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Title:
As You Wish
Series: -----
Author:
Cary Elwes & Joe Layden
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Stars
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages:
244
Words: 79K
Publish: 2014
I
chose this because Mrs B and I had recently rewatched the movie The
Princess Bride and we enjoyed it so much (again!) that I decided to
upgrade my dvd to a bluray. When you buy something on Amazon they
immediately “suggest” other things you can also buy. This popped
up and I was already looking for more non-fiction to add to my list,
so voila! Here we are. The full title is
“As You Wish:
Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride”.
I think you can understand
why I didn’t include that subtitle :-)
If nonfiction books are coffee, that strong, bitter, scalding hot that perks you right up kind of reading, then this was a double latte mocha soy frappucino with whipped cream on top and caramel syrup with cinnamon sprinkles. It is “technically” still coffee, but the reality is something else. That perfectly describes this book. Frothy, sugary and light. It was yummy and delicious, but there wasn’t one dark bitter taste like coffee should have.
This was a fun read and considering everything, I can see why the authors went this route. They weren’t out to tell all or dish the dirt, but to enhance the positive about the movie. It does that job admirably. Elwes relates little anecdotes that will make rewatching the movie MORE fun as I’ll remember snippets here and there.
This was deliberately not a critical take on the movie production. I kind of wanted that because I always want the full picture of what went on in the past. But that’s not what this is, so I just had to shrug and accept it. I enjoyed it and had a good time, so it was in no way any kind of failure. It just wasn’t the kind of non-fiction I want to read very much of. I want something with a bit more weight.
★★★✬☆☆
From the Publisher
Standing on the stage for the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Princess Bride, I felt an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude and nostalgia. It was a remarkable night and it brought back vivid memories of being part of what appears to have become a cult classic film about pirates and princesses, giants and jesters, cliffs of insanity, and of course rodents of unusual size.
It truly was as fun to make the movie as it is to watch it, from getting to work on William Goldman's brilliant screenplay to being directed by the inimitable Rob Reiner. It is not an exaggeration to say that most days on set were exhilarating, from wrestling André the Giant, to the impossibility of playing mostly dead with Billy Crystal cracking jokes above me, to choreographing the Greatest Sword Fight in Modern Times with Mandy Patinkin, to being part of the Kiss That Left All the Others Behind with Robin Wright.
In this book I've gathered many more behind-the-scenes stories and hopefully answers to many of the questions we've all received over the years from fans. Additionally, Robin, Billy, Rob, and Mandy, as well as Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, and William Goldman graciously share their own memories and stories from making this treasured film.
If you'd like to know a little more about the making of The Princess Bride as seen through the eyes of a young actor who got much more than he bargained for, along with the rest of this brilliant cast, then all I can say is...as you wish.
