Pirates in Paradise is just a couple weeks away now. If you aren’t a pirate or wench kind of person, you may have never heard of it. Suffice it to say that PiP (as it is known), is the Mardi Gras/Christmas of the pirate world. Hundreds of pirates attend.
For 10 days we hole up in Key West, far away from the cold of the north and play pirate. There’s music and cultural events, historical performances, artists and writers, events such as the National Walk the Plank Championships and International Tall Tales Competition, and endless strolls up and down Duval.
Every year we try to add something new to the festival, which is now in its 12th year. And this year, my suggestion was Pyrate Cinema. Now, outdoor cinema is nothing new. In fact the roots of my suggestion lie back in Seattle on two counts.
The first time I had seen outdoor movies was in Fremont. My lifelong friend Cassie took me to see it. I still remember the odd sight of film fans toting in their recliners and sofas into the empty parking lot. I don’t remember what the film was at all; I doubt anyone there that night did. It was just a great chance to share a moment together, something that plays out in outdoor theaters in towns across the country.
So, it seemed a no brainer to add that to Pirates in Paradise this year, a chance for lovers of pirate cinema to get together and enjoy their favorite movie.
But which movie?
The original plan that came to mind was to show the Crimson Pirate. I thought it would be fun because it is over the top in terms of the action, the plot, the acting and the costuming. It has some great lines in it too, including my personal favorite from Humble Bellows, “‘Tis my modest opinion that no man can fly pirate colors who’s not willing to sell his friend, his sweetheart, or his mother.”
No truer words spoken.
Well, that was the plan. At least until I told a few of the pirates about it. Their suggestion was quick and absolute: “It should be Princess Bride.”
Well, duh!
Why didn’t I think of that? I still remember when I first saw the movie. Cassie had gotten a movie for us to watch back in the VCR era. As I sat down, she said, “Now, just keep your mouth shut for the first 10 minutes. I don’t want you to say a word.”
I did as I was told. I sat back and watched. She hadn’t told me that I couldn’t cast glares at her, which I did. What kind of crack addict movie is this, I thought to myself.
Ten minutes into it, I was hooked. Like most of us, Princess Bride became part of the fabric of my life. Since then I have seen it perhaps 20 times or so. I know this is pitifully low compared to some of my Princess Bride loving friends. But I have lots of other pirate movies I like, including Blackbeard’s Ghost, Cutthroat Island, Against All Flags and The Black Swan. I have to maintain some balance.
What I find so interesting about Princess Bride is its multiple levels. Kids get it at one level, adults at another. It reminds me of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, which were written on dual levels, too. It’s a very hard thing to pull off as a writer, to keep a plot moving in what amounts to two different movies – one, a fantasy story of a farm hand’s pursuit of his true love, and the other, this lovely tale of double entendres, word plays and hilarious, totally off-kilter lines (never get involved in a land war in Asia).
It is such pure fun. And it amazes me that so many people know the movie, even though the book it is based on was hardly a bestseller, nor the movie a big hit in theaters.
Perhaps that’s the beauty of it. Unlike its overhyped Pirates of the Caribbean cousins, the Princess Bride has gained its popularity organically, largely by word of mouth There weren’t any huge stars in the film, unless of course, you count Andre the Giant as a major marquee name – after all, he was pretty huge. Most of the cast had only made a string of minor movies or were in small parts in more well known films in 1987.
So it has taken on a life of its own without a big promotion budget. I only know the significance of the movie because of Facebook. A week or so ago, a photo was posted that appeared in Entertainment Weekly that showed the cast today. That photo kept popping up on my wall every day as someone else shared it with their friends. I came to realize that the movie had really touched a lot of people over the years.
Perhaps no one more than my cohort in crime in CommuniCreations, Denise. I swear she can quote every line from the movie off the top of her head. I know others can as well, since I see lines cascade across my facebook page regularly. It is quite amusing and a bit humbling.
Princess Bride became the obvious choice for Pyrate Cinema but it was a bit of a tough sell. The powers that be didn’t see any mention of “pirate” in the title. So I sent off a short summary of the plot, which must have sounded absurd in its attempt to hit the hight points – frankly, it was inconceivable, but I didn’t have much time for dilly-dallying.
So, you want to know what I’ve learned from the Princess Bride? As you wish. For starters, people in masks cannot be trusted, never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line, life is pain…. anyone who says differently is selling something, and there’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world.
I also know the words I hope to hear one day, words I have always wanted to hear uttered, as I stand at the altar with my one true love:
Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…
So tweasure your wuv. Man an’ wife.
Out on the Treasure Coast, knowing that death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while,
– Robb