Chosen by special guests Stephanie and Amaya Spicuzza (producer and star of Night Rain, respectively), The Princess Bride (1987) is a fantasy romance comedy directed by Rob Reiner starring Robin Wright and Cary Elwes. A grandfather reads his grandson a book that he used to read to his son, and that his own father once read to him. The story is the tale of true love, of revenge, of genteel contests to the death, and of unlikely friendships. Jeanne talks about Vizzini, a character who isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is; reflecting upon her own encounters with a few men who reminded her of him. She also shares that the phrase, "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" has been appropriated by some macho men in real life who either don't know of its origin in the film, or didn't understand that it was ironic. Matt Sedillo shares that Inigo Montoya was a character who was formative to him, and in the lives of many young men, guiding their sense of nobility, the longevity of their grudges, and their sense of style. David contrasts the way he interpreted the film as a youth with the way he interprets the film now, no longer seeing the first sword fight as "so fake," but, also no longer being quite as terrified as the old woman in the courtyard booing Buttercup. Join us next week as we welcome Iliana Carter onto the show to review Bicycle Thieves (aka The Bicycle Thief)!
The Criterion Collective
Join poets and film lovers, Jeanne Marie Spicuzza (Night Rain), Matt Sedillo (Mowing Leaves of Grass), and David A. Romero (My Name Is Romero) as they meet each week, to form The Criterion Collective, discussing some of their favorite classic/foreign/art films. These are the films they connect with most deeply, the films that move and inspire them. They hope to inspire a new generation of cinephiles and cinéastes!
The Criterion Collective is a special production by the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona, CA. https://www.dacenter.org/
Intro and outro music, "Exploring the Inferno," by Myuu. https://www.thedarkpiano.com/