 8:38 AM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

I always thought the one scene the movie needed that was lost in the book was the scene where Humperdink pressures Buttercup into marrying him; the book (like The Phantom of the Opera - another movie/set of movies where the female lead comes off as very passive because the movies tend to remove the contexts she is acting within) puts her passivity into a lot more context, and explains that she was actually willing to die rather than marry Humperdink but he essentially talked her out of it. In the book it's made clear that she knows what she knows but she isn't that bright - she's steadfast instead. If it were the only expression of femininity (which at various times people have tried to enforce) then I'd be worried, but mixed in with a lot of movies with a variety of female characters and she just becomes one way of being among many (which in the end is what I personally want). Her line, "I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself can ever dream" is one of my favorites; it expresses a type of longsuffering, eternal love thats he has maintained despite the fact that the person she loves is dead; I particularly liked the part where she sacrifices herself to save him as well (her actions are limited, but I'm not sure passive quite covers it - when she can act, she does; in many ways I think this sort of identifying and then acting within the limitations of our roles is something some women become very adept at).

I think it's Buttercup's role which makes it not-my-favorite-movie, though I do adore it (favorite movies: Labyrinth and Cold Comfort Farm). Now that I have more options of strong, active, female protagonists I tend to gravitate towards them almost to balance out the fact that for most of my childhood and teenage years the people I wanted to be were all male (I'd love to see gender-swapped Holmes, Merlin, or Robin Hood treatments, though).

Someone above asked why people love the movie, and I can say my answer is that I love the language in it. I love that it is both serious and satire at once (the satire is much more obvious in the book; once you've read the book, the satire in the movie becomes glaringly obvious even if you might have missed it before). It's never cloying, it's forever quotable, and the humor highlights rather than distracts from the gravitas and emotion of it. I do agree with whoever said above that it is about men and fathers more than women or daughters (despite being called the princess bride), but by and large I appreciate and like the men it presents and those it punishes, and though the female characters are limited and never interact (it doesn't pass the Bechtel Test), there is variety presented as well and none of them seem to have the implicit "all women are like this" emphasis, which makes all of the women falling within traditional stereotypes more palatable.
posted by Deoridhe at 4:09 PM on September 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

Oh, I just remembered one of the best Princess Bride references ever. It was, if you can believe it, in an episode of ST:TNG called, if my memory serves, "Q-Pid".

The gist of it is that Q sends the crew of the Enterprise to Nottingham Forest (bear with me here) to be Robin Hood and his Merry Men (Worf: Sir, I am not a merry man) and help Picard get horizontal with an old flame. Picard is, naturally, Robin Hood. I just looked up the details to ensure I get the exchange right. He's fighting with Sir Guy of Guisbourne:

Sir Guy: I'll have you know I'm the greatest swordsman in all of Nottingham!
Picard/Hood: Very impressive. There's something you should know.
Sir Guy: And what would that be?
Picard/Hood: I'm not from Nottingham!

There's also a bit taken from Animal House. It is a very silly episode.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 4:13 PM on September 27, 2012 [7 favorites]

This is my favorite metafilter thread ever. Princess Bride picked up by TiVo tonight on AMC. Viewing in progress.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:28 PM on September 27, 2012

I love how Andre the Giant is a terrible actor and is just *perfect*.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:30 PM on September 27, 2012 [7 favorites]

Damn it my daughter has lost TV privileges for two days and now I'm dying to watch TV with her. Luckily watching this tonight on my own and Sunday with her won't ruin the movie.

I must have quoted variations of Mostly Dead thousands of times; it's a staple of our gaming group every time someone/thing comes back from negative hit points.
posted by Mitheral at 10:08 PM on September 27, 2012

I love this movie.

I was on a shopping trip with my mom and dad. I happened to notice a theater playing the movie, I said "Hey that is supposed to be good - let's go see it!" and they did. I don't know why. We didn't have it planned, my brothers and sister were who knows where at the time, it was just the three of us.

My dad is decidedly not a Billy Crystal fan but he loved the whole thing. My mom was laughing her head off. I had an awesome, awesome time.

Dad still isn't big on Billy Crystal, but he still likes the film. Mom is gone now; that was the last movie we ever saw together. I was lucky enough to meet a girl who also loves the film, and even luckier, she decided to marry me (even though I wasn't a dread pirate of any sort). I look forward to sharing this movie with my son, once he's old enough. I'll tell him his grandma loved it too.
posted by caution live frogs at 1:51 PM on September 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

"No more rhymes! I mean it!"

"Anybody want a peanut?"

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:54 PM on September 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

This is quite long, but I feel it must be read in its entirety. My favorite part of the book, that didn't make it into the movie, is this (if I remember correctly, it's presented in this way, as a single long run-on paragraph):

“I love you,' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,--darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes.

He closed the door in her face.

I think reading that may have been the first time in my life that I laughed so hard I cried. It was setting up to be such a very over-the-top romantic scene, and then WHAM, denied! I love it, so funny.
posted by ashirys at 2:03 PM on September 28, 2012 [9 favorites]

I dressed as Will Turner (Pirates of Caribbean) for halloween. People kept asking me if I was the Dread Pirate Roberts. If you know both, you know they are entirely different looking types of pirate, but it didn't matter, apparently I just look like Cary Elwes.

I can live with that.
posted by anonymisc at 3:05 PM on September 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

My wife has steadfastly refused to watch it with me for 15 years now because she "doesn't like fantasy," (Museum people! Argh!) but I think this weekend I will attempt to prevail yet again. It might help her understand some things I've been saying for a while now.

Yes - she can watch it not as "fantasy", but as "modern culture", and lack of familiarity with this cultural touchstone means being unable to correctly notice some quite basic cultural references in everyday life.

Assign it as Culture Studies homework. :)
posted by anonymisc at 3:13 PM on September 28, 2012

(She probably won't love it though - I think you need to be a bit young when you first see this movie for it to get its hooks in you. When you're older, more jaded, or if you're expecting a movie masterpiece that will blow you away, the magic won't work)
posted by anonymisc at 3:15 PM on September 28, 2012

ashirys, thank you for posting that. I never even considered reading the book, but that passage is so different from the move, now I have to!
posted by headnsouth at 4:06 PM on September 28, 2012

Last spring, when I was almost dead, I had a list of films to watch in bed. TPB was one of them. I got a really big kick out of the almost dead guy, since I was an almost dead guy. In and out of coma for three days and bedridden for three months.

Later I found out the treating oncologist gave me 125% of the maximum dose - which was what almost killed me. That and the fact he ignored I had a raging case of viral flu when he dosed me.

So I'm really looking forward to using a variant on the "My name is ..." line when I sue the bastard in small claims court for malpractice. Due to strange quirks of law, my chances are much better going for the max in small claims court than doing the regular route in superior court.

The other movie that helped me through not dying was Young Frankenstein.

So I really liked the almost dead guy.
posted by warbaby at 6:02 PM on September 28, 2012 [7 favorites]

It's one of those movies where reading the book is not only enjoyable, but it makes the movie better.
posted by Deoridhe at 6:48 PM on September 28, 2012

Cannot believe it has been 25 years. I grew up with this movie. Still remember the fight I had with my Mom when she brought it home from Kroger's (I thought it was another one of her foreign-art-house flicks). I don't know if I ever apologized.
And then I introduced my first boyfriend to it at the age of 15. Pretty sure that was both of our first base-first experiences. We ended up inscribing our wedding bands with 'I will never doubt again' and 'There will never be a need' sixteen years later. I sure hope our little kiddo appreciates it as much as we both still do.
posted by Doctor Force at 7:41 PM on September 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

I used to have such bad sensitivities to perfumes and chemical scents that I often wore a mask in public places, especially croweded ones. I was often asked why I was wearing it (people were always afraid I had some kind of terrible disease that they could catch). I always wanted to say, "It's just that they're so terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future," but the few times I tried it, the person didn't get it, so I gave up.

Happy to have put that time of my life behind me.
posted by not that girl at 6:34 PM on September 29, 2012 [3 favorites]

not that girl: "...I often wore a mask in public places... I was often asked why I was wearing it... I always wanted to say, "It's just that they're so terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future," "

I am SO stealing that if I ever find myself wearing a mask in public.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 7:44 PM on September 29, 2012

Anyone who hasn't read the book is missing out on some wonderful 'deleted scenes' material. The story about the Corsican Wizard -- 'you could never in this world have beaten him...but he could never in this world have beaten you' -- just thinking about it gives me chills. The Zoo of Death! Fezzik's childhood! AND I -- I -- I AM THE QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!! Just one moment of bliss after another.

'I want Inigo Montoya, you son of a bitch.'

One of my favourite books and films.

Thanks for this post and thread, all.
posted by waxbanks at 5:19 AM on September 30, 2012

I missed The Princess Bride in the theaters when I was a little, but my kid sister and I spent several years of VHS time committing the whole thing to memory. I stayed away for a while, sort of afraid it would be one of those things that's not so great when you look at it again as an adult. I was totally wrong about that; the more I watch it as an adult, the more I love it. It's especially gratifying to watch my children fall in love with it the same way.

Over the summer my family and some friends and I caught The Princess Bride at a real theatre. A cinema cafe, even, with a license to serve wine. Wonderful, to get to finally see it on actual film — so many details that I'd never seen before. Warts and all, best movie ever made.

And the book and the movie complement each other so well. The things that work in the one but not in the other, are all in the right place. My favorite part of the book is realizing I've held my breath through Buttercup's nightmares again.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 8:53 PM on October 1, 2012

Whenever there is a Bad Thread on this site and mefites are making me cranky, I am going to come back to this thread, because just like the movie, it makes me laugh and it makes me a little teary and most of all it makes me remember that sometimes things and people are just purely wonderful.
posted by rtha at 7:56 AM on October 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Last Halloween, we realized there were two types of people in this world - those who thought mrgood was Zorro, and those who recognized the Dread Pirate Roberts and Buttercup.
posted by peagood at 3:01 PM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Every time either my husband or I say the word "possible", the other must say "pig". It's such a habit that I've baffled strangers by calling them pigs out of the blue.

Since having kids, I've wanted to write a board book about an optimistic hog. Guess the title. Go on.
posted by lizifer at 5:17 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]

‘The Princess Bride’ Author William Goldman Wants To Write A Sequel
posted by Artw at 9:26 AM on October 6, 2012

In the book he actually references a sequel; I don't remember the details, but I think it involved sending a certain amount of money to his publishers and he says int he author intro that a few people did and then he had to come up with something to send back to them, or something of the like.
posted by Deoridhe at 8:29 PM on October 6, 2012

Mandy Patinkin's remembrance on NPR has some great bits:

"Those were the three greatest days of my life," Patinkin remembers. "For three days, I stood off camera while Billy Crystal had cataract contact lenses in so he couldn't see. I was camera left, the camera was between Rob Reiner and myself and we were facing Billy. My job was to keep feeding Billy his off-camera — my off-camera lines so he could keep doing it. He improvised 13th century period jokes, three days straight, 10 hours a day, never the same thing, never the same line twice. Rob got so hysterical on almost every take, he'd have to leave the room because he couldn't keep quiet from laughing and it would end up on the soundtrack." The other consequence? "I bruised the muscles on the side of my rib because I was so tight trying not to laugh."
posted by mecran01 at 6:45 AM on October 7, 2012 [4 favorites]

If you asked, I wouldn't have said TPB was my favorite movie... but I seem to know all the lines, all the trivia, and everything else. I can look back and realize I've always stopped flipping channels if this movie is on. My kids grew up enjoying their approved taste of adult humor. I'll stream it from Netflix when I've had a bad day and just need something wholesome and good in the background.

I think it just may have snuck itself in as my favorite movie.



I cried when Andre the Giant died.
posted by _paegan_ at 4:49 AM on October 23, 2012

"I cried when Andre the Giant died."

Spoilers, pls! Some of us still haven't seen the movie!
posted by Eideteker at 7:21 AM on October 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Spoilers, pls!

Andre the Giant does not die in this movie. I'm explaining to you because you look nervous.
posted by mochapickle at 9:46 PM on October 23, 2012 [4 favorites]

I wasn't nervous. Maybe I was a little bit concerned, but that's not the same thing.
posted by inigo2 at 5:49 AM on October 24, 2012 [7 favorites]

Late to the party, but I had to add this tidbit. I am teaching a section of freshman comp this year, and while in a meeting with one of my students, I wanted to correct his consistent misuse of a word. I looked at him and, without even thinking, I blurted out, "You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
He just nodded earnestly. I'm pretty sure he had no idea.
posted by bookgirl18 at 8:18 PM on October 24, 2012 [1 favorite]