I was too young to see this movie in the theatres when it originally came out, so, having the opportunity (actually, this was my second opportunity) to see it on the big screen is just amazing to me.
The majority of the audience was mid 20 to mid 30 somethings - quite a few with small children. I have to say, this was the only drawback to this. There was a little girl sitting right behind me who was about 5 or 6. She didn't have the maturity to sit through a "grown up" film, and I kept hearing her loud, shrill voice asking things like "Is that the bad guy?" "What are they doing?" "Do they love each other, or are they brother and sister?" "Is it true love? Is true love better?" Yeah....folks, if your kid can't sit QUIETLY through a 2 hour film, please, let them watch it at home.
The Princess Bride, surprisingly, did not do well at the box office in it's original release. The production team has said the studio didn't know how to market it - was it a comedy? A romance? An adventure film? Well, it is all of these things, but, more than that it is a GOOD film.
After 23 years, it completely holds up from beginning to end. You care about the characters. It has some of the best STORYTELLING ever put on film.
I think it was made at exactly the right time in history as well. The cast is BRILLIANT all around, and I cannot picture anyone else in any of the roles (well, perhaps myself as Buttercup, but, that's just my ultimate fantasy. ;^) ) What is so wonderful about the way this is filmed is that every effect is practical. There is NO CGI. If the film were made today, I have a feeling Fezzik and the ROUS's would both have been CGI creations. Obviously, NO ONE but Andre the Giant could play Fezzik - William Goldman had him in mind when he created the character. (Arnold Schwarzenegger was in consideration for the role. Can you imagine? *shudder* No thank you!) Part of the films charm is that the ROUS's are midgets in Henson costumes (pretty sure the the death cry is Frank Oz). I really would hate to see a more "realistic" CGI version.
The sword fight between Inigo and the Man in Black is one of the best ever filmed - and each actor worked hard to be able to do it without the aid of stunt doubles.
What was amazing to me about the screening was the audience. This movie is 23 years old. The main fan base has seen it multiple times over the years. It's an INCREDIBLY quotable film - and I don't just mean "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." I had an audition a few years back for a show that was written and I think, being directed by, Wallace Shawn. I was in shock when I walked into my call back to see him sitting in the audience. It was all I could do not to blurt out "Inconceivable!"
When the lights dimmed and the first credits came up on the screen, there was applause. In the brief black out between the first credit and opening scene, someone in the audience whistled the first few notes of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." You could feel the energy and excitement in the room. People APPLAUDED when Peter Falk came on screen. It felt more like a live performance than a film. All through the movie, you could hear people in the audience saying lines a split second before the character on screen. And, yes, the first time it was spoken on screen, EVERYONE in the audience said "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." There was applause when Westley told Humperdink "Drop. Your. Sword." During the credits, the audience applauded as each performer like a curtain call in a live performance.
There is just SOMETHING about this film that really speaks to people. I wish they would do screenings of it more often. The energy in the audience is like nothing I have ever felt at any other film. I want to experience it every few months, not every few years.
That sounds like an amazing experience!
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