In his latest bout of pop-culture pearl clutching, the Texas Republican — who loves the 1987 cult flick The Princess Bride — has developed a case of the vapors over a live-streamed script reading by the movie's cast that will raise money for Democrats in Wisconsin.
Over the weekend, Cruz tweeted that the event amounted to a tragedy for every "Princess Bride fan who wants to see that perfect movie preserved from Hollywood politics."
“Do you hear that Fezzik? That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when the six-fingered man killed my father. Every Princess Bride fan who wants to see that perfect movie preserved from Hollywood politics makes it now.” pic.twitter.com/mbUs4y6Ro0
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 5, 2020
Turns out, the one-time presidential candidate is fond of quoting from The Princess Bride, resulting both in some cringey on-camera moments and a spat with cast member Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin, who played vengeful swordsman Inigo Montoya, penned a 2015 op-ed saying Cruz's quoting of his character — beyond showing a lack of understanding of the movie's central theme — amounts to turning it into a "political tool."
Princess Bride cast members including Patinkin, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Billy Crystal and others will reunite for the reading plus a Q&A moderated by comedian Patton Oswalt. The donation-based event will raise money to help Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden take Wisconsin, a state Trump won in 2016.
Cruz's latest attempt to whip up a celebrity Twitter feud has already drawn backlash from fans of the movie — some of the cleverest of which draw on Patinkin's famous line: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."
Join us! Just think—you can say to Trump: “Hello. My name is Rafael Cruz. You insulted my father. Prepare to lose.”https://t.co/n6dj4iHQIh
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) September 5, 2020
Somehow, given Cruz's fawning support of the White House occupant that once insulted both his father and his wife, it seems unlikely the senator will ever utter that line.
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