I remember several years ago when Double Dare host Marc Summers was interviewed on the Preston & Steve Show on 93.3 WMMR where he revealed for the first time in public that he had suffered lymphocytic leukemia for several years. "In show business, if you talk about that stuff, it's hard to get hired afterwards. My agent said, 'Well, don't talk about it.' I've sort of compressed this thing and it's made me nuts."
Since then, other celebrities were revealed to be suffering from cancer without letting the public know for similar reasons. Some were able to overcome it like voice actor Rob Paulsen and others had sadly succumb to it like actor Chadwick Boseman. But one I would've never guessed who not only went through cancer secretly, but had succumb to it recently was actor Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman.
According to his estate, the following statement was posted saying, "Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit," it continued. "A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit."
Never would I have thought that I would hear such a heartbreaking announcement such as this! Literally, I was getting things ready for my sister's birthday when all of a sudden, this popped up on my social media outlets and I was reacted saying "What?! Are you serious?!" Over the past year, I have had people who I knew and loved pass away from cancer such as my aunt and a few acquaintances from church. Cancer is such a devastating disease that affects your entire body, mind, and emotions. You feel tired, weak, and hopeless. I hope that you or anyone you know never gets sick from cancer. It's not only devastating for you, but for those around you. Now that I think about it, it made so much sense why the Pee-wee's Big Adventure 35th anniversary tour didn't pick up after COVID-19 restrictions were gone or why there were no updates on Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie or the dark Pee-wee movie he had been working on for decades. He was very sick and couldn't do it. When I read more about Paul's death, I felt sadness coming into me. I was beyond crushed when people who I grew up with such as Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, June Foray, and others had passed on. But I was introduced to Paul's work at a very young age which made this death a very hard one. Growing up in the late 80's and 90's, I knew about Pee-wee's Playhouse and Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I heard Paul's voice in many cartoons such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chowder, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Tron: Uprising, Adventure Time, and more. When Old School Lane first started in December 2011, I posted my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments on my tumblr page because I was thrilled he was making a comeback and that became the first post that became viral because Paul himself Tweeted it. In a way, Old School Lane wouldn't have gotten its major start in the first place if it wasn't for Pee-wee Herman. So, if you loved my blog posts, podcasts, videos, and/or livestreams we've been doing for the past 10 years, Paul is partially to be thanked for getting us started.
There was also the time I met him in person at MegaCon 2018 waiting in line for almost an hour just to meet him. I remember talking with two women who were in their 40s wanting to meet Paul because they grew up with Pee-wee's Playhouse. The reason why it took so long was because he was talking to a little girl no older than 6 and answering all her questions. When I finally approached him, I told him thank you for his work and gave him a printout of the Tweet of my blog post. While he didn't remember it, he did sign it for me. I will be forever grateful of that.
The last thing I want to state before I conclude this blog post is the question I asked author and pop culture enthusiast Caseen Gaines about his book Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse way back in 2012.
Patricia- Let’s just say, heaven forbid, Paul Reubens passes away unexpectedly. Do you think that people would finally forget about his indiscretions and focus on his great achievements?
Caseen- I absolutely think so. I mean, Paul Reubens has done an amazing service in this world as Pee-wee Herman. Not only was the character entertaining, but it was inspiring to people like Kevin and a whole slew of other creative types. He has achieved great things and I think a lot of people are being reminded of that with his recent Pee-wee appearances.
Even though Paul had done his fair share of mistakes that had stilted his reputation and career, people still have fond memories of his work and how much of a sweet, kind, and gentle person he was. Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!, actress E.G. Daily, Stephanie Beatriz, Rob Paulsen, Wally Wingert, Lori Alan, Ricki Lake, artist Wayne White, actress and comedian Laraine Newman, animator Jorge Guitierrez, and more have left their condolences to Paul. Pee-wee Herman is currently trending on social media of people posting about their sadness for his passing and their fond memories of his work. Sure, there will be a few people who will always bring up his incidents to give their reasonings on why he shouldn't be easily forgiven, but many people have since moved on. Especially, since there were a slew of other celebrities who have done far, far worse. But I digress.
In closing, I'm going to miss Paul a lot! I will miss Pee-wee a lot! He was funny, quirky, sporadic, creative, and kind. He was one of the people I wanted to have on my podcast for an interview, but now I never will. I remember hearing about one of the last things he was working on was a memoir and a documentary about his life. I look forward to seeing them.
Let me know in the comments below about your fond memories on Paul's work. Thanks for reading and hope to see you at Old School Lane soon.
In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia discusses about the 2016 Netflix exclusive film Pee-wee's Big Holiday, the first Pee-wee Herman movie in 28 years, alongside special guests Jaimetud, Jim Bevan, AlextheD, and book author Caseen Gaines. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Here's something that we haven't done in a long while: an article celebrating the anniversary of a form of media. As of yesterday, the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure had celebrated its 30th anniversary. For our older followers from back in 2011, some of you already know that Kevin and I are fans of Pee-wee, his stage shows, movies, and TV show. One of the very first posts that I did for Old School Lane was my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011. It was that post that had gotten the attention of Paul Reubens, the man who performed as Pee-wee, and gave me the confidence to continue the blog. In a sense, without Pee-wee, Old School Lane probably wouldn't have existed. As a child, I saw Pee-wee's Playhouse on and off as a toddler of 3 or 4 because I am a Seventh Day Adventist and I went to church when the show aired. But when the incident at the XXX theater occurred in 1991, my mother, like many other parents at the time,forbade me from watching it. Later on, I was rewatching Pee-wee's Playhouse on Adult Swim as a young adult in college. I had to watch it in secret since my parents still felt the same disgust for Paul Reubens. The 2002 incident where the police went to his house and found vintage photos and magazines of young male models claiming it was pornography didn't help much. Now that we've gotten my history out of the way, let's talk about the movie.
It was around that time when I saw Pee-wee's Big Adventure for the first time on TV and fell in love with it. I found it to be very funny, quirky, and entertaining. Almost every single scene in the film has something quotable and memorable:the dream where Pee-wee won the Tour de France, the breakfast machine, the argument with Francis, meeting with Dottie at the bike store, the meeting with at the basement, the fortune teller giving the false prediction that the stolen bike was at the Alamo's basement, meeting up with Mickey, meeting up with Large Marge, meeting up with Simone, the Alamo tour, the Tequila dance at the biker bar, the bike montage at the Hollywood set, and the Pee-wee movie at the drive-in. It was also where I learned that this was Tim Burton's first movie that he directed. As a fan of Tim Burton movies such as Beetlejuice, Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Big Fish, this was an additional treat. It was also the first time that Danny Elfman got to do a soundtrack for a Tim Burton movie and it perfectly fits the movie's fun/dark tones.
The movie was always considered to be a cult classic. It may not be a household name, but the dedicated fanbase has always kept it alive as one of the best comedies of the 80's. The adults who saw Pee-wee's Big Adventure as kids introduced it to their kids. The teenagers who saw Pee-wee's Playhouse on Adult Swim share the movie with their younger siblings. It seems to be the kind of fun movie that people at some point in their lives find and get drawn to it in some way shape or form. The fans of Pee-wee has gotten bigger over the years and still continues to grow. But why? Pee-wee and his content is simply timeless. Pee-wee is such a fun and endearing character who has the mind of a child that we all have deep down inside. The side characters are just as colorful and memorable. The adventure he went through just to retrieve his stolen bike is a blast to experience that we simply don't want to see end.
The upcoming movie coming next year Pee-wee's Big Holiday is going to be a road trip movie just like Big Adventure. I don't think it's going to be a rehash of Big Adventure since Pee-wee will be traveling to numerous places, meeting with different people, and driving a small car, but I'm very looking forward to the new film and can't wait to see where Pee-wee will take us next. I hope it'll be just as enjoyable as Big Adventure.
But for now, I highly recommend watching Big Adventure tonight. You won't regret it. In fact, you can check out my old review of the movie right here where I collaborated with Manic Expression member Les. That's all for now. Let me know in the comments below if you have any memories, favorite characters, and favorite moments of Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.
2012 is almost done and a brand new year approaches us! It’s
been a very rough year for a lot of people whether it involves with politics,
unemployment, natural disasters, or tragic events. So to make you crack a
little smile on your face, it’s time to discuss about everyone’s favorite
man-child Pee-wee Herman. Well, as of now the only man-child in our current
status of pop culture since Rowan Atkinson retired Mr. Bean this year. Well, at
least he did a funny performance at the Summer Olympics in London. Anyway, so
just like last year, I’m going to give you my 10 favorite moments. Here we go!
1.
His appearance in Top Chef: Texas
I’ve never seen Top
Chef before this one, which is interesting because I see a whole bunch of
other cooking competitions such as Iron
Chef and Chopped. But my first
impression with this new season was that it was very boring. The contestants,
challenges, and guest judges were beyond forgettable. According to many Top Chef fans, they agree with that.
There were only two episodes that were memorable: the episode that had Charlize
Theron on it to coincide with the movie Snow
White and the Huntsman and the episode that had Pee-wee Herman on it.
The latter takes place in San Antonio, which if you’re
familiar with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, it
makes total sense that he would make an appearance there. He was very
interactive with the contestants and the challenge had the contestants gather
up groceries and cook in another restaurant’s kitchen. In the end, they ate
their dinner at the Alamo. According to
an online review of Top Chef: Texas, a
large group of fans waited outside to meet up with Pee-wee at the Alamo after
the filming of the episode was over. He actually took the time to sign
autographs, shake people’s hands, take pictures, and talk to them for a moment.
That right there is a true celebrity who really cares for his fans. Also,
according to online ratings, Pee-wee’s appearance in Top Chef: Texas was the highest viewed in any episode of the Top Chef: Texas season counting at over
3 million viewers. Afterwards, the viewers declined lower and lower until the
season finale when it had over 1 million viewers. If you want to see my recap of this episode, click right over here.
2.
The 10th Annual TV Land Awards
The TV Land Awards is
an award ceremony dedicating itself to honoring classic shows from the past.
This year it was hosted by Kelly Ripa and had a group of great celebrities such
as the cast from In Living Color, Murphy
Brown, Aretha Franklin, Mike Meyers, and many more. Pee-wee won the Pop
Culture Award in honor of Pee-wee’s
Playhouse. Pee-wee’s speech was short and simple, but absolutely heartfelt and
filled with gratitude. In fact, the secret word was indeed “gratitude”. It was
nice for people to still give the honor and respect that Paul Reubens deserve
and this will be one of many.
Unfortunately, this was his last appearance as Pee-wee on TV
this year. But don’t worry. We still got a whole list to cover.
3.
His appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Paul Reubens’ only late night talk show appearance this year
was certainly a funny one. He was there to promote the newest Disney XD
animated show Tron: Uprising. He
started off with a story that involved with him spreading a little white lie
about him actually having a light cycle. Even though he actually had a toy
light cycle from the original Tron, most
of the people who interviewed thought he had a real light cycle. He decided to
go even further saying that the Disney team was going to give them all light
cycles. It spread throughout the entire building. Even Lance Hendrikson, who
voices General Tessler on the show, thought they were getting light cycles.
That is hilarious!
Speaking of Tron:
Uprising… 4.
Tron:
Uprising
After the huge disappointment that was Tron: Legacy, Disney XD debuted Tron:
Uprising on June 7, 2012. The show takes place between Tron and Tron: Legacy in
which in involves with a young teen named Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood) being
trained up by Tron (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner) to be the new hero in Argon
City after it was conquered by Clu’s general named Tessler (voiced by Lance
Hendrikson). Paul Reubens plays Tessler’s second-in-command named Pavel. This is
fantastic because not only is Paul portraying himself as a villain, but Pavel
is a recurring character in the show. The majority of Paul’s voice acting
characters are minor side characters that only appear once or twice. Not in the
case of Tron: Uprising. He’s in
almost every episode. As for the show itself, it’s really good. If you haven’t
seen it yet, check it out sometime.
5.
The Century of the Child Exhibit from The Museum
of Modern Art
Over the years, Paul Reubens had talked about having items
from Pee-wee’s Playhouse displayed at
a museum. Only as of this year, it happened. Around July 2012, The Century of
the Child exhibits 100 years filled with art, animation, dolls, video games,
books, blocks, and so much more that inspired artists to bring out their inner
child. Also, Paul Reubens donated Conky, Clockey, Globey, and the red door from
Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Kevin and I went
into MoMa around August and viewed it for ourselves. It was so amazing to see
these characters from our childhoods up close. It was also the first time that
I saw Kevin speechless. You guys know how talkative he is on our podcast, so to
see him speechless was astonishing. I can’t wait to see them again on the
Smithsonian in 2014 as well as Chairry, the suit, and the bike.
6.
Beauty is
Embarrasing
While it is true that Paul Reubens was the mind, body, and
soul of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, he
couldn’t have done it without many of the cast and crew behind it. In this
case, it’s the artist known as Wayne White who also did the voices of Dirty
Dog, Mr. Kite, Randy, and Lance the Pig from Big Top Pee-wee. This documentary tells the story of his simple
roots in Chattanooga, Tennessee and then shows behind the scenes footage of Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Paul Reuben appears
in this documentary as well as Mark Mothersbaugh and Matt Groening. Afterwards,
he’s a very expressing artist who has a lot of heart. It had won various
awards, had a successful Kickstarter campaign to release it in theaters, and
will be appearing on PBS in January 2013. I’ll definitely be seeing it and
giving my review on it.
7.
Paul’s Milestone Birthday
On August 27, 2012, Paul celebrated his 60th
birthday. There were many websites who gave him great birthday wishes as well
as celebrities and millions of fans. I wrote him a birthday message that you
can check out right over here. May he have many more!
8. The 45 movie screenings of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
It's astonishing that as of this year, there were this many movie screenings of Pee-wee's Big Adventure this year. From New York, Austin, and even the U.K., this 1985 comedy classic has had over hundreds of people gathering around to watch it. It just goes to show you that this movie still works so well to this day. May there be many more screenings next year. 9.
Old School Lane’s Interview with Caseen Gaines
Back in Feburary 14, 2012, Kevin and I had the chance to
interview Caseen Gaines, the author of Inside
Pee-wee’s Playhouse. It was our first interview that we ever had for our
blog and it’s currently our only interview from someone who’s not from
Nickelodeon. You can check it out right here. 10.
The fans
It’s because of you, the fans, that make Pee-wee still
strong and relevant 35 years later. Some of my favorites include:
OverAnalyzers: Episode 13
The Pee-wee Herman Blog from Glove and Boots
Jimmy Fallon’s Voiceover Trailers as Pee-wee Herman
This original song written and sung by two fans. It's about Pee-wee's Playhouse
This article about the man who introduced his 5-year-old son
to Pee-wee.
This article about the top 5 lessons this woman learned from Pee-wee.
Ben Zuraski’s painting of the Nativity Scene
Michael Hearst and the Kronos Quartet who performed an orchestrated piece in Carnegie Hall called "Secret Word" in honor of Pee-wee's Playhouse. Allison Hoffman whose amazing dolls were shown at the Bear & Bow Boutique in South Florida. I went there and it was amazing!
Pee-wee's Playhouse being one of the top 100 TV shows you must see before you die according to TV Guide.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure ranked one of the top 100 greatest comedies of all time according to Yahoo. All of you who keeps the phenomenon strong by introducing him and the media to your kids, like my buddy Les from Manic Expression who introduced Pee-wee's Big Adventure to his 3 daughters.
All of you who grew up with Pee-wee and continue to give him your love and support!
That’s my moments from this year. Hopefully we’ll have many
more. Maybe a certain movie produced by Judd Apatow. I’m hoping! Hope to see you
around Old School Lane soon. Happy new year!
For all the Florida residents out there like myself, it may not be a perfect day for celebration and rejoice. It's a time of preparing and keeping your home safe from Hurricane Isaac. But I would like to give some time to wish a very special happy birthday to a former Florida resident. A man whom I have mentioned many times in the blog as someone who has influenced not only Kevin and myself, but millions of others, with his movies, stage shows, and TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse. That man is none other than Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman.
Over the years, he has done many great things to shape up his career to be the iconic phenomenon he is today. Performing his stage show in 1981 called The Pee-wee Herman Show was a huge cult hit among audiences. Taking a page from former kid's shows from the 50's such as Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo, he spoofs it and pays homage to it in a way that it's presented in a hilarious, campy, avant-garde, fresh, and awesome way. It's great not only for kids, but for adults as well with many subtle adult jokes that kids wouldn't understand until they get older.
This awesome show that took Paul Reubens' career as Pee-wee Herman by storm almost wouldn't have happened if he would have been accepted in Saturday Night Live. He was one of the last people called to audition for Saturday Night Live, but had lost it to Gilbert Gottfried. Angry and upset that he didn't get the part, he flew home back to L.A., called his parents to lend him money, and with the help of many people, got the stage show into fruition.
If only Reubens would have known earlier on that this rejection of not being in Saturday Night Live was actually a blessing in disguise. The season that he would have been in was referred to as "the worst season ever". Lorne Michaels temporarily left the show, the skits were not as funny as the previous skits, and the overall season was a complete disaster that almost got SNL cancelled. Thank God that Reubens didn't get in the show.
Things would have turned out so different if he would have gotten in. There would have been no stage show and possibly no Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, or Pee-wee's Playhouse. I can't imagine a world like that.
If you recall in my review of Pee-wee's Big Adventurewith Les from Manic Expression, it's truly one of my favorite movies that Tim Burton has ever been involved in. Easily one of my top 5 favorites. Everything about this movie still works today and I'm so surprised that a movie that was filmed in 6 weeks with a small budget could do so well. Truly the minds of Reubens, Burton, Phil Hartman, Michael Varhol, and all the other actors and crew members really crafted this movie into one amazing experience that you will not soon forget. So many memorable moments, quotes, and scenes still reside on my head to this very day. Especially the biker bar scene where he dances to "Tequila" by The Champs. You can't help but crack a smile when you see him dance.
But what really resides in my heart is the show Pee-wee's Playhouse. Truly, one of the greatest, most creative, groundbreaking kid's shows I've ever seen and I am beyond grateful that I was able to see it on Saturday mornings when I was 3 or 4. Taking the 1981 stage show and introducing new characters and making it more for children was something that many people didn't suspect when first seeing it. But guess what? It worked! Also, the things they got away with is so jarringly hilarious that it just can't be beat. From the 2 1/2 minute intro to Pee-wee riding his scooter at the end is nothing more than just wild, campy, colorful, creative, and amazingly good fun!
When watching the show as a kid, I felt a connection with Pee-wee that I never felt with any other person. Growing up with Asperger's Syndrome, I was ignored and hated by everyone and was teased constantly just because I was different from them. I hated the fact that I was different and didn't know why (I didn't find out about my condition until I was 15). I wanted to change myself many times to be just like everyone else, but for some reason or another, I didn't. When the show reaired again on Fox Family in 1998 and at Adult Swim in 2006, I fell in love with the character and the show all over again. It helped me in a time in which I had extremely low self-esteem and lacking confidence to approach people and talking to them. I learned from watching Pee-wee's Playhouse again that it was okay to be who you are. The whole world was filled with people who want to be like everyone else and the most coolest person in the world is a person who's not afraid to be themselves. It took me a long time to learn that lesson and I'm glad I did and it's partly thanks to Pee-wee.
Around the 90's after Reubens had his "misfortunes", many people still stood by his side and defended him. While Reubens was still around on and off, Pee-wee wasn't. It was during a period in which it was an empty void for many people who grew up with him. Although it would take Reubens a while to find out, we still loved him and supported him 100%. We still do! That love and support still hasn't left us. It felt like our best friend had moved away unexpectedly and we didn't get a proper goodbye. While many of us grew up and moved on with our lives, we never lost our inner child that Pee-wee demonstrated every week. We never lost our creativity, our crazy antics, and our inner child. That's why many people today who love Pee-wee and the movies and shows are actors, screenwriters, comedians, musicians, artists, writers, parents who are introducing their children to Pee-wee, and many more. While the press and the pretenders had and (unfortunately) still bring up the incidents, the people who truly matter remember the positives that he had brought to this world as a comedian, a movie star, a TV star, and a kid's host and celebrate them. That outweighs the negatives by a long shot!
When Reubens came back as Pee-wee at the Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards in 2007, my college friends and I were beyond shocked and amazed! Here we thought that we would never see Pee-wee again and there he was on TV giving the Funniest MF Award to Will Ferrell. There was cheering, screaming, and awe when we saw our childhood hero walk on stage, getting a standing ovation, people chanting his name, and making the audience laugh. He still hadn't lost his touch. Some of the lines we were saying were:
"Oh my God, it's Pee-wee. It's really him! He's back!"
"Oh, that Pee-wee. He's still got it!"
"He was the highlight of the whole show."
"It's so satisfying to see him again being so loved by people!"
But then one jerk comes in, looks at the TV, and said "Oh my God, is that Pee-wee Herman? It's sad to see him in a state like this. He's gotten so old and fat".
We stared him down and he shut his mouth during the duration of that time. No one was going to mess up that night, not even a jerky college kid. As we saw him leave the stage and being confronted with many people, I thought to myself, "It's about time! Sure it took a while, but I'm glad you're back! Don't leave us again."
Over the years, we did not see him again. That is until the 2010 stage shows in L.A. and New York. I didn't get the chance to see him live, but it was so satisfying to see him perform in front of thousands of people who had truly loved him and grew up with him. When he would talk to the audience in the L.A. shows and go outside to greet the audience in the Broadway shows, everyone cheered and said that they had loved him and supported him all the way.
It was so great to have him finally get all the affection from the people who truly stood by his side when he went through his struggles. The media who had bashed him now praised him. The kids who grew up with him were now adults who have kids who are growing up with him now by showing them the DVDs. Reubens couldn't believe that after all this time, people had loved him. He was so touched by it that it was reported that he would even get emotional to the point of crying with joy. Well, Paul, we're crying too with joy! We couldn't be more proud of you! You truly deserve whatever praise you get!
After that, the comeback wagon was chugging along! He was everywhere again! In talk shows, in guest appearances on TV shows such as SNL and Top Chef: Texas, and being praised for his innovative and creative work on the 2011 Spike TV Scream Awards and the 2012 TV Land Awards. As you know, I wrote an article of my favorite Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011 back in New Year's Eve. It was the biggest thrill in my life to have Paul Reubens himself love it so much that he shared it among his fans on Twitter and Facebook. I will never forget that, Paul. I'm still proud of that article to this very day and I can't wait to write a new one for this New Year's Eve! But what's next for Paul Reubens and Pee-wee Herman? Well, we know that he's doing Tron: Uprising as the evil second-in-commmand Pavel and he's working on getting a new movie done with Judd Apatow. But who knows what's next. One of the best things about his upcoming projects is that we don't know about them, but when we do, it's always a fun surprise!
As I close this birthday message, I have to say just one final thought. Paul, I see you as the white lotus: a flower that mostly grows in Southeast Asia. It's a delicate flower that grows in a wet, damp, dark, and muddy swamp. But when spring comes along and the sun comes out, it shines and blooms like no other. It's the most beautiful flower in the world! When you went through your setbacks, you crawled back into a dark place thinking that you were no longer accepted. But when you came out, you shined and blossomed like no other. You made people smile and happy in a period in which times have gotten tough with the economy, the war, and unemployment. You made people forget for one moment of their problems and brought them back into a world in which they didn't have to grow up. A simpler time in which they could laugh, play, and smile with their friends. Thank you for shining into our lives like the lotus flower: a flower that symbolizes beauty, determination, rebirth into a new life, and eternal youth.
While it's true that Pee-wee taught us to be ourselves, to be creative, to use our imagination, and that it was okay to be different, Paul had taught us an even more important lesson. He taught us to never give up when things were down. Did he give up when he didn't get into SNL? No! Did he give up when Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Pee-wee's Playhouse was almost not made? No. Did he give up when people were making fun of him and bashing him for his indiscretions? Absolutely not! He persisted and gotten up from his feet to move on and continue doing what he was good at: making people laugh. May you never give up that fighting spirit, Paul. May you continue to follow your dreams and goals even when things look hard and impossible. May you never lose that childish persona that we have come to know and love. May you never again forget that there are many, many people out there who still love you and respect you in every way!
Happy birthday Paul! May it be a special one and may you have many, many more.
Hey everyone, welcome back to our tribute to everyone's favorite eccentric, dark, yet goofy mastermind of film, Tim Burton. Today we're going to cover his very first film that he ever directed. A movie that has a combination of everything; laughs, scares, atmospheric scenes, convicts, bikers, hobos, the coolest bike in the world, the Alamo, and so much more. I'm talking, of course, about Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
After Tim was fired from Disney due to the fact that they thought that Frankenweenie was too scary for kids, he was giving many scripts from many movie studios for him to direct. Tim, uninterested in every single one of them due to it not using his creativity to his full potential, rejected them all. However, the same movie that got him fired would inspire one man to use Tim as a director for his first feature length film. That man's name was Paul Reubens, who played the crazy, zany, and lovable man-child Pee-wee Herman.
Already becoming a cult hit among many people thanks to his stage show that was filmed by HBO, The Pee-wee Herman Show.
His many appearances on late night talk shows such as David Letterman.
As well as being one of the first mascots for MTV.
For his first feature film, he needed a director that was very artistic and eccentric. When he went to a screening of Frankenweenie, 30 seconds into the movie, Paul knew that Tim was the one. Long story short, Tim accepted and the movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure was made.
Joining me today is Manic Expression's beloved administrator, talented piano man, and long time Pee-wee Herman fan, my buddy Les. Thank you so much for joining me, Les.
Les- Thanks for having me here, my friend. I’ve been looking forward to doing a collaboration blog with you, so WOOT!
Patricia- Now, before we begin on the review, how were you first introduced to Pee-wee?
Les- Believe it or not, my father found it while flipping tv channels. We landed on Pee-wee’s Big Adventure right as he was trying to escape the Warner Brothers Studio Lot on his bicycle, and from there, we sought out the tv show and have been fans ever since.
Patricia- I was first introduced to Pee-wee when I saw Pee-wee's Playhouse. I was around 3 or 4-years-old. I didn't see it all the time because my family and I are Seventh-Day Adventists and we would go to church every Saturday. Even if we didn't go, TV was still forbidden to watch unless it was a nature show or a Christian program. However, I still snuck downstairs early in the morning to watch Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and more. To this day, I still faintly remember sitting in my living room seeing Pee-wee interacting with his friends Chairry, Clockey, Globey, Ms. Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, and watching the cartoons like the Penny cartoons and El Hombre.
Les- Yep, that show was pure unadulterated fun, alright. It’s like he managed to bottle up all the joy, creativity and playfulness of childhood and shared it once a week to forget about the rigors and stresses of real life while you were with him.
Patricia- Alright then. Let's get this review started. Does this movie still ride our way to our hearts after over 25 years after its release or does it crash and burn for its obscurity? Let's journey our way into Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
Warning: Spoilers and awesome silliness ahead.....
The movie starts off with a group of bikers riding the Tour de France. The race is going smoothly until Pee-wee rides his bike swiftly towards the finish line. Yay! He's crowned by Miss France and wakes up to find out it was all a dream. He plays with his toys, crashes a Mr. Potato Head with his fire truck, slides down a pole, and suddenly wears his iconic tight gray glen plaid suit, red bow tie, and white loafers. Seriously, where did he get that pole? Did he borrow it from Batman and Robin? Is there a factory of poles that when you slide down, it changes your clothes when you land? If so, I want one.
Les- Oh HELL YES, I want one of those poles too, only mine would put me in a Superman Outfit LOL!
Patricia- He activates his breakfast machine that looks like he's stole the blueprints from Rube Goldberg from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
He's has his breakfast containing eggs, pancakes, a strawberry nose, and a bacon mouth and pours Mr. T cereal all over it.
Mr. T- I PITY THE FOOL WHO HASN’T EATEN MY CEREAL!!!!!
Patricia- Speaking of which, have you ever tried Mr. T cereal? If so, what does it taste like? Because everytime I see that cereal, I've always wanted to know what it tasted like.
Les- Yes, er....it tasted like Kellogg’s Corn Pops, actually.....
Patricia- Oh, really? Interesting. So, Pee-wee rides his bike to the Promenade and stops by Mario's Joke Shop. He picks up a few items there and stops by at Chuck's Bike-o-Rama. He picks up a horn from Dottie, one of the co-workers from the bike shop. She tells Pee-wee that she would like to have a date with him at the drive-in, but Pee-wee tells her no in one of the most memorable quotes in the whole movie. "There are some things that you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel".
Les- Ah...don’t forget his rivalry with next door neighbor spoiled rich kid, Francis, who was pestering him to let him ride his bike in the classic Kindergartener argument....It’s sort of a plot point later on, but I digress.......
Patricia- I remember that scene. So funny!
Anyway, he leaves the bike shop to find that...oh no! His bike has been stolen! He looks frantically everywhere for it, but can't find it anywhere. He runs back to Chuck's Bike-o-Rama, screams, knocks down all the bikes on display, and faints. After recovering, he knows that he must find his bike quickly or else it'll be too late.
Les- Naturally, he goes to the Police to try and put out an APB on his valuable bike, but they can’t really do that, but during the questioning, Pee-wee comes to the conclusion that Francis had the bike stolen....he rushes over....has a battle of wits with the butler(Who resembles Oddjob from Goldfinger) and attacks Francis in his Olympic sized bathtub(one of the funniest scenes in a film ever....). Francis’ Dad breaks it up and makes Pee-wee and Francis shake hands and apologize to each other....Pee-wee gets even with some Joke Gum before leaving.
Patricia- Knowing that he has to find the bike alone, he goes to the most reliable source of information: Madam Ruby's Fortune Telling. While walking to the fortune teller in the pouring rain, he's approached by a bunch of thugs who wish for him to leave their turf. Pee-wee hisses at them and they ran away scared. An interesting fact about this scene is that Tim Burton is playing one of the thugs in the movie.
Madam Ruby tells Pee-wee (falsely, of course) that his bike is located in the basement of the Alamo. So, our adventure begins!
He meets up with Mickey, a convict who commited a questionable crime of ripping off the Do Not Remove label from a mattress. While driving, a slew of cops block the road trying to find Mickey. Mickey pulls out his gun, but Pee-wee comes up with a better idea. They disguise each other as a married couple. It works flawlessly, but hilariously when Pee-wee is disguised as the wife.
Les- Yep, one of the goofier drag queen disguises in a film, then Pee-wee accidentally drives the car off a cliff and they both have a screaming moment during the fall that I think Bill and Ted spoofed on their fall to Hell in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. Fortunately, the soft top of the convertible works as a parachute and they survive. Mickey ends their partnership immediately after.
Patricia- After Mickey drops him off, Pee-wee is picked up by a trucker simply known as Large Marge. She starts telling him a story of the worst accident she had ever seen. While describing it to him, she pulls out something that no one ever expect it. "And when they finally pulled the driver's body from the twisted, burning wreck, it looked like this...
Holy crap! That scared the hell out of me when I first saw it!
The stop motion animation was done by Rick Heinrichs, who has done a lot of work for Tim Burton. If you're looking for someone to blame for giving you nightmares due to Large Marge, that'll be Rick. Also to a small extent, the Chiodo Brothers.Looking at it now, I laugh at this scene because its just comes out of freaking nowhere! It's something that you can show kids to this day and it catches them off guard. It's awesome!
Les- Yeah, I’ll second that. It’s almost as good a shock scene as the chestburster in 1979’s Alien. Both scenes were unexpected, shocking and had never been done before and were endlessly copied since...the difference? Large Marge’s surprise made me laugh my ass off!
Patricia- Finally, he makes it to the Alamo. Making his way to a tour through to the Alamo, the guide named Tina tells the history of the Alamo and its people. Can you say "adobe?"
Les- OMG! If this scene doesn’t piss you off, I don’t know what to tell you. Who hasn’t had something really important to do, but was stalled by someone official who had something endlessly trivial and annoying as hell that they forced you to suffer through before you could do what you wanted to do?COUGH! DMV COUGH!.....
Patricia- After waiting patiently for the tour to end, he asks the question of where the basement is. Tina laughs and tells him that there is no basement in the Alamo. Pee-wee was shocked and runs away from the Alamo. Still to this day, the term of "There's no basement in the Alamo" is being used. Whenever people go to the Alamo, they've asked tour guides that same question after the tours end. Some of them get the joke. Others don't. In the end, it has made the Alamo a more iconic place to visit like the Cabazon Dinosaurs.
An interesting thing to note is that Jan Hooks, the woman who played Tina, was a Groundlings member, like Paul Reubens. She improvised the entire scene of the tour through the Alamo. That's truly amazing!
Les- Yeah, she also put that talent to good use for her stint on SNL.
Patricia- There's actually a YouTube video that you can see in which Pee-wee actually discovers that...there IS a basementt in the Alamo. This took place at August 2011, right after he did the guest apperance in Top Chef: Texas. You might be wondering why I didn't include this in my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011. Well, I was a bit disappointed. Sure, we're not allowed to go down there and it's not part of the tour, but knowing that it does exist kind of takes the charm away. Still, I still love that scene and if I ever have a chance to go to San Antonio, the first place I'll go is to the Alamo.
Les- Yeah...that's just wrong! There is no basement in the Alamo....NOPE!....No basement. I can't hear you LA! LA! LA! LA*fingers in my ears.
Patricia- Now we cut to the infamous biker bar scene. Pee-wee tries to make a phone call, but couldn't hear himself speak due to the bikers speaking too loud. After trying to quiet them down, he upsets him and tells him to leave the bar. He accidentally knocks down all their motorcycles and they force him back in to think of ways to make him pay! He asks for one last request and he does, what is in my opinion, my favorite scene in the movie, he goes into the jukebox, borrows a pair of white capezios from the cook, and he dances the iconic Pee-wee dance or Tequila dance as some people call it.
The song that was playing in the jukebox was the 1958 song "Tequila" by the Champs and it was brought back mainstream again similar to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" when Wayne's World was released.
Paul Reubens has said that the dance came from a joke that his father use to tell them. It ended with him putting his thumb from his mouth to his rear end and moving them both back and forth. Pretty bizarre, isn't it?
Les- It also includes his signature walk on his tip toes strut on the bar top. Try it sometimes, it’s damn hard to pull off, my friends....
Patricia- It's interesting to note that it was one of the most popular dance fads in the 80's. In 1986, Joeski Love released an album with the song "The Pee-wee Herman" that included dance moves. Before the Macarena, before the Dougie, before the LMFAO dance, the Pee-wee dance was the dance of the ages. As you've read in my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011, it's still popular to this day, especially to NFL players.
Les- Also, my hometown college team, the University of Washington Huskies’ unofficial theme song(after the fight song, Bow Down to Washington) Is Tequila!...YEAH! BABY! YOU BET WE SAW SOME PEE-WEE DANCE STEPS THAT YEAR LOL!
Patricia- After Pee-wee steals his bike again, he goes through an awesome chase scene. Riding through the Warner Bros. studio, he rides through a filming of a beach movie, a Godzilla movie, a Christmas movie, and a music video by Twisted Sister. Finally escaping from the lot, he sees a pet store on fire. Pee-wee risks his life saving the dogs, cats, birds, monkey, mice, and the snakes. Similar to Indiana Jones, Pee-wee is afraid of snakes, but unlike our whip-weilding hero, Pee-wee gets up the courage to save them from harm. Although he does faint in the end.
Les- You can’t really do the bike chase justice just by text. You have to see this scene. The bike is loaded like Q branch from the James Bond films got their hands on it and accessorized the shit out of it. Seriously! Who else has a bicycle with detachable handles in case someone tries to grab them? I also liked the Tarzan swing over the lagoon scene LOL! THEN, after the police catch him, what does the studio do? Press Charges?....Nope! They offer him a movie deal to film his life story! This is brilliant!
Patricia- Today Pee-wee's iconic red bike is on display in many places, but the one that is the most known is the Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles. But starting next year, it'll be on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. alongside other things from Pee-wee's Playhouse like Chairry and the door.
Les- Wow! Yet another reason I really need to go see the Smithsonian Museum LOL!
Patricia- Also, an update! Apparently, a few objects from Pee-wee's Playhouse are going to be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on July 29th for an exhibition called "Century of the Child". Kevin and I are going to visit that exhibit! We can't wait!
Les- The film concludes with a Drive in screening of the movie they made and Pee-wee and Dottie bringing concession snacks from the snack bar through the parking lot distributing snacks to nearly everyone Pee Wee interacted with in the film while stopping to appreciate the scenes that Pee-wee is in(He plays a Bellboy in the hotel scenes with a hysterically bad voice dub “Paging Mr. Herman.....Mr. P.W. Herman.....” Playing the character of Pee-wee in the film falls to James Brolin and Dottie is played by Morgan Fairchild. It’s hysterical seeing the sexy stars doing these roles, and the actual Pee-wee Herman cameos in it are just perfect.
Reaching their bikes, having given all the food away except for the last boxes of candy, Francis shows up giving an interview to reporters attempting to get his chance to sit on the bike. Pee Wee finally agrees, and Francis’s triumph is short lived as the bike’s ejector seat flings him away. Pee Wee and Dottie ride off together.
Patricia- Overall, this is a fantastic movie. It has a great balance of humor, atmosphere, and zany fun. This is just as much fun for kids as well as adults. The movie has aged extremely well. The jokes still work, the quotes are memorable, the characters are lovable, and the scenes are eye-popping and atmospheric, just like Tim Burton is known for. It's just a shame that when it comes to Tim Burton movies, this is the least recognized. To quote my buddy Caseen Gaines, the author of Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse, "Although many still choose to view Pee-wee's Big Adventure as Burton's "film before he got famous", that's simply an unfair claim. Pee-wee's Big Adventure is the movie that made Burton famous. By the director's own admission, the success of the film was the catalyst for Warner Bros. giving the green-light not only to Beetlejuice, but to Batman. The collaboration between Burton and Elfman, that began on Big Adventure, has lasted 25 years and will certainly continue for many more, creating memorable themes for films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands".
Les- I agree. These two artistic geniuses were tailor made for each other and the film was just phenomenally great.
Patricia- My hypothesis to why this movie isn't as recognized as much is because of the 1991 "incident" that happened to Paul Reubens. During those years, many people felt uncomfortable and forbade showing Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, or Pee-wee's Playhouse to their children during movie nights or film screenings. Today, that has completely changed! Thanks to the amazing comeback of Paul Reubens and Pee-wee, many people are remembering how much Pee-wee impacted their lives again. The Broadway show brought them back happy memories of their childhood.
They're also screening Pee-wee's Big Adventure in drive-in theaters and silver screen theaters again. This year alone, I've heard about 10 events that are doing this.
Les- Yeah, I’ve never understood why the media made such a big deal out of the “incident”....honestly! It’s not like little children would’ve been at the Porno theater to be traumatized by what he did, right? Now, if he’d done it in the Playhouse...that would’ve been different. I’m glad he’s made the comeback and a whole new generation can be entertained by the manchild who makes us laugh and remember how much fun being childish really is.
Patricia- So Les, do you recommend Pee-wee's Big Adventure?
Les- Without hesitation. You know, I screened it two months ago for my daughters, aged 10 and 11. They’d never seen Pee-wee Herman or the TV show, and within 20 minutes, they fell in love with him. It’s now their favorite film, with The Muppets coming in a very close second. There’s just such a charm and charisma about it and some undeniably funny scenes that would entertain almost anyone. For anyone out there who’s missed this film. Go ahead and treat yourselves! You deserve it, my friends.
Patricia- Here's hoping that upcoming Pee-wee movie produced by Judd Apatow will be just as memorable as Big Adventure. Regardless if it looks good or not, I'll be the first to buy a ticket.
Les- I will too, my friend. I look forward to Pee-wee's return on the big screen.
Patricia- Well said. That concludes our review of Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm hoping that you check it out whenever you have the chance. If you have a favorite quote or scene that you want to mention to us or if you have fond memories of this movie or Pee-wee, post it in the comments below. Les, thank you so much for joining me. I had a lot of fun and I was glad that I was able to go over this movie with you.
Les- Me too, my friend. Next time, I’ll have you over on my blog.
Patricia- Well, hope to see you around Old School Lane real soon. Tune in next time as Kevin and I discuss Beetlejuice. Take care.
