The Poster Memorabilia blog

A Fairytale Movie I’ll Always Come Back To

A film bro's hill to die on, a poster out of its frame, and three generations of one family.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

I'm someone many would call a “film bro.” I love talking about movies and listening to movie podcasts, and my favorite directors include Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino. I'm practically a stereotype, and I don't really mind it, but there is a hill I will die on: you're not a cinephile if you don't like The Princess Bride.

Guys, don't let the name and the fairytale setting fool you. This isn't some Disney live-action remake or a Jane Austen novel adaptation. It's one of the coolest movies ever, made by one of the coolest directors ever, the late Rob Reiner. And don’t forget about the cast! You can't go wrong with Cary Elwes, Billy Crystal, and Mandy Patinkin.

“You're not a cinephile if you don't like The Princess Bride.”

Watching it once was enough to make it one of my favorite movies, as well as a film I'll always go to bat for. I'll even go so far as to say that it's the perfect film for its type. If you want a movie the whole family can watch, it doesn't get any better than this.

When I say it has everything, I mean it. There's comedy, romance, and adventure, and they're all so well-executed that it's a shame it never won an Oscar. But I guess, and not to sound too corny, people's love for the film is its true award.

I loved it enough to actually meet the cast and get their autographs. When I got my Princess Bride movie poster, I thought it was enough. It always looked so good hanging in our house, right by the TV where I'd always watch it on my birthday.

However, when I heard that the cast would reunite at the New York Film Festival in 2012, I took the poster out of the frame and brought it to the city to get it signed. It was my first time going to the festival and meeting celebrities, but I didn't want to miss this chance.

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On that fateful night, everything worked out perfectly for me. I got to watch the film with the cast, listen to their stories about making it, and finally see them in person. I admit I teared up a couple of times that night.

You have to understand, I've loved this movie since I was a kid. My dad, who was also a cinephile, introduced it to me, and when my kids got a bit older, I eventually watched it with them, too. It's a generational favorite in my family, so meeting the cast in real life was a bit overwhelming.

What truly made my night wasn't just meeting them, but also finding out that they're good people. I know they're celebrities and all, but they weren't haughty or arrogant. Or at least, I didn't feel any of that when I greeted them when I met them. Knowing what we know now, I'm doubly glad I got to be in a room with Reiner while I had the chance.

I didn't even have to prod them too much to get their autograph. All I did was show them the poster and ask them to sign it, and they obliged instantly. I'm sure it was all in a day's work for them, but it was really special for me.

I actually had two copies of the poster signed that night, and I already know where the second one is going: to my son, who loves movies as much as I do. It's been the best time watching this with him again and again, and I'm sure he'll treasure it just as much as I have.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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