for no particular reason, i don't typically weigh in on "what is your favorite..." memes, but since i can't think of anything particularly original tonight (or because i'm inordinately lazy), i thought i'd play along...

now i'm sure i'll lose whatever faint artistic cred i have with this choice, but my selection as favorite movie ever is...wait for it...almost ready to type the title now..."The Princess Bride"...

The key word here is 'favorite,' not best...there are certainly more groundbreaking films, more important films, more challenging films, and films with but i can't think of a film which acheived its purpose as perfectly as 'Princess Bride'...every element flat-out works...

 the most compelling argument i can make is that i have enjoyed this movie in more different settings than any other movie i've seen--sure, i love 'Citizen Kane,' but try watching that while babysitting an eight-year old..yeah, 'Clockwork Orange' is powerful, but not such a great date movie...and i personally adored 'Shakespeare In Love,' but it was NOT a hit when i had the guys over for a post Super Bowl party (damn my bisexuality!)...

but 'PB'--it works no matter the audience...kids dig it (swordfights!), it's a great date flick (most men could learn to say 'As you wish' a little more often to their girlfriends), and as a comedian by trade (i suppose that's not really a 'trade') i have to say--every joke works...

and now, as laziness overtakes me yet again, i resort to the my favorite writing device (and maybe that could be an OS topic!)--the list...

• wonderfully eclectic cast (Wallac Shawn AND Andre the Giant!)
• a radiant Robin Wright Penn
• one of the few times a child actor (Fred Savage) hasn't annoyed the fuck out of me by being overly grownup
• Peter Falk--and Peter Falk briefly paying homage to Colombo
• Mandy Patinkin buckling swash
• Cary Elwes making a creepy quasi-mustache look somehow sexy
• comedy legend Peter Cook!
• Billy Crystal and Carol Kane--only five minutes of screen time, and one of the funniest scenes in the last twenty years
• it's a movie partly about reading--an actual book!
• a gorgeous soundtrack by Mark Knopfler
• too many quotable lines to mention, but if you want to review--check out imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quote