Year Released: 1987
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crytal, Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon
(PG, 98 min.)
Genre: Fantasy Adventure and Romance

“Hear this now: I will always come for you.” –Westley to Buttercup

It’s time to revisit this classic. Remember when Hollywood valued humor, playfulness, and witty banter?

Instead of action, action, action, with a few dollops of self-righteous preaching thrown in for good measure. And when overseas marketing was not their main goal?

Think for a moment of some of your favorite movie lines:

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." — Gone With the Wind, 1939.

"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." — The Wizard of Oz,"1939.

"Rosebud." — Citizen Kane,1941.

"Here's looking at you, kid." — Casablanca, 1942.

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." — Casablanca, 1942.

“I coulda’ been a contender.” – On the Waterfront, 1954

“Bond. James Bond." — Dr. No,"1962.

"What we've got here is failure to communicate." — Cool Hand Luke, 1967.

"They call me Mister Tibbs!" — In the Heat of the Night,1967.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." — Love Story,1970.

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" — Dirty Harry,"1971.

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." — The Godfather,"1972.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat." — Jaws,1975.

"May the Force be with you." — Star Wars, 1977.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning." — Apocalypse Now, 1979.

"I feel the need — the need for speed!" — Top Gun, 1986.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" –The Princess Bride, 1987

"If you build it, he will come." — Field of Dreams, 1989.

"You had me at ‘hello.’" — Jerry Maguire, 1996.

"Show me the money!" — Jerry Maguire, 1996

"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." — Forrest Gump, 1994.

“I see dead people.” The Sixth Sense, 1999.

“The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.” Fight Club, 1999.

Notice how everything sort of stops around 1999.

Well, let’s go back to the 20th century for a wonderful fantasy adventure that is a such a delight.

Let me count the ways.

The framing Device

Peter Faulk, or as many of you may know him, Columbo, plays a grandpa reading the fairy tale to his reluctant grandson. He is perfect!

“When I was your age, television was called books.”

And then we have his description of the kiss in his tale, even if his grandson says he is not into that stuff:

"Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."

Witty Banter

Billy Crystal as Miracle Max wants to slow things down. And his New York accent adds to the humor of his words:

“Don’t rush me. You rush a miracle, man, you get rotten miracles.”

Or the phrase from his Missus:

“I’m not a witch. I’m your wife.” No comment.

And perhaps my favorite, Mandy Patinkin:

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

Or one of the two villains, this one Vizzini:

Westley: "You're that smart?"
Vizzini: "Let me put it this way, have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?"
Westley: "Yes."
Vizzini: "Morons."

Crazy mix of Idealism and Cynicism

The ideal love between Princess Buttercup and Westley is countered by those around them, and even from Westly himself when he cautions Buttercup that life is pain, and anyone saying something else is “selling something.”

Then the elaborate mind game match between Vizzini and Westley over which cup has the poisoned wine is undercut when later Westly admits that both were poisoned and that has been taking the poison a little at a time to develop his immunity.

Our second villain, Prince Humperdinck has a few good lines, too.

“I always think that everything could be a trick, which is why I’m still alive.” Not to mention his pretty lame wedding proposal:

"Please consider me as an alternative to suicide."

Great Swordsmanship and Verbal Fencing

Montoya opens his swordplay with Westley by calling him a decent fellow and then regretting that he must kill him.

Each of them starts the sword fight with this off hand, hoping to surprise the other mid fight. But since each of them has tried the same trick, it cancels itself out.

Andre the Giant, plays another “kindly” assassin, one forced into that role rather than made for it:

Fexxik : We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.

Westely: You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?

***

If you need a few laughs in this crazy time, if you want a potent shot of idealism tempered with comical cynicism to make it go down smoothly, watch this 1987 classic.

“Have fun storming the castle.”

–Kathy Borich
🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁

Trailer

Film-Loving Foodie

Of course, I had to go to my favorite character, Inigo Montoya, for our recipe. It is his thirst for revenge that balances out the sometimes too sweet love story. And what better ingredient for this revenge cocktail than his native Spain’s blood oranges?

Even mostly dead, – but not quite as mostly dead Westley, Farm Boy turned into The Dread Pirate Robert – Montoya stirs to life in his final confrontation with the 6-fingered man who had killed his father

Salud!

Blood Orange Revenge Cocktail

Ingredients

· 4 mint leaves

· 3 oz bourbon

· 3 oz blood orange juice, from 2-3 blood oranges

· 1 oz maple syrup

· 8 drops Angostura bitters

· crushed ice

· 2 lime wedges

· 4 oz soda water, optional

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves.

Then add some ice cubes, bourbon, blood orange juice, maple syrup, and bitters. Shake well.

Fill two glasses half way with crushed ice.

Divide the bourbon mixture between them.
Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Top with soda water if desired.

Notes

· Soda Water: The drink without the soda water has a very smooth, sippable flavor. With the soda water, I find it's more like a cooler. Zippy and lighter in flavor. Which you choose is up to you.

· Garnish: To make it extra special drop the lime wedge into the glass and add a slice of blood orange floating on top of the drink.

Just a Little Bit of Bacon.com