Post by klep on Mar 12, 2018 6:55:10 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/12: The Princess Bride
CHILDHOOD FAVORITES WEEK!
Who doesn't love The Princess Bride? It's a film that has something for everyone - action, romance, intrigue, and humor along with a bit of meta-commentary in a cute framing device. It's a masterwork of writing - it seamlessly blends multiple story threads with a humor and lightness and humor that puts anything I could write about it to shame.
It helps that almost everyone involved in its production is a legend. Produced by Norman Lear, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring the likes of Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn, and even getting Billy Crystal and Carol Kane for bit parts. Even the kid in the framing device is none other than Fred Savage, just a year away from The Wonder Years.
And of course William Goldman's screenplay draws heavily on his book, in many cases lifting his clever prose verbatim. There's an effortlessness to its wit - excepting, of course, the appropriately try-hard nature of Vizzini's (Shawn) dialog. And the action is just as thrilling as the script. The swordfight between Westley (Elwes) and Inigo (Patinkin) is fantastic, and is but one of a number of engaging fight sequences. And Elwes' slapstick as he recovers from being mostly dead is as wonderful as it is silly.
It was hard to write this essay - it felt much like pulling teeth and it's still nothing like my best work. But sometimes it's hard to write about the best films - they're so good that all you can say is "Holy shit, that was awesome!"
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/19: Edge of Tomorrow
VIDEO GAME-ISH WEEK!
For Video Game-ish week we'll be covering 2014's Edge of Tomorrow. Unjustly ignored by the American public and shuffled off to be ignominiously re-branded on home video, this excellent science fiction film employs the idea of save states as a narrative strategy. Join us next week for our discussion! Edge of Tomorrow is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/8: Annihilation
This week's podcast concludes as Alex Garland follows in Tarkovsky's footsteps with his new film Annihilation, which may still be in theaters. Join us next Wednesday for a discussion of this alluring and disturbing film.
CHILDHOOD FAVORITES WEEK!
Who doesn't love The Princess Bride? It's a film that has something for everyone - action, romance, intrigue, and humor along with a bit of meta-commentary in a cute framing device. It's a masterwork of writing - it seamlessly blends multiple story threads with a humor and lightness and humor that puts anything I could write about it to shame.
It helps that almost everyone involved in its production is a legend. Produced by Norman Lear, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring the likes of Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn, and even getting Billy Crystal and Carol Kane for bit parts. Even the kid in the framing device is none other than Fred Savage, just a year away from The Wonder Years.
And of course William Goldman's screenplay draws heavily on his book, in many cases lifting his clever prose verbatim. There's an effortlessness to its wit - excepting, of course, the appropriately try-hard nature of Vizzini's (Shawn) dialog. And the action is just as thrilling as the script. The swordfight between Westley (Elwes) and Inigo (Patinkin) is fantastic, and is but one of a number of engaging fight sequences. And Elwes' slapstick as he recovers from being mostly dead is as wonderful as it is silly.
It was hard to write this essay - it felt much like pulling teeth and it's still nothing like my best work. But sometimes it's hard to write about the best films - they're so good that all you can say is "Holy shit, that was awesome!"
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/19: Edge of Tomorrow
VIDEO GAME-ISH WEEK!
For Video Game-ish week we'll be covering 2014's Edge of Tomorrow. Unjustly ignored by the American public and shuffled off to be ignominiously re-branded on home video, this excellent science fiction film employs the idea of save states as a narrative strategy. Join us next week for our discussion! Edge of Tomorrow is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/8: Annihilation
This week's podcast concludes as Alex Garland follows in Tarkovsky's footsteps with his new film Annihilation, which may still be in theaters. Join us next Wednesday for a discussion of this alluring and disturbing film.