Netflix pick for 8/15/16 – ‘The Princess Bride’

As heard in episode 188 of Cinema Crespodiso.

“The Princess Bride” is a romantic fantasy comedy action drama from 1987 and if that makes your head spin, it should. In this movie, a supposedly immortal pirate contends with a swordsman, a giant, rodents of unusual size, shrieking eels, torture machines, pits of despair, fire swamps, a six-fingered man, a dastardly prince, all in the name of true love, and damn it all to hell if it just doesn’t all come together as one of the most satisfying movies ever.

First off, this movie has Andre the Giant in it, and that is reason enough to watch this thing. That dude was for real one of a kind, and this movie makes great use of his physique and natural charm and works as a great showcase for who this guy was and why he captured the minds and hearts of so many people for so many years. Plus other folks in this movie like Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest do some of their best work ever, and at one moment legends Billy Crystal and Carol Kane pop up to add the extra little bit of oomph to the whole thing. 

And while love is the rug that ties this particular room together, it truly has something for everyone. There are action scenes, there’s magic, fantastical creatures, potions, elixirs, comedy, drama, espionage and political intrigue in the form of the Prince’s true plans and intentions, there’s revenge, regrets, rebirths, they threw everything they had into this gumbo and it all married together and came out great, making this an easy watch and a timeless classic.

See for yourself and watch “The Princess Bride” here on the Netflix Instant.